After a huge tour to end 2025, Inspiral Carpets took some time to record a new album and this week they re-emerged as they start their massive 2026 campaign. Stuart Ralston took a trip down to Chester to catch Oscar Boon’s debut on guitar and a whole lot more.
This reminds me of when The Good, The Bad and The Queen chose to play an intimate gig at two working men’s clubs in North Tyneside, namely Cullercoats Crescent Club and Tynemouth Social Club back in 2018. They sold out in five minutes, which is exactly what happened when Mike D, along with his band 5D, played to the sold out capacity crowd on Wednesday night. The support tonight was by Tony Bontana from Birmingham, the enigmatic MC, artist and producer.
Little Sparrow launched her second album Feather Moon with an intimate show at 53two, one of Manchester's best-kept secret creative spaces. Performing the album in full with a band and a surprise guest as well as a series of anecdotes about the songs, she delighted an attentive appreciative and enthusiastic crowd.
Twelve years on from her debut, the long-awaited second record from Little Sparrow is with us. Feather Moon contains a mix of the familiar and the brand-new for those who've followed her flight since Wishing Tree with one constant - a show-stopping voice that carries the emotion of the words and brings them to vivid life.
The Rebel Scum UK tour is the bringing together of four creatives in celebration of the energy and spirit of hip hop, electro punk and the sheer attitude and rebellion against economic and social injustice of the system. As a nod to the rebel forces fighting the Empire think Rage Against the Machine meets Public Enemy.
Touring with a full live band and presenting his 7th, Pictish Trail studio album; Life Slime, Johnny Lynch does not disappoint. Along with his many musical talents, he is effortlessly entertaining and amusing. The stage was rather full with the band Joe Cormack on guitar, Robyn Dawson on keys and violin, Susan Baird on bass and Iain Stewart on drums. There was a good mix of fans here with a warm feeling of connection.
Just Mustard are currently on tour in support of their second album We Were Just Here which they released at the end of 2025. Gillian Heal caught up with their show in Newcastle.
James’ Love Is The Answer tour rolled into its biggest venue to date, London’s O2 Arena where the full extent of the tour’s ambitious sonic and visual production could be witnessed.
James made their first ever visit to the Motorpoint Arena as their Love Is The Answer tour rolled into Nottingham on Tuesday night. With an ever-evolving setlist they delivered a mix of the familiar, less-familiar and brand-new.
James' Love Is The Answer tour rolled into Cardiff International Arena on Monday night. A perfectly balanced and flowing set had something for everyone - a generous smattering of hits from their 1990's chart heyday, select choices from their reformation period and a glorious brand new song that shows their creative spark is still as bright as it's been at any point in their career to date.
James' Love Is The Answer Tour headed to Liverpool's M&S Bank Arena on Saturday night, their first visit to this venue in a decade. With a refreshed setlist, changing both the main set opener and closer, playing a brand new song in the encore and reintroducing an old favourite into the set, they ensured that those who'd avoided the chaos of the Grand National in the city had bet on the right horse.
James continued their Love Is The Answer tour at Newcastle Utilita Arena on Friday night. Keeping the set fresh with some tour debuts, delving back into their 1980s catalogue and bringing us right up to date with a brand new song, they demonstrated exactly why they’re selling more tickets now than ever before.
James opened their Love Is The Answer UK arena tour on Friday night at the Utilita Arena in Birmingham with a set that contained many of their biggest hits, a few surprise curveballs and two brand new songs.
A neon sign adorns the stage changing red to blue, Tony Bennett’s Rags to Riches is playing and this all seems very appropriate for the excellent Good Health, Good Wealth on their Millionaires UK & IE Part 2 tour.
James opened their Love Is The Answer tour with a warm-up show at the O2 Academy in Bristol on Saturday night. Combining two brand-new songs with some long-lost deep cuts and some, but not all, of their biggest hits, they delighted a crowd packed in to the intimate venue.
David Ford returned to Manchester and the hallowed setting of Halle St Peter's as part of Manchester Folk Festival on Thursday night. A career spanning set delighted a mix of older fans and won over many of the festival attendees.
TVAM's tour in support of new album Ruins, released last Friday, headed to The Common Rooms in Newcastle on Saturday night supported by Marina Zispin. Gillian Heal was there to report back.
French multi-instrumentalist Julia Pertuy played the second of a short two-night UK tour at the Cluny in Newcastle on Monday night. Gillian Heal attended and was blown away by the music, movement and beauty of the performance
Pure Reason Revolution headed to Manchester on Friday night to reprise their debut album The Dark Third on its twentieth anniversary as part of a short series of dates that saw them reunited with former members Chloe Alper and Andrew Courtney before playing a second set of career-spanning highlights.
James played two of their most intimate shows in decades on Monday night as they made good on their postponed album launch shows for Nothing But Love - The Definitive Best Of at the Cavern Club in Liverpool. Stripped down to a four-piece they performed twice with music interspersed with audience Q and A.
The Man From Delmonte concluded the most surprising and glorious comeback of 2025 with a celebratory homecoming at Manchester's Ritz to celebrate the release of their debut album Better Things, thirty-five years after they first split up. Support came from Pageant Mum and The Mudd Club.
The Slow Readers Club brought their A Decade Of Cavalcade tour to Newcastle University on Thursday night. Performing their breakthrough second album in full followed by a set of hits from across the rest of their career, they delighted a dedicated audience and reminded us of the magic of the album that took the long road to breaking them.
David Ford's tour to celebrate the twentieth anniversary of his debut album I Sincerely Apologise For All The Trouble I've Caused rolled into Hebden Bridge Trades Club on Saturday night for a sold-out show. Accompanied by Demi Marriner, Ed Blunt and Emily Grove who each performed a couple of their own songs before David's set, he revisited and reinvented his debut album to an adoring crowd.
Last week Carousel Clouds released their second album Control Zed, the follow-up to 2018's Tales Of Coincidence. We caught up with Neil from the band to walk us through the eleven songs that make up the record.
Belly rolled into Manchester on Friday night as part of the 30th anniversary celebrations of their second album King. The first set saw them perform the album in full whilst the second set comprised of tracks from debut Star, 2018's comeback Dove and a few surprises.
Déjà Vega headlined Stockport’s Mercury Climbing Festival in the beautiful setting of St Mary’s Church on Tuesday night with a set of crowd favourites and a brand new song, supported by Yetii.
Ist Ist return with a bang with I Am The Fear, the first single to be taken from their upcoming as-yet-unannounced fifth album. Accompanied by a traditionally dark video, the song marks another step up for the fiercely independent Manchester band who hit the Top 25 in the Official Album Chart with their fourth album Light A Bigger Fire last year.
Over the August Bank Holiday weekend, James took Spain by storm - first with a euphoric set at Sonorama Festival, then with their first-ever Alicante show. As part of the Noches Mágicas 2025 series, 3,000 fans filled Muelle 12 for a seaside celebration that embodied the band’s spirit and unofficial anthem, Getting Away With It.
Throwing Muses continued their second leg of the UK and European tour in support of their album Moonlight Concessions with a sold-out bank holiday show at the Trades Club in Hebden Bridge to an appreciative audience where they defied the expectations of a band of their vintage.
As part of this year’s events at Colchester’s Lower Castle Park, Out of Time delivered a spectacular night of music, headlined by indie legends James. The bill also featured unforgettable support sets from The Lightning Seeds and Happy Mondays, making for an evening packed with iconic performances.
Lanterns On The Lake played only their second show of the year on Saturday night at La Belle Angele in Edinburgh as part of the venue's week of shows to coincide with the final week of the Edinburgh Fringe. Previewing four unreleased songs as well as favourites from across their career, they delighted an audience that stood and drank in the atmosphere created by one of the country's finest and most underrated bands.
John Bramwell made a nostalgic return to one of his old haunts The Night And Day Cafe in Manchester on Sunday night. The set though was far from a trip down memory, taking heavily from his two solo albums since leaving I Am Kloot with a few old favourites thrown in at the end as the crowd joined in to sing along and almost drown out one of the nation's finest songwriters and his exceptionally talented band.
James summer tour rolled into a boiling hot Barcelona on Friday night for a show set to the backdrop of the beautiful Palau de Pedralbes where they delivered a career spanning set of their biggest hits, more recent highlights and deeper cuts.
Each summer, Cardiff Castle opens its majestic grounds to a host of celebrated artists, offering a truly picturesque backdrop for live music. On Thursday 10th July, the historic venue was alive with the sounds of Manchester’s beloved indie rock band, James, who captivated the audience with their unmistakable flair. The evening was further elevated by support from acclaimed acts Jamie Webster and Shed Seven.
With a hectic summer of dates underway, James brought their headline show to the scenic Lincoln Castle. Backed by The K’s and Tom A. Smith - both seasoned tour mates of the Manchester icons - the night was a perfect blend of history, atmosphere, and exceptional live music.
Basia Bulat returned to Manchester for the first time in nine years as she reaches the end of a three-week European tour. A sold-out Yes Basement was utterly charmed and captivated by songs taken from across her career right up to recent album Basia's Palace as she moved effortlessly from acoustic guitar to keys to autoharp and performing a solo encore on the ukulele.
James opened up for Catfish And The Bottlemen at their massive outdoor show at Heaton Park in Manchester on Friday night. With front man Tim Booth nobbled by an ankle injury they delivered a hit-heavy set to a crowd many of whom were too young to remember them reforming yet alone their 90s chart peak.
Saturday night saw James complete their two-night run of sold-out shows in the glorious surroundings of Halifax’s Piece Hall. With the threatened torrential downpours holding off they took us through a career spanning set full of improvisation and surprises amongst most of their biggest songs.
