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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...

We chat to Warren Ireland about life, music and local legends

Dan Bonnington caught up with local artist and ex-busker Warren Ireland, to talk about his musical inspirations, his influences and supporters, and just what makes Nottingham so special...

Gig review: IDLES at Rock City

Looking at this set of tour dates for hugely popular punk outfit IDLES – Alexandra Palace in London, M&S Bank Arena in Liverpool, OVO Hydro in Glasgow – the usually daunting Rock City stands out as one of the more intimate stops on their current UK tour, even with two sold out nights back-to-back. With the opportunity to catch the punk behemoths in this special setting simply too good to miss, we headed over to Talbot Street for night one…

Gig review: Mickey Callisto at Acoustic Rooms

LeftLion headed to Rescue Rooms to catch 86TVs live, only to find the gig cancelled just minutes before the doors opened due to Jamie from the band being rushed to the hospital. We all wish him a swift and full recovery! Mickey Callisto, who was scheduled to support 86TVs, was not about to let the night go to waste and, with a "the show must go on" attitude, stepped up to fill the gap and deliver an unforgettable performance in the Rescue Rooms bar...

Gig review: Cane Hill at Saltbox

Heading a four-band line-up, Cane Hill proved they are well and truly back with a vengeance. We were at Saltbox for their high-energy set...

In photos: Massive Wagons at Rock City

LeftLion's Latest Listens #11: Notts music we're currently spinning

In this week's LeftLion's Latest Listens, our music team reviews new releases from Grain Mother, ALT BLK ERA (with Wheatus), and Drew Thomas...

Gig review: Porridge Radio at Rescue Rooms

It’s been two years since indie rock band Porridge Radio last played in Nottingham. Now back with a fantastic new album Clouds In The Sky They Will Always Be There For Me, the quartet led by frontwoman Dana Margolin brought their powerful live show to Rescue Rooms for the first stop on their UK tour. We went along to check it out…

Gig review: Alien Ant Farm at Rock City

Supported by US dark rock purveyors Nocturnal Affair and late replacements InMe, the genre-leaping Alien Ant Farm make a triumphant, celebratory – and noisy – return to Rock City. We got in on the action...

Western musical Calamity Jane blows in from The Windy City to Nottingham Theatre Royal in March 2025

If you're a fan of the classic 1953 comedy-Western film and its long-running stage adaptation, or just looking for some good ol' fashioned escapism, then you're in for a treat early next year...

In photos: She Drew The Gun at Rough Trade

Gig review: They Might Be Giants at Rock City

A car accident and a global pandemic could only keep They Might Be Giants away from the UK for so long. Last Friday, off-kilter alternative heroes John Flansburgh and John Linnell brought pure whimsy to Rock City in celebration of 30 (+4) years of Flood – one of the most recognizable and beloved albums of the early 90s...

Gig review: The Lightning Seeds at Rock City

35 years on from the birth of The Lightning Seeds, the band are on a victory lap around the UK. We headed to their Nottingham stop – the legendary Rock City, of course – to revel in swirly synths, bright pop melodies and plenty of nostalgia...