indie live review
Live Review: The Wired / Ashley Holland, The Rocking Chair, Sheffield, 19.08.16
The Wired are a blossoming little indie pop band from Sheffield who clearly have their sights set on the big time and following in the footsteps of the local greats who came before them like Pulp, the Arctic Monkeys and new kids on the block, the Sherlocks. I’ve had the pleasure of seeing the Wired …
Review: Tramlines Festival 2016
Tramlines festival is Sheffield’s biggest musical event as every venue opens its doors to emerging bands and big headline acts, inviting Yorkshire out for a chaotic weekend of music, drink, and dancing. From fringe events to artists taking on the main stage, the entire city erupts in music, celebrating the best the industry has to …
Les Ardentes Festival, Liege, Belgium. 2016 Edition
Belgium’s Les Ardentes Festival is now over ten years old, so this year it added an extra day, making it a five-day extravaganza. I’ve been to every one, and my role for most of them as onstage announcer has given me fly-on-the-wall access to it and how it operates. Unlike in the U.K., where the …
Live Review: Long Division Festival. Wakefield, 10-12.6.2016
Long Division 2016 launched itself into the weekend with post-punk outfit Gang of Four. For some reason they’ve been crammed into the smaller hall at Unity Works which makes for a sweaty, intimate start to the weekends shenanigans. As is tradition from previous years, the support for the evening comes from an up and coming local …
Live Review: Camden Rocks Festival, 4/6/16
Camden Rocks Festival as a whole is much like a live set from a band that is hotly tipped to have the craziest show. It’s chaos; running around, things happening every which way you turn, with the constant feeling you’re missing something because there is just SO much happening. It’s also absolutely excellent, with so …
Live Review: Vukovi – Brudenell Social Club, Leeds, 1st June 2016
Scottish alternative rock group Vukovi ventured on their first ‘grown-up’ tour last week, playing shows in Leeds, Birmingham, and Chester before concluding in London for the mammoth Camden Rocks festival. I was invited to Leeds with the intention of interviewing the group but I found merely hanging out with them provided much more insight into …
Live Review: Lisbon / VYNCE / Dead Slow Hoot / I Kept the Wolves Away at Sheffield Union, 25.05.16
It only seems like two minutes since Lisbon were last on the road but since they last visited Sheffield they’ve managed to unleash yet another monster tune on us and have played at dates the length of the country including The Great Escape festival in Brighton. Returning to Sheffield, they’ve moved to a larger venue …
Live Review: Patrick Wolf / Calpernia Addams at Rescue Rooms, Nottingham, 10/05/16
Patrick Wolf has been quiet for a long time. Not just in his hiatus from music, whilst he collates an anthology of poetry, notes and art to be published for his fans, but also on stage tonight at Nottingham’s Rescue Rooms. He is intently tuning and returning his guitar, methodically testing and retesting, searching intuitively …
Festival Review: Live At Leeds 2016
Live At Leeds festival celebrated its 10th anniversary this year, taking over venues all across the city to showcase the best of British music and introducing you to your new favourite bands. This year was bigger than ever; every venue was full to capacity from the start as people of all ages came out to …
Live Review: Super Furry Animals – The Leadmill – 26 April 2016
It’s twenty years since The Super Furry Animals last played The Leadmill, thirteen years since my friend Nibbsy introduced me to the band’s idiosyncratic charms (needless to say, I became an instant fan) and five years since I met the wonderful woman with whom I am celebrating the fifth anniversary of meeting for the first …