Live Reviews

Field Day 2011: The Quietus Review

And so The Quietus looked after the Village Mentality Stage at last weekend's Field Day Festival. Here is what we got up to.

In Search Of Hyggelig: Copenhagen’s Trailerpark Festival & Christiania

Chris Roberts attends a mostly-rave festival in Copenhagen in search of "hyggelig" and finds people spinning in the sky, drunk acrobats, Peaches singing ‘Total Eclipse Of The Heart’, a hippie paradise and daredevil cyclists.

Of Tome & Tide: Port Eliot Literary Festival Reviewed

Luke Turner goes to the frightfully nice Port Eliot literary festival for a weekend of words and song. Photographs thanks to Neil Thomson, visit his website here

All Tomorrow’s Parties I’ll Be Your Mirror Review

Tim Burrows muses on All Tomorrow's Parties I'll Be Your Mirror event, and explains why Swans are currently the greatest rock band on the planet. Photographs by Hayley Hatton

Nostalgia Buffed: The Horrors Live

While witnessing The Horrors at the 100 Club, Tim Burrows argues that new album Skying shows a band greater than the sum of their influences. Image by Nick Gough Photos

An Abyss Spits Out Another Abyss: Liturgy Live

Seeing them live in a Bloomington basement, Brad Sanders gets to the bottom of the never-ending Liturgy / black metal controversy. Photographs (including embedded gallery) by Chet Strange

“Still A Deeply Political Act Of Listening & Love”: Pulp Live

Neil Kulkarni breaks his no-festival rule and braves the corporate overkill of Wireless to see his Pulp. His verdict? They "now stand mighty amidst the dwarfed mediocrity of modern indie" and, crucially, they're a band we need so much, right now. Photograph by Hayley Hatton

Dr Dee: Damon Albarn’s Magickal Mystery Tour Fails To Become Gold

Stephen Dalton at the Manchester International Festival finds Damon "the Martin Amis of Britpop" Albarn's musical about the life of Dr John Dee to be a flawed production. Perhaps he should call intended collaborator Alan Moore to help him fix it?

An Unnerving & Profound Beauty: Bjork’s Biophilia Live

John Tatlock is wowed by the debut of Bjork's Biophilia in Manchester, deeming it "a joyful trumpet blast for rationalism"

Just Not The Same Band Any More: Battles Live

Why In With The New Is The Best Policy: Sonar Festival 2011 Review

Melissa Bradshaw heads back to Sonar in search of fresh experiences - and finds that it's the newer sounds, rather than familiar faces, that are the festival's lifeblood. Photos by Pere Masramon for Red Bull Music Academy

Knack For An Earworm: Ford & Lopatin Live

Ford & Lopatin head to the Shacklewell Arms in East London, where Charlie Frame sees the formerly-known-as-Games duo deliver a fantastic set of electronic pop. Photo thanks to Nickie Divine

An Explorer Of The Northern Gothic: Shackleton Live

After a night at the Highlife 1st Birthday Apocalypse in Glasgow, Daniel Baker muses on the mysterious experience of seeing Shackleton live. Picture by Tjeerd van Erve/Gonzo (Circus)

‘Cos Everybody Hates A Tourist: Pulp, Politics & Power At Primavera 2011

The Quietus heads to a Primavera Festival that takes place against the backdrop of an ugly police crackdown on Barcelona protesters. Tim Burrows explains why now is the perfect time for the return of Pulp, plus reviews of Factory Floor & Chris Carter, Einsturzende Neubauten, PJ Harvey, Odd Future, Swans and more. Pictures by Hayley Hatton

I’ll Tell You Now & I’ll Tell You Firmly: John Cooper Clarke Live

"For all we've heard of John Cooper Clarke, we've not really been listening to him." Catherine Thomas argues its time to re-asses the Bard Of Salford. Picture thanks to Shot2bits.net

Action Over Information: Peter Bröztmann Live

Frances Morgan takes in Peter Bröztmann live at Café Oto, and forgets about all the ephemera to focus on just the music. Photo thanks to Andy Newcombe

Weather Becomes Music: Variable 4 At Faster Than Sound

This weekend, the Variable 4 weather-operated sound installation is at the Snape Maltings for the Faster Than Sound Festival. The Quietus finds out more

Electric Kool-Aid Catharsis: Sufjan Stevens Live

Sufjan Stevens brings his grandiose live show to the UK stage, and Ben Gilbert goes along to witness the spectacular and unhinged evolution of one of America's finest artists. Photograph by Burak Cingi

Electricity Is Love: Mute & Raster-Noton’s Short Circuit Triumph

This weekend Mute and Raster-Noton joined forces for Short Circuit at the London Roundhouse. Luke Turner was on hand to witness a very special Festival

An Oasis In ‘The Desert Of The Real’: Wild Beasts Live

Ben Myers goes to see Wild Beasts play Leeds Brudenell Social Club, and exults in their breaking from catastrophically moribund indie norms. Photo by Sarah Dorman

Hallucinating Superstars In The Coachella Valley: Ariel Pink Live

As Ariel Pink hits the UK, Tim Burrows recalls his recent Coachella Festival performance and reveals that, while California went "meh", for the writer it was a revelation

“Fuck It: I Surrender”: Aidan Moffat Reviews Katy Perry Live

A few weeks back we had New Young Pony Club's Katy Perry tour diary. Now, Aidan Moffat goes to see the megastar in Glasgow and, despite initial reservations, he ends up "hands in the air, singing along... I might as well be a tweenage girl". Now there's an image

Avant-Garde Epiphanies In Tilburg: Roadburn 2011 Reviewed

Jamie Thomson reports back on the finest that this year's Roadburn festival had to offer, from Swans to Sunn O))) and Godflesh to Ghost. Photo by Richard Sheppard

Slow Doesn’t Mean Soporific: Nicolas Jaar Live At Fabric

Charlie Frame takes in Nicolas Jaar at Fabric, and finds him an entirely different proposition to Blake, Woon et al

Sub Par Homesick Blues: Bob Dylan Live In Vietnam

As Bob Dylan plays Vietnam, Tim Russell finds that, without the hot air of the Western media to keep him up, Bob Dylan is a deeply mediocre performer

Patrick Wolf Live: Moving Out Of The Twilight

After witnessing Patrick Wolf's live show at Thekla, Nick Southall wonders why the singer still hasn't been able to escape the shadow of his persona. Photo by Rachel Lipsitz

Billy Butlin’s Bangers: Bloc Weekender Reviewed

Angus Finlayson reckons that the Bloc Weekender has one of the best line-ups going, but unfortunately the soundsystems at Butlin's Holiday Park let the whole thing down

Polly Harvey, Patriotism & Protest: Let England Shake, Live In Berlin

There's a special resonance to the cold Berlin air as PJ Harvey takes Let England Shake on the road, says Stephen Dalton. Photographs courtesy of Cat Stevens

By:Larm Live Special: We Hail Deathcrush & Frisk Frugt

Back from By:Larm, John and Luke wish to inform you about the two finest Scandinavian gruppes we've heard in a long time: the fearsome Deathcrush, and the curious Mr Frisk Frugt. Pictures by Carina Musk Andersen

Neither Saviours Nor False Messiahs: Godspeed Live In Berlin

Godspeed You! Black Emperor are back - but are they returning heroes, or has the comeback just shown up their new clothes for what they are? Wyndham Wallace wonders why either statement has to be true. Thanks to Shot2bits.net for the picture

Not The Archandroid We’re Looking For: Janelle Monae Live

Janelle Monáe’s got it all, so why do we need any more? Wyndham Wallace (words & pictures) reports from her recent Berlin show…

(Arcade) Fire Sermon: Win Butler & Fellow Clergy Preach To The O2

As crowds leave singing their glorious hymns, Al Denney says that the Arcade Fire have a unique and important quasi-religious place in the culture of late 2010