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From Friday 20 December 2024

LIVE: The Menzingers @ The Underworld

People debate what constitutes ‘real punk’ all the time, but whatever that intangible quality is, it’s in the air for the Menzingers’ duo of anniversary shows celebrating ten years of ‘Rented World’s release at Camden’s Underworld. Guitars are piled on the balcony, and we wear our pit-hardened dedication on

Thursday 05 December 2024

LIVE: Alien Ant Farm @ O2 Forum Kentish Town, London

Back in the dawn of the new millennium, Alien Ant Farm were everywhere. Their cover of Michael Jackson’s ‘Smooth Criminal’ went platinum and topped charts across the world in 2001, and mainstream success beckoned. After a series of dubious decisions including bootlegging their own fourth album, splitting in 2007

Wednesday 27 November 2024

LIVE: Black Stone Cherry @ Wembley Arena

Everything’s bigger in America, or so they say. Whoever coined the phrase must have been talking about Black Stone Cherry’s riffs too, because the boys from Kentucky know how to bring a UK tour to a close in style at Wembley Arena with their brand of straightforward southern rock.

Thursday 21 November 2024

LIVE: NOAHFINNCE @ Electric Ballroom, London

The queue for NOAHFINNCE stretches a good hundred metres around the block surrounding Camden’s Electric Ballroom, long before the doors even open. This would be an impressive achievement for an established act, let alone an artist with only a debut album and a string of singles to his name.

Thursday 14 November 2024

Less Than Jake – ‘Uncharted’ EP

Everyone loves Less Than Jake, but who’s really engaged with their music since ‘Hello Rockview’? The endlessly touring and effortlessly entertaining ska kids have found themselves as a reliable staple support band and festival afternoon fixture, becoming the musical equivalent of mozzarella sticks; no one’s sad to see them

Wednesday 13 November 2024

Zebrahead – ‘I’ EP

After twenty six years making rocket-fuelled hybrid punk, you’d think Zebrahead would start slowing down. They could have recorded a folky tribute album a la Dropkick Murphys or announced a never ending retirement farewell odyssey like Fat Mike and co. That’s not quite the So-Cal punks’ style though: why

Wednesday 06 November 2024

Delain – ‘Dance With The Devil’

As we’re moving from the season of skull-shaped candy and into our selection box era, it seems appropriate that dutch symphonic metallers Delain are gift-wrapping us a sampler of treats in the form of their new EP, ‘Dance With The Devil’. To straighten a couple of things out first;

Monday 04 November 2024

LIVE: Alice Cooper @ Eventim Hammersmith Apollo, London

There’s not many seventy-six year olds who can sell out the five thousand capacity Hammersmith Apollo twice over, but then again, Alice Cooper isn’t like most artists in his age bracket. On the final night of his hundred city ‘Too Close For Comfort’ tour, it’d practically be a crime

Thursday 31 October 2024

LIVE: Dream Theater @ The O2, London

The definition of cognitive dissonance, Dream Theater are simultaneously known as one of the most influential prog bands of all time who’ve amassed Grammy wins and a vast fan base, while also accumulating a reputation with some for being cringey, cheesy and a bit boring. However, that split in

Friday 25 October 2024

Chuck Ragan – ‘Love and Lore’

If we can count on one thing from a Chuck Ragan album, it’s honesty. The folk-punk multi-hyphenate, professional wilderness type and occasional Hot Water Music frontman has never avoided laying his soul bare through his music, and ‘Love and Lore’ is no exception. We haven’t had a proper solo