Live Reviews
by Steven Johnson
Recent years have been a productive time for Canadian post-rock forefathers Godspeed You! Black Emperor. Since returning from a period of inactivity they’ve released three…
The public image of Latitude probably goes something along the lines of a collision between BBC 6 Music connoisseurship and BBC Radio 4 intellectual comedy,...
While the legendary Paul Simon’s farewell UK performance was understandably the main draw at Sunday’s final British Summer Time Hyde Park concert, two other veteran artists...
People clad in black in 31 degree heat, round the corner from London’s Pride march, and with a revitalised England playing in the World Cup....
“I forgot to say that the last song was my new single, which came out today”, Sigrid announces from the stage, with a slight chuckle....
Time travels quickly. Surely it can’t be a decade since MGMT burst onto the scene with Kids, their take down of hedonist living? Yet as...
This final weekend of mini-festivals at Finsbury Park will, despite the incredible performances of many artists, surely go down in history as one of the...
Kristin Hersh was among the pioneers of music crowdfunding, ending her contract with longterm label 4AD and striking out on her own, into a forever...
From Royal Festival Hall to Royal Albert Hall. Three days, two dates, a mini-tour of venues frequented by the Queen: what a way for Nine...
Amongst the ever expanding plethora of one-day musical festivals across the capital, Bushstock stands out. Now in its eighth year and sprawling across seven venues in...
One of the more intriguing parts to Robert Smith’s Meltdown Festival programme was the three late-night performances in the Queen Elizabeth Hall foyer of Liminal,...
Live shows by My Bloody Valentine have long held a special, elevated status. They’re infrequent enough to provoke genuine excitement when they do happen and...
Trent Reznor explodes on to the stage. Strobe footlights flash furious and immediate as the band launch straight in to Somewhat Damaged, a track made...
Over the years Robert Smith has regularly expressed his admiration for Mogwai and he’s also recruited them as tour support in the past, so it was...
How does rock music behave in a confined space? Or, to put it another way, how does space rock music work in the Purcell Room? Traditionally...
Of course, we’d heard in advance that tonight – the latest stop on David Byrne‘s American Utopia tour – might be A Bit Special. It was...
Day four of Robert Smith’s Meltdown sees the return to London of American alt rockers Death Cab For Cutie. It’s been three long years since...
“You’ve been amazing – considering all these seats we’ve had to contend with,” enthuses a visibly satisfied James Dean Bradfield before signing off for the...
What became of the likely lads? Well, they grew up – sort of – and ended up playing a gig, at the Robert Smith-curated Meltdown...
The last few Meltdown festivals may have been a bit more low key than we’ve come to expect, whether due to leftfield/unanticipated choices of curator...
Hilary Woods mentions, at the end of the show, in pretty much the first indication of acknowledgement of the people who sit in front of...
Isabeau @ Opera Holland Park, London
Prom 6: BBC SO / Oramo @ Royal Albert Hall, London
Godspeed You! Black Emperor @ Barbican, London
Festival Review: Latitude 2018
Paul Simon @ Hyde Park, London
The Cure @ Hyde Park, London
Prom 1: BBC SO/Oramo @ Royal Albert Hall, London
Ariadne auf Naxos @ Longborough Festival Opera, Longborough
