Live gigs - Who you've seen were they good, bad etc.

[henry bear]

Got (fairly) last minute tickets for Back to the Beginning, and am so glad I did. 10 hours of solid metal/rock, and a revolving stage ensured minimal changeover time between acts. Too many highlights to mention, most acts did Sabbath/Ozzy covers as well as their own stuff. Sabbath was the second band I ever saw live (albeit with Dio on vocals) and I saw Ozzy (with Randy Rhoads) a few times that year too. The tickets were described as limited view, but thankfully were fine. An amazing day.

[Gnomicide]

1 hour ago, henry bear said:

Got (fairly) last minute tickets for Back to the Beginning, and am so glad I did. 10 hours of solid metal/rock, and a revolving stage ensured minimal changeover time between acts. Too many highlights to mention, most acts did Sabbath/Ozzy covers as well as their own stuff. Sabbath was the second band I ever saw live (albeit with Dio on vocals) and I saw Ozzy (with Randy Rhoads) a few times that year too. The tickets were described as limited view, but thankfully were fine. An amazing day.

 

I got a stream of it and it looked like a great day.

[emmanuel]

Also got last minute 40 pounds limited view tickets and thankfully the view and sound were quite good. Enjoyed Black Sabbath, not so much a fan of the other bands but it was entertaining and well organised. Also found parking nearby and got back home in 30 minutes. Probably my 1500th show but first time ever in a stadium!

[pie_and_a_pint]

Fontaines DC were brilliant yesterday.

 

Finsbury Park is an utter shitehole - never seen so many people (men and women) pissing in hedges, against fences, against an open food truck (!) etc. while security looked on without a care - and the drinks prices were shocking, however the music itself was great. Rather liked Been Stellar - decent indie band, although they only had a small crowd, and Blondshell were better live than I expected from listening to their recorded stuff. Enjoyed Kneecap a lot - I'm not a fan of rap music really but I've been listening to them a fair bit after I saw the film and they're excellent fun, and were very thoughtful and articulate on the Palestine issue. I can't bear Amyl and the Sniffers so we took that time to buy and eat an overpriced, poor quality dinner, then very much enjoyed Fontaines. 2 hour set - very well curated set, sound was on-point and they have great (very Instagrammable, lol!) visuals. Grian is a great frontman. 

 

Definitely a future Glasto headliner. Assuming they keep making music at the same pace they'll likely have 5 big albums by 2027/8 so really ought to get the Pyramid headline slot at some point, surely?

[mufcok]

I was there. 16th time seeing them. Quite the moment seeing them play a gig that size.

 

They headline Glastonbury in 27 or 28, depending on the next record.

 

Agreed on the above comments on Finsbury Park and the toilets. There's no logistics to it. Was fine til later on, thought I was gonna have to piss myself at one point

[SPW]

Yeah the toilets being at the far end make it difficult if anywhere nr the front. 

 

I am semi forgiving of the shortcomings for the sound though as over the years, Morrissey, New Order, Stone Roses have all sounded at their best there imo. 

 

Fontaines to me are the best band to emerge is a good few years, possibly only Wolf Alice that spring to mind that come anywhere close. And as said the songbook they've racked up across 4 albums is mightily impressive. If ultra critical a cple of songs didn't quite nail it live for me last night but only relative to thr general brilliance......

[justanotheronethen]

9 hours ago, Gnomicide said:

 

I got a stream of it and it looked like a great day.

Been watching it today. Slayer did to that show what Queen did to Live Aid

[-TLR-]

Channel One Soundsystem - last night, Village Underground London

 

fantastic session, truly a wonderful night.

 

blessed love, Jah Rastafari.

[Yokel Again]

17 hours ago, pie_and_a_pint said:

 

 

Finsbury Park is an utter shitehole - never seen so many people (men and women) pissing in hedges, against fences, against an open food truck (!) etc.

Just commented on this in the Oasis thread... it's not changed then! 

[pie_and_a_pint]

54 minutes ago, Yokel Again said:

Just commented on this in the Oasis thread... it's not changed then! 

I'm not sure I'd go to another gig there, TBH, which is a shame as the sound and vision was great. 

[Skip997]

11 hours ago, -TLR- said:

Channel One Soundsystem - last night, Village Underground London

 

fantastic session, truly a wonderful night.

 

blessed love, Jah Rastafari.

Their set on Firmly Rooted in SH on Friday afternoon was the best I’ve ever seen them 

[panda97]

On 06/07/2025 at 16:31, mufcok said:

I was there. 16th time seeing them. Quite the moment seeing them play a gig that size.

 

They headline Glastonbury in 27 or 28, depending on the next record.

 

Agreed on the above comments on Finsbury Park and the toilets. There's no logistics to it. Was fine til later on, thought I was gonna have to piss myself at one point

It definitely feels like they are on route to headlining, who would be the last Irish artist to headline the Pyramid, I can't think of any recently

[brendan84]

1 hour ago, panda97 said:

It definitely feels like they are on route to headlining, who would be the last Irish artist to headline the Pyramid, I can't think of any recently

U2 in 2011.

[-TLR-]

12 hours ago, Skip997 said:

Their set on Firmly Rooted in SH on Friday afternoon was the best I’ve ever seen them 

 

 

yeah wish i'd been able to be there for that - their set opening The Temple last year was fantastic.

 

 

[-TLR-]

John Cameron Mitchell - London, last night.

 

absolutely wonderful.

 

i'll start by saying that i like Hedwig (the movie), i'm not a huge fan or anything, but i like it.

 

Mrs -TLR-, on the other hand, IS a massive fan - loves the film and has seen the show twice on Broadway.

 

so, pretty much at the last minute yesterday afternoon, i get a call saying "my friend has bailed, you have to come with me".

 

couldn't really be bothered, but what could i do... 

 

and it was fantastic - JCM is a great performer, and the songs from the show were amazing.

 

BUT - i could really have done without all the "special guests"... Boy George, Olly Alexander and a bunch of others i have no idea who they were.

 

they just detracted from what was otherwise a wonderful performance - halfway through a song some random person comes out and it just lost the magic.

 

i will say this, however - when he first stepped out on stage, he went straight into "Origin of Love" which he just performed himself (as Hedwig) with his band... and it was truly wonderful... i don't want to overdo it... but i honestly think it was one of the best things i've ever seen, just beautiful.

 

unfortunately, the rest of the show had no chance of keeping up with the amazing opening.

 

 

also - i met the lady from Derry Girls... Siobhan, you know the one from Pottery Throw Down, and she is one of the nicest, loveliest people you could ever meet.

 

so, yeah, great night really! 

 

🙂 

[nikkic]

Stevie Wonder last night @ Hyde Park.

 

Superb gig. 

 

Can safely say that out of all the elder statesmen and woman I’ve seen over the past few years….

 

Diana, Elton, Rod, Madonna….

 

Stevie has by far the best voice.

 

He could 100% still headline, although he’d need trim what we saw last night down for 2 hours 30 to about 1 hour 45.

There was a middle section which was a bit slow, a few of his kids came on to sing etc. Cut that and there’s still a great headline set in there. 
 

Took my two kids and the eldest said it was the best night of his life! 

[CaledonianGonzo]

I think the farm do want Stevie back and I really hope it comes to pass again in 27

[Bixer]

Yep also saw Stevie on Saturday. I initially balked at the £125ish ticket prices, but realised it might be the last chance I have to see him live again considering his age, so caved in the end and I'm glad I did. 

 

He is looking a bit old and doddery these days, but yeah it's quite incredible just how good his voice still is. It's not just 'okay' considering, it's genuinely still outstanding. I don't know how he's been able to keep it in such condition considering he's been performing for over 60 years now. 

 

Barring the admittedly lengthy lull in the middle where he took a break and let his backing singers take the limelight for half an hour or so, the beginning and end was just hit after hit and considering the show lasted just over 2 and a half hours, it felt like we more than got our money's worth. 

 

Not sure if it was just where we were sat (wife's pregnant so we arrived quite late in the afternoon to avoid the heatwave), mediocre Hyde Park sound generally, his age or a mixture of the three, but we often found it quite difficult to hear what he was saying in between songs unless he had his mouth directly over the microphone. 

 

I hope we are lucky enough to have him come back again in a few years, I definitely don't think I'd hesitate to get tickets again next time. 

 

 

[manchestermusicreview]

Bit late but saw Courting & Balancing Act on Friday at a rather warm and sweaty Sebright Arms as part of the Dork 100 celebrations. Courting performed their debut LP ‘Guitar Music’ as well as other hits from their other records/EPs. Balancing Act were also terrific.

Highlights included a mid-song cover of ‘I Love It’ during ‘Crass’, and finally hearing Uncanny Valley Forever. Superb band and hope to see them at Glasto 2027.

Edited July 14, 2025 by manchestermusicreview

[Justcalledtosay]

Supergrass/The Coral @ Bedford Park on Saturday.

 

Not a huge Supergrass fan but they put on a good show with the material they had.

 

The Coral had about 30 minutes pre-Supergrass. I've wanted to see The Coral for a while and i've missed a few opportunities in the past. I probably wouldn't rush out to see them again.

Edited July 14, 2025 by Justcalledtosay

[EssexIndie]

25 minutes ago, Justcalledtosay said:

Supergrass/The Coral @ Bedford Park on Saturday.

 

Not a huge Supergrass fan but they put on a good show with the material they had.

 

The Coral had about 30 minutes pre-Supergrass. I've wanted to see The Coral for a while and i've missed a few opportunities in the past. I probably wouldn't rush out to see them again.

I was there too - couldn't believe how empty it was. Love Supergrass and I Should Coco is one of the albums of the 90s for me - but the whole thing felt a bit flat. Be interesting to see how the other days sold compared to this one because it didn't feel as though the arena was more than about 25% full.

[Justcalledtosay]

I was there as part of my friends 40th, so it's the first time i've visited Bedford Park. I didn't know if that was the norm or not but it was dead. That didn't help and must've been a tad embarrassing for the bands.

[Talcroft]

In all the Oasis excitement, I forgot to report back on Bloc Party at Sounds of the City last Thurs. Review herein... 

It's tough seeing your heroes fall from grace, and it's also hard to give a fair review when the sound is so bad you can't actually hear much of the guitar or vocals. 

Circa 2009 I was a huge fan. Followed them round the country on the tour. Was at the barrier when they headlined Other that year. Sadly that was very much their peak.

The setlist on Thurs made no sense considering it was supposed to represent '20 years of Bloc Party'... starting with So Here We Are and playing Helicopter 3rd/4th from the end is just stupid when they are absolutely the two biggest hits. Almost nothing from the third album. I can't fathom the rationale. At least they ditched the godawful Ratchet on this occasion. 

 

Bloc's biggest strength was always Russell's superb ability on lead guitar and sadly there was too much emphasis on the drum line for it to come through, as well as being too quiet overall (not sure if that's due to city centre noise restrictions, it being a windy day, the adjacent train station, or just reverb from it all bouncing off the nearby and ever increasing number of sky scrapers). This was a huge let down, especially when Kele's vocals have weakened over the years; I'd hoped Russell could save it. 

 

With all that said, Castlefield gets a beautiful sunset and you do feel a part of the city when you're there. It was nice to sing along to some Bloc classics even if there was no journey through the timeline or mood. My love affair is definitely over though, and not sure I would see them at a festival again. Could be tempted by a smaller, indoor venue with decent sound - as long as they promise not to play Ratchet.

5.5/10

 

 

[Ortiz34]

2 hours ago, Bixer said:

Yep also saw Stevie on Saturday. I initially balked at the £125ish ticket prices, but realised it might be the last chance I have to see him live again considering his age, so caved in the end and I'm glad I did. 

 

He is looking a bit old and doddery these days, but yeah it's quite incredible just how good his voice still is. It's not just 'okay' considering, it's genuinely still outstanding. I don't know how he's been able to keep it in such condition considering he's been performing for over 60 years now. 

 

Barring the admittedly lengthy lull in the middle where he took a break and let his backing singers take the limelight for half an hour or so, the beginning and end was just hit after hit and considering the show lasted just over 2 and a half hours, it felt like we more than got our money's worth. 

 

Not sure if it was just where we were sat (wife's pregnant so we arrived quite late in the afternoon to avoid the heatwave), mediocre Hyde Park sound generally, his age or a mixture of the three, but we often found it quite difficult to hear what he was saying in between songs unless he had his mouth directly over the microphone. 

 

I hope we are lucky enough to have him come back again in a few years, I definitely don't think I'd hesitate to get tickets again next time. 

 

 

Also at Stevie on Saturday. First time back at Hyde Park since Springsteen in 2009. Quite the change in facilities. Splurged on the gold hideaway tickets as anniversary present to ourselves.🙂. Turned out a good decision with the hot weather, no chance we could have sat out in the sun for the whole event. Sitting in the shade between acts with a cold drink was great. Thought Ezra Collective were a brilliant support act really got everyone in the right mood. As others have said Stevie is still in great voice and the band on top form. He would still cut it at as a headliner at Glastonbury and a real shame they could not get him this year. Left with a massive grin and it has not yet worn off.

[archiegow]

Was at TRNSMT on Friday and Saturday. Here's a summary of everyone I checked out:

 

• 50 Cent - just great fun. Played all the hits and everyone was having a great time. Few too many times he went off stage for an outfit change but he looked like he was having fun and that energy passed on to the crowd.
• Confidence Man - caught the last half hour of their set and they were as fun and energetic as I've seen footage of them. After watching their Glasto set last year, I knew they would deliver on the energy and the choreography and it was sheer joy. 
• The Script - a guilty pleasure band of mine as I do hold nostalgia for that early 2010s era of music. Danny knows how to get the crowd going (absolutely rammed for them) and is a very charismatic frontman. Breakeven and Hall of Fame were some of the biggest singalongs I saw all weekend. Perfect festival band with the sun out. 
• Wet Leg - really enjoyed their set. Very tight performance from the guys. Beautiful speech near the end by Hester about Palestine. Rhian was well up for it and her energy only grew throughout the set. The new songs went down a treat as well. Delightful hour of music.
• The Royston Club - absolutely brilliant stuff. Haven't listened to a lot of their stuff but they brought the energy and the crowd delivered on it too! Hope these guys only get bigger! Would love to see them on Woodsies or early Other in 2027!
• ScHoolboy Q - only caught the first 20-25 minutes of his set from the back but he was very good. From where I was, the crowd didn't seem the best but he is a great presence on stage. Hearing Collard Greens live was also very great (keeping Kendrick's verse in was inspired)
• Good Neighbours - another band who I wasn't too familiar with but smashed it. Just a fun 45 minutes of breezy indie pop in the sun and the guys were all having a blast on stage. 
• Jamie Webster - didn't catch a lot of his set. Perfectly serviceable. Way better than he was at Hardwick Festival last year.

 

• Biffy Clyro - OUTSTANDING. One of my most anticipated gigs of the year and they fully brought everything they had. Crowd was unfortunately quite thin (everyone that day was there for Fontaines) but they had the energy, the pyro and the catalogue for a great Saturday night. May have teared up a few times. Will definitely be seeing them if they announce a tour soon.
• Jake Bugg - weirdly who I was most excited for on a stacked Saturday line-up. No bells and whistles for him, just him and his band going through the hits (most of the first album). Crowd was way bigger than I expected considering Fontaines were on at the same time but everyone was up for it the whole show. Getting the original backing singer to come out for All I Need at the end was a very nice touch.
• Fontaines D.C. - what do I need to say at this point? They smashed it as expected. Excellent live band. One more excellent album and they'll definitely be headlining R&L, if not El Pointo.
• James Marriott - caught some of his set before Fontaines and was pleasantly surprised. Only knew him from his YouTube content but he has some fun summery tunes under his belt. One to look out for it seems!
• The Kooks - first time seeing them and they knew what to do. Played a good amount of the first album (even Luke knew it's what the crowd wanted) and even the newer stuff went down really well with the crowd. Another quintessentially reliable festival band. 
• Inhaler - haven't listened to a lot of their music but thought they were perfectly enjoyable at Glasto. They really surprised me this time with how good they were live considering I haven't always clicked with their studio recordings. Helped by how lively the crowd were for them.
• Sigrid - only caught a few minutes of her set but I could see immediately why she's a staple on so many UK festivals. Big catalogue of summer bangers to get the crowd going and was clearly having a lot of fun.
• Brogeal - another major surprise for me. Absolutely terrific live band with tons of energy and their blend of indie and traditional folk was a treat in the boiling sun.
• Miles Kane - as a last minute replacement for Wunderhorse, he did a pretty decent job. Got there halfway through his set but very solid from him.

Overall, I had a really enjoyable time. Considering I slagged off the line-up majorly when it was first announced, every act I saw delivered in their own ways. Barely any trouble and very friendly people. For my first major festival, I would go back next year if the lineup was up to par!