Sturgill Simpson at Hammersmith Apollo

Sturgill Simpson (as Johnny Blueskies)

Hammersmith Apollo, 1 March 2025

My third time seeing Sturgill Simpson live (this time touring as Johnny Blue Skies for some bizarre reason) and possibly the longest concert I've ever been to: three hours long! I think by the end I was more exhausted than Simpson himself, who I'm pretty certain would have carried on jamming with his band if the curfew hadn't stopped him.

My Favourite Albums Of 2021

16. Marina Allen - Candlepower 

15. Margo Cilker - Pohorylle

14. Ashley Monroe - Rosegold

13. Lana Del Rey - Chemtrails Over The Country Club

12. Pearl Charles - Magic Mirror

11. Kacey Musgraves - Star-Crossed

10. Dinosaur Jr. - Sweep It Into Space

9. St. Vincent - Daddy's Home

8. Brandi Carlile - In These Silent Days

7. Juliana Hatfield - Blood 

6. Sierra Ferrell - Long Time Coming

5. Sturgill Simpson - The Ballad Of Dood & Juanita

4. Lana Del Rey - Blue Banisters

3. Snail Mail - Valentine 

2. Lindsey Buckingham - Lindsey Buckingham 

1. Marina - Ancient Dreams In A Modern Land

Best Gigs Of 2020

Wow, what a strange old year! For obvious reasons I didn't go to many gigs this year, they were all cancelled! A few I had tickets to were cancelled altogether (Greg Dulli and the late, great John Prine) and a few have been pushed until next year (Ren Harvieu, Joan As Police Woman, Courtney Marie Andrews), so at least there is something to look forward to. There were lots of live stream concerts but I have to admit, I just can't get into them. For me it's all about being there in the moment and feeling it in the flesh.

I did manage to catch two gigs at the very beginning of the year before all this started. Luckily they were both really good ones and would definitely be in my list even if I went to loads more shows, I imagine.  Here's to next year being a little more normal.

Kelsey Waldon at The Slaughtered Lamb

Sturgill Simpson at The Forum

Sturgill Simpson at The Forum

Sturgill Simpson

The Forum, 28 January 2020

It's been a while since I last saw Sturgill Simpson live. Last time was back in 2015 and I remember it being rather refreshing seeing such a rootsy unpretentious show with such a pure unashamed love of traditional country music. With his last album, Sound & Fury, Simpson made a surprising and striking left turn musically, releasing a pretty amazing mix of country, southern rock, heavy rock and even a little techno. Crazily the mix really works but would the trick also work live?

My Favourite Albums Of 2019

Every year I wonder if this is finally the year where my love for music leaves me and there are times where I feel nothing will inspire me. Then a record comes along, one like Lana Del Rey's Norman Fucking Rockwell for instance, that grabs hold of me and reminds me just why music has been so important to me all my life. For others it's a thing of their youth, a thing of nostalgia but, thankfully, for me it continues to be a huge comfort and joy. 

In 2019 there were plenty of albums that helped my love of music endure: a lot from old favourites but thankfully some fantastic new discoveries too. There were a few disappointments, but nothing devastating, and a few I loved that didn't make the list. If I had made it a little longer I would have definitely included Bat For Lashes' atmospheric ode to 80s vampire movies Lost Girls, Ryan Bingham's foot-tapping raw and rootsy American Love Song and the dark, witty storytelling of what would tragically be David Berman's last ever album, Purple Mountains. I may add them later, who knows but until then these are the 11 albums that made the cut...

My Favourite Albums Of 2016

Some of the greatest albums this year were some of the saddest and certainly inspired by death: David Bowie, Leonard Cohen and Nick Cave, all very different but heartbreaking records. I didn't include Cave on my list because I actually found his album Skeleton Tree, recorded in the aftermath of his son's death, the most difficult to listen to, proving I suppose that death is hardest for those left behind. A lot of my favourite albums this year were definitely dark, because I guess that was my mood in 2016, but I think some were hopeful too. These days I'm finding less solace in music but I am hoping that 2017 will be different.

Sturgill Simpson at Islington Assembly Hall

Sturgill Simpson

Joe Pug

Islington Assembly Hall, 20 August 2015

At one point during his opening set tonight, singer-songwriter Joe Pug tells us that he wrote his next song in his angsty early 20s when he says most guys are at the most brooding. The following song though, a sad acoustic number, doesn't sound hugely different to the rest of his set. Pug is clearly a talented, amicable guy who appears to be as much influenced by Bob Dylan as Hank Williams and with his sweet and funny banter in between songs its hard not to like him. He certainly goes down a treat with the country-loving crowd in the Islington Assembly Hall tonight, a fact that rather endearingly even seems to surprise him, as he tries out a few quieter numbers due to how little chatter during his set there was, which is high praise indeed with picky London crowds these days.