Live Music + Gig Reviews

The Heavy @ Oslo Hackney, London

by Neil Dowden

Soulful garage rockers showcase tracks from forthcoming album with a joyous set full of sharp riffs and deep grooves


William Basinski @ Attenborough Centre For The Creative Arts, Brighton

by Matt Cotsell
Acclaimed sound artist’s waves of repetition and decaying noise makes for a truly momentous evening
William Basinski @ Attenborough Centre For The Creative Arts, Brighton

No Age @ Patterns, Brighton

by Matt Cotsell
Californian duo mix squalls of escalating distortion and ambiguous drifts of electronic noise on the south coast
No Age @ Patterns, Brighton

Self Esteem @ Hammersmith Apollo, London

by Nicoletta Wylde
Rebecca Lucy Taylor shows herself to be a new icon, continuing to build on the success of Prioritise Pleasure in a joyous declaration of sapphic sensuality
Self Esteem @ Hammersmith Apollo, London

The Murder Capital @ Mill, Birmingham

by Ross Horton
Showcasing bona fide Big Album and rebirth of sorts Gigi’s Recovery in a modest space makes for a heady, packed house, experience
The Murder Capital @ Mill, Birmingham

Andrew Bird @ Shepherd’s Bush Empire, London

by Steven Johnson
The multi-instrumentalist showcases the bijou arrangements and transparent beauty of latest album Inside Problems
Andrew Bird @ Shepherd’s Bush Empire, London

Mogwai @ Dome, Brighton

by Matt Cotsell
Scottish post-rockers play cuts from across their ten studio albums to form a pile driving wall of sound
Mogwai @ Dome, Brighton

Titus Andronicus @ Hare & Hounds, Birmingham

by Ross Horton
A career spanning set from New Jersey indie rockers makes for a relentless and thrilling experience in the Midlands
Titus Andronicus @ Hare & Hounds, Birmingham

M(h)aol, Sprints + Thus Love @ Komedia, Brighton

by Matt Cotsell
A trio of new acts combine for a joyously chaotic and rambunctious show on the south coast
M(h)aol, Sprints + Thus Love @ Komedia, Brighton

The Brian Jonestown Massacre @ Concorde 2, Brighton

by Matt Cotsell
The first of three nights on the south coast
The Brian Jonestown Massacre @ Concorde 2, Brighton

The Cool Greenhouse @ Patterns, Brighton

by Matt Cotsell
Tom Greenhouse and co bring their idiosyncratic didacticism, haughty sarcasm and meaningful cataloging of social perversities to the south coast
The Cool Greenhouse @ Patterns, Brighton

The Delgados @ Concorde 2, Brighton

by Matt Cotsell
Prodigal Glaswegians return after a hiatus of seventeen years with a truly wondrous and magical show
The Delgados @ Concorde 2, Brighton

Plaid @ Komedia, Brighton

by Matt Cotsell
Expressive, dramatic and illustriously patterned 30 years into their career, Ed Handley and Andy Turner remain blessed with limitless drive and horizon defying scope
Plaid @ Komedia, Brighton

Stereolab @ Concorde 2, Brighton

by Matt Cotsell
It’s testament to the impact of the groop’s songs over 30 years later that they still sound altogether futuristic, keenly nostalgic and utterly otherworldly
Stereolab @ Concorde 2, Brighton

TV Priest @ Green Door Store, Brighton

by Matt Cotsell
London-based foursome reveal an endearing vulnerability while mustering a battalion who would happily take their lead anywhere
TV Priest @ Green Door Store, Brighton

Saint Etienne @ Old Market, Brighton

by Matt Cotsell
Cult London pop trio steal hearts on the south coast with a snuggly smorgasbord of hits for old times’ sake
Saint Etienne @ Old Market, Brighton

The Damned @ Hammersmith Apollo, London

by Neil Dowden
Playing together for the first time in over 30 years, the punk survivors’ founding line-up focuses on their early material rather than gothic spectacle
The Damned @ Hammersmith Apollo, London

Grandbrothers @ Islington Assembly Hall, London

by Steven Johnson
Versatile, crossover sounds of German piano/electronics duo ultimately prove to be a striking proposition
Grandbrothers @ Islington Assembly Hall, London

Caterina Barbieri @ Barbican, London

by Steven Johnson
Italian synth composer presents a deeply atmospheric, captivating set that conjures the sounds of distant, futuristic worlds
Caterina Barbieri @ Barbican, London

Gilla Band + Mandy, Indiana @ Chalk, Brighton

by Matt Cotsell
Dublin four-piece bring the buoyant volume and the rhythmic muscle of latest album Most Normal to the south coast
Gilla Band + Mandy, Indiana @ Chalk, Brighton

Franz Ferdinand @ Alexandra Palace, London

by Neil Dowden
The Glaswegian band’s ability to entertain an audience 20 years on is in no doubt in this dynamic performance, showcasing greatest hits compilation Hits To The Head
Franz Ferdinand @ Alexandra Palace, London