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Rick Pearson

Rick Pearson

Rick Pearson is a music critic for the Evening Standard who has written for MOJO and the Royal Society of Arts Journal.

Rick graduated from Cardiff University in 2006, with a joint honours in English Literature and Philosophy. During his time at the university, Rick wrote music reviews for Quench – the student newspaper’s arts supplement – and played guitar in a seven-piece soul group.

After graduating, Rick edited the live reviews section on Up Magazine, a monthly online publication. Six months later, he started work as one of the Evening Standard’s live music reviewers.

During his time at the newspaper, Rick has reviewed artists such as Madonna and U2, as well as covering all the major music festivals. He’s represented the newspaper on international press trips, assisted with its coverage of the Edinburgh Festival and written the occasional theatre review.

Away from music, Rick enjoys backpacking, Beat literature and following the fortunes of his football team, Crystal Palace

33 articles

List of articles in the library

By date | By artist | Most recently added

Massive Attack: Festival Hall, London

Live Review by Rick Pearson, The Evening Standard, 18 June 2008

THE FILM score to Ridley Scott's 1982 classic Blade Runner was always more than a fanfare for Harrison Ford's on-screen heroics. Eerie and ambient, Vangelis's ...

Amy Winehouse, My Bloody Valentine: Bestival, Isle of Wight ***

Report by Rick Pearson, The Evening Standard, 8 September 2008

Still bloody loud and clear at Bestival ...

Kate Nash: Village Underground, London

Live Review by Rick Pearson, The Evening Standard, 23 April 2010

Growing up and away from Lily ...

La Roux: Conway Hall, London

Live Review by Rick Pearson, The Evening Standard, 3 July 2014

IT'S BEEN five years since La Roux's Elly Jackson announced she was going in for the kill. The intervening period has seen the south Londoner ...

Mark Lanegan: Electric Ballroom, London

Live Review by Rick Pearson, The Evening Standard, 5 August 2015

GRUNGE-ROCK survivor Mark Lanegan is not renowned for his rose-tinted view of the world. "You've been torturing me," rumbled the 50-year-old during set opener 'The ...

Wretch 32: O2 Forum, Kentish Town, London

Live Review by Rick Pearson, The Evening Standard, 10 November 2016

Though there were strong moments, the break-out grime star sometimes blurred the line between touching and naff, says Rick Pearson. ...

Wilco: O2 Academy Brixton, London

Live Review by Rick Pearson, The Evening Standard, 21 November 2016

CAPABLE OF BEING as sombre as a Sunday night in with Bob Dylan or as wild as a Friday night out with the Pogues, Wilco ...

Young Fathers: Meltdown Festival, Royal Festival Hall, London

Live Review by Rick Pearson, The Evening Standard, 12 June 2017

GIVEN THAT THIS year's Meltdown is curated by MIA, an artist who's made a career out of being as contrarian as is humanly possible, Friday night's ...

Feist: Shepherd's Bush Empire, London

Live Review by Rick Pearson, The Evening Standard, 28 July 2017

JARVIS COCKER joined Feist on stage at the Empire, ambling on during 'Century' to ask: "How long is a century? Almost as long as a ...

Chase and Status: Chase & Status: Tribe

Review by Rick Pearson, The Evening Standard, 18 August 2017

Bereft of originality ...

Interpol: Alexandra Palace, London

Live Review by Rick Pearson, The Evening Standard, 4 September 2017

There's a charisma vacuum where the flamboyant Carlos "D" Dengler used to be, says Rick Pearson, but this show was a reminder of the importance ...

Phoenix: Alexandra Palace, London

Live Review by Rick Pearson, The Evening Standard, 2 October 2017

ALLY PALLY IS a ruthless venue that chews up and spits out all but the best of live bands. To succeed in this cavernous space, ...

The War on Drugs: War On Drugs: Alexander Palace, London

Live Review by Rick Pearson, The Evening Standard, 15 November 2017

IN AN ERA of instant gratification, the slow-burning pleasures of the War On Drugs provide the perfect antidote. ...

Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds: Who Built the Moon? (Sour Mash)

Review by Rick Pearson, The Evening Standard, 24 November 2017

FOR ALL ITS commercial success Noel Gallagher's post-Oasis output has hardly been a study in boundary-pushing experimentation.  ...

Queen & Adam Lambert: O2, London

Live Review by Rick Pearson, The Evening Standard, 13 December 2017

HOW DO YOU replace the greatest rock singer of all time? That was the issue facing Queen's Brian May and Roger Taylor when Freddie Mercury ...

Paramore: O2, London

Live Review by Rick Pearson, The Evening Standard, 15 January 2018

FORGET WHAT you think you know about Paramore. No longer are the Tennessee band all about angst, eyeliner and power chords. Paramore in 2018 are ...

Bastille: Royal Albert Hall, London

Live Review by Rick Pearson, The Evening Standard, 17 April 2018

"AS YOU CAN see," said Bastille's Dan Smith, looking round at the orchestra and choir, "we're doing things a little differently tonight." That's something of ...

Courtney Marie Andrews: Islington Assembly Rooms, London

Live Review by Rick Pearson, The Evening Standard, 25 April 2018

PICKING UP THE gong for International Artist of the Year at the recent UK Americana Awards, Arizona's Courtney Marie Andrews came to Islington with expectations ...

Beyoncé, Jay-Z: Beyoncé and Jay-Z: London Stadium

Live Review by Rick Pearson, The Evening Standard, 18 June 2018

STILL CRAZY in love? That's the message that Jay-Z and Beyoncé are keen to project during their On The Run II tour, which came to ...

Michael Bublé: O2 Arena, London

Live Review by Rick Pearson, The Evening Standard, 1 October 2018

OF ALL THE job descriptions in music, the one for the family-friendly crooner is surely the most attractive: "Singer wanted for arena tours and Christmas ...

Lisa Hannigan and Stargaze: Barbican, London

Live Review by Rick Pearson, The Evening Standard, 5 October 2018

LISA HANNIGAN is still best-known for her work alongside Damien Rice: her voice was the ethereal counterpoint to his earthy tones on multi-platinum-selling O in 2002.  ...

George Ezra: SSE Arena, Wembley

Live Review by Rick Pearson, The Evening Standard, 16 November 2018

Upbeat Ezra wraps arena in a cuddly cardigan with his big-hearted balladry. ...

Florence and the Machine: O2 Arena, London

Live Review by Rick Pearson, The Evening Standard, 22 November 2018

Quiet moments resonate loudest as Florence fills arena with love. ...

Mumford & Sons: O2 Arena, London

Live Review by Rick Pearson, The Evening Standard, 30 November 2018

IT SAYS MUCH about the rise of Mumford & Sons that four dates on their current tour have had to be postponed due to the ...

Mabel: O2 Academy Brixton, SW9

Live Review by Rick Pearson, The Evening Standard, 13 December 2018

MABEL MCVEY's mother is Swedish singer-songwriter Neneh Cherry (she of '7 Seconds' fame); her father is Massive Attack producer Cameron McVey. But she's a star ...

Lily Allen: Roundhouse, London

Live Review by Rick Pearson, The Evening Standard, 18 December 2018

Singer shares her thoughts exactly in brave confessional ...

Lily Allen: Roundhouse, London

Live Review by Rick Pearson, The Evening Standard, 18 December 2018

EYEBROWS WERE raised earlier this year when Lily Allen's latest album, No Shame, was nominated for the Mercury Prize but it fully deserved its place ...

Chvrches: Alexandra Palace, London

Live Review by Rick Pearson, The Evening Standard, 8 February 2019

ALLY PALLY is an unforgiving venue that will swallow up all but the hardiest of bands, so credit to Chvrches (pronounced churches) for proving they ...

Nicki Minaj: O2 Arena, London

Live Review by Rick Pearson, The Evening Standard, 12 March 2019

Rap's royal highness is as exciting as she is infuriating. ...

Busted: Wembley Arena, London

Live Review by Rick Pearson, The Evening Standard, 1 April 2019

When the apocalypse comes, all that will remain is cockroaches and Busted. ...

Burt Bacharach, Joss Stone: Burt Bacharach and Joss Stone: Eventim Apollo, London

Live Review by Rick Pearson, The Evening Standard, 18 July 2019

"THE QUESTION I always get asked is, 'Why are you still doing this?'" The answer for Burt Bacharach, 91, is love, sweet love. "It makes ...

Khalid, Ed Sheeran: Khalid: The O2, London

Live Review by Rick Pearson, The Evening Standard, 18 September 2019

Khalid gets an Ed start as Ginger One joins in ...

Coldplay: Natural History Museum, London

Live Review by Rick Pearson, The Evening Standard, 26 November 2019

Arena mainstays downsize for whale of a night at the Natural History Museum ...

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