Best Gigs Of 2023

Last year I went to only six gigs and this year, I did even better... seven! While hardly the heady days years back when I was going to over fifty shows a year, I still feel grateful to have seen some absolutely exceptional concerts this year including lots of old favourites I hadn't seen in a long time and finally seeing the magnificent Amanda Shires live, lucky for me, in such a wonderful intimate venue as Omeara. My gig of the year though has been a complete life-changing one, as it has utterly shaped my entire year and re-awakened my love of music and its importance to me in my life, and also had me nostalgically re-visiting lots of my favourite artists from the past. That show was The Mars Volta at Troxy and I am forever grateful I got to see it and I truly hope it won't be the last time. 

1. The Mars Volta at Troxy

2. Dinosaur Jr. at The Garage

3. Margo Price at Lafayette

4. Sleater-Kinney at Roundhouse

5. Amanda Shires at Omeara

6. Alison Sudol at Omeara

7. Caitlin Rose at EartH

Sleater-Kinney at the Roundhouse

Sleater-Kinney

U.S. Girls

Black Belt Eagle Scout 

Roundhouse, 10 November 2023

A few months ago I decided to listen to Sleater-Kinney's back catalogue chronologically and, maybe as I hadn't listened to them in quite a while, was blown away at how good it was. I had fallen out of love with them a little when they changed direction on The Center Won't Hold and the beloved Janet Weiss left the band, but hearing just how fantastic those albums sounded convinced me I needed to go give them another chance and a last-minute ticket was purchased, and it turned out to be a very good decision indeed.

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.

Best Gigs Of 2015

This definitely wasn't a prime year in gigs for me but it was nice to finally see a few reunited acts live for the first time, most notably The Replacements and Sleater-Kinney, and of course the incomparable Christine McVie back singing with the Mac. You would think that the Fleetwood Mac shows would be my absolute favourites (they were certainly the gigs that cost the most, probably as much as the rest combined) but seeing and hearing McVie singing Everywhere and You Make Loving Fun, although undoubtedly thrilling, was slightly overshadowed by finally seeing The Replacements and the pure ramshackle, joy of their show. Other than my usual fare of alternative and classic rock, I also got to experience some heartwarming pure country shows (Sturgill Simpson and Kacey Musgraves) and even a pop concert, albeit a rather unusual one (the fantastic Marina & The Diamonds). I can't imagine I'll go to many more pop gigs in the future but I do hope next year has some more country in store for me.

Sleater-Kinney at the Roundhouse

Sleater-Kinney

Pins

Roundhouse, 23 March 2015

"We're very happy to be playing for you and very happy to be a band again," Corin Tucker tells us during the show tonight and if Sleater-Kinney's passionate performance is anything to go by, then it's clear they really mean it.

New Sleater-Kinney!

I'm so, so excited about the Sleater-Kinney reunion. There's a new album, No Cities To Love, out in January and they are touring next year too!