HEAVENPHETAMINE (London George Tavern, 25/05/25)

One of the joys about gigs is that you'll sometimes see a show in the back of a pub for a fiver that eclipses any corporate festival or arena spectacle, and I present this show as Exhibit A. The Ari Tsugi Trio's Brazilian-tinged jazz session sparked more joy than anything I saw at Wide Awake, and the headliners- a Japanese duo based in Tbilisi who sound a bit like YMO meets Holy Fuck- were the best new band I've seen this year, sparking a hipster dance party by the end. And all profits from their 33-date tour are going to Ukrainian medical charities too! Best £5 I've spent in a long time.