Joe's Big Toe
Live Reviews
The Jezabels 24/02/12
There was a time in my life when Buffy the Vampire Slayer occupied a large section of my waking thoughts. As a teenage male, of course Sarah Michelle Gellar had no small part in those thoughts, but it was more than that — I became absorbed in the plot. I actually enjoyed tuning in to […]
Tellison 15/10/11
Walking into the venue, I did a double-take. The Harley is known for being the home of student hipster music, and I suppose Tellison are small enough to draw that crowd — but the music does not fit comfortably in my mind in the same space as Grizzly Bear and the like. The band take to […]
Fenix TX — 26th October 2010
Walking into the venue tonight is something of a disappointment. Fenix TX were one of a handful of groups that shaped my music taste as it is today, and it’s sad to see them unable to draw enough of a crowd to put them in the 800 capacity main room. I stand quietly at the […]
Lacuna Coil — 28th September 2010
Lacuna Coil have been around for over 15 years now, although you wouldn’t think it to watch them tonight. The two lead singers, Cristina Scabbia and Andrea Ferro (that’s a bloke, for those of you who weren’t in the know) are flying around the stage and energy (and sweat) is pouring off them. In this small […]
Kispál és a Borz — Sziget 2010
Kispál és a Borz, frequently referred to as just Kispál (pronounced kishpal) were Hungary’s largest alternative rock band, founded just before the fall of communism in Hungary in the country’s fifth largest city, Pécs (pronounced paytch), which represents a hotbed of cultural and artistic activity within Hungary. Their performance on Day –1 at Sziget is […]
(hed) P.E.
As I walk into the venue, there’s no immediate visual clue as to what kind of concert we’re about to experience. There’s a guy in a Vandals t-shirt, one in a Less Than Jake hoodie, a few guys in tracksuits, some girls with black lipstick — there was even a chap in suit. The first […]
Bombay Bicycle Club
February 11th and after a week in action, the NME Awards tour is in full swing. Tonight it’s Birmingham’s turn to play host to the onslaught of Indie rock and judging by the number of people, youngsters and adults alike who are already braving the freezing conditions when we arrive, it’s not hard to see […]
Reel Big Fish
Looking up at the stage, standing at the edge of what appears to be a convulsing pile of teenagers, you cant help but feel that there’s only so much fun in the world and Reel Big Fish are having all of it… First on stage, it didn’t take Sonic Boom Six long to effortlessly stir the […]
Sonic Boom Six — 24/10/2009, O2 Academy, Sheffield
Sonic Boom’s opening acts were the Skints and the Catch-It Kebabs. First up were Yorkshire’s own Catch-It Kebabs. Their charismatic performance of good old-fashioned ska-punk was littered with hints of Sublime, Catch-22 and Streetlight Manifesto. So, they were doing something right! Their (perhaps overly) smiley lead singer’s vocals were powerful, but wide ranging, and suited […]
Les Transmusicales
As this is an English language site, you’re probably not massively tuned in to the French music scene. You’ve probably heard of Daft Punk, and you probably know the one from the SpecSavers ad — and how Edith Piaf regrets nothing. But you may not have heard of Les Trans. Les Trans is pretty big, […]