Category Archives: GIG REVIEWS

Gig review: THE WHO – Badminton Estate, Gloucestershire, 16 July 2023

The Who - Badminton Estate, Gloucestershire, 16 July 2023

So how refined that The Who, along with the Heart of England Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Keith Levenson, are playing at the renowned Badminton Estate, to promote a new live album, in an open-air concert arena with a capacity of … Continue reading

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Gig review: JON ANDERSON/MANFRED MANN’S EARTH BAND – Erkel Szinhaz, Budapest, Hungary, 9 July 2023

Gig review: JON ANDERSON/MANFRED MANN’S EARTH BAND – Erkel Szinhaz, Budapest, Hungary, 9 July 2023

A city break you won’t find on Expedia: the Queen of the Danube by day; prog rock royalty by night! Budapest is an amazing city and no surprise that the venue for this co-headline gig was a classy, plush, comfy-seated … Continue reading

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Gig review: BILLY JOEL- British Summer Time, Hyde Park, London, 7 July 2023

BILLY JOEL- British Summer Time, Hyde Park, London, 7 July 2023

Sandwiched between Bruce Springsteen’s two British Summer Time dates at Hyde Park came another American legend from the East Coast and of a similar vintage in Billy Joel. Just like my two previous sightings of the New Yorker at Wembley … Continue reading

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Gig review: KISS – Hydro, Glasgow – 8th July 2023

KISS – Hydro, Glasgow – 8th July 2023

I first saw Kiss on the Lick It Up tour in October 1983 in the Edinburgh Playhouse and here we are nearly 40 years on to witness the band’s last ever UK show. I caveat that last statement by pointing … Continue reading

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Gig review: BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN AND THE E STREET BAND – British Summer Time Hyde Park, 6 July 2023

BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN AND THE E STREET BAND- British Summer Time Hyde Park, 6 July 2023

A regular visitor to these shores in recent years, Bruce Springsteen had not been in the UK since ‘The River’ tour seven years ago. So when a pair of dates were announced at Hyde Park- his first there since the … Continue reading

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Gig review: GUNS N’ ROSES – British Summer Time, Hyde Park, 30 June 2023

GUNS N' ROSES- British Summer Time, Hyde Park, 30 June 2023

The self proclaimed most dangerous band in the world are now comfortable enough elder statesmen to play the most mainstream of festivals, that back in the day they would either never have played, or the organisers probably wouldn’t have had … Continue reading

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Gig review: PETER GABRIEL – Hydro, Glasgow – 22nd June 2023

PETER GABRIEL – Hydro, Glasgow – 22nd June 2023

At the ripe old age of 73 you would forgive Peter Gabriel for taking things easy and retiring from music to live off the royalties of his past glorious. Mr Gabriel, however, has never been one to conform and has … Continue reading

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Gig review: MIDNITE CITY – The Black Heart, Camden, London, 17 June 2023

MIDNITE CITY- The Black Heart, Camden, London, 17 June 2023

Touring their freshly released fourth album ‘In at the Deep End’, I was delighted that Midnite City’s schedule included a relatively rare London date at the Black Heart. Perhaps as a result of long running festivals at places like Wigan … Continue reading

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Gig review: BLOODYWOOD – The Mash House, Edinburgh – 12th June 2023

Bloodywood

My phone pinged and the text read ‘Hi pal, do you fancy going to see Bloodywood in Edinburgh’. I must admit my first reaction was ‘who?’, but the answer was ‘yup, let#s rock!’. So, it was a night out in … Continue reading

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Gig review: KIRA MAC – The Garage, Highbury, London, 4 June 2023

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Kira Mac are a band on a rapid rise. They only started gigging a year ago but a buzz quickly started building, to the extent that this UK tour included what I thought was an ambitious London booking at The … Continue reading

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Gig review: IAN MOSS – 100 Club, London, 3 June 2023

IAN MOSS- 100 Club, London, 3 June 2023

Cold Chisel are the musical equivalent of Victoria Bitter or TimTams – a legendary part of Australian life and culture, but rarely seen outside the mother country. While singer Jimmy Barnes, of whom I am a confirmed fan, has toured … Continue reading

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Gig review: BONNIE RAITT – New Theatre, Oxford, Wednesday 7 June 2023

Bonnie Raitt, Liverpool Empire, 22 June 2013

A sold out show at Oxford’s lovely New Theatre and whilst most of the audience have doubtless been Bonnie Raitt fans since her early days, it was good to see some younger fans dotted around the audience. Support for Bonnie … Continue reading

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Gig review: JOHN OTWAY & WILD WILLY BARRETT – West End Centre, Aldershot, Saturday 3 June 2023

John Otway and Wild Willy Barrett

Billed as the ‘Half A Sentry tour’, John Otway and Wild Willy Barrett team up again for an extensive UK tour, that as the press releases states – “celebrates 5 decades of music making animosity, splits and reunions.” First visit … Continue reading

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Gig review: JOHN FOGERTY- 02 Arena, London, 29 May 2023

JOHN FOGERTY- 02 Arena, London, 29 May 2023

We need to catch the sadly declining number of living legends while we still can, especially those few still coming over from the USA to the UK. One person who fits that description is former Creedence Clearwater Revival lead singer, … Continue reading

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Gig review: FM/DARE/TYKETTO – Islington Academy, London, 25 May 2023

FM/DARE/TYKETTO- Islington Academy, London, 25 May 2023

The package tour is growing in popularity in the current economic climate as a way of bands combining forces to save on overheads and play in front of maximum audiences. Announced just before Christmas, this particular triple header was most … Continue reading

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Gig review: CONNOR SELBY – Amazing Grace, London, 16 May 2023

Gig review: CONNOR SELBY – Amazing Grace, London, 16 May 2023

A new venue for this intrepid reviewer, and one that he will want to return to soon. The Church of St Thomas, dating from the 18th Century now hosts a small auditorium with something of a cocktail bar, modern jazz … Continue reading

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Gig review: WINGER – Bristol Academy, 21 May 2023

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Back in 2010 I reviewed Winger at Manchester Academy and took my son the guitarist Ben Randall.  Ben is a big fan of the band but I couldn’t entice him to see their latest tour supporting Steel Panther. Whether it’s … Continue reading

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Gig review: JOE SATRIANI – London Palladium,17 May 2023

Joe Satriani, Liverpool 11 June 2013

There’s never been much doubt that Joe Satriani is from another solar system, his skill with a guitar like nothing on this Earth. Always one the most outstanding players out there, his literally jaw dropping skills have been the envy … Continue reading

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Gig review: JOE BONAMASSA – Utilita Arena, Birmingham, 14 May 2023

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Joe Bonamassa is a regular visitor to these shores. Having wrapped up a short tour last Spring, he was back with his band for another five UK dates playing venues he skipped last time. Indeed this was his first gig … Continue reading

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Gig review: BIG COUNTRY – Islington Assembly Hall, London, 5 May 2023

BIG COUNTRY- Islington Assembly Hall, London, 5 May 2023

For Big Country, their debut album ‘The Crossing’ is rightly regarded as a classic, spawning three hit singles and countless other fan favourites, and establishing that signature bagpipe style guitar sound. For the current line up it is also the … Continue reading

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Gig review: JIM KIRKPATRICK- The Cavern, Raynes Park, London, 4 May 2023

JIM KIRKPATRICK- The Cavern, Raynes Park, London, 4 May 2023

Guitarist Jim Kirkpatrick seems to have been everywhere recently. After FM’s December tour with the Dead Daisies and January dates with Band of Friends, his third solo album ‘Dead Man Walking’ was released to critical acclaim including in these pages … Continue reading

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Gig review: ROCKNYTT CRUISE- Viking Line ‘Cinderella’, Stockholm, 21-22 April 2023

ROCKNYTT CRUISE- Viking Line 'Cinderella', Stockholm, 21-22 April 2023

The rock cruise is now a well established business model in the world of classic rock, as fans of rock’s golden age reach their Saga-eligible years and are looking for new experiences and greater comfort than sleeping in tents and … Continue reading

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Gig review: KENNY WAYNE SHEPHERD BAND – Shepherd’s Bush Empire, London, 23 April 2023

KENNY WAYNE SHEPHERD BAND – Shepherd’s Bush Empire, London, 23 April 2023

It’s hard to believe that Kenny Wayne Shepherd was a mere 18 years old when he wrote and released ‘Trouble Is..’. A mature, complex blues rock album launched into the world as part of an exciting vanguard of fresh-faced US … Continue reading

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Gig review: GUN- The Cavern, Raynes Park, London, 14 April 2023

GUN- The Cavern, Raynes Park, London, 14 April 2023

Last year Gun’s revitalised career took a new twist when they revisited and reimagined songs from their past in acoustic fashion in ‘The Calton Songs’. The next step was to take the format on the road with an extensive tour. … Continue reading

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Gig review: SABATON – Hydro, Glasgow – 18th April 2023

SABATON - Hydro, Glasgow - 18th April 2023

The much delayed ‘Tour To End All Tours’ had finally reached Glasgow and the legion of Scottish Sabaton fans were eager to see what Sweden’s finest had in their war chest. Sabaton have gone from strength to strength over the … Continue reading

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