American rocker Ryan Adams is probably one of the hardest working musicians in the business. His long career has recently culminated in his latest eponymous release (his 14th solo album), which has received critical acclaim and resulted in 3 Grammy award nominations. I was pleasantly surprised to find he was touring the UK and far more surprised that he had decided to grace Leicester with his presence. Naturally, I had to get a good spot front and centre for his performance. Continue reading
(Guest Author: Ailish Barker-Brown)
American Country band, Little Big Town, had an extremely successful 2014 with the release of their sixth studio album, ‘Painkiller’ of which the lead single, ‘Day Drinking’, went on to reach number 2 on Country Airplay. They also won Vocal Group of the Year at the CMA (Country Music Association) Awards in November, beating Lady Antebellum, and were invited to join the Grand Ole Opry by country legend Reba McEntire. They’re all set for a successful 2015 too, beginning with their UK ‘Painkiller’ tour and the release of their latest single, ‘Girl Crush’. I was lucky enough to get a ticket to see them perform at The Ritz. Continue reading
Photo Source: Nathan Barnes
Young Irish songwriter Andrew Hozier-Byrne, better known simply as Hozier, has had an astounding year. His song ‘Take Me To Church’ reached number 2 in the charts, currently has around 90 million views on YouTube, was one of the most listened to songs of the year and earned him nominations for both a Grammy and a BRIT award. His eponymous debut album has received critical acclaim. His songs have featured in several top TV soundtracks, he’s performed at such high profile events as Saturday Night Live and the Victoria Secret Fashion Show, Adele has attended one of his concerts and is one of his many famous fans and, most importantly, he won my award for album of the year. Thankfully I was lucky enough to get tickets to one his several sold out London shows. Continue reading
Generally when you experience any sort of live music, it falls into two categories. You have the small, intimate gigs that have a friendly sociable atmosphere, which feel like a unique, once-in-a-lifetime experience. It’s moments like these where it would hardly be surprising if the act bought a round of drinks at the end of the set and spent hours hanging out with their fans. At the other end of the scale you have massive stadium tours and festival crowds. You are but a tiny speck in a galaxy of faces staring with adoration at some larger than life music idol. As I stood in the magnificent Alexandra Palace that fateful autumn evening it struck me that I was experiencing a bizarre mix of the two. Continue reading
image source: jackwhiteiii.com
The musical mad scientist that is Jack White has been a juggernaut of rock music for a good few years now. Both with The White Stripes and with his side projects, The Raconteurs and The Dead Weather, he has written some of the most memorable riffs of a generation, composed crazy, artistic and innovative songs with equally amazing videos and has spearheaded the revival of the blues… all whilst acting like an over-the-top Johnny Depp character. So with the recent tour supporting his latest solo effort ‘Lazaretto’, I headed down to a gig in God’s own county to see whether or not he still had the magic touch. Continue reading
Image source: Dee Christensen Photography
If you’d have asked me who I most wanted to see live, after much deliberation I would probably have said Foy Vance. He is a Northern Irish song-smith with a golden voice and a heart to match. He sings with the grit of Bruce Springsteen, the soul of Otis Redding and the passion of Van Morrison. So imagine my excitement at getting a ticket to a gig billed as an ‘intimate evening’ with the man himself. Continue reading
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