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Live Reviews
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DMAs – The Brook, Southampton
The Bank Holiday Bonanza saw DMAs arrive at The Brook in Southampton to play the first of their acoustic gigs in support of their latest album ‘How Many Dreams?’
Hamish Hawk – The Joiners
It had somehow been years since I was last at the Joiners, so a trip out to see…
Florence + The Machine – Bournemouth International Centre
The lights go down and there is a pure beam of white light that begins to emanate from the the back of the stage, blinding to an extent, before Flo entered to pure adulation and screams from the crowd. Florence moves straight into ‘Heaven Is Here’ a single from the ‘Dance Fever’ album, ‘King’ and ‘Ship To Wreck’ - that’s a pretty fine trio to open a show!
Gracie Abrams – The Level Nottingham
Last week, U.K. fans were swept away with dizzying surprise and delight as Gracie Abrams announced an impromptu, limited run of special, intimate acoustic shows in Southampton, London, and Nottingham.
UB40 – Wembley Arena
However UB40, who’ve ploughed very commercial tangents themselves amongst their fifty chart breaking singles, still retain some grit and homespun timbre. Forty three years since Chrissie Hynde spotted them in a Birmingham pub and asked them to support The Pretenders, the band is on its postponed 2021 tour, with its first non-Campbell frontman, Matt Doyle, formerly of Kioko, at the helm.
Black Country, New Road – Bush Hall
On a freezing cold west London night, Mercury-nominated Black Country, New Road took to a sold-out Bush Hall stage decorated in rudimentary and brightly coloured cardboard depictions of country scenes, dressed as humble country folk and to the tune of Dvorak's New World Symphony (aka the Hovis ad to those of a certain age). "Are you feeling pastoral?" Lewis Evans asks the audience.
Pale Waves – 02 Forum Kentish Town
The ripples Pale Waves make may not be especially original, but they create a huge swell and the Forum loves to surf them. This is down to electric, PVC clad front woman and force of nature, Heather Baron-Gracie. She's part Avril Lavagne, part Joan Jett and blonde for now, with the cadence in her voice of an indie Madonna.
Jamie T – Portsmouth Guildhall
Anticipation was high at Portsmouth Guildhall for Jamie T’s arrival to deliver his ‘ The Theory of Whatever’ tour which was at its penultimate night. When I arrived at the venue there were a steady stream of fans already entering the venue and also filling up the surrounding pubs.
Blossoms – Portsmouth Guildhall
Stockport’s finest Blossoms returned to Portsmouth Guildhall on Tuesday evening to deliver their delightful sounds and in support of this years album ‘Ribbon Around the Bomb’. The house lights dimmed, as is customary, the stage lights began to pulse with a purple light as the band entered the stage which was flooded with smoke and you can only just make out their silhouettes for a short while (a photographers dream?!). Blossoms open with ‘There’s a Reason Why’ before moving straight into ‘Honey Sweet’ and ‘Oh No (I Think I’m In Love).
GoGo Penguin – The Marble Factory Bristol
Trio GoGo Penguin emerge through the smoke of the stage as if they’re walking over gothic moors rather than the boards of a Bristol landmark. It sets the tone for their performance; a complex and moody affair that’s undercut by the nightclub scene their music alludes to. It is under these circumstances that the statues of Nick Blacka, Chris Illingworth, and Jon Scott are brought to life in order to play.