LIFE (London Scala, 12/10/22)

The hotly-tipped Hullians didn’t quite give me life, but neither did they make me wish for death, so that's nice.

ORCHESTRE TOUT PUISSANT MARCEL DUCHAMP (London Cafe Oto, 11/10/22)

The exuberant, genre-melding Swiss 12-piece delivered a well-needed shot of uncomplicated joy after the gothic soul-scouring of Lingua Ignota. Another fine discovery thanks to Cafe Oto!

LINGUA IGNOTA (London EartH, 10/10/22)

Not since Pharmakon caused a monitor to burst into actual flame have I witnessed a musical artist as intense as Kristin Hayter. Harrowing yet sublime.

ALVVAYS (London Islington Assembly Hall, 07/10/22)

In terms of pure songwriting ability, ALVVAYS may well be my favourite indie-pop band of recent years, and this set embraced both their excellent new album 'Blue Rev' and their already formidable catalogue of fan favourites. Could have done without the superfan tunelessly screaming every lyric and riff in my ear, and they’re not the most dynamic performers you’ll ever see, but sometimes it really is all about the songs.

THE DEARS (London Garage, 05/10/22)

Almost three years to the day after purchasing the ticket, Murray and Natalia finally made it to these shores and it remains resolutely depressing how they seemingly haven’t aged a day since 2006. However, I’m willing to forgive them as their songcraft remains as strong as it was before Arcade Fire stole their “indie-baroque” thunder.

DISTANT WORLDS (London Royal Albert Hall, 03/10/22)

The first half: a love letter to the series' roots with mostly brand-new arrangements. The second half: unadulterated fanservice (Aeris' Theme! Liberi Fatali! Suteki da ne! Apocalypsis Noctis!). The whole: an exercise in sublime nostalgia.

JEFFREY LEWIS (London Lexington, 29/09/22)

Seen Jeff 16 times and I'm still not sure what "anti-folk" is, but I know I'll be guaranteed an evening of wit, education, and occasionally a cartoon of a man f***ing a saxophone.

ROBOCOBRA QUARTET (London Lexington, 22/09/22)

If Black Country New Road had been more inspired by GoGo Penguin and James Chance than Arcade Fire on their second album, it may have sounded something like this. Not entirely won over by the rather arch vocals, but on balance it banged.

TRICOT (London Garage, 21/09/22)

The invigorating Japanese math-rockers strike again, although I fear every time I see them they’re a little tamer than before. Bring back the anarchy!

KIWI JR (London 100 Club, 20/09/22)

Canadian indie-rock par excellence from a group who fit a commendable amount of ideas into each of of their snappy, power-poppy songs. The kind of band I’d have been mad about circa 2009.

ANNA VON HAUSSWOLFF (London Union Chapel, 16/09/22)

There ain't no party like a pipe organ party, especially when the mighty AvH has composed a piece specifically for the occasion. Drone gloriousness.

BLACK KIDS (London 100 Club, 15/09/22)

It may have been a whole 15 years(!) since Reggie and co. first became MySpace sensations, but they still ain't gonna teach your boyfriend how to dance with you. A super-fun nostalgia hit from one of the great lost Noughties hype bands.

DAKHABRAKHA & URAL THOMAS (London Turning Tides, 10/09/22)

Obviously, it’s always a pleasure to see DakhaBrahka, but for me the even bigger draw was octogenarian soulman Ural Thomas, whose sunny, enlivening set was exactly what was needed to bring life to an event that very nearly didn’t happen (#RIPLizzie).

CIRCUIT DES YEUX (London St Matthias Church, 08/09/22)

Another dramatic, powerful set from pinstripe goth idol Haley Fohr, who is surely establishing herself as one of the most striking talents of our times. 

ICHIKO AOBA (London Milton Music Hall, 03/09/22)

You know, I've never been able to get a half-decent photo of Ichiko Aoba, and that may well be because she's not part of this world. A spellbinding hour of lush balladry and Ghibli-esque vibes.

ADVANCE BASE (London St John-at-Bethnal Green Church, 03/09/22)

Rushed back from Bristol at the crack of dawn to catch The-Artist-Formerly-Known-As-Casiotone-For-The-Painfully-Alone bring his melancholic indietronica to Daylight Music (London’s best Saturday live music event- check it out!). Totally worth it, particularly now he’s announced his retirement from international touring.

THE MAGNETIC FIELDS (Bristol St George’s Church, 02/09/22)

No surprises setlist-wise, but it was a real treat to catch old Grumpyballs in such an intimate venue. God bless Brizzle!

XENIA RUBINOS (London Kings Place, 01/09/22)

Do you know who’s wildly underrated as a live performer? Xenia Rubinos. Eclectic, creative, dynamic, fluidly moving between genres, with a great sense of theatre- this is the kind of stuff we need more of.

THE MAGNETIC FIELDS (London Hammersmith Apollo, 31/08/22)

A super-clashy night for live music, but Stephin Merritt and his merry troubadours played "The Luckiest Guy On The Lower East Side" for the first time in 12 years so I have NO
regrets about my choice.

ALL POINTS EAST FESTIVAL: THE NATIONAL (London Victoria Park, 26/08/22)

Made the mistake of eating a festival hot-dog as soon as I arrived which didn’t exactly put me in the greatest physical or mental state for a day of mid-tempo indie-rock, but at least I got to enjoy the astounding Tune-Yards, who set the bar far too high far too early.

EFTERKLANG (Birmingham Hare & Hounds, 23/08/22)

Hearing my favourite Danes perform “Modern Drift” in a small pub in Kings Heath was pretty much a dream come true - and indeed, it even inspired a random audience member - not me - to spontaneously propose to her boyfriend (he said yes). Euphoric.

KAMASI WASHINGTON (London Troxy, 13/08/22)

He came, he covered The Legend of Zelda theme, he conquered. A premium 90 minutes of jazz brilliance from the saxophone maestro.

PATTI SMITH (London Palladium, 24/07/22)

May have been dealt a slightly crummy seat by the organisers (don’t ask), but just being in the same room as one of the most iconic musical artists of our the last 50 years more than made up for the so-so view. And let's face it, few thing make me happier than hearing Patti belt out
"Gloria" live.

DEAN WAREHAM (London Islington Assembly Hall, 22/07/22)

The stifling humidity of a Victorian civic building in the middle of summer sadly got the better of me so I actually don't actually remember too much of this, but I do recall appreciating Ryder The Eagle's Alex Cameron-ish "oversharing depressed French cowboy" schtick. Unless that was a heat-induced hallucination too...

JACK WHITE (London Rough Trade East, 22/07/22)

Fifteen minutes with the White Stripes Man himself. Not sure about the hair, to be honest.

SLOTHRUST (London Garage, 11/07/22)

Animated alt-rock goodness from Boston, Massachusetts.

FATBACK BAND (London Jazz Cafe, 07/07/22)

It may seem like I only see heritage acts these days (Bill "Fatback" Curtis is 90 this month!) but it was my Mum's birthday so some jazz-funk inevitably had to feature.

ELTON JOHN (Watford Vicarage Road Stadium, 04/07/22)

Tonight I finally embraced my inner Watford in a way that didn't involve punching someone outside PRYZM. A triumphant career-spanning set with a hit-heavy closing run that showcased his undiminished vocal power - I'll surely have *that* bit from Crocodile Rock stuck in my head for the rest of time - but what I'll remember most was his obvious passion for a place he's loved since he was just Reg from Pinner. A top local night out.

LCD SOUNDSYSTEM (London Brixton Academy, 03/07/22)

You know, as fun as it would be to have Daft Punk play my house, I think I'd rather stick with LCDSS at Brixton, cheers.

LCD SOUNDSYSTEM (London Brixton Academy, 01/07/22)

What a setlist! What monumental energy! What a gig! My arms, my voice and my spine have all given up the ghost, and I don’t even care.

ST VINCENT (London Hammersmith Apollo, 29/06/22)

There’s times where I-I-I-I-I've felt like I don't wanna be a cheerleader for Annie no more (particularly after the numbing soullessness of *that* Brixton show), but this was definitely one of the stronger gigs I've seen her do these last fifteen years. Fun, stylish, with a killer second half (Los Ageless! Marrow! Fast Slow Disco!) - what more could we ask for?

THE ROLLING STONES (London Hyde Park, 25/06/22)

Perhaps it was the fact this was their first London show in 60 years without Charlie Watts, but Mick, Keef and Ronnie knocked this one out of the stratosphere. Jagger remains a dynamo mere weeks away from his 79th birthday, the setlist had impeccable flow – not least the closing run of Paint It Black, Gimme Shelter, Jumpin' Jack Flash and Sympathy For The Devil - and to experience the riff from “Satisfaction”, one of THE elemental moments of rock ‘n roll history, performed by its progenitor felt like an almost holy moment. I was sceptical I was even going to enjoy this coming in, but I can honestly say I left in awe.

PET SHOP BOYS (London Electric Ballroom, 24/06/22)

An absolute treat to experience the legendary synth-pop duo in a venue as intimate as the Electric Ballroom. Very stripped down by their standards of course, but who needs gimmicks when you've written 'It's A Sin'...

NINE INCH NAILS (London Brixton Academy, 21/06/22)

After the (slightly Less Than) SIX hour round trip to Brixton, I kinda Wish the venue had been a little Closer, but Trent ensured we were Right Where we Belonged.

BO NINGEN (St Albans The Horn, 18/06/22)

What better way to celebrate my 20th Stickmen gig than to watch them decimate South West Hertfordshire? Also, the last time I saw supports Voka Gentle, the band almost outnumbered the audience so it was nice to see the quirky art-rockers actually get the appreciation they deserve.

AROOJ AFTAB (London Barbican, 17/06/22)

A spectacular display of musicianship from the Pakistani-American prodigy and her phenomenal ensemble. One piece in particular, based on a poem by a departed friend, really got me in the emotions. Nice cameo from Anoushka Shankar too!

MAVIS STAPLES (London Union Chapel, 16/06/22)

This was a long time coming - I originally bought tickets with my 2019 Christmas bonus – but Mavis Staples herself, at the literal Union Chapel! What an honour! What a lady! What a voice!

THE LOVE UNLIMITED SYNTH ORCHESTRA (London Festival Hall, 15/06/22)

Never thought I'd live to see Kele Okereke of Bloc Party channelling Barry White, but there you go. Shingai and Eno Williams also dazzled in this luscious, cleverly-crafted tribute to symphonic soul.

HOT CONGOTRONICS (London Royal Festival Hall, 14/06/22)

A wildly successful collaboration between synth-pop faves Hot Chip and Central African legends Kasai Allstars, featuring lots of enthusiastic if disjointed dancing and an extraordinarily banging rendition of 'Over and Over'.

CLAP YOUR HANDS SAY YEAH (London Scala, 09/06/22)

The first time I saw Alec Ounsworth, he stood stock still like a deer in the headlights, clearly wishing he could be anywhere else but Leeds (an emotion many of us can sympathise with). Seventeen years later, I’m happy to report he’s loosened up a bit. Not quite as ebullient as his last couple of London dates, but I’ve always got room in my heart and ears for nasal yelping over indie-rock jams.

PRIMAVERA SOUND 2022 (Barcelona Parc del Forum, 02/06/22-04/06/22)

THE BAD

- The whole “having our accommodation cancelled after we’d already arrived” saga. At least it seems to have worked out for the best.

- The general overcrowding. Never saw the Cupra stage so consistently packed the four previous times I’ve been.

- Having to queue an hour for a lukewarm can of rancid water on the first day

- The chokepoints at the Binance Stage and Mordor, leading to potentially dangerous crushes

- The revised location of the Binance stage, which meant you could comfortably fit fewer people than previous years.

- The transport getting home on the Thursday. Took us almost 3 hours to get back to our apartment.

- Wasn’t blown away by Beck at Razzmatazz. A bit too “Las Vegas revue” for my liking.

 

THE GOOD

- The lemon pie at the Peruvian stall. The butter chicken burger at the Indian place was excellent too.

- Magnetic Fields at Paral-lel 62 was my musical highlight of the whole week and made me feel actual feelings.

- Nick Cave remains one of the most commanding frontmen in rock ‘n roll history. What a pleasure to have seen him from a few rows back.

- Les Savy Fav were the second band I saw, and basically won the Parc del Forum portion of proceedings. It’s so good to have Tim Harrington back.

- Jehnny Beth is both intimidating and awesome. What frightening energy she has!

- Mad Catalan duo Za! once again felt like a bewildering, electrifying fever dream, except now they had a brass section and folk singers to augment the madness.

- The Armed were both great and intimidatingly buff.

- Shellac were dependably...Shellac. You could clean one of your many collectable plastic cups on their crisp, clear guitar tones.

- Otoboke Beaver, although a tame set by their standards, managed to attract a 2,000 strong audience which wasn’t bad for 3:10 in the morning. Apparently the barrier struggled to withstand the moshing.

- The National deigned to play some Boxer material (including my all time fave “Apartment Story”), which they neglected to do the last time I saw them.

- Tyler The Creator- loved his stage presence, but had to leave early as my flatmates were starting to flag.

- The queue may have been a mile long, but I’m glad we got into the Poble Espanyol for Pom Pom Squad and Magdalena Bay on our last night. Both fun sets, and we got to see the Font Majica on our way home!

- The Auditori remains one of my favourite venues on Earth. Was a pleasure to see Low (for the final time), Jenny Hval and the legendary Mavis Staples there.

- Pavement were the best I’ve ever seen them. It’s almost like they gave a shit(!)

IN SUMMARY: a good time was had, even though I suspect I’m far too old for this now.

WIDE AWAKE FESTIVAL (London Brockwell Park, 28/05/22)

A fine day South of the River, despite the fact one stage was literally unbuilt and the police presence could be described as “overzealous”. Effortlessly cool Malian singer-songwriter Fatoumata Diawara was the definite highlight (despite only catching the last 15 minutes of her set), but Surfbort provided a much-needed dose of chaos to counter the early-evening slump and Primal Scream were on good, sometimes even blissful form - particularly when Bobby Gillespie was off-stage.

DANIEL ROSSEN (London Union Chapel, 20/05/22)

I'm normally adverse to men playing acoustic guitars as a rule, but the Grizzly Bear alumni gets a pass because his songs sound like magic.

BLACK COUNTRY, NEW ROAD (Brighton Patterns, 19/05/22)

It’s a brave move to ditch two albums-worth of material and start from scratch, but if there was a band to pull it off, it'd be one forged from the ashes of Nervous Conditions. Trad-folk, Poguesy rabble-rousers, bouncy indie-pop, delicate piano numbers and an 80's style power ballad- it felt like a concept album/musical in progress, except less twattish than that sounds. If you much preferred the edginess of 'Science Fair' to ‘Ants From Up There’, this won't be for you, but I have high hopes for this band’s third incarnation- particularly if they bring May, their keyboardist and strongest non-Isaac songwriter, out of the shadows...

PARTY DOZEN (London Shacklewell Arms, 17/05/22)

Or, as I like to refer to them, The Doom Sax. Three separate people told me this Sydney duo would be up my dingy musical alley, and their uncompromisingly skronky ways certainly dusted off the old cobwebs.

SUN RA ARKESTRA (London EartH, 15/05/22)

The intergalactic avant-garde jazz wizards made a long-awaited pit-stop on planet EartH, under the ever-watchful eye of Marshall Allen, now 98 years of age and still as irrepressible as ever.