As we have done album, TV & books, I feel it is only right we have a thread celebrating our favourite gigs of the year. Who has impressed you in 2022?
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Musings on the byways of popular culture
*PLEASE EXCUSE MY DUPLICATION OF ‘Gig’ IN THE THREAD TITLE*
I’ve managed to get to 23 this year (it will be 24 tomorrow when I see Rod Stewart in Manc) & it’s been a mixed bag. First of the year was Idles who have always been excellent live. However, in January they were bloody awful &things could only improve from thereon in.
The highlights were as below;
Dustin O’Halloran – Stoller Hall, Manchester.
An artist I am a fan of due to the wonderful CDs that came with Word. He is my favourite composer & this was the first time I have seen him headline his own show & it was jaw-droppingly good. Would love to see it again
Sorcha Richardson – Yes, Manchester.
I loved this album & she was an absolute treat live. Really tight band & I will definitely see if they tour again in 2023.
SOAK – Yes, Manchester.
I also saw SOAK support Modest Mouse this year (I only got tickets due to the support), but the headline show I saw in October was fantastic.
Big fan of D O’H here too. Especially his solo albums, but also A Winged Victory for the Sullen. Saw him a few years ago and agree with your verdict.
My busiest gig year since 2019, funny that. Some of them reported in these pages.
I saw about 10, half of which were Wilco or Jeff Tweedy (Yankee Hotel Foxtrot in full was probably the best one). Of the other ones if Abba Voyage counts (there was a live band) then that was the experience of a lifetime. Otherwise Pet Shop Boys/New Order double bill in September (first scheduled for 2020) was really great especially the PSBs, an unbelievable sequence of hit after hit after hit with a great visual representation also.
Then a few weeks ago another Brit double bill of Suede and the Manics in Massey Hall, Toronto. Brett Anderson was a manic performer, all over the audience, but I preferred the Manics who delivered a superb career spanning setlist, except nothing from The Holy Bible. However the last time I saw them in Toronto they did all of it so I suppose that’s ok.
My top three gigs this year (all of which I have already mentioned on these pages I think):
May – Glasgow City Halls: Scottish Symphony Orchestra doing some British pastoral pieces, but the piece I was most interested in seeing was a lesser known Vaughan Williams things called Flos Campi. It was divine, and the choir were incredible.
November – Tubular Bells/ Hergest Ridge /Ommadawn at the Royal Albert Hall – a unique experience, the best works of Mike Oldfield with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra fronted by some crack ‘rock’ session musos.
November as well – Glasgow Hydro- The Australian Pink Floyd – Didn’t realise a tribute band could be so good. Hit the spot, and a great communal experience.
The only gig I got given this year was organising the Afterword Album of the Year Poll. I didn’t expect to get it, as I’m massively over-qualified. But when I heard that the usual organiser was incapacitated somewhere between his ankle and his thigh, I knew I’d be in with a chance. I still don’t know how much it pays, but frankly who cares when I get to live like a celebrity for a month?
1. Skye Live: ok, so it was a small festival, spread over 2 days, but it was inspirational to see the unbridled joy expressed by a mostly much younger audience than I to all this trad based Scottish music. Mosh pits for bagpipe and concertina bands? I should cocoa!!!
2. Cowboy Junkies @ Buxton Opera House: exquisite!
3. Tindersticks @ Royal Festival Hall: lugubriously maudlin masterclass
4. Bear’s Den @ B’ham O2 Institute: As classy as ever
5. Damned @Bham O2 Institute: Even unspoilt by being at the worst venue I know. A romp.
I went to two, both equally as good in different.
Nick Mason’s A Saucerful Of Secrets at the Apollo, Manchester. Even better with the addition of Echoes, brilliantly done, and I thought the sequencing of the gig was improved, too.
Agnes Obel Bridgewater Hall, Manchester. I had high expectations and they were exceeded. The three musicians accompanying her were outstanding. I do love a cello.
Checking through the calendar our event going is pretty much back to the normal about-two-shows-a-month. We’ve been to 10 gigs, 3 musicals, 3 operas, 3 plays, 2 comedy shows and 1 ballet (including 2 visits to the ROH lined up between now and Christmas).
Oddly enough, looking through them I’m not sure I’ve seen any gigs which really made my heart soar the way a good gig can. Maybe The Proclaimers at Folk by the Oak, whom I enjoyed hugely despite never giving them much thought before. The best show of the year overall was undoubtedly Ross Noble at the London Palladium. Ross’ routine is a high wire act, and sometimes it doesn’t quite come off (as it didn’t the last time we saw him at the Palladium), but on this night everything click and I honestly thought I might be in medical danger after laughing all the air out of my body and still needing to laugh more.
Sparks – Vicar Street in March and Nick Mason’s Saucerful of Secrets at Dublin Convention Centre three days later.
First gigs in exactly two years. Sparks – not a band I’d really ever investigated past the singles = were magnificent. Am now the proud owner of six of their albums.
Like Sparks, NMSoS were also kicking off their tour in Dublin; and, like Sparks, were terrific. Other highlights include the Delines, Robert Plant, Angel Olsen, Bob Dylan and Grant Lee Philips.
Only low was Van the Man at Limerick Castle. Totally the wrong time (doing his third straight night and was more Chippy Chappy than the Cheeky chappy we’ve learned to love over the years) or place (a big open air gig in a medieval courtyard full of people whose idea of getting full value for their E96 tickets involved talking loudly throughout the show).
Coming up Mary Chapin Carpenter, Robyn Hitchcock, The Eels and Bruce
Quite a few gigs this year; The Stranglers, Sauceful of Secrets, John Shuttleworth, Marillion weekend, Flaming Lips, Yes, Snarky Puppy, Cropredy, The Cure, Rosalie Cunningham, Gong/ Ozrics, and Focus. Possible proggy bias apparent. Next year, “The Musical Box” and Steve Hillage so far. Probably Cropredy again. I dont like saying what is “best”, and all gigs were enjoyable. I am considering seeing Francis Dunnery in January, and hoping Hawkwind do a (I suspect) farewell tour. I’ve seen most of the people I want to see, so it’s really re-seeing someone who I’ve enjoyed who isn’t now ringing it in (so not going to next year’s Yes concerts). I’d love a Todd Rundgren/ Hall and Oates joint headlining tour, as though I’ve seen both, I think they have a complementarity which would make for a corking night. I’d see Iggy if he was playing big rooms rather than a football ground.
I’d love to see Francis Dunnery but I can’t face schlepping to Bush Hall TBH. Increasingly if I can’t drive I ain’t going.
But Bush Hall is within driving distance and it’s not hard to park along the road (maybe a 5 minute walk but that’s the same as from the nearest tube). … and once you get there, you’re t one of the capital’s best venues.
Yebbut M1, M25, M4, parking in road…
….and keep yer feet off the upholstery, Ronnie
(sorry)
I saw Frank a couple of weeks back at Nell’s in West Kensington, with his Tombstone Dunnery blues band project. He was on fire. January’s gigs are going to be great.
Slowly getting back into the gig going habit.
More booked already for 2023 than I saw in 2022, but was great getting back amongst crowds.
Best – The Delines at the Ulster Sports Club. Great band, great show, but terrible venue – a carpet that you stuck too like jam but stunk of dirty mop.
2nd best – Del Amitri at the Limelight, Belfast. Top band.
Went to my first Arena gig for aeons last week – The Cure – and good as they were it reminded of why I hated Arena gigs.
Been to quite a few gigs this year, mostly inconsequential local stuff of no great interest to the AW Massive. Watford had it’s first-ever jazz festival in May and that had it’s moments.
Standouts of the year were the first two of a 3-gigs-in-3-nights run in October. The first was the Tomorrow’s Warriors showcase/fundraiser at Camden’s Jazz Café on the 27th.
Then Jo Harrop & Jamie McCredie’s duo gig on the 28th in the tiny downstairs room at Green Note, also in Camden.
But I’m hoping that singer/guitarist Hattie Whitehead and the Spin Jazz Club band, performing Joni Mitchell’s Shadows And Light at the Tap Social in Oxford, will top even those two on Dec 21st.
…and the annual Stanley Dee Xmas gig at The Horns in Watford[*] is back on.
[*]Thursday night, Dec 22nd.
The Horns was Watford’s premier small live venue, with music every night of the week, but it closed and all gigs were cancelled at the end of October, because the licensees couldn’t afford to renew the lease. They’d been operating at a loss for some time.
Some crowdfunding and other action has resulted in them re-opening after all.
Remains to be seen if it’s a long-term thing.
Missed a few gigs as I happened to be on holiday the latest was Plainsong this weekend, still annoyed I couldn’t go.
However Iain Matthews and B J Baartmans above a pub in Pontefract was excellent. The Cheshire Cat had suggested the Rheingans Sisters which I also enjoyed at the Howard Assembly Rooms in Leeds where I also saw the Penguin Cafe Orchestra.
Afternoon French musette concert, later in the year meeting our Cheshire chum at a bal in Todmorden.
His Lordship above a pub in Todmorden loud and most enjoyable.
Only the one day at Cropredy, as the friend I was going with caught covid and I couldn’t cope with camping on my own, so missed Home Service who I really wanted to see. However I drove down on the Saturday so saw the Full House set which was essential and met a friend/ ex girlfriend I’d not seen in over 40 years, so spent the time in between songs catching up on what life had brought us in between. Saw the Slambovians who I’d also wanted to see and missed the following week.
Ruth and Sadie Price (daughters of folk singer Bill Price) excellent and I’d not seen them in years. I used to babysit them.
Missing a concert on Saturday as I’m heading to London for a family meet up so am contemplating going to see Hank Wangford at the Half Moon Putney on Sunday.
Unsurprisingly, The Rheingans Sisters gig was up there for me too. Just booked to see them again next year. They are definitely the act cutting deepest to my quick at the moment.
Nancy Kerr & James Fagan were commanding at Warwick Folk Festival, connecting and bouncing off the crowd. They were a showcase of how to know your audience and make them all feel like personal friends.
Bellowhead were triumphant in their return.
But probably the gig that gave me most joy was The Relentless Ceilidh Band at Shrewsbury. They are top notch, as any band with Will Pound at their core would be, but the key factor was it was the day after my slipped disc skulked back to where it ought to be in my spinal column, after a year of giving me grief. I danced with tears in my eyes – and not from pain. Hedonism, no longer medically constrained.
Only one, my first since the end of Feb 2020, in a Baptist chapel outside Cambridge with superb acoustics.
I did the sound and I knew the middle act, who had performed at my 50th birthday gig (at the end of Feb 2020, above). They did an acoustic set of entirely new songs, which was magnificent. I jammed along on glockenspiel during the soundcheck. Turns out I can’t play the glockenspiel, either.
Opening act, Kerry Devine, did a lovely set of folky songs on a semi-acoustic with lots of pedals, including a cover of Portishead’s Glory Box in the style of John Martyn.
The headliners, a power trio, were much louder but musically underwhleming. They reminded me of The Broken Family Band but wthout the tunes.
Cowboy Junkies at The Anvil, Basingstoke. Superb.
I’ve been to fifteen concerts, missed two through illness, and also 12 theatrical productions, 3 dance shows and one rather lovely evening with the rather lovely Lucy Worsley.
My concert highlights were:
Dua Lipa – for FINALLY getting the tour going after multiple delays, it was well worth the wait.
Lorde – for the intimacy, her idiosyncratic presentation, and the almost religious devotion she inspired
The Killers – for their Springsteenesque ability to command a stadium crowd
A-ha – for their compelling interpersonal drama and peerless music
ABBA Voyage – for the sheer wonder of pulling it off, and the timeless joy of the show itself
Roxy Music – For the poignant celebration of a fabulous creation
The Cure – For an epic, intense and moving experience.
Gaby Moreno at Bush Hall was worth the considerable effort of getting there. Gaby on guitar plus bass, keyboards and drums. She has a lovely voice, perfectly suited to a small venue. My daughter really enjoyed it too.
Definitely the Stranglers at Cambridge..a great show and emotional too.
The Mission at Shepherds Bush was fun, and good to see goths young and old out to play as if it were still the 80s.
Caravan playing a very small venue in Canterbury was thoroughly enjoyable, and it was most unusual to be in the ‘youthful’ part of the audience (me being 60+).
Though not my artist of choice, I have to say Robbie Williams and his ego at the 02 was rather marvellous.
Finally, despite the ridiculous heat, Cropredy this year was top notch.
Mmmm, should have been Jason Isbell at Hammy Odeon but the crap sound and hate start docks a few points.
I’m going with Matt Deighton, recently reviewed, simply because I had no / low expectations and he was brilliant.
A close second is Emma Rawicz at my local jazz club. Wonderful to see someone who is going to be massive (well, in jazz terms) in a small club.
LATE start (‘king autocorrect, but I did hate it).
Nice Emma Rawicz clip.
Looking forward to seeing Jim Mullen in February or March (date not confirmed yet) at The Elephant in Finchley, along with his missus Zoe Francis.
Leaving aside festivals (Blue dot and Bingley – surprise acts LYR and Apollo Junction respectively),
I went to half a dozen gigs (and tried and failed to see John Cale. Now next year).
The Undertones (worth catching covid at), Half man Half biscuit (chatted to the guy who wrote the Guardian article who was surprised the GLW went of her own accord), Beth Orton (excellent in a new jazzy way), and after a gap of 40 years The Cure (in Leeds, which seems to have been the gig the journalists went to and was brilliant despite me being on the penultimate row of an enormodome).
Oh, and Half Naked Ladies were great (half the band had covid, but the other two played anyhow!).
Can’t pick a winner. Sorry.
I think I only went to a couple this year but both really good. The Delines at the Union Chapel and Matt Deighton with @Twang the other week.
If I did see anyone else I’m sure they were excellent I had a great time!
I guiltily confess I had a Delines ticket with Feedback but couldn’t be arsed to go into London. I am pony.
1. Remi Harris & Tom Moore in our Village Hall. Wonderful. I’m going to see their trio play Peter Green songs in Lichfield Guildhall next month. Cannot wait (but will).
2. Alan Barnes & Dave Newton in our Village Hall. Wonderful. Music and humour aplenty. So good we drove a few miles up the road the following week to see them again.
3. Sarah McQuaid in our Village Hall. Wonderful. She played Michael Chapman’s guitar.
4. Tobias ben Jacob & Lukas Drinkwater in our Village Hall. Wonderful. They played Roy Harper’s guitar. Lukas has since moved with his talented wife Emily Barker to live in Australia.
5. Simon Mayor & Hilary James in our Village Hall. Wonderful. Music, humour and poetry aplenty, plus a Mandobass.
Our Village Hall = 50ish people in the audience (good view, good sound, no fuckwits) plus bring-your-own-booze plus £12 for a ticket plus meet the musicians at the merch table plus you know everyone in the room plus a short walk home (after tidying up!). Magical.
There’s a lot to be said for small well-run community venues where audience regulars know each other.
There’s a lot to be said for no fuckwits, too. Doing the sound for such an attentive audience is a pleasure.
My ‘local’ is a Baptist chapel on the edge of the Fens, 20 minutes away. 80 downstairs and another 80 if the balcony upstairs is open.
Another Sparks vote here. Albert Hall in Manchester. Wonderful and emotional.
My year started, as usual, with Celtic Connections in Glasgow. As ever, in February, I attended the Transatlantic Sessions gig with the excellent house band including Ally Bain, Jerry Douglas and John McCusker. Guests artistes included Siobhan Miller, Sarah Jarosz, Dirk Powell and Paul Brady, a great gig. In May, a trip to Oran Mor in Glasgow for Simply Dylan which is a Liverpudlian called John O’Connell (with whom I share the surname) and band. He describes it as ‘a tribute to Bob Dylan, not a Bob Dylan tribute act’. So no dressing up or doing the Dylan voice. Great band, excellent gig. Later in the year it was Christone ‘Kingfish’ Ingram, a 23 year old blues guitarist who played a blistering set at Glasgow Concert Hall with influences including Jimi Hendrix and Buddy Guy among others. Kingfish has shared the stage with Buddy Guy AND the band I have had on my wishlist for years – The Tedeschi Trucks Band. And, so, it came to pass that I attended the TTB gig in the Glasgow O2 Academy in September. It’s not my favourite venue but it didn’t matter as they were superb and have to be my favourite gig of the year.
Kurt Elling – Cambridge Arts Theatre:
Finally got to see probably my favourite jazz singer – just a brilliant performance of vocal dexterity with a fabulously funky trio in front of a rapturous crowd.
New Regency Orchestra – Way Out Here Festival:
London-based 20-piece recreating early 1950s Afro-Cuban big band jazz – lots of horns and percussion – with two frontmen singing and directing exultant mass formation-dancing amongst the 6-700 strong afternoon crowd. Even me and the wife dusted off our pasa-doble.
Diana Ross – Cambridge Club Festival:
You can forgive the occasionally vocal frailties because it’s Ms Ross and she looks amazing and there’s a huge band with brass, six background singers and the legendary Gerry Brown on drums. Hit after hit and “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” to finish – emotional scenes! Major bonus – the festival is 10 minutes from my house.
Jimmy Webb – The Apex, Bury St Edmunds:
Solo song and piano set from the great man in my favourite venue. Dare say he’s performed the same show for years but the stories he tells are funny and he plays the hits with real energy – “The Moon’s a Harsh Mistress” a standout.
Gesualdo Six – Lady Chapel, Ely Cathedral:
Bit chilly at the start of January, but the beauty of the place, the acoustics and the unaccompanied choral work under maestro Owain Park was something to behold.
Saw plenty of other great performances during the year including Gabrielle – surprisingly good live – sublime jazz singer Georgia Mancio and Zara Mcfarlane was fabulous in both a big band and piano duet setting. Other festival performers included Emma Jane Thackeray, Nat Birchall, Jah Wobble and also a highly-charged emotional farewell to Pharoah Sanders.
The 5 best were:
1. Stile Antico, Musikaliska, Stockholm [if you love early music, you must see this ensemble]
2. Shai Maestro Quartet, Kulturhuset, Stockholm [top ECM pianist]
3. Yasmin Williams, Fasching, Stockholm [terrific young African American acoustic guitarist]
4. Big Thief, Filadelfiakyrkan, Stockholm [good, but not as good as the record!]
5. Magnetic Fields, Göta Lejon, Stockholm
I didn’t go to many….
Besnard Lakes at the Boiler Room Guildford were excellent in a sort of proggy Fleetwood Mac way.
Ryley Walker, also at the Boiler Room, who incredibly remembers my name every time I see him, played a set completely unlike the previous times I saw him. A few folky types left but those remaining were treated to a psychedelic guitar masterclass, or something.
Skylines – a tribute to Camel. At the Couch, Bracknell. They played The Snow Goose, which I think won on points as they needed more rehearsal and a string quartet, but the rest of the set was fun.
Sigur Ros at Usher Hall Edinburgh. I’d seen them a couple of times before on the Takk tour when they were sensational. This time I wasn’t so knocked out especially during the first half but things picked up after the interval and it was very enjoyable.
Angel Olsen in Manchester, and Delines in Liverpool were both excellent. The most straightforwardly enjoyable gig of the year though was Crowded House at the outdoor Castlefield Bowl in Manchester which I’d waited two years for having been postponed twice due to you know what.
Disappointment of the year was Joe Jackson at the Albert Hall Manchester. Nothing wrong with his performance which was as committed as ever, but the sound where we were sat was shocking.
Albert Hall can be awful for bands. I saw Jeff Beck there and the sound was so awful I went to complain in the interval and had to join an orderly queue of similarly minded people. It was excellent for King Crimson though.
Tony Poole doing 90 mins of Starry-eyed and Laughing, supported by Richard and Patrick, from Hanging Stars at the Betsey Trotwood was pretty decent.
Damned at Hammersmith ditto
Last weekend’s visit to Hot Tin, the corrugated iron church in Faversham to see Johnny Flynn, of Pictish Trail was another highlight..
Five concerts this year, all Irish acts and mostly fairly local. In chronological order:
Black Pope – Glór, Ennis. A friend of my daughters – he has a good live band , a kind of Goth Rockabilly if there is such a thing. Think B52’s with Iggy. Fingers crossed for him next year.
Mick Flannery with Susan O’Neill – Iveagh Gardens, Dublin. Even though I saw them in Dublin these are also locals. Mick lives in Clare and Susan is from Ennis.The best outdoor venue I know. A sublime evening finishing with an emotional rendition of JP’s Angel from Montgomery.
Orla Gartland – Roisin Dubh, Galway. I really liked her Woman On The Internet album from last year so I was delighted to see her. Good loud raucous night in a small venue. Great drummer in Sara Leigh Shaw.
Villagers Acoustic – Lime Tree Theatre, Limerick. In this case a very polite evening. Gentle applause after each song and respectful silence during. A fully seated gig allowed a standing ovation at the end. My wife accompanied me to this one and she was very happy with it. Conor O’Brien can do no wrong in my book.
Soda Blonde – Dolan’s Limerick. Very good band with a good few years of gigging behind them in their former guise as Little Green Cars. Faye O’Rourke is a fantastic front person and the new songs they played sounded excellent. They were supported by Neil Dexter. He and his band were so impressive that I bought his album on Bandcamp next day. So an artist I hadn’t heard of a month ago will possibly make an appearance in my End Of Year list.
“Gig of the year”, indeed: I only went to one in 2022. Big Thief, very good, but I find that I dislike almost everything surrounding the gig-going experience, apart from the music, so much these days that it’s a very conflicting experience no matter what. I’ve turned down all ticket opportunities for next year so far, none have been special enough for me to overcome the resistance I feel about going to gigs.
Bob Dylan – Manchester Apollo
I haven’t been to as many as I would have done pre-covid and my first gigs for two years were not until April and it was good to be back. 3 gigs in 5 days culminating in Sparks at the Roundhouse. How are they still turning out such fabulous shows? They show no signs of going through the motions and I’ve already booked for the Albert Hall next year.
Other highlights were The Bug Club and BODEGA. Both at my (now) local venue, Bedford Esquires. Both are back there next year.
Note to self – must go to more gigs next year.
Lucinda Willians Outlaw Country cruise second gig – joined by Charlie Sexton and Wayne Kramer. Band on fire – anyone who says her voice has gone is so wrong.
Budapest Cafe Orchestra – Bonkers gypsy music at St Mary’s Hub Lichfield – beautiful venue.
James at Black Deer – just lovely
Crowded House – NIA Birmingham – brilliant
Nick Cave – Symphony Hall – intense and challenging but ultimately triumphant.
James were very good at Black Deer and I don’t even like them much.
I managed to get to several this year, my three favourites were:
Nick Mason’s Saucerful Of Secrets at Symphony Hall in Birmingham:
To echo @tiggerlion I thought the show was even better than the first time around – I was surprised by how moved I was listening to Echoes.
The Delines at the Hare & Hounds in King’s Heath:
An absolutely terrific live band, the new songs sounded fantastic.
Moseley Folk Festival :
I managed Friday & Sunday – Yasmin Williams, The Golden Dregs, Katie Spencer & Kurt Vile were all great, but for me the highlights were The Weather Station, and the wonderful Anaïs Mitchell.
Not quite up there with the favourites:
An honorable mention for Jason Isbell at the Manchester Apollo, I’d been wanting to see him for ages & he was really good, but the ropey sound where I was sat took the edge off the experience. That seems to have been a feature of the UK shows judging by other comments from contributors here.
Elvis Costello at Symphony Hall was good (he nearly always is), but I’ve seen many many Elvis gigs since 1977 and for me this one wasn’t up there with the best, despite being by some way the most expensive.
Jah Wobble at the Hare & Hounds was a mixed bag. Mr Wobble’s tasty geezer shtick was a bit much, at times I thought I’d stumbled into a Chaz & Dave tribute gig. His band though were first class and when they hit their stride they sounded fabulous, however the H&H is a small venue and the volume was punishing, after an hour I’d been bludgeoned into submission and decided to call it a night.
The one that got away was Nick Lowe at the Birmingham Town Hall, one of my favourite venues. I had a very poorly moglet on my hands that night and I just couldn’t leave her on her own. Didn’t even have time to give the ticket away.
Where you based, @rob?It could be time to revive a Midlands mingle, what with moi, @stevet and the mythical @moseleymoles all in the vicinity. @artery not far away in Coventry, I believe. .
An idea? A gig at the H@H or Kitchen Garden Cafe preceded by one of York Roads finest Indian eateries, perhaps?
Any interest from all those mentioned. The gig bit is optional, I guess, just a lever to get my arse down the A38, given the possible variation in tastes.
Sounds a great idea @retropath2, an early New Year’s resolution. Only yesterday I was chatting to a promoter ‘oh the midlands is always difficult on tours’ so anything to support the local scene. The old Kings Balti has had a right makeover in a streetfood style and does an ‘Indian Railway Curry’ now. Sylhet Spice is always reliable. There’s a new craft beer place – Schooners – that only serves craft beer in 2/3 of a pint. Up for it if everyone else is. Cherry Reds has gone though.
Thought you meant the City Centre Cherry Red’s, my go to ahead of the wretched Academy. I wonder if they were sibling establishments?
Yes they were. That’s still going strong on John Bright Street just up from the Victoria.
Hi @retropath2 , @moseleymoles et al., I’m in Solihull so handy for KH or Birmingham. It’s always good to meet other music loving folk in the vicinity so please sign me up.
I’m open to suggestions for gigs; I’m intrigued as to where our tastes would intersect if we drew the venn diagram. For my part I’m planning to see Chris Wood at the Kitchen Garden at the end of March, & The Dutch Uncles at the H&H a couple of weeks later. I’m also seeing John Cale (finally!) at the TH in February.
If we can’t find a mutually acceptable gig then I’d be happy with a couple of beers and a curry.
Well I was toying with John Cale on 11/2 at Town Hall anyway (and I know Steve T is a fan so will page him separately) Plenty of places to meet before or after. I like the Sommar taproom (opposite PureCraft) as my pre Town Hall tipple
(I “ought” to like Chris Wood but I can’t abide him, for some reason. His voice, I think…)
I hope one of you will post a review of the Cale gig – for those of us unable to attend and rather envious…
It looks as it it’s on: mucho interest, so will do.
Butbutbut… what about all his instrumental stuff, especially with Andy Cutting? I’ve just been listening to his Best of, counting the remarkable number of songs he’s inspired me to sing. That said, maybe you’d prefer to hear me singing them!
@rob My son lives in Iceland so I am using a visit to see him to tie in with a Costello gig in Reykjavik accompanied by Steve Nieve and Nick Lowe (Costello not me). Let’s just say I am excited.
Crikey – I see that Elvis is playing Harpan in Reykjavík.
That’s an absolutely amazing building, right on the Waterfront.
Should be magnificent!
@SteveT I’m not surprised that you’re excited Steve, what a fabulous adventure! The prospect of Elvis in a collaboration with Steve Nieve & Nick Lowe is so intriguing – I’d really love to hear that.
Gig of the year for me was either:
Dhidalah at The Crofter’s Rights. Absolutely fabulous Japanese psychedelic freakout, completely transporting for 90 minutes. The Hawkwind-inclined among us will love them.
or
Mdou Moctar on the Thekla. Terrific band from Niger, with some incredible shredding.
Honourable mentions to
Bad Religion at Marble Factory, showing why they have been the leading lights of melodic punk for forty years (and Colin’s mate Charlie Harper supported!)
Press Club at The Exchange, incredibly energetic show from my favourite new band of the last few years.
Lucy Dacus at Marble Factory
Festival-wise, Patti Smith and Flaming Lips at Bearded Theory were great, but as a three day event I had a great time at Beautiful Days. Maybe my favourite weekend of the year, not least because this was the year we discovered the tea tent at the top of the hill.
@kid-dynamite
Was it you who recommended Dhidalah? Really like what I’ve heard via Spotify and didn’t know they’d toured here.
It could well have been, I think I mentioned the gig in the relevant monthly round up thread. It certainly wasn’t a high profile tour – the Bristol venue I went to had a capacity of 80 apparently! My attendance was bit of a stroke of luck, I’d seen something online about the band, thought they sounded interesting and googled to discover they were playing in town the next week. I could very easily have missed it and never even known.
@Kid-Dynamite I am officially jealous that you got to see Mdou Moctar – easily the best Desert Blues band if that is actually the genre – a little more Psychedelic I think.
I have been trying to get their Desert Sessions label LP on Jack White’s label but it is going for silly money.
they really were fabulous. MM himself jumped into the crowd during the final song and was playing away bumping me with the headstock of his guitar! They are a hard touring act, sure you’ll get a chance to see them fairly soon. I’ll definitely be going again.
MM played Cambridge in a late-night cafe/nightclub in town, just off the market square – a weird choice of venue for a gig. I didn’t go, but will go if they make a return visit. Given the press coverage and excellent records, I’d have expected them to play The Junction or somewhere more, well, giggy.
No gigs this year, not been to one since February 2020. Did get to the Stowaway festival where I saw Orbital and The Staves amongst others. Possibly the most middle class festival I’ve been to (are they all like this now), but we all had a good time and it was only 20 minutes drive home. Hopefully book a few gigs in for 2023 along with the EotR festival.
I haven’t attended any gigs this year…
…apart from the one when I was in the band!
Ooh deets please @fitterstoke. I don’t think I did a gig this year which is a drag. Must shift arse once I become economically inactive as the current terminology puts it.
I had a fun little gig in the diary for January which just got cancelled which is a shame.
@Twang – in a nutshell, depping for the absent regular bass player in a friend’s Quo covers band. Nearly all 1970s, plenty of album tracks from Piledriver and Quo – not my usual thing to play, but lots of fun and an enthusiastic pub crowd. Bit of practising at home, couple of rehearsals and there you go – I suppose it helps that I knew all the tunes (although I’d only played one or two previously).
Oh very cool. Must have been fun.
It was! And I have a renewed respect for Alan Lancaster…he was certainly not a RNP, despite all the clichés!
The concert scene only started to pick up in the second half of the year here in Singapore (we typically get bands on a stopover for their Australasia / Japan tour and post Covid I guess they haven’t really kicked off yet). It’s starting to pick up a bit with some established names coming early next year – Sting, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Arctic Monkeys, Bryan Adams, Westlife, Backstreet Boys (as you can see we don’t get much cutting edge) and Billy Bragg are the ones I’m aware of.
That said, a couple of superb gigs this past couple of months…
Sigur Ros / Star Theatre – a long standing favourite of mine, so this was always on the cards. Did not disappoint.
Mono / Esplanade – Japanese post rock group in small (~400) venue. They were loud.
Gigs of the Year (ie most of them)
Academy (cursed venue indeed @SteveT) gig of the year: Chvrches for sheer enjoyment, runners up Wolf Alice and Phoebe Bridgers ‘it’s ok going to this gig as a fifty something by myself as everyone is assuming I’m someone’s dad and they’re down the front’.
Free ticket of the year: Teenage Fanclub, runner up yes was free but you know they’ve basically one song: Future Islands at the Institute.
You can walk down the road for a pint and a band gig of the year at the Hare and Hounds: Plaid, runner up total unknowns Regressive Left who were really quite good for the 15 of us there.
Latest start time so the hour we heard was great but just have to go to bed now: LTJ Bukem taking the stage at 1:30pm.
Gig of the year that modesty prevents me naming where: Michael Head, runner up Dennis Rollins Funky Funk.
Guilty Pleasure of the year: London Sinfonia at Symphony Hall. They played Bolero and La Mer but it was really quite good. Did you know the original Bolero score had a stereo effect with the rat-tat snare drum split between two on either side of the orchestra. This was transcribed wrongly and played at the premiere with just one drummer. Twin drummer attack always a winner! Did also go the CBSO Mahler V for some proper high classical culture.
Why are Bolero and La Mer guilty pleasures – especially w.r.t. La Mer? Debussy or Charles Trenet – no justification for guilt in either case…
@fitterstoke it’s a sense that both are ‘light classics’ (as Rhapsody in Blue is which also featured) and Classicfm fodder.
Fair enough. I’ve developed an affection for light classical in the Eric Coates / workers’ playtime vein – I feel no guilt whatsoever, my interest in heavy-duty classics notwithstanding…
Likewise. A quick snatch of Coronation Scot and I’m ten years old again.
I’m a ‘classics civilian’ too as acid test could not tell
Why Rattles Mahler 5 is better than Mutis for example or even tell them apart.
Oh and if anyone interested in worst gig – Proclaimers at the Symphony Hall – miserable bastards and fucking awful sound.
Yes – but surely you knew that before you went?
Actually no – For some reason I thought they were jovial Jocks – couldn’t have been more wrong.
The sound was so bad it made me very angry. Shame because I like a lot of their songs but the sound was so bad that they became unrecognisable and except for the guitarist the band were shit.
I bet Idles at Victoria Warehouse in Manchester would give the snarky Scots a run for their money.
I’ve seen them 3 times previously & they have always been great. At this one they didn’t seem arsed, crowd were horrid & the sound/venue were awful. (They were charging £4.00 for a bottle of water!) I have promised myself to never go back& it’s the only time I have left before the encore (along with lots of others I should add)
I also had a bad experience at Victoria Warehouse – massive queue to get tokens to stand in another massive queue for drinks, terrible sound, audience that talked all the way through (not strictly the venue’s fault I suppose), poor atmosphere. I have chosen not to see bands I would have gone to see since because the experience was so unenjoyable.
This has been a brilliant year for gigs. Here are my highlights.
Late entry just last night:
Steve Mason at The Caves, Edinburgh. Just him and a keyboard player, making a mighty noise and revisiting some Beta Band classics alongside his own songs. Glad that he now feels comfortable enough to that. Lovely venue, top guy.
Nick Mason at the Usher Hall, Edinburgh. As others have mentioned. A bunch of people who clearly like each other and get a kick out of playing together. The anti-Floyd then.
Hannah Peel and the Paraorchestra, at the Assembly Roxy, Edinburgh. Essentially a live rendition of he Unfolding album and as entirely marvellous as that implies.
The Unthanks at the Queens Hall, Edinburgh. I do love the Unthanks – their voices somehow make me feel happy and sad at the same time.
Jim White at St Luke’s Glasgow. First time I’d been to this lovely venue, through in the weedge. Long-time return customer of Mr White. I will cheerfully be returning to both.
Bowden European Quartet – Piccolo tent, Edinburgh. David Bowden is the bassist in the Fergus McCreadie Trio. This quartet also included Shetland sax prodigy Norman Willmore, Michel Meds from Luxemburg on drums and, most excitingly, Nabou Claerhout from Belgium on trombone. I’m a huge fan of Nabou’s own band’s You Know album from last year and she did not disappoint. The Hendrix of the trombone.
Fergus McCreadie Large Ensemble, Assembly Hall, Edinburgh. A one-off concert with a large group, of a piece specially composed for the Edinburgh Jazz & blues Festival. A pretty special evening. Enthralling.
The Magnetic Fields at O2 Academy, Glasgow. Pretty much my favourite band at pretty much my least favourite Glasgow venue. They triumphed.
Public Service Broadcasting at the Usher Hall, Edinburgh. They just get better and better.
Bob Dylan at the Armadillo, Glasgow. Hope absolutely triumphed over experience. I hope he stops now though – he looks frail and he’d be going out on a high.
Robert Plant at the Queens Hall, Edinburgh. Planty looking and sounding magnificent – a man freed to enjoy himself. Threw in a bit of improvised Black Dog before stopping himself “I promised myself I’d never do that.”
Saw RP and Saving Grace at Sligo Arts fest in late October. Great show in a smallish (1.2K-seat venue). Old boy was in fine voice and clearly loving being out on the road with a young band
Fergus fans, of which there are a few, may be interested in the forthcoming The Dawning, an album from Graham Mackenzie, a fiddle player, which, amongst many of the usual Scottish folk mafia, includes both Fergus and his often companion in jazz, Matt Carmichael. My advance copy is keeping my due diligence over this years releases a little distressed.
ooh – noted! Do you know what label?
Just listening to Nabou’s “You Know” album for the first time. Fabulous stuff.
Isn’t it? Possibly my favourite discovery of this year – and would easily have been one of my albums of the year, had it not been released in Sept. 2021.
Here’s a cracker that IS from this year. Trumpeter/flugelhornist Nadje Noordhuis (from Australia but now based in the USA) “Full Circle”.
Beautiful melodic playing that seems to suit evenings/nights this time of year.
Has Fred Hersch on piano too.
Will almost certainly figure on my 2022 list.
Listening right now via Tidal. Marvellous – I find I cannot improve on your description.
Her other 4 albums are all good too.
I’d rate the first one from 2012, just entitled “Nadje Noordhuis” as best of all.
Okay here’s mine:
1. The Smile – Manchester Academy – Great band and a superb performance, given additional emotional weight as I had recently had a stay in hospital and some challenging news about my health, so just felt delighted to be there at all!
2. Fleet Foxes at End Of The Road – A beautiful performance. It being End Of The Road, the fantastic sound meant that the subtleties of their tunes really came across.
3. Willie J Healey, also at End Of The Road – a wonderfully energetic performance. Keep an eye out for his album next year – many of the tunes he played are likely to be on it and, if so, it is going to be a bit special. Mind you I did also love his last one – my album of the year in 2020.
4. Jason Isbell at Manchester Apollo – the third time I have seen him, and the best I think. The songs from reunions were much better live, and a good selection of older tunes made it a great evening out. Especially Outfit.
5. Lindstrom at The Carlton Club, Whalley Range, Manchester – an unbelievable opportunity to see a Space Disco/Nu Disco legend in my tiny (150 capacity) local. And he was fantastic.
My gig of the year was Bob Dylan in Bournemouth last month. It was the first time I’ve seen him live, several times in the past I’ve almost gone but was worried I’d get him on an off night. I loved Rough and Rowdy Ways though, just as well as he played almost the whole album. I thought it was great though, top playing from his band, really clear sound (could hear every word of the songs) and they managed to create an intimate atmosphere despite the cavernous space of the BIC. The lack of phones helped too, this was one where you had to leave it at home or keep it in a sealed pouch during the show. I’m so glad I went, particularly as I can’t see him managing to tour like this for much longer.
My other highlight was last week was a bit of a contrast – ABBA Voyage. Went with Mrs L and our 20 year old son. We were standing near the front and it was genuinely exciting to see the ‘Abbatars’ rising from the stage at the beginning. For me it was the perfect combination of music and nostalgia, having grown up in the 1970s, but with the benefit of a brilliant light show and great sound. It did feel like a proper gig. They’re there for another year at least, might go again next year!
The only other two gigs this year were Jon Boden with the Remnant Strings, and Penguin Café, both at the Turner Sims Concert Hall, a great small venue in Southampton, and both excellent.
I had a busy gigging year, racking up 64. Mind you 12 of them were the covers band that my 2 sons play in: 3Guys1Box who gig around Bury, always a fun night out. My top 5 are:
John Smith at Bury Met in early April. This had been postponed 2 or 3 times due to Covid. Come the day he was absolutely sublime, clearly overjoyed to be back playing to live audiences. He made it look and sound effortless.
Brandy Clark at RNCM Manchester in early Sept. Just her and 2 excellent singers / players with a programme of originals and covers, all story songs.
Gigspanner Big Band at Stoller Hall, Manchester in late April. About 30% full amidst the Omicron wave. Like John Smith they were unfazed and just seemed happy to be there. The level of improvisation is really impressive. I think the use of percussion rather than drumkit, and the occasional use of bass guitar adds greatly to their blend. I just don’t think a standard bass & drums rhythm section would work nearly as well. Presumably they figured that out a long time ago, which explains their lineup.
Bellowhead at Bridgewater Hall, Manchester for last night of reunion tour in Nov. High energy and top musicianship.
Billy Strings at O2 Ritz Manchester in early Dec. Those boys can play and they did so from 8:15 to 11pm with a 25 min break in the middle. Hardcore playing and singing, a mix of Grateful Dead type jamgrass and some spot-on authentic bluegrass.
I’d love to see Billy Strings. Sounds fab.
Only my 3rd gig of the year last night in MCR.
B-Movie, Spear of Destiny and Middleton’s finest, The Chameleons..
All 3 bands good in their own way. B-Movie suffered from a muddy sound( Keyboards needed be louder) but played for 30 minutes and of course played their two “hits.”
Really enjoyed Spear. A six piece now, they went for it. Didn’t really know that many of their songs but they closed with a cracking run through of Liberator.
There was a lot of love in the room for the Cams. Burgess rocking a strange Fish like face mask (For clarity; Marillion’s Fish, not a trout,) the band played a great selection of tracks from their first 4 proper albums. Great to see Reg again. Plenty of audience participation, especially in Second Skin. Oh, oh, oh, oh!
Police Dog Hogan played at Exmouth Pavilion in January and were as excellent as always. Hilariously ripped the piss out the venue for all the tribute acts they book.
The Drifters Girl jukebox musical was pretty good, and Beverley Knoight was awesome.
We saw Fairport Convention three times – April on a river cruise thing in Amsterdam. Great to be able to rub shoulders with the band and a very intimate show, but the cruise thing is a bit weird. It was wonderful to be back at Cropredy this year, despite the heat! Their Autumn tour came to the lovely Beehive in Honiton and I got the chance to interview the ever charming Chris Leslie.
Nick Mason’s Saucerful of Secrets in May was definitely gig of the year, and probably one of the best gigs I’ve ever been to. Second row tickets, no fuckwittery, brilliant band…heaven.
Couple of shows at Sidmouth Folk Festival. Steeleye Span are still good entertainment and Show of Hands as a duo were awesome.
Back at Cropredy, we thoroughly enjoyed The Trevor Horn Band – blimey they can play. Richard Thompson did pretty much a greatest hits set and was terrific.
Show of Hands with Miranda Sykes in December were as reliably entertaining as always – two 500 + nights in Exmouth sold out.
Finally St. Agnes Fountain last week.
Top 3
1. Saucerful of Secrets
2. Fairport’s Full House set
3. Show of Hands with Miranda Sykes.
I know Beverley’s from Wolverhampton but that’s ridiculous!
I couldn’t work out if it was intentional or not, but it’s bostin’ whatever, bab.