Foo Fighters - Tennent's Vital, Belfast - 21st August 2012 (Live Review)

It’s rare that one band dominates almost two decades in their genre, rarer still that that band should come to Belfast. Foo Fighter’s last trip to Ireland was a 2007 Marlay Park headliner in Dublin while front-man Dave Grohl was last in Belfast as part of Nirvana in 1992. The eagerly anticipated arrival of the biggest band in rock for the last twenty years was finally realised as the Foo Fighters launched into a mammoth two hour set for a sell out Belfast crowd.

Written by: Daniel Lynch | Date: Wednesday, 22 August 2012

Blur (Olympic Closing Ceremony Concert) - Hyde Park, London - 12th August 2012 (Live Review)

What an extraordinary two weeks it has been for Great Britain. With London the focus of world’s eye over the last fortnight, it appears that everyone in the country has adopted unprecedented levels of Olympic Spirit and patriotism. However, as it all came to an end there was more than enough reason to celebrate what has been described as the most successful Olympic Games in history. Whilst there was a kind of party going on in East London at the closing ceremony which featured Beady Eye, One Direction and a ‘surprise’ appearance from The Spice Girls, the real celebration was in central London as Blur returned to Hyde Park - three years after their two acclaimed comeback shows at the outdoor venue.

Written by: Ryan Crittenden | Date: Wednesday, 15 August 2012

Tomorrowland Festival - De Schorre, Boom, Belgium - 27th July to 29th July (Live Review)

Another chapter has been scribed into the history books of TomorrowLand, which is surely now seen as a benchmark for all electronic music festivals – if not all festivals.

Written by: Adam Holden | Date: Friday, 03 August 2012

Blink-182 - Brixton O2 Academy, London - 25th July 2012 (Live Review)

It was colossal news for emos, punks, rockers, skaters, and rebellious teen sub cultures the world over when probably the world’s biggest and best loved pop punk band reformed in 2009, five years since their hiatus that saw hissy fits, uninspired side projects and one bizarre reality TV series. Mark Hoppus, Travis Barker and their proudly potty mouthed front man Tom DeLong, whose trademark accent is now copied shamelessly by everyone from New Found Glory to Paramore, were best of friends again and Kerrang! readers across the land cheered.

Written by: Owen Sheppard | Date: Monday, 30 July 2012

Hard Rock Calling - Hyde Park, London - Friday 13th July 2012 (Live Review)

Upon arriving at Hyde Park for the second time within the space of a week, it’s starting to feel a little like Stereoboard is trapped within some bizarre festival-based re-enactment of Groundhog Day; the crowd is once again extremely sparse, bars are closed off, and the weather is, unsurprisingly, extremely damp. Thankfully though, the crowd seem to be in high spirits, and the treacherous, marshy bog present throughout Wireless last weekend has now been transformed into a wood chip-laden safe haven.

Written by: Pods | Date: Wednesday, 18 July 2012

Swedish House Mafia - Milton Keynes Bowl - 14th July 2012 (Live Review)

To put it simply, the Swedish House Mafia destroyed and ruined the Milton Keynes National Bowl in a way that had surely never been seen before.

Written by: Adam Holden | Date: Tuesday, 17 July 2012

2000 Trees Festival - Upcote Farm, Withington - 12th/13th/14th July 2012 (Live Review)

I’ll be honest with you here. When it comes to the second weekend of July there is NOWHERE in the world I’d rather be than at 2000trees Festival. I’ve been going for a few years now and each year the line-up just gets better and better. Perhaps more importantly, however, the atmosphere is always top notch. This festival is, and I speak here of the vast majority, attended by friendly people who genuinely care about the music on offer, just like the hard working people who organise the thing. Even with the horrific weather conditions that the festival unfortunately befell this year, there was no danger of people not making the best of things and having a darn good time.

Written by: Ben Bland | Date: Tuesday, 17 July 2012

Wireless Festival - Hyde Park, London - Friday 6th July 2012 (Live Review)

Due to public transport woes, Stereoboard only just make it into the arena to catch the tail end of Metric’s set, and although their closing explosion of psychedelic noise and whirring synths seems enticing to us, the reaction of the extremely sparse crowd appears to be that of indifference.

Written by: Jack Pudwell | Date: Monday, 16 July 2012

The Tallest Man On Earth - Hackney Empire, London - 3rd July 2012 (Live Review)

In a way it’s a shame that The Tallest Man on Earth (real name Kristian Matsson for the uninitiated) chose Hackney Empire to be the venue for his first UK performance following the release of his third album, the generally well received 'There’s No Leaving Now'. Don’t get me wrong, the Empire is a gorgeous building; however such grandiose surroundings only serve to highlight the flaws in Matsson’s performance rather than accentuating his strong points.

Written by: Ben Bland | Date: Wednesday, 11 July 2012

T in the Park Festival 2012 - Sunday July 8th (Live Review)

With the festival's finale facing severe weather warnings, it was maybe a twist of fate that the closest we got to torrential downpours was a little spitting of rain here and there. The mud was horrendous, ankle deep at some points, but since when did a little dirt ruin the mood of a festival?

Written by: Heather McDaid | Date: Tuesday, 10 July 2012

T in the Park Festival 2012 - Friday July 6th (Live Review)

Scotland's main festival looked set to be plagued by bad weather, but at least the sun reared its head for day one. With their strange set up of only offering the Friday line-up to campers, the crowd proved relatively sparse as festivals go, but that wouldn't last long. Thankfully, there were some good bands ready to kick things off, the main stage being opened with a nice dose of spandex.

Written by: Heather McDaid | Date: Tuesday, 10 July 2012

Hugh Laurie - Glasgow Royal Concert Hall - June 29th 2012 (Live Review)

Career path crossovers in the realms of celebrity often prove embarrassing endeavours, ones that appear an attempt to extend their brand or test something out because they have the opportunity. However, for House and Blackadder star Hugh Laurie, this is not the case.

Written by: Heather McDaid | Date: Tuesday, 10 July 2012

The View - KOKO, London - 26th June 2012 (Live Review)

This July sees the release of ‘Cheeky For A Reason’, the fourth studio album from Scottish indie-rocker’s The View. The band are currently out on the road, travelling up and down the country in support of the release; the tour giving them the opportunity to showcase their new tracks, as well as the old classics that gave them their household name.

Written by: Katie Territt | Date: Monday, 02 July 2012

Beach Break Live - Pembrey Country Park, Carmarthenshire - 14th June-18th June 2012 (Live Review)

Now in its sixth year, what started as 1,000 people singing in a field in 2007 has transformed into a festival that has attracted a 20,000 strong student crowd ready to revel in the multitude of activities that the four-day festival has to offer.

Written by: Ryan Crittenden | Date: Wednesday, 27 June 2012

Jaga Jazzist & The Britten Sinfonia - The Barbican, London - 16th June 2012 (Live Review)

Some musicians are very hard to describe, some musical events likewise. How on earth do you capture in words the extraordinary nature of a band like Jaga Jazzist? More to the point, how on earth do you capture the extraordinary nature of their performance alongside the Britten Sinfonia?

Written by: Ben Bland | Date: Monday, 25 June 2012

Pearl Jam - MEN Arena, Manchester - 20th June 2012 (Live Review)

For anyone who feels the early 90's grunge scene is no longer relevant, a quick glance at the speed tickets for Pearl Jam's two Isle Of Wight warm-up shows sold out, as well as the huge crowd drawn by Soundgarden at last weeks Download Festival, proves quite the opposite.

Written by: Dave Ball | Date: Thursday, 21 June 2012

Jay Z & Kanye West (Watch The Throne) - MEN Arena, Manchester - 11th June 2012 (Live Review)

I have to admit when I purchased tickets to Jay-Z and Kanye West’s ‘Watch the Throne’ concert in Manchester I felt a mix of both excitement and scepticism. I am an ardent fan of both rappers and have seen them both individually on three separate occasions. Their lyrics are intelligent, their melodies are infectious and they have seduced a whole generation of hip-hop lovers with their tales of rags to riches. However, the concept of the of the two of them performing together on the same stage presented, to me, an opportunity for them to exhibit their own unique brand of self gratifying narcissism that pervades across their music and that waiting for me was a titanic clash of egos of two of hip-hop’s biggest stars that would have no rapport together on stage. I doubted that the camaraderie and magic created in the studio when recording ‘Watch the Throne’ would not be possible to recreate on stage...how wrong I was.

Written by: Jaspreet Kaur Takhi | Date: Wednesday, 20 June 2012

Chris Cornell - The London Palladium - 18th June 2012 (Live Review)

Chris Cornell has been touring North America, Canada and Europe for two years on the 'Songbook' tour, and this was his first solo visit to London. After a storming festival performance at Download this year that saw Soundgarden reunited for the first time in 15 years, expectations for this solo, acoustic tour were high.

Written by: Sadie Walton | Date: Wednesday, 20 June 2012

Download Festival (Saxon, Steel Panther, Metallica) - Donington Park - 9th June 2012 (Live Review)

Following on from our Friday review, Saturday morning arrives and, blinking into the light like some weird breed of bearded mole, I emerge from my tent to find the rain has held off and we're good to go for a dry day at Download. YES!

Written by: Jon Stickler | Date: Tuesday, 19 June 2012

Rockness Festival - Loch Ness, Inverness - 8th, 9th, 10th June 2012 (Live Review)

Idyllically positioned at the tip of Scotland's world famous Loch Ness, the colour and noise that is the Rock Ness festival almost looks out of place in the utterly beautiful landscape. And when you factor in the notorious enthusiasm of Scottish crowds, it's no wonder that NME have named it 'Best Small Festival' for the second year running. If you didn't go to this year's festival, the chances are you still heard about it on the news. The View caused such a ruckus during their closing Sunday set that the tent they were playing in actually collapsed. I can't think of any view related puns just now, but hey, I didn't see it. Sorry, a terrible one slipped in there...

Written by: Jonny Rimmer | Date: Tuesday, 19 June 2012

Download Festival (Machine Head, Slash, Prodigy) - Donington Park - 8th June 2012 (Live Review)

Do you really need to read this review to find out how kick-ass Download Festival 2012 was? Ask anyone who has been before, come rain or shine, for five days a year Donington Park hosts one of the best live music events the planet has to offer. Despite getting off to a bad start weather-wise (does anyone remember being quite moist this time last week?), 100,000 people descended upon five stages to watch over 100 bands and celebrate the 10th anniversary of the UK's premier rock and metal festival, Download. Throw the horns people!

Written by: Jon Stickler | Date: Friday, 15 June 2012

William Control - ABC, Glasgow - 13th June 2012 (Live Review)

Some people dabble in art, others are dedicated to it. Wil Francis is a man who devotes his life to art, be it writing or music, and once again graced our shores with his presence to share his work. He's been here countless times with his punk suit Aiden, partook on solo tours where he literally sold his own clothes to fans and, most recently, has brought William Control back over to the UK, the show in question being his ABC Glasgow stop.

Written by: Heather McDaid | Date: Thursday, 14 June 2012

Future Of The Left - The Deaf Institute, Manchester - 9th June 2012 (Live Review)

The Deaf Institute is perhaps a funny match for Future of the Left. It’s a bit hip (or at least thinks it is), has seats at the back and a balcony to the side. It even lets the light in through the roof (meaning the venue is still bathed in late evening sunlight up until around 9pm). By contrast Future of the Left are pretty pissed off at most of the things people consider hip and make the kind of music that fits neither with the daylight nor with the seats and balcony.

Written by: Ben Bland | Date: Thursday, 14 June 2012

Blink-182 - LG Arena, Birmingham - 7th June 2012 (Live Review)

It’s been a long 18 months for fans of Blink-182 after the band postponed the original leg of their UK ‘20th Anniversary Tour’ last July to complete their sixth studio album ‘Neighborhoods’ released last September - their first batch of new music to be released since 2003.

Written by: Gemma-Louise Johnson | Date: Wednesday, 13 June 2012

The Maccabees - Alexandra Palace, London - 8th June 2012 (Live Review)

The Maccabees have been making and releasing beautiful music for five years now. Gorgeous single after gorgeous single. Classic album after classic album. It appears the London based indie rockers can do no wrong. Having recently released their third studio album, 'Given To The Wild', the band are embarking on the usual promotional touring with the highlight being a huge homecoming show.

Written by: Katie Territt | Date: Tuesday, 12 June 2012

Coldplay - Richo Arena, Coventry - 29th May 2012 (Live Review)

The weather in the morning and afternoon of the 29th was incredibly dismal. Not quite raining, but not the gorgeous sun and blue skies we'd become accustomed to over the past couple of weeks of May. This does not bode well for a concert held in a venue with no roof... Anyway, trying to stay optimistic, we arrive at the Ricoh, and the weather seems to have kicked itself into gear and is now absolutely boiling. Not too bad when you're outside the Ricoh, as there's a nice breeze. Once you're inside though, that's a whole other kettle of fish. We are in a bit of a pickle as we are sat RIGHT where the sun is hottest. Brilliant.

Written by: Emma Dodds | Date: Friday, 01 June 2012

Watch The Throne - O2 Arena, London - 18th May 2012 (Live Review)

The business man and the entrepreneur, the stalwart and the genius, the Obama bro and the, ahem, “jackass”, I’m of course referring to the ultimate genre conquering, throne occupying duo of Jay Z and Kanye West. Nigh a year since their much hyped and critically acclaimed 'Watch The Throne' album was unleashed upon the world, they have turned their campaign of arena raising, grade A hip hop towards The UK and its Friday night at London’s The O2 Arena that is slated for the first of the 10 date tour.

Written by: Owen Sheppard | Date: Wednesday, 23 May 2012

The Temper Trap - Coal Exchange, Cardiff - 19th May 2012 (Live Review)

Ahead of the release of their self-titled second album, Australian indie stars The Temper Trap embarked on a tour of the UK. Last week they stopped off at the picturesque Coal Exchange in Cardiff to showcase new material as well as treating the crowd to songs from their brilliant debut album 'Conditions'.

Written by: Ryan Crittenden | Date: Monday, 21 May 2012

Admiral Fallow - Buffalo Bar, Cardiff - 15th May 2012 (Live Review)

Cardiff’s Buffalo Bar is the type of establishment that would describe itself as the coolest place in Cardiff with the downstairs providing one of the trendier bars in the capital. Venture upstairs and you’ll find a narrow room, made narrower by its’ blood red painted walls and ceiling (even the lampshades are red) adorned by scattered black & white images of various musicians past and present. With a capacity of around 150 it’s one of the more intimate venues in the city and this is where tonight’s headliners Admiral Fallow have chosen for just their second ever visit to Wales.

Written by: Dave Ball | Date: Wednesday, 16 May 2012

The Great Escape Festival - Brighton - 10th 11th & 12th May 2012 (Live Review)

Brighton’s Great Escape Festival has more than excelled itself over the last six years, destroying the Camden Crawl and is now being spoke about in the same circles as America’s South by South West festival.

Written by: Adam Holden | Date: Wednesday, 16 May 2012

I Like Trains - The Soup Kitchen, Manchester - 12th May 2012 (Live Review)

It is hard to understand why I Like Trains are still playing tiny little venues like The Soup Kitchen. This is a band that, over the course of three full-lengths and numerous EPs, has shown a constant desire to defiantly be their own band at all times. From the expansive post-rock leanings of their debut to the krautrock influenced post-punk of most recent release 'The Shallows', the Leeds band have marched to the beat of their own drum but, as with most of the best bands in Britain, without ever getting anywhere near the amount of credit they deserve.

Written by: Ben Bland | Date: Wednesday, 16 May 2012

Primordial - Moho Live, Manchester - 4th May 2012 (Live Review)

There probably isn’t that much that can be said about Primordial that hasn’t been said before. Over the course of their twenty-five year career the Irish metal legends have honed their distinctive sound to near perfection, as exemplified by last year’s stunning 'Redemption at the Puritan’s Hand'. One thing Primordial have never been however is regular visitors to the UK. With the exception of last year’s unfortunate Bloodstock performance (when frontman AA Nemtheanga lost his voice) this Manchester show is the first time Primordial have entertained British metalheads for three years, and it is the first time the band has played a UK headline show outside of London since 1997.

Written by: Ben Bland | Date: Monday, 14 May 2012

Dub Pistols - Fibbers, York - 4th May 2012 (Live Review)

My favourite video game of all time is Tony Hawke’s Pro Skater, which I played for literally hours at a time in our dingy lounge during my early 20s, usually whilst incredibly hungover with a vat of coffee by my side. Part of what made the game so addictive was the soundtrack – a roller coaster of heady ska, punk rock and hip hop tracks by such luminaries as Anthrax, Papa Roach, Bad Religion and Dub Pistols.

Written by: Sadie Walton | Date: Monday, 07 May 2012

The Coronas - King Tuts, Glasgow - 1st May 2012 (Live Review)

If you've not heard of The Coronas, you could be forgiven, as their new record 'Closer to You' is their first to be released in the United Kingdom. The Irish four-piece have quietly generated a buzz on their own shores; they have already picked up Meteor Awards (kind of like our Brits), sold out the 7,000 strong Marlay Park, opened for Paul McCartney, gained twitter followers like rugby icon Brian O'Driscoll and supported fellow celtic weep-merchants The Script at pretty much every arena The Script have ever played in.

Written by: Jonny Rimmer | Date: Monday, 07 May 2012

Alabama Shakes - Brixton Electric, London - 3rd May 2012 (Live Review)

It is hard to think of a band around at the moment that has quite so much hype surrounding them. Since breaking in the Official UK Album Charts at Number Three with their critically acclaimed debut album ‘Boys & Girls,’ the five piece from The Athens, Alabama have gone from strength to strength. They arrived at London's Brixton Electric for their first gig in the UK since their album release and it was clear from the extortionate prices that the touts were demanding outside the venue, that a ticket for this show, which originally sold at £12.50, was like gold dust.

Written by: Ryan Crittenden | Date: Friday, 04 May 2012

Noah And The Whale - Royal Albert Hall, London - 16th April 2012 (Live Review)

The Albert Hall is one of those prestigious venues that marks a monumental point in a band’s life. For Noah and The Whale it’s been a long time coming. When their third album 'Last Night On Earth' did well they were finally given the satisfaction they deserved.

Written by: Sophie Williams | Date: Thursday, 03 May 2012

Meshuggah - Kentish Town Forum, London - 20th April 2012 (Live Review)

There just aren’t any other bands like Meshuggah. Try as many contemporary metal acts may, there is just no way of replicating the Swedish titan’s unnervingly precise brutality. For a band that has been going over twenty years, their continuing ability to stake a claim as one of the most extreme heavy acts on the planet is truly astonishing. It is also to their credit that they continue to grow in popularity. This gig at the Forum is a complete sell out, with some hopeful fans outside the venue hanging around in the hope of a spare ticket or two for sale. Meshuggah may not sound pretty but it is clear that, for many metalheads, they are one of the definitive bands of the genre and the excited murmurings that approach show time also add weight to their reputation as a ferocious live act.

Written by: Ben Bland | Date: Friday, 27 April 2012

Maps & Atlases - The Garage, London - 17th April 2012 (Live Review)

It’s encouraging that mathy types Maps & Atlases can draw a decent crowd to the Garage on a Tuesday for their oddball mixture of experimentalism and naturally addictive songwriting. With excellent second album 'Beware and Be Grateful' having just dropped, it’s a great time for the UK to have Maps & Atlases on its stages and, judging by the excitable turnout here, their British fans hold the band in as special a place as the band holds them.

Written by: Ben Bland | Date: Monday, 23 April 2012

Mystery Jets - Forum, Tunbridge Wells - 19th April 2012 (Live Review)

After a relatively long break, indie favourites Mystery Jets have returned from the United States armed with new album 'Radlands', due for release on the 30th April. As part of the return to promote their fourth studio album, the London outfit have embarked upon a UK tour, which visits the more intimate venues across the country. With a slightly different line up to the last time they toured, the Jets arrived at a sold out Tunbridge Wells forum to showcase why they are so popular in the indie-pop world.

Written by: Ryan Crittenden | Date: Monday, 23 April 2012

Dry The River - Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff - 18th April 2012 (Live Review)

Having spent last summer working a festival schedule that took them through Glastonbury, Reading & Leeds, Green Man, Latitude and several others, by last Autumn ‘Dry The River’ were one of the most hyped bands around. Named by the music press as one of the bands to watch in 2012, they released their debut album ‘Shallow Bed’ to widespread critical acclaim in March and tonight's live show in Cardiff is the second night of a headline tour promoting it.

Written by: Dave Ball | Date: Thursday, 19 April 2012

Andrew WK - HMV Forum, London - 12th April 2012 (Live Review)

Warning: May contain the word party… a lot.

Written by: Heather McDaid | Date: Tuesday, 17 April 2012

Skindred, Therapy?, Black Spiders, Turbowolf - O2 Academy, Bristol - 14th April 2012 (Live Review)

I, like many others, regularly complain about how expensive ticket prices have become over the last 10 years or so. Clearly, someone involved in organising the 2012 Jagermeister tour took notice as this was a tour of unquestionable value with 4 bands on a bill that cost just £5 per ticket. It’s a bargain before you even enter the building.

Written by: Dave Ball | Date: Monday, 16 April 2012

Lauryn Hill - IndigO2, London - 14th April 2012 (Live Review)

Soulful chanteuse Lauryn Hill returned to London this weekend for her first appearance in five years in a compelling performance that wowed the crowd at London’s IndigO2.

Written by: Gemma Taylor | Date: Monday, 16 April 2012

Twin Atlantic - Mandela Hall, Belfast - 12th April 2012 (Live Review)

It’s always good to see local support on the bill when touring bands come to town but the evening’s first band couldn’t have been farther from local. ME, a Melbourne quartet, kicked off proceedings with an excellent set. With a hugely varied set some songs could be placed alongside the likes of Muse with piercing vocals and spacey guitars, while others had the infectious kick of more contemporary rock. Highlight of the set, ‘Westward Backwards,’ involved lead singer Luke taking Michael’s bass guitar while the bassist thumped a drum, creating a phenomenal layering of instruments and effects to cap off an exhilarating opening performance.

Written by: Daniel Lynch | Date: Friday, 13 April 2012

Pelican - The Garage, London - 7th April 2012 (Live Review)

It has been far too long since Chicago instrumental post-metal masters Pelican have graced the UK’s shores and as such expectations for tonight’s gig, the first of a UK tour, are pretty much at fever pitch.

Written by: Ben Bland | Date: Thursday, 12 April 2012

JLS - Metro Radio Arena, Newcastle - 1st April 2012 (Live Review)

Aston, Marvin, Ortise and JB arrived in Newcastle yesterday to perform to a sell out crowd at The Metro Radio Arena. If you have ever seen JLS live then you will know it is quite easy to forget that they were the runners up in The X Factor a few years ago.

Written by: Lara Rainsforth | Date: Wednesday, 11 April 2012

Demdike Stare - Union Chapel, London - 31st March 2012 (Live Review)

How do you describe a band like Demdike Stare? To say that their music is darkly atmospheric would be an understatement. To say that it is electronic would be misleading. To say that it is music, in the way that most people conceive of it, at all may be looking at things the wrong way around altogether. Their collation of otherworldly sampling and offbeat programming is the soundtrack to a horror movie that is happening not on the cinema screen but inside your head as the sounds this duo create drive you slowly insane as you lie next to your record player in a darkened room.

Written by: Ben Bland | Date: Tuesday, 10 April 2012

Glasvegas - Relentless Garage, London - 3rd April 2012 (Live Review)

Since the release of their debut self-titled album in 2008, it is fair to say the Scottish band has certainly gone on one hell of a ride. So it was nice to see them return to the live scene and do what got them to where they are today at the Relentless Garage in Islington, London.

Written by: Ryan Crittenden | Date: Monday, 09 April 2012

Sharks - Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff - 1st April 2012 (Live Review)

British punk seems like a genre that’s forever hanging on the brink of resurgence as much as it is oblivion. With the ongoing drama of Gallows and the recent news of the King Blues splitting up, punk looks to be in a precarious position. But in the ocean of tirelessly working underground artists, Sharks are putting up a defiant fight to fill the ranks and fly the flag for British punk.

Written by: Owen Sheppard | Date: Monday, 09 April 2012

LostAlone - Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff - Friday 30th March (Live Review)

Lostalone’s is a career that’s moving full steam ahead. It’s the penultimate night of a lengthy tour providing main support for alternative metallers InMe and to add to that, it’s nearly a fortnight since the Derby three-piece saw their critically acclaimed debut LP 'I’m a UFO in this City' hit the shelves.

Written by: Owen Sheppard | Date: Thursday, 05 April 2012