Category: gig reviews
-
RNS/Hewitt live at the Glasshouse review – impeccable Mozart lacks bite
Angela Hewitt’s attention to detail and exquisite technique delivered some stunning moments of clarity in these two Mozart piano concertos, but also felt prosaic in places. A thrilling second half confirmed concertmaster Maria Włoszczowska as an exceptional talent.
-
Thundercat live at O2 City Hall review – virtuoso bassist goes full jazz fusion
Thundercat may be one of the world’s most respected bassists, but in this exhausting set of samey solos his technical wizardry was largely lost to City Hall’s booming acoustics. Alex Walden and Bertie Kirkwood jointly report.
-
Courting live at the Cluny review – indie’s next big thing has room for improvement
The Liverpudlian post punkers’ live offering is rough around the edges and their fixation with heavy-handed autotune grates – but they do possess the sort of roof-demolishing closing number most bands can only dream of.
-
RNS/Kanneh-Mason live at the Glasshouse review – epic Beethoven pushes RNS to the limits
Starry pianist Isata Kanneh-Mason’s Clara Schumann had crystalline clarity plus a stunning cello solo, but it was Dinis Sousa’s vigorous tackling of Beethoven’s most fabled symphony that had RNS operating at their genuinely world class best.
-
Girl Ray live at Belgrave Music Hall review – playful disco gets lost in the mix
Playing to a sparse crowd in Belgrave Music Hall, Girl Ray’s undercooked hour of straightforward disco-pop had highlights but suffered from a muddy mix and was ultimately upstaged by their support act.
-
RNS/Kim live at the Glasshouse review – music fizzing with tension
Playing to a half-capacity Glasshouse, Sunwook Kim’s admirable account of Brahms’s Second Piano Concerto was technically dazzling if lacking in nuance before the RNS found lift off with an invigorating Schumann symphony.
-
Jessie Ware live at Victoria Warehouse review – unparalleled joy
This seasoned popstar knows what she’s doing when it comes to delivering a night out for the ages. This deeply uplifting evening came replete with flawless disco sing-alongs, nut-tight choreography and even a stellar Cher cover to boot.
-
Abel Selaocoe live at Boiler Shop review – fiery cello beats come filled with love
No Bach Preludes were to be found here, just consistently thrilling African beats propelled by Selaocoe’s fierce bowing and awesome throat singing. In between show-stopping dance numbers and a spellbinding percussion solo, it was the audience participation that lifted this gig towards something spiritual.
-
Squid live at Boiler Shop review – oddball post-punk casts a spell
Squid’s twisted, ugly brand of post-punk rock music was a perfect match for the industrial surroundings of Newcastle’s finest gigging venue for a set packed with interest and surprises, not least a theatrical twist at its climax.
-
Manchester Collective live at Star and Shadow review – classical’s shocking cutting edge
Eclectic was the word for this remarkable new project from Manchester Collective’s Rakhi Singh and Alan Keary. Singh’s Bach and Keary’s Reich were each fantastic in their own ways, but it was a chilling closing piece that had audience members either enthralled or clamouring for the exit.
-
Theo Katzman live at Òran Mór review – Vulfpeck’s showman gets spiritual
On a damp and dreary night in Glasgow, Theo Katzman showcased his exemplary songwriting and impressive technique despite a set bloated with solos in one of those gigs overshadowed by my own circumstances.
-
Penelope Scott & Lincoln live at the Deaf Institute review – agonisingly unprepared
A dejected, overwhelmed Lincoln set the scene for a thoroughly unprofessional showing from Penelope Scott, whose pitchy vocals and underwhelming songs made the hour feel like two.
-
boygenius live at the Piece Hall review – has Halifax ever seen anything like this?
On a first night in a glistening Piece Hall, the three individually lauded American songwriters brought almost unprecedented star power to humble old Halifax. Euphoric rock anthems and heartbreakingly fragile ballads had the superfans in raptures during a gig almost derailed by mass faintings.
-
Prince Daddy & the Hyena live at the Key Club review – a hit and run blast of mayhem
Straightjacketed into a fleeting 45 minute set, this performance from the New York emo rockers was agonisingly defined by all the great songs they neglected. At least the berserk crowd didn’t seem to mind.
-
Emma Rawicz live at Brudenell Social Club review – youthful boundary-pushing veers towards indulgence
Challenging and ambitious, Emma Rawicz’s polymorphous jazz sought to tread new ground on a yearly return to the Brudenell. Epic solos and an extraordinary closing number had the audience baying for more, not least because her 90-minute set contained just six songs.
Undertone 