By Carron Stacey, A Humdrum Mum
WHEN?: Tuesday 22 March 2022
Two years waiting to see them, but if we had seen them pre-lockdown, we wouldn’t have the “thing of beauty”, as Marc Riley on 6Music calls it, that is Wild Flowers (from the forthcoming album To the Hotspot due for a July release).
By Carron Stacey, A Humdrum Mum
WHEN?: Sunday 13 March 2022
Regressive Left, supporting act, were a hard one to follow but on the stage fell BODEGA.
By Carron Stacey, A Humdrum Mum
WHEN?: Sunday 13 March 2022
Described by their own local paper as “electro art-rock”, Regressive Left surprised me as a support band that I wanted to review separately rather than tagging along with BODEGA, who they are touring with this month.
By Carron Stacey, A Humdrum Mum
A last minute impulse buy and when the tickets arrived, we were numbers 30 and 31. Oh no, what if not many people turned up? No fear of that. Thanks in part to being heavily played on BBC 6Music of recent, it was packed.
By Neil Durham
WORTH A LOOK?: ****
WHEN?: Wednesday 2 February 2022, UK arena tour May 2022
SETLIST: Desire; Crave; Sooner Or Later; Shine; Muscle; If You’re Over Me; Play; Sunlight; Night Call; Starstruck; Sweet Talker; King
We’re near the front of the stage in this packed nightclub venue and when the excited audience start chanting: ‘Let go, let go, let go of everything’ during set closer and charttopper King we’re overcome with emotion and on the verge of tears.
By Aline Mahrud
WORTH A LOOK?: ****
WHEN?: Saturday 27 November 2021. Last night of tour, next year gig details below
SETLIST (Sophie Ellis Bextor): Take Me Home; Get Over You; Lady; Groovejet; Sing It Back; Crying At The Discoteque; Like A Prayer; Muder On The Dancefloor
(Steps): What The Future Holds; One For Sorrow; Heartbreak In This City; Neon Blue; Take Me For A Ride; 5,6,7,8; After the Love Has Gone; Something In Your Eyes; Say You’ll Be Mine; Chain Reaction; It’s The Way That You Make Me Feel; Slightest Touch; A Hundred Years Of Winter; Last Thing On Your Mind; Stomp; Heartbeat; Better The Devil You Know; Love’s Got A Hold Of My Heart; Better Best Forgotten; Deeper Shade Of Blue; Here And Now; Scared Of The Dark; Tragedy
Steps proved what strength in depth they have tonight as Faye Tozer returned to the line-up after suffering from Covid which also meant bandmate Lee Latchford-Evans could not appear at this show.
By Aline Mahrud
WORTH A LOOK?: ****
WHEN?: Friday 26 November 2021, tour runs to 16 June 2022
SETLIST: Lag sem ég gerði; Where We Wanna Be; Hvað með það; Kemur Þér ekki við; Skiptir ekki máli; Clear My Head; Somebody Else Now; Birdy Song; Fugladansinn; Feel The Love; 10 Years; Næsta skref; Something Magical; Think About Things; Daði Guitar song; Endurtaka Mig
The winner of 2020’s Eurovision-that-never-was not only sold out the 2,300 capacity 02 Forum Kentish Town but was uttely charming in doing so.
By Carron Stacey, A Humdrum Mum
WHEN?: 12-14 November 2021
It’s taken me a full week to recover from the Shiiine On Weekender, but then I did turn 50 this year. I think that’s the problem; however, I have also discovered the solution – the nana nap.
WORTH A LOOK?: ****1/2
WHEN?: Tuesday 16 November 2021, touring until 9 May 2022
SETLIST: Dynasty; STFU!; Comme des garçons (Like the Boys); Akasaka Sad; Snakeskin; Cyber Stockholm Syndrome; Paradisin’; Love Me 4 Me; Bad Friend; Who’s Gonna Save U Now?; Tokyo Love Hotel; Chosen Family; Cherry; XS; LUCID; Free Woman
We’re 1 song into the show, the adoring crowd are chanting: ‘Rina! Rina!’ spurring the object of their affection to say: ‘This is how I know this is my home town.’
By Andrew Mosley
WHEN?: Saturday 13 November 2021, Heaven 17 tour the UK and Europe until July 2022. Pete Wylie
Glenn Gregory has just got a new whippet. He tells us this because Associates singer Billy McKenzie gave him his first one more than three decades ago and he’s about to pay tribute to his late friend by belting out a tear-jerking version of Party Fears Two.
