September's Gig Round-Up

Welcome to September’s instalment of monthly posts all about what gigs I have been to. It was a busy month! Catch-up with August’sgigs here!

The Last Internationale @ The Barfly*

I was supposed to see these guys a year or 2 ago, just when they were releasing their first couple of singles. I’d gotten myself all geared up, listening to them on Spotify, but for some reason or other, I couldn't go in the end. So, imagine my delight when passes to their upcoming Barfly show were released on Jukely. Lead singer Delila has a real bluesy voice, not to mention a cracking fringe!

Laura Marling @ The Forum

This was a hauntingly beautiful gig. You could hear a pin drop in the crowd. There were even members of the audience shushing other chatterboxes! Laura is just so sweet and loveable with such a mature voice for her surprisingly young age (only 2 months younger than me!).

Foo Fighters @ Milton Keynes Bowl

I think Foo Fighters are now the band I've seen the most live (followed closely by McFly…), and I will never tire of going to their concerts. This band knows exactly how to rock, even with their leader in a leg cast! Grohl doesn't let a broken leg stop him, head banging from his throne of guitars which even wheels down the platform. What. A. Show! Support came from Royal Blood (brilliant!) and Iggy Pop (bonkers!).

F.F.S @ The Forum*

F.F.S. might just be one of the most unexpected collaborations, ever! This super group is made up of Franz Ferdinand and Sparks. They've joined forces to produce an album together, and planned some live shows too. Their new songs are pure catchy pop gold. It was great to see both bands play a few of their own tunes too.

Alvvays @ Shepherds Bush Empire*

After falling in love with their song ‘Marry Me, Archie’, I bought tickets to see Alvvays as soon as I could. Then, 2 days before, Jukely released passes so I sold my tickets and used the money for beer funds (and a McDonalds on the way home). Alvvays may not strike you as a band to mosh to, but my goodness did the kids in the crowd try their hardest!

Nimmo @ Oslo Hackney

I first saw Nimmo back in May supporting Jack Garratt at Village Underground. They had my feet dancing from the first beat. I knew I HAD to see them again! You just can’t help but move to their music. I did some more dancing at their after party (where the duo DJed), along with the boys from Seafret, who kindly got me an Uber home (talented and kind!!).

Sisteray @ The Black Heart

You may remember me mentioning these guys before. I’d missed their last couple of gigs, but made sure I had this one in the diary. These guys have got so much raw energy. Moment of the gig has to be Dan passing his guitar down to a randomer in the crowd for a solo. Close your eyes and you’ll hear Ian Curtis when Niall sings. These are definitely the lads to watch out for!

Morrissey @ Hammersmith Apollo

Morrissey gets a lot of slack for his live shows, but I was pleased to see him take to the stage on time. It was a great show, with Morrissey interacting with the audience. It just missed a few of his biggest hits, which was a little disappointing for me as this was the first, and will most likely be the last, time I've seen him live. There was 1 hiccup when his set was hit with a power cut. After about 15 minutes, they had everything running again and he strode back on stage and made a joke about it being a conspiracy from the Royal Family who were trying to shut him down. There was some pretty morbid videos shown on the big screens (people being beat by police and animals being slaughtered!), but I'm glad I've finally had the chance to see The Smiths front man live!

Florence + the Machine @ Alexandra Palace

Florence exploded back onto the music scene and announced 4 dates at the Alexandra Palace. This felt like a massive homecoming for Flo, who gracefully danced her way across the stage in a beautiful silk trouser and waistcoat suit. There was also a street food market in the main foyer, so we made sure to stuff our faces with nachos beforehand.

Sweet Baboo @ Bethnal Green Working Men’s Club*

I was going to actually buy tickets for this gig as Meilyr Jones was supporting, but Jukely passes came up before I had the chance. You may remember me seeing him twice in July. The main act was another Welsh singer under the name Sweet Baboo. He brought along an array of musicians, including a saxophonist and 3 violinists. He’s a funny guy this Sweet Baboo, cracking jokes in between songs with his very dry humour. The venue was also pretty sweet too, with the big heart lights and shiny tinsel. The Bethnal Green Working Men’s Club put on a lot of drag Queen cabaret shows, which are definitely worth getting down to!

Lail Arad @ St Pancras Old Church

Back in June, I got chatting to a girl in the pub across the street from Islington Town Hall, after Rhiannon Gidden’s gig. 3 months later, me and The Boyf (who I’d also met that very same night) are stood in a beautifully lit church in St Pancras, about to see that very girl perform a wonderful set. When Lail speaks, it’s softly sweet, but when she sings, she has a rawness to her voice. I think I may have a new girl crush…

Summer Camp @ Village Underground

I was so gutted to have missed out on seeing Summer Camp back in June, so when they announced another London show, I snapped up tickets straight away. They played a little bit of everything, including some songs from the soundtrack they did for Beyond Clueless, which is available to watch on Netflix, so that’s definitely been added to my list! Summer Camp ended their show with a cover of ‘What’s Up’, originally sung by The 4 Non Blondes, which had everyone singing along to in high spirits! If anyone can tell me where Elizabeth’s pink polka dot dress is from, I’d be eternally grateful!

Be sure to check out my big gig post, with the reason why I attend so many live music events.

*These gigs I got passes to through Jukely. Click through any of my links to get £10 off your first month’s subscription!

July Gigs Round-Up

My second instalment of monthly posts all about what gigs I have been to. See what I got up to last month, here! Those with a * are gigs I got passes to through Jukely. 

Private Life @ The Monarch

At my cousins wedding in June, I got chatting to the guitarist of the wedding band. It turned out he was from London and also plays in an indie rock band. So I found them on Facebook and brought Amy along with me to check them out. Would you believe it, they are bloody good! Great harmonies and a definite 80's vibe.

Meilyr Jones @ The Victoria*

This guy might just be the best Jukely find ever! He only had 1 song on Spotify at the time, which was a bit of a ballad – just Meilyr and his piano. We were expecting more of the same beautiful mellow music, much like his first single. Oh how we were wrong! Meilyr is definitely one to watch out for. After opening with his lovely slow piano piece, he suddenly comes alive when he’s joined by the rest of the band which includes trumpets and bongo drums!

Jools Holland @ Kew Gardens

I managed to get tickets to this gig through Jukely, but not as part of my subscription. Lucky me won these tickets! I brought along fellow blogger (and name sharer) Charlie. We came armed with Prosecco and beers, and grabbed some food from the various stalls they had on site. Unfortunately it was pretty packed by the time we got there, so we sat at the back, relaxing to the music.

The Specials @ Kew Gardens*

Two days later, Charlie and I were back at Kew Gardens for The Specials, this time in the rain. A wet, soggy picnic, how very British! We didn't let it dampen our spirits (pardon the pun!) and had a fantastic evening doing our best ska dancing (evident in Charlie's Snapchats of the evening!).

Huw Stephens Presents… @ The Social

Meilyr Jones announced he would be playing this monthlynight put on by Radio 1 DJ Huw Stephens, at his gig the previous week. There was also support from Trevor Sensor, HMS Morris and Lusts. Meilyr was definitely the highlight of the evening. We even managed to grab a quick pic with him!

Telegram @ Electrowerkz*

Another random Jukely gig! This was my first time at Electrowerkz, and I really loved this quirky venue with cute outdoor bar and creepy Frankenstein décor. The crowd for this one were very psychedelic, with both sexes sporting long hair and paisley shirts. I even spotted some members from Temples and Toy! The lead singer for support band Tourism had a deliciously dark voice. Telegram closed the evening with a great bouncing energy.

Citadel Festival @ Victoria Park

Me and Amy attended this 1 day festival the day following a house party, so we were feeling a little fragile. Luckily for us, this was more chilled out compared to other festivals, headlined by acoustic maverick Ben Howard. Personal highlights were Dan Croll and Leon Bridges. You can read my full post about it here!

The Drums @ Koko*

I've been a fan of The Drums for quite a few years now, so was really looking forward to finally getting the chance to see them live. They were electric! The lead singer certainly has some moves.

Darwin Deez @ Village Underground

Darwin Deez seemed to have disappeared over the last 5 or so years, but now he’s back! This guy is always fun to go see live. Darwin and his live band add silly, funky dance moves inbetween every couple of songs, which gives his live performances a little somethingsomething. There was also support from Oscar and rocking girl group Hinds.

King Charles @ Bush Hall*

When I spotted passes to see King Charles on Jukely, I snapped them straight up! I hadn't listened much to his music, but I had heard great things about him. Bush Hall was the perfect setting for this finely dressed gentleman. His backing band for the evening was none other than Mumford and Sons!! What a ruddy great show it was!

Did you manage to catch any of these artists in July? Who do you plan to see in August?

I've written a post all about why I go to so many gigs, which you can read here!

June Gig Round-Up

Welcome to the first of my monthly gig posts! Having recently signed up to Jukely, I thought it would be a good idea to show you how much use I am getting out of it. Some gigs mentioned I had bought separate tickets to. Those with a * I got passes for through Jukely. I’d love to hear any feedback you have on this new regular post I’m planning on doing (more or less writing or photos?). Be sure to check  So, here goes…

Field Day @ Victoria Park

Field Day is a 2 day festival held in East London. We only went on the Saturday, which had a great line up across 10 stages, including Spector, Tune Yards, FKA Twigs and headlined by Caribo. You can see a full post on it here!

 Spector @ The Dome in Tufnell Park

This was mine and Amy’s 3^rd time seeing Spector this year (1^st at The 100 Club, and 2^nd at Field Day). This was also my first time at The Dome in Tufnell Park, which is a pretty good venue! It’s spacious but also small enough to make it feel quite intimate. I’ve never seen a bad set from this band.

Jamie T @ Hackney Empire

This one was pretty special. It was an acoustic set compiled mainly of b-sides and songs that Jamie rarely gets to play live. He even suited up for the occasion! If you know who Jamie T is, then you’ll know that’s quite a rarity in itself!

The Strokes @ Hyde Park

The Strokes’ set was a little bit of a disappointment due to the sound. Temples and Beck, however, were brilliant! You can read the full post here!

Blur @ Hyde Park

This day at BST Festival was much more successful, despite the rain! Apart from Blur, a highlight of mine was Kitty, Daisy & Lewis – so talented! You can read the full post here!

Fleetmac Wood @ XOYO*

The first of the Jukely gigs having signed up earlier that day. This was a great introduction to this new service. You can read the full post here!

Idina Menzel @ Wembley Arena

My friend Russell had a spare ticket to see the voice of Frozen’s Elsa, so I thought, why not?! I’m a sucker for show tunes and Idina is all about them having made her name on Broadway in Wicked and Rent. She mixed it up a bit with a cover of Radiohead’s ‘Creep’ and Red Hot Chilli Pepper’s ‘Give It Away’.

Mod All Dayer @ Hoxton Square Bar & Kitchen*

A whole day of Mod music? Yes please! Most of the day was a variety of DJs playing a mix of Mod and Northern Soul, with bands starting from 6pm, including Sisteray and The Purple Heart?? I even dressed up for the occasion and you can read my full post here! 

Rhiannon Giddens @ Islington Assembly Hall*

I grabbed passes for this gig on a bit of a whim, having only listened to 1 song. I liked what I heard (hello banjo) so decided to give it a go as me and Amy were both free and fancied doing something fun! Rhiannon was brilliant. Her music would be a very fitting soundtrack for a Western prison movie. Considering the reason behind why I go to so many live concerts, I never in a million years thought I'd meet my special someone at a random gig like this, but that's exactly what happened on this particular night...

Check back for July's gig round-up, very soon!