livemusicreview: Blog

08 December 2006: Northside + The Reason - Academy 2 - Liverpool

Mon, 11 Dec 2006 15:24:47 GMT

Live music is a funny thing. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. And yet a good gig can become a legendary gig with the help of the right...more

29 November 2006: Levellers - Rock City - Nottingham

Mon, 11 Dec 2006 15:23:38 GMT

It's been a long five months waiting for the next Levellers gig but, as always....more

10 November 2006: Pro-Jekt + Neon Zoo + The Way Of All Flesh- J7 - Nott'm

Thu, 23 Nov 2006 16:58:56 GMT

Goth night; two words to fill many hearts with fear and dread but not this one. Being a huge fan of goth fifteen-odd years ago I thought this would be like a journey down a very dark and dry-ice swathed memory lane. Not...more

27 October 2006: Ginger - Junktion 7 - Nottingham

Thu, 02 Nov 2006 16:50:22 GMT

The first support-slot was filled by New Generation Superstars. Old-school in terms of appearance .. long hair, bandana, sweat bands, white...more

16 September 2006: Whole Lotta Led - Rock City - Nottingham

Thu, 02 Nov 2006 16:49:46 GMT

Tribute bands can vary wildly in terms of quality and entertainment-value so its normally something of a lottery when you go to see one. In the...more

08 September 2006: Bleeding Hearts - Junktion 7 - Nottingham

Thu, 02 Nov 2006 16:48:42 GMT

Stumbling into Bar 7 at sometime shortly after nine O'clock, I was stunned to find out that the doors to the upstairs venue had only just opened and...more

07 July 2006: Levellers - National Forest Folk Festival - Derbyshire

Fri, 11 Aug 2006 12:18:42 GMT

This is the second year running that the Levellers have played at the National Forest Folk Festival at Conkers. Last year they were electric and....more

16 June 2006: Levellers - Big Session Festival - Leicester

Fri, 11 Aug 2006 12:18:00 GMT

This is the second year running that I've been to the Oysterband's Big Session Festival in Leicester. Last year was to see Mark Chadwick and Rev Hammer...more

07 May 2006: The Sisters Of Mercy - Rock City - Nottingham

Fri, 11 Aug 2006 12:17:13 GMT

After what seemed like an eternity of waiting...more

27 March 2006: Ginger and the Sonic Circus - Rescue Rooms - Nottingham

Wed, 29 Mar 2006 13:42:32 GMT

This gig was meant to be at Rock City but it appeared to have been bumped around the corner to its smaller sister-venue, The Rescue Rooms. I'm not...more

24 March 2006: Levellers - Wulfrun Hall - Wolverhampton

Sun, 26 Mar 2006 11:02:12 GMT

As I entered the venue I was given a yellow piece of paper with the words "Welcome to the best live act this planet has ever seen"...more

27 February 2006: Capo Jr. - The Loft - Cambridge

Mon, 13 Mar 2006 13:14:58 GMT

The Loft is an upstairs bar in The Graduate, Cambridge. The stage is at the far end of the room as you walk in with the bar on the far right wall...more

23 February 2006: Levellers - The Opera House - Buxton

Tue, 28 Feb 2006 13:28:35 GMT

Buxton strikes me as a fairly pretty place, but this is my second visit and it is snowing again. During the gig, I note that Mark agrees with my thoughts on...more

27 January 2006: Tokyo Dragons - The Victoria Inn - Derby

Wed, 08 Feb 2006 13:55:31 GMT

The Victoria Inn is a nice smallish pub near the train station in Derby, with a 150 capacity back room for live music. The sort of venue that needs to be...more

05 January 2006: Super Nashwan - The Windmill - London

Wed, 08 Feb 2006 13:55:06 GMT

The first gig of 2006 saw me down at the Windmill for hot newcomers "Super Nashwan" largely tipped to become household names this year. For thosemore

14 December 2005: New Model Army - Rock City - Nottingham

Wed, 08 Feb 2006 13:54:35 GMT

Fifteen or so years ago NMA were one of my favourite bands. Their music touched parts of me that other bands just couldnt reach and it probably alsomore

12 December 2005: Cradle Of Filth + Cathedral + Octavia Sperati - Rock City - Nottingham

Wed, 08 Feb 2006 13:49:12 GMT

I've never seen Rock City so crowded for a gig at 7:30. Meeting up at the Tap at 7:00 for pre-gig sustenance I was told that the queue to get into themore

07 December 2005 - Levellers - Rock City - Nottingham

Wed, 08 Feb 2006 13:48:13 GMT

I havent seen the Levellers for almost 5 months and I must say that the withdrawal symptoms have been setting in quite badly recently and Id beenmore

12 November 2005 - The New School Of Rock Tour - Rock City - Nottingham

Wed, 08 Feb 2006 13:47:50 GMT

After planning out meeting point at the Tap and Tumbler for 8:00 our plans were thrown into initial disarray by finding out that the first band were to appear atmore

17 September 2005 - The Wildhearts, Terrorvision + others – Scarborough Castle

Wed, 08 Feb 2006 13:47:19 GMT

Where to start? Right at the start, I guess. The journey to Scarborough from most places is a long one but its made much more enjoyable when you go bymore

14 September 2005 - Fun Lovin' Criminals - Rock City - Nottingham

Wed, 08 Feb 2006 13:46:45 GMT

Before this gig I wouldnt have said that The FLC were right at the top of my list of bands that I wanted to see live. Nevertheless, varietymore

10 September 2005 - The Mission - Rock City - Nottingham

Wed, 08 Feb 2006 13:46:18 GMT

Its been many years since I went to a Mission gig and so I was quite looking forward to seeing Wayne and company performing once againmore

28 July 2005: Waster + Afterglow + The Bazookas - Oh Bar - London

Wed, 08 Feb 2006 13:45:42 GMT

Any regular on the live circuit in London well anywhere for that matter will know that there are continually new venues cropping up and thenmore

21 July 2005: The N***s + Husky - Bar Rumba - London

Thu, 02 Feb 2006 12:22:57 GMT

Thanks to ongoing jitteriness on the Underground I’m fabulously late – although thankfully, it’s just a false alarm today. At the moment everyone’s a little…more

15 July 2005 - Queen + Razorlight + Peter Kay - Hyde Park - London

Thu, 02 Feb 2006 12:21:34 GMT

OK, it was a moment of weakness when my mate called up and asked if I wanted to see Queen in Hyde Park. Flashing premonitions of synchronised handclaps…more

10 July 2005 - Da Riddim Squad + The Bazookas - Newham Festival Music Stage

Thu, 02 Feb 2006 12:21:00 GMT

A sun-soaked crowd in Central Park, East Ham, was treated to a day of free live music, as a selection of East London’s finest musicians and bands took to the…more

08 July 2005 - Levellers - National Forest Folk Festival – Leicestershire

Thu, 02 Feb 2006 12:11:08 GMT

Yes, "Your mind can go away"…more

06 July 2005 - REM + The Zutons + Idlewild – City Ground – Nottingham

Thu, 02 Feb 2006 12:10:34 GMT

Well this was a long time coming. The tickets were booked in September time and by Christmas I had almost forgotten that I was going. I was also...more

30 June 2005 - Ginger - Civic Centre - Wolverhampton

Thu, 02 Feb 2006 12:10:04 GMT

Despite being in Wolverhampton the Civic Centre appears to be a decent venue. The main hall is a good size with a balcony over-head and the smaller hall...more

22 June 2005 - Octavia [Sperati] - Junktion 7 - Nottingham

Thu, 02 Feb 2006 12:01:44 GMT

On a boiling hot day, the day after the summer solstice, I headed off to see Octavia [Sperati] whose new album...more

17 June 2005 - Mark Chadwick + Rev Hammer – Big Session Festival – De Montfort Hall - Leicester

Thu, 02 Feb 2006 12:01:01 GMT

It was a glorious summers evening when I arrived at De Montfort Hall...more

29 April 2005 - DJ Format + Little Barrie – Stealth – Nottingham

Thu, 02 Feb 2006 12:00:29 GMT

I may as well be honest right from the start as it will soon be obvious from the review that...more

19 April 2005 - The House of Love – Rescue Rooms – Nottingham

Thu, 02 Feb 2006 11:59:57 GMT

As The House of Love took to the stage the entire audience stared at the stage in absolute silence in anticipation of something very special...more