The last gig of the year was a good one. The Wonder Stuff (effectively Miles Hunt and friends) at the 02 Roxy in Manchester. Music is good for the soul, especially live music.
Before that, and I think I missed mentioning it before, was Bryan Adams. I am not a fan, beyond 2 or 3 singles, but he was doing an album release show at a tiny venue in Liverpool. Tickets were dirt cheap and I got one for me and my son. Our phones were placed in bags on entry to stop photos and recordings.
I wasn’t overly into the new album, it was a bit too full of cliches for me, and the Q&A in between songs was a bit cheesy. It’s hard when you’ve not heard the album before and an act doesn’t play a single song I knew but I can say one thing – Adams and his band know how to rock and hard. Really tight, and you got the impression they could have played all night taking requests had they been inclined.
Anyway, back to the Wonder Stuff!
Never used to be my cup of tea, too indie and trendy in the early 90s while I was still stuck in the 80s. However, my wife loved them so I have seen them 3 or 4 times over the years. As a result I have grown to really like them, though my favourite record of theirs was Escape From Rubbish Island, released after the reformed but long after they’d dropped from being media darlings.
It’s basically Miles’ band now, but he’s a brilliant song writer and performer. The support act was also a side project of his so we saw him twice. They played the right songs for the audience including The Size of a Cow which I know die hards look down on. I am sure Hunt’s accountant doesn’t!
I tend to flit about between Spotify and Apple Music so I am never sure these sort of reviews are anything other than a curiosity but they reflect on many of the gigs I have seen this year. Springsteen at Anfield being the highlight. January being a Kenny Loggins month is interesting! I think I was hooked on his Nightwatch album which is so diverse and even has prog overtones in places.
It was a good year for gigs and new albums. Kelsey Waldon’s Every Ghost probably my favourite overall. That leads me onto 2026. Lots more gigs booked – including Waldon in January in a 120 capacity hall. Many of the acts I have booked to see are those I have seen before – Jason Isbell, Carly Pearce for example but there is also Zach Bryan at Anfield in the summer and Bon Jovi with my son in September. I am also hoping to see Fatboy Slim in the summer at Delamere Forest.
Absolutely love his ‘new’ single:
