Pennyblackmusic Presents: Johny Brown (Band of Holy Joy) - With Hector Gannet and Andy Thompson @The Water Rats, London, Saturday 25, May, 2024
Del Amitri
At the Hammersmith Apollo in London Anthony Dhanendran is impressed by Del Amitri's perfectly performed 90's pop.
Ben Harper and Charlie Musselwhite
Anthony Dhanendran watches a mixed bag of a show from intriguing blues-rock duo Ben Harper and Charlie Musselwhite.
Billy Bragg and Joe Henry
Anthony Dhanendran watches Billy Bragg and Joe Henry play both solo and joint sets at a gig at the Union Chapel in London
Coal Porters
Anthony Dhanendran watches bluegrass outfit the Coal Porters play a gripping set at an afternoon gig at The Union Chapel in London
Glass Spider
Anthony Dhanendran finds the reunion of the Glass Spider Band, Davie Bowie's 1987 world tour backing band, crowd-pleasing but best left in the past at a show in the strange circumstances of Under the Bridge in London
Glenn Tilbrook
Anthony Dhanendran watches Squeeze front man Glenn Tilbrook play an excellent set in front of a group of dedicated fans at Blackheath Halls in london
Luke Sital-Singh
Anthony Dhanendran finds much hyped New Malden-born singer-songwriter play a surprisingly unsure and disappointingly safe set at the Tabernacle in London
Rod Stewart
Anthony Dhanendran sees Rod Stewart play an enormously entertaining and crowd-pleasing set at the O2 in London
Rolling Stones
Despite excessive ticket and food prices, Anthony Dhanendran finds much still to admire in the Rolling Stones in the first of two shows at Hyde Park in London to conclude their 50th anniversary tour
Butcher Boy
Anthony Dhanendran sees unlikely eight-piece indie pop band Butcher Boy perform an excellent show at the Cecil Sharp House in London
Willie Nelson
Anthony Dhanendran watches Willie Nelson play an evocative and often remarkable set in front of an exuberant audience at the Hammersmith Apollo in London
Twenty Twenty
Anthony Dhanendran watches Danny and the Champions of the World, the new band of former Grand Drive front man Danny George Wilson, put on an exuberant set of alt. country at the ULU in London
Radio Dept.
Touring for the first time under his own name and how having abanadoned his Final Fantasy moniker, Anthony Dhanendran sees violinist and keyboard player Owen Pallett play a hugely entertaiting gig at the Union Chapel in London
Darren Hayman
Anthony Dhanendran watches former Hefner singer Darren Hayman, at the London Lexington to promote his new album with his current band the Secondary Modern, play a set of witty, but memorable kitchen sink pop
People in Planes
Despite being placed fourth on a bill and having recently lost their EMI deal , Anthony Dhanendran finds that Welsh electro rockers People in Planes still have much to shout about in a set at the Water Rat's in London
Miscellaneous
Over six days at New York's city-based CMJ festival, Anthony Dhanendran watches performances from acts including Jens Lekman, Dan Deacon, Emmy the Great, Jay Reatard and Litle Boots
Mj Hibbett
MJ Hibbett's new show is an examination of rock from the point of view of a not-quite-insider. At ashow at the Cross King's pub in London, Anthony Dhanendran finds Hibbett's blend of part-comedy and part-song to be probably the best-value musical in town
Adem
In the splendid atmosphere of London's Union Chapel Anthony Dhanedran watches former Fridge member Adem play a stunning set of both original material and also eccentric covers
Fight Like Apes
At the Proud Galleries in London, Anthony Dhanendran watches Dublin indie-punks Fight Like Apes play an incoherent, but catchy and ultimately genre-defying set
Billy Bragg
At the Roundhouse in London, Anthony Dhanendran finds that Billy Bragg has lost none of his youthful vigour or anger in an extensive set that finds him playing both recent material and looking deep back to his early roots
Yeasayer
American group Yeasayer meld blues and country with a stadium rock rock sound. Anthony Dhanendran watches the New Yorkers play a hit and miss set at the ICA in London
Rasputina
New York art rock trio Rasputina consist of two cellists and a percussionist and have released six albums to date. At their first ever show in Britain at London's Brixton Windmill, Anthony Dhanendaran finds their eccentric and mystical music an absolutely unique experience
Mountain Goats
Anthony Dhanendran watches alternative rock cult act the Mountain Goats, the project of North Carolinan musician John Darneille, play a stunning, crowd-pleasing set at the Union Chapel in London,
Efterklang
Anthony Dhanendran finds Norwegian group Efterklang's strange combination of grandeur and intimacy a compelling experience at the Bush Hall in London
David Hurn
At the Luminaire in London, Anthony Strutt watches singer-songwriter David Hurn, supporting the American Music Club's Mark Eitzel, play an appealing if slightly monotonous set
Miscellaneous
The Sonar Festival is an annual festia festival of arts, involving visual arts, installations and even a magic show. Anthony Dhanendran ejoys such musical highlights as Altern 8, the Beastie Bots, Skream, Devo and Mogwai
Stars Of Aviation
With nine people and a variety of instruments cramped on to the same stage, Anthony Dhanendran is impressed by Stars of Aviation's quietly forceful blend of indie pop
Miscellaneous
At the latest All Tomorrow's Parties weekend, this time curated by Bad Seeds and Dirty Three violinist Warren Ellis, Anthony Dhanendran sees sets from bands as diverse as the Only Ones, Low, Spiritualized, Grinderman and Joanna Newsom
Joan as Policewoman
At her biggest headlining show to date at the London Scala, Anthony Dhanendran watches happy rising star Joan Wasser, who plays under the moniker of Joan as Policewoman, play an exuberant set to a sell out crowd
Nina Nastasia
At a showcase for her label Fat Cat at the Bush Hall in London, Anthony Dhanendran watches Nina Nastasia play an empassioned, solo acoustic set
Future of the Left
Future of the Left is the new band of former Mclusky front man Andy Falkous. Anthony Dhanendran watches them play a refreshingly abrasive and angry set at the 100 Club in London
Tapes n Tapes
Minneapolis band Tapes 'n' Tapes have drawn frequent comparisions with the the Arcade Fire, but Anthony Dhanendran finds their rowdy blues-influenced sound has more in common with the Black Keys in an impressive show at London's King College
Hawk And A Hacksaw
Elevated to the headline slot after main act Beirut was forced to pull out due to illness, Anthony Dhanendran finds former Neutral Milk Hotel drummer Jeremy Barnes' new gypsy folk project A Hawk and a Hacksaw worth the price of the ticket admission alone at a gig at the London Luminaire
James Yorkston And The Athletes
At a support show to Mexican metal-folk duo Rodrigo Y Gabriela, Anthony Dhanendran watches James Yorkston play a strong set, but one which in he has trouble making himself heard
Clearlake
Often underrated and having recorded just three albums in their seven years together, Clearlake recently played London's Islington Academy supporting the Rifles. Anthony Dhanendran sees them promise little and deliver a great deal
Miscellaneous
In the first of two All Tomorrow's Parties weekeds this summer, Anthony Dhanendran takes in sets from the likes of Mudhoney, Holly Golightly, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Bert Jansch, Vashti Bunyan and Devendra Banhart
Black Keys
The Black Keys, while hardly household names, have been playing increasingly packed houses on both sides of the Atlantic. Anthony Dhanendran watches the Southern blues duo play a powerful set at the London Dcala
Miscellaneous
Australian group the Morning After Girls recently played a Kerrang-sponsored gig at a London date on their recent tour. Anthony Dhanendran is surprised that, rather than being industrial and heavy-sounding, they sound like a rockier Britpop act
Television Personalities
At a busy night at the Barfly in London, Anthony Dhanendran watches the reformed Television Personalities play a sadly disappointing and shambolic show
Televise
The Beautiful New Chidlren have just released an album which is 23 minutes long, and is the new garage puk outfit of German electronica star Michael Beckett. Anthony Dhanendran watches a band of two distinct halves at 93 Feet East in London
Pere Ubu
Pere Ubu have never been a band to rest on past glories. At a gig at London's Islington Academy, Anthony Dhanendran finds the caustic veteran Cleveland rockers still defining for themselves new limits and on rock's cutting edge
Miscellaneous
Yat Kha come from a tiny Siberian province on the borders between Russia and Mongolia. Anthony Dhanendran watches them reinterpret songs from acts as diverse as Led Zeppelin, Joy Division and Captain Beefheart to remarkable effect
David Grubbs
David Grubbs is best known for his work with Jim O' Rourke in post-rock group Gastr del Sol, but now has a three album solo career. Anthony Dhanendran watches him play a sometimes brilliant, but confusing set at the London Spitz
Vetiver
Vetiver is fronted by American Andy Cabic andalso the side project of folk hippy Devendra Banhart. in the hushed environment of London's Lyric Theatre Anthony Dhanendran watches them play an impressive set of experimental alt. country
Miscellaneous
The latest All Tomorrow's Parties weekend was hosted by controversial film director Vincent Gallo.Anthony Dhanendran both enjoys and endures sets from The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, Buck 65, PJ Harvey and Yoko Ono among others
Graham Coxon
At an NME gig in London Anthony Dhanendran watches former Blur guitarist Graham Coxon play an energetic set at the Hammersmith Palais, Highly touted new talent Tom Vek sadly, however, proves to be less impressive
Sufjan Stevens
At a busy Bush Hall in London, Michigan-based psychedelic folk singer-songwriter Sufjan Stevens eventually explains why he has come on wearing a pair of angels' wings, and also manages to pack in a geography lesson