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Music Reviews: December 2024

This Christmas, our music team have highlighted new releases from Notts artists...

LeftLion Music: The Best of 2024 Awards

What a year it’s been for the Nottingham music scene: from new venues opening to local talent gaining national exposure, 2024 proved that our city is one of the best in the country for breeding and platforming exceptional musical talent. With this in mind, we thought we’d celebrate with some end-of-year awards – championing the best local releases and gigs which took place in our city since the start of the year. Without further ado, here’s what stood out in the Notts music world in 2024…

Gig review: Christmas Covers at The Bodega

Mitch Gavell put his Christmas jumper on and headed to The Bodega for the Nottingham institution that is the Christmas Covers Party…

Gig review: The Publics at Rescue Rooms

Gig review: The Unthanks at Royal Albert Hall

The Unthanks filled the magical space of Nottingham's Albert Hall with timeless tales, and warm music despite the strains of Northumbrian winter...

Gig review: Otala at The Bodega, with Bram Bancroft and Martial Arts

They’ll be back eventually, but for now, local sweethearts Otala have performed what they say could be their last gig in Nottingham for a “long while”. Jake George was there to witness the celebration...

Gig review: Shed Seven at Rock City, with The Sherlocks

Gig review: Confyde at Billy Bootleggers

As the shows begin to quiet down towards Christmas and the New Year, a hometown performance at Billy Bootleggers for much loved local band Confyde was welcome news and a perfect way to get out of the horrendous weather for a few hours of heavy metal huddling...

LeftLion's Latest Listens #13: Notts music we're currently spinning

In this week's LeftLion's Latest Listens, our music team reviews new releases from ALT BLK ERA, Jayahadadream, Pretty Windows and Alice for Breakfast...

Gig review: Travis at Rock City

It's a rejuvenated Travis that take to the Rock City stage, that legendary stage which seems to transform a night out from good to great...

Gig review: The Damned at Rock City

Despite mellowing a little with age, The Damned ripped through a generous set at Rock City, delighting fans and providing more than a few surprises...

Gig review: Skinny Lister at Rescue Rooms

With an energetic and "free spirited" set at Rescue Rooms, folk-punk group Skinny Lister put us straight into in Christmas mode...

In photos: Been Stellar at The Bodega, with Cardinals

Gig review: Victory Lap at The Bodega

It was a night of diverse sounds and dynamic performances at The Bodega, with relative newcomers Victory Lap headlining an evening that also featured two exceptional support acts: Leeds-based Prima Star Power and well-known local group Grain Mother…

Gig review: Richard Hawley at The Level

A rare appearance in Nottingham, as part of his annual pre-Christmas mini-tour, saw Richard Hawley play to a sold out crowd at The Level, backed by a five-piece band of tight, but lucid musicians...

Gig review: The Chats at Rock City

It's Wednesday, it's raining hard, it's cold and....Rock City is packed. No one was gonna be put off and at stay home if The Chats were in town. It's time to party..!!

Gig review: Thea Gilmore at Metronome

English shape-shifting singer-songwriter Thea Gilmore delivered a confident, wide-ranging show at Metronome, showing off both her early roots-inspired material and her eye-opening new music…

Gig review: Nilüfer Yanya at Rescue Rooms

It was only a couple of months, back in September, that British singer-songwriter Nilüfer Yanya played a captivating stripped-back set at Rough Trade to launch her much-acclaimed third studio album, My Method Actor. Now back in Nottingham but this time with a full band, we went along to hear one of the year’s best albums performed live once again…

LeftLion's Latest Listens #12: Notts music we're currently spinning

In this week's LeftLion's Latest Listens, our music team reviews new releases from Leah Sinead, Divorce, amillionsons and Wizards Can't Be Lawyers...

Gig review: The Snuts at Rock City

After releasing their third studio album, Millennials, earlier this year, indie rock band The Snuts embarked on their UK tour. We caught up with them as they landed in Nottingham's iconic Rock City on Monday night...

Gig review: Echobelly at Metronome, with Blue Violet

It might have been 30 years since they released their debut album Everyone's Got One, but Echobelly are still going stronger - perhaps stronger than ever. With iconic vocalist Sonya Madan leading, they played to a fully packed Metronome Nottingham, and we were there to see the action...

Salt of the Earth: Catching up with musician and Saltbox manager Sam Heaton

There are few people who live and breathe Nottingham’s vibrant music scene quite like Sam Heaton. From his own ambient rock band Eyre Llew being one of the city’s greatest exports, to a stint in charge of Rough Trade’s events, as well as independently booking and promoting local artists for the last two decades too, his fingerprints have been on a lot of the city’s musical successes. Earlier this year though, he took on a tough new challenge – transforming Saltbox from a little-known sports bar into a versatile 500-person capacity music venue and events space. 

To find out more, we sat down with Sam to chat about his first seven months running the venue, the hurdles he’s had to overcome in that time, and what he has planned for the venue and his band in 2025…

Gig review: The Slow Readers Club at Rescue Rooms

Manchester indie outfit The Slow Readers Club are no strangers to Nottingham, having played our city a whopping 10 times in the last eight years. With a strong following in Nottingham as a result, it made sense for them to kick off their current UK run at Rescue Rooms, including several live debuts for tracks off their forthcoming, seventh studio album, Out of A Dream. Here’s what went down…

Festive markets, live music gigs, and awe inspiring drones: Here's what's on in Nottingham this week 2 - 9 December

This week in Notts, highlights include live music, thought-provoking art exhibitions, festive markets, and family-friendly activities.... 

Gig review: Hard-Fi at Rock City

Hard-Fi. A name you probably didn't think you'd hear so soon after their rockin’ return to the stage last year. After riding the mid-2000s indie wave, the band faded into the background to pursue a quieter life amongst other things; a 10-year absence eclipsed by a live renaissance of biggest hits urged both the band and the fans to reconnect with their music. Now armed with a setlist artillery of electronic-infused anthems, they’re reminding us once again why they remain such a vital force in UK music scene. Rock City: let's have at you...