
Ultimate summer festival guide 2025
It’s our favourite time of year… we’re dreaming of fresh green fields, flags waving in the gentle breeze, bands starting up on stage and a cosy tent to snuggle into at night. Here’s our UK festivals calendar with an emphasis on independents – and many of them come with personal recommendations. On a sad note, many…
Read MoreTerry Bickers and The Inner Spiral gigs and new music
Terry Bickers, legendary founder member and guitarist of House of Love fame has announced three intimate shows and there’s new music – under wraps for now – to come too. The original band’s phenomenal first album House of Love in 1990 still sounds as fresh now as it did on its release – tracks like Shine…
Read MoreMogwai and Lankum for South Facing Festival
Two phenominal acts are confirmed for a South Facing Festival double bill at Crystal Palace Park – Mogwai and Lankum. The two acts will complement each other perfectly and this is one summer evening not to miss. This exclusive event marks Mogwai’s only UK summer appearance and Lankum’s only London show of 2025. With eleven acclaimed…
Read MoreMien (Black Angels and Elephant Stone) tour UK
Psych Krautrock band Mien – members include Black Angels Alex Maas and Rishi Dhir of Elephant Stone – is returning to tour the UK in May, and we couldn’t be more excited. Mien member Rishi Dhir is lead vocalist plus guitar and sitar player with his other band Elephant Stone who have toured the UK…
Read MoreNew song by Marianne Faithfull plus RSD release
Sentiment around the new 4‑track EP by Marianne Faithfull called Burning Moonlight is captured by Marianne’s son, Nick Dunbar. He says, “As we grieve the loss of Marianne, we are pleased to announce the release of these songs which she worked on during the year before her death. Marianne lived to create and perform music…
Read MoreDoves at Shepherd’s Bush London plus White Flowers Photo Gallery
Doves returned to London’s Shepherd’s Bush Empire for a triumphant, sold out gig with Andy and Jez Williams – for now Jimi Goodwin is absent from the tour lineup. The last time they played at this venue was in 2000. It was, like all the other nights on this tour, a long set with plenty…
Read MoreLove Motion stars Nile Rodgers and CHIC
Join Love Motion, the special one-day event, part of the South Facing festival series in Crystal Palace Park. This year, Nile Rodgers, co-founder of CHIC, is to headline. With CHIC, Nile pioneered a musical language with hits like Le Freak and sparked hip-hop with Good Times and Rapper’s Delight. His work in the CHIC Organization,…
Read MoreConstellations For The Lonely by Doves
By some weird chance, the first time I heard Renegade, I was stepping off the tram and crossing the sad wasteland of Piccadilly Gardens to meet a friend in the Northern Quarter. Ominous, thundery synths and an echoey piano note fade to Jimi’s familiar vocals describing a bleak and tortured landscape, both emotionally and physically.…
Read MoreChoses Sauvages release new single Cours Tourjours
We’ve become fans of French-Canadian band Choses Sauvages with their upbeat brand of dance-punk. Their single called ‘En joue’ caught our attention last year. Now a new track just released called Cours Toujours offers another glimpse into the Francophone band’s sound. There’s a touch of Steely Dan to the opening notes before the track breaks…
Read MoreSpring UK festivals 2025
From one-day events to full weekenders, we’re delighted to see that there’s a growing number of spring festivals happening in towns and cities around the UK. Check our guide to see if there’s something happening at your local venues. Dark Arts Saturday 15 March Dark Arts is back again with a great lineup of punk at…
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