It’s been one hell of a year for live music and our UK & Ireland review team have covered the length and breadth of the British Isles, to bring you the very best coverage, befitting one of the UK’s Top 10 music websites. Did we mention we’d recently come 9th in the Top 100 UK music websites and Blogs for 2023 [well we did!].
We’ve covered everything from extreme Black Metal to Jazz, pop to prog rock and all stations in between. It’s a dirty job but someone’s got to do it and we love doing it for you, our readers and subscribers.
We asked our UK & Ireland reviewers to list their top five gigs and festival sets of the past 12 months and this is what our motley crew came up with!
Andi Callen – Photographer/Writer – Punk/Post Punk and Live Editor UK & Ireland [Manchester & NW]
- Rancid – Victoria Warehouse
- Bob Vylan – O2 Ritz
- The Meffs – Rebellion Festival
- High Vis – Bearded Theory
- Gang of 4 – O2 Ritz
Michael Hundertmark – Staff Photographer/Writer [London & SE]
- The Pixies – Roundhouse, London
- King Gizzard & Lizard Wizard – Troxy, London
- Gary Numan – Electric Ballroom, Camden
- Deus – Brixton Electric
- The Steve Hillage Band – Concorde2 Brighton
Huw Williams – Staff Photographer/Writer [Leeds/Yorkshire]
- Nova Twins – Key Club, Leeds
- Berwyn – Brudenell Social Club, Leeds
- The Last Dinner Party – Live At Leeds in the City
- Self Esteem – Rock N Roll Circus, Sheffield
- CMAT – Stylus, Leeds
Phil Wright – Staff Photographer/Writer [Sheffield/Yorkshire]
- Noel Gallagher – Don Valley Stadium Sheffield
- McFly – Tramlines
- Michael Buble First Direct Arena Leeds
- Rick Astley – Leadmill Sheffield
- The Boo Radleys – Corporation Sheffield
Jason Siddall – Staff Writer / Photographer [Sheffield/Yorkshire]
- The Hara – Ynot Festival
- Nothing But Thieves – Manchester Apollo
- Tom Grennan- O2 Arena London
- Dirty Honey – Corporation Sheffield
- The 1975 – Leeds Festival
Phil Pountney – Staff Writer / Photographer [Manchester/NW]
- Watain – Inferno Festival, Oslo.
- Rotting Christ – Incineration Festival, London
- Kreator – Leeds.
- Levellers – A Beautiful Day Out Fest
- Terrorvision – Bradford
Phil Drury – Freelance Writer / Photographer [Birmingham/Midlands]
- The Rosadocs – Sheffield Town Hall
- Spector – 110 Above
- Tom A Smith – O2 Institute
- Shed Seven – HMV Empire
- King No-One – 110 Above
Fabian Fernandes – Staff Writer / Photographer [London]
- Nothing But Thieves – Wembley Arena
- Incubus – Hammersmith Apollo
- The Used – Kentish Town Forum
- Joss Stone – London Palladium
- James Bay – Royal Albert Hall
Don Blandford – Staff Writer / Photographer [London ]
- Nuggets vinyl 50th Anniversary show – City Winery, New York featuring Patti Smith
- Berries – Signature Brew, Haggerston
- Vixey – Brixton Windmill
- Emiliana Torrini – La Trabendo, Paris
- Mary In The Junkyard – Brixton Windmill
Feargal McGlinchey – Freelance Photographer [London]
- The 1975 @ The O2 Arena, London
- Sam Fender – St James Park Newcastle
- The Courteeners – Heaton Park, Manchester
- Don Broco – Alexandra Palace, London
- Billie Eilish – Leeds Festival
Raymond Thomson – Freelance Writer / Photographer [Dundee/Scotland ]
- Killing Joke – Royal Albert Hall, London
- New Model Army, REbellion Festival
- Gang Of Four – La Belle Angele, Edinburgh
- Death Cult @ Barrowland, Glasgow
- Helmet – Cathouse, Glasgow
Abigael Paquet – Freelancer Writer / Photographer [Dublin/Ireland]
- Fall Out Boy – Le Zénith de Paris
- Yungblud – Paris & Dublin
- Heilung – Board Gáis Energy Theatre, Dublin
- Atreyu – The Academy, Dublin
- Skindred – The Academy, Dublin
Rebecca Bush – Freelance Writer / Photographer [London/SE]
- Creeper – Shepherds Bush Empire
- Ghost – Download Festival
- Skynd – Bloodstock Festival
- Palaye Royale – Download Festival
- Starbenders – Boston Music Room
Henry Groves – Freelance Writer / Photographer [Brighton/London]
- The Last Dinner Party – EartH, London
- Self Esteem – Brighton Dome
- Keaton Henson – Chalk, Brighton
- The Black Keys – The O2, London
- Little Simz – Love Supreme Festival
Claire Hodgkins – Freelance Photographer [Birmingham]
- Beyoncé – Tottenham Stadium, London
- Creeper – Shepherds Bush Empire, London
- The Amity Affliction – Institute, Birmingham
- Ari Abdul – Camden Assembly, London
- As Everything Unfolds – Islington Academy, London
Hope Small – Freelance Writer / Photographer [Birmingham/Midlands]
- The 1975 – Utilita Arena, Birmingham
- Ice Nine Kills – Rock City, Nottingham
- McFly – O2 Academy, Birmingham
- Panic! At The Disco – AO Arena, Manchester
- The Home Team – Brighton Music Hall, Boston
Rhiannon Law – Staff Writer / Photographer [Glasgow/Scotland ]
- Chvrches – Barrowlands, Glasgow
- Lucia and the Best Boys – SWG3, Glasgow
- Withered Hand – Saint Luke’s, Glasgow
- Laura Cantrell – Saint Luke’s, Glasgow
- Bruce Springsteen – Murrayfield, Edinburgh
