Tag Archives: Live

PINS @ Oporto, Leeds. 10th October 2025.

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Last night, I think I may have been in the world’s hottest venue. It was also one of the most cramped venues ever too. Was the sweat and small space worth it? Absolutely! PINS are currently touring the 10 year anniversary of their record, Wild Nights. I remember being at the album launch for it 10 years ago, and to hear the songs a decade later and them still feel brand new was so cool! It just shows how great the band are.

Now, I’ve seen PINS play about 10 times over thew years and last night as my first time seeing them play in a venue in the north. Location isn’t everything, but Oporto was a great place to see them. PINS have a sound that’s unlike anything else, and when you see them live you really feel the music and can really appreciate their sound. Sadly, there were the usual pervy men in the front zooming in on body parts and filming the band- especially during the last song when a few of the crowd were on stage. I used to see this happen years ago in London, so it looks like this breed of human sadly occurs everywhere. It’s just wrong, and it makes me so mad. Imagine if someone was doing it to their daughter? Idiots. Anyway, back to how solid the show was!

I honestly don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone on stage with as much energy as Lois. It was so cool to see that same energy from years ago is still there. I really don’t think anyone loves being on that stage as much as she does; a real joy to see. Faith’s voice is as powerful as ever, and on delicate songs like Got It Bad you can really hear the power in her voice. The addition of Abbi on the drums adds some extra loudness to the sound and Kyoko may be one of the slickest bassists around. Is it the best PINS have ever sounded? Of course. The tightness of the band is there and hearing how Wild Nights has developed and got stronger over the past decade is a real joy to witness.

Every song off the record is played along with new single, I’ll Be Yours and the classics- Serve The Rich and of course, Girls Like Us. For me, hearing Dazed By You (which in my humble and biased opinion, is one of the best modern love songs around) live again just made me so happy. I genuinely thought I was going to cry out of happiness hearing it live again but instead, I just sang along and had a lovely time. There is something about a PINS show that leaves you feeling like you can take on the world. There are delicate moments in the set (Got It Bad and If Only) but there are these sensational ferocious parts where you know you are absolutely in the presence of one of the best bands to have ever come from Manchester. I love the rage in Too Little Too Late that I just love so much. You can proper shout a long to this, and I think it’s partly why my throat hurts today! House Of Love and Oh Lord are divine live too. The whole record is just timeless, and I’m so glad they have celebrated it by putting on these shows.

Although this was my possibly 11th time seeing PINS, it really felt like I was seeing them for the first time last night. It’d been too long, and I hope they play more shows now because they are one of the most exciting bands to see live, and I just adore them so much. I love how when you’ve loved a band for so long, you can really hear how their sound has grown- especially in a live setting. The celebration of Wild Nights was a thing of beauty, and hopefully we can celebrate it again in another 10 years. Although, I’ll probably need to be seated for that!

The shows ends with the anthem that is, Girls Like Us. Faith brings a number of people onto the worlds smallest stage for such a big moment. Seeing the love and happiness of everyone on the stage summed up exactly what PINS are about and why, although they are criminally underrated, they are one of the best around. No one will ever do it like PINS and last night totally proved it.

One final thing- they are selling posters on the tour for Kinder Relief to support the people of Palestine. Go to the show and buy a poster or two. Anything left over will be up on their Bandcamp page after the tour.

jasmine.4.t : The Deaf Institute, 31st May 2025.

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Sometimes you listen to a record, a song or find a singer and you just know that they are going to impact your life in a way that will stay with you for a long time. A band in particular for me that first gave me this feeling was Garbage back in 1995. Fast forward 30 years, and I get the same feeling with the Angel of Manchester- jasmine.4.t.

Her debut record, You Are The Morning is an ode and celebration of Queer love and community. She lets us in delicately on her journey as a transwoman, and that is something to truly treasure. I’ve been to a lot of gigs in my time but I can honestly say that Jasmine’s show last night at The Deaf Institute was the safest I’ve ever felt and I’m pretty sure I wasn’t the only one. I want to mention briefly (and I will be writing about them separately soon) the support acts from last night Ether Mech and Lucas Assagba. Both acts were divine, and the perfect way to start the night.

There are many reasons as to why the show was so special last night- but the two worth noting are, it was homecoming show for Jasmine and her band. They sold out The Deaf Institute! One of the most iconic and best venues in our beautiful city and it was sadly drummer Eden’s last show with them. Sadness and joy- the two things I felt a lot of last night! I knew in my gut I was going to feel every feeling possible last night, and being in the eyeline of the setlist made me prepare myself slightly. But the second Jasmine and Phoenix stepped to the stage, any mental preparation I did went right in the bin. I saw a few videos on Instagram this morning of the set, and in some of them you can see my little head just staring at the stage with this ridiculous grin on my face. The show felt like home, and I was SO proud to see Jasmine.

For me, I thought Elephant was going to be the one that broke me but instead, I cried out of sheer happiness. To see a room so full of love, kindness, acceptance, and safety really got to me. It’s awful right now for those of us who are part of the LGBTQIA+ community and it’s extra fucking hard on our trans siblings, and to be in a room for those few hours where how we identify doesn’t mean we are at risk felt like being home. I really hope Jasmine knows exactly what she’s done and keeps doing with her music, because it’s so powerful. It’s beyond music, she’s beyond being a singer.

The set opens with Jasmine and Phoenix stepping up to the stage to play Kitchen, and they then treat us to Bobby (and Alex G cover.) These quiet moments showed just how tender music can be. Jasmine then introduces Eden and Emily to the stage where they rip the venue apart with Guy Fawkes Tesco Dissociation. This live hits you in a way a record cannot touch; it’s also a song I’ve sang/yelled at my cat many a time (I’m so sorry Mary, I do it because I love you.) Skin On Skin and Highfield nearly bloody break me as does Breaking In Reverse, but I kept it together because I was just happy to be in a room so full of love and joy. For me, the tenderness of Roan truly cemented just how gorgeous a musician Jasmine is. It was such a quiet moment, and nobody moved. We all just stood in awe of her. The song is beautiful anyway, but you truly feel how much it means to Jasmine when you see it live.

I think a lot us who went last night will agree that the performance of Woman was one of the most precious moments of the show. Jasmine split the crowd so her gorgeous friend, Bola could dance whilst they sang such a vital song. After the hate and hurt that comes from the UK Supreme Court Ruling (and the world in general being hateful), having the crowd chant “Fuck the Supreme Court” felt GOOD. Another person simply cannot police how you identify. Another person NEVER EVER has the right to make you feel small or make you feel like you should hide who you are. Queer people have ALWAYS been here. Trans people have always been here and they always will be. Non-Binary people have always been here, and we’re going nowhere. I never felt more proud of who I am than I was last night, and feeling secure in that is down to the home I have found in Jasmine’s music.

The band rip through Did U Know (which NEEDS to be recorded) but the set ends with an INSANE cover of Toxicity by System Of A Down. We all know that Jasmine has a delicate voice, but have you heard her properly scream and belt out a song? MY.GOD. I loved Emily’s stagedive during this, and the way she launched herself back onto the stage and play her bass as if nothing happened! Everything was left on the stage last night, and it was an honour to see it. I’m just so proud of Jasmine, and to be there for her sell out homecoming show was just extra special. I feel I could write thousands of words on why this was one of the most important gigs I’ve ever been to, but I think, if you’ve listened to her music- you will really get why it means so much. On record you can feel the emotion, but when you see it live, it feels so different. Songs like Roan live felt different and you could just see the love pour out of Jasmine as she sang this. Everyone on that stage last night (support acts too) gave their all, and in return, they received all the love in the world back.

The setlist I took from the stage last night is now signed, framed, and hangs above my record player in my room. It’s more than a setlist. It’s a sign to keep going and to be proud of who I am. I think aged 38, I’ve finally got there.

Jasmine has just announced another tour for later in the year, so if you missed out this time- you’ve got a second chance. I simply urge you to go see Jasmine live because you will truly know what it means to feel safe and seen. And hopefully there will be more System Of A Down covers.

I cannot write this without mentioning Yulia- Jasmine’s friend. If you follow Jasmine on social media or have been to her shows, you will know who Yulia is and how important she is. She is currently in prison because quite simply, like anyone with common sense, believes in a free Palestine. Please read and support Yulia here: https://www.freeyulia.com/info/ It is a heavy read so please be careful.

AMYL AND THE SNIFFERS: Manchester Academy, 9th November 2024.

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Last night I saw again, the best band of my generation, live. I’ve been thinking about what makes Amyl and The Sniffers so great and it’s down to the live shows. It’s the energy, it’s the band, it’s the fans. From seeing them at the Deaf Institute in 2019 to last night at the Academy; I can safely say that every time I’ve seen them, it’s made you feel like it won’t be long before they become a band that play stadiums. Their sound is THAT big. Their energy is even bigger.

From the second the band step on stage to Mobb Deep’s CLASSIC Shook Ones Part II (any band that walk on stage to that are excellent!) you know that you are seconds away from greatness. Amy steps to the mic and tells the crowd to pick anyone up who falls, don’t touch anyone who doesn’t want to be touched and to get rowdy. I think we can apply those rules to daily life. The setlist consists of 22 songs, and you feel it isn’t enough. You want more and more (I’ll ALWAYS want Stole My Pushbike back on the set along with 70s Street Munchies!) but the new record live is insane. They start with Doing In Me Head which is one of the best moments of Cartoon Darkness. They absolutely rip through the new record, and it’s that energy that is so rare, is what makes the night.

One of the things you spot at an Amyl and The Sniffers show is that there are no age limits- the crowd is so diverse and I think the older people in the crowd lasted longer in the pit than the younger ones. It was so beautiful to see. Amyl and The Sniffers are beyond being a Pub Rock/Punk band; there’s something else there, and it honestly above any words I or anyone could write down. You know what was the seller for me? Having the show projected on a screen behind the band because this short-arse can’t see anything! But I saw it all. I got the tickets as a birthday present to myself, and I think, even though I dislike my birthday, celebrating it like this was alright. Mainly because it wasn’t ON my birthday, but you get my point.

There are tender moments in the set such as Knifey and every female person sang that song as if their life depended on it. I remember hearing it for the first time, and I bawled. I don’t know anyone who hasn’t been moved by that song. Bailing On Me nearly had me crying, but I remembered being told that no one is worth crying over so I stopped myself. It felt good. For me, hearing Motorbike Song live was all I wanted. That was the new song I was looking forward to the most. It’s so loud, it’s fast and it’s just a dream of a song. Of course, songs like Hertz, Guided By Angels and Security are belted out by everyone- how could they not be? They all created beautiful moments, and show why Comfort To Me is one of the greatest records ever made. However, I reckon every record they ever make will be the greatest so we’re fine. This is a band to put all your faith, love, and energy into. Pretty sure I had goosebumps from the second they stepped on stage to the very end of the set. The encore was Balaclava Lover Boogie and GFY- excellent way to end the show! There are SO many moments during the show that just blow your mind. Me And The Girls live absolutely dicks over the album version. The song rips anyway, but live? My god!! U Should Not Be Doing That holds a very special place in my heart as does Chewing Gum. Oh man having Maggot and Some Mutts in the setlist is a dream too! Every song deserves its place!

I adored how everyone was having the time of their lives last night. Sure, drinks were being lobbed across the room and being dropped, but that’s because everyone was busy dancing and screaming along to the words. A personal highlight for me was someone coming up to me to tell me something but I had no idea what they were saying, so they then said “Don’t listen to me, I’ve just got me tits out!” And that pretty much sums up the night. Freedom for all. Fun for everyone. It was a blast, and I hope they come back soon because their live shows really do give you a kick up the arse.

The new record hasn’t been out long, but everyone knew every single word and shouted along with Amy. Her voice has become so much stronger over the years, and I think you really hear it on songs like Chewing Gum and Big Dreams. As for Dec- show me a better guitarist right now, because you absolutely won’t find one. He’s something else. Gus is THE coolest bassist. Bryce is just exceptional. Together they show exactly why Amyl and The Sniffers are the best band around. This band are for us underdogs, the weirdos and the ones who do not want what you’re selling.

I’d like to end this by saying a very personal highlight of the night was me turning to my best mate during Jerkin’ to try tell him something important and he stopped me because he HAD to shout “WANK WANK WANK” during the song. I’d have been disappointed if he didn’t. The joy on his face was heavenly!

If you’ve never been to an Amyl and The Sniffers show, you are missing out. It’s as simple as that. I adore everything they stand for and how they treat their fans, and also- how the fans treat them. Amy Taylor has that Patti Smith quality about her, and I hope when Amy gets to 75, she’s still shouting the words to Jerkin’ every night in a different city. We need bands like this so badly- especially at the moment. At the start of the show, Amy gave a little speech about the state of the world and how shit it is, and the words hit. The world is absolutely terrible but there is more of us that want to do good and help, and we just have to be a lot louder now.

So, in short, this was an amazing show and the atmosphere was beautiful. If I could go to an Amyl and The Sniffers show every night, I bloody well would.

PS- This is one of the lamest reviews I’ve done but I hope you take away from this that Amyl and The Sniffers are the best live band around. Thanks!

CROWS: The Deaf Institute, Manchester. 10th October 2024.

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Last night I went to my first gig of the year. I tried to work out why I’d left it so late in the year, but I don’t think I wanted to see anyone so far. Everyone I want to see is towards the end of the year, so I guess it worked out. It was also the first gig I’d been to in 7 years totally off sertraline. After 7 years, I stopped taking it in May. There were days where I forgot to take it, then I decided I didn’t want another summer of sertraline sweats! I know you’re not supposed to just stop, nor would I tell someone to do what I did, but it worked for me. I went to the Crows gig last night, and I felt. I felt more than I had in a while, and it felt like every bit of work I’d put into myself to “get better” had finally paid off. But that doesn’t mean all is okay; nothing and no one ever fully is, and that’s absolutely okay. It’s more than okay. Sometimes you need to go see your favourite band play in one of your favourite venues and listen to the songs that fixed parts of you no person or medication could ever touch.

Before I get into it- let it be known that headline bands starting at 8.30pm is delightful. More of that please! Home by 10.30pm- BLISS! I mean I’m still tired now, but it was absolutely worth it. It always is.

The band glide onto the stage and immediately annihilate the room with the opener, Reason Enough. That song live something else, truly. This band live are something else. You don’t just see them once and feel it’s enough. The setlist was divine, and of course in an ideal world they’d start at 6 and do all 3 records, but we don’t want to tire them out! The setlist is all I could want. Hearing songs like Room 156 and Healing live will ALWAYS make everything better. I thought they’d be the songs that would make me sob like a child that’s lost its favourite toy, but I held it together. If any song was going to ruin me, it would have been Vision of Me but again, I held it together. I think hearing Vision of Me live takes you to a different place where it doesn’t hurt so much to hear it, you know? If anything, it was an honour to see the new songs live and hear them the way they should be. Each of them owns the stage in their own way, and at times you don’t know where to look. For the most part I think I had my eyes closed and just took everything in. It felt like home, and it’s a hard feeling to find and keep. Music is always a constant. It’ll always be there.

High praise needs to be given to Jack Milwaukee for his exceptional sound talents. I’ve never heard a band so loud at this venue, and as soon as I got home, I was fully aware that my hearing was not that great. Would I sleep through my alarm in the morning? Nope. But the worry was there. If you don’t leave bruised or slightly broken, and in this case, unable to hear- than you’ve had a good time. The sound was so good! It was so slick, so loud and just perfect.

There are so many moments during the gig where you can’t believe you’re witnessing a band so bloody good play a room so small. These songs would sound perfect in a stadium with us all belting them out, but you also feel at home in these small venues singing your heart out with a few hundred people, to the songs that have saved you many times. And continue to save you. Just before they played Every Day of Every Year, James gave a little speech about having anxiety and it getting better; I don’t think I’ve ever appreciated something so much at a gig before. It was one of those things you needed to hear at that moment; and it made a world of difference. I think that’s part of why I love this band and why their songs mean so much. Also, I forgot just how divine Wednesday’s Child is live. Holy shit! James’ vocals on this are unreal, and live? Live it is INSANE. They all make this song sound so big live. When James shouts “Blame me for all your mistakes” it just takes you on this wild ride. It’s up there as being one of the best songs I’ve seen live. Demeanour was insane live too. Under 2 minutes of chaos- perfect!

 A couple songs into the set and he goes wandering round the crowd and at one point later in the set, he extends the fancy mic (you know the one!) to someone in the crowd for them to sing into. Tiny moments stick with you, and my god James’ voice is STRONG. Anyone who has seen them live knows how slick their set is and how strong they all sound together- but maybe it was down to Jack being an exceptional sound/tech person, but they sounded heavenly last night. Sometimes, you go to a gig, and you want to stay in that moment for the rest of time because it’s so comforting- last night’s show was exactly that. Way more than that.

There was a solid mix of old and new songs, and every song just felt like a rush to the body. Like you were being jolted back to life. I know I’ve mentioned it, but I’ll never get over the power Room 156 and Healing has live. With every listen, regardless of the setting, those two songs just seem to mean more and more to me. I think I feel the same about Every Day of Every Year; there’s reassurance in those three songs that you cannot get anywhere else. You’ve got the classics such as Slowly Separate, Garden of England and Closer Still; but when you witness The Itch live- my god! Something hits you. There is something about this song live that can correct every uneasy feeling you have. You can’t help but allow your eyes dart across the stage when this song kicks of- Steve goes wild on the guitar, Sam destroys the drums, Jith makes the bass sound like a demon and James brings it in with his vocals. This happens on every single song, but The Itch live does something else to the mind and body.

The night ends with Is It Better? I don’t think there’s a more fitting Crows song to end the gig with. It’s hopeful but cautious, and I think because it has so much power live- it makes you want the gig to start over again and you witness and feel all of this again and again. They aren’t a band that you see once and that’s it. Absolutely not. They’re a band that you keep seeing because watching them grow in every way is joy to witness and hear.

I’m doing this all again on Tuesday evening, and it cannot come round quick enough.