When the artist falls silent and the crowd takes over screaming their lyrics back to them, being on a dusty dry field with music from every direction, a whole group of people in their own zone moving however feels good under lights that burn and dance behind your closed eyelids, feeling the music in your chest, all of it a fleeting but shared magic that’s like no other. Every artist I’ve seen this year has put their all into their performance. Having been away from live music and crowds for so long, reconnecting with my love for live music has made me feel like I’ve found a part of myself again.
Highlights from this year include:
Wolf Alice – Eventim Apollo
Ellie Rowsell and the band give it their absolute all when performing and have the awards to show it, following their recent Brits win for the Best Group. Their latest album, Blue Weekend, is no exception. Opening strong with guitar-heavy anthems, ‘Smile’ and ‘Germ’, they balanced the heavier, moshier, sounds well with the slower songs, like ‘Feeling Myself’, and didn’t lose the audience for a second. Highlights included the soaring chorus of ‘The Last Man on Earth’ absolutely filling the room, as well as hearing ‘Don’t Delete the Kisses’ live.
Lorde – Roundhouse
This was one of the most affirming gigs of the year, as well as the most visually stunning performance. Following the mixed reception of her latest album Solar Power, which sees Lorde maturing into paired back sound and satirical song writing, I wasn’t sure how the album would deliver on stage. Lorde is nothing if not a performer, and owned the stage, charging some of the slower songs like ‘Secrets from a girl who’s seen it all’ with new energy. Of course, the highlight was hearing the songs I’ve loved since being a teenager, like ‘Supercut’, screamed back with thousands of others. The long monologue sections between each section weren’t for everyone but I loved the insight into the personality of the performer.
Sam Fender – Finsbury Park
It’s no surprise that Sam Fender has a headline slot at Reading & Leeds after this performance, which was a mini-festival in its own rights with the likes of Declan McKenna and Fontaines D.C supporting. It’s hard to explain how it feels to see someone who’s gone from being little-known to having their absolute ‘this is it’ moment up on the stage and you could tell how much it meant with moments of sincerity between the music and the madness. The crowd were wild for ‘Howdon Aldi Death Queue’ and ‘Hypersonic Missiles’ but my personal highlight was piano anthem ‘The Dying Light’. I’m so glad to be able to relive it all through the live album.
George Ezra – Finsbury Park
A ticket win meant being unexpectedly back for day two in Finsbury Park but it was a much more chilled-out affair with George Ezra headlining and support from Holly Humberstone among others. The Gold Rush Kid is catchy, upbeat pop but I was waiting for the hits and he delivered ‘Budapest’ and ‘Hold My Girl’ just as the sun was setting – the perfect way to finish a weekend of music.
The Big Moon – Xoyo
Being packed into the sweaty basement of Xoyo for the Here is Everything album launch cemented this is as one of my favourite albums of the year. The Big Moon have mastered punchy, catchy Indie tunes that are reminiscent of the sound of the early 2010’s but unique in subject matter. The album is a transcendent, joyous and heart-achingly honest portrayal of the reality of new motherhood and yet these songs, like all good songs, make you feel heard and seen. I’ve had it on repeat since, ‘Trouble’, blasting when I’m cooking dinner, ‘This Love’ in my ears while packing up my home and uprooting myself, it’s an album that is timeless and also feels weirdly specific and personal to the listeners own transitional periods.
With more artists announcing tours and new music, plus huge festival line-ups to look forward to, I’m excited to see what next year holds!