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Live Reviews
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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.
Porridge Radio – Shepherd’s Bush Empire
Porridge Radio pounce on the Empire’s stage to Led Zeppelin’s Immigrant Song and it’s as if they’ve migrated from their true selves for the initial numbers.
Aoife O’ Donovan – St Thomas The Martyr Church Bristol
On the tour for her new album, The Age of Apathy, Aoife O’Donovan explores gossamer highs and lows, entangling the spider web of what it means to be intensely sensitive in the modern age.
Bodega – Islington Assembly Hall
New York's five-piece post-punk Bodega returned to London six months after their debut at the Moth Club, this time playing the more substantial Islington Assembly Hall. Championed by BBC 6Music's Marc Riley, amongst others, ticket sales were good, with the venue pretty packed, even if upstairs was closed.
An Evening with Bill Callahan – Roundhouse, London
Bill Callahan, once described by the late comedian Sean Hughes as the ‘leader’ in the fraternity of ‘miserable bastards of the world’, is on a post pandemic mission. Astonishingly, given a career of cussedness and existential woe, it is to mend and cheer us up.
Richard Ashcroft – Brighton Centre
Last night I took a little trip down to Brighton to see one of the greatest songwriters of the last 30 years (in my opinion), Mr Richard Ashcroft. No matter how many times I have seen Ashcroft play live, every time is an absolute delight and tonight is no exception.