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Saw New Model Army/Terrorvision/Paradise Lost at Bradford Live (great venue, crap toilet facilities). It was a great night – Tony (vocalist with Terrorvision) was bonkers - jumping around the stage like a teenager, whilst Justin from NMA was his usual menacing self. A bargain at just £42 for the most expensive tickets.
I saw BRMC at the O2 in Leeds on Saturday night. It was clearly billed as a run-through of 'Howl', which has just turned 20. This is mainly an accoustic LP so surely the crowd have come to listen to it being playsed live? Nope, the place was full of ****s just chatting to their mates, to the point that the singer told them to STFU. The second half of the set was more of the electric stuff and that seemed to get the crowd more interested. I should have known better for a December Saturday in Leeds...
Saw Madness supported by Squeeze last friday the Leeds Arena, The PA for Squeeze was terrible, which was a shame. Madness was top drawer. Highlight was watching many pensioners take inadvertent selfies whilst trying to work their phones.
Saw Madness
Still not a pensioner but makes me feel very old when I realise it was 46yrs since I saw them supported by Tenpole Tudor & John Otway...
Was lucky enough to get some free tickets to Ice Nine Kills at the Motorpoint in Notts last Wednesday. I was aware of of them but not necessarily a fan of them.
Safe to say that both I and the 16 metal head are now fans. Tremendous show, particularly if you like Horror Films as each song was a homage to particular film with actors, gore, big video screens and pyro.
Creeper and The Devil Wears Prada were decent in support.
Tonight, a slight change of pace, we're off to see Clutch in Brum.
2025 comes to an end on Friday... 26th gig of the year will be the lovely Hotel Lux at Kola. 26 gigs! that's my all time highest in a year.
Osees in Leeds, in July, tickets bagged.
Only playing 3 gigs in England next year.
Forgot how much was spent on tickets, Printing out receipts as the tickets are not available for son’s birthday.
Morrissey at O2
MBV at Royal Albert Hall
Pixies round the corner from the house
and almost a gig 28 Days Later Live at Hammersmith
And I will probably be getting a pair of tickets for Download for MY birthday gift, like last years pair for Reading festival to see no bands I would ever have on a playlist.
I reckon I spent more on travelling into and staying in London than I did on tickets. Not been able to afford to do that previously, so that's what boosted the numbers. Going to cut down on the London gigs next year - it's only 70odd miles away but a pain to get in and out of. And London gig-goers are worse than anywhere else for talking throughout the main band. Just not worth the effort!
Cara Dillon’s Christmas concert at the Cheese & Grain, not far from their house!
not far from their house!
Alert! Man that has previously been noted for obsessively photographing woman at gigs now moving onto "I know where they live".
...Saw Cara and her husband in concert in the summer at a wee local venue... cracking singer and both great musicians..
Kate Rusby tomorrow at Cambridge Corn Exchange. Christmas will then begin in earnest.
Wee trip to Newcastle tonight with my kids to see Jimmy Nail whom my kids grew up listening to . Lovely night and great to share it with them.
28 Days Later live in concert.
Movie with live music or a live concert with a movie playing behind them?
it was amazing, not sure how the others would be though. Missed Bladerunner last year as son was under 15. Hopefully that happens again.
Saw Biffy Clyro in Nottingham on Monday night - excellent as always. I don't mind a stadium gig with the right band.
Got to be on the floor though - I don't get how it's become a thing for people in the seats to sit the whole way through a rock gig. Go back a couple of decades and no one sat down at a rock gig - the band started you got up!
Go back a couple of decades and no one sat down at a rock gig
No-one took useless photos for no apparent reason either 🤣
Debating whether to go see local boys Lipworms in Brighton tomorrow. Otherwise first gig of 2026 will be an instore with PVA on the 27th.
I'm off to see Fat Freddy's Drop in Amsterdam in October. That's all I've got booked so far in 2026.
From The Jam, last Saturday. My brother is back from Oz and we were looking for something to do. He's seen them a couple of times and said they were good. I liked The Jam, etc. Booked tickets and then found out the the band contain no original members, so I'd just paid almost £40 each for a tribute band.
The support band were The Ruts and were very good, although quite samey as per many punk bands.
From The Jam were good. Sound quality wasn't brilliant in the venue, but they were entertaining. For the price, I'd have been a little disappointed if The Ruts hadn't been there (and hadn't played Babylon's Burning!) but, overall, it was a good night out. Not sure I'd go to see FTJ again though.
Wasn’t Bruce Foxton on bass and vocals?
Kate Rusby tomorrow at Cambridge Corn Exchange. Christmas will then begin in earnest.
Kate's such a pleasure to work with. Shot a couple of her recent-ish videos in Barnsley.
I remember just over a year ago we were filming a live gig in Manchester and she had a terrible cold but literally just cracked on.
Wasn’t Bruce Foxton on bass and vocals?
Well, if he wasn't, there's no-one else left to be "from the Jam"!! 😆 £40 though, what a rip-off!
Wasn’t Bruce Foxton on bass and vocals?
No, he retired earlier in 2025. So, yes, just short of £40 each for a tribute band (although The Ruts were supporting with 2 original members...). £6.50 a pint as well.
I'd actually go and see The Ruts again if they were local and reasonably priced.
Just back from Grant lee Phillips at the trades in hebden. First line he sang, his voice transported me back to Manchester main debating hall (academy 2 now) in 1993 on the Fuzzy tour. No rowdy overdriven guitar bass and drums tonight, but his voice is great, and it was a lovely gig
Just back from Fust at Hope & Ruin in Brighton. Good Americana, but could do with a little more variety in tempo. Excellent fiddle player. New venue for me.
Another brilliant Banquet Records mini-gig / album release show, in a new (to me at least) venue - the theatre at Kingston College (not uni). Great venue, perfect size for this, it has those raked seats that many of these student venues / sports halls have that slide back under each other to leave a flat floor and their PA and lights systems were spot on.
Oh, the act? Kid Kapichi - played just around an hour, lots off their album which is released in about 20 minutes time, and a few from previous albums. Not a band I knew a lot about but daughter saw them as support for someone a while back and for £12 and a doddle of transport (5 min drive from work) they were great, lots of good audience rapport, decent songs played semi acoustic - all miked up obvs and with electric bass and a mix of electric and acoustic guitar. They've quite a heavy sound on record, this was a bit mellower which disappointed a few punters in front of me who wanted a moshfest.
Would see again
Wasn’t Bruce Foxton on bass and vocals?
Just seen, he's now touring as Bruce Foxton And His All Star Band (So he can nab some random old punkers as existing members drop dead, is my guess). £36 a pop for Brighton tickets. (Not for me!)
Bookings have been coming thick and fast for 2026 - got the PVA album release instore tomorrow. Man/Woman/Chainsaw Friday plus Xiu Xiu in Brighton Saturday! Apparat in London next Tues... 2 more in Feb, 5 gigs for March, 1 in April, 2 in May, then Nick Cave in July booked so far.
Newport on Thursday, 6 bands across 2 venues:
Le Pub
Half Happy
Parcs
Hairdye
The Corn Exchange
Himalayas
Slate Chroma
The Rogues
£11.50 a ticket that covers both venues. Bargain.
Back from Beat the Streets in Nottingham
Lots of smaller bands across several venues all raising money for a homeless charity, but a great way to spend a sunday afternoon / evening.
Highlights for me were
Pict - looked surprised to be playing to a rammed crowd in the Bodega
Part Time Animals
Archie and the Astronaughts - who looked thrilled to be playing to a large audience on the main Rock City stage
Fat Digester - filled the Rescue Rooms stage with 11 of them including a 5 piece brass section
It's Indie Venues week. Get out and see something, even something you don't know if you'll like, because unless you support your local venues when there is someone you like they won't be playing in your venue because it'll have closed.
I think at least 2, prob 3 visits to the Boileroom for me this week.
https://independentvenueweek.com/uk/
It's Indie Venues week...
That's cool... Doing my bit with Resident, Brighton tomorrow (its an indie record shop , so sort of counts), Suburbia in Southampton on Fri (new venue to me), the Attenborough Centre on Sat, which is part of Brighton Uni, so must be independent 🙂
This friday its CIARS at Marrs Bar in Worcester,saw them at Worcester music festival last year and liked them loads. Saturday will be at Rock and Roll Brewhouse Bar in Brum for Djabbic 3 and The Leaking Machine. Sunday will be a couple of covers bands again in Brum.
Naima Bock at Papillon in Southampton this Thursday. Went there to a gig on spec last month, which turned out to be one of the best for some time - Divorce supported by Curiosity Shop.
Echoing theotherjonv sentiment - use it or lose it
More small bands for me coming up in the Cardiff / South Waleas area Feb
Saw Waterpistols in Pontypridd last Friday at the Hotel Brigadoon, they were great!
Kelly Moran at the Gate
Spithood at porters
Military Gun at Clwb ifor Bach
Little Grandad at Canopi
Loads going on in Feb locally
Gutted I missed Andy Votel last sat at Paradise Gardens but had mates down who I don't think would've been into it
Sugar tickets on presale today. I seem to remember some consternation on this thread that previously they were only playing London, now it's a full tour.
Got my presale ticket for Sugar in Leeds. Saw them when they were touring Copper Blue first time round.
Plenty of Tribute band action coming up.... Eagles by Candlelight this weekend...Wife's Xmas present from me..... February.. Slippery People... Talking heads tribute doing all of Stop Making Sense.... April... Bowie tribute band....
Our " local " is the Hydro in Glasgow...90 miles away and it's a dump..
On way back from PVA - was cool, stripped down set with cello and harp. Had a chat and got the LP signed (my partner made me!) by the band at the end. Nice early finish too 🙂
Westside Cowboy on Thursday at Gorilla, seen them a couple of times at GM, EotR, supporting Eng Teacher etc, but this will be first time as headliners, guitarist went to school with my kids, nice to see them doing so well.
First Sy.gigs thing of the year on the 1st Feb, some chilled ambient electronica I think
Got tickets for Big Thief, Super Furry Animals, Nubian Twist, James and Green Man, and will probably do Mcr Psychfest as well
ASH for me soon at York, the Crescent is such a fantastic venue 👍 Just hoping the recent planning application nearby doesn't put a stop to the great music they always have 😠
Just booked Cowboy Junkies for April. Literally can't wait - been listening to them since Whites Off Earth Now but somehow nevr seen them live....aged like fine wine
Apologies for the delay. Snafu at Flickr hq.
heres the cryptosy gig from 20 jan.
support included;
corpsepile
inferi
is that Hamilton Morris, a’shreddin?
200 stab wounds
and the headliners
Cryptopsy sold out the venue.
as enjoyable as each bands performance was, I think that cryptopsy’s sound could have been improved with less overspill from the ‘crash’ and ‘ride’.
their unique sound seems to derive from the jazzy collisions between the bass and the skins of the drums.
but, four hours well spent!
I saw Big Sexy Noise in Sheffield on Friday, which is Lydia Lunch and Gallon Drunk. A batshit american singing over swampy guitar and drums - 'twas ace!
A couple of blasts from the past coming up for me in the next few months at the Hare and Hounds in Brum. Love and Gong!