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Levellers at manc academy. As usual the girl(s) were on the shoulders!
Bob Mould got started with a bang.
a spirited and enthusiastic performance.
likewise from his support, shame about his dead sounding acoustic guitar
Levellers at manc academy. As usual the girl(s) were on the shoulders!
Saw the Levs on Friday at Shephard Bush, was a great show with a bouncy pit, finished with Riverflow as well, perfect!
Bob Mould got started with a bang.
a spirited and enthusiastic performance.
likewise from his support, shame about his dead sounding acoustic guitar
Lol, I was there too. He's a Hell of a man all right. Smashes out half his back catalogue in the first 20 minutes. Applause for one song barely begins and it's "ONETWOTHREEFOUR!!..." and straight into the next. A one-man Ramones. If I've got a quarter of his energy at 65, I'll think myself very lucky.
Dirty Three up next.
Ferocious Dog in Lincoln last night. ive said it before but soooo underrated, i dont think ive ever heard one of their songs on the radio. took my wife who wasnt particularly looking forward to it
Irritatingly, my wife came to see them at The Globe in Cardiff last time they played there, and the sound was awful - deafening and poorly mixed, and they seemed to be attempting to be heavier than they often are. She didn't want to see them in Llandrindod last week so didn't come, but the sound was much better and they were excellent.
I forgot to update about Gary Numan in Leeds last week – it was a great gig (he's as much a performance artiste as a musician), but there were some weirdos in the crowd getting antsy with my for trying to get past them to where I was with my group – trying to stop me getting past altogether. Not that they stopped me 😂
Then, this Friday it's Pop Will Eat Itself at the Brudenell Club on the outskirts of Leeds – one of my favourite venues.
Baxter Dury was in Glasgow last night - couldn’t go, had something else on but my mate said it was great. Joshua idehen supporting, i love him!
True story coming up... Had tickets to see him in Leeds on Sunday. Friends we'd not seen for a while did too so we went for a quick beer beforehand and then a couple more, as we decided we could miss the support and Google said he'd be on about nine. Got there and popped in near the front of a delirious crowd and a fully going off gig. Thought blimey if he starts like this where's it going to go? Unfortunately that was the encore. Fail . Went back to the pub
Lottery Winners at The Tramshed in Cardiff last night were great. All very good musicians and plenty of interaction with the crowd.
Going back to Swans I saw them in the Marble Factory in Bristol around 2016, I knew they were loud but flipping heck! I never take ear plugs but luckily managed to dig some tissue paper out my pockets to stuff in my ears, it was unbearable!
Hotline TNT were good on Monday, Kneecap were playing in another venue on the same night and took some of the crowd no doubt but great small gig
Scaler tonight in Cardiff, I didn't realise they'd changed there name from Scalping, I'd seen them under the old name before!
Since seeing Nation of Language last week I've really got into their records, it's a very distinct sound but reminds me loads of being a kid and being driven around in a car with my Mams Tears for Fears and Erasure tapes in the 80s, I really like them.
Scaler supported Daniel Avery in Bristol a couple of weeks ago. Some big noise and I liked it a lot.
Scaler supported Daniel Avery in Bristol
Ooh jealous! we didn't have Scaler supporting in Brighton. I likes them - Endlessly is a good LP 🙂
Just seen Forest Swords are supporting Mogwai on their tour early next year. I really wana see Forest Swords again, not too bothered about Mogwai, so £45 for a ticket is a bit mad for a support band 🙁
That's how I ended up at Nation of Language, Westerman was supporting and I really like his stuff so mainly went for him, once he'd played some off his new record anything else was a bonus, but yeah £45 is a bit steep!
I think we're gonna go, just buy our own tickets (I usually buy all the gig tix) 🙂 Forest Swords was our first gig after we got together and it was pretty amazing.
Lol, I was there too. He's a Hell of a man all right. Smashes out half his back catalogue in the first 20 minutes. Applause for one song barely begins and it's "ONETWOTHREEFOUR!!..." and straight into the next. A one-man Ramones. If I've got a quarter of his energy at 65, I'll think myself very lucky.
Dirty Three up next.
Off to London tomorrow with hot_fiat of this parish to see him with his band. Cannot ****ing wait.
Saw Night Swimming at Thekla in Bristol at the weekend with my daughter, her first proper gig outside of End of the Road. Loved the venue, booked Dot2dot festival for May straight after.
Finally managed to get us Radiohead tickets today after months of trying. Extremely happy but it was bloody stressful. And we're in full on corporate which may cause issues with entry as I look like a tramp. Ruinously priced, but still £500 a ticket cheaper than the corporate block tickets I was offered in September.
Just back from Colin Hay in Glasgow... Fabulous, great singer and raconteur..
Just back from Colin Hay in Glasgow... Fabulous, great singer and raconteur..
He is very, very good, isn't he. Still got that fabulous voice, as well.
The support bands for The Lottery Winners were both very good the other night: Cusp and The Rosadocs.
Have bought tickets for The Rosadocs' tour next spring at The Louisiana in Bristol.
Gary Numan last night.
My son appeared to be the only youngster there (where we were seated anyway). It was really good, glad he didn't play the songs in order of the LP.
Down in the park was so good. I ****ing hate encores but the separation of the songs worked well.
First time at Hammersmith, a big venue and it is a bit mental that he gets such a big crowd really cheering him on now.
Missed out on Radiohead tickets, managed to get the goldenish ticket for the initial sale, but when i got to the check out it was no under 16s in the standing area or £341 for a seat.
Son thought if was excellent but not as good as Limp Bizkit 😃
I've got a bit of gig envy for tonight. Daughter numbero uno and all her mates have just got the train up to Nescastle to watch Kneecap later
I had quite a weekend of gigs, both part of the London Jazz Festival, but I wouldn't consider either Jazz!
First, The Weather Station at EartH, Hackney / Dalston on Friday. First time for me in this venue and the setting really suited the music, which was beautiful, cathartic, emotional and noisy at times, particularly the outro for "Robber". Seeing a visibly pregnant woman singing (and talking) about climate change and climate grief really hit me in the feels, man.
Second, Tortoise at the Barbican last night (Saturday). Slightly different, maybe more jazz. A great set spanning their entire catalogue and they're not quite as polished live as on record, in a good way. Great musicianship, danceable and noisy at times.
Good, but I think I was still reeling from the night before to fully appreciate it.
Got the train from Oxford both evenings as it's cheaper than staying over, but pretty wiped today.
Thursday night in London for Bob Mould and his band. They hadn’t played together for 6 months but were SOOO tight and good. All appeared to be having a whale of a time too. Met Jon the drummer afterwards then Bob the next morning. Very very happy with everything.
Bob and the band then headed to Germany and the gig there was live streamed on YouTube. I haven’t watched it all but it looks like it was filmed to quite a high quality: https://www.youtube.com/live/s7lHrp2PJpw?si=FRTSehbLrEw4Sj-4
Spent a lively Friday night in Oxford to see The Balkan Wanderers & Sheelanagig
https://www.thebalkanwanderers.com/
Not often you get a shout out to see if anyone has a spare flute in the audience or see a fiddle player lying on their back, all for the princely sum of £19 cost of a pint just £4
Tortoise at the Barbican
Massively jealous! Love Tortoise. Also would have loved to have seen Makaya MacCraven at the LJF too. Why's everything good always in that London??
Minami Deutsch in Glasgow last night - everyone's favourite Japanese krautrock outfit.
They were brilliant, very loud and they look so cool as well, like four Japanese Carlos Santanas.
Levellers at manc academy. As usual the girl(s) were on the shoulders!
Saw the Levs on Friday at Shephard Bush, was a great show with a bouncy pit, finished with Riverflow as well, perfect!
I really wanted to go to this, unfortunately it clashed with Sprints. I'll get 'em next time round
And on and on the river flow...and we are the undertow...Hey.
Grabbed a couple of Neil Young tickets for next summer in Glasgow. I suspect it'll be the last chance to see him and the Glastonbury Set was phenomenal so very much looking forward to it.
Weval album launch show tonight at Hackney Church in that there London City. NO TALKING PLEASE!! 😀
Saw Martin Harley at Temperance in Leamington Spa last night. Absolutely superb.
Got tickets today for Richard Ashcroft at Cardiff Castle next July.
It’s going to be a lads ‘n’ dads day out with a mate and our sons.
Halestorm at the NEC whateveritscallednow in Brum last Sunday night. Taken me a few days to recover.
Fantastic. Never anything less than 110% from Lzzy Hale. What an amazing voice.
They had a band called Bloodywood as a support - so much energy. The mosh pit for a support band was intense (I diligently took a few steps back, as my glass back can't handle that sort of thing these days). I've never seem anything remotely like them - Indian Nu-metal band. Insane. 
Volume crept up to 112db!
tbh, I was pretty flabbergasted.
i haven’t experienced that kind of sonic assault since seeing nomeansno at kingtuts back in 2001?
I was less than impressed with the pair of Magicshine Monteer 40,000’s shining into the audience. I had to make a detour to actually see the band.
but I’d happily see them again.
Had a few gigs over the past couple of months.
Last Dinner Party - album launch, good music but didn't like the venue - the Level in Notts is a bit squashed and weird low ceilings around the edge
Omega Nebula - awsome energetic funk / dub - the older crowd were bouncing
JayaHadaDream - up and coming grime - a bit like Little Simz
English Teacher - fantastic as usual, great to see them in the bigger Rock City
The Wailers - played lots of old hits. They still got a couple of the original members and they looked to be having the best time.
Off to see Pet Needs tomorrow for some bouncy punk in Bristol
First night of Dirty Three’s first UK tour in a long time at Glasgow last night.
Completely brilliant.
Regretted not asking Warren Ellis if he knew the history of the venue - the Classic Grand, formerly a mucky films cinema - I think he would enjoy that detail.
Cryptopsy are playing at Glasgows ‘Slay’ (Glassford St), Tue Jan 20, 2026.
Sheer sonic brutality may ensue 😂😂😂
Wolfsbane supporting The Almighty last night at Rock City.
Blaze Bailey is always good value, and I think there were more Wolfsbane T shirts in the crowd than everything else combined.
Had to retreat to the back after about 20 mins of Almighty - just too loud so close to the front to the point where the guitar is pretty much lost. Much clearer when at the back. Good gig, good atmosphere... but got to say, given the choice I'd take last week's Halestorm show every single time offered. Sorry Ricky !!!
Jesca Hoop at Twyford Church, Winchester. Lovely venue and sat on the balcony for a better view. Not really familiar with her, other than her historic association with Shearwater, one of my favourites. Very distinctive guitar playing and songwriting , clear and impressive voice in both tone and range. Stage presence at times a little diffident but not lacking warmth. Nice evening.
First night of Dirty Three’s first UK tour in a long time at Glasgow last night.
Completely brilliant.
Regretted not asking Warren Ellis if he knew the history of the venue - the Classic Grand, formerly a mucky films cinema - I think he would enjoy that detail.
I was there too - been tempted to replicate his suggested Back in Black work out ever since. What a guy: clearly having an absolute ball.
How have i never heard of the Dirty Three before?? love me a bit of Warren Ellis.
The Almighty at the Barrowlands last night, with Wolfsbane like robertajobb mentioned. Wasn't going to go to this (went to the last 2 years) but we got cheap tickets at the last minute.
Weirdly I've never seen or even listened to Wolfsbane in like 35 years of being a metal/rock fan, I only knew Blaze from when he was in Maiden but what a voice, and such a talented set of players. Honestly thought they should tone it down a notch, there was basically no time when they weren't all absolutely shredding and it got a bit much, like "I cannot hear this epic bass playing because of the epic guitar and epic drumming" But I like this sort of unapologetic "this is what we do" thing.
Which of course is also why I love the Almighty, I mean Ricky Warwick is pretty much a walking cliche and it'd look absurd on most people but it's so from the heart. They were literally the first band I ever saw under my own steam in 94 and still pretty great. And still got that weird metal/punk/cock rock disconnect, "This is a song entirely about my penis" "This is a song about fighting the man" "This is a song about religion being evil" "Yeah this one's about my penis again" No new songs, no new schtick, about 45 minutes of Ricky shouting WILD! and us all going AND WONDERFUL!. Class. No Crucify though, and no Just Add Life Stuff 🙁
Also always nice seeing parent and child teams, case the kids at their shows they'll have kids of their own and these singalong songs will be our scriptures
Saw Kula Shaker (Again…) at The Sugarmill in Stoke on Sunday. A shorter set of some rarely played songs. The Charlatans this Sunday and BRMC on 13 December.
Bizarrely @Northwind, I have been mountain biking with Blaze. He was a strictly wheels on the ground type of rider.
Went to Lacuna Coil a weekend or so back, 3rd? time seeing them, great bit of gothic metal, supported by an American band, Nonpoint, entertaining!!!
Gone a bit mental on tickets, everything is on sale!!!
Fatboy slim, on Brighton beach July next year
All points East to see Twentyone Pilots, Ren, Nova Twins, Wunderhorse.. August next year
And just grabbed Evanescence supported by Poppy at the O2 in September 😀