Connor Selby opened the night with a set that was understated, soulful, and quietly commanding. He has that rare ability to make a room go still, and he did it from the first notes of “I Shouldn’t Care”, his voice warm and velvety over clean, tasteful guitar lines. He followed with “Love Letter to the […]
Burning Witches & Hammer King – The Asylum, Birmingham
There are definitely worse ways to spend an evening than at Birmingham’s Asylum venue, particularly when tonight’s offering sees all-female Swiss heavy metal band Burning Witches return to UK soil as part of their “Witches and Kings” tour, supported by German power metallers Hammer King. This tour is Hammer King’s first time the U.K, so […]
The Grey with Hollow Blessings, Voidlurker, and Eyeglass – The Flapper, Birmingham
The Flapper can be unforgiving. Low ceilings, bright LEDs, a room that exposes any weakness in a band’s live sound or confidence. When a gig works there, it’s because the bands make it work and this one absolutely did. This felt like a properly curated bill rather than a random stack of heavy bands. Each […]
Tommy Emmanuel – Gateshead Glasshouse
“Tommy Emmanuel Breaks the Laws of Physics (Again)” If you’ve ever wondered what it looks like when one man tries to play bass, rhythm, lead, percussion, and possibly the kitchen sink all at once, Tommy Emmanuel’s Gateshead show had the answer: absolute wizardry. He strolled onstage with the casual confidence of someone who knows he’s […]
Evil Scarecrow w/ Andrew O’Neill – Thekla, Bristol
What more could you want in the run up to Christmas than Evil Scarecrow bringing their unique blend of heavy metal chaos to a boat in Bristol? Fortunately, Friday the 19th December saw an enthusiastic Bristol crowd get its wish as the four piece comedy metal band descended on Thekla, armed with props and supported […]
Clutch, 1000 Mods, Bokassa at O2 Academy, Birmingham
On Wednesday 17th December, Clutch returned to the O2 Academy in Birmingham with the kind of confidence reserved for bands who know exactly who they are and why they matter. Backed by the fuzz-drenched weight of 1000 Mods and the irreverent sludge swagger of Bokassa. On paper, it was a strong bill; in practice, it […]
Stereophonics with support from Finn Forster – Utilita Arena Birmingham
Arriving early, I managed to secure a great position just a few rows back from the barrier, with plenty of time to catch the support act. I’d already seen Finn Forster earlier in the year when he opened for Stereophonics on their summer stadium tour, so I knew exactly what to expect – and he […]
Nothing More — O2 Ritz, Manchester
Support: Ankor • Solence • Catch Your Breath Ankor — Opening Fire Ankor opened the night with a confident blaze. Their set arrived crisp and commanding, lighting up the venue with aggressive riffs and punchy rhythms. The crowd, still filtering in, quickly found their focus as the Spanish-born group braided theatricality with heftier metal edges […]
Katatonia, Everygrey and Klogr – Electric Bristol
Monday 8th December saw Swedish melodic/gothic doomers Katatonia arrive in Bristol to grace the Electric, accompanied by fellow Swedish progressive metallers Evergrey and Italian alt-metal band Klogr. The recent departures from Katatonia of co-founding member Anders Nyström and Roger Öjersson led many to wonder if and how Katatonia would continue. The recent release of their […]
CKY / Jools – Sheffield Corporation
Jools The Sheffield Corporation is still filling up when the Leicester 6 piece come on, but they waste no time in grabbing our attention with some high energy, punky electro-indie type vibes. Lead vocals are split 50:50 between Mitch and Kate – each as outgoing as the other, and neither are afraid to get right […]