2023 is shaping up brilliantly already. Being a planner, I have already lined up many gigs for next year.
It's a good mix of old staples, new bands, a couple of curveballs that you might not expect, and at least one legend I never thought I would get to see. It's going to be a GREAT year.
Big Joanie @ The Garage
Big Joanie were one of my best finds for 2022, with the second album, Back Home, a standout of the year. This will be our third time seeing them, following the gig at Coventry Library (Big Joanie, Central Library, Coventry, 22 October 2022) and then supporting Courtney Barnett at the Pitchfork Festival. Cannot wait to see their biggest gig in London to date.
David Byrne's Night @ The MOTH Club
Aka Talking Haggis? Burn's Night alternative, themed around the Talking Heads maestro, born in Dumbarton. No idea what this will be like, but given the range of bands contributing members to the house band, it will be fun!
Metric @ Roundhouse
Canadians Metric make big electronic pop music, and released their 8th album, Formentera, this year. I think this will be their biggest UK show. Mrs JO'B loves them and Gimme Sympathy is a stone cold classic.
Pretenders @ Lafayette
I was jetlagged and half asleep when the email pinged in my inbox announcing these tickets. I clicked, bracing myself for disappointment that this would already be hideously sold out, but two minutes later me and Mrs JO'B had two tickets to see one of my favourite ever bands play a TINY venue. This will conversely will be HUGE! A bit of dirty rock and roll...
Mark Eitzel @ Old St Pancras Church
You know that playlist "Happy songs that are actually sad"? Mark's songs belong more on a playlist called "Sad songs that are actually miserable". Actually, that's not true, he has some joyous belters in amongst the misery and broken hearts (check out the magnificent Johnny Mathis' Feet with his alma mater, American Music Club).
The economics of touring means he is playing two shows that night, we have the late show tickets and it will be intimate, beautiful, amazing.
Personal Trainer @ The Lexington
A new band for me, from The Netherlands. They have a power pop, Jellyfish/Fountains Of Wayne meets Pip Blom sound to my ears. Really excited about seeing them.
Low Island @ Lafayette
A present for my lovely friend David's birthday. There is a buzz about these guys right now, as this has already been upgraded from a smaller venue due to demand. They remind me of a poppier Hot Chip!
Half Man Half Biscuit @ Leamington Spa Assembly
I don't think we actually have tickets for this yet, but hopefully we will get this sorted and see England's wittiest and most observant lyricists belting out punky arch pop,
Robert Forster @ Lafayette
2022 was a rough year for the Forsters, as Robert's wife Karin fought off cancer. So the family have done what they do best and made an album, including Robert's children.
"Ever since we met, Karin and I have sung and played music together in our home, and in these dark days we turned to music once again. I had a batch of new songs I’d written over the last years, and we started playing them together. Our son Louis often dropped in for a meal and a chat and soon he began joining us on guitar. One night, when sitting cross-legged on the couch, after we had played a song, Karin looked up from her xylophone and said, ‘When we play music, is the only time I forget I have cancer.’ That was a big moment."
The album, The Candle And The Flame, will be out in 2023 and I can't wait. An evening of his class music, and so,e Go-Betweens classics.
Pixies @ Brixton Academy
Screaming, guttural indie rock at its best. They better play Human Crime, their standalone single from 2022, which I loved.
It's worth noting I declined to go and see them when they played Exeter in my first year at University, stubbornly refusing to buy into the hype. I soon realised I was wrong - very wrong. Pixies are another cause of my ongoing FOMO issues.
Please note if you refer to them as The Pixies, I will say nothing, but I am judging you inside my head....
The Go! Team @ Lafayette
Crazy indie, pop, hip hop, rave, chanting, shouting fun. Never seen them live; very excited to finally catch them at a gig.
The Orielles @ Electric Brixton
This will be my fourth time seeing them. They are still so young, yet make mature, varied, strange post-punk disco dance space music.
Warhaus @ Lafayette
As documented elsewhere on this site, I love Balthazar, Belgium's best band. Warhaus are the sideline for one of their two singers. Their music is sort of soul, lounge indie. Bit alarmed by the throwing shapes dancing in the When I Am With You video below...but I'm sure the gig will be great! London's Belgian community will be out in force.
Ailbhe Reddy @ The MOTH Club
Her sophomore album is out on 17th March, and it will be great to see her playing those new tunes with a band. My fourth time seeing her - alt-folk, indie, gutsy vocals, confessional, personal lyrics - what's not to like?
The Blue Aeroplanes @ Electric Ballroom
The best live band ever. That is all.
Gaz Coombes @ Electric Ballroom
The ex-supergrasser, touring his fourth solo album. You can expect no Supergrass songs, just a set of his fabulous solo material. And a hat. He's always wearing a hat. I love hats.
The Great Escape @ Various, Brighton
This festival is a bargain tapas banquet of new music. At £60 for three days, gigs in the main no more than 30 minutes, you can't go wrong. We have been in 2017, 2018, 2019 and I went this year. Every time, we've discovered new bands (Ailbhe Reddy, Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever, The Orielles, Jane Weaver, Stella Donnelly, The Beths, Pip Blom, Been Stellar and more). And, we have already seen The Heavy Heavy at one of the launch gigs for next year's festival and will definitely be seeing them again.
The Beths @ Electric Brixton
Another Great Escape discovery, The Beths' inexorable rise continues, with three albums and a live album under their belt. Expert In A Dying Field was a cracker from this year's album, very excited to be seeing them again.
Andy Shauf @ Hackney Empire
I loved The Magician when it came out a few years ago and my friend Fergus rarely gets overexcited about music. But he raves about Mr Shauf so tickets have been acquired. I am curious to see what the fuss is about live.
Live Is Live Festival @ Antwerp
Our first European music festival plus I have never seen to Antwerp. Never seen The War On Drugs before, but both Balthazar and Warpaint are great live, so this is already looking like a brilliant day out. Plus beer - Belgian beer....this could get messy...
Take That @ Hyde Park
An Xmas present for my friend Lozzer, plus a day out with my colleagues Nikki and Marie - Mrs JO'B is not coming and possibly judging me for choosing this over Pulp (who are playing in Finsbury Park the same day). But Take That are fabulous live, and Gary Barlow is a master-songwriter. Anyone who disagrees just needs to slap themselves hard in the face and then listen to Back For Good, Patience, Greatest Day and Never Forget. I will be bellowing out songs at the top of my voice...probably should have warned my colleagues this...
Plus Sugababes (the original line up) will be fabulous - Run For Cover is a great pop song! The Script are shite though....a trip to the bar will be in order then...
Siouxsie @ Latitude
This is the big one for me. A true legend and one I missed seeing live 15 years ago when she toured. Geordie Jo, Geordie Gill and Paul have sorted me a ticket and somewhere to stay so I am very grateful (obvs, we are not camping - I've done that before, not for me).
No idea who else is on the lineup for the Sunday we are going, but it doesn't matter. Siouxsie is an original of the species that is punk, but also have made challenging, thrilling music for decades. She's been quiet the last 15 years - I thought she'd just called it a day, but she's back.
My fantasy setlist includes Peek-A-Boo, Spellbound, Hong Kong Garden, Christine, Cities In Dust, Dear Prudence, The Killing Jar....the list goes on. It doesn't matter what she plays, this will be amazing!
And in an ideal world?
I would love to see Johnny Marr again, as always. Everything But The Girl have a new album scheduled, so it would be amazing to see them live finally.
I saw a new artist last night called Kee'ahn - she's signed to Courtney Barnett's Milk records. With a name coming from the Wik people (an Indigenous Australian group of people from an extensive zone on western Cape York Peninsula in northern Queensland), meaning to dance, to sing, to play, Kee’ahn aims to honour her name and Ancestors through her soulful music. She has a strong Jeff Buckley meets Lianne La Havas meets Corinne Bailey Rae vibe. Definitely want to see her again, hope she makes it to London.
Hope to see you at a gig at some point in 2023, stay safe, x
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