Live Reviews
by Matt Cotsell
Wire have always been semi-unwilling participants in the circuitous narrative of rock history. Dispensing with the extraneous flourishes of the then prevalent progressive and jazz…
Brighton has always had a soft spot for John Grant. Not only has local label Bella Union put out his five albums but last time...
The first month of this new decade is nearly over, and with it comes an ominous period of weighty national change and emotional loss. That...
A small neon green rectangle pulses in the top left corner of a large black screen at the rear of the Barbican stage, eagerly awaiting...
Recent years have seen a range of bands from the ’90s reform and return to the live arena. Many have been nostalgia-driven, focused on reprising...
Front and middle is a sword, dull, silvery and old. No explanation is given to its significance (although devotees may well recognise it from the...
As they take their places onstage, front man Sevi Landolt sardonically proclaims “Yeah, it’s Klausy baby” to the delight of fans. Perhaps we should add...
The songs of Hayden Thorpe’s former band Wild Beasts were famed for their sensuous chronicling of desire and lust and Diviner, Thorpe’s first solo album...
Time can be a cruel mistress, especially when it comes to music. While anniversary tours often sound like a good idea on the surface, the...
Who wears tartan shorts in England in December? Nic Offer, he of New York punk funk inspired disco iconoclasts !!! (Chk Chk Chk), does and...
It has been another stellar year for The Chemical Brothers. On the 20th anniversary of one of their best and most enduring albums Surrender, they...
When former Talk Talk frontman Mark Hollis died in February earlier this year there was a public outpouring of love for his music despite it...
Omni are, as always, present and potent. They don’t say much between numbers to the Brighton crowd, certainly nothing of note, instead preferring to hurtle...
A decade ago, Victoria Hesketh had all stars aligned and was set to join them. Little Boots’ monster single Stuck On Repeat announced her arrival,...
As always, the EFG London Jazz Festival offers up such a range of exciting and challenging music that negotiating its contours can be quite demanding....
2019 has been significant for Scottish post-punkers The Twilight Sad. Having released their fifth album It Won/t Be Like This All The Time, their first...
TR/ST is the beat-drenched, dungeon-dwelling electrogoth secret brought to cultish consciousness by charismatic Canadian Robert Alfons, with occasional assistance from Austra associate Maya Postepski. Over...
These are hard times to live in for progressive, liberal types and it’s a state of affairs not lost on Billy Bragg. This run of...
The London Jazz Festival has a long history of bringing artists together for collaborations, and one of the standout events in this year’s line up...
“So”, says Stewart Lee, “they’re not Mods and they’re not from Sleaford.” Cue the veil being lifted. Cue 4,000 people seeing the truth. 4,000 people...
During the course of 2019, Scotland’s Kathryn Joseph has been on the road a great deal, in support of her album From When I Wake...
