There is not much better than live music in a small DIY venue, especially on a cold Friday night in December. Bristol’s heavy-pop trio MASCA brought magic to JT Soar in Nottingham during their recent mini tour. The night was a showcase of raw energy and diverse sounds, with local outfit COUGH DROPS unleashing fiery, post-grunge anthems and Birmingham’s NOT SOUP brought their own eclectic edge, delivering riff-heavy bursts of noise and melody. Together, the lineup created a

About ten years ago, a legendary spit and sawdust pub and music venue, Nottingham’s Old Angel Inn, was bought up and reborn as its moniker, The Angel. Initially unconvinced and slightly disgruntled, the city's scene was nevertheless delivered a polished up version of the old, with the addition of a micro-brewery…Hmmm. Eye rolls aside, The Angel today definitely still holds its weight amid the league of sticky floored venues and the IPA is actually pretty good. Branded, ‘The

It may have been a blistering cold and rain-soaked December night in Glasgow, but when has that ever stopped music devotees? A snaking queue, full of everyone from younger fans newly converted to the joy of heavier music, and veterans who have been there since the beginning, wrapped around the O2 Academy. Despite their differences, everyone was united by one thing: the chance to see alternative rock legends, THREE DAYS GRACE. Hailing from Canada and more than three decades i

For the past 25 years, WHEATUS have been living with the strange blessing and curse of writing a song that never goes away. Rather than shy away from it, they have turned their ‘25th Anniversary’ tour into a celebration of the debut album that started it all, playing it in full each night and filling the rest of the set with whatever the room feels like hearing. The result was a loose, charming night that felt as much like a neighbourhood party as a gig. The evening opened w

With the release of their excellent album Pitchfork Libra now over two months gone, the Bristol-based five piece EROTIC SECRETS OF POMPEI made the very wise decision to take it around the country on tour. Having recently been announced for Arctangent festival next August, it was the perfect time for them to take some other weird, heavy, eccentric bands on the road with them - so of course, as everybody expected, they took singer/songwriter BEN BROWN , a man self-described a

The Palais is not the sort of venue you’d expect to host a blackgaze band. More often than not, it’s a place of shimmering disco balls, falling confetti, and late-night revelry. But on a cold Sunday in Nottingham, the glittering walls and mirrored corners became the backdrop for a night of sonic intensity, as Deafheaven and support transformed the space into something darker, heavier, and unforgettable. With the first support slot taken by metalcore/shoegaze solo artist Zerue

From the moment 2025 kicked up a fuss, making its rowdy and rambunctious entrance, so too did Brighton bruiserweights LAMBRINI GIRLS . With only ten days into January, we were blessed with the unapologetic debut Who Let The Dogs Out , a triumphant wrecking ball of a record sent straight into the fractured foundations of British society. It was here that the age-old, authentic fundamentals of punk snagged themselves around vocalist Pheobe Lunny ’s tongue, as the band seethed a

Dacara showcased their growing confidence and musical depth with anintimate pre-launch event at BrewDog Manchester, followed by a commanding headline set at Rebellion. The evening worked as both a preview of what’s to come and a solid reminder of how far the band have come. The BrewDog launch set the tone early. Fans gathered to try the band’s new collaborative beer, chat with the members in a relaxed, personal setting. The atmosphere built a sense of anticipation that carrie

Off the back of a string of supporting tours for the likes of The Hives and Green Day accompanied by the festival run of a lifetime; Bad Nerves take on a headline tour filled with sweaty venues perfect for the atmosphere they create, we headed down to their London date to see how they did. With the gig being held in the absolutely beautiful O2 Empire Shepards Bush, Split Dogs opened the stage bringing a punk presence that is genuinely refreshing to see, they were absolutely u

This November was a perfect time to frequent London’s Alexandra Palace: Turnstile and Electric Callboy , having both crushed it earlier this month, now finally pass the microphone to the legendary BAD OMENS . With ten thousand pairs of eyes up upon him, NOAH SEBASTIAN is reminiscing about their last time taking over the city — almost three years ago at the 500-cap Dome — the two tours feel like polar opposites, each with their own charm. After their rapid ascension in the c

Tucked away in the basement of the Leeds Student Union is the Stylus, a respectably sized 1,000 capacity venue spread across multiple floors that each pack a punch. A sea of old-school metalheads and corpse-paint-draped goths were shuffling in, having braced the November bite to experience a night of nothing short of pure nostalgia. Tonight belonged to the Italian gothic metal legends LACUNA COIL. Celebrating 30 long years in the scene, the ‘Sleepless Empire’ tour acts as bot

“Let’s keep this love here, let's keep this connection between us, none of this AI bullshit.” urges Masato Hayakawa of coldrain as the crowd is wrapped around his finger, hanging off every word. Back for their first headline shows in six years, the five piece Coldrain from Nagoya made their great return with a short UK and EU tour to accompany their latest EP which was released lastmonth. Tonight, in Manchester’s Rebellion we have a sold-out show, the band’s biggest headl

With the ever-colder winter nights drawing in a biting chill, we caught a performance that blasts off with Halestorm taking over the BP Pulse Live in Birmingham. Known for electric live performances and continuous tours, the Pennsylvanian Grammy Award winning band is commanding stages all over the world in their Everest tour. Kicking off the night is our first support from Kelsy Karter & The Heroines. The band’s front is Kelsy Kater, who grew up in Australia, whereas the res

Cold Saturday night or not, the O2 Institute is already buzzing early as fans pour in for STRAY FROM THE PATH’S last UK tour. For twenty years, they’ve been causing chaos in the punk and hardcore scene. Now they’re ready to call it a day, but they’re dropping one last album and leaving with a punch you won’t forget. CALVA LOUISE didn’t ease into the night; they hit straight into their first track ‘‘Tunnel Vision’’ like a warning shot. The room was still filling when the ener

On a cold November night in Camden, a hardcore lineup as good as any seen in the city for many a year rolled through to give the good folks of London a damn kicking, and warm them up for the cold winter months ahead. GORILLA BISCUITS are, of course, progenitors of the genre, and with their dancey, energetic hardcore being supported by that of TERROR ’s no-nonsense, pulverising riffage and up-and-comers DYNAMITE ’s pumped up modern sound, the night was poised to be a riot - a

In an era where Frutiger Metro is back in a big way, it’s a bold act for a band to dub themselves “Y2K-core” - and it’d be all too easy to rely on aesthetics alone to sell tickets. Nostalgia is a hell of a drug, and Gen Z is reaching that age they’re beginning to crave that high. For Oxford rockers South Arcade, though, this just isn’t enough. They’ve crafted a sound that meets the hype, fitting snugly into the playlist that auto-played on your 2007 MySpace profile, yet addin

Out of feral feminine rage, we have all gathered to scream and cry alongside DELILAH BON for her final stop of the tour in London. "This is what this show is for, a safe space for anyone to let it out, this is therapy in a way”. Indeed, during one of the coldest seasons in the UK’s (political) climate, being surrounded by a crowd of warm, accepting people might ever so slightly heal something within you. Championing and advocating for all marginalised folks, whether part of

“Welcome to our funeral”, says vocalist Serena Cherry with a knowing grin. On this final tour with the iconic SVALBARD, the emotions were running high. Multiple sold out dates throughout some iconic UK venues were the host to a tour full of big feelings and even bigger riffs. SVALBARD brought the best the new generation of UK bands has to offer with them for one last ride. Brighton’s finest KNIFE BRIDE opened the night with heavy riffs and high energy. Starting off with th

“I shouldn’t have worn a tracksuit to a show!”, exclaims FALSE REALITY vocalist Rachel Rigby. Since the release of the London hardcore quartet’s latest record, Faded Intentions , the heat behind the band had been amplified tenfold, and the response sweltered - packing out the infamous Boom Leeds with a horde of sweaty moshers. With her head down and pacing the stage quickly, she has a moment to think before screaming that she’s lost a nail. Joking that “you can’t take the

A sea of black band shirts waits outside The Underworld for Conjurer’s biggest ever sold-out headline show. The tension with fans is palpable as tonight the lineup is a trio of brilliant live bands: the brilliant Conjurer, Pijn and Death Goals. Opening tonight is queercore duo Death Goals, providing heavy riffs and a positive message. The duo take to the stage and the audience is hit with the bands pure energy. Encouraging the crowd to dance and have fun without hurting anyon