Gigs with Ivan

Gary Numan at Bournemouth Old Fire Station

Gary Numan live (24.7.2026) in Bournemouth with Divine Shade supporting.

Significant local excitement when Gary Numan announced a more intimate show at the 550 capacity Bournemouth Old Fire Station. An instant sell out led to a second date being added. It looked initially like warm-up dates for the big Crystal Palace gig later in the summer. Then more dates in some unusual venues led to the blossoming of a mini-tour.

A privilege to be here. I scratched around for better information on the 7.30pm ticket time. Some AI generated information suggested 7pm doors was usual and one place 6.30pm. I wanted to get in early to grab a bench seat over on the left wall: my place of choice here in this unusually laid out venue – a student entertainment venue mostly. There are several areas of railing and slopes to aid leaning spots and with slight elevation above the front dancefloor.

The doors didn’t open until 7.40pm so our prompt 6.15pm arrival meant an hour and three quarters waiting – a bad start to legs preservation. Time to chat and admire the Numan t-shirts and journeys travelled. On getting in, after the VIP entrants and about ten others, we grabbed the last spaces on a partially reserved bench seat. I think I’m going to have to join the reservations for seats at these venues or be prepared to be disappointed and in pain. We are in though and ready.

I never got to see Gary Numan back in the 80s. Not until 2011 did I see him live and this is the sixth time since then, including last November in Bournemouth. (Previous blog link.) I think he’s got better and better live. Several excellent more recent LPs: Dead Son Rising, Savage and Intruder.

Support band tonight are Divine Shade, a French two-piece band from Lyon. They have that industrial electronic sound that make them an obvious Numan choice, and they supported previously on some 2022 dates.

I can’t think of many French acts I’ve seen – indeed only one: Nouvelle Vague.

The Divine Shade are a good listen: sounding great in here tonight, although a two-piece can be limiting live. Their LP Fragments Vol.1 must be worth a listen. Clear Numan influences.

The heat is a reminder of why most tours of indoor venues avoid the summer months. An effective sauna. My trusty pocket zoom steams up occasionally in the excitement. (My cherished bench seat comes with a chap’s head continuously in the way – he has a seat also but chooses to stand on the elevated section in a model of gig-going selfishness. I’m not moving. I’ll take the trade-off.)

Despite the small stage, the band look completely at home here, Gary and guitarists moving gracefully around each other throughout. Gary has his keyboards to the rear and spends some time side-on at those, dancing throughout – arms twisting to the ceiling; back bends and arm gymnastics. All very theatrical. As is tradition, not a word between songs. The Numanoids know all the songs so no need for introductions.

Guitarist Steve Harris engages in his strange mimes and mouthings with audience members or is it for the mixing desk – not sure what’s going on there.

Great sound despite the typically loud Numan amplification and the small venue. Simple, scaled down but extremely effective lighting with a backdrop of flexible hose lights and flashing dash lights.

There was a slight variation in the sets over the two gigs here. Some lucky people went to both, including the chaps in front of me in the queue to get in earlier. I feel like I gained on a We Are Glass, which was brilliant, but lost out on a couple of personal favourites: I Die, You Die and Me, I Disconnect From You. (Obviously, I’m only realising this afterwards – no I don’t assess set lists during gig, but you can see people doing it.)

They’re are songs from eight Numan albums plus the three Tubeway Army tracks…which can’t be avoided easily. (Setlist fm) Four tracks from the 2017 LP, Savage: Songs from a Broken Mind. Modern Numan at its very best.

The Tubeway Army songs Are Friends Electric? (the second of two encores) and Down in the Park remain the anthems of 45 years, arms waving, but there is a lifetime of music invested in this set, in any Gary Numan set. Tracks that plot the early breakthrough years, the difficult years and the second coming years.

The first of the encores I captured on my phone – The Fall – from the 2011 Dead Son Rising LP, which marked the start on the second coming of Numan I’d say, and when I started coming to see him live.

It was so good to get this pair of up close gigs almost on the doorstep and afterwards, fulfilled, a relief to cool off outside. Ahhhh.

Garbage live in London

Garbage at The Roundhouse, Chalk Farm, London (14.7.2026) with Big Joanie supporting.

A return to the iconic Roundhouse, featured in many of my blogs (venue focus here). A wander down from the Premier Inn at the top of Haverstock Hill and over the railway to the Primrose Castle, for a few hours in the sun drenched garden talking live music with gig buddy Dave, his brother-in-law and another fellow gig-goer. Blimey it’s hot. A steamy afternoon in North London chopsing away about bands. I’m retaining my controlled alcohol intake still so take it slowly. The body seems to appreciate it.

The two of us going to the Roundhouse are quite late to our balcony seats. The other two are set on something more hardcore down near New Cross.

Big Joanie are playing when we get in. Punky London black feminist band that I hadn’t heard of previous to doing some digging, with two albums since 2018. Two in the band plus a drummer live.

A good listen but I’ve not given them long enough – topped up a bit on their 2018 album Sistahs as I write this. A sound reminiscent of the 1980 indie scene. John Peel would have loved ’em. Uncomplicated guitar and bass tunes to accompany the clear vocal.

I can feel a bit of aircon from somewhere and the building shape should be funneling some heat upwards but it’s still another steamy, indoor, heatwave gig.

Garbage are are on around 9pm with lead singer Shirley Manson last to appear, to huge cheers. It’s unclear how many more chances there will be to see Garbage. Shirley Manson has commented publicly about not expecting to continue extensive touring, citing the economics of it and the parasitic nature of the industry.

Their first LP was 1995, the only one I bought of their eight albums, and I’ve only seen them once before, at Reading Festival in 1998. So I’m not that well versed. They are a significant part of the grunge pop landscape and Manson is something of an icon of the dark clothed gig-goer. Never totally pigeon holed though which has kept them accessible and on the radio.

Shirley Manson – Garbage – The Roundhouse

I think their latest LP, Let All That We Imagine Be The Light (2025) is a cracker. They open with two tracks from it: the single, There’s No Future In Optimism and then Hold. The outstanding track for me is The Day That I Met God (official video) and this is saved until the last of the main set, so the band must rate it as well.

Early single Stupid Girl features promptly this evening and that stokes the crowd up more. They play something from all eight albums but the five tracks from their 2025 LP illustrate that this is essentially a tour for that one.

Vow is another familiar first LP track which gets an outing. All the while Shirley Manson uses the full stage space with the band giving her all the room she needs as she wanders, squats, kneels, lays and rolls on the stage. You wouldn’t guess she was 59.

All the time she keeps the talking going with the audience between songs – like a friend not an icon.

She mentions the band’s ‘stateless’ nature. That certainly confused me until recently. Shirley, so obviously from Scotland but the band formed in Wisconsin, USA. I always thought they were British.

I captured one song tonight (saved here on my YouTube channel). Not the most obvious of choice but I tend to just go for one and tonight it was When I Grow Up from their second album. Just prior to this the first attempt stalled as Shirley was coughing and choking and had to stop for a Fisherman’s Friend to calm her throat. She was most apologetic as all sorts of sweeties were offered from the crowd.

The sound was excellent throughout and as the songs rumbled on it didn’t seem long until that brilliant last song from the last album.

A short break, the cheers, and they return for two more: Special and the inevitable and beautifully apt Only Happy When I Rains. Bit of an anthem that one eh. So fitting for the overall dark, grungy, yet poppy style of this quite unique band.

The usual bundle to get out down the Roundhouse stairs to the lighter air outside, and a trudge up Haverstock Hill to bed.

No rain, but I’m happy.

Elvis Costello comes to Pompey

Elvis Costello and the Imposters live at Portsmouth Guildhall (26.6.2026) with Chris Difford supporting.

A real surprise when this Portsmouth date was announced. An appropriate sized venue to see, yes actually see, an artist – 2000 capacity and tonight all seated – still seats available at the back of the balcony. Part of the early songs tour (1977-86), these smaller gigs were originally a warm up for Elvis’ support slot on the big Neil Young, since cancelled, summer tour. Special one and a special price – £132 for a front balcony seat.

For the first time I can remember and probably due to some unclear door opening times info I found myself being the first person in the queue and first paying person into the venue. This enabled us to get some of the large comfy chairs in the downstairs main bar. All very relaxed, but hot. Summer heatwave no.1 and it’s roasting. The balcony is far worse.

Squeeze’s Chris Difford was announced relatively late on as support. A welcome addition – him, his guitar and a backing keyboard/guitarist.

An eleven song set, including seven Squeeze songs, interspersed with humourous tales, observations and brief monologues. A lot of emphasis on those number two chart ‘disappointments’. Squeeze had three top ten singles in the UK but never a number one. Cool for Cats to end (link to except in my YouTube channel), one that always had that gravelly Difford vocal. Really good warm up that got a few singalongs going and some standing appreciation by the end.

After the break, for us to cool off and consume water, Elvis Costello makes his appearance on a Portsmouth stage. His band, The Imposters, include Attractions originals Pete Thomas (drums) and Steve Nieve (keyboards). Charlie Sexton is on guitar – he’s performed, recorded and played sessions with a host of rock’n’roll legends, including Bowie and Dylan, produced and played and recorded in his own band.

The early Costello years were when I started buying music I still listen to. I bought This Year’s Model shortly after it’s release with my birthday money when I turned 15: Squeeze Inn, Ashford Common, Middlesex, 1978. The 1977 My Aim is True album was my follow up purchase shortly afterwards. So this made these early songs special to hear live. Mystery Dance and No Dancing were a couple of notable ones in the early part of the set. Importantly they were absolutely recognisable versions.

As many have moaned about in Costello reviews and social media comment, Elvis is no juke box. He likes to improvise and play his versions of well known songs. This can test his voice at times, his unique voice that helped make him famous, and it can work against him. He doesn’t try and mask any strains, he just gets on with it.

Accidents will Happen was always a jerky one live, sometimes slowed to a talk and it was a hard listen tonight. In the ‘piano section’ Everyday I Write the Book was barely recognisable for a while, but it emerged by the end. On record such a gentle song.

The heat was enough for a World Cup style ‘hydration break’ to be included, making it a two part set. With the temperature and sweat level rising on the balcony, we took the opportunity to move downstairs to sit in empty seats next to friends, in the small section of rear raised seats. (These are usually unreserved seats when the downstairs is mainly standing space.) It was cooler and there was an air vent above us. Bliss.

Elvis returned and sat stage left, our side, and remarking on his own gold shoes, delivered an excellent rendition of (The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes.

His version of Clubland dipped in and out of Ghost Town – he produced that first Specials LP. Good Year For The Roses became an epic, wandering in and out of Suspicious Minds and Always on my Mind by the other Elvis.

The second half really lifted the mood and the crowd response. Alison, a gem and the only song from King of America, the excellent Brilliant Mistake. Radio Radio was notable and well received, as was (I Don’t Want To Go To) Chelsea. So good to hear this old stuff all together in one performance.

Pump It Up (YouTube link) was the song that got the very mature audience the most animated: a faster and simpler song than most. By this time the ground floor was up on their feet. This was prompted when Elvis was introducing his band and said “please stand for Pete Thomas on the drums”. They didn’t sit down again.

Portsmouth Guildhall stall seats – Elvis Costello

Costello introduced a special song for Portsmouth, Shipbuilding, as emotive as ever and delivered a short walk from the historic naval dockyards.

I think we knew that Oliver’s Army was coming. So much angst about the original lyrics and now Elvis has given up trying to explain or excuse and just tweaked them. It’s one of those songs that was almost too familiar at one stage, before it was bleeped and then cancelled, so it’s good to have it out there again.

For a last song, a second one tonight from Nick Lowe’s catalogue: (What’s So Funny ’bout) Peace Love and Understanding. What a top song and lovely way to end.

It was a privilege to see songwriting legend Costello in this more modest sized venue than is usual for him these days. It’s 48 years after buying my first Costello LP and 46 years since I had my postal order and letter returned (in my s.a.e.) with SOLD OUT stamped on it.

These things have a traumatic effect on a young mind. I think I’ve made up for it now.

This is the sixth time I’ve seen him. The never to be forgotten gig remains Glastonbury 1987. I was down the front with my mate Sean. After a long solo set which included a passionate version of Tramp the Dirt Down, we got to the encores and rear stage curtains fell and Elvis shouted, “ladies and gentlemen – The Attractions!” Then they all played for another set. One of my most memorable gigs ever. I have a poorly recorded bootleg cassette still which we bought out of a van on the festival site just after the gig.

World Cup disruption for The Cardigans

The Cardigans live at Hammersmith Apollo (27.6.2026) with Esther supporting.

Swedish popsters, The Cardigans, are in London for one night only, as part of their European tour. The timing is unfortunate as it clashes with one of England’s World Cup group matches. No worries: they have brought the show forward to accommodate supporters, with doors open at 5pm. Having got in with gig buddy Dave, both in our England shirts, I don’t think many in the building would have minded missing the game. I saw just one other England shirt. Lots of nice dresses and sensible clothes and no football attire. Can’t help noticing the proudly undyed grey hair of so many presumably Scandinavian women. Grey-haired gig goers forever!

We are up in the huge Apollo balcony that hangs down over the standing downstairs crowd. It’s an impressive place and still one of my favourite venues.

Supporting this early evening is Esther (Lennstrand), also Swedish and a multi-instrumentalist who is singing and tonight playing what appears to be a xylophone…not an ironing board, no.

Unmistakably Scandinavian and a voice sounding a bit Bjork at times. I see she often sings through a vibraphone and I’m not sure if this is was she is doing or not – I am a fair way back.

The Cardigans arrive on stage at 7.10pm. Occasional are latecomers clearly bemused an flustered by the early start.

I wasn’t sure I would know many Cardigans’ songs. I’ve been listening to their fourth LP recently by way of revision, Gran Turismo, from 1998. They play four tracks from this one and there are seven from the 2003 LP, Long Gone Before Daylight.

The band formed in 1992 and are mostly unchanged since, having had a break 2006-2012. The only non-original member is guitarist Oskar Humlebo. We are 25 years on from their big time but that’s way off the 40 or 50 year histories I’ve been seeing with some old bands.

Lead singer is Nina Persson. Gracious, calm and polite as she introduces the songs. She plays a melodica at one point – not something you see often. Peter Hook is a an occasional user.

Many songs I know I’ve heard and some I haven’t but they are an easy listen. There are a couple of covers in there: the Talking Heads’ Burning Down The House – excellent – and Iron Man by Black Sabbath. Bit of a surprise that one but perhaps not to the majority of the audience.

The crowd reaction is huge and warm, but not wild. It’s sheer enthusiasm and love of the tunes. A big deep supportive cheer greets the end of many songs and not many more so than for Erase/ Rewind* which I videoed from my elevated position, with zoom. (*links to my YouTube channel.)

The time rattles by. This is one of the purest pop bands I have seen in a long time, I guess. Nina is apologetic about the early start. She said she isn’t going to watch the football – I could almost imagine her using the term ‘bloody football’ but she held back – she’s pleased we can though. She understands.

It’s not long after 8.30pm and The Cardigans finish their set with the big one: My Favourite Game. They can’t leave it at that, football or no football. There is one encore of 03.35: No Sleep.

We exit and turn right and down Fulham Palace Road, stopping in The Duke of Cornwall to watch an eventual two goal win for England, against a resilient Panama. Maybe this is the year eh. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

Southampton Summer Sessions: OMD and Paul Weller

Friday: Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark + Peter Hook and the Light + Andrew Cushin (19.6.2026)

Saturday: Paul Weller + Miles Kane (20.6.2026)

Southampton Guildhall Square.

The Summer Sessions: a series of outdoor gigs in the long summer evenings in Guildhall Square. Ten gigs in late June. I picked two – OMD and Paul Weller – on consecutive nights, making for a festival feel weekend in the sun, without quite so much standing.

Went to my favouring pre-Guildhall drinking spot before both gigs, only to find later that Belgium and Blues was closing down for good at the end of June.

On the Friday in Belgium and Blues, we were sitting in the open windowed street level seats and Andrew Cushin wandered by towards the venue to get ready for his support slot. A “Hey, Andrew!” cry from my wife Sally and he popped in for a chat. Lovely start to the weekend.

Soon after, the gates opened and we went down the front as we were keen to see Andrew Cushin again to add to our Camden Dingwalls, Bristol Thekla and Southampton 1865 experiences.

Andrew Cushin and his band took a while to get plugged in and working but good for a 6.30pm start. A short, sharp set which was loudly appreciated by those in early enough to catch it.

A punchy set of indie rock pop which he finished with Wor Flags, a lively end. I’m still a bit perplexed as to why he hasn’t hit it big just yet. Here’s hoping for the next LP.

The sun still burning brightly and lighting the stage for good amateur photo opportunities – the professionals in the pit less happy.

Next up – Peter Hook and the Light. I’ve seen him numerous times in the last five years but there is always interest in what is in the set. We moved back, seeking drinks and facilities and it was too hard to return to the front later.

A World Cup special appeared in the form of World in Motion. Indeed this was essentially a New Order set that included Temptation and Blue Monday. The only Joy Division number in the short support set was Love Will Tear Us Apart.

With the sun disappearing it was time for OMD, although not quite ‘in the dark’.

I was a bit far back for any decent pics ‘in the dark’ and I was in no mood for pushing my way back nearer the stage. Not easy here to move in and out from the front section.

OMD played a classic nostalgic set. McCluskey’s voice was so clear and the sound was great – the solid electronic beat and melodies pulsed out across the square. I was impressed.

OMD – Enola Gay, there on the screen backdrop

Maid of Orleans was almost my favourite track of the night, but that would fail to recognise the significance and lasting brilliance of Enola Gay….the B-29 Superfortress atomic bomber that ‘should have stayed at home yesterday’.

The simplicity of Electricity was also a finish to treasure. Another one of the encores is a song I bought on CD single long after I listened to OMD with any regularity, which I love: Walking on the Milky Way. Euphoric.

Saturday Night. Paul Weller.

Back for a second evening in a row and down the front when the gates opened to see Miles Kane.

Miles Kane – Southampton Summer Sessions

A powerful support set, full of energy. I caught the end of a Miles Kane set at Victorious Festival in 2021 and realised I had missed something special. I saw him way back, playing in The Last Shadow Puppets on a few tours but until recently hadn’t explored his solo albums. Now I am lapping them up. It’s like I’ve just found a new artist.

So many glam rock sounds are weaved in to his songs. Essence of T-Rex appears regularly and quite blatantly, which is most welcome. Take the title track of his Sunlight in the Shadows LP as a great example.

Kane’s songs all have such pace. Great band with him. It’s all tight with thrashing guitars. I need to go and see him on one of his tours now.

Electric Flower was a track that stands out and Come Closer, his closing number, illustrates how notable that one is. I read about him being asthmatic and taking an inhaler everywhere so the song Inhaler also stuck with me.

Kane has six solo LPs for me to feed on and there were songs from five of them in this evening’s set. This was a lovely bonus to Weller’s two hour show.

Has Weller finally cracked it? Years of denial of his Jam days and desperation to look forward all the time has lead to so many mildly disappointing performances for so many. Yes, look forward but give us something old as well… tonight he does. Indeed the last three Weller gigs I have been at since 2018 have all been good sets, with a nod to the past.

Tonight, seven Jam songs and four Style Council ones. Enough for anyone and some brilliant choices – including Man in the Corner Shop; Strange Town, That’s Entertainment and English Rose, although the latter didn’t survive the irritating chatter by the selfish, the ignorant and the pissed (some individuals slotting neatly into all three categories).

Once again I’d played my joker on being down the front for the support act. I had to come out and rest my legs after that and no way back without a real push. I guess I could have gone back in there for a bit with a bit of elbow work.

I wasn’t in a decent spot at all to start with but the sound was good and the set gathered momentum and familiarity. The summer crowds like these need familiarity.

Weller seemed in a really good mood. He joked about the long set and it was just over two hours in the end. He was cool throughout – even in his double denim. There was a brief speech/observation about Palestine and treatment of people in Gaza. I detected a wave of uneasiness but there was clapping.

I managed to push forward by 20 yards or so, to get to the brow of the very slight paved incline of the square, up from the Guildhall front pillars. When I went back into the gents at one point, there were people inside the Guildhall lobby peering out trying to see and hear from a position of slight elevation. I think this underlined the slight inadequacy of the site as regards the slope especially – you can’t have everything – it’s outdoors eh and sunny. What I can say is that for someone with aging legs and a few health problems, for this venue maybe it’s time I looked at the assessible platform and accepted defeat.

Overall, a really good couple of evenings in the Southampton sunshine. I saw five highly enjoyable bands playing great sets..and no rain.

[Next morning I popped into Vanilo Records to get one of the remaining signed Hard-Fi LPs from the previous evening’s in-store appearance, just to round off the weekend.]

Kraftwerk come to Bournemouth

Kraftwerk at Bournemouth International Centre on 2.6.2026.

As I increasingly appreciate the financial aspect of being able to see a band pretty much on the doorstep, the prospect of Kraftwerk in Bournemouth fell in to the unmissable bucket. A Kraftwerk tour coming to Bournemouth was a big surprise and as the forerunner to their three consecutive nights at the Royal Albert Hall.

I am no lifetime fan – there are plenty here – but they have been there as an influence for so many since their 70s beginnings, and always served as a reference point for electronic music…even a Bowie influence.

I’d absorbed the singles and I did get to see them in 2025 at the Forever Now one day festival at Milton Keynes Bowl. That was a shorter festival set and outdoors and I thought the more intense indoor experience needed to be had.

No support tonight. A two hour performance with four individuals behind their terminals and keyboards, the one on the far left is original Kraftwerk co-founding member, Ralf Hutter.

The others appear to include Henning Schmitz, with Kraftwerk since 1991, and two video technicians, touring members since 2023. They clearly have a key role. The performance is one of sound and vision. Both futuristic and retro at the same time.

It’s extremely atmospheric: a full house which appears mostly to be hugely respectful of the band’s status. A few chatterboxes in rows behind me don’t appear to have any sense of their own irritation with their booming and banal exchanges. Behaviour degenerates further, later, with an increasingly loud dispute as I hear some selfish halfwit proclaiming that he ‘just wants to enjoy himself’ before being wrestled out under protest by security.

The audience is slightly odd. Nicely odd. Kraftwerk hardcore and some come wearing in the striking red shirt/ black tie look.

The set is drawn from eight albums, the most notable being Computerwelt, including the very familiar Computer Love and five tracks from Die Mensch-Maschine including The Model, The Robots and Spacelab. The Model is pretty special. I have the 12″ single.

The radioactive section reminded of the period of obsession with increasingly publicly displayed radioactive symbols – Radioactivity and Geiger Counter complete with the crackles and beeps of fear.

A map appeared to show location and Kraftwerk superimposed on a photo of the front of the BIC, just to confirm, yes they are here.

Autobahn, complete with retro VW Beetle and Mercedes images was a highlight but the whole audio visual package of the Tour de France tracks exceeded that with old race footage. Audio alone winner for me was Trans-Europe Express, perhaps because I hear it trailing the TalkSport international football programme of the same name.

It is a different experience seeing and listening to Kraftwerk and their programmed works. An essential box to tick I felt, both before and after. Immersive, enjoyable and that was probably the last chance for me to see any sort of original member live input.

Two hours of intensity whizzed by, which took me by surprise. Well worth experiencing.

Toots and the Maytals ft Leba Hibbert: Torquay

Toots and the Maytals live at Arena Torquay (28.5.2026) with Lionstar supporting.

My first visit to Torquay for about 35 years and it’s looking lovely in the bright sunshine, ordered especially for the airshow. A few Red Arrows scream overhead as we enjoy a pre-gig meal in The Yacht.

Looking across Torquay Harbour towards The Yacht restaurant

Tonight is another new venue for me – eighteenth different venue of 2026 so I am spreading myself around a bit. The Arena only opened in June last year. A 1200 standing capacity, which maybe have been trimmed slightly this evening by the storage area at the back, behind a line of tables and chairs.

As well as a small bar in the main room of the venue, there is a large bar area after you come upstairs from the street. Sofas, stools and tables making for a relaxing place to hang about between or before bands if you’re lucky. This is so much better than being herded into a large room and being expected to stand for 3-4 hours. There are food stations but these seem closed tonight. Feels a bit like a cinema lobby.

There are plenty of enticing artists advertised on the scrolling digital screen. Good place.

Up a few more steps to the main room for support band tonight – reggae band Lionstar. Could have listened all evening but a half hour warm up was the offering. It’s a long time since I have heard any live reggae – where have the reggae bands gone?

After the break, and a sit down, it’s time to see who are Toots and the Maytals. Lead singer, Leba Hibbert, is daughter of ‘Toots’, the main man Frederick Hibbert, who has been resting in peace since 2020. I have had a pick around and I couldn’t confirm who else is in the band but I can’t see that that they have enough years to have been around back in the 70s. They carry the brand well though.

Leba Hibbert is all smiles. Good voice and fills the stage with presence, embracing the audience with her gestures.

I was a bit surprised when after just a few songs they play Pressure Drop… to me that’s the big one. That’s what is on my mind in the week coming up to this gig. Aha..but what I didn’t realise was that Monkey Man, made famous in my head by The Specials, is a Toots and the Maytals song. That’s the one they save for the encores and excellent to hear that live.

The nature of reggae is that no song is a bad one. It’s all part of the great sound. If you like the sound, you like the songs. The Maytals do go into lighter Ska tunes and the popier John Denver country song, Take Me Home, Country Roads, was a bit of a surprise. Not to everyone else, clearly.

I’m no dancer but even I was shuffling my usually static limbs about to this lot. That deserved high praise in itself. Quite an achievement. I am pleased to report there were no lasting ill effects.

54-56 That’s My Number was another classic that I had forgotten I knew. It got to 53 in the charts. A special mention also for Pain in My Belly complete with Leba Hibbert’s hand movement to highlight the lyrics.

Yup, all good down at Arena Torbay tonight. A happy feel in a shuffling audience with a bit of room to enjoy themselves in.

I will have to do better on identifying the rest of the band.

EXTC live in Southampton

EXTC (14.5.2026) at The 1865, Southampton.

A note on this one, with one thing in mind: to encourage any old XTC lovers to get out and have an evening with EXTC. I never saw XTC live and original frontman and songwriter Andy Partridge has said he has no intention of performing live again. EXTC is the best bet and Partridge has given EXTC his blessing for this ‘tribute band plus’.

So what is EXTC? It is XTC’s original drummer, Terry Chambers, bringing back the tunes of XTC to a live audience. He does that with the help of Karl Lornie (guitar, keyboards and vocals), Terry Lines (bass and vocals) and Nigel Whiteley (guitar and backing vocals).

EXTC – Lornie, Lines, Whiteley out front

This is a different set up to the three piece EXTC that I saw supporting Hugh Cornwell once before (Blog here), a little over two years back. Terry Lines remains on bass but the other two non-original band members are new. Guitarist, Whiteley certainly adds a rockier edge to many songs and having four in the band gives more options, and as Lines keeps reminding us these songs are far from straightforward to deliver live.

This my second visit over to The 1865 this year and all previous observations are consolidated here in my 1865 venue blog. I was very pleased to find a row of tables and chairs down the left hand side, also with some on the right and some other high tables in the middle towards the back. A few phone shots only with some hesitation about over blowing a near-tribute band on the visual front.

It’s just about full enough but plenty of room to move about. The smaller right side bar is shut and an even smaller rear ground floor bar has appeared. near the entrance. This probably eases congestion over near the toilets and when a band is playing.

Swindon based XTC have an astonishing 14 studio albums, which surprised me when looking them up. I am familiar with five of them, largely earlier ones and Oranges and Lemons. Even drummer Terry Chambers was only playing on five of the albums: the first five up until 1982.

No support tonight which allows for over twenty songs to be delivered in two sets. A fabulous array of tunes, many of which I had forgotten I knew. How about Love On A Farmer’s Boy’s Wages or Paper and Iron. If you know them, you know them. You’d love it. You’d sing along. The reasonably sparse audience is heavily blokes of a certain age but not as blokey as some acts of the same era. There is a lot of singing along and mouthing along from these chaps with long memories – for most of the songs it’s around 45 years.

In the first half, early on to capture all the interest, was Towers of London and with my side wall chair it was easy to grab a phone vid (in link). In the second half my almost random selection is here, The Ballad of Peter Pumkinhead, a delightfully quaint title and another that I forgot I knew so well.

Everyone will find their favourite in a set this size. Of course, Making Plans for Nigel, almost too obvious for the conissieur, shines out but it’s the tracks that jump out and surprise you that make the evening. How about The Mayor of Simpleton, Jason and the Argonauts or King for a Day? These are gems. English gems harvested from the Wiltshire countryside.

The lead vocals lean heavily on Karl Lornie but bassist Lines has a roll. Lines plays it more like a tribute act while Lornie is more of a performer. A good mix.

As for the top tunes, well the more you relisten, the more there are. I think the fascination comes from, in my head anyway, these songs laying dormant for so long. What EXTC tours have helped me do is get used to playing the albums again.

Sgt. Rock, Senses Working Overtime, Generals and Majors top the bill and ultimately (putting ‘Nigel’ to one side) there is Life Begins at The Hop in the encore.

I wish I’d had an XTC boxed set in Lockdown.

Goodnight Southampton – The Chambers’ drum kit

LEAP live in Southampton

LEAP at The Joiners (12.5.2026) with Dear Tash supporting.

Always a pleasure to return to The Joiners. Previous notes on the venue here in one of my venue blogs: The Joiners. This evening I was conveniently on my way back from London on the train for this one – it’s a mile from the Central Station. Almost inconveniently, tonight is a promotion play-off second leg game at Southampton FC, a stone’s throw from The Joiners. I brush passed groups of visiting Middlesbrough fans down St Mary’s Road – in the end the game went to extra time and I managed to get out and back to the station in time (Southampton won after extra time).

This LEAP tour is taking in a lot of smaller venues and selling them out, as the tour ad indicates. They’ve been playing in Europe and looking at YouTube some of those are slightly bigger venues. Their debut LP, Entropy, was released in October last year and got noticed in the charts Germany, Austria and Switzerland. An independent release but they have recently signed with US punk/metal label Epitaph.

I bowl in not long after 7.30pm and Dear Tash comes on stage – she’s on the UK tour dates with LEAP. Bright and lively – highly mobile around the small stage and rocky sounds; really quite heavy rock at times. Quite a metal feel with that guitar sound – Pat Benetar’s name flashed through my mind. Probably didn’t flash through many minds as I seem to be about 40 years older than the average audience member tonight.

It’s a short set but I was impressed on a first hear – there’s a drummer, guitarist and Tash will play bass with much exuberance on some songs.

LEAP are on pretty early as well, for which I’m grateful with the big match on up the road.

I bought this ticket on a recommendation and wasn’t disappointed (cheers Tony). I’ve been listening to the debut LP and other Spotify tracks. Again, there are elements of early 80s rock, presented in a modern way and boy is this punchy.

They are straight out of the traps and in your face – let’s see those hands – let’s get that mosh going. This is an audience participation band. Front man Jack Scott has a huge presence and he’s bouncing. He’s joined by Adam Mason on guitar, Declan Brown on bass and Hector Cottam on drums. Exciting times for these lads.

Reading around, they are London based for now, but Jack having been in Edinburgh and South Africa before embarking on a band in Brighton. He really is the focus.

Adam Mason (guitar) left and Jack Scott (vocals)

The sell-out crowd is largely 20 somethings and there are only a couple of faces that looked like my age group. They know what to expect – the hand go up for first time LEAP gig-goers but also the acknowledgement that they like the LP – and I daren’t venture to the front section in case I am swept up in the movement.

Some songs slow with a more pop or even some slightly rap influence on occasions, and the arms are going. Largely though it’s indie rock though less predictable. Reminds me a bit of The Hunna.

Sinking Feeling was perhaps the most familiar song from my pre-listening of the debut album.

They started in 2021 with the first release being One Million Pieces in 2022 (link to YouTube official video) – this is their big song I guess. It gets the build up and the crowd respect.

The video I grabbed – on my phone – was the 2024 release, Vision Of Us. This seemed more success than the phone pics tonight. This track has a bit of an echo of a Turnstile anthem. USA material? Maybe.. I can see it.

The set flew by and I was quite surprised when their time was up. Convenient though. A short sharp shock of a gig and off I go for the train, before the football fans come out.

One to watch and another good catch for Joiners.

Skids in Scotland

Skids at Barrowland Ballroom, Glasgow (24.4.2026) and Queen’s Hall, Edinburgh (25.4.2026), with The Au Pairs supporting.

A Scottish spring adventure for three old Skids fans – a pilgrimage with Big Gra and Plymouth Dave – to a much heralded Glasgow venue to see the Skids in their own country. This Glasgow gig will be the third time we have seen them north of the border with previous trips to Scotland Calling at the O2 Academy, Glasgow and one with Big Country in their home town of Dunfermline.

For me it was a debut fun trip up on the Caledonian Sleeper, from London, made convenient- ish by a clash of dates with a work commitment.

Me, Big Gra and Plymouth Dave..we made it

I was so pleased to have made it here after recent health problems – I couldn’t even walk upstairs in my own house a few weeks ago and my gig legs are still on test. I’ve sacrificed my usual beer drinking and so far so good.

The support band is The Au Pairs for most of this tour, another short-term early 80s favourite of mine who I saw a fair bit around London and Birmingham in a condensed period – they lived near me in Balsall Heath at one point.

Their Playing With a Different Sex 1981 LP was the focus of their brief indie and John Peel endorsed success, which emerged after the exceptional double A-side It’s Obvious/ Diet (1980).

Au Pairs – side on, down the front at Barrowlands

The set for Glasgow and Edinburgh was essentially that whole LP with one new song (In The Wrong Body). Every song is so familiar that it’s easy to warm to it all. I went down the front, left, and there was plenty of barrier leaning room. It’s a big place this ballroom (1900 capacity and it’s nearly full – no seats except for the less able). It feels like a ballroom, with its famous sprung wooden floor. It is upstairs from street level, where security was tight and the patting down intense.

There was a bit of controversy when the Au Pairs announced the comeback gig (for 1 May 2026 in Camden) late last year. After a few days it became apparent via social media that this was not the Au Pairs reforming but the main singer songwriter Lesley Woods with a new band. Just saying it as it is from the outset would have been more honest but the dust appears to have settled.

The sets were the same in Glasgow and the next night in Edinburgh – I did also see the Birmingham gig earlier on the tour (blog here). Aside from the obvious, It’s Obvious gem, Dear John was another long lasting and ingrained favourite for me. The cover of Bowie’s Repitition is another notable highlight – but as I said earlier, for me it’s a whole set of familiar tunes and beautiful scratchy indie guitar.

I thought the Glasgow performance was the best of the three I have seen on the tour this year, despite the quite loud excited audience babble, especially around the main bar area, which is in the same big room, with its slightly domed and patterned ceiling. In Edinburgh, the sound was problematic to start with and the band looked less enthused by the smaller venue.

A great bonus though, to the main event of the Skids. When it came to the main band my legs were complaining and I had a word with the security woman for the disabled area – after an explanation and a wait to ensure lots of prebooked people didn’t turn up, I was allowed in. Joy. I was so chuffed and relieved to take a chair, up on a ledge the back wall. A bit distant for any decent photos but I had a great view above the heads of the standing crowd, to take it all in. A few videos captured instead, with the luxury of the raised position and a wall behind me. (Links in text below take you to my YouTube vids of the night.)

Although the tour was billed as The Absolute Game anniversary tour, the set is not only tracks from that LP. It was the last with Stuart Adamson and Jobson writing together and the last song they wrote, Circus Games, is heralded as a special tribute to Adamson’s guitar playing. It’s a brilliant song, without the kids singing on it.

Jobson is doing his infamous dancing more vigorously than ever – this is a top crowd – a big gig. The singing along is beautiful. We are all still here and still at it, albeit I’m having to sit at the back.

Jobbo dedicates One Decree for the inmates of Barlinnie Prison, where they played a gig earlier that afternoon. It sounded like even Jobson banter may have cut no ice with the hard nuts of Glasgow.

Then a special moment. Stuart Adamson’s daughter, Kirsten Adamson, is invited onstage to join the band for Woman In Winter, playing one of her dad’s old guitars which is on loan from the current owner. We knew she was joining at some point from earlier social media posts. She returns later for Olympian. Almost overwhelming.

Before that, the subsequently ‘stolen’ (donated) The Saints are Coming was a real rabble rouser and I think then my favourite, Masquerade. I always think that, until I hear Into The Valley. The crowd goes wild.

The main set ends with Charles, the first Skids release from 1978. “Thank you my wonderful friends – until the next time” says Jobson, beaming and sweating.

They return with Of One Skin and Devil’s Decade, the ninth track off The Absolute Game. [They only left out one: The Children Saw The Shame.]

Next day it was off to Edinburgh…

A totally different venue – an old chapel, much smaller (900 capacity). From the queue, the crowd may have more sophisticated elements. We are in as the doors open. I’d emailed the venue ahead and they explained the availability of unreserved seating which had settled my mind. Just me and an ailing Dave by this point and a central downstairs pew was welcome. This layout gives choices – there’s always the seated balcony upstairs.

Another new venue for me, of course, and the contrast with Barrowlands made it all the more worthwhile. There’s a big open bar area attached to the main old chapel part if the building, with the merch stand along from it.

The bar from the mezzanine level where the toilets are

It’s a smaller gig but Jobson builds the excitement in a similar way. You go two nights running and the talk between the songs is more predictable of course – a chuckle from the more privileged crowd when Jobson mentions their night in Glasgow.

As in Glasgow, there is mention in the introduction of the single Goodbye Civilian that The Skids hardly ever played that one live. A brief apology for and performance of TV Stars and a bit of “Albert Tatlock!” chanting and merch t-towel waving.

I’m closer to the stage here in the smaller Edinburgh venue, although near the back so a chance of some better zoomed memories.

Connor Whyte – Skids guitarist these days

The Kirsten Adamson addition for Woman In Winter, Olympian and Charles was made even more special in the smaller venue that, as she said, was in what has been her home town of 20 years now. When Jobson introduced Kirsten back on stage for Olympian he mentioned it was her favourite Adamson song before suggesting that may in fact be Chance (Big Country)… “Harvest Home actually” she added, as she plugged in Stuart’s old guitar. How must Jobson feel on a night like this?

Kirsten Adamson with one of dad’s old guitars – Queen’s Hall

Jobson smiles and dances and punches the air, as ever. This is the end of a very successful tour.

Kirsten says her goodbyes after Charles, the end of the main set.

The encores have one great addition to the Glasgow set – a special cover of a song by a band that lit the fire for the Skids and so many punk and post-punk band: The Clash’s Complete Control.

So grateful to have made it up here for these two special gigs. Ahoy! Ahoy!