Live Music + Gig Reviews
by Michael Hubbard
Out of five bands in the 12 Bar on this freezing December evening, Linus were the most mentionable, but not always for the best reasons. Whisperin’ Bob put up a patchy but at times excellent…
by Michael Hubbard
This was to be my third audience with Ani DiFranco, but I’d not seen her for two years, during which time she’d released another basket-load of albums. This gig could well be the same as...
by Michael Hubbard
“They’re a bit like Kraftwerk,” someone told me prior to this gig. This was just before the idiosyncratic American brothers Mael and their percussive accomplice appeared on stage in the Shepherd’s Bush Empire for this,...
by Michael Hubbard
The Auteurs were not the next act on after their support band. Whistler, an intriguing mix of Beth Orton and Belle and Sebastian live, finished their set and were replaced by roadies and technicians, readying...
by Michael Hubbard
Imagine that you are on the set of a movie. Just for a moment, assume that the star is Mike Myers and that the costume department is ruled by a leggy lady with a cigarette...
by Michael Hubbard
The Frank And Walters‘ latest album Beauty Becomes More Than Life appeared in shops in July of this year. It is now September and here are The Franks, giving a live appearance to promote the...
by Michael Hubbard
“I said B to the R to the A to the S to the S to the Y!” … I’m not into hip-hop and am not partisan to punk. Brassy combine the two with some...
by Michael Hubbard
Silt, who had all but caused a riot at midday in the Carling Premier Tent at the Carling Premier Weekend while drinking Carling Premier, finally finished some 30 minutes late. Suddenly, rent-a-mob vanished and a...
by Michael Hubbard
I first heard of Black Box Recorder because of The Auteurs, and I suppose I’m not alone. That band’s front man, Luke Haines, co-wrote all but one track of Black Box Recorder’s debut album England...
by Michael Hubbard
If anyone should be under the impression that Venini‘s following would include a sizeable portion of Pulp fans, all excited about seeing ex-Pulp guitarist and fiddler Russell Senior then they’d be…. right. While this band...
by Michael Hubbard
They’re a boy band with a search-engine-friendly name, they’re from the same musical stable as Steps.As I write, they’ve just released one of the most catchy mass-market toons in ages as their debut single.Tonight, a1...
by Michael Hubbard
She’s signed to the same record label as Blur, she’s gorgeously vampy in her mannerisms and she poses in absolutely the most theatrical fashion imaginable, dahhling, in this, a London theatre. These are merely the...
by Michael Hubbard
It is a beautiful day. Although we’re into late afternoon the sun still smiles on all and sundry assembled on Portobello Road. Sunglasses, vests, t-shirts and bottles of beer, consumed of course al fresco, are...
by Michael Hubbard
I first heard Huun Huur Tu way back in 1996 when my flatmate, an ex-gamekeeper, swordmaster, buddhist, eater of seaweed and political activist, parked himself in a corner of my room, threw a CD at...
by Michael Hubbard
Brian. Well, why not? As bands’ names go, there’s been a James. Maybe there’ll be a Dave or a Trevor. This band’s name, as was undoubtedly intended, tells much about front man Ken Sweeney’s approach...
