Category Archives: Music – concerts, lists, reflections

The Staves celebrate “Dead & Born & Grown” at the Barbican, 22 November 2022

Posted on November 24, 2022 by John S

It was ten years ago when I first came across the Staves, three sisters – Jessica, Emily, Camilla – from Watford, who sang the most beautiful harmonies. I was looking through my Twitter feed and saw a post from the … Continue reading →

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Wilko Johnson, 1947-2022

Posted on November 23, 2022 by John S

We got the news that today the great rock’n’roll guitarist Wilko Johnson had died, aged 75. For people like myself whose musical development was transformed by punk in the 1970s, Wilko played a crucial role, with his band of the … Continue reading →

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Julia Jacklin at the Roundhouse, 11 November 2022

Posted on November 22, 2022 by John S

Julia Jacklin is an Australian singer-songwriter in the indie-folk vein, who I’ve liked ever since I first heard her debut album Don’t Let The Kids Win in 2016. We caught a glimpse of her show at End of the Road … Continue reading →

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Sigur Ros at the O2 Academy Brixton, 10 November 2022

Posted on November 20, 2022 by John S

I’d like to start this review with the piece I wrote about Sigur Ros for I Was There – A Musical Journey, which I published in 2016. Bjork was first, but the band that epitomises the sound of Iceland must … Continue reading →

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Indigo Sparke at the Louisiana, Bristol, 7 November 2022

Posted on November 10, 2022 by John S

On Monday I took a trip to Bristol to see one of my favourite artists at the moment, Indigo Sparke. She’s an Australian indie-folk singer, currently based in New York. She released a new album in October called Hysteria, which … Continue reading →

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Biig Piig at Hoxton Hall, 3 November 2022

Posted on November 5, 2022 by John S

Biig Piig is the stage name for Jessica Smyth. She was born in Ireland, lived in Spain for much of her childhood and moved to west London in her teens. Her music began as a jazzy hip hop fusion, but … Continue reading →

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Four great concerts: Ravi Coltrane, The Unthanks, VS Funk Soul Orchestra and Caroline

Posted on November 3, 2022 by John S

I’m wrapping these four shows up in one review as I have a busy November coming up, with 12 gigs at the last count – and the start of the World Cup! The concerts took place over the last three … Continue reading →

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Roxy Music at the O2 Arena, the Dome, 14 October 2022h

Posted on October 21, 2022 by John S

Last Friday Jon, Dave, Tony and I indulged our tendency to nostalgia and went to see Roxy Music at the O2 Arena in the Dome. The occasion was the 50th anniversary of Roxy’s self-titled debut album. Fifty years of Roxy … Continue reading →

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The Lounge Society, Butch Kassidy and Automotion at the Village Underground, 4 October 2022

Posted on October 11, 2022 by John S

Last Tuesday Jon and I, along with Louis and Gab and a few others, went to the Village Underground for a triple bill of indie guitar rock. Not the coolest genre these days perhaps, but we like it! We were … Continue reading →

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Alina Bzhezhinska and the HipHarp Collective at King’s Place, 25 September 2022

Posted on September 27, 2022 by John S

Alina Bzhezhinska is a harp player from Lviv in Ukraine. She studied in Poland, Germany and the US, before settling in the UK – for seven years she was a harp tutor at the Royal Conservatoire in Glasgow, but eventually … Continue reading →

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