search
date/time
Lancashire Times
Weekend Edition
frontpagebusinessartscarslifestylefamilytravelsportsscitechnaturefictionCartoons
Ian Street
Gigs Correspondent
6:20 AM 31st December 2024
arts
Review

Top Gigs Of 2024

Sleater Kinney
Sleater Kinney
This has very much felt like a bit of a vintage year for me, gigs-wise. Totting up and reflecting back has been an exercise in revelling in the enjoyment of live music that I’ve experienced across 2024. As much as listening to music in your own home or as you travel about is great, there is nothing quite like the visceral experience of seeing a band on top form playing live, and I feel privileged to have seen all sorts of bands in all sorts of venues this year. The band count across the year tips in at 74 bands, and the venues have ranged from small DIY venues to arenas and stadiums and everything in between, including a cowshed in Cumbria. For me, the small, quirky venues run with passion will always win out over the larger venues that, in reality, don’t really care who they are putting on as it’s all about the bottom line, not the bass line. So on reflection, who really hit their straps:

10. The Vaselines - The gigging year for me started on the 6th Jan with The Vaselines bringing their unique brand of songwriting from Eugene Kelly and Frances McKee to The Brudenell. Kurt Cobain described them as his favourite songwriters and covered Son of a Gun and Molly’s Lips with Nirvana. Seeing them live, it’s easy to understand why Kurt was so taken with them, whip-smart, poignant, and funny, and with an easy charm between Eugene and Francis forged over years in the indie trenches.

9. Sleater Kinney—Another blast from the past in many ways as the Riot Grrrl pioneers returned with a new album and absolutely rocked. Corin Tucker and Carrie Brownstein have maintained all of the energy, snark, and sass of their youth but continue to channel it as they age disgracefully. They seem to be saying that life might take a chunk out of you, but hey, take a chunk back. Inspirational, and brilliant that they had Gina Birch of pioneering band The Raincoats in support.

8. Fontaines DC—SWAGGER! was the word that summed up the Dublin boys as they continued their astonishing rise on the back of their Joycean tales of modern life. Brilliant album Romance was the backbone to their sellout show at the Leeds First Direct Arena, and Grian Chatten and the gang appear set for huge headline shows on the basis of this breathtaking performance that had the whole arena bouncing in a word-for-word celebratory singalong.

7. Restraining Order — it’s great, in my view, to go and see bands that you know nothing about. Sometimes they will blow you away, and Restraining Order was one such band for me. The Connecticut hardcore band brought their blitzkrieg punk to the legendary Leeds venue Boom and soon had the mosh pit at boiling point. Utterly cathartic.

6. Nadine Shah—fierce, stylish, political, and personal and backed by a band that created the impeccable backdrop onto which Nadine could strut her stuff. All in a cowshed in Cumbria, this was one of the moments of the year when you realise that you will never see this again.

Sea Power
Sea Power
5. Sea Power—if you are going to run your own festival (Krankenhaus) in the aforementioned cowshed, then not only can you play it, but you can play different sets on different nights. Seeing one of Britain's most underrated bands perform anything from their back catalogue to an adoring home crowd was truly a privilege. I’ve seen Sea Power many times, but I found this genuinely emotional.

4. GANS—Another completely new band who were the highlight for me of this year's Live at Leeds In The City. The annual jamboree sees around 150 bands play in venues across Leeds. Working out who to see and where is part of the chaotic fun, and you sometimes come across a band that takes your breath away. GANS at the Key Club were astonishing, a drummer and bassist playing two pieces of tight, fast, full-throttle noise pop. Their cover of Motorhead’s Ace of Spades was without a doubt one of the best experiences of this year's live music. I can’t wait to catch these again.

3. Pkew Pkew Pkew—the Montreal punk band—pretty much came straight from the airport to the Star & Garter in Manchester and created the best feel-good party atmosphere of the year. Brilliant slices of drunken punk with a serious undertone. Singing along to Fresh Pope both in the gig and as we travelled home to Leeds reminds me of the life-affirming joy that going to gigs with your friends can provide.

Lovely Eggs
Lovely Eggs
2. The Lovely Eggs—if the Lovely Eggs are not currently the best British live band, then I seriously want to see who’s better. Fortunate to catch the Lancastrian couple twice in Leeds and York this year and have tickets already booked for 2025. Everything about the Eggs hits the spot for me, completely DIY and yet carving out exactly what they want out of the music ‘business.’. Quirky garage punk with serious sass and humour, it makes you wonder why on earth any band actually needs more than two people in it.

1. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds—Nick Cave is simply a figure of godlike genius, and I should never have doubted that he would be able to transform an arena gig into an intimate devotional mass delivered over two and a half hours of simply breathtaking brilliance. If I could somehow spend every day travelling the world to watch Nick Cave perform, then I would do it. I left this gig utterly drained (in a good way) with the view that live music just doesn’t get any better than this, and I’ve not changed my opinion. Utterly spellbinding.

Let’s hope for some more good times in 2025, and whatever music you like, do go out and support artists by seeing them live if you can. My top tip would be to take a risk and go and see someone you don’t know anything about; it doesn’t always work, but when it does, it’s great fun.