Event Reviews

Slowly but surely, The Arena Crewe is becoming one of my favourite venues in Crewe, thanks to the vision and verve of co-owner Lawrence Thomason and his hard working team, point proven by his event on April 11th 2025, Original Bands Night. As the title says, the four bands all …

Reviewers: Alex English and Ant Firmin // Photos: Ant FirminDown a narrow staircase, beneath the low ceilings of a Halifax pub, time seems to slow. The flicker of fairy lights and the low murmur of voices give the space an almost secretive feel – like stumbling into a hidden ritual. …

Easter Sunday afternoon 2024 will always remain in my memory as West Midland based band Jayler were certainly the loudest, youngest and most flamboyant band I’ve seen at the Cosey Club in Haslington, playing at the CozyZone event. A two hour set (with no break) flew by on a barrage …

Manchester’s own post rock festival is a cinematic masterpiece

Tonight, the ‘StratMaster’ Philip Sayce returns to the UK with special guest Troy Redfern to kick off his 10-date tour in support of his latest album, The Wolves Are Coming, released earlier this year. Photo by Alex English Troy Redfern King of Slide guitar, Troy Redfern is a two-man band tonight …

With a boxing event and a gig at each of Manchester’s arenas, as well as City had just finishing their football game, and a major road closure, the result could only end up being epic gridlock in Manchester’s City Centre which in turn meant that the final mile of my …

Where does the time go? It’s hard to believe that my first Takeaway Thieves gig was an acoustic set at the Waterloo in Blackpool, June 16th 2018. It was only their second gig, the first being the night before after only nine rehearsals, opening up a five band bill to …

The long drive from Manchester to York is made even longer by rush hour traffic, what should have been a 90 minute drive ended up being 3 hours, fortunately I left plenty of time for such eventualities. Once at the Barbican the first thing that strikes me is how fabulous …

The Dead Daisies ignite the Picturedrome in Holmfirth It has been over a decade since the supergroup’ The Dead Daisies hit the scene. Let’s make some noise tonight as singer John Corabi is back, bitch, along with ‘The Meat-Machine’ Tommy Clufetos, pounding those skins!  If that’s not enough to get …

Down on the farm at Whitebottom Estates set in the idyllic surroundings of Etherow Country Park, you’ll find the location of Firevolt ‘Rock’ Festival. Who promises you three days of Face Metlting ROCK!! With an average of nine bands playing each day, the mayhem kicks off just after mid-day, giving …

A week ago today, Toronto’s The Commoners came to play the penultimate date of their UK Summer Tour at The Belgrave Music Hall in Leeds. Joining them as a special guest and main support is guitarist and singer-songwriter Madison Galloway. Madison Galloway sets our spirits free on this hot summer evening …

The March Violets – Crocodile Promises Tour gig Review

Whenever the name Amigo The Devil pops up I get an overwhelming rush of excitement. It is just over a year since I last saw ATD performing for the first time at tonight’s venue ‘The Wardrobe’ on the ‘Hungover in UK/Europe’ Tour in 2023. In support of the recently released …

At the height of the 2000s, there was a swarm of indie, garage and rock and roll bands, from Jet, The White Stripes to The Hives and of course Electic Six. The Detroit rockers took you to the ‘Gay Bar’ and gave you ‘Danger! High Voltage!’ off their bombastic debut …

Leeds based Bad Owl are promoters of truly interesting music, the stuff that can be most certainly be described as left field, and today they are celebrating their 100th event with eight bands of varying styles.  Think ArcTanGent and you get the drift although this a local party for localish …

Hard-edged grunge-rockers Vendetta Love make their first UK performance at Sheffield’s Indie-Go Resurrection bar (formerly The Devonshire Cat), tonight’s event was organised by Red Pen promotions. On stage tonight, are three blistering acts: ‘Bad Heritage’, ‘Eddie & The Wolves’ and of course Irish headliners Vendetta Love. BAD HERITAGE is a …

Tonight is the second show of Troy Redfern’s eleven-date ‘Invocation’ Headline tour at Retro Bar in Manchester. It’s great to see a few familiar gig-goers out supporting Troy. Telling them I’ve never been to Retro bar before, I’m giving a bit of a history lesson; apparently, the bar was known …

With the festival season underway we take a look back at Firevolt Festival 2023...

The Brudenell Social Club in Leeds is one of the best venues in the country, especially the iconic main room and I’ve never seen a bad gig here.  And so I return on a hot early summer evening with some the Planet Mosh crew to enjoy this sold out show.The …

Birmingham’s Resorts World Arena – let’s face it – for some of us it will always be the NEC – is a 15000 capacity arena has had a serious facelift since I was last there in 1988 and is far nicer than the MEN Arena or AO Arena in Manchester.  …