There’s nothing I love more than a good concert – since I saw The Saturdays at the MEN Arena in December 2011, I’ve always tried to have some tickets booked to look forward to. Over the years, I’ve been to stadiums, my local parks and tiny grassroots venues, and every place and artist comes with a different atmosphere. Here’s who I’ve seen live this year…
The Pryzm Gigs
Kingston might be a bit of a trek from central London, but it’s well worth getting down to Pryzm for a gig or two. My first concert of the year was on the release date of Bradley Simpson’s The Panic Years album, when he performed an acoustic rendition of his new music at Przym in Kingston. After being a fan of him in The Vamps for years, being in the audience on the day of his debut solo release was really special. Even though he had to remind some fans to be ‘backing singers, not backing screamers’, it was a great night celebrating a brilliant album, which you can read more about here.
Similarly, Perrie came to Przym (okay, by this point it had become Circuit, the venue formerly known as Przym) for a stripped back set of her debut solo album. Perrie is such a gem, it was again a lovely intimate gig where she shared stories behind her songwriting.
However, my Przym stand-out, and maybe even my favourite gig of the year, was Wolf Alice, who played there for the release of The Clearing, their new album. Unlike my other Przym gigs, this was a full production – not acoustic – and sounded absolutely incredible. It was incredible to see new music live, including Bloom Baby Bloom and The Sofa, as well as Bros, a song I’ve loved for almost a decade.
The Arena Gigs
The Wombats had been on my bucket list to see live for a while, and they exceeded expectations at their gig at London’s O2 arena in March. Their setlist was electric, from indie anthems Let’s Dance To Joy Division and Kill The Director, to a stripped back rendition of 1996, one of my favourites. The fun was turned up to the max with bright lights, confetti and even huge Wombats appearing on stage!
Another band who soundtracked my teen years, Bastille, toured this year with a 15 year celebration of their music. Like The Wombats, it was great to finally see tunes that I’ve played hundreds of times live, including Good Grief and Of The Night. Frontman Dan Smith had the stage presence of a seasoned pro – he was actually hilarious when having to fill time with a technical error. But unfortunately the crowd at Manchester Arena was so dead; maybe I’d have felt different if I was standing, but it seemed like everyone in seats was only there to see Pompeii, which was a shame.
I headed back to the O2 in December to see Wolf Alice, who were yet again brilliant live and put on a gorgeously aesthetic show. However, having only seen them at Pryzm a few months earlier, it confirmed that I much prefer smaller gigs these days than the big arena sets, and would much prefer to catch a band on their album promo tour rather than spend double to be further away in an arena with a less-engaged crowd.
The Indie Bands
Open Wide by Inhaler has to be one of my top albums of the year, and I was super excited to see it live at the Royal Albert Hall. It’s such an exquisite venue but I’m not convinced it’s the best for live music. On 31 October, the gig was coined online as Inhalerween, and the band donned Phantom of the Opera themed outfits as their costume. Inhaler are a young band with plenty of room to grow, and I’m looking forward to seeing their stage presence to the next level. I’ve also got to mention their support, The Guest List, whose songs 161 and The Weatherman were outstanding live.
I’ve saved Red Rum Club for last as it was one of my most unforgettable gigs of the year. Having seen them support Blossoms in Hammersmith last year, and The Wombats at the O2, it was great to see them headline their own tour at Electric Brixton. Their music was incredible live – especially everyone jumping up and down during Kids Addicted – and the crowd was lovely, high energy without moshing! We got to the venue about 20 minutes before doors and got barrier, it was brilliant to be so close. The smallest of the bands mentioned, I’d really recommend checking them out – a sextet with a trumpet player, they’ve got such a unique and fun sound.
To 2026…
Of course I’ve already got some concerts planned for 2026! I’ll be going to a gig outside of England for the first time, heading to Eastern Europe to see my favourite band Blossoms, and I’m also very excited to see CMAT at London’s Ally Pally, as her album Euro-Country is one of my 2025 favourites. One of my childhood dreams will finally come true when I see Take That live on their revived The Circus Tour (with support from one of my all time faves, The Script). Plus, I’ll be seeing plenty of live music at Mad Cool in Madrid, a totally new experience for me. Lots to report on soon!
Who have you seen live this year?
