Category: Gig Reviews
Ketos/Delusional Silence – Belfast, Voodoo – 26 April 2025
We’re not sure how many people realized how special this billing was, marking as it did a reunion of sorts… Not only were melodic thrashers Ketos returning to the stage for their first headline show in what seemed like donkey’s years, but they were sharing it with a band whom their vocalist also fronted for several years.
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Walter Trout/Cam Cole – Cardiff, Tramsheds – 7 May 2025
Having had the pleasure of interviewing Walter Trout on our #SmallStagesBigSounds podcast recently, this was too good an opportunity for David O to miss. When he told his brother, (a longtime Trout fan), he was in too… so much so, when he picked him up, he was wearing a Walter Trout T shirt from the 1995 tour in Birmingham!
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Black Spiders/The Cartoon Cartel – Crumlin, The Patriot – 26 April 2025
Another Saturday night trip to The Patriot Home of Rock in Crumlin saw a meeting of seasoned riff merchants and fresh-faced upstarts, as Black Spiders returned for their third local appearance in under a year, this time joined by the nascent but already formidable The Cartoon Cartel.
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Joe Bonamassa – Cardiff – Utilita Arena – 23 April 2025
In the opinion of our man David O, Joe Bonamassa’s performance at the Utilita Arena Cardiff exemplified blues-rock virtuosity, blending fiery guitar work with soulful vocals and a meticulously curated setlist that spanned his career and paid homage to blues and rock legends. Read on to find out why…
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MANIC STREET PREACHERS/ADWAITH – SWANSEA ARENA – 10 MAY 2025
Returning to Swansea Arena for the final night of their spring 2025 tour, the Manic Street Preachers delivered a performance that was both a celebration and a meditation – a fitting testament to their enduring legacy as titans of the Cool Cymru era and their continued evolution as artists unafraid to confront the passage of time.
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Amplifier – Bournemouth, The Bear Cave – 9 May 2025
Brit space-progsters Amplifier have been doing their thing for over 25 years now, and with their hugely impressive eighth album ‘Gargantuan’ released earlier this year, they are sporadically gigging across the country. Tonight saw them head down to the south coast for an intimate gig at Bournemouth’s cozy Bear Cave venue.
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Swallow The Sun/Before The Dawn/Stam1na – Amsterdam, Melkweg – 6 April 2025
Things must be finally looking up weather-wise when Jase W is enjoying being able to turn up to shows with just a T-shirt now, which is a privilege none of us ever take for granted. Not that it matters much as our man on the continent subsequently got bundled into a darkened room to listen to a bunch of metal thanks to a bunch of Finns doom dealers…
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REDHOOK/COMASTATIC – HAARLEM, PATRONAAT – 3 MAY 2025
Where the fuck has the year gone? It’s already May and it’s a stacked month with festival season looming. Anyway, never mind Jase W’s grumbling about his loose grip on time, it was time for some fun bouncy music…
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Halflives – Amsterdam, Melkweg – 24 April 2025
It’s amazing how spotting a cool looking band logo on your mate’s suitcase at the airport can lead you to finding a pretty good band randomly. In this case it was Halflives. Admittedly Jase W has found bands through weirder circumstances but in this case, he found a fun, bouncy pop rock band from Italy that immediately hooked him.
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Aborted/Crypta/The Zenith Passage/Organectomy – Haarlem, Patronaat – 25 April 2025
So, for clarity for those who don’t know, tonight was “King’s Night” in Dutchyland and this spells the first part of a day of country-wide mania where everyone wears orange, gets hammered and possibly falls into a canal. Jase W as not doing any of that shit tonight though as he was wearing black and going to see four bands with equally unreadable logos, so you just know it’s going to be a heavy one.
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Skypilot/Solothurn – Belfast, Voodoo – 19 April 2025
Riffology. The study of the riff. For students of this most masterful of subjects, tonight promised to be a masterclass, with guaranteed honours degrees awarded to all of those fit and able enough to survive this intense cramming session. So, Class of ’25, sharpen your pencils and pay close attention – especially you lot down the back – as the school bell has rung out very loudly and your presence is mandatory…
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King Kraken/Molly Karloff/Tattoo Molly – Swansea, Hangar 18 – 19 April 2025
From the moment David O entered Hangar 18, it was clear this was no ordinary album launch. The venue, festooned with blue and yellow balloons twisted into the likeness of krakens, set a playful yet electric tone. Fans, many in King Kraken shirts, buzzed with anticipation, snapping photos of the elaborate decorations and chatting about the band’s growing reputation after high-profile festival appearances and a relentless ÜK touring schedule.
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