Their biggest ever show. 80,000 fans. It’s a far cry from their humble origins. Leaving school in 1979, Martin Gore worked as a bank clerk for Nat West in Fenchurch Street, saving the money he earned to buy a Yamaha… Read More ›
Live Reviews
Steve Hackett Speaks Out About Refugee Crisis
We don’t always turn to the leading lights of progressive music for our daily dose of politics (see: Phil Collins 1997), so it was interesting to hear Steve Hackett’s thoughts on world events last night. This happened mid-way through his… Read More ›
Blondie: Live At The Roundhouse – Review
In 1975, a British rock writer went to see an unsigned band called The Ramones at The Performance Studio as part of a report for the NME in on the burgeoning scene in New York’s CBGB club and the surrounding… Read More ›
Kasabian Return With New Album and Rip-Roaring Live Show
Tonight is a Tuesday. Kasabian’s beloved Leicester City are being knocked out of the Champion’s League. It’s surely no coincidence that the band don’t take the stage of Kentish Town’s Forum until seconds after the final whistle… They might be… Read More ›
The xx: Live at Brixton Academy
The xx have played a series of gigs at Brixton Academy this week which they have called “Night + Day”. As South Londoners themselves this is something of a homecoming, and Brixton is abuzz with a celebration of The xx:… Read More ›
Band of Horses: Live at The Troxy
In the midst of Storm Doris last night, Band of Horses braved the wild winds of East London and The Troxy in support of their latest album “Why Are You OK”. Band of Horses are five albums in to their… Read More ›
Teenage Fanclub: Live at The Electric Ballroom
It is something of a mystery, akin to that of why men have nipples, as to quite why Teenage Fanclub have not set the world alight in quite the same way as some lesser bands. From the moment Raymond McGinley… Read More ›
Brian Wilson Brings Pet Sounds To Southend
It is fifty years since Brian Wilson famously set the young Paul McCartney’s hair on end with the release of Pet Sounds. It was a remarkable, almost impossible achievement – the musical equivalent of you or me writing a maths… Read More ›
How Asylums and South Record Shop Are Making Southend Rock
On a day when that august (and indeed August) celebration of the best albums of the year, the Mercury Prize nominations list, was released, a small part of Southend-on-Sea was showing what a bit of DIY spirit and grit and… Read More ›
A Glastonbury Top Five: Sunday
The final day of Glastonbury brings a unique feeling of excitement, sadness, relief and exhaustion. Excitement at the prospect of new bands to discover and see. Sadness that it will soon all be over. Relief that soon you won’t have… Read More ›
A Glastonbury Saturday
By the time Saturday comes at Glastonbury, most festival goers are pretty battle-hardened. Amidst the festivities, the fancy dress and general bonhomie, you begin to notice people who either resemble Vietnam veterans or simply look as though they went for… Read More ›
Glastonbury News: Day One
It was a strange mood that pervaded across Glastonbury yesterday as the overnight referendum news sank in like a heavy boot into the mud. Even rumours of a secret Radiohead performance (still only rumours) weren’t enough to lift spirits. Sir… Read More ›
Neil Young Live at The O2 Arena: A Journey Through The Past
There are two kinds of live artists: those who play the hits, and those who don’t. One of my favourite Neil Young stories is about the time Young played a set of completely new, unheard songs to an audience,… Read More ›
AC/DC Live at The Olympic Stadium, London: Axl/DC On Song
It was rather an unpopular choice of replacement, and there was much muttering about how things wouldn’t be the same. The longer you do a job, the harder you are to replace. But that’s enough about Top Gear. For a… Read More ›
Iggy Pop Live at the Royal Albert Hall: Review of Pop’s Last Stand
Iggy Pop and Josh Homme at the Royal Albert Hall was a top-five-of-all-time kind of gig, and I’m struggling to think of the other four. The merger of Queens of the Stone Age’s Josh Homme with Iggy Pop has produced… Read More ›
