Florence + the Machine, BST Hyde Park review - mastering the matriarchy

★★★★ FLORENCE + THE MACHINE, BST HYDE PARK Mastering the matriarchy

Florence Welch delivers the perfect set for London's biggest summer festival

It’s a rare thing that musicians sound better live than they do on Spotify. But Florence Welch sings a note perfect set – even when jumping up and down like a pogo stick, whirling and spinning, or sprinting along the front of the stage to meet fans.

Londinium, Griffiths, St John’s Waterloo review - a choral Grand Tour

★★★★ LONDINIUM, ST JOHN'S WATERLOO A choral Grand Tour

Leading London choir demonstrate imaginative programming and committed singing

Since 2005 Londinium has carved out a niche in the London choral scene as a purveyor of creative programming, exploring often neglected musical byways or making surprising connections and juxtapositions. Last night the idea was a musical Grand Tour of Europe, as taken by aristocratic young men in the 18th century, and a well-crafted and very satisfying concert resulted.

Vita and Virginia review - more Gloomsbury than Bloomsbury

★★ VITA AND VIRGINIA More Gloomsbury than Bloomsbury

A new treatment of Virginia Woolf and Vita Sackville-West's 1920s love affair misses the mark

“You do like to have your cake and eat it, Vity. So many cakes, so many,” laments Harold Nicholson (Rupert Penry-Jones) to his wife Vita Sackville-West (Gemma Arterton) as she embarks on an affair with Virginia Woolf (Elizabeth Debicki).

Janelle Monae, SSE Wembley Arena review - strong in both sound and sentiment

★★★★ JANELLE MONAE, SSE WEMBLEY ARENA Strong in both sound and sentiment

A message from Metropolis - perfectly delivered for Pride month

Janelle Monae says her show is all about making memories. She tells the crowd: “I hope that I can become a memory for you that you access when you’re feeling down – a memory that’s rooted in love and freedom.”

Spiderman: Far from Home review - a pleasant, if clichéd, tour

★★★ SPIDERMAN: FAR FROM HOME No rest for the webbed wonder

Assorted European capitals are blessed with a visitation from the Marvel juggernaut

There’s no rest for the webbed wonder in Spiderman: Far from Home. It’s just a few months since Marvel wiped out Iron Man in Avengers: Endgame and his protégé Peter Parker is being hounded to fill Tony Stark’s place.

London Mozart Players, Davan Wetton, St Giles Cripplegate - rousing Shakespearean revel

★★★★ LONDON MOZART PLAYERS, DAVAN WETTON, ST GILES CRIPPLEGATE A rousing Shakespearean revel

Summer Music in City Churches festival closes with a celebration of the bard

The festival Summer Music in City Churches is in only its second year, filling a gap left by the demise of the long-running City of London Festival.

Tony Bennett, Royal Albert Hall review - still cutting it at 92

★★★ TONY BENNETT, ROYAL ALBERT HALL Still cutting it at 92

The love is indeed here to stay

I remember my first time in San Francisco, February 1982, crying at the sight of Golden Gate Bridge. I still shed a tear – it and the Bay are so very beautiful and the city is, like Venice, crazy-wonderful, defying all logic. It’s impossible to set foot “in the city by the Bay” without Tony Bennett’s song lodging in your brain; impossible, wherever you are and whatever you’re doing, not to hear the song without picturing that magical city. It takes only a couple of notes of that celebrated and evocative piano riff...

Present Laughter, Old Vic review - Andrew Scott continues his rise and rise

★★★★★ PRESENT LAUGHTER, OLD VIC Andrew Scott continues his rise and rise

The Irish star is sublimely funny - and moving, too - in Noël Coward classic

"Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?" can be heard pulsating through the Old Vic auditorium as the curtain rises on its wondrous revival of Present Laughter: a decisive feather in the cap of artistic director Matthew Warchus's regime. But all Garry Essendine, the vainglorious actor at the whirling centre of Noël Coward's 1942 play, really wants is to make it through the day (and night) intact.

Billy Joel, Wembley Stadium review – The Entertainer delivers

★★★★★ BILLY JOEL, WEMBLEY STADIUM The Entertainer delivers

A transport of delight away from current woes

While Elton John was picking up another bauble and tinkling the ivories in Paris, the world’s other Piano Man was heading to London and Wembley, where he last played three years ago. It was Billy Joel’s only British gig in a stadium tour that kicked off in Orlando in January and which saw him recently notch up his one-hundredth Madison Square Garden concert – as artist-in-residence he’s been playing one concert a month there since 2014.

Metallica, Twickenham Stadium review - heavy metal titans bring the noise

★★★★★ METALLICA, TWICKENHAM STADIUM Heavy metal titans bring the noise

The thrash veterans show 'em how it's done in spectacular style

“You want heavy?” Metallica frontman James Hetfield already knows the answer to that question, and he and his three fellow horsemen of the apocalypse certainly deliver that tonight. This stop on Metallica’s mammoth Worldwired tour is the second of only two UK dates this year – they played an extremely rainy Manchester a few days ago – and they are very pleased to be back.