Mars attacks!

At midday, DL and I represented our weekly gentleman's digest at the launch of - deep breath - the Australian tour of the UK stage production of the international hit 1978 concept album "Jeff Wayne's Musical Version Of The War Of The Worlds". (A work of which we're both fans.)

Although there wasn't a droplet of liquor or crumb of food on offer, the pitch was slick - especially, appropriately, in the sound'n'vision department. We're talkin' oversized screen, mixing desk and loadsaspeakers.

JW himself had flown out for the event, and local ring-in Shannon Noll rocked up to grin for the press. But what most impressed this space cadet - and the reason I'll likely drop $90 (minimum!) to attend the show come September - was the footage of the 10-metre tall Martian fighting machine that invades the stage.

I've no doubt the orchestra, rock band, singers and visual effects will be glorious, too...though I feel slightly uneasy about the way they've resurrected narrator Richard Burton as a holographic head.