The Porchester Centre is a Grade II* listed building at the junction of Queensway and Porchester Road in Bayswater, London W2.
The Porchester Centre is a Grade II* listed building at the junction of Queensway and Porchester Road in Bayswater, London W2.
It was built in 1923–25 by the local architect Herbert Shepherd, [1] and was originally called Porchester Hall.
In 1927–29, it was extended by Shepherd and H. A. Thomerson, adding Turkish baths, a library and assembly rooms. [1]
English Heritage note that, "The Turkish baths complex is now exceptionally rare, and is thought to be the best surviving example, whilst the hall is an unusually rich example of its date." [1]
Several notable pop music acts have performed there, including Ed Sheeran, The Feeling, Arcade Fire, Cat Stevens, Snow Patrol, Hawkwind, Above & Beyond, Texas, The Who, Pink Floyd, [2] Van Morrison, Kylie Minogue, [3] Amy Winehouse and Beverley Knight. [4] The "Mr. Creosote" sketch from Monty Python's The Meaning of Life was filmed here in summer 1982.
During the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s the venue was home to the annual Porchester Hall Drag Balls. [5] [6] [7]
Kylie Ann Minogue is an Australian singer, songwriter and actress. Minogue is the highest-selling female Australian artist of all time, having sold over 80 million records worldwide. She has been recognised for reinventing herself in music as well as fashion, and is referred to by the European press as the "Princess of Pop" and a style icon. Her accolades include two Grammy Awards, four Brit Awards and eighteen ARIA Music Awards.
Britannia Row Studios was a recording studio located in Islington, London N1 (1975–1995), and then Fulham, London SW6, England (1995–2015).
"Can't Get You Out of My Head" is a song that was recorded by Australian singer Kylie Minogue for her eighth studio album, Fever (2001). Parlophone Records released the song as the album's lead single on 8 September 2001. "Can't Get You Out of My Head", which was written and produced by Cathy Dennis and Rob Davis, is a dance-pop, techno-pop and nu-disco song that is known for its "la la la" hook. Its lyrics are about obsession with a love interest. Music critics praised the song's production and Minogue's vocals and labelled it a highlight of Fever.
Impossible Remixes is the fourth remix album by Australian singer and songwriter Kylie Minogue. It was released on 8 July 1998 by Mushroom Records. The album was materialized while on her Intimate and Live Tour (1998) and contains remixes from her sixth studio album Impossible Princess (1997). Originally scheduled for a 1999 release, Mushroom released Impossible Remixes in Australia in July 1998 after releasing the UK counterpart Mixes (1998) earlier than its original date.
"Chocolate" is a song by Australian recording artist Kylie Minogue, taken from her ninth studio album Body Language (2003). It was written and produced by Johnny Douglas, with additional writing by Karen Poole. The song is a ballad that uses a chocolate simile to describe Minogue's obsession with love. It is a quiet storm song that contains elements of disco and funk and employs breathy and whispery vocals. It was released as the third and final single from the album on 28 June 2004 by Festival Mushroom Records and Parlophone.
"Cowboy Style" is a song recorded by Australian recording artist and songwriter Kylie Minogue, for her sixth studio album Impossible Princess (1997). The song was released as the fourth and final single on 5 October 1998 through Mushroom. Minogue co-wrote the track with Steve Anderson and Dave Seaman while Brothers in Rhythm produced it. Backed by guitars, synthesisers and drum instruments, "Cowboy Style" is a Celtic pop track in which Minogue sings about her relationship with Stephane Sednaoui. Critical response to "Cowboy Style" was positive; some critics praised the song's composition, Minogue's song writing and highlighted it as a career stand out track. Released in Australia and New Zealand, the song charted at number 39 on the Australian Singles Chart.
Mixes is the fifth remix album by Australian recording artist Kylie Minogue. It was released on 3 August 1998, by Deconstruction Records. The album contains remixes of tracks from her sixth studio album, Impossible Princess (1997). The remixes were done by DJs such as Brothers in Rhythm, Junior Vasquez, and Todd Terry. The remixes was influenced by various genres of dance music, such as electronica and dance-pop. The album was originally scheduled for a 1999 release, but Deconstruction pre-poned the release date of Mixes in the United Kingdom to August 1998, since the Australian counterpart, Impossible Remixes (1998), had been released earlier than its original date. With favourable critical reception, Mixes charted in the United Kingdom at number sixty-three on the UK Albums Chart, her highest remix album at the time. The Brothers in Rhythm remix of "Too Far" was released as a promotional single in the UK and North America.
"Did It Again" is a song by Australian recording artist Kylie Minogue, originally featured on her sixth studio album Impossible Princess (1997). The song was released as the album's second single on 24 November 1997 through Mushroom, Deconstruction, and BMG. Minogue had written the track with Steve Anderson and Dave Seaman, and it was produced by Minogue in collaboration with Brothers in Rhythm. Backed by guitars and drum, "Did It Again" is a pop rock track in which Minogue sings about her self-consciousness and self-hatred.
"Breathe" is a song by Australian singer Kylie Minogue, from her sixth studio album, Impossible Princess (1997). It was released on 16 March 1998 as the third single from the album, and her final one for the Deconstruction Records label. "Breathe" was co-written by Minogue with Ball and Vauk and produced by Dave Ball and Ingo Vauk. Backed by synthesisers and keyboards, it is an electronica track. The lyrics revolve around contemplation and calmness. "Breathe" received mostly positive reviews from music critics, some of whom highlighted the track as an album stand-out and commended the lyrical and vocal delivery.
Showgirl: The Greatest Hits Tour was the eighth concert tour by Australian singer Kylie Minogue. It was launched in support of her second major greatest hits compilation, Ultimate Kylie (2004) and visited Europe. It began on 19 March 2005 in Glasgow, Scotland at SECC Concert Hall 4 and concluded on 7 May 2005 in London, England at the Earls Court Exhibition Centre. The tour was announced on 24 October 2004, promoted by 3A Entertainment in Europe and Frontier Touring in Asia and Australia. Showgirl: The Greatest Hits Tour was intended to be a celebration of both Minogue's career and long-term relationship with her audience.
Intimate and Live was the fifth concert tour by Australian recording artist Kylie Minogue, in support of her sixth studio album, Impossible Princess (1997). The tour marked a return to touring for Minogue, with her previous tour Let's Get to It Tour (1991) taking place seven years prior.
"What Do I Have to Do" is a song performed by Australian singer-songwriter Kylie Minogue from her third studio album, Rhythm of Love (1990). The song was written and produced by Stock, Aitken & Waterman. Originally, the song was planned to be released after the single "Better the Devil You Know", but instead "Step Back in Time" was released and this was released as the third single on 21 January 1991. The song received positive reviews from most music critics, who thought the song was an instant rave classic.
The York Hall, officially known as York Hall Leisure Centre, is a multi-purpose indoor arena and leisure centre in Bethnal Green, London. The building opened in 1929 with a capacity of 1,200 and is now an international boxing venue. The main hall also hosts concerts and other live events and other facilities also include a local gymnasium and a swimming pool.
Played in Britain is a ten-year research project for English Heritage which seeks to record and celebrate Britain's sporting and recreational heritage, coinciding with the period from the staging of the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester to the 2012 Olympics. Much of the research has been made publicly available in a series of books, also called Played in Britain, featuring historic buildings and sportscapes. The series also looks at sporting artefacts and archaeology.
"Better Than Today" is a song recorded by Australian singer Kylie Minogue for her eleventh studio album, Aphrodite (2010). The track was originally written and produced by Nerina Pallot and Andy Chatterley for Pallot's 2009 extended play, Buckminster Fuller EP. It was re-recorded by Minogue in 2009, and received additional production by Stuart Price. Musically, "Better Than Today" is a dance-pop song that emulates other styles using guitars, synthesizers and drum programming.
Pools on the Park is a Grade II listed swimming pool and leisure facility in Old Deer Park in Richmond, London. Construction on the 6.5-acre (2.6 ha) site started in 1964 and was completed in 1966; the architect was Leslie Gooday. The pool replaced the previous Richmond baths nearby which had been built in Parkshot in 1882.
Kylie Summer 2015 was the first festival tour by Australian recording artist Kylie Minogue. The tour comprised six shows in Europe, commencing on 12 June in Aalborg, Denmark and finishing on 18 July in Gräfenhainichen, Germany.
Golden is the fourteenth studio album by Australian singer Kylie Minogue. On 6 April 2018, BMG Rights Management and Minogue's company Darenote made it available in a variety of formats. This is Minogue's first album with BMG, and her first musical release since Kylie Christmas (2015). Minogue began work on the album in London and Los Angeles before briefly visiting Nashville. She was inspired by Nashville's culture and music, particularly its country music influences. Inspired by her journey, she enlisted several producers to create new music, including Ash Howes, Richard "Biff" Stannard, Sky Adams, Alex Smith, and Mark Taylor, among others.
Step Back in Time: The Definitive Collection is a greatest hits album by Australian singer Kylie Minogue. It was released on various formats on June 28, 2019 by BMG Rights Management, serving as her first compilation with the label. Minogue confirmed the record in May 2019, after teasing initial content on social media and her website. The album's original content includes forty-two songs, dating back to Minogue's debut with PWL in 1987. In addition, an expanded version included another disc with eight additional tracks from her catalogue, as well as a megamix of various tracks from her career.
"Say Something" is a song by Australian singer Kylie Minogue, taken from her fifteenth studio album Disco (2020). It was released as the album's lead single on 23 July 2020, by BMG Rights Management and Minogue's company, Darenote. Minogue co-wrote the song with Ash Howes and its producers Jonathan Green and Richard Stannard. "Say Something" is a disco song with synths, drum crashes, a funk guitar, and a choir. Its lyrical content addresses themes of seeking love and calling for unity.