September's Gig Round-Up

Welcome to September’s instalment of monthly posts all about what gigs I have been to. It was a busy month! Catch-up with August’sgigs here!

The Last Internationale @ The Barfly*

I was supposed to see these guys a year or 2 ago, just when they were releasing their first couple of singles. I’d gotten myself all geared up, listening to them on Spotify, but for some reason or other, I couldn't go in the end. So, imagine my delight when passes to their upcoming Barfly show were released on Jukely. Lead singer Delila has a real bluesy voice, not to mention a cracking fringe!

Laura Marling @ The Forum

This was a hauntingly beautiful gig. You could hear a pin drop in the crowd. There were even members of the audience shushing other chatterboxes! Laura is just so sweet and loveable with such a mature voice for her surprisingly young age (only 2 months younger than me!).

Foo Fighters @ Milton Keynes Bowl

I think Foo Fighters are now the band I've seen the most live (followed closely by McFly…), and I will never tire of going to their concerts. This band knows exactly how to rock, even with their leader in a leg cast! Grohl doesn't let a broken leg stop him, head banging from his throne of guitars which even wheels down the platform. What. A. Show! Support came from Royal Blood (brilliant!) and Iggy Pop (bonkers!).

F.F.S @ The Forum*

F.F.S. might just be one of the most unexpected collaborations, ever! This super group is made up of Franz Ferdinand and Sparks. They've joined forces to produce an album together, and planned some live shows too. Their new songs are pure catchy pop gold. It was great to see both bands play a few of their own tunes too.

Alvvays @ Shepherds Bush Empire*

After falling in love with their song ‘Marry Me, Archie’, I bought tickets to see Alvvays as soon as I could. Then, 2 days before, Jukely released passes so I sold my tickets and used the money for beer funds (and a McDonalds on the way home). Alvvays may not strike you as a band to mosh to, but my goodness did the kids in the crowd try their hardest!

Nimmo @ Oslo Hackney

I first saw Nimmo back in May supporting Jack Garratt at Village Underground. They had my feet dancing from the first beat. I knew I HAD to see them again! You just can’t help but move to their music. I did some more dancing at their after party (where the duo DJed), along with the boys from Seafret, who kindly got me an Uber home (talented and kind!!).

Sisteray @ The Black Heart

You may remember me mentioning these guys before. I’d missed their last couple of gigs, but made sure I had this one in the diary. These guys have got so much raw energy. Moment of the gig has to be Dan passing his guitar down to a randomer in the crowd for a solo. Close your eyes and you’ll hear Ian Curtis when Niall sings. These are definitely the lads to watch out for!

Morrissey @ Hammersmith Apollo

Morrissey gets a lot of slack for his live shows, but I was pleased to see him take to the stage on time. It was a great show, with Morrissey interacting with the audience. It just missed a few of his biggest hits, which was a little disappointing for me as this was the first, and will most likely be the last, time I've seen him live. There was 1 hiccup when his set was hit with a power cut. After about 15 minutes, they had everything running again and he strode back on stage and made a joke about it being a conspiracy from the Royal Family who were trying to shut him down. There was some pretty morbid videos shown on the big screens (people being beat by police and animals being slaughtered!), but I'm glad I've finally had the chance to see The Smiths front man live!

Florence + the Machine @ Alexandra Palace

Florence exploded back onto the music scene and announced 4 dates at the Alexandra Palace. This felt like a massive homecoming for Flo, who gracefully danced her way across the stage in a beautiful silk trouser and waistcoat suit. There was also a street food market in the main foyer, so we made sure to stuff our faces with nachos beforehand.

Sweet Baboo @ Bethnal Green Working Men’s Club*

I was going to actually buy tickets for this gig as Meilyr Jones was supporting, but Jukely passes came up before I had the chance. You may remember me seeing him twice in July. The main act was another Welsh singer under the name Sweet Baboo. He brought along an array of musicians, including a saxophonist and 3 violinists. He’s a funny guy this Sweet Baboo, cracking jokes in between songs with his very dry humour. The venue was also pretty sweet too, with the big heart lights and shiny tinsel. The Bethnal Green Working Men’s Club put on a lot of drag Queen cabaret shows, which are definitely worth getting down to!

Lail Arad @ St Pancras Old Church

Back in June, I got chatting to a girl in the pub across the street from Islington Town Hall, after Rhiannon Gidden’s gig. 3 months later, me and The Boyf (who I’d also met that very same night) are stood in a beautifully lit church in St Pancras, about to see that very girl perform a wonderful set. When Lail speaks, it’s softly sweet, but when she sings, she has a rawness to her voice. I think I may have a new girl crush…

Summer Camp @ Village Underground

I was so gutted to have missed out on seeing Summer Camp back in June, so when they announced another London show, I snapped up tickets straight away. They played a little bit of everything, including some songs from the soundtrack they did for Beyond Clueless, which is available to watch on Netflix, so that’s definitely been added to my list! Summer Camp ended their show with a cover of ‘What’s Up’, originally sung by The 4 Non Blondes, which had everyone singing along to in high spirits! If anyone can tell me where Elizabeth’s pink polka dot dress is from, I’d be eternally grateful!

Be sure to check out my big gig post, with the reason why I attend so many live music events.

*These gigs I got passes to through Jukely. Click through any of my links to get £10 off your first month’s subscription!

Cyprus - My furthest journey yet!

5 months ago (yeah, I'm a bit behind!) I sat on a plane for the longest amount of time (for me), ever, and travelled the furthest distance (for me), ever! My high school best friend, Jess, was getting married to her college sweetheart, Adam, on the beautiful Island of Cyprus. I’d never done a proper summer holiday like this before, having only ever travelled to European countries within the distance of a 2 hour flight from London, so I was excited, but also nervous as to how I would take to my longest flight, and to how I would survive a whole week in a seriously hot country.

I survived the 5 hour flight, no problem, mostly due to Baby Jack being my little model. It was extremely hot (apparently it gets even hotter in the mid-summer!), but I think I dealt with it okay, not too much moaning from me, although my room mate for the week might disagree… I’d had a massive shop for real summer clothing a week or so before, so I was well prepared! We arrived in the early evening at Elias Beach Resort, our home for the next 7 days, and made plans to meet in the Hotel’s dining area after we’d all settled into our rooms.

Our first night was pretty relaxed. We had a bite to eat from the evening dinner buffet, which featured foods from different countries each night, alongside traditional Cypriot delicacies. I also had my long awaited Pina Colada! After dinner, we took a wander down to the beach. Jess and Adam showed us the pier where their wedding would take place in 5 days’ time. Our night time stroll had us all ready for an early bedtime. We’d need energy for our first day of exploring the next day

Be sure to give me a follow over on Bloglovin to catch more upcoming Cyprus posts!