As mentioned in our Top 5 Songs of 2023 post, there are a number of reasons why we haven’t posted as much as we’d like over the past 12 months – and these equally apply to our lack of gigs. We did still make it to a few unforgettable shows though – here are our favourites.
Tori Amos – Royal Albert Hall, London, April 2023
Mrs Spectral Nights has been one of Tori’s biggest fans for many years and we finally saw her hero live for the first time in 2023. Beguiling from start to finish – and in the perfect venue – there’s a real bond between Tori and her audience and those piano-led songs are timeless.
Suede – G Live, Guildford, March 2023
Fresh off the success of ‘Autofiction’, Suede returned to Guildford for the first time in over a decade and powered through a career-spanning set with Brett Anderson in particularly defiant mood – and a fine shirt to boot. Celebratory throughout, the new songs perfectly segued with the classic singalong anthems like ‘Trash’ and ‘Animal Nitrate’.
Bleachers – Barn on the Farm, Gloucester, July 2023
Bleachers’ first ever UK headline set felt like something special from the opening note – and what a lovely festival for it to take place at. From Jack Antonoff’s dad joining the band for a frantic run-through of ‘How Dare You Want More’ to the boisterous build-up and sumptuous singalong of ‘I Wanna Get Better’, this was an infectious, energetic and euphoric set – and we can’t wait to do it all over again next spring.
Lambrini Girls – 2000trees, Upcote Farm, July 2023
While Bob Vylan were proudly proclaiming themselves ‘Britain’s most important band’ on Upcote Farm with good reason, it was clear at 2000trees that this statement faces a significant challenge from Lambrini Girls. With short, sharp and spiky riff-laden songs about the state of the nation – and a focus on compassion and fair treatment for all, you know, the kind of stuff that winds up so many with their bullshit ‘anti-woke’ agenda – a Lambrini Girls live show instantly sparks acclaim, circle pits and crowd surfing (with instruments barely intact) and Phoebe Lunny is a captivating presence – with everyone getting behind her rallying calls.
Boygenius – Pryzm, Kingston, August 2023
We wanted to try and have completely different bands in our live performances to our Top 5 songs but when you see Phoebe Bridgers, Julien Baker and Lucy Dacus deliver a special stripped-back acoustic set on a sofa after tickets sold out in under two minutes, you can’t not claim this as a highlight of the year (and throw in an Xcerts gig down the road half an hour later for good measure, thanks Banquet Records!). Adulation and hushed reverence greeted the trio throughout while their harmonies were exquisite. Jovial and relaxed between songs, this laughter would turn to tears whenever they lined up the next sad song.
