Reviews of Prog Rock, Classical Music, Art Rock and Jazz
Friday 31 July 2026 Band on the Wall, Manchester ★★★★★ Shez Raja and friends bring joy and virtuosity to a life-affirming gig Guthrie Govan (left) and Shez Raja © Mia Scudds Shez Raja is a great communicator. Dressed in his trademark white suit and cap, he bounded on stage at last Friday's gig at Manchester’s …
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Saturday 18 July 2026 Royal Albert Hall, London ★★★★ There’s life in the old prog yet… A celebration of the classic era of British prog rock The BBC Concert Orchestra and conductor Robert Ames.Image © Andy Paradise The first-ever rock band to appear at the Proms was Soft Machine on 13 August 1970. The first-ever …
Continue reading "Prog Rock Prom: A Fanfare for the Common Man – Live Review"
Tuesday 30 June 2026 Aviva Studios, Manchester ★★★★ The music of four titans of contemporary classical music, including a new piece from Cassie Kinoshi that was remarkable in more ways than one Manchester Collective. Image © Mike Skelton Tuesday evening’s concert by Manchester Collective at Aviva Studios in Manchester was titled ‘Patterns in Repeat’ with …
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Saturday 20 June 2026 Manchester Monastery, Gorton Lane, Manchester ★★★★★ Kantos Chamber Choir celebrates its tenth anniversary in stunning surroundings and an amazing acoustic Kantos, RNCM and the University of Manchester Chamber Choirs, with conductor Ellie Slorach. Image © The AC Product It’s ten years since Claire Shercliff (Company Director) and Ellie Slorach (Creative Director) …
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Friday 5 June 2026 The Royal Albert Hall, London ★★★★★ Kraftwerk's music sounds as fresh and contemporary as ever by guest reviewer Mike Holmes Image © Mike Holmes Between 1975 and June 2026, Kraftwerk have been infrequent visitors to London, with a total of 26 visits in 51 years (I am indebted to the meticulously …
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Sunday 7 June 2026 University of Wolverhampton at the Halls, Wolverhampton ★★★★ BEAT brings King Crimson's 1980's legacy to joyful life I knew I was in the right place. At a fast food joint before the gig, I saw a man sporting a King Crimson (KC) T-shirt and an extravagant beard. Inside, there were more …
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Tuesday 26 May 2026 The Royal Festival Hall, London ★★★★★ The Bach Choir’s moving and supremely human interpretation marks the 150th anniversary of their first performance of Bach’s masterpiece The Bach Choir © Marc Gascoigne Tuesday night’s concert marked another significant milestone in The Bach Choir’s 150th anniversary season, which opened late last year with …
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23 May 2026 Exterior of the Elbphilharmonie, Hamburg Welcome to the fourth in our series on a tour around some of Europe’s greatest concert venues. This post contains more images than usual, as a major part of a visit to the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg is the hall's architecture and design. The building sits on top …
Continue reading "A Tour of Europe’s Finest Concert Halls – Part IV: The Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg"
14 May 2026 The exterior of DR Koncerthuset, Copenhagen We approached the DR Koncerthuset in Copenhagen on foot from the centre of the city, walking past the university towards a campus that houses DR (Danmarks Radio), which, like the BBC, is just over 100 years old. Like the BBC’s northern base at Media City UK, …
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Thursday 7 May 2026 The Concertgebouw at night It’s said that in London, you are never more than six feet away from a rat. In Amsterdam, you are never more than six feet away from a bicycle. On Thursday evening, a smartly dressed woman, in full dress suit and colourful shawl, carefully parked her bicycle …
Continue reading "A Tour of Europe’s Finest Concert Halls – Part I: The Concertgebouw, Amsterdam"