Review of 2025

Another year done. The year started the first week of January with Rockaway Beach. The year concluded with Robert Plant in Middlesbrough. When all totalled up, I managed to get to 225 gigs, concerts and festivals. This is the most I have ever done in a year. Again, I focused on a lot of local gigs in an effort to keep my costs down. However, I’m enjoying seeing the development of talented local bands and I think 2026 will continue the ‘local first’ trend.

Best Festival: Krankenhaus

Krankenhaus continues to be my favourite festival. I seem to have become the festival’s unofficial ‘official’ photographer. Another great weekend with lots of friends, fantastic castle staff, and accommodating local pub. It strained me a bit this year. The Guardian asked the festival for photos for the morning after festival for half a dozen performances. I had to edit during the last day of the festival and into the early hours. The last day was a bit too much like work. However, this took nothing away from the joyfulness of the weekend. The festival creates such a glorious community bubble that you don’t want to leave. Outside our bubble the flag shaggers were imposing their idea of ‘Englishness’ across the country. Inside the bubble – the kind of Britain I want to live in. Every time I leave Ravenglass, I leave a little bit of me behind.

After the festival finished, we believed it was taking a year off. But then they announced a 2026 festival. Hopefully, I can find some accommodation in Ravenglass. I really don’t want to camp. But I will be there no matter what.

Best New Festival: Mutations Festival

SXSW London should have been a major milestone for the capital. The premier festival for discovering new music opening a London edition. Due to a combination of poor planning, an artist boycott and extortionate badge prices, the inaugural event fell flat on its face.

A new St Albans all-dayer made a good attempt of creating an indie festival for Hertfordshire. While it had an excellent lineup, attendance was low. I think with some tweaks, such as including local bands, they should be able to get the numbers up.

A new festival for me was the Mutations festival in Brighton. Think of it as a low key Great Escape. A multi-venue festival with a more concentrated lineup and smaller audience, guaranteeing easier access to venues and less chance of settling for watching a band I’m not interested in. However, because of this, it is a festival where I will only attend if the lineup interests me.

Best Gig: Jehnny Beth at Camden Festival

For a short time, the Savages burnt with an intense flame. The flag bearers of the post-punk revival. Then they were no more. But the flame still burns brightly in Jehnny Beth. From the first minute, she completely dominated Camden Assembly. The energy and passion she brought to the Savages were still there. Playing music from her excellent new album and featuring her long time collaborator, Johnny Hostile, she showed that she is still a force of nature.

Album of the Year: The New Eve Is Rising

Another year when my listening habits have been curtailed by daily meetings and listening to too many podcasts and audio plays when I’m walking around London. However, there were a few highlights.

Heartworms finally released their debut album, ‘Glutten for Punishment’. Maybe slightly less intense than her EPs. But it was a good debut album.

‘Constant Noise’ by Benefits, took the energy and rage of their debut album but turned down the noise and increased the beats. The perfect soundtrack for the revolution.

However, there was only one contender for album of the year. ‘New Eve Is Rising’ by the New Eves. Folk music influenced by the Velvet Underground. Folk music with angular guitars and cellos. I find there is something hypnotic about the sound they have created.

Most listened to albums

• Band of Holy Joy – Scorched Jerusalem
• Benefits – Constant Noise
• Big Special – National Average
• Goddess – Goddess
• Heartworms – Glutten for Punishment
• Jehnny Beth – You Heartbreaker, You
• Jim Ghedi – Wastelands
• Richard Dawson – End of the Middle
• Sprints – All That Is Over
• The Wants – Bastard

Best Music in a film: Sinners

Stunning use of blues and traditional Irish music. Miles Canton, gives a standout performance, both as an actor and singer, as a blue musician.

Favourite Photo: Heartworms at the Bedford Esquires

I keep coming back to this photo of Jojo from the Heartworms. I photographed her a few times over the last few years. I know that early in her set she plays a theremin and there is a point where she stares intensely. This day I only had my pocket camera and was shooting from the crowd. Although later in the year, I photographed her with full gear and from the pit. However, the combination of stage height, position and lighting meant this was the perfect capture.