END OF THE ROAD FESTIVAL (Larmer Tree Gardens, 30/08/18-02/09/18)

My fifth weekend at Larmer Tree, and one of the best yet. My top ten highlights:

- Feist's gimmick-free, effortlessly charismatic tour de force on Sunday night
- Vampire Weekend's surprisingly accomplished feel-good headline set
- The ferocious guitar shreddage of the ever-underrated Screaming Females
- Mulatu Astatke's sublime early-evening Ethio-jazz
- The eardrum-annihilating closing collaboration between Snapped Ankles and AK/DK
- Patrick Stickles' raw, but passion-fuelled Velvet Underground medley
- Ezra Furman being Ezra Furman
- Lucy Dacus' late-night cover of "Dancing In The Dark"
- The elatory Sudanese grooves of The Scorpios
- Haley Heynderickx's low-key, mesmerising charm

KING AYISOBA (London Cafe Oto, 28/08/18)

A heady dose of spell-binding Ghanaian rhythms from the critically-acclaimed kologo master.

LIGHTNING BOLT (London Black Heart, 26/08/18)

Is there a band more aptly named than Lightning Bolt? The noise-rock duo may have hit their mid-Forties, but their relentless racket still feels like a full-body shock to the system.

LIZZO (London Islington Academy, 24/08/18)

Move over Lizzie, Lizzo's our true Queen now.

THE SUN RA ARKESTRA (London Union Chapel, 16/08/18)

Marshall Allen is now 94 years of age, and yet seems more sprightly than ever. How the hell does that work? Needless to say, this was the best display of Afro-futuristic free-jazz space wizardry I've seen yet, as hypnotically groovy as the eighth ring of Saturn.

THE LEMON TWIGS (London Lexington, 15/08/18)

Review: HERE

JENNY LEWIS (London Koko, 14/08/18)

Review: HERE

CONFIDENCE MAN (London Scala, 08/08/18)

It's difficult to nail pastiche without coming across as overly arch and knowing, but Confidence Man's impeccably earnest send-up of cheesy 90's Euro-dance is an unqualified success, not least because they've got the catchy-as-hell pop bangers to back up the ludicrous costume changes and dance routines. C.O.O.L indeed.

THE FLAMING LIPS (Cambridge Junction, 23/07/18)

I didn't think it would be possible for Wayne Coyne to carry off the full Flaming Lips experience, incorporating confetti cannons, luminescent unicorns, a 10ft inflatable pink robot and roughly 52 billion giant balloons, in an 800 capacity venue. I was extremely happy to be proved wrong.

KALEIDOSCOPE FESTIVAL (London Alexandra Palace, 21/07/18)

All Points East might have had all the razzmatazz, but Kaleidoscope definitely had the soul. Located on Alexandra Hill, providing a magnificent view of the city below, it undoubtedly had some teething problems (exhausting their food and beer by 8pm, equipment cutting out during Ghostpoet), but the musical quality was unimpeachable, the atmosphere relaxed and pleasant, and the ridiculous technicolour extravaganza of The Flaming Lips completely exhilarating.

ROY AYERS (London Jazz Cafe, 06/07/18)

Everybody loves the sunshine, but everyone loves the vibraphone legend even more, even if his voice is pretty shot these days. A brief but compelling jazz-funk odyssey.

MARTHA REEVES AND THE VANDELLAS (London Brixton Blues Kitchen, 04/07/18)

It's not often you get to witness a bona fide Motown legend for £2 above a hipster-orientated burger restaurant, but it's something I wished happened more often. Of course her voice isn't what it used to be, and the other Vandellas looked like they were perpetually chewing a barrelful of wasps when they weren't singing, but the sheer joie de vivre of their performance really captured what made the Detroit sound so utterly timeless. One of the surprise highlights of the year.

EELS (London Brixton Academy, 02/07/18)

Over the last twelve years we've been treated to Eels "with Strings", "Gospel-y Garage" Eels, "Minimalist Acoustic" Eels, "Rock Powerhouse" Eels and "Baroque" Eels, and tonight continues Mark "E" Everett's constant reinvention of his material with what might be dubbed the "Double Denim" era. Bringing a certain country-rockin' spin to a career-spanning setlist, it might not be the most innovative or emotionally striking twist they've taken, but everyone looked like they were having so much fun I doubt anyone cared.

MY BLOODY VALENTINE (London Royal Festival, 23/06/18)

YOU MADE ME REALISEZZZRTKZZZRTVRRRRRROOOOOOMMMMMMMMKZZTBZZZTBZZZTBZZZZ

MONO (London Queen Elizabeth Hall, 22/06/18)

The sixth and (by far) the best show I've seen from the exquisite Japanese post-rockers. The closing run of Halcyon/Ashes In The Snow/Everlasting Light was so uncompromisingly epic it genuinely made me emosh.

YAMANTAKA//SONIC TITAN (London Electrowerkz, 20/06/18)

Noh-inspired Canadian psych-rockers with a glorious sense of theatre and unstinting commitment to the heaviest of grooves. Shame that so few people turned up, but that certainly didn't deter them from putting on a memorable show.

DAVID BYRNE (London Hammersmith Apollo, 19/06/18)

Davie B's show at the Royal Festival Hall in 2009 remains one of the most remarkable live performances I've ever seen (Eno in a tutu!), but somehow, he's managed to up his game even further. A minimalist set-up with maximum results which placed the focus on his multi-talented entourage rather than fancy stage-craft, it's a show that marries glorious invention, marvelous choreography and some of the best songs of the last 40 years with an unmatched, unpretentious sense of fun. Incredible.

DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE (London Royal Festival Hall, 18/06/18)

Ben Gibbard and his coterie of emos were the last ever band I saw as a student (apart from Goldie Lookin' Chain at Grad Ball), so it's always a nicely nostalgic experience to catch them live. Sound man wasn't exactly on the ball, and the new stuff was as unmemorable as most of their post-Narrow Stairs work, but I'll never tire of the stately brilliance of "Transatlanticism".

PORTALS FESTIVAL (London Dome, 17/06/18)

Yndi Halda's stunning cinematic epics, Big Lad's uncompromising electro-percussive cacophonies, Axes' superior math-rock and Valerian Swing's crazy Italianosity- Portals may be Raw Power without the eclecticism, but it's still a most satisfactory way to spend a Sunday evening.

JAMBINAI (London Purcell Rooms, 16/06/18)

Magnificently epic metal-tinged post-rock centered around traditional Korean instruments. One of the more obscure selections for Robert Smith's Meltdown, but almost certainly one of the best.

ROSTAM (London Scala, 14/06/18)

Review: HERE

BARDO POND (London 100 Club, 06/06/18)

Gravity-warping shoegaze from the veterans of the US alternative scene. They're a tad one-note, but at least that note is exceptionally loud.

ART ENSEMBLE OF CHICAGO (London Jazz Cafe, 04/06/18)

With their hippin' and the hoppin' and the bippin' and the boppin', the kids don't know what the JAZZ is all about. Roscoe Mitchell does however, and his avant-garde saxophone playing remains one of the most virtuoso sights I've ever witnessed.

ALL POINTS EAST: NICK CAVE AND THE BAD SEEDS (London Victoria Park, 03/06/18)

Bo Ningen. Nadine Shah. Courtney Barnett. Patti Smith. Nick Cave. Do I need to say more?

BROKEN SOCIAL SCENE (Birmingham Academy, 31/05/18)

If this truly is, as Kevin Drew intimated, Broken Social Scene's last European tour, at least they left us on a high note. The show may have only been two-thirds full and half of them had lost their voices, but they nonetheless delivered two straight hours of premium Canadian indie-rock. Park that car, drop that phone, sleep on the floor, dream about me...

CONFIDENCE MAN (London Village Underground, 30/05/18)

A post-detox Die Antwoord, a lightning-sharp pastiche of 90's Euro-pop, a simultaneously ironic yet strangely honest celebration of sex and music and fun. Confidence Man are all these things, but most of all, they're the most straight-down enjoyable new live act of 2018.

TRACEYANNE AND DANNY (London Rough Trade East, 30/05/18)

Wistful Scottish pop that's almost indistinguishable from Camera Obscura, but let's be honest- that's not exactly a bad thing.

ALL POINTS EAST: BJORK (London Victoria Park, 27/05/18)

Still not that much of a fan of Elton John Misty, but the Eldritch Queen of Icelandic was bewitching, even if her setlist veered distinctly towards "Cafe Oto" rather than "festival bangers". Plus, she managed to steer away a literal thunderstorm, which is pretty cool by anyone's book.

ALL POINTS EAST: LCD SOUNDSYSTEM (London Victoria Park, 25/05/18)

Tunelessly bellowed "All My Friends" during a rather downbeat LCDSS set, got Karen O'd right in the face, was sugar-rushed by the ever-peppy Superorganism and threw inappropriate shapes to the formidable Confidence Man. An impressive statement of intent from the latest addition to London's festival calendar.

SPARKS (London Kentish Town Forum, 24/05/18)

Enter the Maelstrom! It's pretty astonishing Ron and Russell have successfully committed to their idiosyncratic brand of pop music for 50 straight years now without sacrificing a jot of their integrity, but not nearly as astounding as the fact that half a century into their career, they might well be at the top of their game. An absolute joy from start to finish.

CAR SEAT HEADREST (London Roundhouse, 23/05/18)

Will Toledo will never be the world's most confident frontman, but at least he's shifted his persona from "deer in the headlights" to "reluctant dad asked to do some DIY". It's amazing to watch the extremely youthful audience shout every word back at him, especially during the dynamic, thoroughly engaging first half, but I couldn't help feel things tapered off a bit towards the end.

OLAFUR ARNALDS (London Royal Albert Hall, 14/05/18)

Review: HERE

EX-EYE (London Milton Court, 13/05/18)

Sax-o-mo to the max-i-mo from Colin Stetson and his ferociously cacophonous metal cohorts. A true force of nature.

ANNA BURCH (London Old Blue Last, 09/05/18)

A competent if unspectacular set from the up-and-coming Detroit songwriter. "Tea-Soaked Letter" is quite the tune though.

JIMMY WEBB (London Roundhouse, 04/05/18)

In truth, Jimmy Webb is a far better raconteur than singer, but dude wrote "Wichita Lineman" so gets a pass for pretty much anything.

KAMASI WASHINGTON (London Roundhouse, 02/05/18)

It's hard to quantify what my "favourite gig" ever would be given I've seen so damn many, but Kamasi Washington at the Roundhouse would be a solid contender. No gimmicks, no fancy light-shows, just 100 minutes of absolutely transcendent, funk-infused jazz courtesy of some of the tightest musicians in the world (including the mighty Shabaka Hutchings making a cameo appearance on "Truth"). The kind of show that knocks the wind out of you and leaves you speechless, because what could you possibly say in the face of such brilliance?

ANNA MEREDITH (London Royal Festival Hall, 28/04/18)

The irrepressible Scottish musical alchemist once again struck gold with an orchestrally-backed rendition of her album "Varmints" so acoustically dense, it pushed the structural integrity of the Southbank to breaking point. Brilliantly bonkers.

A HAWK AND A HACKSAW (London Cafe Oto, 25/04/18)

Balkan folk, Persian santurs and a big fuck-off drum. What else could a man want?

NATALIE PRASS (London Bush Hall, 23/04/18)

The alt-country superstar-in-waiting has shifted from her comfort zone to embrace the funk, and I am totally on board with that.

OTOBOKE BEAVER (London Scala, 19/04/18)

OTOBOKE BEAVER WE LOVE YOU. And perhaps there's a contingent of balding 50-year old punks who love you a bit *too* much, but nonetheless neither they, or the over-zealous security, could detract from the frenzied whirlwind of garage-rock energy that the Kyoto quartet effortlessly whip up. Stunning.

HOLLY MIRANDA (London The Islington, 18/04/18)

After eight years of waiting, I finally got to catch the highly underrated musician in London, and though on a personal level it was a bit disappointing that she's consigned most of her older work to the setlist graveyard, her latest material is more than strong enough to carry the show.

MIDORI TAKADA (London Union Chapel, 17/04/18)

Part minimalist percussion set, part avant-garde theatre, part Buddhist ritual- Midori Takada's mesmerising performances draw heavily on traditional Japanese aesthetics, yet incorporate African and American modernist elements to create something compelling and unique. A true one-off.

ARCADE FIRE (London Wembley Arena, 11/04/18 - 13/04/18)

It may have seemed like Arcade Fire were down for the count after the much-maligned "Everything Now", but the critical mauling seems to have given the Canadians a most astonishing second wind. The boxing ring staging, the phenomenal lighting, and litany of guest starts (Chrissie Hynde! Jarvis Cocker! Florence! Boy George) proved they can pull off an arena show as well as any band in the world, but it was their unfailing energy and passion that once again reminded me why they were the band that triggered my addiction to live music in the first place. Utterly sublime.

PRESERVATION HALL JAZZ BAND (London Islington Assembly Hall, 10/04/18)

A sincere pleasure to experience a genuine slice of New Orleans in Islington, not least because they brought over living legend Charlie Gabriel (now 85 years old) to lend a little more saxo-mo-phone to their effervescently groovy proceedings. Nice!

CHARLOTTE GAINSBOURG (London Village Underground, 29/03/18)

Review: HERE

DAPHNE & CELESTE (London Boston Music Room, 27/03/18)

I ain't got no alibi: I bought tickets to see Daphne and Celeste with actual, real money and it was quite a lot of fun - in an endearing naff sort of way. New material with wonk-pop maestro Max Tundra is inexplicably decent (even if they struggle to replicate it live) and of course, you can't deny the intellectual and compositional genius of "Ooh, Stick You".

WILL SHEFF (London Slaughtered Lamb, 26/03/18)

Neither flu nor lost luggage nor a lack of guitar pedals could stay Will Sheff from his duty to energetically if imprecisely croon Okkervil River songs in a Satanically-themed pub in Islington, and thank Baal for that as it was pretty delightful.

FEVER RAY (London Troxy, 20/03/18)

Karin Dreijer may have built a reputation as an unknowable ice-queen, but tonight's show, reflecting her embrace of queer polyamory, is at turns intense, raunchy, dynamic and political- and most of all, a hell of a lot of fun. Plus, that bit where everyone bellowed *that* line from "To The Moon And Back" in unison was hilarious.

ANNA VON HAUSSWOLFF (London Dome, 12/03/18)

There's acts that sound like the Apocalypse, and then there's Anna Von Hausswolff. Having shifted gothwards from Kate Bush to "Dark Elf Sigur Ros", her set was so relentlessly intense, it may well have distorted space-time.

THE HOLD STEADY (London Electric Ballroom, 09/03/18)

A raucous, exultant and extremely sweaty set of almost Springsteenian proportions, the Hold Steady no longer have anything left to prove, except that they're still the best goddamn bar-band in the whole damn world.