GIG REVIEW

GIG REVIEW: Gene at Eventim Apollo, Hammersmith

Posted on by mrmonstagigz

By Neil Durham

WORTH A LOOK? ****

WHEN? Saturday 4 October 2025, tour runs through 26 March 2026

Setlist: London, Can You Wait?; Be My Light, Be My Guide; We Could Be Kings; Your Love, It Lies; Where Are They Now?; Truth, Rest Your Head; Long Sleeves For The Summer; Stop; Sleep Well Tonight; Rising For Sunset; Save Me, I’m Yours; O Lover; Speak To Me Someone; A Car That Sped; Walking In The Shallows; The British Disease; Haunted By You; Olympian; For The Dead; You’ll Never Walk Again; Sick, Sober and Sorry; Fighting Fit; I Can’t Help Myself; Somewhere In The World; Who Said This Was The End?

Does absence make the heart grow fonder?

  • Read on for reasons including how to see Gene on tour around the UK next year
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GIG REVIEW: Suede at Clore Ballroom, Southbank Centre

Posted on by mrmonstagigz

By Neil Durham

WORTH A LOOK?: *****

WHEN? Tuesday 26 August, tour runs through 21 February 2026

Setlist: Disintegrate; Dancing With The Europeans; Antidepressants; Sweet Kid; The Sound And The Summer; Somewhere Between An Atom And A Star; Broken Music For Broken People; Criminal Ways; Trance State; June Rain; Life Is Endless, Life Is A Moment

Snowblind; She Still Leads Me On; Personality Disorder; Shadow Self; No Tomorrow; Tides; Turn Off Your Brain And Yell; The Only Way That I Can Love You; It Starts And Ends With You; Outsiders

This is not supposed to happen.

  • Read on for reasons including how this was not the gig we expected or wanted
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Victorious Festival 2025 Day 3 starring Melanie C, Kings Of Leon, Craig David & She’s Got Brass

Posted on by mrmonstagigz

By Carron Stacey, A Humdrum Mum

WHEN?: Sunday 24 August 2025 (press ticket)

The sun kindly shone on the only UK seaside festival the whole weekend. We all remember the fun we had in the torrential rain during that Prodigy set back in 2018, but it certainly helps when it’s dry. I’m sure I had white Birkenstocks when I went on Friday, but the dust has turned everything brown. 

  • Read on for reasons including Craig David, Kings of Leon, Melanie C and She’s Got Brass
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Victorious Festival 2025 Day 2 starring Shed Seven, Utah Saints, Public Service Broadcasting, The Pill & Betty Boo

Posted on by mrmonstagigz

By Carron Stacey, A Humdrum Mum

WHEN?: Saturday 23 August 2025 (press ticket)

In our attempt to fill the sad Welly gap, before we realised that Hot Wax were possibly the new best thing, we knew The Pill, who opened the Common Stage today, were a cert. We’d seen them support Welly in Southampton earlier this year, and we could see and sense the potential.

  • Read on for reasons including Shed Seven, Utah Saints, Public Service Broadcasting & Betty Boo
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Victorious Festival 2025 Day 1 starring The Charlatans, Madness, Ash, Hot Wax and The Mary Wallopers

Posted on by mrmonstagigz

By Carron Stacey, A Humdrum Mum

WHEN?: Friday 22 August 2025 (press ticket)

There was a different feeling about this 12th annual south coast festival (the two years previous to this, it was held in the Dockyard).

  • Read on for reasons including Charlatans, Hot Wax, Ash, The Mary Wallopers and Madness
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GIG REVIEW: Kate Butch: Wuthering Shites at Soho Theatre

Posted on by mrmonstagigz

By Neil Durham

WORTH A LOOK?: ****

WHEN? Tuesday 12 August through 16 August 2025 RUNTIME: 60 minutes

We’ve enjoyed Mamma Mia! and even Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again but would we be ‘hitting the Vaseline’ for Bush! The Musical ?

  • Read on for reasons including how the spirit of Victoria Wood ambled amongst us during this show
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GIG REVIEW: Culture Club & Heather Small at Uptown Festival, Blackheath

Posted on by mrmonstagigz

By Neil Durham

WORTH A LOOK?: ****

WHEN?: Sunday 27 July 2025, Uptown Festival at Blackheath

Song Three Lions was played as the Lionesses won the Euros on penalties shortly before former M People frontwoman Heather Small took to the stage.

  • Read on for reasons including Roachford, Johnny Hates Jazz & Jaki Graham
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GIG REVIEW: Duran Duran at Chelmsford Racecourse

Posted on by mrmonstagigz

By Carron Stacey, A Humdrum Mum

WHEN?: Saturday 5 July, tour runs through 31 October 2025

This is the sixth time we’ve seen Duran Duran and in a nutshell, we think they’re better off at their own arena tours, rather than festivals, and better off outdoors, so last night was just perfect.

  • Read on for reasons including how life can’t get much better than this
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GIG REVIEW: The Devout (Depeche Mode tribute) at Wedgewood Rooms, Southsea

Posted on by mrmonstagigz

By Carron Stacey, A Humdrum Mum

WHEN? Saturday 21 June 2025

What a way to celebrate the Summer Solstice: a day bookended by a 4.55am dip in the sea and a Devout gig!

  • Read on for reasons including how The Devout aim to recreate as far as possible the magic of a true DM concert
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