This was on Saturday, it had sold out before I even heard about it but some mates had a spare ticket, and ended up declining any money for it (but I did buy them a pint at least).
My friend was quite into them at uni but Iād kinda forgotten about them and didnāt get round to revisiting any of their mixes beforehand - it was definitely less mashup-y than their old mixes, which I think one of my friends was a bit underwhelmed by, and more straight up dancey, but Iād largely forgotten what they sounded like so it didnāt bother me too much. Lots of dancey stuff I didnāt recognise but it was fun when a recognisable tune was dropped in - Tonite by LCD Soundsystem, Blue Monday, Girls and Boys by Blur etc.
Had quite a big group of mates there so it was a lot of fun, when I arrived during the support DJ guy it was a nightmare trying to get to the bar or the toilet as everywhere was packed which gave me some horrible nightclub flashbacks but once the lads were on stage people were focused on them and it was much easier to grab a quick pint and have a quick pee, thankfully. Not sure if it was because I had earplugs in or because we were at the back but the volume reasonable enough that you could have a bit of a chat, much less earsplitting than the smaller bar room, which was nice as Iād missed the pre-drinks with everyone to pop in to an extended family 40th birthday party for a couple of hours, which was a very different vibe.
The hour change screwed me up a bit as this was over at 2:30am but it was suddenly actually 3:30am. Resisted my friends trying to convince me to come to a party with them in the east as I knew it would be a pain getting home, was extremely glad of this decision the next morning.
What a treat it was to see this show in a slightly smaller venue, and what a venue it is. This must be the bounciest floor in a gig venue Iāve ever experienced, felt like I was on a trampoline during Stay For Something.
Failed miserably to get tickets for this a few weeks back when they sold out in seconds. Thankfully someone on the End of the Road WhatsApp group had a spare and kindly let me have it. Was absolutely rammed, as you would expect for a sold-out show in a tiny room, and it was pretty epic. The songs from the new album were great and the āhitsā hit hard. Was a little aggy about halfway through when some bloke decided to jump around despite a relatively static, but enthusiastic audience. A few around me were giving him some abuse, and he, in turn reacted in a typically defensive and not particualrly self-aware way. But then Courtney played Pedestrian At Best and the whole place went mad. I got caught in the mosh. I did not want to be in a mosh. Iām too old for that. Managed to gradually worm my way out, to be confronted by a 60+ old woman really going for it and I felt like a right fanny.
All done by 9pm and it was lovely to be home before all the family had gone to bed.
Excellent work to manage to get a ticket for that Courtney Barnett gig.
When I saw the 8pm start time for Courtney Barnett I realised if I had managed to get a ticket for it I could just about have doubled up and still got back in time to seeā¦
The Orb at Whitstable Umbrella Centre
ā¦which was kind of OK but a bit disappointing. Not very ādubā heavy and was mostly straight up trancey techno. Decent enough evening and really good to see a sold out venue in Whitstable, hoping it encourages some more big-ish names to be put on here.
Takedown Festival @ Portsmouth Guildhall
Got a cheap ticket for this on a resale site, suspiciously cheap in fact. Half expected to be turned away at the door but nope all good. Suspect the promoter was using resale to try and discretely shift tickets because this was awkwardly undersold. The Guildhall is pretty huge room with two smaller side venues, Iād say that at its fullest the main room dance floor was about half full, with barely anyone in the seating. The crowd was an odd mix of very old men and teenagers enjoying their first pint which made for an odd vibe.
Anyway, this is a two day, multi room festival aimed atā¦actually I donāt know who. Phil Campbell was supposed to headline Friday but didnāt on account of being dead so Therapy? were booked as a replacement. Masked hype bullshit band President are headlining tonight but Iām not going to that.
I got there late to see the Wildhearts as it sounds like Ginger wonāt be in any state to tour for much longer. They were fucking dreadful. Appalling sound for the opening song Everlone and in their 45 minute set played absolutely none of their best album PHUQ. Total garbage.
Caught most of Belgian stoners Gnome in one of the side rooms and they ruled. Sounded enormous, big chunky riffs, loads of energy, extremely charming despite their hat wearing schtick being a little off putting. 10/10 would watch again.
Therapy? closed out the night in the main room which by that point was about a quarter full which is a shame because theyāre so reliably great. The set leaned heavily on Troublegum with a scattering of other hits and a vicious rendition of Teethgrinder. Excellent band.
Got cheap resale tickets to go to this specifically to see masked hype bullshit band - They were great!! (I genuinely like them, and couldnāt really give a fuck!). Saw some pop punk bands too in the smaller side rooms.
What a weird festival though. Downloady vibes in a council administrative centre! Weirdly made me feel like I was 16 in a provincial town again
I walked into Clwb and was greeted by a sea of pointy red hats. The support band were already onstage, and what do you know? It was Wall, the same band who opened for Gnome when I saw them in Swansea last year. Wall are just two guys ā a drummer and a guitarist, no singer ā and I can see why Gnome reunited with them for another tour because theyāre the ideal warmup act for a gig like this. Meaty riffs, powerhouse drums, perfect headbanger music alternated with the odd galloping rush. Must check out some of their releases.
I managed to get right down the front in time for the start of Gnomeās set. This was the final date of their current UK tour, and I think we gave them a good send-off: everyone around me was well up for it, and we had a great time bouncing around and bumping into each other as Gnome plied their trade. Iāll echo @hankscorpio above: Gnome are entertaining to watch, they sound huge, and their songs are awesome. After that gig in Swansea, their latest album Vestiges of Verumex Visidrome ended up being one of my most-played albums of 2025 (despite coming out in 2024) so I was really pleased to get a chance to hear numbers like Duke of Disgrace and The Gods Are Evil performed live again.
MERCH WATCH: After the show, I emerged covered in sweat and purchased my second band T-shirt of the year from Gnomeās merch stall. I usually avoid buying light-coloured tees, and I donāt usually go for the designs that are just āwe took the cover art from our new album and printed it on a shirtā, but I do really like this one:
Returning there after four years, with a brief interregnum at the late The Moon, and pretty much established in a sea of fools like me getting in with indiepop weekenders/alldayers as the closest spiritual successor to Indietracks. Heavenly! Prolapse, who are unexpectedly playing Autocade live again! Most of the Skep Wax roster, chiefly Amelia and Rob pulling double duty in Swansea Sound and The Cords getting a heroinesā welcome! Lande Hekt stripped back and being wonderful! Even As We Speak, Rachel from Dolly Mixture and Stuart from Young Marble Giants to equally remind us that the old stagers can still do it! The Slugs, the most āIndietracks shed at 12.30pmā band possible! The return of The School, fronted by Liz Hunt under who all of this is happening and should really be running the Senedd by now! Brilliant people! May its tribes increase (I believe next year is already confirmed)
The Body were up first, a guitar and drum two piece. Lots of low end rumbles on the guitar, and a really inventive drummer, to the point where the drums were the lead instrument. Good stuff, and also props to them for keeping the songs short when most people doing this kind of thing stretch everything out to nine minutes plus. Imagine an Earth committed to three minute singles.
I saw Full Of Hell last time they came to Bristol and remarked to my mate at the time that they might have been the heaviest thing Iāve ever seen. They havenāt mellowed since. Nails the other week were heavy of course, but still operating in a a conventional song structure, regardless of how fast or loud those songs were. FoH is just sheer pummeling cacophony that you feel as much as hear, with loads of electronic distortion texturing the whole thing. Completely exhilarating.
Sumac & Chained to the Bottom of the Ocean @ Room 2, Glasgow
I had been tremendously excited for this since it was initially announced - Iād had tickets for at least two previous Sumac shows that I had to miss. Everyone who knows me knows that Iām a major Aaron Turner fanboy and while Sumac took me a bit of effort to understand and appreciate initially, Iāve come to really love their music.
Support came from the fantastic Chained to the Bottom of the Ocean. Thou are the obvious reference point here: grinding, thick, sludgy riffs drenched in feedback that really suited the warmest day of 2026. We also were treated to an impromptu bass drone & drum improv while the guitarist sorted out a dead lead. Excellent set and as usual, aggressive on stage metal musicians turned out to be absolute sweethearts at the merch desk.
My expectations were absurdly high, and Sumac surpassed them. Thunderously loud, complex, cathartic, weirdly hopeful and uplifting in places, crushing and relentless in others. I was absolutely transfixed from beginning to end.
Both of these bands are very high on my must see live list. Chained are great - love that theyāre named after a Thou song and are doing their own strain of sludge.
