The Long Road Festival 2025 review: Welcome home, old friend!
We recap a joyful weekend of Americana & country music plus family-friendly vibes, dogs in cowboy hats, and line dancing for days!
Live Reviews
Shambala Festival 2025 review & photos: an 18-hour whistlestop tour
The 25th year of this legendary festival offered a green kaleidoscope of music, costumes, flash dances, talks and woodland crafts.
Chuck Ragan live in Newcastle review: “You make us feel like we’re part of your family”
A cathartic, communal celebration spanning Chuck Ragan's solo songs, Hot Water Music classics, and tributes to Revival Tour alumni Brian Fallon & Alkaline Trio. Check out this song-by-song review with…
Danny and the Champions of the World live in Gosforth 2025: review & videos
Gosforth Civic Theatre set the stage for Danny and The Champions of The World's high-energy live show, available to watch here with videos of every song.
She Drew The Gun live in Lancaster review: “Shit like this is important.”
It was Independent Venue Week. The organisation has grown from partnering with just 17 venues in 2014 to working with over 200 venues eleven years later. Counting this year’s iteration,…
Emily Barker live in Dumfries: “We’re all complex and wonderful and difficult”
On January 22, 2025, Emily Barker delivered a captivating solo set at The Supper Club in Dumfries during the Big Burns Supper festival. The intimate venue showcased her tender music,…
Danny & The Champions of the World live in London 2024 review: “Thanks for making all our dreams come true!”
Matured, evolved, and back with a bang!
Roddy Woomble live in Dumfries: “We’ve always played about 7 to 15 miles away”
The talented trio showcased songs from Woomble's latest album, Sometime During The Night We Fell Off The Map, as well as favourites from Woomble's solo and Idlewild back catalogues.
Crowded House at Glasgow Ovo Hydro 2024 review: “armadillos and fireflies”
On October 9, 2024, Crowded House performed at Glasgow Ovo Hydro. How could it compare to a cathartic, intimate affair in the shadow of the pandemic?
Idlewild and Ash – Fringe By The Sea 2024 review: “legendary longtime pals”
Fans had waited over a quarter of a century to relive the magic of the Ash and Idlewild tour of October 1998.
Bennett Wilson Band live in Glasgow review
"there was something satisfying about the performance of 'new' songs that fans have been able to live with for a while."
Review: Everclear live in the UK with Dubinski. Twice!
Here at Music Closeup we always aim to be unbiased but – full disclosure – Everclear is my favourite band and has been for 25 years. This wasn’t always straightforward…
Tenille Townes live in Glasgow 2022 review: “I will never forget this night as long as I live”
"The sold-out Glasgow crowd welcomed Tenille Townes with the kind of warmth, familiarity and volume that would typically be reserved for a hometown show."
The Strokes at Lytham Festival: a striking summer set
A sold-out crowd of 20,000 descended on a usually sleepy Lancashire town ready to rock out. Here is our comprehensive review of Wet Leg, Fontaines D.C., and The Strokes at…
Nile Rodgers at Lytham Festival: Good times with Chic, TLC & Soul II Soul!
Here’s award-winning musician Thomas Collison’s verdict on a star-studded night of music from Soul II Soul, TLC, Chic and Nile Rodgers at Lytham Festival.
The Dreaming Spires live at The Water Rats: a special 10th-anniversary Americana family reunion
June 30, 2022: The Forty Elephant Gang and The Dreaming Spires live at The Water Rats The Forty Elephant Gang live at the Water Rats The Forty Elephant Gang, intriguingly…