Best of the Year: 2019

I set out with the deliberate intention of making 2019 the best-ever time for gigs and the year was clearly a great success in that particular area.

The pursuit of musical excellence took me to stadiums, a castle, several basements and a plethora of local venues too.

Some of the artistes were new to me and some were making very welcome returns to the diary.

I embraced virtually every genre of music including rockabilly, rock, rock and roll, pop, country, folk, Americana, punk, post-punk, electronic and just about everything else between the respective extremes, including numerous tribute acts. Some artistes were coming towards the end of their careers and some were just starting out.

2019 is unlikely ever to be matched (but that will not be for the want of trying).

It would normally be a very difficult task to choose the top highlight from such an extraordinary range but this year the pick of the bunch just has to be the full Stray Cats experience. To see them in action on all four dates of their UK Tour was a dream come true.

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Here are links to all of my gig reviews of 2019. The next post will look at some of the best new music of the year.


Reviews of 2019

Toyah

Jah Wobble and The Invaders of the Heart

The Hootones

Steve Harley

Anita Harris

Showaddywaddy

Freya Ridings

The Cureheads

Siouxsie and the Budgies

Vonda Shephard and Sharon Corr

Shakin' Stevens

Amy Macdonald

Sound of the Sirens (1)

Yuzoo

Moya Brennan

The Kast Off Kinks

Wilko Johnson

Lucy Rose (1)

ABC

The Goldhawks (1)

Big Country

Nick Heyward

Mott the Hoople

Bananarama

The Bluejays (1)

Katherine Jenkins

Honeyblood

Patty Griffin (1)

Leo Sayer

Patty Griffin (2)

Lauren Daigle

Emma Stevens

Glen Matlock

Martin and Eliza Carthy

Dido

Roy Orbison and the Travelling Wilburys Experience

Johnny Cash Roadshow

Totally Tina

The Spice Girls

Alice Jemima (1 and 2)

Sophie Ellis-Bextor (1 and 2)

Bikini Kill

Dawn Landes

Nick Lowe

Stray Cats (1-4)

Gladys Knight

Bros

The Who

Danny 'O' and the Astrotones

Joan as Police Woman

Kylie Minogue

The Local Honeys

Rachel Harrington

Rachel Harrington

Massy Ferguson

Sham 69

Killing Joke

Martha Reeves and the Vandellas

The Goldhawks (2)

Counterfest

The Bluejays (2)

The South

P.P. Arnold

Heaven 17

Squeeze

Midge Ure

OMD

Christina Aguilera

Shakespears Sister

Wishbone Ash

KT Bush Band

Sound of the Sirens (2)

Nancy and The Dolls

Adam Ant

Alice Jemima (3)

Sophie Ellis-Bextor (3)

Eilen Jewell

Sarah Darling

Lucy Rose (2)

Dawn Landes (2)

Emeli Sande