Beard's Asian Tour Playlist 25/5/10

An Cafe- Kakusei Heroism (Japan)
Leon Lai- Sugar In The Marmalade (China)
Rain ft Tablo- I'm Coming (Korea)
Trilogy of Tracks: Japanese Covers
HIGH and MIGHTY COLOR- HOT LIMIT [T.M. Revolution] (Japan)
Nami Tamaki- STORM [Luna Sea] (Japan)
The TRAX- Tears [X-Japan] (Korea)
Artist Spotlight: Tucker
Tucker- Swan Lake (Japan)
Lillies and Remains- Wreckage (Japan)
BoA- Did Ya (Korea)
Versailles- Aristocrat's Symphony (Japan)
TM Network- GET WILD (Japan)
MC Sniper- So Sniper... (Korea)

Beard's Asian Tour 19/5/10

The TRAX- Paradox (Korea)

Mad Capsule Markets- Pulse (Japan)

Nell- Memories of Walking Time (Korea)

Trilogy of Tracks: Songs released in 2009

Abingdon Boys School- JAP (Japan)

Fact- A Fact of Life (Japan)

Gackt- Journey Through The Decade (Japan)

Artist Spotlight- Tucker

Tucker featuring AFRA & SLY Mongoose - 1,2,3,4,OddJob Sounds (Japan)

Utada Hikaru- Passion (Japan)

Bump Of Chicken- R.I.P (Japan)

HIGH and MIGHTY COLOR- Pride (Japan)

Outsider- Alone/Loner (Korea)

Polysics- Pretty Good (Japan)

Beard's Asian Tour 12/5/10 *Japanese Indie Special*

Red Bacteria Vacuum- The Big Moon

Camisama- EPMD Kai Ni Ikou

Bo-Peep- B-Level Motion

Trilogy of Tracks: Bands I've Seen Live Part 1

Natccu- Crescent Moon

Skunkrice- Blue

Riddim Saunter- Bad Is...

Trilogy of Tracks: Bands I've Seen Live Part 2

Artist Spotlight: Tucker

Tucker ft Ken-One- Horror Hop

Tokyo Pinsalocks- Mannequin

Sunset Drive- We've Got To Talk (New Zealand/Japan)

GEEKS- Kass Mass

JinnyOops!- Toki

the DOLOMITES- Wakannai (I Don't Know)

Omodaka- Yosawya San

Pee-lander Z- Ninja High Schooool

Beard's Asian Tour 5/5/10

Untouchable- This Is Love (Korea)

Gackt- Todokanai Ai To Sitte Itanoni Osaekirezuni Aisitsuzuketa (Japan)

SNSD- Oh! (Korea)

Electric Eel Shock- Iron Man (Japan)

Chang Chen-yue- Secret (China)

Artist Spotlight: Tucker

Tucker- Jump Around (Japan)

Trilogy of Tracks: Featuring Other Artists

Epik High ft Jisan- One (Korea)

MC Sniper ft Outsider and Horan- Heart Disease (Korea)

DBSK ft BoA and The TRAX- Tri-Angle (Korea)

Sweet Black ft Maki Goto- Lady-Rise (Japan)

HIGH and MIGHTY COLOR- Good Bye (Japan)

Sugar Donut- Loser (Korea)

Fact- Slip Of The Lip (Japan)

Review of Iron Man 2

Iron Man: Ready For Round 2

 Sequels are funny things, they can either be complete and utter flops or they can take what was established in the first film and add something enjoyable to the mythos. Iron Man 2 falls into the latter category.

Set six months after the events of the first Iron Man film, Tony Stark played by Robert Downey Jr is enjoying being an icon as Iron Man as well as having 'successfully privatised world peace' by being a deterrent. Causing frustration to business rival Justin Hammer (Sam Rockwell), Senator Stern, who wants the Iron Man suit in the hands of the US Government and disgraced Russian physicist Ivan Vanco (played by Mickey Rourke) who is after revenge for the sins of Tony's father Howard Stark. Vanco constructs his own Arc Generator and becomes the villain Whiplash, going after Tony Stark, trying to prove that the Invincible Iron Man isn't as invincible as he thought he was.

Don Cheadle is War Machine

You'd think that would be enough plot to satisfy director John Favreau (who also plays Stark's chauffeur Happy Hogan) but no, he also plays on what initially looks like a plot thread from the Iron Man classic 'Demon In The Bottle' but is in fact a plot line from the 90's Iron Man comic series written by Kurt Busiek, which shows that Favreau and his writing team have really done their homework.

Scarlett as the deadly Nlack Widow.

Like the first film, Iron Man 2 has some fantastic funny moments such as a drunk Iron Man dancing along to Tupac's California Love or Happy Hogan sparring with new addition to the cast Scarlett Johansson as Natasha Romanoff. Speaking of new cast members, Terence Howard's replacement Don Cheadle delivers a much stronger performance as Lieutenant Colonel James 'Rhodey' Rhodes, playing the straight man to the laid back Stark, even getting his own armour dubbed War Machine. Rourke as Vanco/Whiplash is intense and Rourke really humanises him to the point where you almost feel sorry for Vanco with everyone pushing him around. Scarlett Johansson's role as Natasha Romanoff comes off a bit cold at times though that could be due to how little we see of her so there's not much chance to warm to her character however her action scenes as The Black Widow are really fantastic.

Samuel L. Jackson makes a return as S.H.I.E.L.D. Director Nick Fury serving as a reminder that Iron Man is just one part of the Avenger's franchise, there are a few Easter eggs (including an after credits scene) which throws some nice teases pertaining to the next few films (Thor and Captain America) in the franchise. There are also a few little Easter eggs that relate to Iron Man himself such as the briefcase containing the Mark V armour.

Rourke as Whiplash

The action in Iron Man 2 has vastly improved from the first film in so much that there's more of it. There are periods where it feels like you are watching someone play Rock em Sock em robots and while a guy with whips as his main weapon doesn't look as intimidating as a large robot, the Monaco sequence is visually impressive and a highlight. The CGI elements are quite smooth though there are one or two moments in the film where the CGI looks a bit clunky,

While there are times where it feels as though Favreau has packed too much in, he balances the screen time between Downey Jr and Rourke well, though the rest of quite big cast get juggled around. Iron Man 2 blends its action and comedy well making it an enjoyable film we learn how Tony Stark relieves himself when he has the armour on, which while a bit childish is a definite laugh out loud moment. Let's just hope that the eventual Iron Man 3 doesn't go in the way of other Superhero trilogies.

Beard's Asian Tour 28/4/10

After School- Bad Guy (Korea)

Aya Kamiki- I <3 My Superman (Japan)

Rain- It's Raining (Korea)

DE DE Mouse- 555 Is In Your Heart [Live] (Japan)

Sugar Donut- Everything (Korea)

Miyavi- Survive (Japan)

Artist Spotlight: Dirt Star

Dirt Star- To See You Smile (China)

Hikaru Utada- Beautiful World (Japan)

The TRAX- Blaze Away (Korea)

Trilogy of Tracks: Circus/Carnivals in the title

Bottlesmoker- Before Circus Over (Indonesia)

Jaurim- Carnival Amour (Korea)

MC Mong- Circus (Korea)

RIP SYLME- Super Shooter (Japan)

Review of Evangelion 1:01

Fifteen years ago Gainax released Neon Genesis Evangelion to critical acclaim appearing in many anime fans top ten lists (for me it's number one in that list) the series ending was hated by many Japanese fans who sent the creator/director Hideaki Anno death threats which he utilised in the 'alternate ending' films Death and Rebirth and End of Evangelion. Now Neon Genesis Evangeion is being retold in four films the first of which Evangelion 1:01- You Are (Not) Alone was released this week.

Evangelion 1:01 retells the first six episodes of the Evangelion series, which sees fourteen year old Shinji Ikari getting into a giant robot called an Evangelion to fight beings known as Angels, all the while dealing with issues with his father Gendo Ikari who is more concerned about the mysterious pilot of Evangelion Unit 0, Rei Ayanami. The film manages to condense these six episodes into a 90 minute feature without losing any of the main plot points whilst at the same time not coming off as a highlights feature. Evangelion 1:01 does boast some new scenes, and some of the old scenes have been given some new effects, mixing 3D animation with the 2D animation which looks clearer compared to the original series.

Eva Unit 01

The voice acting is a bit hit and miss at times, though the misses tend to be the tone of the voices being to high, making some characters younger than they should be like Shinji (voiced by the original series voice actor Spike Spencer) though as the film progresses, the voice acting does improve, my only gripe is the fact that most of the characters now have different voice actors portraying them which can be distracting to returning fans, maybe not so much to new viewers.

The climatic battle between the two Eva's and the 6th Angel is perhaps the most spectacular piece of animation in the film, with the 6th Angel rendered in 3D which makes it more menacing purely based on the shapes that it makes while contorting into it's attack or defense mode. This sequence also shows off Spike Spencer's vocal range as Shinji, going from whispers to whimpers to loud screams without it sounding strained or forced.

New fans may be somewhat perplexed as to how the film ends though one character who makes an important impact to the series is shown offering a new and exciting twist to this particular telling of the Evangelion story and as an opening part to this four part film series, it sets things up clearly without being too overly complicated despite bringing in subplots that are more than likely going to appear in later installments. The second act of Evangelion 1:01 is lighthearted and jovial at times as the film goes for quieter moments after the battles with the Angels.