Best Gigs of 2025

I went to so many great gigs this year, it was actually really hard to choose a top ten this time! I had to leave out great shows from artists like Margo Price, Tift Merritt, Pearl Charles and Wet Leg, to name but a few, even the fantastic Thurston Moore show where he brought out his beautiful dogs and I got to pet them! But of course, once again, the year was all about seeing MJ Lenderman again, twice! And both shows were mind-blowingly good. 

MJ Lenderman & The Wind at the Roundhouse

MJ Lenderman & The Wind (ft. Karly Hartzman)

Allegra Krieger

Roundhouse, 15 August 2025

You know when you have that transcendental moment at a gig, where you are so moved, thrilled and you just feel, there is nothing better than this: right here and now is where I'm supposed to be? It happened again for me tonight at the Roundhouse seeing MJ Lenderman. It's the reason why I haven't been this excited about an artist in a long time.

MJ Lenderman at the Electric Ballroom

MJ Lenderman & The Wind

Trace Mountains

Electric Ballroom, 4 June 2025

He wore an Magnolia Electric Co. tee, he covered Sparklehorse and Jackson Browne, and he played You Are Every Girl To Me, the first time I've heard it live. I thought I couldn't love him more but he did it. Another mind-blowing show, that I'm still on a high from!

My Favourite Albums of 2024

My top albums of 2024:

 

MJ Lenderman - Manning Fireworks

Waxahatchee - Tigers Blood

Kacey Musgraves - Deeper Well

Mary Timony - Tame The Tiger

St. Vincent - All Born Screaming

Kim Gordon - The Collective

Laura Marling - Patterns In Repeat

Jack White - No Name

Gillian Welch & David Rawlings - Woodland

Sturgill Simpson (as Johnny Blueskies) - Passage Du Desir

Kim Deal - Nobody Loves You More

Sierra Ferrell - Trail Of Flowers

Best Gigs of 2024

This year really was all about MJ Lenderman for me. Not only did I see him with his other band Wednesday finally (their last album ruled 2023 for me), but I also saw him doing his first ever UK solo show all by himself at Rough Trade East (and got to meet the man himself) and saw him twice with his incredible backing band The Wind at the fantastic intimate shows at The Garage. 

MJ Lenderman & The Wind at the Garage (Night 2)

MJ Lenderman & The Wind

Hollow Hand

The Garage, 19 November 2024

I was back at the Garage tonight to catch night two of MJ Lenderman's sold out London shows, and like last night it was a beautiful thing to be part of. I really haven't felt this excited about a (relatively) new artist for such a long time.

MJ Lenderman & The Wind at the Garage (Night 1)

MJ Lenderman & The Wind

Hollow Hand

The Garage, 18 November 2024

This was everything I hoped it would be! And I'm still on a high from finally seeing Lenderman playing with his incredible band, The Wind.

Wednesday at Scala

Wednesday

Mspaint

Scala, 20 August 2024

After a year of being obsessed with their last album, Rat Saw God, I finally saw Wednesday (on a Tuesday)! And it was a glorious blast of feedback drenched country punk: everything I hoped it would be and more, in fact.

MJ Lenderman at Rough Trade East

MJ Lenderman

Rough Trade East, 7 August 2024

It's always a pleasure to see an artist like MJ Lenderman in an intimate setting, even if it's in the back of a record shop like Rough Trade East! He only played for about 40 minutes but as his solo debut in London it really was something special.