2018 - A Year In Live Music

And so, we reach another year end and I find myself wondering why, once again, I’ve not blogged more. I would say that could be a new year’s resolution, but we’ll see. Anyway, at the end of each year, I write a blog about the best gigs I’ve been to in that year, with a list of honourable mentions to accompany. This is never an easy task, especially trying to remember if I enjoyed a gig that happened right at the beginning of the year more than one that is fresh in my mind. However, last year it wasn’t so bad because I only went to 15 gigs. Choosing the 5 that didn’t make the cut was tough, and then it was a case of deciding on an order for the top 10. This year however, all being well, I will have been to 31. I say all being well – these words are being typed as I’ve to 26 of them and have 5 more left this month (for those who couldn’t do the math). It has so far been a bit of a headache trying to narrow these down to the 10 best ones. The only blog I have written this year was one half way through the year due to the number of gigs I’ve been to this year. As such, some of the words you read in this blog may have appeared in the one from earlier this year. With that being said, lets crack on with the honourable mentions, and my word are there a few. These are in chronological order.

Marmozets – Engine Rooms, Southampton. February 2018 – My first gig of the year and one that a week beforehand, I was very excited about as they absolutely smashed it at the Wedgewood Rooms in November 17. 5 days before though, my excitement wasn’t as high to the point I considered missing it due to spraining my ankle. The gig itself was very enjoyable but I didn’t enjoy it as much as I could have, due to the aforementioned ankle injury.

Paradise Lost – Wedgewood Rooms, Portsmouth. February 2018 – My second gig of the year and was largely recovered from my ankle injury. I went to this because I’d seen Paradise Lost at a festival before and remember thinking they were decent. I’m not sure if a chance to see them again has come up – if it has I don’t remember it – but they were in my home town on a Friday night. A better chance to see them was unlikely to occur. Anyhow, I arrived while the opening band, King Goat, were on stage. They weren’t really my cup of tea. The main support, Outshine, were good. They made me think they would be what would happen if Oomph! went goth/doom. I enjoyed their set quite a lot. Paradise Lost though were on another level - they were outstanding. I went along to hopefully see a good gig, and left having seen a great one.

Ginger Wildheart – The Joiners, Southampton. March 2018 – The weather was atrocious before this gig, but luckily that did not impact my enjoyment at all. Laura from She Makes War opened, who was good. Ginger, with the band he put together for this tour, was brilliant. Last time I saw a Ginger solo show, it was him and Jase Edwards with backing tapes. That was good, but the additional members of this tour certainly added to the gig.

Milk Teeth – The Anvil, Bournemouth. March 2018 ­- I don’t often go to gigs in Bournemouth and as such, there were a couple of venues I would see appear on tours and want to visit just to say I’d been really. These venues were The Anvil and The Old Fire Station. After seeing them be excellent in Southampton in August 2017, I knew I wanted to see Milk Teeth again. They announced this tour which included a date at The Anvil in Bournemouth – a phrase about 2 birds and 1 stone seems appropriate here. The venue is underneath a bar, and the stage is really low. Anyhow, this time round the supports were Nervus and Fangclub. I really enjoyed both bands, but if made to choose which one I preferred, I would say Nervus. Fangclub, I’m guessing, really like Nirvana. This is no bad thing of course. Milk Teeth were just excellent. This didn’t come as a surprise but was nice to see again.

Skindred – O2 Guildhall, Southampton. April 2018 – Missed Danko Jones because of booze. Caught the end of CKY which was cool. Skindred are one of those bands that are just brilliant live every time. I think this tour was the first UK leg of the Big Tings album tour and they played 3 off the album which all fit in well with their better-known songs. A good time was had by all. Skindred being excellent live might feature again later (spoiler, they do).

Code Orange – Wedgewood Rooms, Portsmouth. April 2018 – Fun fact for those that are interested (and didn’t read the previous blog) – I went to this gig just hours after doing a half marathon that hurt a lot. If you were looking for me at this gig, I was the shambles at the back of the room. Lonely Waters opened, who were decent. Employed To Serve, I saw them supporting Milk Teeth in 2017 and they were incredible. I said after that gig that I want to see them again and this was the next possible chance for that to happen and they were probably better which is hard for me to fathom. They were my band of the night and I really want to see them again (had the chance over summer but the least said about that the better). Code Orange were really good. I wasn’t sure what to expect as the first time I saw them live I was somewhat nonplussed. This time though, they really won me over. Also, Bleeding in The Blur live is just wonderful.

Britrock Must Be Destroyed – EventIM Apollo, London. May 2018 – I had to choose between this or the Portsmouth one to make this list and really, it was a cigarette paper between them as to which was the more enjoyable gig for me. Chose the London one in the end for several reasons. The first, on a personal note, I got a message from a girl I’d started seeing the week before that day saying she didn’t want to take things further. I was a bit bummed out when heading to London, and this gig cheered me up so that was nice. Second, I walked in whilst Dodgy had not long left and got to see them play Good Enough, which is the definition of a Britpop banger. Third, Terrorvision blew me away and I totally wasn’t expecting them to. Fourth, The Wildhearts were bloody great as per. Finally, I didn’t stay for much of Reef, but they played the one song I knew. Lovely.

The Wildhearts – Concorde 2, Brighton. August 2018 – No-one is more surprised than me that this didn’t make the top 10. One of my favourite bands playing one of my favourite venues. Genuinely a surprise it didn’t make it. On any other year, I’m sure this would have made it. Gig was opened by Raging Speedhorn who were good. I somehow forgot how heavy they are. Might have been better suited if they supported/co-headlined with Mutation – a Ginger Wildheart side project, but they didn’t seem too out of place. The Wildhearts played a best of set which could not be faulted, heavy on Earth Vs but you won’t catch me complaining about that. The main highlight for me was the band playing Anthem from Endless, Nameless with Danny on lead vocals. I love that song and saw it live once before (at a birthday bash I think) with a guest vocalist doing lead vocals – so it was bloody cool to see Danny doing it as he did on the album. It was an excellent night out and was very close to making the top 10. If I could be allowed one criticism, and it is such a minor one - I thought that as new material had been played at recent acoustic shows, that this may be the show that it be debuted with the full band. It didn’t happen which was a shame. That aside, no complaints.

Marmozets – O2 Forum Kentish Town, London. October 2018 – How is this not in the top 10? Insanity. Anyway, Jamie Lenman opened this show and he was excellent – made me really regret not being able to make his headline show in Portsmouth earlier in the year. I suspect that would have been good fun. Marmozets were just as excellent, if not better. Seeing them in smaller rooms, such as I had up until this point, was awesome, but it was great to see them headline the Forum and hopefully now they will continue to headline venues of this size and bigger – the songs are more than good enough to justify it!

Skindred – Wedgewood Rooms, Portsmouth. November 2018 – Two Skindred gigs this year and both of them make the honourable mentions list. Both of these gigs have been boozy affairs, but this one was quite something. I was 7 pints deep before setting foot in the venue which isn’t an ideal state of affairs. Missed the opening band and walked in during the main support who didn’t do a lot for me. Skindred however were bloody great. I’ve seen them hold a festival crowd in the palm of their hands, so to see them do it again but on such a small scale was something else. A lot of the stage patter was the same as it was at the gig earlier in the year, but this didn’t take anything away from the gig. Skindred being excellent live is almost as certain as death and taxes.

Within Temptation – O2 Academy Brixton. November 2018 – Won tickets for this gig, which was handy as I was thinking about buying tickets when that happened. The support band for the night did nothing for me, I can’t lie. This was comfortably the best I’ve seen Within Temptation live, although I think this was the only time I’ve not seen them play Ice Queen live, which was a shame as I bloody love that song. No matter though! It not being there didn’t spoil the gig by any means. I was thinking about ending this with a sarcastic comment, something to the effect of me getting my money’s worth out of this one – but actually had I bought tickets for this, I wouldn’t have felt cheated out of my money – Within Temptation were great.

Fireball Tour – O2 Empire Shepherds Bush. December 2018 – There are a few in this list that could have easily made the top 10 in other years, but alas. Missed the first two bands due to being responsible with the amount I was drinking (lies, lies and damned lies) but got in during Face to Face. Saw probably half their set and they were good. The Bronx, muddy vocals aside, were bloody brilliant but then they are really. It was pretty lively from the off, including the first song I think when a crowd surfer kicked my glasses off my face (I was impressed with myself for catching them out of the air). The best band of the night though were the headliners, Flogging Molly. Firstly, it has been a long time since I’ve been in a mosh pit for a gig, and it was a lot of fun. Secondly, my word Flogging Molly are just brilliant live.

Bury Tomorrow - O2 Forum Kentish Town, London. December 2018 – Bury Tomorrow are a band who I first saw in 2014 and although despite me having nothing but positive memories of the shows in that year, did not mention them in that year’s yearend review blog. Not sure why now, but no matter. One thing which should be mentioned though is that since then, they somewhat dropped off my radar mostly until this year when they released a belting album and announced this tour. Walked in to catch the opening band, Crystal Sky, play their last song. They sounded good. Cane Hill were up next, and I was looking forward to seeing them and they were decent, although my enjoyment of them was somewhat hampered by nearby folk having a loud chat which was distracting. 36 Crazyfists were the main support and they were bloody great – they made me regret missing their most recent Portsmouth show (I had it in my mind it was this year, but I’m now not sure when it was). Bury Tomorrow were immense. Their set was pretty short but was top draw from beginning to end. Had they played Lionheart, I may have had no choice but to shoehorn it into the top 10. As it is, alas. Fine margins this year!

It was tough to not include some of those in the top 10 gigs of the year, but by the numerical value attached to the list suggests, there are only 10 spots available and they have gone to the following gigs

The Top 10

10.          Nightwish – SSE Arena, London. December 2018

Firstly, a bit of honesty. I went to the Nightwish Wembley Arena show in 2015 with Arch Enemy which I thought was very good (no.5 in the 2015 list) but I wasn’t that fussed about going to this one. I like Nightwish, but in the time between the 2015 gig and now, they had fallen into the territory of a band who I liked but didn’t feel the need to see live again. However, I got talked into going and as it got closer, I got more excited about it. Checked out the support band, Beast in Black, a few days before and they sounded ace, which certainly helped me look forward to it more.

As it is, I ended up not seeing the support band due to a clash with Star Wars being on TV in the hotel, and that finishing whilst they were on stage (in my defence, it was episode 4 – I’m not a monster). Nightwish themselves though were superb. The set list was great and contained songs I’m pretty sure I’ve not seen them play live before. When I left the venue, I turned to the mate who convinced me to go and said basically what I said at the top of this entry – I wasn’t fussed about going, and that gig reminded me why I really like Nightwish. Pretty sure there won’t be a question mark over going next time, provided I can of course.

9.            Kreator/Dimmu Borgir – Roundhouse, London. December 2018

This is the first of 2 tour packages that appear in this list and although it is listed as a Kreator/Dimmu Borgir co-headline show - the strength of this one, and its position on the list, is largely down to the show as a whole. Bloodbath opened things up and I enjoyed their set. Didn’t know any of their songs but I wanted to see them due to a story I had heard about the singer, Nick Holmes, introducing the band as being from Stockholm, Sweden. This in itself is fairly unremarkable aside from the fact he is from Yorkshire and says that introduction with a Yorkshire accent – which sounded funny (and was so when he said it at this gig). Anecdotes aside, they had a good set. Next up was Hatebreed and they were excellent. It was almost as if they acknowledged they had a limited amount of time and just blistered through their back catalogue. Before the show, I thought they stuck out a little bit on the bill, a point which they highlighted by saying that mixed genre shows are the future. They also announced a 25^th anniversary run through the UK in June. Based off of this set, I want to go to that.

Dimmu Borgir were the first of the two headliners on and they were excellent as well. I remembered earlier in the day that Dimmu had released a new album and checked out the songs they were playing live from it – all 3 of which are great. I had forgotten just how good Dimmu are live and their 70-minute set certainly was a reminder. A nod should be given to their stage show, which was pretty ace. The gig could have ended there, and it would have been great. However, Kreator were still to come. I noted that a few people near me in the seating area left which is a shame. I’ve seen Kreator a few times now and know how good they are live, but I felt the bar had been set high by Hatebreed and then raised by Dimmu Borgir – and I was wondering if Kreator could top it. They were filming their set for a DVD, so I suspected they would have a big show and…well that they did! Their show contained video screen backdrops, confetti and, what came as a big surprise to me, a lot of fire. There is something about fire at a gig which is always cool. Stage show aside though, Kreator were bloody great – as good as Dimmu & Hatebreed, if not better. Their set list was immense, and this show probably ranks as my favourite of all the Kreator sets I’ve seen.

8.            Frank Turner & The Sleeping Souls – Roundhouse, London. May 2018

I wanted to go to the first Lost Evenings festival but unfortunately couldn’t make it. When the second installment was announced, I knew I had to go to at least one night of it. The one I ended up going to was the celebration of Love, Ire and Song where, I thought, the album would be played in full. It wasn’t advertised as such, but I assumed it would be. I was wrong, but it didn’t hurt my enjoyment of the gig overall (something you may have guessed, being that I have put it in my top 10 of the year!). Caught the very end of Emily Barker, who I thought sounded really good. I was very excited to see The Subways live again as the previous times I did I thought they were great. This set was no exception, the only difference being that it would appear I was one of maybe a dozen in the crowd who thought so. The band were great, but the crowd from where I was just didn’t seem to care.

Onto Frank and the Sleeping Souls. If you’ve read one of these before (I’m guessing not), you may note that this band have appeared in quite a few of my end of year lists. Once again, they were just superb. It was a cool setlist because not only was it a celebration of Love, Ire and Song, there were also a few older, rarer songs played as well including a cover of a song by The Postal Service. I was surprised that nothing newer than Love, Ire and Song was played, especially as Frank had not long released a new album before this festival. It was a unique set though and I loved it.

7.            Cancer Bats – The Underworld, London. April 2018

Before lobbing superlatives at Cancer Bats, a firm nod of approval should be given to both supports, both of whom were very different to one another, Funeral Shakes being a rock n’ roll band and Death by Stereo being a hardcore punk band. Both were really good though. Gun to my head, I would say I preferred Funeral Shakes but take nothing away from Death by Stereo because they were great.

This show was Cancer Bats playing Hail Destroyer in full. The first time I saw Cancer Bats was in 2009 on what was essentially the Hail Destroyer tour which I remember was a short headline set but it blew me away. 10 years on and they were playing this album in full and it was incredible. I loved hearing the songs that don’t usually get a live airing, alongside all the classics which will regularly find their way into a Cancer Bats set list. I also liked the anecdotes throughout, including one moment where Liam was being very gracious towards the crowd, thanking everyone for their continued support. It was a really nice moment, but then the band launched into Sorceress – which is probably one of the most aggressive from the album. The band kicked off the show with 3 songs from Dead Set on Living, which is no poor way to start a Cancer Bats show. The encore of 2 new songs, Pneumonia Hawk and N.I.B (a Black Sabbath cover) capped off a breath-taking evening. Best CB show I’ve been to? Would certainly be in the top 3.

6.            Epica – O2 Forum, London. April 2018

Top to bottom, this show was excellent, probably the best Epica show I have been to. This show was almost lower in the list for one setlist omission, but I decided I couldn’t justify that as it was bloody great overall. If Essence of Silence was played (like it was at other stops on this tour), it would likely have been higher in the list (as it would have made the gig damn near perfect for me). This was the 3^rd Epica headline show I’ve been to and one of the reasons it was my favourite is because it had by far the best support bill. The gig was opened by Oceans of Slumber – a band who I first heard a few years ago and remember being blown away by but didn’t really keep up with. They were great live. The main support was Myrkur, who was also really good.

Epica were immense. This show was their 999^th show with the next night in their home town (I think) being their 1000^th show. Aside from the previously mentioned lack of Essence of Silence, the show was faultless. What this show did for me was made me realise how good some of the songs from their latest album was. I probably would have realised it earlier, but I missed the Shepherd’s Bush headline show at the beginning of 2017 due to transport issues. Anyway, this isn’t about a missed show, it is about the one I went to. 3^rd time seeing Epica at the Forum, and the 3^rd time they were bloody great. I can definitely see me going to see them again.

5.            Slayer - SSE Arena, London. November 2018

SLAYER! (Doesn’t quite have the same impact when typed. No matter). This tour was part of Slayer’s farewell tour and it seemed like a good time to see them indoors for the first time. I probably would have gone to see Slayer anyway, but the touring package certainly helped sell it. The opening band were Obituary, who I saw at Wacken in 2008 and thought they were decent. I missed the first couple of songs but got in for most of their set and very much enjoyed them. Next up was Anthrax and they had about 40 minutes, in which they just filled the time with the bangers from their back catalogue and everyone had a lovely time. Do Anthrax need to play longer than 40 minutes anymore? Probably not. The main support was Lamb of God who laid waste to Wembley Arena. It was the first time I’d seen them for a while, and the last time indoors the sound was questionable (Southampton Guildhall…) but based off of this performance, I wouldn’t be shocked to see Lamb of God headlining the big room at some point.

I’ve seen Slayer a few times at festivals now. The first time, Machine Head fresh off releasing the Blackening set a bar they just could not meet which was a shame. The other two times at Sonisphere were both really good. This show was by far the best Slayer show I’d been to. The show top to bottom was just superb and as I was heading out the venue, it was without doubt in my mind this show would be in the top 10. As it happens, it just sneaked into the top 5. Farewell Slayer!

4.            Zeal and Ardor – The Haunt, Brighton. December 2018

This is a show I’ve wanted to go to since I first listened to the debut album, and immediately had to listen to it again because it was like nothing else I’d ever heard before. This year they released their second album (although I’ve heard the brains behind Zeal and Ardor refer to it as the debut album, with the first one being little more than a demo…either way) and it was bloody great. If I was doing a favourite albums of the year list, it would be in the top 3 probably (having a knife fight with Idles and Ghost). They’ve done 2 London shows before this tour that I’ve been unable to make which has been annoying and, on this tour, I couldn’t make the London show again due to being at the Fireball tour. It was either Brighton and a hotel or missing Z&A again. I found a hotel which was perhaps a 15 second walk away from the venue which was affordable and so, Brighton was a go! I almost didn’t go in to see the support band (was watching the Man in The High Castle) but I am glad I did – blanket were very good.

Zeal and Ardor were fucking great. I had no idea how they would replicate their sound live which added to my excitement of seeing it live. 4 vocalists on stage for the gang chanting which was quite something. The stage at The Haunt was quite small so to see all those people crammed onto it was pretty cool. I loved hearing the first/demo album material, but the new album music live was massive. Also, they played Row Row which I have fully fallen in love with. I will definitely see them live again if the opportunity presents itself. Amazing.

3.            Ghost – Royal Albert Hall, London. September 2018.

An evening with Ghost at the Royal Albert Hall was something I didn’t want to pass on, and although I was unable to get a floor standing ticket (instead located in my usual RAH haunt of the upper standing circle), this gig was bloody great. The stage show was done as though the gig was taking place in a cathedral which was pretty cool. I’m no Ghost expert, in fact I would say it is the new album that won me over. This gig though, not that I needed it, helped me get fully on board with Ghost. The music is great and live they are immense. When I saw them at a festival some years ago, I found them interesting. On this day, I was blown away. This gig was almost gig of the year but on reappraisal, there were 2 others I enjoyed more. That isn’t to take anything away from Ghost – if this band aren’t headlining Download at some point, then something has gone wrong. They have the songs, they have the show. They just need the chance and if this show is anything to go off, they would succeed. I’m not sure if they could take a 15-minute break in the middle of their set without losing the crowd, but who knows.

2.            Volbeat – House of Vans, London. May 2018.

Well, this was something. I had spent some serious time trying to work out if I could make one of Volbeat’s headline shows that were, relatively speaking, not that far away (if you consider that I went to Copenhagen to see them last year). I couldn’t get to Manchester or Glasgow because I couldn’t get the time off work, and Belfast was ruled out because the cost of flights and a hotel were prohibitive (I’ve learned my mistake about not booking a hotel for a Belfast gig before – add 5 years on to that and I do not want to be outside a Tesco overnight instead of in a bed). Dublin was do-able but pricey. After a bit of logic kicked in, I decided against going and felt sad about it. Then, Volbeat announced they were doing a House of Vans show. I skipped out of work early and headed to London to join the queue as early as I could, in a tunnel that smelt very much of spray paint – some of the art on the walls was pretty cool though! This gig was a first come first served type situation, so when I got there, I had a good feeling about getting in, but felt slightly nervous about the whole thing until I had the wristband on. First time at the venue and it was a very cool setting for a gig. No support, just a Volbeat headline show and my word was it good. Similar set list to the one I saw in Copenhagen but that didn’t take anything away from it for me. I’d gone from seeing this band in a sold-out stadium (which held just shy of 50k) to an underground venue with maybe 600 people in. Amazing. Volbeat are bloody incredible live and are one of those I will want to see whenever they come to the UK (or in nearby countries). I will not go into my usual rant about how they should be bigger in the UK (they bloody should be though!)

1.            Nine Inch Nails – Royal Albert Hall, London. June 2018.

I so wanted to see them at the Royal Festival Hall as part of the Meltdown festival they were playing one night of. I couldn’t get tickets and that was a real shame. When this one at the Royal Albert Hall got announced, I was a bit more hopeful I would get a ticket and was successful. Black Moth Super Rainbow opened this gig, continuing the pattern of me not really liking bands that open for Nine Inch Nails (in fact, there has only been one I’ve genuinely liked). This was my first time seeing NIN since they were over here in 2014 and I had forgotten just how good they are live. Some of the new material from the 3 EPs released in the last 2 years or so are just massive live, and the cool thing for me about the setlist was that because of this new material, almost half the set was made up of songs I’d not seen them play live before. I’ve been fortunate enough to have seen NIN quite a few times at this stage, and this gig could be the best NIN show I’ve been to. It is certainly in the conversation that is for sure. Part of the reason for this must be the fact it was at the Royal Albert Hall. Previously, whenever I’ve been to the Royal Albert Hall, I’ve been in the gallery standing area. I’ve been fine with this because usually, these are the cheapest tickets. I’ve often wondered if being lower down is worth the money. To stand on the floor for this one I think cost £20-25 more, and to answer that question – it was certainly worth it. My word was it worth it. It got me thinking of other gigs I’ve seen there, and I can now see why people would pay more to sit down there for most things (I’ve wondered since how much more I would have enjoyed Pulp and David Gilmour there, had I been downstairs). That band and that venue fit together perfectly.

Most of these words were written months ago. Looking back on it now, and having gone to quite a few gigs since, only one has really challenged it for the top spot (and that one ended up finishing 3^rd, go figure). Ghost aside, this was the clear favourite for me as the best gig I’ve been to in 2018. NIN are one of those bands who I can go a long time without listening to properly, but when something like this happens, I remember why they are one of my favourite bands. Wonderful stuff.

And that is that. 2018 is over, gig wise. I’m very lucky that I was able to go to as many gigs as I’ve been to this year. I’m hopeful I’ll be at a few in 2019. Ones already booked include Cancer Bats in Portsmouth (the second round of Beers Before Bats!), my first Persistence tour which is co-headlined by Sick Of It All and Napalm Death with a strong looking undercard, Milk Teeth in Southampton, Frank Turner in Bournemouth, Behemoth with At The Gates in London, While She Sleeps in London and Metallica at Twickenham. Already looking pretty good!

2018 - The First 6 Months In Gigs

Whenever I write my favourite gigs of the year blog, I often think that I will write more in the coming year. After all, I pay for the domain name each year so why not actually put it to use and blog more often. However, I often can’t think of things to write about, outside of what gigs I’ve been to and so end up not bothering. This year, or since September last year to be exact, I’ve been doing a degree course which has taken up a fair bit of time (probably not as much as it should have done truth be told) which I would attribute to why I’ve not spent the time writing about anything else. Anyway, I am all but off the course going forward (in that I’ve made the decision to go, I just need to go through the formalities) so hopefully, I will find inspiration to write more. It would seem a bit daft just posting this as a blog, so I will use what I have written here as an introduction to talk about, shocker, gigs I’ve been to this year. Specifically, the ones I went to in the first half of the year. According to my list from last year, I went to 15 gigs in 2017. Between February and June of this year, I went to 15. To me, it seems appropriate to write about them. I am still planning on an end of year blog as per usual. There is a small chance that if any of these gigs make the top 10 (spoiler, they will) that the text might get duplicated across. We’ll see. Anyway, to February!

Marmozets – Saturday 3^rd February 2018 – Engine Rooms, Southampton.

As stated in the 2017-year end blog, I saw Marmozets for the first time because they rearranged their Portsmouth show for a date I could make, so I thought it would be rude not to. I had listened to them before but only in passing, I’d never given them a proper chance. I can’t remember if it was the same announcement where the 2018 tour was announced, or if they came later, but I thought it was cool they were doing Southampton on a weekend, but I’m sure the Portsmouth gig would do me. I changed my mind about 2 songs in when I realised firstly, how good they are and secondly, how good live they are. I ranked that gig as my 5^th favourite of 2017 and wrote that I wouldn’t be shocked to be writing about them again in a years’ time.

Best laid plans and all. 6 days before this gig, I sprained my ankle. I still went to the gig, but I decided to stand towards the back. I got there just in time to catch Queen Zee and the Sasstones, who were really good (missed them at the Portsmouth date due to being introduced to Rick and Morty that day). Marmozets were just as good as they were in Portsmouth. My personal enjoyment was enhanced by knowing the new songs and hearing them live again made me love them more. The sprained ankle hampered my enjoyment of the gig because I kept finding myself in the way of other people, which meant I had to keep moving which in turn, was causing my ankle to be in pain. I left during the last song to beat the rush, as I envisioned getting an accidental kick to my sprained ankle and that would not have been fun. I don’t think this gig will be in the top 10 come years end, but not because of the band, as they were brilliant.

Paradise Lost – Friday 16^th February 2018 – Wedgewood Rooms, Portsmouth.

I went to this because I’d seen Paradise Lost at a festival before and remember thinking they were decent. I’m not sure if a chance to see them again has come up – if it has I don’t remember it – but they were in my home town on a Friday night. A better chance to see them was unlikely to occur. Anyhow, I arrived while the opening band, King Goat, were on stage. They weren’t really my cup of tea. The main support, Outshine, were good. They made me think they would be what would happen if Oomph! went goth/doom. I enjoyed their set quite a lot. Paradise Lost though were on another level - they were outstanding. I don’t think I expected to enjoy it just as much as I did, which is an odd review. I guess it is because I’m not massively familiar with their back catalogue. I went along to hopefully see a good gig, and left having seen a great one.

Ginger Wildheart – Friday 9^th March 2018 – The Joiners, Southampton.

Boy, did it ever rain before this one! Got absolutely soaked before the gig which I thought might lower my enjoyment of the gig. I don’t think it did though. The opening act, She Makes War (Laura) was good. Not usually what I’d choose to listen to, but I enjoyed it. I never tire of seeing Ginger live. The Ghost in the Tanglewood songs fit seamlessly into his live set. It was great to hear some of that material live as the album is excellent. I really like the band he put together for this tour. Last time I saw a solo show, it was Ginger and Jase Edwards, which was great. The backing tracks with the drummer and backing vocalist added a lot to the show though. One thing which did occur to me was how much better The Wildhearts acoustic gig would have been had it been at The Joiners. Maybe next time! I can’t really think of what else to say about this one, it was bloody great.

Milk Teeth – Saturday 24^th March 2018 – The Anvil, Bournemouth.

I don’t often go to gigs in Bournemouth and as such, there were a couple of venues I would see appear on tours and want to visit just to say I’d been really. These venues were The Anvil and The Old Fire Station. After seeing them be excellent in Southampton in August 2017, I knew I wanted to see Milk Teeth again. They announced this tour which included a date at The Anvil in Bournemouth – a phrase about 2 birds and 1 stone seems appropriate here. The venue is underneath a bar, and the stage is really low. Anyhow, this time round the supports were Nervus and Fangclub. I really enjoyed both bands, but if made to choose which one I preferred, I would say Nervus. Fangclub, I’m guessing, really like Nirvana. This is no bad thing of course. Milk Teeth were just excellent. This didn’t come as a surprise but was nice to see again.

For what it is worth (not a lot), I had a ticket to see Cancer Bats at The Old Fire Station earlier this year and didn’t go because I had a job interview the day after. I didn’t get that job, and I still haven’t been to The Old Fire Station. Bah!

Epica – Friday 13^th April 2018 – O2 Kentish Town Forum, London.

This was my 3^rd time going to an Epica gig at this venue. Was it my favourite? Yes, it probably was. To start with, this is the best support package I’ve seen for an Epica show, with Oceans of Slumber and Myrkur supporting. Both bands, whilst being very different from one another, were superb. I am hoping to see them both again (sadly, it does not look like I can make the Myrkur headline show in London in December). For Epica, this was their 999^th show (the next night being show 1000 in their home town) and they were in impressive form. I had forgotten just how good they are live. The only possible fault I could say is that the night before, they played The Essence of Silence, which didn’t make the set for the London show. That is my favourite Epica song, so that was a shame not to hear that. But, that aside, the gig was bloody ace, from top to bottom so to speak.

Skindred – Friday 20^th April 2018 – O2 Guildhall, Southampton.

Going to a gig and boozing 2 days before returning to Southampton to run a half marathon. I am not a smart man. I missed Danko Jones due to the lure of alcohol on a sunny evening. I think I am just destined to not see them live, although this time it was all on me. Caught the end of CKY which was cool. Got to see them play 96 Bitter Beings which made it worthwhile as that is my favourite song of theirs. When it comes to creating a party atmosphere at a gig, there are possibly none better at it in the world of rock/metal than Skindred. They had the crowd in the palm of their hand, even during a ballad – a departure from previous Skindred shows I’d been to and a song which I‘d not heard before, so it caught me somewhat off guard. The new material really worked well live. Skindred though are in a position where they could probably write a couple of belting songs to include in the setlist for each tour and be alright. 

Code Orange – Sunday 22^nd April 2018 – Wedgewood Rooms, Portsmouth.

Going to a gig just hours after running a very testing half marathon? I’m not a smart man! Anyway, my intelligence aside, Lonely Waters opened this one and they were a good opener. My band of the night however goes to the main support, which was Employed To Serve. I saw them last year supporting Milk Teeth which was superb. This though was mind blowing. I could have gone home at that point and I would have felt like I got my money’s worth. The only time I’d seen Code Orange before was in a support slot (supporting At The Gates when they were still called Code Orange Kids), and I didn’t think much of them truth be told. The album Forever, and this gig has completely changed my view on Code Orange. They were excellent. It was possibly one of the most aggressive gigs I’ve been to in terms of how angry the band seemed. It was unique, and I really liked it.

Cancer Bats – Thursday 26^th April 2018 – Camden Underworld, London.

A brief note on the support for this one – Funeral Shakes were very enjoyable and I also quite liked Death By Stereo. Cancer Bats were something else though. The set was celebrating Hail Destroyer by playing it in full, but the set kicked off with 3 songs back to back from Dead Set On Living, which is no poor way to start a Cancer Bats show. Hail Destroyer in full was incredible. Probably the highlight of this part of the set for me was Liam telling a story about the time when the album came out and thanked us for being there (as this was the first of 4 dates to go on sale and sell out) and it all seemed very heartfelt, before just casually saying “okay so next is Sorceress”. Love that song but it such a change of pace! The encore of 2 new songs, Pneumonia Hawk and N.I.B (a Black Sabbath cover) capped off a breath-taking evening.  Was gutted to miss their Bournemouth show and sadly cannot make any of the shows with Anti-Flag later in the year.

Britrock Must Be Destroyed – Sunday 6^th May 2018 – Hammersmith Apollo, London.

I got in in time for the end of Dodgy’s set. They played Good Enough which is an anthem without doubt! The surprise package for me were Terrorvision – a band I’ve never really listened to before but thought they were absolutely great. The Wildhearts were the reason I bought a ticket and they did not let me down – they were immense. It was just an absolutely stunning set list. The only way I could have improved it would be to make it longer and add more songs. Reef were there. I don’t wish to be negative but aside from Place Your Hands – they aren’t for me.

Frank Turner & The Sleeping Souls (Lost Evenings II) – Saturday 12^th May 2018 – The Roundhouse, London.

Caught the very end of Emily Barker, who I thought was really good. Bloody love The Subways live but it would appear I was one of maybe a dozen in the crowd who thought so. Band were great, but the crowd didn’t seem to care. I’ve been in crowds like that before and it is always a bit awkward. Frank Turner and band were just superb. Afterwards, as much as I loved the gig, I was slightly disappointed the album wasn’t played in full (despite all the album tracks being played) but then when I took time to reflect, I realised that the gig didn’t suffer as a result (nor was it advertised to be an album in full show, rather just a celebration of the album by playing all the songs). It was a fantastic set – something which didn’t come as a surprise. Always nice though!

Machine Head – Saturday 19^th May 2018 – The Roundhouse, London.

This gig was “an evening with” – meaning Machine Head played for about 3 hours, if not 3 hours exactly. This was my first time standing on the floor at the Roundhouse, and I’m not sure if it was the fact that Machine Head fans are, on average, taller than your average gig goer or if something else was at play, but I didn’t overly like it down there. The band themselves were on top form and the set list was killer. Before this gig, it had been some time since I saw them live and I had forgotten just how good they are live. It almost seems criminal that they aren’t filling bigger rooms on a regular basis.

Britrock Must Be Destroyed – Saturday 26^th May 2018 – Guildhall, Portsmouth

Second time going to this tour. Originally was only going the one time but when they announced extra dates, including a show in my home town, seemed almost rude not to! Same running order for this one as the London show. Sat at the back for all of Dodgy’s set and they were enjoyable again. Once again though, Good Enough is a damn anthem! I was looking forward to a mate who I went to this gig with seeing Terrorvision as the only time he had seen them, he was not impressed. They were as good, if not better than when seeing them in London and they certainly won my mate over, which is good. The Wildhearts, well copy and paste from the previous Britrock gig really – one of my favourite bands being bloody incredible – what is not to like? Didn’t hang about for Reef.

Volbeat – Wednesday 30^th May 2018 – House of Vans, London.

Well, this was something. I had spent some serious time trying to work out if I could make one of their headline shows that were, relatively speaking, not that far away (if you consider that I went to Copenhagen to see them last year). I couldn’t get to Manchester or Glasgow because I couldn’t get the time off work, and Belfast was ruled out because the cost of flights and a hotel were prohibitive (I’ve learned my mistake about not booking a hotel for a Belfast gig before – add 5 years on to that and I do not want to be outside a Tesco overnight instead of in a bed). Dublin was do-able but pricey. After a bit of logic kicked in, I decided against going and felt sad about it. Then, Volbeat announced they were doing a House of Vans show. I skipped out of work early and headed to London to join the queue as early as I could, in a tunnel that smelt very much of spray paint – some of the art on the walls was pretty cool though! This gig was a first come first served type situation, so when I got there, I had a good feeling about getting in, but felt slightly nervous about the whole thing until I had the wristband on. First time at the venue and it was a very cool setting for a gig. No support, just a Volbeat headline show and my word was it good. Similar set list to the one I saw in Copenhagen but that didn’t take anything away from it for me. I’d gone from seeing this band in a sold-out stadium (which held I’d guess 50k) to an underground venue with maybe 600 people in. Amazing.

Morass of Molasses – Sunday 17^th June 2018 – Edge of the Wedge, Portsmouth.

Supports for this were all good. First time seeing Stray Bullets, despite meaning to for ages (even back when they were called Stray Bullets Kill). Thuum also deserving of a nod. Morass though were on another level. The new stuff all sounded fantastic and I am very much looking forward to the new album. I missed a chance to see them again a month after this show – something which on reflection, I regret. They were superb on this night though.

Nine Inch Nails – Sunday 24^th June 2018 – Royal Albert Hall, London.

Black Moth Super Rainbow opened this gig, continuing the pattern of me not really liking bands that open for Nine Inch Nails. This was my first time seeing NIN since they were over here in 2014 and I had forgotten just how good they are live. Some of the new material from the 3 EPs released in the last 2 years or so are just massive live, and the cool thing for me about the setlist was that because of this new material, almost half the set was made up of songs I’d not seen them play live before. I’ve been fortunate enough to have seen NIN quite a few times at this stage, and this gig could be the best NIN show I’ve been to. It is certainly in the conversation that is for sure. Part of the reason for this has to be the venue. Previously, whenever I’ve been to the Royal Albert Hall, I’ve been in the gallery standing area. I’ve been fine with this because usually, these are the cheapest tickets. I’ve often wondered if being lower down is worth the money. To stand on the floor for this one I think cost £20-25 more, and to answer that question – it was certainly worth it. My word was it worth it. It got me thinking of other gigs I’ve seen there, and I can now see why people would pay more to sit down there for most things (I’ve wondered since how much more I would have enjoyed Pulp and David Gilmour there, had I been downstairs). That band and that venue fit together perfectly.

And that, in a nutshell the size of the Taj Mahal, was the first 6 months of 2018 for me in terms of gigs. I’ve not mentioned wrestling shows in this, although that could be a blog in and of itself, as I’m really getting into the British Wrestling scene. I started slowly in 2015 (missing a lot of good stuff sadly) but I’m glad to have embraced it now. Anyway, I cannot promise I will find something to write about between now and the end of the year blog – but I will try!

2017 - A Year In Live Music

Happy New Year! In previous years around this time, I’ve posted a blog about my top 10 favourite gigs of the year, as well as favourite festival sets as well. As I didn’t go to a festival this year, it will be difficult to do a top list of bands seen at a festival. Instead, I’m going to just rank the gigs I’ve been to, but I will also talk about the ones that didn’t make the top 10 as honourable mentions. I’ll do the gigs that didn’t make it in chronological order, as to not create a top 15.

I wrote a blog earlier this year the evening that the news broke about Chester Bennington passing away. It would feel improper to not mention both him and Chris Cornell’s passing. Whenever I hear a song that either of those men have been a part of, I still feel a pang of sadness. Only following his passing have I realised how much of a genius Chris Cornell was. I said in the blog about Chester that I didn’t care for the later works of Linkin Park but it wasn’t the time to really address that. I still feel it would not be appropriate to really discuss that point as I wouldn’t want it to come across as disrespectful. I cannot stress the point enough about how much of an impact Hybrid Theory had on my life however, and I wanted to mention both men as they are still very much in my thoughts as the year ends.

Let’s kick on with the honourable mentions of 2017 gigs – the ones that didn’t quite make the top 10.

Kreator – O2 Kentish Town Forum, London. March 2017 – This was probably the closest gig to making the top 10 which didn’t. The bill was superb, with Aborted, Soilwork and Sepultura in support. Soilwork are just excellent live. Sepultura really got the crowd moving when they played some of their classics – but you can’t help but wonder if they could headline this venue and bigger ones if Max and Igor were in the band. Probably bigger, as Max and Igor headlined it doing a Return to Roots show. Kreator were their usual great selves live. The new material fits in very well in their set. Their new album is excellent. I guess if I’m looking for negatives for this not being in the top 10 is because by the end of it, I was really tired and ended up leaving during Pleasure to Kill. Think this is the 3^rd time I’ve seen Kreator in this venue but I’d go again, amazing support bill or not (although come on Kreator, bring Vader to the UK one time!)

Morass of Molasses – Edge of The Wedge, Portsmouth. April 2017 – I could almost copy and paste my words from last year, but just change the names of the supporting bands. The opening band didn’t do a great deal for me. Gravel Rash were good fun. Morass of Molasses were the band of the night though. Riffs for days! Sadly, I’m not sure when the next chance I will have to see them again is, but if they come back to Portsmouth after their Icebreaker appearance, I will be there. I was also really pleased to see them on the bill for DesertFest in London. That sounds like an awesome festival that I want to attend one year.

While She Sleeps – The Talking Heads, Southampton. April 2017 – First visit to the new Talking Heads and I want the old one back! I know that won’t happen but a man can dream! It was very weird that I walked into a venue for a sold out gig and wasn’t ticket checked but oh well. This gig is an honourable mention for two reasons. The first being how good the top 10 are in my opinion (if I were to try and give this a place were this to be a top 15, I would say it would be 11^th or 12^th – in a knife fight with Kreator). The second being the slight awkwardness about bumping into an old school friend who I no longer speak to (my fault, not theirs). Sadly, that awkwardness is my lasting memory of the gig rather than how good While She Sleeps were, which is a shame as they were bloody excellent. I really like their latest album and the material from it live crushes. Hopefully I will get a chance to see them live again. I find it hard to believe it will be in such an intimate setting mind (I was surprised when it was first announced).

Ginger Wildheart – The Railway, Winchester. April 2017 – It is always tough for me to not include everything Ginger and Wildhearts related in any top 10 list at the end of the year. This was a set list that contained some great Wildhearts material but the main focus was solo material, including from the recently released Ghost In The Tanglewood. It was a really fun night and a great first visit to The Railway pub.

Dragonforce – The Wedgewood Rooms, Portsmouth. October 2017 – If I was doing a top 15, this would be 15^th. Power Quest had a decent set supporting them. Dragonforce started off really good as well but about half way through the set, they did a long drum solo and then the singer and bassist picking up the guitars and having a mess around, which was cool in places but it lost me. After this, I just wasn’t interested. They did their cover of Ring of Fire which is just dreadful. They closed with Through The Fire and Flames which was cool but not enough to save this gig for me. Shame really, as I was really looking forward to it beforehand.

Top 10

10 – KT Tunstall – Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry. May 2017

For a full review of this gig, please click here! A quick review though, Nina Nesbitt was good in support. KT Tunstall was excellent. The set list contained 5 out of 6 of my favourite songs of hers which was ace. I hope this is not the only time I see her perform live.

9. The Wildhearts – Rock City, Nottingham. January 2017

The Wildhearts playing Fishing For Luckies in full, Massive Wagons and The Main Grains – what is not to love?! This gig was just brilliant. I enjoyed The Main Grains and suspect I’d go see them play if they did a headline show. Massive Wagons were bloody wonderful. They are doing a headline show nearby and based on how good they were on this night, I definitely want to go to it. Now, the reason why this gig is 9^th is because the story after the gig has become more of a talking point than the gig itself. The gig itself was bloody excellent and seeing The Wildhearts play Fishing For Luckies in full was just superb – it was the only UK outing for this album in full and I would definitely go again if they did a full tour playing it. Seeing Danny on stage for the conclusion was a wonderful thing as well. However, I had 1 or 2 too many beverages of the alcoholic persuasion during the gig and on the walk back to the hotel afterwards, I got really lost. So much so I had to call an uber to get me back to the hotel (something which made the driver laugh a lot at my expense – deservedly so I feel). I have often criticised people who get drunk beyond the point of no return during gigs because why would you spend so much to go to a gig, and then get so drunk you can’t remember some/all of it. Well, on this occasion, I was that person. I remember the gig being amazing, but certain specifics of the gig are lost in an alcoholic haze, which is a shame.

8. Weezer - Wembley Arena, London. October 2017 -

Last year, Weezer’s gig at Brixton Academy was in my top 3 of the year. It seems odd to have them in eighth in this list and it isn’t because the gig wasn’t excellent because it was. Ash were the special guests and they were outstanding. Weezer were better however. The set only contained 2 songs from their latest album which I was pleased about, although not the fact the one I really like off the album wasn’t played. Weezer have so many fantastic songs though and they played a whole heap of them, which made for a lovely evening. Dope Nose being in the set list probably would have made it a top 5 gig, as I love that song. Can’t win them all.

7. Milk Teeth – The Joiners, Southampton. August 2017 -

The opening band on this tour, Wallflower, were decent. However, if I am to be honest I don’t remember a great deal about them. The main support however, Employed To Serve, I mean fucking hell. They are a stunning band on record – their latest album The Warmth of a Dying Sun is just awesome. Live though? They are a force to be reckoned with. I really hope I get to see them again live. Milk Teeth were just as good as Employed To Serve. Both bands absolutely smashed it on this evening and I honestly couldn’t pick a favourite. Just a lovely way to spend an evening was this gig. Milk Teeth and Employed To Serve are two bands I’ve properly discovered this year and my life is better because of it.

6. The Wildhearts (Acoustic) – Engine Rooms, Southampton. December 2017

Engine Rooms was an interesting choice for this show as I would have thought the Joiners or Talking Heads would have suited it better but no matter. Before I start waffling about how good The Wildhearts were, I want to give a nod to Dave McPherson, who opened this gig. I’ve seen Ginger play a handful of acoustic shows, and they have all been excellent. I went into this evening with high hopes and they were more than met by Ginger and CJ. The set list was packed with the best of The Wildhearts back catalogue and it all just worked so well in this environment. The singalongs were as good as any Wildhearts show which made it even better. I walked in wondering whether this gig would make the top 10, and walked out wondering just how high it should be (caused me to do some reordering, that is for sure) – with a massive grin on my face. More of this sort of thing, please!

5. Marmozets – The Wedgewood Rooms, Portsmouth. November 2017

This gig was originally scheduled to be on the same day as I was seeing Metallica in Birmingham and so, I didn’t buy a ticket. Then Becca, the singer, was unwell so a few of the gigs got pushed back. Portsmouth was pushed back by two days, meaning I was able to make it. It would be a bit weird to say I’m happy that Becca got ill, but I’m kinda glad she did as this was my first time seeing Marmozets and they blew me away with how good they are live. Their debut album (The Weird and Wonderful Marmozets) has been in regular rotation for me since this gig but in particular, Why Do You Hate Me is a song I’ve played over and over. It was about a 75-minute headline set and it was just superb. It was tough not to put this gig higher truth be told. The band announced extra dates just before this gig and I remember before the gig turning to a mate and saying “Southampton on a Saturday night is nice, but this will likely do me”. About 2 songs in, I was changing my position on this. Now? Marmozets at the Engine Rooms is currently scheduled to be my first gig of 2018 (tempted by Hatebreed or Mongol Horde, both of which are the weekend before it). I am really excited to see them again. I expect to be writing words about them again this time next year based on how good the Portsmouth date was.

4. Metallica – The O2, London. October 2017

Picking between two Metallica gigs in one year is like picking your favourite child (I guess, being childless I’m not quite sure if that is true). I felt it would be cheating to have them tied for the same place (which in prep for this, I noted I did in a previous year for Frank Turner gigs – but there were a lot more to pick from in 2015 – probably). Anyhow, Kvelertak are a band that need crystal clear sound live for people to hear just how good they are. Alas, this was not to be on this night (or at the Birmingham gig, so I’m guessing they made the best of what they could have). Metallica though, I mean, damn. I really like most of their latest album, and the stuff they played from it was just great – especially Moth Into Flame. The older material was, as ever, stunning. One of the best bits of this gig for me was going with a mate who had never seen Metallica before. When the band had just finished One, he looked at me and said, “that was awesome!” to which I replied “well, it is about to get better” with a shit-eating grin on my face. Just as he asked how, the band kicked into Master of Puppets. That, that’s how!

3. Metallica – Genting Arena, Birmingham. October 2017 –

A lot of what I have just written above is the case for this gig. However, Metallica played Spit Out The Bone at this gig, whereas they didn’t in London. Fine margins indeed!

2. Guns N’ Roses – London Stadium, London. June 2017 –

Before the tour was announced, I never thought I would see Axl, Slash and Duff on the same stage. When the reunion tour was announced, I said the only thing which would stop me going would be if it was silly money. Sure, £100 a ticket was steep, but it was entirely worth it. A full review can be read here.

1. Volbeat – Telia Parken, Copenhagen. August 2017

I wrote about this gig as a part of my Copenhagen blog. However, some 4 months after this gig has taken place and the reason it is number one is because it was everything I hoped it would be, and then some. The support package of Amorphis and Flogging Molly were brilliant – Flogging Molly especially. It was great to see a filling stadium be won over by how good they are. Volbeat though were on another level. It was just awesome to see a Volbeat show of this magnitude. The setlist was excellent and personally, would have just wanted more to be added rather than anything to be cut. There aren’t many headline bands that would get me to step on a plane to go and see them, but Volbeat are now one of them. I would 100% go back to mainland Europe to see a Volbeat show of this magnitude again.

And that, as they say, is that. It was a decent year certainly for gigs. I’ve got high hopes for some of the gigs I have lined up in 2018. So far, I’ve booked a ticket for Marmozets, Milk Teeth, Cancer Bats (performing Hail Destroyer in full), the Britrock Must Be Destroyed tour, Frank Turner for a night at the Lost Evenings festival playing Love, Ire and Song in full and, last but not least, an evening with Machine Head. These should all be pretty good. Roll on the first one!