Reviews

Words from the room.

Lucy Kruger & The Lost Boys

There’s a certain kind of crowd that gathers at The Lexington for shows like this. Not loud, not restless, just quietly expectant.

Tori Amos at Royal Albert Hall

There are artists you see live, and then there are artists who completely take over a room. Tori Amos at Royal Albert Hall is one of them.

Muse at O2 Brixton Academy, London

Muse returning to Brixton Academy was never really about nostalgia.

YUNGBLUD at the O2

I went into Yungblud at the O2 with a fair amount of scepticism.

Skunk Anansie at The Water Rats

For one night, Skunk Anansie went back to being S.C.A.M again.

Chance Peña at Roundhouse

Chance Peña at the Roundhouse felt far bigger than I expected from an artist I had only properly discovered last year.

Glen Hansard at Roundhouse

Glen Hansard brought his Don’t Settle era to the Roundhouse with a set that felt messy, loud, strange and far more alive than a nostalgic greatest-hits show.

Dermot Kennedy at The O2

Dermot Kennedy brought the scale of The Weight of the Woods Tour to The O2 while knowing exactly when to step back and let the songs speak for themselves.

Sofia Isella at Roundhouse

Sofia Isella closed her Her Desire, The Nemesis tour at the Roundhouse with a performance that blurred poetry, theatre and collective ownership of the songs.

Dogstar at Roundhouse

Dogstar’s Roundhouse show unfolded without self-importance, letting patience, space and the trio’s easy camaraderie carry the evening.

The Neighbourhood at OVO Arena

The Neighbourhood have been around for more than a decade, but looking around OVO Arena Wembley, the audience skewed noticeably younger than the band’s history might suggest.

My Chemical Romance at Wembley Stadium

My Chemical Romance turned Wembley into a carefully staged procession, a communal reunion and a vivid return to the world of The Black Parade.

Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds at Preston Park

For a few days Brighton became Nick Cave’s city, culminating in an intense Preston Park performance and a surprise appearance from Kylie Minogue.

Mumford & Sons at BST Hyde Park

Mumford & Sons returned to BST Hyde Park for a festival day that built from emerging artists to surprise appearances by Hozier and Shania Twain.

Brigitte Calls Me Baby

Chicago’s Brigitte Calls Me Baby brought a darker, slightly theatrical edge to KOKO, with Tom A Smith opening the show.

Jon Batiste at KOKO

Songs of Hope and Change brought collaboration, generosity and moments of genuine beauty to the third night of Jon Batiste’s KOKO residency.