Over the course of any given year, our crack team of ninja reviewers attend hundreds of gigs and watch thousands of bands up and down the Über Kingdom – and beyond. Here are our writers’ and photographers’ picks of the most memorable shows of 2019:
David O’Neill
- Black Stone Cherry/Kris Barras Band – Caerphilly, Castle
- Funeral For A Friend – Cardiff, Solus
- Black Star Riders – Cardiff, Solus
- Statement – Crumlin, The Patriots
- King King- Cardiff, Tramshed
DJ Astrocreep
- The Chats/Crocodylus – Manchester, O2 Ritz
- Amyl & The Sniffers/The Menstrual Cramps – Manchester, Gorilla
- Hawkwind/The Blackheart Orchestra – Manchester, Albert Hall
- Devil Townsend/Haken – Glasgow, SWG3
- Malevolence (supporting Knocked Loose) – Manchester, Club Academy
- HRH Doom vs Stoner (full festival) – Sheffield, O2 Academy
- Drum Legends (Ginger Baker/Pete York/Herman Rarebell) – Brighton, Dome
- Monster Magnet/Puppy – London, Electric Brixton
- Uncle Acid & The Deadbeats/Blood Ceremony – Birmingham, O2 Institute
- Mark Lanegan/The Membranes – Manchester, Academy 2
- At The Gates/Nifelheim/Deserted Fear – Manchester, Club Academy
- More Live With Deth/Sleeping Giants/Blaze Bayley – Wolverhampton, KK’s Steel Mill
- Alice Cooper/The Stranglers/MC50 – Manchester, Arena,
- Steve Hackett – Manchester, Bridgewater Hall
- Dandy Warhols/Juniore – Manchester, Albert Hall
- The Flower Kings/iamthemorning/Rickard Sjoblom – London, Scala
- Squeeze/Heaven 17 – Liverpool, Philharmonic Hall
- Metz/SPQR – Liverpool, Jacaranda Records Phase One
- Whitfield Crane/Mr Shiraz – Manchester, Rebellion
- Alice In Chains/Black Rebel Motorcycle Club – Birmingham, Arena
DJ Monk
- Ghost – Dublin, 3 Arena
- Sacred Reich – Belfast, Limelight 2
- Acid Reign – Belfast, Voodoo
- Dead Witches/Conjurer – Belfast, Voodoo
- Municipal Waste/Toxic Holocaust/Enforcer/Skeletal Remains – Belfast, Limelight 2
- Daddy Long Legs – Belfast, Black Box
- Jamie Lenman – Belfast, The Palm House
- Bowling For Soup – Belfast, Telegraph
- The Professionals (supporting Ruts DC) – Belfast, Limelight 2
- Primordial – Belfast, Limelight 2
- Idles – Belfast, Empire Music Hall
- Asomvel – Belfast, Voodoo
- The Chats – Belfast, Limelight 2
- The Jokers – Belfast, Limelight 2
- Rival Sons – Belfast, Limelight 1
- Iron Altar – Belfast, Limelight 2
- Black Star Riders – Belfast, Limelight 1
- Mono – Belfast, Voodoo
- Words That Burn – Belfast, Limelight 2
- Hundred-Year-Old Man – Belfast, Voodoo
Jessica Robinson
- The Vegan Leather – Glasgow, King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut
- The Faim – Edinburgh, Sneaky Pete’s
- Billy Corgan- Glasgow, St Luke’s And The Winged Ox
- The Ciceros – Glasgow, King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut
- Frank Iero and The Future Violents – Edinburgh, Liquid Rooms
- Alice in Chains – Glasgow, Braehead Arena
- The Cure – Glasgow, Bellahouston Park
- Motionless In White – Glasgow, SWG3
- Taking Back Sunday – Glasgow, Barrowlands
- Polyphia – Glasgow, Stereo
Jim Rowland
- The Stranglers – Skegness, Great British Alternative Rock Festival
- The Undertones – Camden, Electric Ballroom
- Angel – Camden, The Underworld
- Hollywood Brats – London, Nell’s Jazz & Blues
- Kiss – London, O2 Arena
- Tom Robinson Band – Skegness, Great British Alternative Rock Festival
- Midnight – Tufnell Park, The Dome
- Blue Oyster Cult – Hammersmith, Apollo
- Roger Hodgson – London, Royal Albert Hall
- Ghost – Wembley, SSE Arena
- Sham 69 – Skegness, Great British Alternative Rock Festival
- Steve Hillage Band/Gong – Islington, Assembly Hall
- Bob Mould – Camden, Electric Ballroom
- The Who – London, Wembley Stadium
- Electric Wizard/Church Of Misery – Shepherds Bush, Empire
- Stray Cats/The Selecter/The Living End – Hammersmith, Apollo
- Roy Harper – London, The Palladium
- Ruts DC – Shepherds Bush, Empire
- UFO – Shepherds Bush, Empire
- Mott The Hoople – Shepherds Bush, Empire
Jonny Bakes
- Countless Skies – Bloodstock Open Air
- Ancient Bards – Power Metal Quest Fest
- Sabaton (second set) – The Sabaton Cruise
- Eluveitie – Bloodstock Open Air
- Alien Weaponry – Download
- Mgla – Glasgow, The Cathouse
- The Chats – Manchester, O2 Ritz
- Enter Shikari – Download Festival
- Ross the Boss – Bloodstock Open Air
- Scumface’s Inevitable Reunion Show (with The Paul Taylor Experience and Alright) – Manchester, The Whiskey Jar
Rich Hobson
- Gojira/Rolo Tomassi – O2 Academy, Birmingham
- Amon Amarth/Arch Enemy/Hypocrisy – Brixton Academy, London
- Download Festival
- 2000 Trees Festival
- Skunk Anansie – Nottingham Rock City
- Bloodstock Open Air
- Flipper/Grey Hairs – Nottingham, Rescue Rooms
- Cher/Paul Young – Birmingham, Arena Birmingham
- Drug Church/Single Mothers/Super Lemon Day – Birmingham, Sunflower Lounge
- Childish Gambino – London, The O2
- God Damn/Table Scraps – Birmingham, Minerva Works
- Alice in Chains/Black Rebel Motorcycle Club – Birmingham, Arena
- Tears For Fears/Alison Moyet – Birmingham, NEC Arena
- Press Club/Mutt – Moseley, Dark Horse
- ZZ Top – Wembley, Arena
- Ginger Wildheart/Lauren Tate/Nick Parker – Leicester, Y Theatre
- Eureka Machines/Scaramanga Six/Empty Page – Wolverhampton, The Hummingbird
- Spanish Love Songs/Pkew Pkew Pkew/Goodbye Blue Monday – Birmingham, The Flapper
- Royal Republic/Blackout Problems – Birmingham, O2 Academy
- Max and Iggor Cavalera/Conan/Healing Magic – Birmingham, O2 Academy
The Dark Queen
- Ghost – Dublin, 3Arena
- Mike Tramp – Ahoghill, Diamond Rock Club
- Conjuring Fate – Belfast, Limelight 2
- Cursed Sun – Belfast, Love And Death
- Black Star Riders – Belfast, Limelight 1
- Beth Blade And The Beautiful Disasters – Abertillery, The Doll’s House
- Cormac Neeson – Ahoghill, Diamond Rock Club
- Safire – Belfast, Limelight 2
- Stormzone – Belfast, Empire Music Hall
- NASA Assassin/Trucker Diablo – Belfast, Limelight 2
- The Quireboys – Ahoghill, Diamond Rock Club
- Evil Scarecrow – Belfast, Voodoo
- Rival Sons – Belfast, Limelight 1
- Danny Vaughn – Ahoghill, Diamond Rock Club
- Vega – Belfast, Limelight 1