Top 7 gigs of 2017

Top 7 gigs of 2017 

It's that time of the year again where I reflect on some of the best gigs* that I have been to in 2017. 

*like seriously THE best

Kovic

Kovic played support to Coasts when they came to Leeds earlier this year and I was instantly in love. Meeting Mark was a highlight for me because how lovely, is he! 

Tom Speight

I've been to see my mate Tom Speight twice this year and both times have absolutely phenomenal. 

These cute, and intimate gigs at the Louisiana in Bristol and the Oporto in Leeds have had a laid-back vibe and the banter kept on coming.

Dan Croll

No, I've never been to Tokyo but I hear that Dan Croll has. After ending the year on high with the release of his second album 'Emerging Adulthood' and a stellar U.K. Tour Dan ended the year with a holiday in Tokyo

Highlights included some beautiful tambourine playing by Dan Croll during 'Tokyo' and the classic 'From Nowhere' - which is actually my ring tone. 

Rae Morris 

Rae Morris is 'Reborn' with more pizazz and sparkle and she's absolutely fabulous! 

The Blackpool born singer with an ethereal voice and unforgettable stage presence lifted the roof off the Belgrave Music Hall with her latest hits  'Do It' and 'Reborn' as well As playing old favourites and treating our ears to some new tunes. 

Marsicans 

If anyone can, the Marsicans can. - I don't know why I said that, it just sounded cool.

The Marsicans opened the Stylus stage at this year's Live At Leeds festival with so much energy that they could have launched a rocket. And did I mention that they absolutely hilarious?

If you haven't yet, you really really need to go watch the Marsicans new music video.

Saint Motel

Saint Motel may not be an instantly recognisable household name....yet but 'My Type' and the saxophone intro in particular is sure to prick up your ears in recognition. You can hear it on the Now TV ad.

Whilst most swanned off to music festivals up and down the country I headed down to the Wardrobe on the 11th July for the most hilarious gig. 

A personal highlight has to be when a guy standing next to me asked AJ Jackson for a high five but got ignored and I got the high five instead. #winning

Coasts 

So you know how Coasts went on an epic 38 date UK tour during the Autumn, well guess who was at five of those dates in cities far and wide,. There was even a trip to Brighton.  

As readers of this blog may know, Coasts never fail to impress at their gigs but if pushed to choose my favourite date, it would have to be Bristol

The atmosphere at the was electric at the hometown gig and it was clear to see that the guys were really glad to be playing in the city, amongst so many recognisable faces. A very close second has to be Brighton, after all, there were balloons involved. 

Top gigs of 2016

It's that time of year again when I take a look back at some of my best gigs of the this year from near, wide and some abroad here's my top picks of the past twelve months:


8. Tiggs Da Author

I saw Tiggs at this year's Live At Leeds and his set was bursting with energy and was totally mesmerising. Read more here:

https://www.accentclothing.com/blog/accent-review-live-leeds/

7. Barns Courtney

This very intimate gig at the Oporto was way back in February. Barns has since gone onto being the support act for Tom Odell's U.S. tour.

https://www.accentclothing.com/blog/accent-review-barns-courtney/

6. Pixel Fix

I was very lucky to see Pixel Fix back in March as they have unfortunately since split *cries*

https://www.accentclothing.com/blog/accent-review-pixel-fix/

Fingers crossed that we'll hear the dreamy vocals of lead singer Marcus again soon.

5. Jake Isaac

It's been a 'long road' but I finally got to see Jake Isaac in March and it was everything that I had hoped for. Check out me review here:

https://www.accentclothing.com/blog/accent-review-jake-isaac/

4. Flawes

In September of this years Flawes signed a record deal with Red Bull and a month later guess who was at their first headline show!

3. King No One

Another act that I first stumbled across at LAL.

King No One are hugely popular both then and now as both times that I have been to see KNO the venues have been full to breaking point.

2. Tom Speight

Ok so I'll admit it I'm a sucker for folk music and Tom Speight is the perfect choice for no. 2 of my top gigs list.

https://adoremusicblog.wordpress.com/2016/11/04/tom-speight-gig-review/

1. Coasts

Top the leaderboard once again its the boys from Coasts. The question is which date to pick? I mean do I go for the Berlin or Hamburg gig when I followed them on part of their European tour (not stalkerish and weird at all...)

Or maybe I should for one closer to home like that time I took a hop, skip and jump down the M4 to Glasgow and we chanted 'Game Of Thrones' to the intro of 'Wolves'.

http://dinniethepooh.blogspot.co.uk/2016/06/fangirling-hard.html

However my fave has to be the last date of their UK tour at the  Brudnell Social Club which amongst other highlights included a full on stage invasion. Mental

my gig top of choice is trending 

Fangirling hard

I may have mentioned Coasts once or twice on this blog before (by Coasts I mean the band not the geographical terrain) and that would probably be because I'm fangirling….hard.

To be honest I hopped on the bandwagon fairly late in the game  when I randomly decided to go and see this indie rock band at the Wardrobe in October 2015. It wasn't  'random' though was it, it was fate.

Coasts returned to Leeds only a week later to play a free gig at Trinity Kitchen and guess who was front and centre.

Most people who I talk to and say that I'm going to-yet another- Coasts gig don't actually know who I'm babbling on about so here's the scoop:

The band, now known as Coasts, formed in Bristol in 2011 after attending the same university; Bath Spa uni - the very same one that I attended. 

I found out, when I asked them in Hamburg, that the guys (well Chris and Jimmy at least) did Performing Arts and graduated the same year that I arrived. (2009)

Coasts may be most widely known for having had appeared on the second season of Made In Chelsea or maybe you heard them on FIFA16.  They released their debut album in January of this year and have been blowing things out of the water ever since.

Earlier this year, in March actually, I kind of went to Germany to go to the Berlin and Hamburg dates of Coasts European tour yet alas I didn't have enough dollar to get to the U.S. for the American leg. *cries*




Alas this was not the case... insert awkward dialogue from the merch table:

However when Chris, Jimmy, Ben, David and Liam returned to the U.K. I knew that it was a 'go hard or go home' situation.

The original plan was to go to the first and last nights of tour (which were Bristol and Leeds) yet unfortunately  for me Coasts are just so awesome that Bristol was soon sold out….closely followed by all the tickets for Oxford being snapped up.

Last Thursday I woke up early to make a large batch of chocolate chip cookies before hopping into the car. Glasgow here I come!

Except before that could happen I may have had a ever so slight breakdown.

When I bought my tickets for the Garage 2 at Glasgow which I would then be able to pick up at the venue the website told me to bring along my confirmation email but the problem was that there wasn't an email to be found….anywhere.

The clock was ticking and I still didn't know where this email was. The doors at the venue were set to open at seven but it was nearing five and we still hadn't left the house and it was going to take four hours to get to Glasgow.

Imagine the scene, you're cruising along the M8 and suddenly you desperately need to go to the toilet. You can't stop though because otherwise you'll miss the gig completely. Hence the need for the bum shuffle dance as we journeyed further into Scotland.

No sooner had we pulled up into Sauchiehall Road and walked through the doors (I didn't even need that bloody email) than Coasts came on stage with Wallow. I loved the feeling of walking into the club and being met by a wall of incredible sound.

The Glasgow crowd were hilarious and I especially loved the chanting of 'Game Of Thrones' before Wolves.  Somebody even even ended up splashing beer over my head which was actually quite welcome because it got very, very sweaty.

We were spending the weekend at our cottage (another couple of hours further on) so at the end of the set we weren't able to linger. There was just time to give Chris the box of cookies.

Fast forward a few days and we have a familiar situation yet in reverse as now we need to get back to Leeds.

My sister was supposed to be meeting me at the Brudnell Social Club yet as she was pulling out of the drive her car broke down.

Coasts were going to be on stage in approximately forty minutes time and neither of us were there yet.

If I thought that the Glasgow crowd were great then Leeds was totally insane! Forget Game Of Thrones this was more full on stage invasion. Completely epic!

You  know when you are about to a really famous person and/or someone you really admire and get super tongue tied and nervous - well you would have thought that I'd be over that by now as I had kind of met Coasts once or twice before *ahem*

Jimmy: hey we've seen you before.

Chris: yeah she came to Glasgow...and Germany

Me: *thinks* I wonder if they liked their cookies

My top seven gigs of 2015

Over recent years I have truly embraced the phenomenon of going to gigs from small coffee shop venues to huge arenas I've had the pleasure of listening to big names and discovering fresh new talents and I'd like to share some of my favourite gigs that I have been to over this past year. As pretty much all of these were incredibly, posilutely, amazingly AWESOME!!!!! I can't pick my favourite so whilst this is technically a top seven list...I'm not ranking one above another.

7. Hunter And The Bear 

Melodic rock with hints of country, perfectly blended fantastic harmonies and catchy guitar riffs? Well thats Hunter And The Bear. I particularly loved the emotionally gripping acapella track 'Wounded'

6. Daniel Pearson

Perfection, thats a word you could use for the smooth, mellow resonance of Daniel Pearson.  This year may have been trying for Daniel Pearson but bloody hell does he sound good.

5. Rupert Stroud

I may or may not have been following Rupert Stroud's music career for quite some time now and every time I see him he gets better and better! Having already fallen in love with 'Morning Light' and 'Way Back Home' which yes are staples on my Spotify playlists I was totally blown away by 'The Truth' (hahahahaha) and recent release Catch - which as the name suggests is actually rather catchy.

4. Raleigh Ritchie

Live At Leeds was only Raleigh Richie's third EVER gig but you wouldn't have guessed it as he was simply Outstanding. Raleigh Ritchie a.k.a Greyworm on HBO's Game Of Thrones stage presence was mesmerising and he didn't sound half bad either.

3. Rae Morris 

I've actually been to see Rae Morris twice this year; once in February and once in October and it was so lovely to see how she has grown as an artist. The Blackpool born singer with a voice of an angel has an somewhat ethereal and you could even say say that listening to her set is really quite magical.

2. Hozier

My sister bought me tickets to see Hozier last Christmas, the gig was not until the end of May so I have had to sit patiently twiddling my thumbs. Definitely worth the wait though because OMG how good was he!!

Perhaps best known for 'Take Me To Church' Hozier packs a powerful emotional punch with sultry and soulful sounds.

1. Coasts 

To be honest I bought my ticket to go and see these guys before I had really listened to their music so you could say that they were a new favourite of mine....and bloody hell you would be right about that one as I would end going to see Coasts again and again and again!

With massive stage presence and unforgettable, catchy choruses Coasts are infectiously flawless and I look forward to the release of their debut album on Jan 22nd...not that I'm counting down the days or anything.


So 2016, lets do this again ok.