Author Archives: Liam

Big Cheese was a music magazine that ran for 20 years and 179 issues. When I started buying copies in 2003 it had a punk and ska focus, which was reflected in the line up for this farewell gig, though it did cover other genres under the broad ‘rock’ umbrella throughout it’s run. The drawContinueContinue reading “Sunday 17th July 2016 – Big Cheese Big Send Off (Lagwagon, Sonic Boom Six, Jesse James) at O2 Forum Kentish Town”

After Sam Duckworth put his Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly moniker into hibernation in Autumn 2014 he began to release new music under a few different names. There was Recreations (more ‘programming’ based material), Sam Duckworth (solo acoustic) and ‘Sam Duckworth &(The Brackets)’. The latter was a short lived full band project that Sam himselfContinueContinue reading “Wednesday 24th June 2015 – Sam Duckworth & (The Brackets) at Westlands 2, Yeovil”

American Hi-Fi were one of my personal favourite bands in the early 2000’s (and beyond). Despite a couple of reasonable sized hits in the US and some key appearances on soundtracks of films that were cult classics on either side of the Atlantic, the band didn’t have the same recognition that some of their peersContinueContinue reading “Wednesday 7th May 2014 – American Hi-Fi w / The Hype Theory and Sykes at The 100 Club, London”

In the early to mid 2010’s I’d landed upon a renewed interest in some of the punk rock bands whose existence had predated me getting into the genre ten years earlier. I think this was in part due to playing in a ‘punk’ band again, accessibility of their music was probably a huge factor too,ContinueContinue reading “Sunday 27th April 2014 – Alkaline Trio w/ Bayside at Wedgewood Rooms, Portsmouth”

And so we reach the first of many Less Than Jake entries. To be precise this is number 21 of 36 (so far). In almost 19 years of going to LTJ shows, there have only been 6 without. 2013 was one of those years, making this gig 14 months since I’d last seen them (notContinueContinue reading “Wednesday 12th February 2014 – Less Than Jake and Reel Big Fish w/ Zebrahead at Portsmouth Guildhall”

I wrote about how Motion City Soundtrack’s My Dinosaur Life soundtracked the early days of my relationship with Sam, another album playing on repeat at this time was Tegan & Sara’s Sainthood. It was released a couple of months earlier and I’d just picked up a copy on CD. Unbeknown to me Sam had downloaded it from iTunes.ContinueContinue reading “Tuesday 11th June 2013 – Tegan And Sara w/ Waxahatchee at The Troxy, London”

I didn’t get into Bouncing Souls in their early years. It wasn’t until 2006 and The Gold Record album cycle when that they finally arrived on my radar. I got to see them at Reading Festival that same year, then didn’t get chance again for another six years, Between 2012 and 2013 I saw themContinueContinue reading “Sunday 10th March 2013 – Bouncing Souls w/ Cheap Girls and Luther at Wedgewood Rooms, Portsmouth”

This is a gig I probably shouldn’t have gone to. Ten years on, with everything we’ve learnt in this pandemic era, there’s no way I would have. I was unwell. Classic common cold in Summertime. If you’re reading this and thinking “yeah, I felt like shit after that show actually!” I apologise for my irresponsibleContinueContinue reading “Wednesday 20th June 2012 – Less Than Jake at The Old Fire Station, Bournemouth”