Rilo Kiley at Shepherd's Bush Empire

Rilo Kiley

Matthew Caws

Shepherd's Bush Empire, 3 June 2026

I was back again to see the reunited Rilo Kiley for a second time, this time at the much smaller Shepherd's Bush Empire, and, unbelievably, night two of their London shows was even more incredible than the first. The whole band were just radiating joy and good feeling and the whole thing felt so much looser and even more special. I can't deny, I was absolutely floating at the end of this show!

Jenny Lewis at Shepherd's Bush Empire

Jenny Lewis
Slow Moving Clouds
Shepherd's Bush Empire, 25 July 2019

There are few artists I would brave the hottest July day in UK history for but Jenny Lewis is certainly one of them. Her new album, On The Line, is already one of the year's best and despite a venue upgrade (this show was originally supposed to be at the much smaller Electric Ballroom), I knew Lewis' showmanship and sparkle would make this a gig to remember (and the air conditioning at the Empire didn't hurt either).

David Crosby at Shepherd's Bush Empire

David Crosby & Friends
Shepherd's Bush Empire, 16 September 2018

It seems in recent years David Crosby has managed to piss off every other member of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. None of them are speaking to him. The good thing about this is that it's made Crosby incredibly productive and we've got three solo albums from him in the last four years with another due out in October. It's also meant we've got the first David Crosby solo tour in the UK for the first time in years.

Babes In Toyland at Shepherd's Bush Empire

Babes In Toyland
Pins
Skating Polly
Shepherd's Bush Empire, 26 May 2015

Well, this was quite the girl powered night.Obviously the big pull of this gig was the promise to see the reunited Babes In Toyland but the two other bands on the bill were absolutely perfectly chosen, not because they were all-female bands but because they definitely embodied the same spirit and attitude that Babes In Toyland always had back in the 1990s.

The Jayhawks at Shepherd's Bush Empire

The Jayhawks
Shepherd's Bush Empire, 18 July 2014

I got a cool surprise today when I found out that not only had I won signed copies of the new reissues of The Jayhawks' albums Sound Of Lies, Smile and Rainy Day Music, but I had also won two tickets for their show tonight. I wasn't planning on going to this gig and even though it is officially the hottest day of the year (so far), I couldn't turn down seeing The Jayhawks for free and as you can imagine it was worth suffering the heat for.

Laura Marling at Shepherd's Bush Empire

Laura Marling
Nick Mulvey
Shepherd's Bush Empire, 2 October 2013

"When did Shepherd's Bush get so posh?" asks Laura Marling, who used to live around the corner she says and went to many, many shows at the Empire where she's now headlining. "When you left!" a cheeky audience member shouts, joking. "Charming!" Laura says in mock outrage. But really this couldn't be further from the truth, as I came to a realisation tonight that Marling is actually pretty posh herself. Because I first saw her as a meek supporting act back in 2007, where she shyly sat playing her guitar, looking tiny and startlingly young, I felt I knew Marling in the early days of her career and didn't really need to read much about her, just listen to her music (which has admittedly got better and better with each album).

First Aid Kit at Shepherd's Bush Empire

First Aid Kit
Idiot Wind
Shepherd's Bush Empire, 20 November 2012

With their second album, The Lion's Roar, First Aid Kit have made, for me at least, maybe the album of the year. Full of swirling harmonies and with deep roots in the very best of Americana music, it's hard to believe that something so authentic sounding was created by two Swedish siblings, one still in her teens. Yet the Soderberg sisters, Klara and Johanna, have done just that and maybe they know how unlikely it sounds because they actually introduce themselves tonight by telling us "Hello, we're First Aid Kit. We're two Swedish sisters from Stockholm".

Soundgarden at Shepherd's Bush Empire

Soundgarden
Shepherd's Bush Empire, 9 November 2012

About 17 years ago my brother and I, along with my two best friends, won tickets to see Soundgarden play the first concert at the newly re-opened Shepherd's Bush Empire. Before it had been a theatre and the set of Wogan's daily TV chat show but this was the first time it was being used as a music venue. Our seats were way up in the gods but damn, were we excited. I had seen Soundgarden before and at smaller venues but this was the first time they had returned to these shores since becoming one of the big grunge four (Nirvana, Pearl Jam and Alice In Chains were the other three) and it was just before their huge breakthrough album, Superunknown, was released. I remember Artis The Spoonman, the man they had named the first single from the album for, coming on and playing a short support and then watching the tops of the band's heads as they treated us to songs we hadn't heard before from the forthcoming album as well as old favourites.

Mazzy Star at Shepherd's Bush Empire

 
Mazzy Star
Unison
Rick Tomlinson
Shepherd's Bush Empire, 3 June 2012

While others were out partying or returning home from the Diamond Jubilee celebrations, I set out in the rain to Shepherd's Bush to catch yet another reunited band from the 90s, the lovely and still hugely influential Mazzy Star.

Hole at Shepherd's Bush Empire

Hole
Foxy Shazam
Little Fish
Shepherd's Bush Empire, 17 February 2010

I remember when I first saw Hole many years ago it the same week I also saw Neil Young for the first time (life-changing) and had just seen two Pearl Jam shows at Brixton Academy back to back (joyous). Hole, playing the slightly dingy Clapham Grand, were a world away from those shows: kind of disorganised, kind of ramshackle and definitely punk rock.

The Felice Brothers at the Empire

The Felice Brothers
A.A. Bondy
Shepherd's Bush Empire, 22 October 2009
Well, I'm glad I got to see Mr Bondy perform in a small club last night because supporting his friends The Felice Brothers, like a lot of support acts, he had to contend with an audience more interested in chatting to each other and drinking beer. Still, he was an old pro, once again backed by just a bass and drums, he sweetly sang There's A Reason and turned up the amps for a rocking Killed Myself When I Was Young and finally borrowed The Felice Brothers' violin player for a rollicking When The Devil's Loose. Those chatting audience members don't know what a good thing they missed.

Gig Memories: Elliott Smith at the Shepherd's Bush Empire in 1999

Elliott Smith

Shepherd's Bush Empire, 21 April 1999

Seeing Elliott Smith live back in 1999 has to be one of my most special concert-going memories. I saw him twice that year and both times were unique and beautiful but the headlining show at the Shepherd’s Bush Empire was, looking back, so filled with classic songs performed with such joy and heart, that it was pretty special.

Alela Diane at Shepherd's Bush Empire

Alela Diane

The Leisure Society
Laura Gibson
Shepherd's Bush Empire, 17 September 2009
Last weekend it was the End Of The Road festival, a country-friendly event that meant plenty of cool Americana and folk acts were over in the UK at the same time and most used their time in the UK wisely by playing some shows over here once the festival has finished. This was great for those of us who didn't get to go the festival except it meant that on one day in particular, Thursday 17 Sept, there was a lot of acts with similar audiences all playing the same night. The big three for me were Alela Diane, who released one of my favourite albums this year, the always superb Richmond Fontaine who I had been eager to see again and my beloved Neko Case, who, if she had announced her show first, would have no doubt taken priority for me. If they had been playing different nights I would have gone to them all but alas a decision had to be made and since Alela's show had been announced first and I already had tickets she won out, and I have to say I'm pretty glad she did because the show was superb.

Pearl Jam at Shepherd's Bush Empire

Photo taken from The Evening Standard's photo gallery

Pearl Jam
Shepherd's Bush Empire, 11 August 2009

One of the first gigs I ever went to was Pearl Jam back in the early 90s, just before they broke big, at the tiny ULU venue. Maybe it was my youth and concert-going inexperience, but to this day that show still holds up as one of the best I've ever been to, with the band playing so passionately and full of excitement, Jeff Ament and other members of Pearl Jam jumping into the crowd and Eddie doing his now legendary climb around the venue and landing just over our heads. The gig even ended with members of the audience jumping on stage and grabbing instruments to play along with the band.

Cat Stevens/Yusuf at Shepherd's Bush Empire

 
Cat Stevens/Yusuf Islam
Baaba Maal
Shepherd's Bush Empire, 28 May 2009

Finally my belated Cat Stevens concert blog entry. Needless to say it was a fantastic show filled with such a happy, warm atmosphere thrilled at Cat Stevens return. Corny but true.

PJ Harvey and John Parish at the Empire

PJ Harvey & John Parish

Howe Gelb
Shepherd's Bush Empire, 20 April 2009
The second of my awesome girl-singer trilogy of nights came from a woman who I believe is one of the most important artists Britain has produced in the last 20 years: Polly Jean Harvey. I've actually seen her play several times before, the first time on her To Bring You My Love tour, where she was glammed up in red satin and high heels, then in support of her most successful album, Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea, which saw her return a little to the Polly of old, sometimes playing guitar and dressed down, and finally in 2007 at a unique show at the Royal Festival Hall where she performed alone switching from guitar to piano dressed in a flowing Victorian-style gown. Each show was memermising and utterly different, so I knew I was in for a treat when she announced shows with collaborator John Parish for the second album they've made together, A Woman A Man Walked By.

Bat For Lashes at the Shepherd's Bush Empire

Bat For Lashes

School Of Seven Bells
Shepherd's Bush Empire, 17 April 2009
I've always loved my female singer-songwriters, especially those who are skilled musicians and not just great voices, and oddly enough three of the best around today happened to play London within days of each other. The first in my awesome lady trilogy (which sounds like the English title of a series of Korean action flicks) was the ethereal and beautiful (and as it happens) Stevie Nicks-inspired Natasha Khan, aka Bat For Lashes, at the first of two sold-out nights at the Empire in Shepherd's Bush.