Sophie’s ready for a big gay weekend

For the average Australian music fan, Sophie Ellis-Bextor’s career might as well have begun and ended a decade ago with her multi-hit-spawning debut album Read My Lips.

But, as with many of the best pop stars (see also: Annie, Robyn, Nicola Roberts), Bextor’s music has remained a slightly underground, cult proposition ever since, relished by forward-thinking pop lovers.

She’s currently on album four, the outstanding Make A Scene, and will mark it with her first Australian shows since her brief run as a chart-troubling rival to Britney, Christina et al all those years ago.

“I feel like I have little pockets of fans all over the world, which is brilliant, but I’m quite embarrassed it’s taken me so long to get to places like Australia again,” Ellis-Bextor told the Star Observer during a snatched phone conversation at Gatwick Airport earlier this month.

“Hopefully I’ll deliver a good show by means of an apology.”

She’ll be in the country for a week, leaving her two young children and husband (Richard Jones, bassist for fellow cultish Brit popsters The Feeling) in the UK.

While her shows will be relatively brief — 40-minute sets for queer crowds at Sydney’s Homesexual and Melbourne’s GH — she said fans could expect to hear much-loved tracks like Heartbreak (Make Me A Dancer) and, of course, Murder on the Dancefloor.

“I’m doing club shows because I haven’t got my band with me, but don’t worry, it’ll be a real party set, with all the greatest hits,” she said.

As well as the more pop-driven highlights of her first three albums, Ellis-Bextor will showcase the eclectic dancefloor sounds of Make A Scene — an album littered with big-name DJ collaborations.

The album finally saw the light of day in April after an agonising four-year wait for fans who waited patiently as release dates came and went. But Ellis-Bextor, glamorously aloof as ever, wasn’t about to apologise for the delays.

“It wasn’t frustrating for me. It’d been four years since the last record, and in that time I’d toured that album, then had a baby, then taken my time to work on Make A Scene.”

“I’m often the reason things take a long time, because I really enjoy the process of writing and recording. You’ve got to spend a long time with those songs once they’re out there, so I don’t rush them. I’m not really in any hurry.”

It’s this attitude that perhaps best explains why she’s very much a cult pop star — and happy to stay that way.

“Sometimes I think it’s a case of ‘careful what you wish for’, because the way things are at the moment, I work a lot, I travel the world, but I also manage to have a family life and raise my kids. I don’t want to wish for anything that would upset the balance of what makes me happy. So I’ll settle for cult — that sounds good to me.”

Aside from the expected commercial dance collaborations with Calvin Harris and handbag house mavens the Freemasons, Make A Scene (which will be released locally via Shock Records to coincide with her visit) sees Ellis-Bextor team up with indie dance hipsters Metronomy and folk gloomster Ed Harcourt.

It’s this refusal to be pigeonholed that’s defined her career thus far — after all, who would’ve predicted the frontwoman for arch Britpop also-rans theaudience would’ve emerged from their 1999 split to voice the biggest house song of 2000, Spiller’s Groovejet (If This Ain’t Love)?

“I’m still intrigued by the whole dance scene — Deadmau5, Chase & Status — or I could do something a bit more alternative. I haven’t got a clear idea of who I want to work with next, but I love working with unexpected people,” she mused.

“Dance music is such a big part of what I do, and I love it. If I could, I’d do two projects simultaneously — something dance, then something different. I am particularly interested in the ‘something different’, because I feel like I need to challenge myself a little bit.”

Testing her musical boundaries has always been important for Ellis-Bextor, who once memorably said “there’s nothing more unsexy than a jaded pop star”. More than a decade into the occupation, does she still have the passion to continue?

“Probably now more than ever, really. The longer it keeps going, the more I realise I’m one of the lucky ones, doing what I do. I’ve never had to get a proper job — brilliant!”

INFO: Sophie Ellis-Bextor plays Melbourne’s GH Hotel on October 1 (sold out) and Sydney’s Homesexual White on October 2. Tickets via www.inthedark.com.au

Interview, Performance and other stuff

Sophie has been promoting her new single "Not Giving Up On Love" with Armin Van Buuren on Radio and TV. In fact, the single is already out on iTunes. Support Sophie, please buy the single.

Sophie was on LORAINNE where she was asked about the new single, being a mum and the usual. She also performed the new single, which sounded excellent, actually. Thanks to Paul and Renzo for the videos.





Recently, Sophie was also on T4 to talk about the new single and play Celebrity Squares. You can watch the show right here.





Also, Sophie has been picked by Erasue to support them on their tour in June. So maybe we can expect the album out before that. Hopefully this support tour will do some good for her. So if you couldn't catch her on her Straight To The Heart tour, you can go see her live now. Here are the tour dates
Fri 10 June Thetford Forest, Nr Brandon, Suffolk.
Sat 11 June Bedgebury Pinetum & Forest, Nr Tunbridge Wells, Kent.
Fri 17 June Sherwood Pines Forest Park, Nr Edwinstowe, Nottinghamshire.
Sat 18 June Westonbirt Arboretum, Nr Tetbury, Gloucestershire.
Fri 24 June Cannock Chase Forest, Nr Rugeley, Staffordshire.
Sat 25 June Dalby Forest, Nr Pickering, North Yorks.
Fri 1 July Delamere Forest, Delamere, Cheshire. (Note: Sophie Ellis-Bextor will not be appearing in Delamere Forest)

Here's a video from T4 - Sophie Ellis Bextor Style Masterclass

Straight To The Heart Tour: Remastered Audio

many thanks to Snider from the official forum for recording and remastering these audio files.

All the files sound really good. They got me really really excited about the new album again.

Revolution is fabulous and HAS to be a single. I'm not sure how it will perform on the charts, but it just HAS to be a single. It is SOOO good! Dial My Number and Starlight sound really good too.

Release the album, Sophie. We're all craving for it.



DOWNLOAD HERE

Sophie's Straight To The Heart Tour: Reviews

xondus said:
Great gig from our Sophie tonight at the Academy! She looked stunning and was full of energy - vocals were good and on form throughout. She was drowned out by the backing band a lot though. I'm also not sure how well some of the more synth-y songs worked live - Bittersweet sounded like some random funk track with all that guitar and Not Giving Up fell quite flat for me. Most of the songs would have benefitted tremendously from having another synth player in the band but nevermind. Highlights for me were What Have We Started which was one of the tracks that really came together live, Get Over You, Heartbreak and Revolution - the latter is an absolute tune and I can't wait to hear it in studio form.. If we ever will, sigh. The crowd really got going during Can't Fight This Feeling as well which surprised me a bit seeing as it never really took off over here..
Oh and she failed to mention or even acknowledge the new album in any way... What on earth is the point of this tour if she's not plugging anything? Not even one simple 'here's another new track from my new album, which should be out this spring'... Mneh.


strictmachine79 said:
Sophie rocked again tonight... despite my manflu I made the Brighton and London gigs (just)... same songs, more chat at Brighton (though more to talk about - X Factor final, random balloon hanging around for the whole gig). All the friends I dragged along said the new stuff sounded better than her old stuff, after hearing Revolution live 3 or 4 times I think it's def the next best single option, love Dial my number too, but Starlight is def an album track (still love it though)... I thought Not giving up sounded great, they've beefed it up quite a bit since the pet shop boys tour...


China_Heart said:
Just back from the London gig as well. Sophie was absolutely amazing! I had such a wonderful time and she seemed to really enjoy the atmosphere!
The higlights of the evening for me were:
Today The Sun's On Us: gorgeous and one of my favourite songs from Sophie ever.
Not Giving Up On Love: I think the live version was stunning. The melancholic feeling really came through but at the same time it really made you want to dance!
Can't Fight This Feeling: really went down well with the crowd. I think it should get a proper release, it's bliss to dance to!
Revolution: absolutely breathless. Stunning track, it needs to be the next single.
But of course everything else was great as well. As someone mentioned before, the instruments were TOO LOUD and drowned Sophie's wonderful voice most of the time. That's my only complaint!
I can't believe nobody commented on her remark: "The good news is that I've asked all of your bosses to give you the day off tomorrow... But, actually, being friends of mine, I guess you ARE your own bosses..." Classic Sophie and so much fun! It shows she perfectly understands where she stands and she doesn't take herself too seriously! Loved it!


absintheboy said:
Amazing show! Yes, at times she was a bit drowned out by the band, but she has so much charisma as a performer. Lots of playful, witty banter with the audience and the *dancing* - ok, as we all know, our Sophs isn't the greatest daaarncer, but she carried off the moves she was doing really well.
I was pleasantly surprised about not only how well the "rockier" tracks like What Have We Started and the Rebellion cover went down with the audience, but also how great they sounded live. I've gone from being completely opposed to her ever doing anything but dance pop, to liking the idea of a synthy-rock album. The Lady (Hear Me Tonight)/Groovejet/Sing It Back medley was also a real highlight.
Revolution for the next single please. If we ever get one. I've no more faith that this album will ever see the light of day, but I'm so, so glad I caught her on tour. She's a natural live performer and (sometimes even I need reminding) a brilliant popstar.


misfitmenace said:
wow sophie was soooo good tonight, my highlights were dial my number, heartbreak, just cant fight this feeling, not giving up , today the suns on us and what have we started....... she should some great emotion during the slower songs, i was surprised and really touched.


christopher60 said:
Went to Sophie's concert in Brighton with my Wife last night. FANTASTIC! Superb show, brilliant sound - made up for the cancelled concert a few years ago! Can't wait for the new album and to see Sophie live again!

Arena Moscow Set List

HOLD YOUR BREATH!

1. Intro (some new song & Heartbreak, instrumental)
2. Dial My Number
3. Bittersweet
4. Take Me Home
5. Me & My Imagination
6. Today the Sun's on Us
7. What Have We Started?
8. Starlight
9. Rebellion (Lies)
10. Can't Fight This Feeling
11. Not Giving Up
12. Get Over You/Lady (Hear Me Tonight)/Groovejet/Sing It Back
13. Heartbreak
Encore:
14. Revolution
15. Catch You
16. Murder on the Dancefloor

An Arcade Fire Cover. Modjo's Lady with Groovejet in a medley with a Moloko cover! WHAT HAVE WE STARTED!! What an AMAZING, scratch that, FUCKING AMAZING set list! If only she could squeeze in "You Get Yours" in there - it would be the ultimate party set-list!

Here are:

Not Giving Up On Love (and it sounds 10x better live - too bad the album version isn't like this)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDxVGeKz4w0

Bittersweet (Snippet)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XDJtdixzwa0

Can't Fight This Feeling (Snippet) - AMAZING!!!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XDJtdixzwa0

Sing It Back/Groovejet (Medley) - Sophie rules! Roisin would be proud!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BT1VF_N-Ha8

Lady/Groovejet (Medley) - kinda odd to hear Sophie sing Lady
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZ__y5FtYi8

Revolution - THE MOMENT WE HAVE ALL WAITED FOR
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L8f8JrRvVoM

Also, in a recent Russian interview, Sophie stated that the album is called "Make A Scene" again. Lets hope this is true. Make A Scene befits the album, the genre, the situation it is in now...it's perfect!!! If you attend her concert, make sure you upload as many videos as you can...

Mewbox caught up with Sophie

You can listen to the interview on the Mewbox Site - http://www.mewbox.com/blog/sophie-ellis-bextor-mewbox-interview/

Sophie talks about:
1. Metronomy Track: quirky and leftfield. Joe and she have a mutual friend and that's how the collabration came about.
2. Wants to work with: Aha, Arcade Fire (she had also mentioned Daft Punk and Kings Of Leon in the past)
3. Tours with TT & PSB
4. She wants us to reward us for our patience by touring

thanks for the heads-up Danny.

Sophie Ellis-Bextor going fourth

This was a good read... definitely worth the re-post.

ORIGINAL ARTICLE: http://www.greatbritishlife.co.uk/article/sophie-ellis-bextor-going-fourth-26407/

Sophie Ellis-Bextor has a cough, but nonetheless she is happily chatting to me on her mobile about shopping for vintage clothes from her home in London. “The best place for vintage is still eBay,” she tells me, “but failing that I like car boot sales.”

At 31 Sophie has pretty much got it all. A rock-star husband (The Feeling’s guitarist Richard Jones) with whom she has two young boys, Kit and Sonny, an ex-Blue Peter presenter mother (Janet Ellis), a huge international hit (Groovejet (If This Ain’t Love) with Italian DJ Spiller) and a fourth album due for release next spring which she describes as “my danciest album, very positive, shiny and sparkly”.

Two years in the making, the album features songs co-written with some of the very best songwriters around – Cathy Dennis, Greg Kurstin – and relative newcomers like Calvin Harris and Richard X. Who impressed her the most? “Basically every song that made it onto the album I really enjoyed making, and I enjoyed working with those people so I couldn’t say one specifically,” she neatly sidesteps before adding, “the criteria was that if I hadn’t enjoyed making it then I wasn’t using it.”

Unlike most artists, it was her third album that Sophie found the most difficult to make, not her second. “Because you’re aware what’s at stake,” she says. “The first one you’re so excited. The second you think, ‘Oh yeah, I know how this works’ and the third one you’re like, ‘Right, if I get this right then I’ve got a career’. That was the turning point but once you get past that… Well everybody treats you quite differently as well and, I think, don’t doubt your motives. Especially the British press. At the beginning they’re always there to trip you up, but once you’ve been around for a while they come to accept that maybe you’re an honest person getting on with what you do.”

And Sophie certainly does get on with it. This year already she’s been busy with live shows promoting singles from the forthcoming album, including a date at the O2 Academy Islington on December 13. “I was in Russia every weekend of last month. It is quite tiring and at the same time it is quite fun.” And December alone will see her back in Russia as well as Turkey and the UK: “It’s a bit chaotic, but there’s two more singles from the album that haven’t been released here but have been in other countries,” she explains.

Despite the glamorous jet-setting and many adoring fans – her MySpace and Twitter pages are testimony to this – Sophie is very rarely featured on the pages of the weekly gossip rags. Is this a part of celebrity culture that she consciously avoids? “Yeah, definitely,” she says, politely stifling a cough. “I’m kind of fascinated with what some people reveal to the public. I’ve just never felt the need to share everything all the time. I don’t think it’s particularly interesting a lot of the time, but also once you’ve done that you can’t get it back again.”

She also thinks there’s nothing worse than people getting jaded, especially pop stars: “I find cynicism a general turn-off anyway, I’m quite a positive person really. It is really easy to become bitter although some of the people I know who are like that are not necessarily the ones who have been hugely successful.”

And what does she think about celebrity culture being the motivation behind most young artists today? “When I was a teenager, teenage culture was all Melody Maker, Select, Smash Hits and Top of the Pops and everybody would talk about what bands you liked. Now if you look on the shelves it’s all celebrity culture, it’s not so much about music.” And although embracing celebrity is a route she’s chosen not to go down, being too judgemental about those who have is something she skirts around: “I don’t think one’s good or one’s bad, the whole way you go about your world has changed anyway and now it’s a lot more about branding, how you do your videos and how you do your artwork.” Her tolerant attitude is also backed-up by her thoughts on other artists. “Complaining about what other artists are doing makes no difference. There’s absolutely room for everybody, if you’re good at what you do there’s room for everyone. Of course there’s going to be people I look at and go ‘I don’t understand why they’re successful at all’, but it’s got nothing to do with me.”

A huge Mad Men fan – “I find watching it a bit like having a nice White Russian or a nice hot chocolate, kind of decadent and creamy and lovely” – she also, along with the rest of us, spends Saturdays nights watching The X Factor, although says sagely: “I think you can see some genuinely talented people come up through the ranks, but it’s important to remember that that’s not the only option.” And she’s also pretty busy on Twitter, though she questions this with a laugh. “I’ll go through a phase of answering loads of questions and I’ll just go quiet again. I don’t know how you can keep it up all the time, I suppose you have to write about everything you’re doing but I kind of feel like ‘Are they really interested in all that?’… Maybe they are. I’m a bit like that with all those things, I kind of go in and out of phases with them. I don’t really update my status on Facebook.”

This all sounds frighteningly normal as does the admission that she’s not a complete workaholic. “I’m not like Dolly Parton up at four and writing songs, I definitely let life get in the way,” but then when she starts talking of “jotting down lists of people she’d like to work with on the next record” and going for a more “stripped down live sound”, I’m reminded that maybe her world is a little more shiny and sparkly than most after all.

Sophie Ellis-Bextor will be appearing at the O2 Academy Islington on December 13 – for tickets, call the box office on 0844 477 2000

Sophie's 4th record will be out in Spring 2011.

Sophie was on BBC Radio Leicester this morning. Here are the highlights :
Touring next month
Setlist is gonna be all the singles, some stuff from the new record, some covers.
Situation with the new album - will be released in Spring (around April)

I made a fairly large post about my thoughts on PopJustice. I'll just quote the same thing here. But what are your thoughts?

I don't think she is blaming the DJs. Didn't someone here say that the project was going to have singles as DJ feat SEB etc., Seems like that was true. She confirmed that, well, sort of... Had Polydor not stopped Roger Sanchez from using that song she did with him, we would have a single now, and she wouldn't have said that.

The good thing is that she knows where she is and it's not like she believes she can still get away with a Christmas release. I appreciate her honesty for that. April release - i suppose i understand why she wants the album out in Spring. Remember, it was supposed to be out in Spring back when Sophia Loren was planned to be the lead single. It's a dance album, it wouldn't make much sense to release it in the winter when no one will care about it, unless of couse, it's something like Loud. There's your perfect winter dance album. Judging by Bittersweet, Not Giving Up On Love, Can't Fight This Feeling and Heartbreak Make Me A Dancer, i think the album is filled with summer anthems.

I hate to wait, just like any other person in this thread, but i think i will be okay with it eventually. We have waited 3 years. A few months really shouldn't matter that much. But i do hope and pray we have a single or two between now and the album. And hopefully that won't be CFTF....

I can think of several reasons for this delay:
1. Polydor have no interest in taking risks with her, so they want her to make enough money from her gigs and use that to fund this release.
2. My theory about a summer dance album
3. She intends on recording new songs
4. Polydor want people to disassociate the album with Bittersweet (which is tragic. so what if it flopped. it's the highlight of 2010 and deserves to be on the album. if it doesn't make it to the final cut, i will be very very disappointed)
5. Fascination couldn't really do much, but Polydor FINALLY have a plan in mind and they want to go about it that way
6. She has no record label and she is trying to release this on her own.

Read more: http://www.popjustice.com/forum/index.php?topic=21518.4995#ixzz15ZAxG0DW

Exclusive Interview with Purple Revolver

ORIGINAL ARTICLE: http://www.purplerevolver.com/music/open-mic/121124-sophie-ellis-bextor-exclusive-interview.html

Purple Revolver had a little chat with Sophie Ellis Bextor ahead of her headline UK tour today and discussed everything from the festive period to portable periscopes.

Purple Revolver: Hi Sophie, how are you today?
Sophie: Very good thanks, you?

Purple Revolver: Not too bad at all. You have recently been on tour with the Pet Shop Boys, what was that like?
Sophie: It was great, really lovely. I have been a fan of theirs since I was little, so it was a real privilege to be asked to go on the road with them. I loved every minute of it.

Purple Revolver: Were there any practical jokes on tour or was it a relatively sedate affair?
Sophie: No not really, I have never really been any good at pranks. The only one I can remember is years ago now, and it is quite boring so forgive me. On one of my first tours, our drummer was reading a book intensely and when he was on the last page, we wrestled it off him and hid it. A couple days later, we ripped out the last page of the book and stuck it to his drum, but it turned out it was not the right book we had taken the page from and so it had no relevance. I think he was a bit perplexed by the whole situation.

Purple Revolver: So you have never done any April fooling in your time?
Sophie: No I don’t think so, I might have to change that (laughs). I remember once when I was younger, I took my mums diary and tried to mimic her handwriting, but what I was writing was all nonsense. I think that caused some confusion at the time.

Purple Revolver: You have worked with a number of artists on the new album, from Calvin Harris to Metronomy. What can we expect from the new project?
Sophie: It is a really dancey record, but also has a lot of electro elements. I just wanted it to be an unashamedly dance floor focused record, so that when people hear it they want to get up and move.

Purple Revolver: Going off on a tangent here, it was Back to the Future’s 25th anniversary recently, you a fan of the film?
Sophie: Yeah I love it, how old must I have been when it came out? Six I think- so yeah, I am definitely from the Back to the Future generation.

Purple Revolver: If you could make a time capsule set for 100 years in the future, what would you put in it to embody this age we live in today?
Sophie: I think I would just buy loads of crap on Ebay and stuff it full of that. All I can think of is food related, but I am not sure the people of the future would want our leftovers. Haribo will get a space in there undoubtedly.

Purple Revolver: Tangfastics?
Sophie: Yeah they are the best ones, along with the cola bottles. I would also probably put a lot of toys in. I think children’s toys really evoke the age they belong to, like Steiff bears and model-rail ways. My son is really into his Transformer figures at the minute, so I might also put some of them in. And a picture of Simon Cowell.

Purple Revolver: Now I am going to pose a question to you, a problem of sorts, and I would like your creative input to find a solution. At gigs, people of a smaller stature often can’t see the stage as they are surrounded by giants, 6 foot plus brutes who obscure everyone’s view with their enormous heads. How would you solve this problem?
Sophie: Well I think the logical thing to do would be to organise the crowd in order of their height, smallest at the front and all the brutes at the back. But that might be a logistical nightmare. You could also buddy up with someone of the same height I suppose.

Purple Revolver: What about a periscope?
Sophie: (laughs) That could be cute, a little portable periscope you could carry around with you. I am sure I have heard people on the radio discussing this problem recently.

Purple Revolver: You mean my periscope idea has been conceived already? I am ruined.
Sophie: No they were just talking about the problem. I think you could be onto something though, I will back you all the way.

Purple Revolver: The paperwork is in the post.
Sophie: Excellent.

Purple Revolver: So Christmas is on the horizon, who is going to be donning the pinafore in your household?
Sophie: Oh me definitely, I love cooking Christmas dinner. We are going to have lots of our friends and family over for a big party, I can’t wait.

Purple Revolver: Would you classify yourself as a good cook?
Sophie: Well I am OK, I wouldn’t say I am going to win any culinary awards but I think a roast is dummy proof, as long as you get the meat and potatoes right you are in business.

Purple Revolver: Will the much maligned sprout be making an appearance on your Christmas plate?
Sophie: I love sprouts, I eat them regardless of the time of year so they will be in there somewhere.

Purple Revolver: Will there be any fights over who puts the star on the tree in your household?
Sophie: I doubt it, it is all very democratic and we share the decorating responsibilities. The problem that I am facing now is when to start decorating, people are putting their lights up earlier and earlier, some Novermber time- which it is now. I can’t believe how fast this year has gone!

Purple Revolver: Time flies when your having fun.
Sophie: It does.

Purple Revolver: So you have just announced details for your upcoming tour, looking forward to it?
Sophie: Yeah, it will be the first time I have done a headlining tour for such a long time so I am really excited. I just want to make it look great and for the fans to have a really good time. It will be a real spectacle I can promise that.

Purple Revolver: Well that should wrap it up Sophie, thanks a lot for that.
Sophie: No problem at all.

Tour dates read as follows:
Sunday 12th December – Concorde 2, Brighton
Monday 13th December – O2 Academy Islington
Thursday 16th December – The Old Fire Station, Bournemouth
Friday 17th December – Academy 2, Manchester
Saturday 18th December – O2 Academy2 Birmingham
Sunday 19th December – O2 Academy2 Oxford
For more information on Sophie Ellis Bextor’s tour visit her official site here:
http://www.sophieellisbextor.net/

Pandemonium Tour, Day One

The set list at the Pandemonium Tour:

1. Dial My Number
2. Bittersweet
3. Murder On The Dancefloor
4. Take Me Home
5. Groovejet (If This Ain't Love)
6. Get Over You
7. Heartbreak Make Me A Dancer

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YNayVBE-oUM&feature=player_embedded
(snippets from the show)

Official Catch-Up and some other news

Third installment from SEB.net:

So, we asked your Twitter followers for some questions for you. One of them said, "Oh, so this is a fake Twitter, f***ing liars".
What?! So, he thinks all the tweets haven't been me? Actually, my brother got a bit annoyed with me because when I started Twitter, it was just after I'd had Kit and I was in that hormonal bubble when you've just had a baby and I kept on putting tweets up like "I'm now breastfeeding on Brighton pier". My brother made me stop doing that. So, if I had a fake me, I'd really like to think they'd have a little bit more discretion and perhaps be a little bit more pop. So take that Mr Cynic!

Other followers have asked whether you'll be playing live in America, Moscow, Singapore, Brazil, South Africa or Glasgow. Any plans?
Well, yeah, I'd love to. I do make this promise now that I will never, ever, ever put on a tour and then not perform the tour! There's always so many politics to that stuff, but I understand from a fans' point of view that it just looks like you can't be bothered. But I would love to play in all those places and it's brilliant that all those people have asked in such a short time. I have fans in far-flung places! I've still got a real excitement about the fact that your music can go out on these journeys that you're never going to go on. I love that.

An intelligent question from @davidlimonline - "how critical is the success of this upcoming album for your career? R U feeling the pressure & do you have a contingency plan?"
Ooh, that is an intelligent question. I would say the least critical out of everything, actually. Because I kind of feel like I do what I do now. Although that being said, you obviously want it to do well and I'm really pleased with it. But I don't feel as much pressure, because I feel like I'm here now, y'know? I feel like I'll be able to put out another album after this, no matter what.


A little bit about the track Scene:

It has been confirmed that the track Sophie Ellis Bextor recorded with Darren Lewis and Tunde Babalola of Future Cut is entitled “Scene.” The Metronomy-penned song is slotted for inclusion on the artist’s upcoming as-yet-untitled 4th album on Fascination / Polydor Records.
Future Cut Productions are also known for their work with Lily Allen (“Smile”), Ava Leigh (“Mad About the Boy”), Laura Izibor (“Shine”), Nicole Scherzinger (“What’s Keeping You”), Shakira (“Gypsy”), Rihanna (“Mad House”) and Livvi Franc (“Hummingbird”).
SOURCE: http://monicamania.blogdrive.com/archive/4667.html
Thanks to Eden for the heads-up!

And in other news, Alexander McQueen committed suicide on the 11th of this month. Sophie commented on his death saying "It’s very shocking. It’s sad when anyone feels that alone but particularly someone who is so talented and seemingly has so much to live for.”
RIP Alexander McQueen
SOURCE: Daily Star

Sophie Ellis Bextor Live (analysis)

There are some artists who are just amazing live. Not just their vocal ability, but their stage presence, the way their concert is conducted, everything! Sophie, has a great voice, great talent, amazing looks and some of the best songs ever. And what about her concerts? Let's analyse...

PROS:

1. Sophie is singing. Which is great cos she never loses tune. She sounds perfect live
2. Her constant interaction with the crowd during and in between songs..
3. Her sexy dressing sense and her poise
4. Amazingly catchy tunes, cos the crowd can sing along. Sometimes she lets the audience to do a few lines on her song, which i personally think is a great thing to do. Songs like "Murder On The Dancefloor", "Groovejet", "Get Over You", "Yes Sir, I Can Boogie" and other covers, she lets the crowd sing along..
5. Sophie is always moving on stage (of late). She jumps around, walks around, dances, moves her hands etc,.
   
6. No lip sync (well at least 98% of the time)

CONS:

1. No back-up dancers. She's got dance tunes for god's sake. She can have a few back up dancers running around behind her, and she can join them every now and then
2. Lack of fireworks and lighting. I think every energetic concert requires fireworks, laser, regular spot light and other lights...and in Sophie's case, a disco ball as well!
3. Not well organised. I blame Wallace Productions for that. Haven't they seen a Madonna or Cher or P!nk or Britney concert?? Those people have some brilliant tours. I wish Sophie does one too.

Of course, the worst part is she's done just one tour, and she's got three albums under her belt! Thats really really sad because two of them were amazing, and one was put off for pregnancy. I think Sophie must take the idea of touring seriously, work on a glam show, with back-up dancers, lights, crowd pullers, pole dancing (cos she was thinking of that) and maybe even filler dance acts by herself!

Hoping the tour for the fourth album has all these...