Best Gigs Of 2018

It's incredibly hard to rank all the great gigs I've been to this year but one definitely stands out as the best: Jenny Lewis wowing the crowds at Koko. If there was any doubt that the world needs Ms Lewis (and really there isn't) then this concert celebrating her entire career from Rilo Kiley to her forthcoming solo release, certainly proved that she still is as essential and exciting as ever.

Florence + The Machine at the Royal Festival Hall

Florence + The Machine
Shock Machine
Royal Festival Hall, 8 May 2018

Ten years ago I went to see MGMT - at the time flavour of the day - at the much-missed Astoria for a sold out gig. MGMT, who live were like a younger, brattier Flaming Lips, really divided opinions (I overheard one guy calling it the worse show he'd ever been to!) but the uniting factor for pretty much everyone there, regardless of what they thought of the headliners, was the support act, a tall, skinny redhead in a white ra-ra skirt and a big grin on her face: Florence Welch.

My Favourite Albums Of 2015

I think this year has been one where I have struggled to find much inspiration in music. I don't know if it's my age finally catching up on me or a lack of music out there to excite me, but I suspect it's the former. I hope it doesn't last but in any case it was pretty easy this time for me to whittle down my favourite albums of the year to just 11. I'm crossing my fingers that 2016 reignites some kind of fire in my music-loving soul but in the meantime here are the few that meant the most to me over the past year.