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

  1. Black Stone Cherry/Kris Barras Band – Caerphilly, CastleBlack Stone Cherry live at Caerphilly Castle, 13 July 2019
  2. Funeral For A Friend – Cardiff, Solus
  3. Black Star Riders – Cardiff, Solus
  4. Statement – Crumlin, The Patriots
  5. King King- Cardiff, Tramshed

DJ Astrocreep

  1. The Chats/Crocodylus – Manchester, O2 Ritz
  2. Amyl & The Sniffers/The Menstrual Cramps – Manchester, Gorilla
  3. Hawkwind/The Blackheart Orchestra – Manchester, Albert Hall
  4. Devil Townsend/Haken – Glasgow, SWG3
  5. Malevolence (supporting Knocked Loose) – Manchester, Club Academy
  6. HRH Doom vs Stoner (full festival) – Sheffield, O2 Academy
  7. Drum Legends (Ginger Baker/Pete York/Herman Rarebell) – Brighton, Dome
  8. Monster Magnet/Puppy – London, Electric Brixton
  9. Uncle Acid & The Deadbeats/Blood Ceremony – Birmingham, O2 Institute
  10. Mark Lanegan/The Membranes – Manchester, Academy 2
  11. At The Gates/Nifelheim/Deserted Fear – Manchester, Club Academy
  12. More Live With Deth/Sleeping Giants/Blaze Bayley – Wolverhampton, KK’s Steel Mill
  13. Alice Cooper/The Stranglers/MC50 – Manchester, Arena,
  14. Steve Hackett – Manchester, Bridgewater Hall
  15. Dandy Warhols/Juniore – Manchester, Albert Hall
  16. The Flower Kings/iamthemorning/Rickard Sjoblom – London, Scala
  17. Squeeze/Heaven 17 – Liverpool, Philharmonic Hall
  18. Metz/SPQR – Liverpool, Jacaranda Records Phase One
  19. Whitfield Crane/Mr Shiraz – Manchester, Rebellion
  20. Alice In Chains/Black Rebel Motorcycle Club – Birmingham, Arena

DJ Monk

  1. Ghost – Dublin, 3 ArenaGhost at 3Arena, Dublin, November 2019
  2. Sacred Reich – Belfast, Limelight 2
  3. Acid Reign – Belfast, Voodoo
  4. Dead Witches/Conjurer – Belfast, Voodoo
  5. Municipal Waste/Toxic Holocaust/Enforcer/Skeletal Remains – Belfast, Limelight 2
  6. Daddy Long Legs – Belfast, Black Box
  7. Jamie Lenman – Belfast, The Palm House
  8. Bowling For Soup – Belfast, Telegraph
  9. The Professionals (supporting Ruts DC) – Belfast, Limelight 2
  10. Primordial – Belfast, Limelight 2
  11. Idles – Belfast, Empire Music Hall
  12. Asomvel – Belfast, Voodoo
  13. The Chats – Belfast, Limelight 2
  14. The Jokers – Belfast, Limelight 2
  15. Rival Sons – Belfast, Limelight 1
  16. Iron Altar – Belfast, Limelight 2
  17. Black Star Riders – Belfast, Limelight 1
  18. Mono – Belfast, Voodoo
  19. Words That Burn – Belfast, Limelight 2
  20. Hundred-Year-Old Man – Belfast, Voodoo

Jessica Robinson

  1. The Vegan Leather – Glasgow, King Tut’s Wah Wah HutThe Faim at King Tuts
  2. The Faim – Edinburgh, Sneaky Pete’s
  3. Billy Corgan- Glasgow, St Luke’s And The Winged Ox
  4. The Ciceros – Glasgow, King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut
  5. Frank Iero and The Future Violents – Edinburgh, Liquid Rooms
  6. Alice in Chains – Glasgow, Braehead Arena
  7. The Cure – Glasgow, Bellahouston Park
  8. Motionless In White – Glasgow, SWG3
  9. Taking Back Sunday – Glasgow, Barrowlands
  10. Polyphia – Glasgow, Stereo

Jim Rowland

  1. The Stranglers – Skegness, Great British Alternative Rock FestivalThe Stranglers at Ulster Hall Belfast
  2. The Undertones – Camden, Electric Ballroom
  3. Angel – Camden, The Underworld
  4. Hollywood Brats – London, Nell’s Jazz & Blues
  5. Kiss – London, O2 Arena
  6. Tom Robinson Band – Skegness, Great British Alternative Rock Festival
  7. Midnight – Tufnell Park, The Dome
  8. Blue Oyster Cult – Hammersmith, Apollo
  9. Roger Hodgson – London, Royal Albert Hall
  10. Ghost – Wembley, SSE Arena
  11. Sham 69 – Skegness, Great British Alternative Rock Festival
  12. Steve Hillage Band/Gong – Islington, Assembly Hall
  13. Bob Mould – Camden, Electric Ballroom
  14. The Who – London, Wembley Stadium
  15. Electric Wizard/Church Of Misery – Shepherds Bush, Empire
  16. Stray Cats/The Selecter/The Living End – Hammersmith, Apollo
  17. Roy Harper – London, The Palladium
  18. Ruts DC – Shepherds Bush, Empire
  19. UFO – Shepherds Bush, Empire
  20. Mott The Hoople – Shepherds Bush, Empire

Jonny Bakes

  1. Countless Skies – Bloodstock Open AirAncient Bards at Power Metal Quest 2019
  2. Ancient Bards – Power Metal Quest Fest
  3. Sabaton (second set) – The Sabaton Cruise
  4. Eluveitie – Bloodstock Open Air
  5. Alien Weaponry – Download
  6. Mgla – Glasgow, The Cathouse
  7. The Chats – Manchester, O2 Ritz
  8. Enter Shikari – Download Festival
  9. Ross the Boss – Bloodstock Open Air
  10. Scumface’s Inevitable Reunion Show (with The Paul Taylor Experience and Alright) – Manchester, The Whiskey Jar

Rich Hobson

  1. Gojira/Rolo Tomassi – O2 Academy, BirminghamPoster for Gojira 2019 England dates
  2. Amon Amarth/Arch Enemy/Hypocrisy – Brixton Academy, London
  3. Download Festival
  4. 2000 Trees Festival
  5. Skunk Anansie – Nottingham Rock City
  6. Bloodstock Open Air
  7. Flipper/Grey Hairs – Nottingham, Rescue Rooms
  8. Cher/Paul Young – Birmingham, Arena Birmingham
  9. Drug Church/Single Mothers/Super Lemon Day – Birmingham, Sunflower Lounge
  10. Childish Gambino – London, The O2
  11. God Damn/Table Scraps – Birmingham, Minerva Works
  12. Alice in Chains/Black Rebel Motorcycle Club – Birmingham, Arena
  13. Tears For Fears/Alison Moyet – Birmingham, NEC Arena
  14. Press Club/Mutt – Moseley, Dark Horse
  15. ZZ Top – Wembley, Arena
  16. Ginger Wildheart/Lauren Tate/Nick Parker – Leicester, Y Theatre
  17. Eureka Machines/Scaramanga Six/Empty Page – Wolverhampton, The Hummingbird
  18. Spanish Love Songs/Pkew Pkew Pkew/Goodbye Blue Monday – Birmingham, The Flapper
  19. Royal Republic/Blackout Problems – Birmingham, O2 Academy
  20. Max and Iggor Cavalera/Conan/Healing Magic – Birmingham, O2 Academy

The Dark Queen

  1. Ghost – Dublin, 3ArenaGhost at 3Arena, Dublin, November 2019
  2. Mike Tramp – Ahoghill, Diamond Rock Club
  3. Conjuring Fate – Belfast, Limelight 2
  4. Cursed Sun – Belfast, Love And Death
  5. Black Star Riders – Belfast, Limelight 1
  6. Beth Blade And The Beautiful Disasters – Abertillery, The Doll’s House
  7. Cormac Neeson – Ahoghill, Diamond Rock Club
  8. Safire – Belfast, Limelight 2
  9. Stormzone – Belfast, Empire Music Hall
  10. NASA Assassin/Trucker Diablo – Belfast, Limelight 2
  11. The Quireboys – Ahoghill, Diamond Rock Club
  12. Evil Scarecrow – Belfast, Voodoo
  13. Rival Sons – Belfast, Limelight 1
  14. Danny Vaughn – Ahoghill, Diamond Rock Club
  15. Vega – Belfast, Limelight 1