Tag Archives: live music

Features

Best Live Acts of 2024!

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We’ve caught A LOT of incredible live acts over the last 12 months. We thought it was only fair to highlight some of our favourite ones. Much like last year, we won’t give grades as all live music is amazing, and it’s not ranked either, just a handful of some of our favourite sets and a recommendation to see any of them live!

Drake Milligan – Manchester Ritz

Starting with maybe the best overall show of the year, it’s been months and I’m still blown away by how good this show was! 25 of some of the best modern country music released recently, performed at the very highest standard. The band are some of the most talented and underrated around in their style, and Drake’s vocals, playing and sheer charisma throughout were of course highlights. He already has one of the strongest back catalogues out there off-of just an album and an EP, and the handful of new songs and covers he threw in were excellent too. I could rave about this man and his band all day, so if you want to see more gushing, check out the full review here. However, there was no way this wasn’t making it onto this list, and while I don’t want to rank them specifically, this would definitely be near the top. All of that and at the height of a heatwave, too!

Electric Callboy – Graspop 2024

I’d been waiting to see this band for years at this point and they were my most anticipated band for Graspop this year, and my god did they not disappoint! They were a lot of fun from the moment they took the stage to the moment they left, and brought an arena-headlining-level stageshow to an earlier festival slot. From all of the Tekkno hits to some of their best older tracks, it was over an hour of synth-metalcore goodness, and the band were very much on top form performing it! They are one of the biggest bands in the scene at the minute, and it’s because of their electric live shows like this just as much as their great writing and crazy videos. I’d recommend any reader to try and see them live, regardless of what sort of music you’re into! I couldn’t get enough of it in my review, and it was another absolute shoe-in for this list!

Creeper – 2000 Trees 2024

Honestly, looking back on this set almost half a year later, it truly felt like a religious experience. As if I haven’t already gushed over it enough in my review, as I said then, this truly did feel like it was on another level. Playing a festival they have risen up the ranks through was always going to net them a decent crowd, but they made the show in many ways, hanging on every single note. Plus, playing most of their critically acclaimed latest album, as well as two early classics, made it somehow even better. It was the perfect set for me from a song standpoint, and the band gave every ounce of energy they got from the crowd right back to them. It’s somehow made me an even bigger fan of them, and I’m desperate for them to tour fully again so I can catch another set!

Mika – Wolverhampton Halls

A bit of an outlier on this list in terms of sound, but no lesser quality a show by any means! Having been a fan the bloke for decades at this point and him being on my fiancé’s bucket list, we went along and had easily one of the best nights of the year. Packed full of so many of his hits from his back catalogue and performed as if he was still in his 20s with his energy and vocal range, it was truly something special to behold. Add to that that his band were incredible and the crowd were super invested to, and it made for one hell of a show that the two of us still talk about all these months later! I raved about it plenty in my review, and cannot recommend seeing him live enough if you ever get the chance to! He more than deserves a spot on this list!

Those Damn Crows – Winters End 2024

The second year in a row the Welsh lads have made it onto this list, and for damn good reason! They closed out the Planet Rock weekend in style and like only they could. Shane is effortlessly one of the best frontmen around today, and commanded the audience like few could. Meanwhile, the band played their asses off through the entire set. They have hit after hit at this point and the setlist was packed full of them. All the bands over the weekend were incredible (as you can see from our review), but Those Damn Crows were very much the highlight and the perfect way to cap it all off. They’re touring in March with surely a bigger one planned later in the year, so I’d highly recommend seeing them if they come nearby you, they’re an EXCELLENT live band!

Pokey Lafarge – The Long Road 2024 & Manchester Academy

A twofer this time, as I honestly couldn’t decide which set from the Samba Country artist was best. Both showcased the utterly mind-blowing talent of him and his band in terms of playing and performing, and had (almost) perfect setlists each time! And, much like others on this list, Pokey’s magnetic charisma really won me over to them, and fast! Whether it was in a huge tent in front of a mostly-unknowing festival crowd, or a small, tightly packed venue full of fans, they gave it their all both times. Both felt very different too, despite the setlists being fairly similar. So check out our reviews here and here if you want even more gushing, and to understand even deeper why both sets got a combined entry into this list! If you’re into this sort of chilled-out music, you HAVE to see this man live!

Limp Bizkit – Graspop 2024

Another excellent Graspop setlist, though I have to admit I ummed and arred about putting them in here. They were utterly phenomenal live; putting on an amazing performance to a rabid, packed crowd in Dessel. However, they did also fill the set with dj-parts, covers and even played ‘Break Stuff’ twice, to both open and close the set. They didn’t play any new tracks, and only played eight tracks they’d actually written. As a fan of the band for years and owner of a few albums, it was a slight let-down. Having said that, it’s impossible to deny that it was still one hell of a performance, and another huge highlight of Graspop. Freddy D is still one of the best frontmen in the game, and the rest of the band are criminally underrated players and performers. Check out our review of it at the time here, but looking back it was still a fantastic set!

Nickelback – Birmingham Arena

Another band that at this point I’d been waiting decades to see and had heard how good they were, only to still be absolutely blown away by their live set this year. Coming off of an excellent recent album, we got the highlights of that alongside the very best of their extensive radio-rock back catalogue. Chad sounds just as good as ever while the harmonies throughout were on point. They simply all looked like they were just out there to have fun, something rare to see in bigger bands these days! I know the band still get a lot of hate, but live they really are one of the best around. I gushed about them plenty in my review, and also shoutout to The Lottery Winners who were an excellent support band, too! It should go without saying at this point to go and see them if you ever get the chance; I honestly can’t recommend them enough! They blew me away and easily lived up to my lofty expectations!

Amigo the Devil – 2000 Trees 2024

A second offering from 2000 Trees, and another set that stunned me and has me missing the experience to this day still. I’d already fallen in love with the band from their album this year, and this set only further reinforced to me that they have been one of my favourite bands of this year. Everything about this was amazing, from the song choice to the performance to the banter with the crowd to even the setting itself; the forest stage being perfect for them. We very nearly brought tickets for them again a few days later in Birmingham, that’s how good of a show it was! Sadly work put a damper on that, though! Still, I would not hesitate to see them again, and the moment they announce another UK tour I’ll be getting tickets, no matter what or were. Once again, the review is glowing, and I’d recommend them live or on track to anyone!

Hed (PE) – Rock City

In truth, I could have picked any of the bands from the HUGE Soil tour the other month to be on this list, but out of all of them, Hed (PE) impressed me the most! I’d somehow never seen them live before, but goddamn, they were incredible. Even with some minor technical issues at the beginning, they blew me away. It was a fun set from start to finish, the crowd giving them just as much energy back as the band gave to them. They scratched that exact early 2000s experimental, nu-metal-hip-hop-reggae itch that I didn’t even realise I had until that precise moment, and I’ve listened to a lot more of the band since this show! The band don’t tour too much over here, from what I understand, but I cannot recommend seeing them live enough. I’ll certainly be seeing them again the very next chance I get!

Dan Davidson – The Long Road 2024

I wasn’t expecting to enjoy Dan as much as I did, especially across two separate sets! And that was without the full band experience too, just Dan and two more guitarists/backing vocals. However, the sheer amazingness of his vocals and songwriting made me become a little obsessed with his music coming out of the festival. He played two incredible, if similar, sets almost one after another, and as you can tell by our review, we very much loved them both! Even in our interview with him, he mentioned wanting to come back soon with a full band, so fingers cross that happens soon as I am desperate to see him again! If you’re into country stuff I cannot recommend Dan and his band enough, both live and on track! He more than earned his slot on this list!

The Bites – Rock City

The final entry in this far-from-extensive list was the first time I’d had the pleasure of seeing the NWOCR breakouts, and they certainly blew me away! It’s very easy to see why they are gaining all this momentum so quick. They’re a throwback to the 80s sleaze scene in all the best ways, and it came across perfectly in a live setting, especially one like Rock City. As much as I loved all three bands on the lineup, they were the highlight by far! The band are gonna go very far if they continue on this sort of trend in a live setting, and I’d highly recommend trying to get out to see them whenever you can. They were easily a breakout band for me this year because of this show, and it justified them sneaking onto this list!

Features, Reviews

Pokey Lafarge and The Tailspins Rock Manchester Academy!

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This was a pretty special gig for us, as it’s not typically the style of music we usually would usually cover. However, we caught Pokey’s set at The Long Road earlier this year and brought tickets for this show on the way home, we were that impressed. But how would he be at his own gig in an indoor venue? Read on to find out!

Before the main man came on, we had a wonderful duo come on as support. The Tailspins were the perfect band to open for Pokey. Their unique throwback sound of 1950’s jump-blues fit the style of the evening perfectly, and Oskar and Julia play it perfectly. Between fan favourite tracks off their EP like ‘You’ll Make it By’ and ‘Beep Beep’ to the tracks off their recent 45, we got a fantastic little set, too. And while I’m a little sad we didn’t get a full band experience, I completely understand the pressures of touring restraints these days, and Oskar did a fantastic job at playing the mouth trumpet to make up for it! And the husband-and-wife are born performers too, with Oskar’s outgoing nature and charm winning the crowd over almost immediately, while Julia fit perfectly alongside him. Their playing skills were amazing and their vocals not only fit the style fantastically, but also meshed together perfectly in their harmonies. I’d never heard of the band before, but they very much have a new fan in me!

Then, after a brief pause, the swing-blues legend and his band took to the stage. Somehow, they were even better than they were back in August. I’ve never seen a group of musicians so talented and so tight together live every time they play, and it really makes for a pleasure to behold. And as a musician myself who cannot possibly get to this sort of level of playing in this style, it was a little mind-blowing at times to witness. From the guitaring to the standup-bass to the drumming to the keys/organ to, again, PLAYING THE GUITAR AND TRUMPET AT THE SAME TIME, everyone was incredible. And that’s not to take away from Pokey either, who is a master at guitar and whose vocals fit it all so well!

As for the set list, it was very almost perfect! I was once again snubbed from seeing ‘Fuck Me Up’ live, but outside of that they played an incredible list of songs. From opening on the incredible ‘So Long, Chicago’, to playing crowd favourite deeper cuts like ‘Goodbye, Barcelona’ and the beautiful acoustic ballad ‘When Did you Leave Heaven’ (by request) to the hits like ‘Fine to Me’ and ‘Something in the Water’, it was jam packed full of highlights. And between the tracks and the extended jamming between them, it was all played amazingly well, ensuring the crowd ate it up. Pokey has a really dedicated fan base over here and the packed house in Manchester demonstrated that perfectly, hanging on every note and word. It was a fantastic show from start to finish, thanks to both the crowd and the band.

And there we have it, folks. A night packed full of amazing blues, swing and jazz music. Both bands killed it and impressed the packed crowd at the Academy no end. I cannot recommend either band enough, on track or live, especially if you like this sort of music. If either of them are nearby you, go and see them live, I promise you won’t be disappointed! I already can’t wait to see either of them again!

Features, Reviews

Uncle Lucius and The Exile Club Rock The Bodega!

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A bit of a different one for us today, especially for the Bodega, as we headed along to see the American roots icons Uncle Lucius. The band’s first tour of the UK in eight years, and another album released since then, they certainly had a lot of catching up to do! They’re currently still on their Around the World in 30 Days tour, and had not long flown from Australia, with Europe up next, but still made a couple of stops off in the UK to show off their talents. So we knew we just had to come down to the show and see just what they were like live, especially after enjoying the album so much! Check out what we thought below!

First of all, supporting were a band I’d never heard of before, but quickly fell in love with. The English soul-roots-rock-country fusion band were somehow not on my radar before now, but they have a big new fan in me! The Exile Club have had a massive year in 2024, and deserve everything they’ve gotten as they are five insanely talented songwriters and players. And not only that, but they are born performs too, each having their own moments to shine both in the solo parts and outside of them. And the combination of Abbie Middleton and Joe Hazell practically fronting the thing is awesome, them both playing off each other well vocally and in their performance, and they are captivating to watch. However, that shouldn’t take away from the other three, who are just as great. And not only that, but their stuff packs a punch live too, even more so than on track. They won the crowd over in a big way, and are sure to be a massive name in the scene sooner rather than later!

And then we swiftly moved onto the headline act of the evening. The club was quickly packed out by the time Uncle Lucius took to the stage, making for an incredibly warm experience, to say the least! However, that didn’t matter, and didn’t stop the band from utterly blowing me away. The professionalism and tightness of this band are off the charts, every cog moving like a well oiled machine and making it seem like such a smooth show. They are all insanely talented individuals and players, and it all combined together perfectly. And they sound just as good live as they do on track which, speaking as a musician, is no mean feat!

Kevin, however, is truly on another level. Again, I don’t want to take away from the rest of the band as they are all insanely talented in their own rights, but Kevin is an effortlessly magnetic frontman. His Southern drawl and charm make him captivating, and he is honestly one of the most underrated vocalists around today, especially in a live setting. I loved every single member of the band for their playing, but Kevin really nailed it for me.

And of course, the band played an incredible set list of older hits and newer bangers. My favourite off the new album, ‘All the Angelinos’, was an early-set highlight, while tracks like ‘Holy Roller’ and ‘Mockingbird’ had the crowd hooked throughout. We even got a couple of covers snuck in for good measure, both of which were great! It was a great, chilled out set of US roots music!

And there we have it, folks, what an excellent night! Both bands more than delivered, and had the crowd in the palm of their hands throughout. I love that this sort of music is starting to take off in the UK, and really can’t wait to see how far Exile Club climb, I’m gonna have to see them again soon! I cannot recommend either band enough, be it live or on track, so go away right now and listen to both! And thanks again to the amazing Lime Tree Music as always for hooking this up for us!

Uncle Lucius are Kevin Galloway (lead vocals and rhythm guitar), Doug Strahan (lead guitar), Jonny Grossman (keyboards and lead vocals on select songs), Josh Greco (drums), and Drew Sherger (bass) and honestly they barely fit on the stage of the Bodega!

Reviews

The New Roses & Leonie Jakobi Rock The Asylum!

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It’s no secret to anyone here that I love The New Roses. I’ve reviewed both recent albums, done a handful of live reviews and interviews. So of course when they announced a tour, y’all had to be expecting this review. And sure enough, the moment tickets went out, we got them for Birmingham and finally headed down to see them the other night. But what were they like? Read on to find out!

Firstly, I feel like this was the most intimate setting I’d seen the band in. Last year at Milton Keynes was small too, but this felt even more intimate. However, it was packed full of huge fans of the band, be it older or those recruited on the Massive Wagons tour last year, and they hung on the band’s every note.

However, before we get to them, we have to talk about how utterly incredible the support act was. The German-born old-school rock singer-songwriter had a solo set to open the tour instead of her usual full-band setup, but it worked fantastically. It almost gave Leonie a folk edge to her sound, something that I was not expecting heading into her set. However, it was a really interesting take on a lot of her otherwise rockier tracks, like ‘Bedroom Eyes’ and ‘Run Towards the Edge’. However, the highlight for me was the beautiful ‘Walk to West Berlin’; the already stripped-back, folky track translating so well to the set. And we even got a couple of awesome covers thrown into the mix too, her performing Whitesnake and Journey incredible well. It was a great set, and one hell of a way to open the evening!

Then, after a brief gap, the headliners took to the stage. Opening on a slew of new music off their recent album, it was great to hear something I hadn’t before! The likes of the album’s title track, ‘Bring the Thunder’ and later ‘When You Fall in Love’, ‘Natural Born Vagabonds’, ‘This Heart’ and ‘Whiskey in the Backseat’ all came across incredibly live, and were performed amazingly. Then you have some of the tracks that have stuck around from the last touring cycle like ‘Lion in You’, ‘The Usual Suspects’ and ‘1st Time for Everything’ coupled with the old classics like ‘Every Wild Heart’, ‘It’s a Long Way’, ‘Down by the River’ and ‘Thirsty’ and it was a pretty stacked setlist, to say the least! However, I do think that I’ve sadly seen them that much now that some live favourites have had to be dropped in favour of the new stuff. I know that it was inevitable, but I very much missed the likes of ‘Life Ain’t Easy’, ‘One More For the Road’ and even ‘Warpaint’. Clearly the band just need to play three hour sets like Foo Fighters or GnR, so if you could get on that next time guys that would be great…! We didn’t even get a cover, which is very shocking given how many I’ve seen them do over the years!

The band played just as well as ever, though. The stage was a little smaller than I think they’re used to at this point but Timmy and Norman ran around like the owned the place, putting on one hell of a show. Meanwhile the rhythm three held it down perfectly and played their asses off throughout. They are one of the most professional bands around in terms of sheer playing, and Timmy is one of the most underrated vocalists and frontmen around today. He had the crowd in the palm of his hand from beginning to end!

And there we have it, folks. An awesome night from two incredible artists in the semi-underground rock scene! Both Leonie and The New Roses were amazing and rocked the packed house in Birmingham! If you get the chance to see either live I cannot recommend it enough, and in the meantime you’ve GOTTA listen to them on track! We’re catching The New Roses again in February at Winters End, and will hopefully be seeing Leonie again ASAP, so expect more content on both soon!

Reviews

The Long Road 2024: The Big Bad Review – Day 3!

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We started off the final day of the festival right; with an incredible set from Kaitlin Butts. I enjoyed her last album back in June, but for some reason wasn’t expecting the sheer force of being blown off my feet quite this hard from her live show. She was phenomenal from the very moment she took to the stage. Her voice is amazing, hitting all kinds of powerful, amazing notes, and the rest of her band were playing their asses off, and clearly having a good time too. And plus, she was genuinely likeable, getting more than a chuckle out of the crowd plenty. From ‘White River’ to ‘You Ain’t Gotta Die’ and ‘Roadrunner!’, the set was packed full of highlights, and even some slight technical difficulties couldn’t hold her back.

Pokey LaFarge legitimately blew my mind. I was certainly curious going into the set as I did enjoy what I had heard and seen so far, but wasn’t sure how it would translate live, especially to a British country crowd. Well, fuck me, VERY WELL is the answer! The moment he and his band walked on stage and opened on ‘So Long Chicago’, I was blown away by the polished sound and insane musicianship. Heck, the guitarist was somehow playing guitar AND a trumpet at the same time. Mind blown. And on top of it all, the crowd responded really well to them, too. The band got into it more as they were genuinely enjoying themselves because so were the crowd.

My only complaint was that they missed a couple of songs I’d have wanted them to play. But they were so incredible that we brought tickets to their tour in November on the way home in the car, so hopefully I finally get ‘Fuck me Up’ there. Honestly, band of the weekend. Their jamming between and during songs made me ashamed to call myself a musician, they’re so talented, and his stage presence is magnetic. Goddamn.

I managed to catch a couple of tracks from our friends First Time Flyers on the VIP stage on the way to interviews. We loved them last year, and even with it just being an acoustic set with the four of them, it honestly sounded even better this time around. The crowd being so enthusiastic also probably helped. As I said, I only caught a couple of songs, but damn, their harmonies are incredible as always. They’re on a UK tour in September, I’d highly recommend any readers go down and check them out!

Remember Monday were a very odd choice for the festival, in all honesty. They had much more of a pop feel to them, not really having much of a country vibe at all. And while their harmonies were insanely impressive, they did a lot of covers and talked a lot between songs. I caught about fifteen minutes of their set before having to leave, and I wasn’t the only one. They’re three amazingly talented women, but not really suited to the festival.

The National Parks, however, blew it out of the park. Again, much like Remember Monday, they aren’t exactly a country band. However, they put on one hell of a show, and the indie-folk style did fit in rather well with the vibe. It was a chilled out set list full of plenty of bangers. It honestly wasn’t too dissimilar to Wyatt the day before in terms of feel, just more indie than country! They were great fun, and a band I’d gladly see again.

Drew Holocomb brought his Neighbours with him and put on a fantastic show in front of a far too small crowd. He had some stiff competition, for sure, but still more than held his own, getting a big crowd by the end! And he even brought out The National Parks for their collab song, ‘Dance with Everybody’, which was a definite highlight! As was their hit ‘Find Your People’ because… well.. of course it was, the place went nuts for it! Drew is so effortlessly charismatic and entertaining, and his band are amazing too. Yet another fantastic set!

We headed over to the packed out Interstate after that to catch the last few songs from Dasha, mainly to see what all the fuss was about. We could barely even get into the tent, it was that busy! Honestly, while I still don’t really get it, she at least sounds better these days than she has previously, and she seemed to put on a good show. I know a lot of people enjoyed her set, so clearly she is doing something right!

Next up was the incredible Randall King on the main stage. He was one of the acts I was most excited for going into the weekend, and he delivered in a massive way! He’s the very definition of country these days, being a suave, old-school cowboy type but still having a slight modern edge to his sound; very much neo-traditional. And of course, we got a setlist packed full of hit after hit. I feel like this was what a lot of people came to see when it came to the festival, and he certainly didn’t disappoint! I feel like a broken record saying this, but he was another serious highlight of the weekend. If you ever get the chance to see him take it, you won’t be disappointed!

Flatland Cavelry bridged the gap between Randall and the headliner in perfect style. Another chilled out entry to the festival, the Americana band brought so much fun and a surprising amount of energy to their set. The band had an amazing stage presence, and has the crowd in the palm of their hands throughout. And Cleto even brought out his wife, the wonderful Kaitlin Butts, for their emotional hit, ‘A Life Where We Work Out’. The pair work just as well together live as they do on track and damn, it was awesome! They’re not fully my sort of thing, but I had a whale of time watching them and would gladly see them again!

We then finally reached the Sunday night headliner, Russel Dickerson. Surprisingly about the only bro-country on this year’s lineup, he made the most of it, playing a pop-country heavy set, and doing so brilliantly. Swaggering through a set packed full of hits new and older like only he can, it certainly was an RD party at Stanford Hall. Even if he’s not particularly your brand of radio-country, he puts on the sort of performance that would win just about everyone around, and seemed like a genuinely nice person appreciative to be playing the festival, too. It was a big show that felt like a fitting end to cap off the main festival!

The after party to close things off that night was the amazing Brooke Eden. Honestly, it was a fitting end to the festival too; chilled out and fun and entertaining all in equal measure. Brooke is a fantastic performer, funny and with an incredible voice, and her small band did a great job backing her up.

And there we have it, folks, another incredible edition of The Long Road festival! I cannot recommend the entire event enough, from the bands to the events going on around it to the true passion the organisers have for the style and feel of country and Americana, it is truly something not to be missed for any fans of the genres. It’s become an annual event for us and one of the highlights of the year, so it’s very much a case of… until next year!

<- DAY 2

Reviews

The Long Road 2024: The Big Bad Review – Day 2!

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Day two kicked off with a bang with yet another incredible set from Dan Davidson. Back on the Front Porch but this time in the daylight, as well as avoiding much of the rain, the crowd was even bigger for him this time. His charisma and stage presence are infectiously fun, and it’s impossible not to have a blast when watching him. The crowd-requested ‘Cinderella’ was a particular highlight here, and has become another song I’m rather obsessed with since coming home. I cannot recommend Dan enough, both on track or live, so check him out ASAP!

Next, we headed over to the Interstate to catch the amazing Julian Taylor. The country-adjacent, blues/easy listening man and his band were incredible for so early in the day, and deserved twice the crowd they got. His vocals are smooth as anything, and his songwriting skill within his sound is truly amazing, every single track being great and super memorable. It was the perfect set to chill out to, especially that early in the day, and his songs somehow came across even better live as they did on track!

Adeem the Artist utterly blew me away. They packed the place out at Buddy’s with their charisma, vocal ability and lyrical story telling. Whether it was the awkward humour between songs (sometimes mid song and just ending said track dead) or the emotional tales of acceptance and American culture, they had the crowd in the palm of their hand throughout. Honestly, we were planning on scooting out mid-way through to catch the start of Southall’s set, but were having that much fun we didn’t want to leave! Heck, their battery even died at one point and we got a fully acoustic version of one of their songs, it somehow feeling even more intimate.

Adeem is a once-in-a-generation artist, that is honestly worth checking out regardless of what you are into. They touch on some heavy subjects in their music, but do so in such a way that it either makes you think or laugh, and they have a massive new fan in me!

Speaking of Southall, we did still manage to catch a good portion of their set. Being a fan of the more southern rock side of the festival, this was right up my street, and I certainly had a good time with the band. Their sound is massive and excellent, and I loved plenty of their songs. I do feel like something didn’t quite click for me, though. I don’t know if it was maybe the show, or kinda lack-there-of. There was some movement, mainly from frontman Read, but there wasn’t a huge amount of crowd interaction, from what I saw. Still, they were a damn good southern rock band, and sounded excellent.

Our good friend Kyle Daniel was next up, taking to the Rhinestone stage. How it was our first time over at that stage yet I don’t know, but Kyle kicked it off with a bang for us. It was so good to see him back after his star-making performances back in 2022, and the crowd showed up in spades to see it again. The man lives and breathes to perform, and Saturday was no different. It’s infectious to watch someone have that much energy and love for putting on a show, and as such the crowd responded loudly. And, to finally hear the songs now that Kentucky Gold is out was amazing. Particular highlights were the Jared-less ‘Summer Down South’ and the always fantastic set closer, ‘Can’t Hold Me Back’. He’s gonna be a massive name over here in the country/rock world, I’m sure of it!

Despite the heavens opening for his first song or two, Wyatt Flores killed it during his first set in the UK. Opening on the fantastic newer track ‘Running Out of Time’ before running through 10 of his very best and biggest hits, the set list was perfect. His entrancing vocal style holds up perfectly live, and his backing band did an incredible job filling out the rest of the sound. At times it honestly felt identical to the studio version, that’s how good they all did. He’s another name that’s going to be huge sooner rather than later, especially if his other packed UK dates since have anything to say about it. Another amazing set!

Next up we saw Colbie Caillat on the Interstate. She continued the trend of artists managing to get such a huge sound out of just a few of them. Between her, her guitarist and the slide guitarist, they got an amazing, full sound that most certainly rocked the packed tent they were in. I wasn’t too familiar with her music outside of the big songs, which were certainly present, but I ended up loving all of it! Her voice is incredible, and it was another rather chilled out set. And hey, I got to see ‘Bubbly’ live, which was awesome!

Paula Cole was certainly an interesting addition to the lineup. Again, I didn’t know much, knowing her really as ‘the one who did the Dawson’s Creek song’. However, for a woman in her mid-50s, she can still belt out her voice like no one’s business! She leaned a lot more towards a pop sound than a fully country/Americana, but regardless she was pretty amazing live. Her emotion and voice were on point throughout; and even though it wasn’t my particular sort of music, I found myself having a great time!

The Red clay Strays played their asses off to cap off their short UK run, and I loved every second of it! Theirs was another album this year that we adored, and it translated perfectly to a live setting, especially in a packed out tent. Brandon Coleman’s vocals are truly one of a kind, powerful yet melodic yet gravelly somehow simultaneously. And the rest of the band were just as incredible at their parts too, putting on yet another set of the weekend contender. I feel like a broken record when I say ‘oh, these guys are gonna be massive’, but the sheer amount of hype for this band before and after their set and on social media even now is huge. If they keep up with this level of release and live performance calibre, they’ll be one of the biggest names in country-rock.

The absolute legend that is Don McLean closed out the Rhinestone in epic, yet chilled out, fashion. Everyone in the crowd knew exactly what we were in for, and while I probably wasn’t excited for it, I was pleasantly surprised. He sometimes spoke a bit too much and dragged on stories, sure, but he still sounded good for a man pushing 80. We even got new album tracks like ‘Thunderstorm Girl’, alongside hits like ‘Vincent’, ‘And I Love You So’ and, of course, raucous closer ‘American Pie’. An old-school guy, we got plenty of fun jamming and band introductions, too. He certainly wouldn’t have been everyone’s cup of tea, but much like Marty Stuart back in 2022, I can’t help but love the attitude and swagger that country legends have, and both can still play pretty damn well live!

<- DAY 1

DAY 3 ->

Reviews

The Long Road 2024: The Big Bad Review!

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So, year three for us of TLR is in the bag, and once again it was an utterly fantastic weekend. From the amazing music to the beautiful scenery to plenty of other stuff going on, it’s one of the best all-round festivals out there today. We wanted to let you know all that we got up to, and how much we enjoyed it!

After battling the winds to set up our tent, we headed straight in for one of the first bands of the weekend, Gangstagrass. It’s no secret I love this band, from discovering them here back in 2022 to loving their new album. So, while they were doing a whistle-stop set before shooting off to another festival, they were still excellent. They rattled off a few recent live favourites before the bigger (and arguably best) two tracks from the latest album, ‘Up High Do or Die’ and ‘Obligatory Braggadocio’. There were certain tracks that I wish they’d played that were missed out, such as ‘Nickel and Dime Blues’ and ‘You Can Never Go Home Again’. However, with Danjo taking some time away from the band to focus on his studies, I completely get why they wouldn’t play tracks that so heavily focus around his vocals. As I said, the band were still excellent, a group of insanely talented individuals having a blast up on stage in front of a packed out tent. It just wasn’t quite the life-changing experience that that first set was.

After that we headed over to Buddy’s Good Time Bar to catch the wonderful Gina Larner. Being from the UK, we just had to pop down to catch her, and she certainly did not disappoint. I’d checked out a couple of her songs before the weekend and, to her credit, she pulls them off flawlessly live. Her vocals are phenomenal, and her songwriting packs a punch of emotion, as well as being infectiously fun at times. Her and did a great job as well, returning to the festival after playing with Alana Springsteen last year. They arguably fit with Gina better, feeling like more of a cohesive full band, and all looked like they were having fun on stage together. I sadly didn’t catch the bassists name but damn, she was playing some awesome stuff throughout. As a fellow bassist, I was not at all jealous… but yeah, an awesome set that arguably could have gone on a much bigger stage. She’s on tour in November, fingers crossed that bumps her up to the next level.

We then headed back over to the Interstate tent for the punky American Aquarium. While seemingly an odd choice for the festival, reminding me a lot of Ricky Warwick more than a country sound, but I love them, and they had one of the biggest crowds in the tent all weekend. And they played one hell of a set, having the crowd in the palm of their hands throughout. Whether it was stuff from the new album or their classic hits, everyone loved every second of it, including me. Honestly, it still feels odd that they’d put them on the Friday, the day exclusive for weekend ticket holders, as the place would have been even more packed had they been able to have day tickets purchased for them too. They were huge highlight of the Friday, for me!

Those who read our review last year know my general feelings of Chapel Hart. Heck, I could practically copy and paste my thoughts from last year here, as it was a relatively similar, if longer, set. The three women play off each other perfectly vocally and charismatically, creating a fantastic sound and a fun environment. They talked a fair amount, but were funny and entertaining doing it. My main issue yet again were the covers. Don’t get me wrong, I like a good cover now and then, but when I really quite enjoyed their album last year, I wish I could have gotten more of that over ‘Don’t Stop Believing’ yet again. But hey, the crowd were once more hugely into it, so they clearly did a great job!

The first of two afterparty sets, we saw Dan Davidson rock the Front Porch. He came over with his two guitarists for more of an intimate acoustic set, and by god did it work fantastically. His vocals are incredible, but the harmonies the three men produced were truly something special. I’ve become utterly obsessed with the song ‘Found’ since hearing it live, and it went over a storm with the crowd, too. However, the whole set did. Considering the weather was less-than-ideal, the crowd were hanging on every word and note. I was a fan to begin with, but since seeing the two sets (more on the 2nd in a minute) I’ve become a little obsessed with his music. Another huge highlight of not just the Friday, but the festival as a whole!

The other artist doing an after party set was Redferrin. We’re big fans of him here at Overtone, having reviewed his EP and chatted to him this year already, and I’d heard good things about his shows with Russel Dickerson, so was excited! He didn’t disappoint at all, either. Interestingly bringing his drummer with him and using backing tracks for the rest of the instruments, it made everything feel MASSIVE, and was an excellent idea. His vocals are just as good live as they are on track, too. His hits went down a storm, and the crowd were massively into his whole set. To the point where, when the festival cut his set a touch short, there were very loud boos, and a lot left when his mic got cut off. He’s gonna be a massive name in this scene sooner rather than later, and the show he put on on Friday night is a real testament to that, regardless of the sour note it ended on!

DAY 2 ->

Reviews

Drake Milligan Rocks the Ritz!

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Holy shit. That was a bit good.

We had the absolute pleasure of heading down to the beautiful Ritz in Manchester to catch the amazing Drake Milligan during his first ever, sold out run of UK headline shows. We got there half an hour before doors and were already queuing around the block, signalling just how big of a name the guy is going to be moving forward. But how was the show? Well, outside of the statement above, we’re here to tell you all about it!

Firstly, opening for Drake on this run is the amazing Luke Flear. I’d never heard of the Leeds lad before Saturday night but damn, he didn’t half impress me! Obvious Bon Jovi comparisons aside (the hair, the voice, the fact that he played ‘Dead or Alive’…) Luke has an incredibly interesting sound and style for a UK artist. Country is still in its infancy stages with a lot of artists out here, so to see someone so comfortably writing excellent country songs is amazing to see. Personal highlights for me were ‘Looks Country to Me’ and the beautiful piano ballad, ‘Red Vodka’. However, for just one man on a big stage by himself, he has such a fantastic presence that more than filled it out. And he had the crowd on his side throughout the entire set too, not something easily achieved when you’re the sole opener for a sold out, big name. If you ever get the chance to see him live, I would highly recommend it,as he put on one hell of a show. Hopefully next time I see him, he can have a band backing him, as the songs pop off even more on track!

After a short break, we were then hit by one of the best shows I think I’ve ever seen. I’d heard how good Drake and his band were across the three nights they did Islington, but I somehow still wasn’t quite prepared for what I witnessed. This was an absolute masterclass of life country music, both traditional and modern.

Opening on a phenomenal cover of ‘Blue Suede Shoes’, right out of the gate it showcases not only Drakes talent for playing, vocals and performance, but also immediately highlights every other member of the band, too. Then, whether it was Dallas/Forth Worth powerhouses like ‘Bad Day to Be a Beer’ and ‘Over Drinkin’ Under Thinkin’’, or Jukebox EP tracks like ‘I Got a Problem’ or the title track, the early set was already a huge, loud, crowd singalong. Heck, he even managed to get the crowd singing to two so-far unreleased tracks, both of which are fantastic. So, by the time we got to ‘What I Couldn’t Forget’, ‘Dance of a Lifetime’ and ‘Kiss Goodbye All Night’, I’m shocked the crowd had any voices left at all! Then we still had awesome covers like ‘Burning Love’, ‘Folsom Prison Blues’ (sped up, heavied up and awesome) and of course the epic, raucous closer ‘Sounds Like Something I’d Do’. We got nearly two hours worth of a set, over 20 tracks, and it was sadly over in a flash still. Heck, we even got Drake’s breakout Christmas track, much to the love of the crowd!

And, just as good as the songs that were played, was the show each and every performer put on. I don’t think I’ve quite seen someone as born to be a showman as Drake Milligan is. He’s the perfect blend of Elvis and George Strait, holding the crowd in the palm of his hand from the very first note to the very last. His vocals are just as insanely impressive as they are on track; while I honestly don’t know how anyone has that much energy to move/shake around so much, as well as have that level of charisma, for such a long set. However, the rest of the band also put on one hell of a show, too. Whether it was interacting with Drake or with each other, they were just as energetic, and looked like they were having a blast on stage. Everyone complimented each other perfectly, and are all also criminally underrated players. Their solos at the end all showed just how amazing they are, and was another huge highlight moment of the night for me.

Overall, it was one of the best gigs I think I’ve ever been to, honestly. Luke was amazing, but Drake Milligan and his band are just on another level. I’ve seen plenty of bands in my day, be it country or otherwise, and very few are anywhere close to the show I witnessed on Saturday night. Everything from the performance to the songs to the sound to just Drake’s endearingly cocky personality just worked so well together. I’ve honestly never heard 1500 people get so loud, either. I cannot recommend Drake enough, on track but especially live. He’s well on his way to becoming a massive name in country, and I don’t think he’s ever going to be playing venues this small over here again. It was a party through and through, and the crowd made it just as good as everything else. It’s been a fantastic year for live music here at Overtone, but goddamn, I think Drake Milligan just took the cake!

Reviews

2000 Trees 2024 – Saturday Review!

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So, somehow I have reached the ripe old age of nearly 30 and not been to one of the biggest rock festivals in the UK. That finally all changed last weekend when I went to 2000 Trees for the day. It’s not like I hadn’t been to other festivals of the same size (see our Long Road Review, for example), but I still didn’t know what to expect. Safe to say I loved it! It’s very well set up and organised, isn’t too big, and packs plenty of different stages and styles into the small sight. I’d definitely go back again if the lineup was another good one!

But, I also want to talk about the bands, as we managed to see a good few over the day…

The first band we caught a full set from were The Xcerts on the main stage. Scottish bands just seem to hit different, and these were no exception. The soft/indie/pop rock was amazing to hear live, and the crowd went nuts throughout. I’d not really heard their music before now, just their name, but they have a big new fan in me, and I’ve had a few of their songs on a fair bit over the past few days since I got back. They fed perfectly off the massive love from the crowd and, although the frontman came across as a bit arrogant at times, it kinda worked well with their show. A great way to open the day for us!

We caught the first half of the Mysterines on the main stage too, but honestly I could take them or leave them. They sounded good, but didn’t feel they had really any stage presence, just going through the motions instead of performing. Maybe it was the style of music though, as plenty around us appeared to love it!

We then headed over to the awesome Forest Sessions stage to catch Mordessa. Granted, we thought we were going over for Noah and the Loners, and I’m still not quite sure what happened there or if something got lost in translation. However, I didn’t mind, as Mordessa were desert rock/grungy/indie awesomeness! The band had such a swaggering stage presence, as if they were playing on a stage far bigger than they were. They only had a short set, but ripped through a handful of awesome songs, and looked like they had fun doing it! The band only have one track out currently, but are going to go far if they keep pushing!

Then we reached the first of a run of three bands that we went to the festival to see, Amigo the Devil. I didn’t know what to expect, but I came away having experienced one of the best sets I’d ever seen. It was 45-minutes of dark folk/spooky banjo time awesomeness, and I was all for it. On top of being an incredible lyric and songwriter, Danny is one of the most charismatic people I’ve ever seen, holding the crowd in the palm of his hand from the very first note. And the rest of his band were also amazing, both at plating and performing. For a minimal stagehsow, I couldn’t take my eyes off any of it!

And whether it was new album tracks (which are awesome) like ‘It’s All Gone’ or ‘Cannibal Within’, or old crowd favourites like ‘Hell and You’ or amazing set closer ‘Hungover in Jonestown’, it was all incredible. We even got a new, yet-unreleased track, ‘My Body is a Dive Bar’, which went over a storm and is catchy awesomeness just like everything else. It was not only one of the best sets of the day, but one of the best sets I’ve seen so far this year. To the point where I was almost tempted to get tickets to their Birmingham show, and probably would have if I wasn’t already busy at another gig at the weekend. The band are phenomenal, and deserve to be absolutely massive with the show they put on and the songs they write. Amazing stuff.

Somehow, despite being a fan since practically the moment I arrived in secondary school, I’d never managed to see Frank Turner live. That finally all changed last Saturday, as I got to witness a full near-hour-and-a-half from the lyrical-genius folk-punk rocker. And what a set it was, too. I got every single song I could have possibly asked for (aside for maybe something off No Man’s Land) and more. From modern hits like ‘Do One’ and ‘Haven’t Been Doing so Well’ to old classics ‘Recovery’, ‘I Still Believe’ and even ‘Worse Things Happen at Sea’ (requested by the booker), it was a hugely enjoyable, varied set. He’s a consummate professional when it comes to performance too, having done pushing 3000 shows and perfecting how to hold a crowd. He even got over half of them jumping on day three of a festival in the rain, which not many people would be able to do. The Sleeping Souls are just as entertaining to watch too, and played their hearts out for the entire set. I loved every second, and my inner teen can finally be happy. Heck, a good half of it legitimately gave me goosebumps, finally hearing it live. If it wasn’t for the bands either side of it, it would have been a set to remember…

Holy shit, Creeper are on another level. They were very much on their home turf, playing to a packed tent at a festival that they cut their teeth at in the beginning and have rose through the ranks of over the years. However, that’s still no excuse for putting on the absolutely blinding show that they did last Saturday.

Opening on the epic ‘Further Than Forever’ before continuing to run through the best Sanguivore has to offer (and there’s a lot), I was in heaven already. Will is a born frontman and showman and bounced around the stage like a man possessed, and the crowd lapped up the entire thing. However, the rest of the band put on just as good of a shoe, and deserve all the props in the world for that. It was already a special set, but it was when they dived back into their first album that it got truly magical. The crowd went nuts for the punky ‘Down Below’, giving it everything they got. And by the time emotional ballad ‘Misery’ was played, everyone was singing their hearts out. Heck, the band paused before the last chorus and the crowd carried it on, and fucking loudly I might add. It was a truly special moment, and one that nearly brought most of the band to tears. And of course, closing on their big recent single ‘Cry to Heaven’ was also an excellent idea. The band have been going from strength to strength over the last couple of years, and goddamn if this set doesn’t prove that they are a massive headliner in the making!

Don Broco felt like a bit of a comedown after that. Don’t get me wrong, I was never the biggest fan of the band anyway, but just about anyone would feel like a comedown after Creeper. It didn’t help that they also didn’t sound great, though. I also feel like opening on their biggest hit, ‘Everybody’ didn’t help. It was one of the few songs I’m a fan of by the band, and hearing how much Rob sounded like he struggled to sing it, his voice sounding hoarse, it kinda put a dampener on the rest of the set. To the point where we only stayed for a few more songs, peacing out after another song I don’t mind, ‘Gumshield’. They put on a good show, don’t get me wrong, and it was cool to see some pyro, but it just felt like there was something off with them, and after a fantastic day I struggled to enjoy them somewhat.

Overall, though, it was an amazing day! Some incredible bands and a generally really well put together festival. I’d go back again in a heartbeat, and would LOVE to see Amigo or Creeper again ASAP. If you ever get the chance, check out the festival or any of the bands, I can’t recommend it all enough!

Reviews

Graspop Metal Meeting 2024: The Big Bad Review – Day 3

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Saturday for us started in the tent, getting heavy with New York’s own Suffocation. I loved their latest album, and feel like it translated even better over to a live environment. They ripped through a lightening fast, aggressive 45-minute set and tore the roof off the marquee, great for a set so early in the day.

Next up for us was over to Juliper to catch the latter half of Red. I’d somehow never heard of them before they were announced for this festival, insane given that they’re from the US and right up my street in terms of music. Live, they were fine. I’d have probably enjoyed them more if I was more familiar with their songs, but surprisingly they didn’t do much to turn me onto any of them particular when playing them.

Vola, on the other hand, were exceptional. I knew they would be, hearing how good they are live before,but they still blew me away. It almost added to the atmosphere too that they were put in the metal dome tent, it making for a darker, more intimate show. And, from ‘Stray the Skies’ to ‘Head Mounted Sideways’ to even the incredible live debut of ‘Break my Lying Tongue’, it was a damn good set!

Sadly Frog Leap cancelled due to his airline losing his gear. As a result, we caught Steel Panther on the North stage instead. I’ve seen them a good few times over the years and thought they’d gotten pretty stale. However, clearly it had been a while, as I found myself quite enjoying them. They’ve always been good musicians, and focusing heavily on their first two albums was a great choice, as much after that isn’t great. Because of that, their setlist was full of bangers, and their banter was enjoyable after five plus years away from them. If you’ve never seen them before, they are well worth checking out. They’re a good singalong and a great laugh every show. From ‘Eyes of the Panther’ to the stage-invading classic now ‘17 Girls in a Row’, it was a blast.

Next up were my favourite current band, Ice Nine Kills. I managed to see them last year and, once again, they didn’t disappoint. Heck, the literal only thing I can complain about is that they didn’t get a longer set, so didn’t play as many songs as I’d have liked. But still, from ‘Hip to Be Scared’ to ‘Wurst Vacation’ to ‘American Nightmare’ and all the costume changes and set-pieces that came with it, it was an awesome set. It was weird that, at least where we were (which was pretty close to the front), the crowd weren’t that into it, but I still loved it! One of the best bands live and on track around today, and once again they smashed it out of the park!

We caught the first part of Mr Bungle and, while I respect the hell out of Mike Patton, Scott Ian and Dave Lombardo, I couldn’t get into it. I love Mike’s vocal ability, but always preferred the softer, weirder side of Bungle’s old stuff, the ska and the jazz and the easy listening. I’d heard all they play these days is the thrashier stuff, and that is indeed true. If you’re into that, you’d surely love them live, but there were so many other good, heavy bands on over the weekend that this didn’t stand out, and we got hungry so left.

We returned in time to catch Architects. For any long-term readers here who maybe checked out our review of them with Biffy a couple of years ago, what a difference a lineup makes, ey? Given that I didn’t think much of them then, they absolutely killed it here. Clearly they were told to tone it down with Biffy, as they put on one hell of a show here, playing the highest of highs of their back catalogue across an awesome hour-long set. Sam was a good a frontman as ever, even acting professional when they cut his mic off while he was thanking people after the set. I can’t believe how much I’ve slept on Architects live, and I’m gonna have to see them again at their own show after this set!

Move aside everyone else, daddy Durst is in the house. Another band to add to the ‘somehow Joe had never seen them but has now’ list, Limp Bizkit were just as incredible as everyone has been saying they are currently live. Yes, they played a lot of DJ stuff in between songs. Yes, they played ‘Break Stuff’ twice, both to start and end the set. Yes, they didn’t play anything off their last album and left out a lot of great songs. But when you have a frontman as entertaining and charismatic as Fred Durst, none of that matters. He had the crowd at his beck and call for the entire set, and the place went nuts throughout. Heck, they even got a kid up on stage with them, stealing Wes’ guitar to play ‘Faith’. It was awesome, and he killed it! The hour went by in a flash and they were easily one of the best sets of the weekend. I NEED to see them again soon!

Capping off the Saturday are two of the biggest bands to come out of the 2000s metal scene, Avenged Sevenfold and Bring me the Horizon. And, controversially, I think I may have the opposite opinion as a lot of other people around currently. I LOVED A7X, even going into it with low expectations after hearing they ‘weren’t great’ at Download. Meanwhile, less surprisingly, I didn’t care for BMTH.

Avenged played one of the best sets they could have done. Yes, they did play some of the new album, but songs like ‘We Love You’, ‘Game Over’ and ‘Nobody’ come across a lot better live than on track. Heck, even ‘Cosmic’ isn’t as bad of a closer as everyone makes it out to be. Meanwhile, we got awesome songs like ‘A Little Piece of Heaven’, ‘Save Me’, and the tear-inducing ‘Fiction’. Yes, I’d have loved for some more older tracks on the setlist, but with them touring the latest album, they did the best with what they had. M. sounded surprisingly on point throughout, and the rest of the band killed it as always (aside for the backing vocals, why oh why can Zacky or Johnny still not sing?). And the wrap-around video screens to back the stage were awesome, making for a really immersive set. I loved it, and hope they pump out another album so they fully tour the UK and Europe again soon!

Meanwhile, BMTH arguably put on a more engaging show, with pyro and the cool AI intro thing. But, for me, the music still isn’t there. I still can’t get into them, across their varying styles, and this latest album is maybe their worst offering yet. No matter how cool their stageshow is, it can’t make me enjoy songs like ‘AmEN’ and ‘LosT’. Even standout ‘DArkSide’ was rather meh as an opener, mainly due to how instantly dislikable I find Oli Sykes. For all of you who enjoyed it and have enjoyed them over the years, I’m so glad, they are clearly doing something right either with their music or marketing. But after so many attempts I just don’t get it, and even seeing the best show they had to offer, I came away indifferent at best. ‘Throne’ and ‘Shadow Moses’ are still enjoyable songs, and came across okay live, but the only one that was missing for me was ‘Happy Song’. I certainly wouldn’t rush to see them again, but they do bring the big-band-show like few do these days.

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