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I went to more gigs in 2016 than any other year in my life and enjoyed most of them.
It was tough to make a list of the ones I enjoyed the most but somehow I managed so here it is in no particular order.
Grace Jones at Alexandra Palace during Afropunk London 2016, London
After going to a few arena shows in 2015 I preferred to focus in smaller venues in 2016 but I thought that Afropunk at Alexandra Palace was a good opportunity to see music that I didn't usually listen to very often and I'm glad I did. Although I pretty much enjoyed all the shows I saw that day the highlight of the day was without a doubt the headlining gig from Grace Jones who gave an amazing show that mixed a great sense of spectacle with talent and entertaining banter showing an energy that very few artists do at that time of their careers.
Prince Rama at Moth Club, London
I first saw Prince Rama in 2013 as part of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs' curated ATP I'll be your mirror festival in Alexandra Palace and really enjoyed their show at the main stage. This time the show was in a much more intimate venue and I enjoyed it even more. Taraka Larson is a great frontwoman who loves to interact and play with the audience and never stops surprising them.
Yonaka at Shapes during Flying Vinyl Festival 2016, London
I always have loved discovering new bands by accident and despite missing a Black Honey gig in London for being away on holidays this meant I got a ticket to see them at Flying Vinyl festival which I probably wouldn't have bought otherwise. This was the first time I saw Yonaka and I was blown away, I loved Theresa Jarvis' vocals, the tribal sound of the drum she used to play in some songs and the way the whole band worked together. They have become one of my favourite bands now and you definitely need to see them live.
The Heavy at Moth Club, London
I enjoyed all the shows I saw from The Heavy in 2016 but somehow the one they gave at the beginning of the year at the small Hackney was the best for me, songs from the previous albums and the most recent one sounded more powerful than ever and the gigs where everybody is really close to the band are always special. The Heavy are always great fun to see live and Kelvin Swaby is an amazing frontman.
Blood Red Shoes at Live at Leeds 2016, Leeds
Scott Pilgrim vs The World's may not have been the success it deserved but I loved its soundtrack and it allowed to discover Blood Red Shoes a few years ago. I've had the luck of seeing them a few times since I moved to London and discover many of my new favourite bands directly or indirectly thanks to them.
They are one of these bands that are always amazing live so since they didn't have any London shows in 2016 and I wanted to see them again I decided to go to Live at Leeds festival and they didn't disappoint. A lot of what makes a great show to me is definitely on the attitude from the crowd and you could tell that everybody was on board from the beginning which made it amazing.
Mydy Rabycad at The Forge, London
Sometimes you discover bands by chance when you are trying to look for new sounds and you end up loving them. This gig of the Czech Electro swing band Mydy Rabycad at The Forge was one of these cases. The band never missed a beat and their frontwoman Žofie Dařbujánová never stopped entertaining and encouraging the audience to dance and have a good time. I definitely hope they come back to the UK in the future.
Calva Louise (AKA Mystified) at The Roundhouse, London
I discovered Calva Louise, back when they were called Mystified, supporting DOLLS in 2015 and have loved them since then. They have an amazing energy live and they always give all they got on stage. Most of the gigs that I've seen were in small/mid size venues so I was really happy to see them at a bigger venue like the Roundhouse for the Punk Weekender last year and they gave a great show.
Kate Jackson and the Wrong Moves at The Hope and Ruin, Brighton
Kate Jackson was the first of two bands I loved last year that I discovered via Blood Red Shoes, I first saw her without having listened to her solo debut album yet at The Courtyard when I went to see Laura-Mary Carter solo debut and I thought she and her band were amazing so after buying her album and loving it I decided to go to Brighton to see her live one more time and she didn't disappoint. Starting out slow and playing most of the songs of the album but also some new ones it was one of my favourite gigs of the year from beginning to end.
Sunflower Bean at Scala, London
It's always great to see bands that are at the beginning at their career slowly moving to bigger venues and selling them out. I discovered this band in 2015 and thought they were amazing live and the gig they gave at Scala is probably the best I've seen from them so far. Their mix of Indie rock and psychedelia works great live and you could tell that the band was loving every second of it.
Saint Agnes at Hoxton Square Bar & Kitchen, London
I discovered Saint Agnes in one of the first gigs of the year when I went to see Mystified at The Lexington and was really impressed by them. Their mix of blues, rock and psychedelia is specially powerful live and both singers complement each other perfectly. Of all the times I saw them last year the gig I enjoyed more was their headlining gig at Hoxton Square Bar & Kitchen, the audience as into it, the support acts were great and they were amazing that night.
Otoboke Beaver at The Pipeline, London
From all the Japanese bands I discovered last year this one is the best that I managed to see live.
I liked what I heard from them on Youtube and Spotify so I decided to go to their headlining gig at The Pipeline. Their rhytm was frenetic and the venue was perfect for the band since there was literally no barriers or distance between the stage and the audience.
Black Honey at Shapes during Flying Vinyl Festival 2016, London
This was the third time I saw Black Honey in 3 years and with every concert you could feel the confidence they have gained, this would reach its peak at their 1st headlining Lexington gig but somehow I enjoyed this gig more. I miss some of the first bands but I was able to see how little by little more and more people were gathering for the last acts of the Flying Vinyl festival. Once they started, they were relentless and amazing during the whole gig and the audience was fully on board from the beginning with Izzy Bee in total control of the stage in every moment.
Odetta Hartman at Servant Jazz Quarters, London
I discovered Odetta Hartman thanks to Huw Stephens Presents monthly night at The Social, I had seen other bands I liked in previous nights like Yonaka and MarthaGunn. Although I really liked her gig at The Social some people wouldn't stop talking through the whole gig, one of the "dangers" of free gigs sometimes I guess, which ruined some parts of it a bit so when I saw she was playing another gig in London the next day I decided to go and this time was even better than the previous one. The audience was more respectful this time which helped to create an atmosphere more intimate and the experience was great, definitely one of the best of the year.
Petite Meller at ICA, London
Sometimes I go to gigs with friends, sometimes I don't but there's always special in meeting a friend you haven't seen for a while so that's probably one of the reasons why I enjoyed this gig more than usual. That said, the energy and enthusiasm that Petite Meller and her band emanated on her show was great and made everybody dance from the beginning.
The KVB at Moth Club, London
I’m not really sure of how I discovered The KVB but I think it was one of these cases of checking a venue’s listings and having a good vibe about them. I checked their music and really liked their mix of electronica and shoegaze. I love many guitar/drums duos but sometimes it's nice to see something different and I thought their mix of guitar and keyboard sounded hypnotic live.
Fable at O2 Academy Brixton, London
It's always great to see bands you like and have known for a while playing at iconic venues so when I discovered that Fable would be supporting The Cult at O2 Academy Brixton it was really special. If I have discovered something in the last years is that the bands that I respect the most are the ones that give all they got in every gig no matter the size and Fable is definitely one of these bands. They did a great performance at Brixton and I really hope I can see them headlining that venue one day. Their frontwoman always gives amazing performances and you can tell she loves what she's doing.
Fucked Up at Oslo, London
Sometimes you just want to go a gig a go crazy with everybody else while watching the gig. Bands like Fucked Up with their ultra intense live performances are just ideal for that and their gig at Oslo during Mirror's Festival last year was one of the best with almost constant mosh pits and people in Halloween costumes adding to make it a unique experience, you are not in a mosh pit with Bojack Horseman and werewolves every night after all.
Angel Olsen at Koko, London
Although I had seen her in covers of indie magazines earlier I truly discovered Angel Olsen when I first hear "Shut up and kiss me" on a Spotify playlists from Blood Red Shoes. I really liked that song and listened to the rest of her music and loved it so I booked a ticket for her gig at Koko and she and her band were incredible creating an intimate atmosphere in a 1000+ people venue and having a banter that sounded really natural and fresh.
Sasha Siem at Dulwich Picture Gallery, London
Sasha Siem was another Great Escape Festival discovery who has an uncanny ability to mix genres and create haunting melodies with her mesmerizing voice. Although I enjoyed her gig at King's place the one at Dulwich Picture Gallery garden was truly special. Sometimes it just feels right to be sitting down in the grass enjoying the music without interferences, I still stood up and danced in the last songs of the short but sweet gig.
Blues Pills at Koko, London
Another band I discovered by accident, on this case I saw them as the cover of a music magazine in Prague that had Guano Apes on the reverse cover.
I couldn't read the magazine because I don't speak Czech but when was back in London I saw they were gonna play in Koko soon so I decided to check them out and was pleasantly surprised. I really liked their mix of blues rock and psychedelia on their debut album and thought theirs their second one was good too and they were as good live as in the records with the charisma, energy and portentous voice of her from frontwoman Elin Larsson leading the band on a memorable night.
Terrorvision at Koko, London
Terrorvision is one of these bands I knew quite a lot of songs from but couldn't place. I saw the poster of their gig at Koko at The World's End one night and thought the artwork was really cool so I checked them out and loved "Regular Urban Survivors" the album they were gonna play in its entirety. The gig was simply amazing, the crowd was really fired up from the beginning and after playing the full album they played lots of their greatest hits.
The Parkinsons at Clerkenwell Festival 2016, London
In my experience daylight outdoor gigs sometimes lack the charm of their night counterparts, there's something about the darkness of a venue with just a few lights that makes the atmosphere special sometimes. That said, if a band is good and the crowd is ready for it a daylight gig can be as good and fun a night one and this was the proof of it. The Parkinsons gave it all during the gig making use of the all the stage and even the surrounding speakers but one of the highlights was when the guitar player let a girl from the audience play his guitar first with him, and then on her own. These are always the kind of details and moments that make gigs truly special and something to be lived in person.
Honeyblood at Scala, London
Sometimes you see too many bands in festivals and can lose track of some of them but you manage to get somehow seeing them again. I saw Honeyblood for the first time at The Great Escape Festival 2014 with their original line-up and I liked them but somehow I forgot about them for a while then last year I saw they were gonna release their second album and really enjoyed it so I got a ticket for their gig at Scala and had a great time, love their songs, their banter and seeing their drummer stagediving during one of the last songs. Looking forward to see them again at Koko this year.
Kite Base at Electrowerkz, London
I found intriguing the idea of a band with 2 bass players when I first read it and I liked what I could heard of Kite Base so I decided to go to the Shacklewell Arms to see them and really enjoyed them. They were the headliners of the Troika! Live act which had two very different and interesting artists preceding them I Speak Machine and Hannah Peel. Kendra Frost and Ayşe Hassan complement themselves perfectly and although you can feel some influences like Nine Inch Nails on their music they still have a very unique sound and a powerful live presence.
Purson at The Lexington, London
Seeing the last gig of a band is always bittersweet. On the one hand you feel fortunate to see them one last time but on the other hand you are also sad knowing that you won't see them playing together again. I discovered Purson thanks to their cover on Terrorizer magazine and I really liked their music I was looking forward to see them live. In the end I managed to see them 3 times and the last gig was without a doubt the best of them and one of the best of the year.
Nova Twins at Wonkfest 2016, London
I discovered Nova Twins at a Calva Louise (back when they were Mystified) gig and I was hooked to their sound since then. I really like the mix of punk, rap and catchy basslines they have and they are always put a good show live. Their show at Wonkfest was without a doubt one of the highlights of the festival.
L.A. Witch at The Shacklewell Arms, London
Sometimes getting early to the venues is a good opportunity to chill for a while and allows to you to see things that you might have missed otherwise. Before seeing the Troika! (I Speak Machine, Hannah Peel and Kite Base) gig at The Shacklewell Arms I saw a poster for an upcoming gig that caught my attention so I decided to check the band out and found their mix of psychedelia, punk, rock and drone mesmerizing and when I saw them 2 months later live they didn't disappoint managing to create a captivating atmosphere during the whole gig.
Let's Eat Grandma at Norwich Arts Centre, Norwich
I have heard very good things of Let's Eat Grandma before seeing them headlining the Saturday night at Norwich Sound & Vision festival and they didn't disappoint. Their music is really unique mixing folk, pop and electronic in a way that manages to catch the audience's attention and not letting it go. They are still really young so they also have a lot of time to improve and evolve.
