I hadn't seen De La Soul since Glastonbury three years ago and just as I was then, I was equally as, if not more excited for their headline set. I have to say, because I was going to the Birmingham show, I wasn't really expecting the biggest turn out - it's not often that I get to meet many "hip hop heads" in this area and as the show didn't sell out I was expecting a fairly sparse crowd... WRONG. Before long the floor was packed out with every kind of person you could imagine and I guess I should've known because it's not out of the ordinary for De La to draw in diverse crowds with their energy. Either way, it was a welcomed surprise.

First up on stage was UK trio Jungle Brown. I'd not heard any of their material prior but I was expecting something lyrically great if they were to warm us up for De La Soul and I'd definitely say that lyrically they were engaging and true to their style as musicians. However, I felt like on some songs, their beats overshadowed their performance, the beat was the reason for the movement and had it been an acapella performance, the level of attention would have dropped significantly. Despite the issues I had with their abilities on the night, they definitely showed potential (which may be more obvious on their studio material), their sax player was a very slick addition, and they definitely managed to heighten vibes and crack a few smiles before De La graced the stage.

As I mentioned, De La Soul know best how to draw in a crowd and put on a show. I was of course expecting them to play the classics like "Me, Myself and I" and "Feel Good Inc." but I was most interested in what they were going to play from this latest record. When I first listened to it I enjoyed it but I remember thinking that a lot of the songs that I expected to like the most after reading the track list, ended up taking a back seat to ones that hadn't necessarily caught my eye initially. Again my guesses were off on what would appear on the set list, but once again De La showed me why they've been so good for so long. As the night went on and energy was on what I thought was a pretty perfect level, De La graced us with a guest appearance. Dres from Black Sheep bounded on stage with that flow and ease that we knew so well and it was as if he was with them the entire show. Energy levels shot up again for that last portion of the show and by the end of the night my shoulder was aching from all the arm waving, my face was aching from all the smiling and singing, but it was well worth it. I feel like they would've benefited from a bigger production (budget permitting) but with or without, they filled the room, and brought their all, what more could you ask for really?

Overall Rating - 7.5/10 


Here are some pictures from the night... 

After finding out about Declan last year on BBC's Sound of 2017 longlist I wanted to catch him as soon as possible before he blew up; so when I saw that he was playing in one of my favourite Birmingham small music venues (Hare & Hounds) it was an absolute no-brainer. It also didn't hurt to have this show start off my gigs of 2017.

Supporting on the night were Leeds-based band Clay. I'd not heard of them prior and I have to say I'm a little surprised and disappointed that I hadn't - I definitely need to do more research on new Indie bands/artists because bands like these should be all over my radar. Straight off the bat they had a sound that could easily fill up a much bigger space than they were playing and each of their personalities came through clearly on stage even before they each spoke. Great stage presence and good banter from the lead singer. In terms of music, they do Indie Pop pretty well and their live material translates way better than their studio. Most memorable track for me was "6AM", but all in all, they provided good vibes to kick off the night.

Following a great mix of tracks in the interval ranging from Madonna to ABBA to Dizzee Rascal; Declan and co stepped on stage full of confidence and quiet excitement and I couldn't help but feel like I was in a scene from the movie Sing Street (if you haven't seen it yet, do, it's an amazing watch). Now with my new knowledge of Declan McKenna, I only knew a few of his songs but my favourite beforehand was "Isombard" so in my head I was thinking "yeah, he'll probably finish with that". Before I could even finish thinking about the setlist, I was hearing the opening notes of "Isombard" drowned out by the crowd's cheers and being swept up by the leaping bodies. From that moment on, I knew I was in for a fun set. As the show went on the crowd only got more and more raucous and a clear divide was beginning to form in the room between the "young adults" and the "younger adults" but nonetheless as I teetered between the two I felt good energy across the room. By the end of the set, half of the crowd was jumping about on stage as party balloons floated around searching for flailing hands. Stand-out new listens for me were "Humungous" and "Paracetamol" - I can't remember the last time in the past couple years that I came across an indie artist Declan's age or to be honest of any age, with such ear-catching songwriting abilities. He's a true creative and I am absolutely buzzing for his debut album to drop this year.

Overall Rating - 7.5/10


Here are some pictures from the night... 

Okay! I'll start with apologies for the delay in posting - university coursework is extremely time-consuming. First post of 2017 and it's a post about the last gig I went to in 2016. Only fitting I guess, and what better way to end the year than watching my number five album of the year pick throw down in a most spectacular fashion?!

First up on stage was a rapper named Mouthe. I'd never heard of him before, and nobody else knew anything about him so did a little bit of research. I must admit I was pretty underwhelmed when I saw that he only had about 500 likes but I thought if anything could make somebody a fan it would be seeing a live show. I was wrong in this instance. When he came on stage, after about 30 seconds of performance I could sense the side-eyes in the room. I could barely hear the backing track over his optimus prime-sounding vocal effects. I couldn't even concentrate on his lyrics after his ridiculous song introductions. There were a few whispers between songs like "do you even know this guy?". To say that I was disappointed is an understatement. Although afterwards, my friend sent me one of his songs "Hallelujah" and it actually didn't sound too bad. Maybe he's just more of a studio artist.

But now for the main event - Quincy in the flesh. To be honest, even before he came on stage, the crowd was just bubbling with excitement. It seemed like they just knew the lyrics to every good hip hop song that played. At times the crowd was even rapping along as if somebody was actually performing. So when those lights dimmed and ScHoolboy stepped out, you can only imagine how the crowd galvanized. Within minutes I had already lost the people I came with and was fighting for breath, swaying through the weeds of people, mouthing a few lyrics whenever I got the chance to come up for air. It. Was. Manic... and I loved every second of it! The energy was incredible, and of course the set list didn't fail to impress. Q played hits from his last three albums and even jams from his label-mates Kendrick Lamar and Ab-Soul. The crowd was spoilt! I also feel that it's important for me to note that, ScHoolboy played in London the night before and just before playing "THat Part" to us, he declared that the Birmingham crowd was even crazier. Being the last show of the tour as well, whilst we screeched the lyrics to "THat Part", everybody knew that they'd witnessed something special. It had been the longest while since I'd left a gig that sweaty, breathless, yet energised, and I can only say - what a way to end an amazing year of music?!

Overall Rating - 8.5/10


DISCLAIMER: As the crowd was so mad, I only managed to get a few non-blurry, mediocre pictures...

Here we go, welcoming us into the top five is ScHoolboy Q with Blank Face LP. This album has been a blessing to my 2016. Some of my favourite songs of the year come from this record alone; it's just great to have one of the masters of Top Dawg Entertainment back for what I think is his best album yet.

I'd be surprised if you managed to go the whole year without hearing "THat Part (feat. Kanye West)" played somewhere - this song has been all over the place and for me, everytime felt like the first time. The amount that I listened to it, I should have been bored with it towards the end but I was just as hype every time. With a 17 song tracklist, I was definitely expecting the album to waver at some point during the middle, but ScHoolboy showed his lyrical strength the whole way through - I can only imagine how many songs didn't make the cut.  I was left smiling, head nodding and sometimes even laughing at the lyrics and brilliance of the beats throughout. Q truly put a lot of a work into curating and producing these tracks.

Some of my favourites from the album are "Groovy Tony/Eddie Kane", "WHateva U Want" and "JoHn Muir" but that changes with almost every listen. Each song has been a favourite at some point. After catching his set in Birmingham last week (gig review pending), it simply solidified his spot on the list. His personality comes through strongly on the album, not even close to being overshadowed by a crazy list of features. Quincy gave me one of my favourite rap albums of the year (there were many other amazing ones) and it stood out so much to me because he spoke about life as candidly as J. Cole but gave us some of the best beats in the business whilst keeping it fresh and thought-provoking. Also, the visuals to back the singles up were some of the most memorable I've seen all year.

ScHoolboy's given us a classic with this one, I'll definitely be referring back to this for years to come. A big future must be on the cards for Q after this gem.

Up until this year, I'd been consistently and very unfortunately, missing my chance to see Bring Me The Horizon live. Now I've seen them twice and they just get better and better each time! It's crazy to think that up until three years ago I hated this band. I've not once seen an artist turn around my opinion so fast and with just one album. If you don't already listen to them, see exhibit A and exhibit B - thank me later.

First things first the support. Basement are another band I've loved listening to this year. I recently stumbled upon their new album on Spotify and couldn't get enough, so when I saw them on the bill I was buzzing. On stage they sounded great, and it was amazing to hear the songs I've been listening to so much, live. However, they didn't play like they were playing in an arena. Some bands are made for smaller venues and I get that, but they were put on the tour for a reason and I definitely expected more of a show from them. They have songs that could fill an arena! Especially after seeing them tear it up at Reading Festival earlier this year, I have to say I was a tiny bit disappointed. All in all though, good set - I see big things to come for these guys.

Next up, one of my long time favourites - Don Broco. Well it's no secret that I love this band. Their debut album Priorities even made it to number two on my "Top Albums of 2012" list. However, my interest has dwindled a little bit since their second record came out last year and even after seeing them live here, it's not been able to improve my opinion of the new album. The performance was great, super engaging and really fun, but all in all, the newer material just didn't compare to the older songs and this "newer" show didn't seem to compare to any of the other times I've seen them live. I definitely enjoyed myself as always, but there was something missing for me this time around. I wonder what they'll put out next.

BRING. ME. THE. HORIZON. My oh my - what a band! I have nothing but praise for the performance they put on, the album they've recently put out and the progress they've made over the years. After making their latest album That's The Spirit my number one for "Top Albums of 2015"; again you can assume that I was over the moon to be seeing them live. Opening up with "Happy Song" had the crowd's feet off the ground immediately, heads banging, hair swinging, mouths wide open shouting "S-P-I-R-I-T!" and they just went from song to song taking the audience on an emotional journey. Every person in that arena was having their own individual experience but at the same time we definitely felt together. I came to that show alone and still felt a part of something - that's what a good show does! As well as the set list contributing to the spectacle, the visuals were breathtaking. From beginning to end, the stage set up, lights and visuals had me stumped. This was my first live show since being back in the UK and I wouldn't have it any other way.  This wasn't a show that anyone in attendance would forget anytime soon.

Overall rating - 9/10


Here are some pictures from the show...

J. Cole was touring the UK last month with his latest album 2014 Forest Hills Drive and I was lucky enough to catch him on the Birmingham leg of his tour...

Something that really took this show up in ratings was it's ridiculously talented and diverse supporting line up. First up was the Dreamville collective, consisting of Omen, Cozz and Bas.  I'd never actually heard of any of these rappers before the show but they're definitely a collective you'll want to have your eye on. Cozz especially caught my attention - great flow and stage presence. Even though they each only had time to perform about 3 or 4 songs each, I feel they could've held together a much longer set if granted one. Really interesting artists and each quite different from one another.

Next up - Pusha T. Now, Pusha T is one of those artists that you don't realise how many of their songs you actually know until you see them live. At first I was thinking "Man, I'm going to be the only one here who has no idea what songs he's playing" but I actually knew a lot more than I thought. Obviously when he played hits like "Move That Dope", "Mercy" and "Sweet Serenade" the crowd went OFF! The set went on for a little longer than I'd expected but the vibes were so elevated that we hardly noticed. Way to get the crowd ready for the main event...

But not so fast, an appearance from the lovely Jhene Aiko first. Jhene is a goddess. Such a big presence, the crowd lost their minds when the lights dimmed for her set. I was a little confused when she stepped on stage and just sat down straight away but luckily she popped back up after the first song. Her voice is just as heavenly live as it is on record, to be honest, it's even more mesmerising in person. "The Worst" just felt surreal. It was like my mind was swelling for the entire performance. It's hard to believe that it was just a support performance. It really put into perspective just how good/big J. Cole really is.

Speaking of which, the main event - J. Cole. What a crowd pleaser! Not only did he play 2014 Forest Hills Drive in it's entirety, but he even played some of his biggest hits from Born Sinner and his mixtape - The Warm Up. His setlist could not have possibly been any better. Everyone's excitement levels were on a high, the crowd was frenetic. Album highlights "Wet Dreamz", "Tale Of 2 Citiez", "G.O.M.D." and of course "No Role Modelz" were even bigger moments live. Three albums in and you could just feel from the energy that J. Cole has secured a fan base that will stick around and memorise his lyrics for many years to come. It also helps that he has an endearing personality - his anecdotes and tales of growing up made him more relatable and put the icing on the cake. New and old fans alike; this show resonated with everyone in the audience and I know that we all went home feeling amazing. Brilliant night!

Overall Rating - 9/10


Here are some pictures from the show... 

I'm still astounded that I managed to get tickets to see The Cribs play the absolutely tiny venue - The Oobleck, last week! The band actually commented that this was the smallest venue they'd ever played in Birmingham. It was just so perfect. Everyone lucky enough to get tickets to see them on this small venue tour knows how I feel.

Menace Beach were the only support act. After seeing them support Pulled Apart By Horses here last year, I wasn't that impressed so I was interested to see what they'd be like now after a few months. They were actually much better! They had much more energy and confidence! I'm not sure if it was because of the slightly smaller crowd or the fact that they've now recently released their debut album, but they smashed it. They did so well in fact that it made me want to get my hands on the record, as I was pretty unsure before. They did a good job and who knows, they might actually end up being a bit of a big deal.

Then, the moment everybody was gagging for - The Cribs. Even before Menace Beach stepped on you could feel the crowd steeling themselves for what was to come. The Jarman's entered to screams, cheers and chants of the riff from "Another Number". It felt like a homecoming - the crowd was in it with them from beginning to end and the band didn't let us down. Opening up with "Mirror Kissers", the crowdsurfers were quick off the bat. You could tell that everyone was there to have a good time, band included as they sang through their setlist smiling from ear to ear. Even six albums on in their career, it can be shows like this that are most poignant in memory. They played through old classics like "Our Bovine Public", "Hey Scenesters!" and of course "Men's Needs". The last of these in particular went off! The crowd singing all the lyrics, backing vocals and riffs - it was a surreal moment. As well as classics, it was nice to hear that their new songs like "Burning For No-One" and "Pink Snow" sounded just as musically epic as their older material. Of course the price you pay for playing a small venue gig is the heat levels. Everything was drenched in sweat... even the walls. However, everyone was too merry to care. Killer set and stellar band.

Overall rating - 8.5/10


Here are some pictures from the night...

Last week I headed over to The Sunflower Lounge to see The Sundowners - couldn't have picked a more fitting location. When I walked downstairs into this tiny box of room it was just filled with good vibes, but sadly, not people. When we stepped in there were maybe about 4 other people in there and about 3 of them were staff! Thank God it started to really fill up by the time the first band were to come on....

First on the bill was Birmingham bred band - Gleam. Newly formed, and it was actually their first ever show! Keeping this in mind, they did a good job - a few kinks here and there but that mostly just comes with performance experience. As a band, they have huge potential, both on record and off. They mostly rattled through their set, only really stopping for short applause and/or to tune their instruments so there wasn't any crowd interaction. However, it sounded like they had some really good songs in there. I also loved the fact that they had three guitar players and no bass - that's something you don't see often. Keep an ear out for these guys.

Second on the diverse line up were Wirral natives - She Drew The Gun. I wasn't expecting them to be atmospheric at all. I loved that they played the entire set accompanied by an animated film projected on the wall behind. Visual art as well as audio - nice. Aside from the visual addition, the set was really raw and stripped back and the lead's vocals were mesmerising! They were kind of like the "anti-Gleam" in the sense that unlike Gleam they actually stopped after every song to introduce and explain the next. This did take the audience out of the moment a little bit but didn't take away from the show much. I particularly liked their songs "Be Mine", "Pink Pony", and "Pebbles" which sounded like it could fit in well with an indie film soundtrack. Very interesting band - I would definitely advise going to check out one of their shows - true experience.

Last but not least, The Sundowners. Man, I love it when you go to a show and the band just completely exceeds your expectations. I knew it'd be a good show but I was not ready for this performance. First I have to comment on their bassist - Tim. That man has magic in his fingers. I was singing the last bass riff that he played all the way home. With Jim on the drums they made a very strong rhythms section. Backed by the mind-boggling guitar wielding skills of Alfie and the perfectly meshed voices of Fiona and Naimh, they were immense. I have to admit I was stunned. Also, never did I think that somebody could make a tambourine look that cool. Their set was so polished - I felt like I was watching them play Latitude Festival main stage as the sun was setting on the Sunday afternoon, they just transported me. "Back To You" still my favourite song on the new self-titled record (get your hands on this please), sounded just as big as it had the first time I heard it! I'll definitely be looking for a chance to see them again. Very cool band.

Overall rating - 8/10


Here are some pictures from the night...