Our Mutual Friend, Suggestions 27/11/25
Our Mutual Friend, Suggestions 27/11/25 A regular night of the best new alternative music in the whole damn land. Get Tickets Here Partner playlists by: Our Mutual Friend Instagram Alt Rock,Alternative,Indie,Indie Rock 15 December 2025 {{ reviewsTotal }}{{ options.labels.singularReviewCountLabel }} {{ reviewsTotal }}{{ options.labels.pluralReviewCountLabel }} {{ options.labels.newReviewButton }} {{ userData.canReview.message }} You Might Also Like Recent Posts
Girls in Bands
Girls in Bands Hole, Blondie, The Cranberries, The White Stripes, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Paramore: so many of the best bands have been led by or feature female musicians. From vocalists to guitarists to drummers, this playlist features some of the best up & coming bands that include ultra talented women, all based here in the UK. People’s playlists by: Caitlin Taylor Instagram Alt Rock,Alternative,Indie {{ reviewsTotal }}{{ options.labels.singularReviewCountLabel }} {{ reviewsTotal }}{{ options.labels.pluralReviewCountLabel }} {{ options.labels.newReviewButton }} {{ userData.canReview.message }} You Might Also Like Recent Posts
New and Strange Names in UK Post Punk/Indie/Math Rock
New and Strange Names in UK Post Punk/Indie/Math Rock A collection of lovely artists based from and around the UK. People’s playlists by: TNAM.UK Contributor Instagram Alt Rock,Indie Rock,Math Rock {{ reviewsTotal }}{{ options.labels.singularReviewCountLabel }} {{ reviewsTotal }}{{ options.labels.pluralReviewCountLabel }} {{ options.labels.newReviewButton }} {{ userData.canReview.message }} You Might Also Like Recent Posts
The Garden – NEW UK FOLK
The Garden – NEW UK FOLK Alt Rock,Alternative,Folk,Folk Rock,Indie,Indie Rock We’re happy you’re here. The Garden brings the best in new UK folk. Including Ugly, The New Eves, Truthpaste and more. Plucky strings, wandering vocal passages, take a walk and return to a summer daze. We hope to See You Around. People’s playlists by: Callum Lidington Instagram Instagram You Might Also Like Recent Posts
Big Long Sun 01.08.25 – I don’t normally start a gig with a drum in hand.
big long sun 01.08.25 – I don’t normally start a gig with a drum in hand. For one I can’t play an instrument, for two I’m medically exempt from hard work between 4pm and 11am. By Tom Freeman Contribution by Isla Mcrobbie 15 October 2025 This was no normal pub gig. We’d traipsed across London to see big long sun, but fresh out the Uber instrument cases coated across the street, cigarettes and glum faces meant something was off. Electrical complications during the main support left no option but for the bedroom-neo-psychedelia solo project of Jamie Broughton and his octensemble (or eight piece collective) to cancel their first London headline show. Displaced on a Friday evening in the middle of Camden Town, the devastation to the band was evident…but their determination to play was in no doubt commendable. Against time and the cabaret of penned events across the strip our hope was bleeding out. We kicked around whilst their promoter and our editor legged it across pubs, holding the phone on loudspeaker with hope of an update. While the band remained anchored by the equipment which could not be abandoned. How could we ever doubt that in the spirit of Camden Town, the show must go on. Cue the mad dash. 20 volunteers collected stands and pedals. My arms embraced in a kick drum while we belted 400 yards down the road to Lock Tavern. John (promoter) and I (bystander) made a mad dash back to the old pub to rally, cajole and convince gig-goers to trek down to the new stage. We even picked up a few extras who liked the craic of it. Three flights of stairs later, we pushed tables disrupting all peace set out by unsuspecting pint sippers, their space now pulsating with excited chatter of an evenings catharsis. Sound check? Doesn’t matter, Big Long Sun grabbed the mic, grabbed the tambourine and went for it. No stage, no problem. We had come to expect a lot from the Brighton band, each show on this tour seemingly a heel scraping stop before bolting off elsewhere in the UK to share their joy. Red hot from their second album whatever (whatever) on Miohmi records the band have seen modest, humble and underrated growth for the time being, reaching highlights such as support from Nathan Shepherd in session with BBC 6 Music. Core bedroom-rock performances included “a casual dance between friends” and “when the moods right”. The album’s feeling of free-spirited self-expression translated perfectly with the DIY nature of the situation. We had all found ourselves tightly knitted in. However a dearly noticeable gap was apparent with the absence of band member Ocean Groucher who classically handles the staple megaphone incursion their performances are becoming known for. Hand in hand this circle of talent is perplexing in its psych nostalgic trip carried by an intricate and youthful bunch. The team at TNAM.UK are proud to solidify ourselves within the “We were here first” department of big long sun’s fanbase. Great gig, great band and one really handsome fucker carrying a drum. You can catch big long sun back in London Wed, 29 Oct, 7:30 pm headlining the wonderful Sebright Arms. View this post on Instagram A post shared by FIND JOY. (@findjoy__) You Might Also Like Recent Posts
RALLY Festival 2025 Ones to Watch
RALLY 2025 Ones to Watch Our top picks from one of the best London festivals this year [Ticket Link Here] 21 August 2025 By Caitlin Taylor Last year RALLY arguably had one of the best festival lineups and this year is no different. If you’re in the know or desperately want to be, this is the festival for you. Merging alternative and electronic sounds, from indie rock veterans Porridge Radio to party-focused newcomers Bassvictim. If you studied art at Camberwell, spend nights at the Nags Head, are a regular at Ormside or just grew up watching Skins – this one’s for you. BASSVICTIM Instagram A duo who met in Berlin and formed outside of Peckham Audio, Ike and Maria have been making music since 2023. Both their EPs have been named after their self-defined invented genre Basspunk, a mix of EDM, electroclash, hyperpop and indie sleaze sounds. Cool party music. ASTRID SONNE Instagram Danish singer Astrid Sonne’s lyrics are simple but touching, raw and stripped back, paired with creative and layered instrumentation influenced by her classical training. “Do you wanna” has been stuck in my head for months. MOIN Instagram A real mish-mash of genres, MOIN are a trio made up of Tom Halstead and Joe Andrews from Raime with the added talents of Valentina Magaletti on percussion. Their most recent EP was just released in June and features an incredible spoken word opening track featuring Sophia Al-Maria’s voice. Really interesting and creative stuff. TAAHLIAH “I wanna be a star, simple as that” is how Glaswegian artist Taahliah opens her 2024 album Gramarye. She’s versatile and fun, an impressive DJ and producer who also manages to remain emotionally vulnerable within her poetic lyrics. PORRIDGE RADIO Instagram If there’s any reason to attend, you need to come in order to catch Porridge Radio at one of their last ever gigs. I am personally incredibly devastated about the whole ordeal and probably go on about it too much, but still, it’s very sad. Their 2020 album ‘Every Bad’ is one of my all time favorites and their 2024 release ‘Clouds in the Sky They Will Always Be There For Me’ is equally special. You might also like ˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗ Recent Posts ⋆⭒˚.⋆
LIDO feat. Charlie XCX 2025 Review – Is Brat Summer Over?
LIDO feat. Charlie XCX 2025 Review – Is Brat Summer Over? This was the day most people seemed hyped for in the LIDO lineup: Charli XCX was curating her own ‘partygirl’ festival on a Saturday in Victoria Park. 2 July 2025 By Caitlin Taylor It was sold out, incredibly busy and once again, way way too hot. At times, it felt reminiscent of an immersive theatre experience – many of the attendees were kitted in neon green clothing with various phrases in the classic brat font. We kept crossing paths with one group in particular, who were all wearing matching neon green mini bob wigs. It was truly surreal. We knew to avoid the Club stage after Outbreak the day previously, and it was a good idea as here the queues were even longer. It’s a shame, as we were excited to catch Rose Gray, who’s having a super interesting rise to fame at the moment, but we weren’t willing to miss any of the artists in a queue that looked like it would take an hour. Stage 2 was our favourite of the day. We’d kept pretty far from at Outbreak the day before as I bruise too easily to handle a mosh pit. Our first taste was Magdalena Bay, who could honestly be considered one of THE bands of 2024. Their album Imaginal Disk was a smash hit, and it was a treat to see them live despite the fact that we were so far back they looked like little insects to us, but to have such a large audience at such an early slot is to be admired. 070 Shake was next for us, and it’s rare to see someone so chill while performing on a festival’s main stage. She kept a smile on her face, strolling down the runway, joking around with the crowd. “I see you girl!” She shouted to everyone who got on someone else’s shoulders, encouraging others to do the same. She ended with a modified version of ‘Ghost Town’, which seemed to have the entire crowd singing along. Throwing her microphone into the crowd, she allowed her band to close out. Without exaggerating, it’s one of the best experiences I’ve had at a festival. After that was Kelly Lee Owens, a producer and electronic musician from Wales, a recent discovery for us, but one who is now firmly on our playlists. She held the crowd in the palm of her hand, equally as impressive vocally and on her synth. I would’ve been perfectly happy dancing to her all day; she managed to turn a circus tent in Victoria Park into a sweaty underground club. Over on the main stage, The Japanese House provided a much more relaxed moment in the day. It was a good time to grab some food and sit a little further back while listening to some gorgeous dreampop. She mentions that she is properly performing on home turf here, as she lived close enough to cycle. The next day, while scrolling TikTok, I discovered there was some drama about overcrowding during The Dare, meaning that half the crowd was stopped from coming in by security. However, as we’d arrived about 15 minutes early to his set, we remained blissfully unaware of this as we stood near the front of the stage. People were jumping up and down, getting off, eyes wide, singing along. His heavier songs hit better than his slower ones, which is to be expected at a ‘partygirl’ festival. ‘It girl’ of the last couple of years, PinkPantheress, appeared at the end to sing her new ‘American Boy’ inspired hit ‘Stateside’, which The Dare produced. He kindly held her bag during her set – what a gentleman. We stayed firmly planted here for Bladee, who came onto the stage with his hood up and a massive flag in his hand. As someone who’s been surrounded by drainers since moving to London, it felt a little bizarre that many had no idea who he was, but to loyal fans, it was clear this was a special moment as he closed his set by bringing out Ecco2k to perform their new song. And then finally, of course, Charli XCX was on the main stage. Providing a theatrical performance full of flashy visuals, choreographed dance pieces and even rain, the crowd were fixated on her every move. It became clear that most were newer fans as the audience was surprisingly quiet during her older hit ‘Vroom Vroom’, but the energy was at an all-time high during her brat tracks and the Barbie movie hit ‘Speed Drive’. She brought AG Cook and Bladee out as guests, and once again, the crowd seemed a little lost. We ended up having to explain who they were to the group next to us, but hopefully, it does something to spread hyperpop awareness to the masses. As she’s done previously, she finished by allowing her visuals to speak for her. “I want this to last forever”, they read, “it wasn’t just a summer thing… it’s a forever thing xx” and so far, with Charli’s shows only rising in popularity, it seems like that may be the case. You might also like ˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗ Recent Posts ⋆⭒˚.⋆
OUTBREAK 2025 Review – Hot Sticky Hardcore
OUTBREAK 2025 Review – Hot Sticky Hardcore It was a swelteringly hot Friday, not ideal weather for heavy cotton band shirts and mosh pits, but that wasn’t going to deter any of the attendees of Outbreak festival. 2 July 2025 By Caitlin Taylor Momma was the first band we encountered on the main stage. They’re straight out of a 00s teen film soundtrack, accentuated by the duo’s strong American twang. Like most of the American acts who came over for the day, they were shocked by the heat but still managed to provide a fun set. Fleshwater followed, more on the hardcore side, with heavy guitars and bold vocals. “I want the biggest circle in the world!’ yelled a member of the band, which the British audience were initially hesitant to do, maybe due to the heat, but they eventually caught the drift. The one criticism we really had was the capacity of The Club Stage, as we didn’t manage to get in at all. We were incredibly keen to catch both feeble little horse and Jane Remover, but due to being faced with a queue that seemed to curl back around itself endlessly, we ended up just standing near the entrance and trying desperately to catch what we could. Next, we had Julie, who was our highlight of the day. They began by playing a video of someone playing the cello, which broke down as the band walked onstage. We likened them to Bar Italia’s little American cousins, lacking the nonchalance of the European indie darlings, which isn’t a negative. At times reminiscent of Nirvana, their drum work was particularly impressive. Definitely one to check out. Closing out there was a characteristically excellent set from lo-fi indie king Alex G, which featured some deep cuts and mental instrumentation we were big fans of, followed by Turnstile, a band who’ve blown up massively over the past year. A momentous ending full of moshing and jumping around, insane that most had energy after the 30-degree temperatures. It was an impressive London launch for Outbreak, with a really great selection of both hardcore and shoegaze artists. We’re already excited for next year! You might also like ˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗ Recent Posts ⋆⭒˚.⋆
OUTBREAK 2025 Ones to Watch – LIDO Weekend 2
OUTBREAK 2025 Ones to Watch – LIDO Weekend 2 Weekend one was a success, and weekend two looks to be even greater. 15 June 2025 By Caitlin Taylor We missed LIDO weekend one, don’t remind us. The Jamie XX and Skrillex B2B out the sound desk and Massive Attack’s statements have been the talk of the town for the last week so there was no way we were missing this coming weekend. With 3 days of drastically different sounds, there’s truly something here for everyone. FRIDAY 13th JUNE – OUTBREAK Kumo 99 2:35pm @ Stage 2Starting off strong, Kumo 99 are the first to take the stage at Outbreak. They’re high energy, a brilliant blend of punk and electronic. Check out their Coachella set from earlier this year if you want a taster. My only complaint is that they’re on way too early, but you can catch them later at Colour Factory too. feeble little horse3:40pm @ The ClubIf you’ve not heard of this indie rock group, they just gave a banging performance at Primavera and have been backed by So Young so you know they’re cool. Perfect for fans of Pavement or Pixies. Jane Remover4:40pm @ The ClubHyper and intense, Jane’s music is perfect to get you ready for the hardcore stuff happening later on. If you’ve been enjoying 2Hollis’s recent releases, this is one for you. SATURDAY 14th JUNE – PARTY GIRL The Japanese House5:45pm @ Main StageA veteran of queer indie music, she hit the mainstream last year after appearing as a feature on Charli XCX’s Brat remix album and collaborating with Fred Again. Her solo stuff is where she truly shines though, give her last album ‘In The End It Always Does’ a proper listen. Rose Gray6pm @ The ClubWell on her way to being the new it girl, Rose Gray just released her debut album this past January. She’s 2025’s answer to Kylie Minogue with super fun, catchy beats that’ll get stuck in your head. Not one to miss. SUNDAY 15th JUNE Pip MillettI have loved Pip Millett since 2018, she’s truly a special artist. Smooth RnB with cheeky lyrics, her latest single ‘Tell Jimmy I’m Fine’ is a perfect example. Clementine DouglasA truly brilliant dance vocalist who’s featured on tracks with juggernauts including David Guetta, Calvin Harris, and Chase and Status. If you love a strong voice and catchy hooks, Clementine is definitely one to add to your must-sees. Wasia ProjectThis sibling duo started making music in their teens and have now grown as artists, making thoughtful and delicate tracks with a focus on instrumentation. They’re still early in their careers, and one to check out if you’re a fan of music that feels genuine. You might also like ˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗ Recent Posts ⋆⭒˚.⋆
Our Wide Awake 2025 Top Picks:
Our Wide Awake 2025 Top Picks: Wide Awake is back this Friday! Here’s who you need to catch 20 May 2025 By Caitlin Taylor Don’t tell the others, but Wide Awake may be our most anticipated festival this year. It’s brought to you by, and champions of, many beloved grassroots London venues like The Shacklewell Arms and MOTH Club. If you love the indie scene and alternative music, it’s where you need to be this Friday. MERMAID CHUNKY – 2:45 pm @ Wide Awake Stage Mermaid Chunky call themselves an “audio-visual duo” rather than a band, which seems pretty accurate. They’re one for the art students or those who spent their lunchtimes at drama club – expect face paint, big costumes, and a sound your parents probably wouldn’t really ‘get’. Maximalism at its finest. True Blue – 2:15 pm @ The Grove DIY Stage True Blue is a project by Maya Laner, the bassist of the synth-pop band Porches. She’s a multi-instrumentalist who has put out a series of great experimental pop singles over the past couple of years. Having previously opened for Wide Awake alum Caroline Polachek, she possesses a similar dreamlike feminine quality. UGLY – 1:30 pm @ Wide Awake Stage Ugly are ever-evolving, in many ways unrecognisable from their 2016 debut. They’re a vocal-heavy 6 piece who treat their music like art – part rock, part folk, part theatre. If you’re a fan of Wide Awake regulars Black Country New Road, give them a listen. deBasement – 6:00 pm @ The Grove DIY Stage If you were big into Brat summer last year but now are looking for something new then deBasement should be your soundtrack for 2025. Their catchy playful lyrics and party beats could draw comparisons to The Dare, MCR-T or Six Sex. They’re perfect if you grow a bit bored of guitars and are ready to party. ENGLISH TEACHER – 5:45 pm @ Wide Awake Stage Yeah, we know everyone is probably already planning to see English Teacher, but seriously you should. Their rise has been deservedly meteoric since the release of This Could Be Texas in 2024 but we’ve been diehard fans since the release of Polyawkward, their debut EP. Their set last weekend at The Great Escape was electric and we’re sure this will be no different. You might also like ˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗ Recent Posts ⋆⭒˚.⋆