John Fogerty - Wednesday 18th June - Earth Arts Centre, Hackney

Brief review:
The people of Hackney are treated tonight with the presence of a genuine International superstar. 50 million albums sold and 3 songs with over a billion streams on Spotify. Mr John Fogerty, founder of Credence Clearwater Revival is in town to chat and play to people who have bought his new Legacy record from Rough Trade. It's a chat and play event in a new venue for us - which has the look of a 1930's art deco theatre. A 45 minute chat and then brief live set was fair value for the £25 (including CD) paid and about as much as the tiered wooden terrace with no cushioning or seat backs would allow for my aging limbs. And in case you were guessing the biggest streamer - Have You Ever Seen The Rain has over 2 billion streams on Spotify. Nice!

Venue and View:  "Terrace Seating" - ie very uncomfortable sitting on a wooden "shelf" on the left hand side towards the front.

Setlist
Have You Ever Seen The Rain
Bad Moon Rising
Proud Mary

Danny Bowes - Wednesday 4th June - Bush Hall

Brief review:  Danny from Thunder with his "Maximum Chat" show. As he continues his recovery from a serious stroke, Danny is unable to sing currently. So it was good to see him looking relatively good as he regaled the audience with a number of amusing anecdotes from his early life and those of a travelling musician. His sense of humour is intact and the warmth in the room was palpable.

Venue and View:  Seated, half way back on the left

Jamie and the Jets - Friday 30th May - St George’s Church, Beckenham

Brief review:  A spectacular church venue which doubles as an arts venue for shows. Tonight we are here for Jamie and The Jets (Elton John tribute) and very good it is too, albeit a little quiet. Late substitution on the guitar, but he is doing very well for his first show. There are some (very) deep cuts along with the hits, but none the worse for it in, what is turns out to be a 2 hour show. The piano belongs to the church and apparently is challenging to play, although as Jamie joked "if it was good enough for Rick Wakeman....".

Plus we had the excitement of a tram part-way home.

Venue and View:  4th row central, pew seats!

The Ataris - Tuesday 27th May - O2 Academy, Islington

Brief review:  A rare indoor headline show in the UK for Kris Roe and his punk-rock band from Indiana. This led to an extended set and very good it was too. Leaning heavily on the excellent "So Long, Astoria", the band even namechecked the ex London venue of the same name and showed decent local "Crossrail" knowledge! Hopefully they enjoyed the show and will be back sometime soon.

Venue and View:  End of the bar, half way back on the left

Setlist
In This Diary
Unopened Letter to the World
The Hero Dies in This One
Takeoffs and Landings
Your Boyfriend Sucks
Car Song
Boxcar
1*15*96
The Boys of Summer
I.O.U. One Galaxy
All Souls' Day
San Dimas High School Football Rules
I Won't Spend Another Night Alone
How I Spent My Summer Vacation
Eight of Nine
So Long, Astoria

Clearwater Creedence Revival - Saturday 24th May - Indigo2

Brief review:  A rare triple header on the basis we like the 2 support acts as well as the headliner. First up, ELO's Bev Bevan with his band Quill. Next, John Verity from Argent. And headliners are Clearwater Credence Revival, celebrating 55 years of the real CCR (Credence Clearwater Revival). Jim Kirkpatrick is in the band, which is good news, but otherwise we are struggling to connect anyone with John Fogerty's original supergroup! Still, plenty of others here - old and unexpectedly younger (largely in checked shirts) - to celebrate.

An excellent evening.

Venue and View:  On the floor, front left

Bev Bevan

John Verity

Bryan Adams - Thursday 15th May - O2 Arena

Brief review:  Exactly a year on from the last Royal Albert Hall residency, Bryan is back in London at the O2. As it as a "full floor" standing show I was expecting some gaps, but it was basically a 22,000 person "sell out" which was great. Bryan's current format has him on bass for much of the set. Previously this hasn't worked for me, but it was more tolerable this evening as he also played guitar on some of the songs which demanded the classic "twin lead guitar" sound. As always I have a few minor quibbles with the set, but as much as I think they are dire, someone must like "Go Down Rockin' " and "Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman". A couple of new songs from the upcoming album, 3-4 covers and a 'B' stage for the encore. Mostly excellent and money well spent.

Venue and View:  Half way back on the left for the main show. Up close and personal for the encore at the 'B' stage.

Setlist
Roll With the Punches
Run to You
Somebody
18 til I Die
Cloud Number Nine
Make Up Your Mind
Heaven
It's Only Love
You Belong to Me / C'Mon Everybody
Can't Stop This Thing We Started
Please Forgive Me
Go Down Rockin'
Shine a Light
Here I Am
Whiskey in the Jar
When You're Gone
Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman?
Never Ever Let You Go
The Only Thing That Looks Good on Me Is You
One Night Love Affair
London Calling
(Everything I Do) I Do It for You
Back to You
So Happy It Hurts
Summer of '69
Cuts Like a Knife
Can't Take My Eyes Off You
+
Straight From the Heart
All for Love

Scouting For Girls - Monday 5th May - Brighton Foodies Festival, Preston Park

Brief review:  Our first of 2 "Food Festival" trips to see SFG this summer as the boys return to Preston Park for the Brighton "Foodies Festival". Prior the band, Mrs B and I had very much enjoyed some gin and rum tasting in the "drinks experience" tent and a variety of ABK beer (hic!), but thankfully the toilet queues were short. A fairly standard festival set from the band who were on their normal excellent form, with the added bonus of a raucous "Come On Eileen".

Venue and View:  Standing, left of stage, 1 row behind the barrier

Setlist
I Wish I Was James Bond
Heartbeat
Famous
Michaela Strachan
This Ain't a Love Song
Gotta Keep Smiling
Come On Eileen
Posh Girls
Millionaire
Elvis Ain't Dead / Can't Help Falling in Love
She's So Lovely

* Setlist done from memory and so may not be 100% correct

Francis Rossi - Friday 2nd May - Epsom Playhouse

Brief review:  Our first of 2 trips to see the 2025 version of Francis' solo tour. The setlist is slightly updated from previous tours and there is definitely less chat and more music. Of course most would prefer a full Status Quo show, but if this keeps him performing this well then what's not to like. Don't Waste My Time was a particular favourite as well as the lesser-played Twenty Wild Horses.

Also nice to spot Bob Young sitting just in front of us, co-writer of many of the songs played.

Venue and View:  Stalls, a third back on the left.

Setlist
Pictures of Matchstick Men
In My Chair
Spinning Wheel Blues
Wild Side Of Life
Gerdundula
Claudie
Don't Waste My Time
Rock 'n' Roll
Break the Rules / Down the Dustpipe
Burning Bridges (On and Off and on Again)
+
What You're Proposing
And it's Better Now
Someone Show Me Home
Twenty Wild Horses
Tongue Tied
Roll Over Lay Down
Rockin' All Over the World
In the Army Now
Down Down
Caroline

Jim Cregan - Tuesday 29th April - Half Moon, Putney

Brief review:
This was "an evening with" interview show without music. Jim is a great storyteller and was able to share amusing anecdotes for a couple of hours with the majority not being in his excellent book "And On Guitar...". Most famous for being part of the Rod Stewart band for many years, he is also the guy who did the famous solo on Steve Harley's "Come Up And See Me (Make Me Smile)" which he described as life-changing for him. Apparently that was an early hours recording done in 3 takes aided by a few cognacs.

You suspect Jim would be the perfect dinner guest. The only criticism was a slight reliance on some video footage which could have been kept shorter to allow more speaking time. Otherwise, a fun evening.

Venue and View:  Seated - back row, centre.

Pat McManus - Thursday 24th April - Half Moon, Putney

Brief review:  An evening in the company of the extraordinary Pat McManus. A guitar virtuoso, he is known as "The Professor" for good reason. As you know, I like guitar based rock and have a number of guitar heroes. But in terms of technical ability, Pat must be towards the top of that very long list. He plays the fiddle too. Rich and I have a phrase as frustrated guitar "players" - he is "annoyingly good"! Tonight's show featured a higher number of covers than normal including excellent versions of Crossroads, Jumping Jack Flash, The Stumble and Walking By Myself.

He must enjoy playing the Half Moon too as he seems to be here every six months or so.

Venue and View:  Seated (with no table) a few rows back on the left hand side

Roger Daltrey - Sunday 20th April - Brighton Dome

Brief review:  A Sunday evening in Brighton with Sea and Sand (& pebbles) for Roger Daltrey. He has been in the news this week for (allegedly) sacking and then reinstating Who drummer Zak Starkey. This is the first night of his UK Solo tour. Vocals were fantastic a few weeks ago and they were again here. Equally welcome was that his passion for Johnny Cash is curbed this evening and the covers are refreshingly new for my ears at least.

Venue and View:  Seated half a dozen rows back on the left of the floor.

Setlist

Let My Love Open the Door
Freedom Ride
Who Are You
Waiting for a Friend
Giving It All Away
After the Fire
So Sad About Us
Days of Light
Squeeze Box
The Kids Are Alright
Won't Get Fooled Again
Going Mobile
Have You Ever Seen the Rain?
Without Your Love
The Boy in the Bubble
Baba O'Riley
+
Tribute to Hank Williams

Primal Scream - Thursday 10th April - Hammersmith Eventim Apollo

Brief review:  Of course the Eventim Apollo will always be the Hammersmith Odeon to those of us of a certain age. It really is a fantastic rock venue and was well suited to tonight's show. A very dapper Bobbie Gillespie wore a black and white outfit and seemed in good voice. Personally, I thought the early part of the show took a while to get going, but then I do prefer the rockier tunes to the danceable ones (appreciating that they aren't exclusive to each other). Anyway, a set of decent length (1hr 45 mins) provided variety and I especially enjoyed the last half. Especially when a couple of the more slaughtered members of the audience had moved away (either being carried out or bouncing their way forwards).

But a special call out to the (non-drunk) guy who carried 4 pints on his own from the bar outside, through the crowd to a spot in front of us without spilling a drop. An amazing effort.

Venue and View:  Normal spot, front left, standing. Busier than expected.

Setlist
Don't Fight It, Feel It
Love Insurrection
Jailbird
Ready To Go Home
Deep Dark Waters
Medication
Innocent Money
Heal Yourself
I'm Losing More Than I'll Ever Have
Love Ain't Enough
The Centre Cannot Hold
Loaded
Swastika Eyes
Movin' on Up
Country Girl
+
Melancholy Man
Come Together (included a snippet of Suspicious Minds)
Rocks

Tyla - Thursday 3rd April - Cavern, Raynes Park

Brief review:  Tyla from the Dogs D'Amour with a relatively rare band show. Less chat than normal and a set which concentrated on the first 2 albums. Very enjoyable with a predictable guest spot from the Quireboys' Spike for "How Come It Never Rains".

Venue and View:  Standing towards the back

Setlist

* I'm fairly certain that Errol Flynn was missed out.

The Who - Sunday 30th March - Royal Albert Hall

Brief review:  We thought it would be impossible to get better seats than last year, but it turns out we were wrong. A fantastic view and support from Level 42 got the audience warmed up. And what an excellent bassist Mark King is (I think I last saw him at this venue in 1988!).

We hadn't gone to the first Who show this week (mainly on cost grounds, but also because experience shows that the 2nd show is usually better as they are more rehearsed!). The start of this one was underwhelming, mainly because it was so quiet (the Who are meant to be loud!). From our seats we couldn't hear Pete Townshend's guitar at all. Now it is notoriously difficult to get a good mix at the front of the stage, but Level 42's sound had been great. After about 5 songs, something changed, the volume went up and we could hear the guitar. Ironically, this must have triggered something in Roger Daltrey's earpieces as he started complaining about what he could and couldn't hear.

But from Pinball Wizard onwards, all was good and I enjoyed it as expected. We even got a live debut in "The Song Is Over" (from 1971!) There are rumours that this show could be a launchpad for another tour. Roger is 81, but his voice is still amazing, so count me in if that happens!

Venue and View:  3rd row, dead centre.

Setlists
Level 42

Heaven in My Hands
To Be With You Again
Running in the Family
The Sun Goes Down (Living It Up)
Starchild
Something About You
Lessons in Love
The Chinese Way
Hot Water

The Who
I Can't Explain

Substitute
Who Are You
The Kids Are Alright
Bargain
Pinball Wizard
Love Ain't for Keepin'
The Seeker (Acoustic)
Behind Blue Eyes (Acoustic)
The Real Me
5:15
I'm One
Love, Reign O'er Me
My Generation / Cry If You Want / See Me, Feel Me
Eminence Front
You Better You Bet
Baba O'Riley
Won't Get Fooled Again
The Song Is Over

Paul Heaton - Tuesday 4th March - Pryzm, Kingston

Brief review:  I really enjoyed Paul's show at Hammersmith in December and so leapt at a very late opportunity to get into this small scale gig at Pryzm in Kingston - effectively a "thank you for buying the album" show. Paul said he was nervous, but didn't know why ("maybe it's because I can see you all"), but was on good form as was vocalist Rianne Downey. This was the early show of 2 that evening and the 65 minute set was a decent mix of old and new material. Highly recommended!

Venue and View:  Front Left, standing

Setlist

Just Another Family
Old Red Eyes Is Back 
Silly Me
Five Get Over Excited 
H Into Hurt
Bell Bottomed Tear 
Small Boats
Fish 'N' Chip Supper
I'll Sail This Ship Alone 
Heatongrad 
Don't Marry Her 
One Last Love Song 
Happy Hour 
Rotterdam 

Who's Next - Saturday 8th February - Charles Cryer Theatre, Carshalton

Brief review:  The excellent Who tribute come to Carshalton. A very talented set of musicians across the board, but my attentions often focus on the skill of the guitarist - in this case Dante DiCarlo who's interpretation of a 1970's Pete Townshend in white boiler suit was spot on. And for the first time in well over 100 shows by the Who and numerous tributes, I got to hear "Long Live Rock" live. Fantastic!

Venue and View:  Central, standing.

John "Rhino" Edwards - Thursday 30th January - West Hampstead Arts Centre

Brief review:  An "in conversation" event with Quo's bassist for a Mick Wall podcast. Mick seemed to go out of his way to annoy the audience in the warm up chat, basically denigrating any band that didn't have it's full quota of classic line-up members and saying that people who went to see them are idiots. Not quite the exact words, but the small seated audience didn't generally share his views which were a bit rich considering his soon-to-arrive guest wasn't the original bassist of a classic rock band.

Anyway, Rhino was on good form with some amusing anecdotes and views from inside the Quo camp. As an interviewer, Mick does have a tendency to turn the conversations and experiences back to himself, but at least a brief Q&A session bought the focus back to his guest. An interesting, albeit non-essential experience.

Venue and View:  Seated centrally, towards the back

Magnum (Tony Clarkin Tribute) - Tuesday 21st January - O2 Forum, Kentish Town

Brief review:  A tribute concert to the much-missed Tony Clarkin (founder, guitarist and song writer for Magnum). An emotional evening, but it was great to hear Bob Catley on vocals once more, ably supported by the most recent incarnation of the rest of the band.

A fitting tribute to a rock legend.

Venue and View:  Front left, standing

Setlist
How Far Jerusalem
Lost on the Road to Eternity
Wild Swan
When We Were Younger
The Tall Ships
The Flood (Red Cloud's War)
Les Morts Dansant
Don't Wake The Lion (Too Old to Die Young)
+
Soldier of The Line
Just Like an Arrow
Need a Lot of Love
On a Storyteller's Night
All England's Eyes
Vigilante
Kingdom of Madness
+
The Spirit
When the World Comes Down