Tag: Mumford and Sons

Gab’s Guest Blog

This week I have the pleasure to introduce my second ever guest blog from my good pal and committed muso Gab (offer remains open to other readers). For the record this kid has a terrific singing voice herself and I will endeavour to see her live whenever she has the time to return to the stage.

So here we go with Gab’s blog…..

When met with the rare and frankly glorious offer of a child-free night, and as a former gig-enthusiast prior to becoming a mother of two under two (thoughts, prayers, and strong coffee welcomed), I jumped at the chance to revisit an old Liverpool stomping ground of mine: the Kazimier Gardens. There is something brilliantly nostalgic about heading back to a venue you once knew so well, especially when it comes with the promise of live music, a proper atmosphere, and the ability to remember, even briefly, that you were once able to leave the house after 7pm.

Being predominantly outdoor is always something I appreciate about this venue. It manages that perfect balance between feeling like a nighttime haunt while still being relaxed, airy, and oddly welcoming. There is a real charm to the place, and it certainly helps, as an ardent smoker, that you can still feel part of the fold whilst succumbing to those dark urges. But the delights did not stop there. Tucked away in the corner of the venue is the Liverpool Kazimier Stockroom, which on this particular night was host to some fantastic local talent.

Turvey. Image Credit happeningnext.com

The headliners of the evening were a relatively new band on the scene, first formed in late 2025, named Turvey. Their catchy sound was reminiscent of the 1980s glam rock era, complete with melodic riffs, echoing staccato lyricism and thumping drums. I almost started to do a boxing montage as I listened. They brought a fun, confident energy to the room and gave a really great performance to experience. I would definitely be keen to hear more from these lads.

The highlight of the night though, for me, was Gunmen of the Apocalypse (G.O.A). Comprised of powerful drums, smooth bass, energetic and impactful guitar, and masterful rich vocals delivered with an authentic Scouse twang, they had the kind of presence that makes you properly take notice. They performed an all-killer, no-filler line-up of their anthemic rock backlog, which had the crowd on their feet and moving from the minute they hit the stage. A real classic rock delight for the ears, G.O.A were definitely not a one trick pony, showing a strong variety of song styles within a short timeslot.

G.O.A. Image Credit goaofficial.bandcamp.com

Their songs “Home” and “She Said” were the most catchy and commercial for me, the type of songs you could easily imagine on an ad, a trailer, or the intro to a prime-time show. I think most of the crowd will have walked away singing them for a while afterwards. But my favourite was “Web of Lies”, which demonstrated their range with a fusion of funk and classic rock, almost like a beautiful song-child of the Arctic Monkeys and Red Hot Chilli Peppers. Though they did perform a ballad, they did not lose momentum or engagement with the crowd, who were left wanting more. I would be keen to watch this space with Gunmen Of the Apocalypse, and I may well see you at their next gig.

Honourable mention must also go to the support acts: Strike and The Rad Lads, both of whom brought something different and memorable to the night. Firstly, I’ll talk about Strike, whose epic solos really were metal personified. If you’re a metal fan, these are absolutely the guys for you, bringing plenty of grit, energy, and head-banging potential to the line-up.

The Rad Lads. Image Credit facebook.com

Last but by no means least, The Rad Lads. This four-piece ensemble can be seen gigging around Liverpool music joints like the Jacaranda and Shipping Forecast, and they never fail to create a lively, enjoyable atmosphere. Their unique mesh of genres, including folk, country and punk rock, creates a wonderfully weird smorgasbord of sound which sets them apart from your generic local bands. Think Buzzcocks meets Mumford & Sons, and they invite Blues into the party.

Luckily for me, all of the bands performing that night are available to listen to on Spotify — what an age we live in. It feels almost rude to have access to such musical righteousness for free, but if you do have a listen and want to show your support, check out their upcoming gigs. Most of them are local to the Northwest and can be found through their Instagram band accounts. If this night proved anything, it is that Liverpool’s live music scene is still bursting with character, talent, and the kind of unpolished magic that makes a gig feel genuinely worth leaving the house for.

Manchester Venues 115 to 117

As cited in a previously blog, The Band on the Wall has recently been refurbished with a new site for gigs outside their main venue room, with an 80-person capacity. Thus, at the culmination of a gig I attended there recently we walked out into the Manchester Band on the Wall Bar and discovered a bonus band on the small stage called Black Cat Lion. I am assuming they only commenced playing when the band in the main room had finished their set.

Band on the Wall. Image Credit propermanchester.com

The last time I encountered an occurrence like that was when leaving Nottingham Rock City in the late 1990’s after watching a Spiritualised set to discover to my utter delight that the South London punks Snuff were in the middle of a thunderous set in a function room downstairs. That night I dived into the already fully functioning mosh pit and thoroughly enjoyed the half bonus gig and the standout was their cover of ‘I Think Were Alone Now’ with the vocals provided by a selected chap from the aforementioned pit!

Situated in a very old area of the Northern Quarter is Tariff St. I have also previously covered the bars and venues on this evocative ‘mill town’ thoroughfare, but I had never yet witnessed a gig at the Manchester Whiskey Jar Upstairs Bar, only having attended gigs in the downstairs space. The Whiskey Jar is housed in a Grade 1 listed textile mill, and it lives up to its name by having around 350 varieties of the hard stuff available, with representation from many continents.

Whiskey Jar bar. Image Credit creativetourist.com

On the same night of the above Band on the Wall gig I was navigating my route back to Manchester Piccadilly station for the late train home, and my attuned ears could hear music at ’100 yards’, much like Father Jack of Father Ted fame who could pick up the distinctive sound of a Sauvignon Blanc bottle at the same distance! Therefore, I had no choice but to undertake a quick detour into the Whiskey Bar to catch the last 1.5 songs of the Blues Kids set whilst still allowing enough time to enable myself to make the scheduled train without excessive scampering!

In November 2019 I attended at the last minute the Off the Record festival, an event for unsigned bands that takes place in a suite of venues in the Northern Quarter. I picked up my wristband from the hub venue of Gullivers about 6pm and decided to weave down Tib Street to my first venue. As I walked down I was distracted by a sign outside Manchester Matt & Phred’s.

Matt & Phred’s opened in its current format of a Jazz and Blues late night club in 2010 and holds live gigs 6 days a week. It has an appropriate low lit intimate setting with a 200 capacity and apparently provides fine cocktails and tasty pizzas. In its previous guise in 2007 Adele played two gigs there in a fortnight window and to have graced the stage there also are Rochdale’s Lisa Stansfield, Wynton Marsalis, Ed Harcourt, Mumford and Sons, Daniel Johnston and George Ezra.

Matt and Phreds. Image Credit DesignMyNight.com

Due to the genre of the music, I couldn’t see myself ever paying for and attending a gig there and had only once previously been in for a drink in an afternoon setting. However, returning to the previously mentioned sign outside which was providing an invite to attend a free early gig which happened to be at the exact point I was walking past.

Not wanting to look a gift horse in the mouth I entered the establishment and found a side wall to lean on. The act on stage were called Courteous Thief and transpired to be a folk singer who was a fisherman’s son from North Wales. He had already by that stage picked up support slots with Turin Brakes, Tom Hingley, Mark Morris and John Otway.