The Beths @ Button Factory, Dublin - September 17, 2025

When I found out I was going to Dublin again this year, I looked up what live shows might line up with the trip, and The Beths immediately jumped out. A few weeks ago, having liked some of their songs on my Spotify workout playlist, I decided to give them a good listen and stumbled across their live album. I've listened to it a few times, deciding they'd be a fun live show. 

We were in Dublin for a busy week, with my partner onboarding for a new job, and being a mid-week show, he was a bit tired. So we didn't stay for the encore; but I was in luck, because the one song I definitely did not want to miss was "Little Death" which they played 3rd from last. We also caught their biggest songs "Expert in a Dying Field" and "Future Me Hates Me".  

My initial attraction to The Beths is their fun energy. They can definitely write a catchy, danceable song. "No Joy" was a great bouncy early track. "Uptown Girl" brought the energy back up mid-set. And "I'm Not Getting Excited" was a similarly energetic track late in the set.

It's always great to hear the songs you want to hear, but what sets a concert above the pack for me, is when I'm grabbed by a song I don't know. "Mother, Pray for Me", with Elizabeth Stokes singing and playing guitar solo (while her bandmates listened intently from the drum riser) was a beautiful moment. I also think "Mosquitoes" stood out live, but listening back now, I'm not sure why - it probably showcased Stokes' pretty voice. 

I found myself during (and now revisiting) the show being reminded of the Cranberries.  Maybe this is because I was in Dublin and heard them pop up several times, but I think The Beths hit similar musical territory to the Cranberries, in that they can write (and perform) a surging, uplifting song, but also have stunningly beautiful quiet moments. 

The Beths played their entire new album, Straight Line Was a Lie, interwoven throughout the set, which isn't always the case, even when that's what the tour is promoting. The ten new songs were balanced by ten songs from their earlier three albums. 

There was some pretty good banter between the band and audience, beginning with one of them asking where the best Guinness in Dublin was. If that wasn't designed to get a response...!? Then they reminisced about trying the notorious 'spice bag' (deep-fried modern Irish takeaway consisting of chips, chicken, veg and Chinese spices), to much amusement.

The Button Factory itself was very cool. Only 900 capacity and laid out really well, with several levels to help line-of-sight. There's even some tall tables dotted near the back which is rare. There's a balcony with another 50 (unreserved) seats and a spot to lean on the side railing which is what we did. It was great to be able to check out a new venue that's hosted so many great (at-the-time) small indie bands.

As I often do, I started to track the songs as they were played. I didn't know the 7th song, so I pulled up setlist.fm to check the title, and noticed that someone there was updating the tracks to the site as they began. Happily, I put my phone away and fully enjoyed the show. :) Final notes: not many phones out, which I liked; Pretty subdued crowd. Maybe a female heavy crowd mainly in 20s-30s, but hardly any jumping about even during the most energetic tracks. I think this was due to the fact this was the second show added due to demand, and slotted in before the show that sold out, so maybe not the most die-hard fans. This show was their tour opener.

Setlist:
Straight Line Was a Lie
No Joy
Silence Is Golden
Future Me Hates Me
Metal
Til My Heart Stops
Mother, Pray for Me
Out of Sight
Head in the Clouds
Uptown Girl
Ark of the Covenant
Mosquitoes
Roundabout
Jump Rope Gazers
Best Laid Plans
Little Death
I'm Not Getting Excited
Expert in a Dying Field
Encore:
Take
Your Side

Blondshell w/Westside Cowboy @ Electric Brixton - Sept 11, 2025 - missed show

 Grrrr. This one might hurt. Missed it because of a week-long tube strike. Just couldn't face figuring out above-ground transport from Paddington to Brixton when the rest of London was using it too. This was compounded by knowing I would have to leave early (even if the tube WAS running) to ensure I didn't miss my last train home.

I really love Blondshell's songwriting and hope to catch her again one day. She's been on heavy rotation for me for months now. Doubly annoying because...what a cool opener. Up-and-coming Westside Cowboy are getting all sorts of kudos and buzz right now, so I bet this will be one of those shows that I ache when I think I missed. Double grrrr.

Just had to document (I don't mention the missed shows, usually - 'cept maybe for Covid) 
I know I really would have enjoyed going to this one solo, but c'est la vie.

Extra torture:
Blondshell Brings Electric Brixton to Boil...Sept 11, 2025
Live Review: Blondshell - Electric Brixton, Sept 12, 2025

 

Stiff Little Fingers w/The MEFFS @Epic Studios - July 1, 2025

 

Second time seeing SLF, and another fun feel-good show with a seasoned, happy crowd.

 

I've now seen a few shows in Norwich, but this was my 1st visit to the 850-capacity Epic Studios. Decent venue, and due to the experienced fans, no crush down the front even during the fan-favourite tracks. The bar service was a tad slow and drinks not cheap, but they were happy to fill my water bottle. And miraculously, no queue for the loos at the end of the evening! 

I survived the night having only one beer splashed on me, courtesy of a younger couple who came down front midway through the SLF set carrying full cups. Saw that coming a mile away. Again, the seasoned crowd finished their cups long before the band kicked off, much to my gratitude. 

 

The MEFFS, an energetic and fun two-piece younger punk band, did their job really well, warming up the older crowd and getting anyone in a MEFFS t-shirt to come down the middle and move. 

 

I enjoyed their whole set, but stand-outs were "Broken Britain, Broken Brains", "No Future" and "Stand up, Speak Out"  with Lily Meff getting the crowd to chant along.

 

 

SLF came on at quarter past the hour, after FIVE! Abba tracks "warmed up" the audience. 

 

Unlike the 1st time I saw them, the old legendary tracks came later in the set. Other than 3rd song, Wasted Life, it wasn't until the 13th song that they gave us a triple hit of my early album faves: Nobody's Hero, Tin Soldiers and Suspect Device. And they finished the encore with Alternative Ulster.

 

Jake had some good banter ahead of some tracks, particularly Strummerville, talking about how much Joe means to him. The tour name "Flame in the Heart" is a nod to the enduring fire Strummer ignited in the band's and fans heart, and SLF's way to keep his influence alive.

 

Political chat by him and bassist, Ali, referenced mainly the resurgence of racism and the poisonous Trump influence. Jake talked about Trump's mother Mary being an illegal immigrant before their new track, hilariously titled "Mary's Boy Child". 

 

We expected a comment on the current Kneecap controversy, given they are both from Belfast, but no.

 

Their sound was clean and clear which helped me enjoy unfamiliar tracks, like My Dark Places, about Jake's midlife depression; with an important message given the crowd makeup: talk to someone.

 

SLF is a great night out. I had fun jumping around and dancing to much-loved tracks. My Garmin even tracked a heart rate high of 185bpm. That sorts me out for Cardio for this week. :P 

Setlist:
Roots, Radicals, Rockers and Reggae
At the Edge
Wasted Life
Won't Be Told
Strummerville
Mary's Boy Child
Straw Dogs
Piccadilly Circus
Just Fade Away
Each Dollar a Bullet
Harp
My Dark Places
Nobody's Hero
Tin Soldiers
Suspect Device
Gotta Gettaway
Encore:
Barbed Wire Love
Alternative Ulster 

Laura Jane Grace and the Trama Tropes w/Pet Needs @Scala - November 27, 2024

 

Couldn't miss this show, as my concert buddy knows the lead singer, Johnny, in the openers, Pet Needs. He's a massive Against Me!/LJG fan, so extra special to see him opening for her. He was obviously pretty awed about living out his dream.

 

I remember briefly bumping into him at our first AM! show together, back in 2014, before he formed his band - obvs a huge influence on them.

This is also the first time I've seen LJG, since her new wife joined her ever-changing and renamed band.

 

About 1/2 and1/2 LGJ newer stuff and then old AM! stuff. 

 

more review to come (maybe)...

Setlist:
Walls
Mine Me Mine
WW3
Wearing Black to the Pride Parade
I'm Not a Cop
I Love to Get High
Hole in My Head
Active Trauma
Your God (God's Dick)
New Years Day 2019
Give Up the Ghost
The Swimming Pool Song
Karma Too Close
RazorBlade Blues
White People for Peace
Pints of Guinness Make You Strong 
Walking is Still Honest
Don't Lose Touch
I Was a Teenage Anarchist
Black Me Out
True Trans Soul Rebel
Encore:
SuperNatural Possession
Holy Shit!
Baby, I'm an Anarchist!
Sink, Florida, Sink

 

Yet Another Music Hiatus

 This time, the start of my last concert hiatus was not my doing. Yup: Covid.

When it hit, and we were about to go into lockdown, I had 3 shows booked:

Fontaines D.C. (Feb 25/20)

Cabbage (March 5/20)

Faith No More (June 16/20) 

If memory serves, the news about Covid was building, and I just didn't think it was a good idea to be in a crowded audience. I went to one play in February (Taming of the Shrew at Sam Wanamaker Playhouse), which was barely half full and realised that many people were already skipping public events. Even with plenty of space around us, I felt uncomfortable. We just didn't know anything about Covid yet and it was a nervous time.

I had seen Fontaines DC three times, including recently in November, so, as much as I love them, it was my first skipped event. Then Cabbage were opening for Blossoms, but again, I'd seen them once so missed it. Alas, they have since disbanded. Finally, I had seen FNM twice in 2015, and they were so good, I immediately bought tickets when they announced they were playing London again. This one was cancelled. I just did a search to see if any shows have been played or planned since, and read an article about how Mike Patton pulled out due to agoraphobia and they haven't played together since. Although Patton has played quite a few shows with Mr. Bungle in the past 3 years, including a 2024 London date I didn't even hear about. It's looking like FNM won't reform, but I hope I'm wrong.

After all the lockdowns and restrictions were officially over, I stayed more socially distanced than most, and was in no rush to resume going to events or taking holidays. We didn't travel overseas again until 2023! We moved to our new house at the end of 2010, so being homebodies has been nice for awhile. Lots of new middle-aged hobbies: bird watching, photography and gardening.

It was finally a Laura Jane Grace show in late 2024 that got me out of this hiatus. She'd only visited the UK for one festival in 2022 since covid, so I couldn't miss this one. 

Fittingly, it was her band Against Me! that made me end my last music hiatus in 2014, and even more importantly how I met my great concert friend, Janey - whom I've now seen more concerts with than anyone else, including seeing LJG together nine times and counting.

But wow! Five years between shows? Oof.  

The Libertines w/ Trampolene @ O2 Academy Brixton - December 19, 2019

Couldn't resist this show once I saw a second date was added in London with different openers, which included a fave of mine, Trampolene.

 

This was my second time seeing each band, and as I'm typing this up way after the fact, I'm re-checking out whenyoung (the other opener) and trying to remember if I actually saw much of their set. I have a song of theirs "The Others" in my favourite Spotify songs - a kind of Cranberries meets Glasvegas sound (they're Irish). Relistening, I recognize it well, but was I that interested on the day? Perhaps we chose that moment to get drinks if they were slotted between the other two bands which I wouldn't have wanted to miss any of. Anyways, I listed it on my setlist.fm tally, so must have caught some of it, but obviously not memorable for me. (A shame, because the more I listen to their stuff, the more I like them. Some research shows, the band may be on permanent hiatus as the couple behind the band have moved back to Ireland and opened a restaurant.)

 

The singer of Trampolene, Jack Jones, has performed with The Libertines and particularly Pete Doherty many, many times (he was in the Puta Madres). They seem to have an almost brotherly or mentor/mentee relationship. The adoration is plain. So, I'm pretty sure they would have got onstage together, probably Jack joining The Libertines for one track, maybe during the encore. But I can't find any footage, so perhaps I'm projecting from something else I've watched online.

 

Following a couple of other solo performers (Luke Wright, then Ed Cosens), Welsh band Trampolene are a lot of fun live, and Jack Jones is an endearing and charismatic performer. I was completely won over seeing them at Dingwalls with a crowd of adoring fans about a year before this. It was lovely to see them again, but if you're not familiar with any of their stuff, not sure this performance would have won you over. Funny how sometimes a band can hit so different on different occasions.

 

I saw The Libertines at the 2015 Reading Festival, and while I was happy to have at last seen them, I'm never fully convinced this is the best way to see any band for the first time. So, of course, I was hoping for a much more memorable show at the Brixton Academy. And while it was great to hear some well-loved songs like "What Became of the Likely Lads" which I was shocked to not hear at Reading, it never quite had the vibe I somehow expected from a Libertines show. I wanted to be blown away, but I wasn't.

 

Perhaps, I (fittingly?) drank too much. Or perhaps the band were more subdued than they might have been. I had a look at a review chatting about how poorly the crowd received the spoken word poems of Luke Wright, who also made an appearance right before the Libertines came on. The article speculated that the band limited crowd interaction and chat, perhaps to punish us. Maybe it was end of tour fatigue, or the fact this was night two in the same venue. Maybe the Libertines are just one of those bands who can only create magic sporadically and unreliably. I have no doubt of that magic, and for some they might be a favourite concert memory, but I can't say they're one of mine based solely on the two shows I've seen. Maybe, I'll get another chance down the road.

 

Setlist:

The Delaney
Heart of the Matter
Horrorshow
Barbarians
Fame and Fortune
Boys in the Band
You're My Waterloo
The Saga
Last Post on the Bugle
Can't Stand Me Now
The Ha Ha Wall
Dead for Love
Gunga Din
Up the Bracket
What Became of the Likely Lads
Death on the Stairs
Time for Heroes
Encore:
Music When the Lights Go Out
What Katie Did
The Good Old Days
What a Waster
Don't Look Back Into the Sun

 

Idles @ Alexandra Palace - December 7, 2020

review to come...

Setlist:
Set 1:

War (Live Debut)

Never Fight a Man With a Perm
I'm Scum
Mother
Faith in the City
Divide and Conquer
Heel/Heal
Gram Rock
Queens
Slow Savage
Danny Nedelko
Rottweiler
taped: Dylan Thomas reads "Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night
Set 2:
taped: Drone Intro
Colossus
Grounds
Love Song
1049 Gotho
Benzocaine
Samaritans
Television
Danke (Live debut, w/openers METZ & Giant Swan)