Fun over! As I looked at the hellish images on the Toxic album Fear just before I inserted the disc into my CD player I wondered if I had something to be afraid of. A whimsical thought I know but those thoughts continued as I looked at the play list:

01) Preludium
02) Lucifer
03) Fear
04) Live On
05) I am the Fire
06) Panic
07) Tinnitus
08) Feed me Bitch
09) Freedom
10) Truth
11) Nothing Ventured Nothing Gained
12) Greed
13) Every Beating is a Lie
14) Fear None

Those titles are not exactly pussy footing around, but my fears continued in a good way as I listened to Preludium. It began with the type of sound effects that are used to create fear and anticipation in horror films and then chanting as if a black magic ceremony was going on. My imagination was working overtime by the time the band kicked in with powerful vocals and backing. I’m told that Preludium was recorded in a large cathedral type of room and that it sounded wicked – I can imagine that!

The other tracks that stood out for me were:

Feed me Bitch – despite the title I loved this track. ‘You’ve got to be poor to feed the rich’ that’s true. A contrast of sounds with an edge that made me feel the music almost as much as Preludium.

I am the Fire reminded me a bit of Black Sabbath. A full on rock track that got me jumping. To get the full effect I wished that I were listening at a concert and not in my sitting room, but second best was still good.

Every Beating is a Lie tells you to stand up for your rights and not to let them hold you down. I absolutely agree with that. Musically I enjoyed listening to this stirring track and as with all over the other tracks Toxic are getting a good message across.

Fear None is a good finale to the album, strong instrumentals but it does get a bit screechy in places. Not enough to scare my cat who seemed to be enjoying it as much as I was. Seriously, I like the vocals, the instrumentals and the mad contrasts and was disappointed when the track faded out to nothing and half expected them to come back and shock me.

After listening to the 14 tracks several times I can reveal that there was nothing to be afraid of from Fear. I enjoyed listening and can recommend the album to anybody who likes heavy rock. It’s crazy in places, a creative album of unexpected events that left me wanting more. My favourite track has to be Preludium because it was so atmospheric and captured my imagination. Well done Toxic it isn’t often that happens

To learn more about Norwegian heavy rock band Toxic visit www.toxic-rock.com Read my exclusive interview with Toxic bassist Rolf Lura at http://megamusictalent.com – you’ll love it!

Wembley Arena was originally built for the Empire Games in London back in 1934 and was known then as the Empire Pool, as it included a swimming pool. The arena underwent a massive facelift at the same time as Wembley Stadium was being redeveloped, costing £35 million. The new and improved venue was officially opened to the public with a concert by Depeche Mode. The venue certainly has a fantastic history and Sir Cliff Richard clearly enjoys the atmosphere; he will make his 60th appearance at the venue in November 2008. Since reopening, Wembley Arena has attracted a diverse range of artists, from Girls Aloud to The Eagles and it remains as popular as ever.

Carling Academy Brixton was formerly known as The Astoria, The Sundown Centre, The Fair Deal and up until 2004, The Brixton Academy. It has a capacity of just fewer than 5,000 and the building only became a music venue in 1981. One of the most famous gigs to be held at the venue was The Sex Pistols comeback gig in November 2007. Its popularity amongst music fans is reflected in the numerous best venue awards it has received from NME Magazine over the last decade.

Earls Court dates back to 1937 when it was first opened as an exhibition centre. Since then, the original Earls Court has been extended and now includes Earls Court Two, which is linked to the first building. The list of artists who have performed here over the years is a real who’s-who of the music industry; including world renowned artists such as David Bowie, Queen and The Rolling Stones to the more contemporary Red Hot Chili Peppers, Coldplay and The Kaiser Chiefs.

There are many more truly memorable music venues in London and throughout the year you’ll be able to take in a wide assortment of artists, from those just setting out on the road to stardom through to multi-million album selling acts that will blow you away. And with so many clubs, bars and hotels in London it’s a great place to visit and immerse yourself in the unique atmosphere.

Paul McIndoe writes for a digital marketing agency. This article has been commissioned by a client of said agency. This article is not designed to promote, but should be considered professional content.

Whenever I hear any Bon Jovi songs I am reminded of the time that I went to a Bon Jovi concert on Saturday 6th July 1996. The concert at the Milton Keynes Superbowl was towards the end of the mammoth These Days tour that started on 26th April 1995 at the Andheri Stadium Bombay, India and ended on 19th July 1996 at the Helsinki Olympic Stadium.

It took my boyfriend and myself over 3 hours to drive to Milton Keynes and we had to queue for 4 hours until 2pm to get into the Superbowl. It was one of those quirky English weather days, one minute the very hot sun was beating down on us and the next there was torrential freezing cold rain.

When we got into the arena we were able to get a spot at the front of the stage but as more fans arrived and blocked us in I became claustrophobic and worried that I wouldn’t be able to escape to the loo during the next 8 hours. I left Mark hugging the front of the stage and escaped to sit on a hillock where I got a pretty good view of the proceedings as the support bands Seven, Gun and Joan Osborne performed.

The most memorable being Joan Osbornes performance, she was great but the weather was still being quirky and it became pretty uncomfortable sitting on grass while soaked to the skin. I wandered round for a few hours and became more uncomfortable as a bloke took a fancy to me and started to harass me despite being told that I was with my boyfriend.

Seeing my discomfort a group of Bon Jovi fans told the bloke to leave me alone and asked me to join them. That was lucky for me in 2 ways, one that it got rid of my stalker and the other in that we were in a marvellous position to watch the show, close to the stage but to the right – away from the main crush of fans.

It was just before 7.00pm and I was feeling tired, very wet and shivering from the cold. I couldn’t have been wetter if I had stood in a pool fully clothed. As I tried to warm my by now numb blue hands I was miserably wishing that I hadn’t agreed to go to the concert.

A few minutes later a helicopter arrived and shortly afterwards I could see the band climbing up the steps to the stage. I did a double take at seeing Jon, he was dressed in a tight tan leather jumpsuit which gave the impression of him being naked from a distance.

The band started up and for 2 hours my discomfort was forgotten as Bon Jovi launched into a string of their hits including Always, It’s My Life, You Give Love A Bad Name, Someday I’ll Be A Saturday Night and my long time favourite Living On A Prayer.

Imagine a sea of over 60,000 fans joining in with the choruses, swaying, waving and punching the air together. It was a spectacular sight on and off stage as Bon Jovi rocked the Superbowl. I was enthralled with the bands performance and stirred by the music and the interaction from the crowd.

I felt disappointed when a fireworks display ended the magnificent performance 2 hours on, but afterwards Bon Jovi reappeared for an air punching encore to round off the show. I was still very wet and cold but warmed by a magnificent performance from the entire band. I absolutely recommend seeing Bon Jovi in concert and despite my discomfort I would go through it all over again – it was worth it.

I’ve been watching videos from the 2008 Lost Highway tour and think that Jon Bon Jovi has still got what it takes. Bon Jovi are a great band and 12 years on I am still a big fan of Bon Jovi songs and hope that I get a chance to see them in concert again, but perhaps an indoor concert!

P.S. As for my boyfriend I dumped him after the show. I don’t rate a guy that lets a woman he is supposed to care about wander off on their own for hours in a strange place and in a 60,000 plus crowd. He cared more about getting a place close to the stage than my safety. I probably ended up with a better view than he did and I was able to go to the loo when I wanted!

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