Now in its 34^th year, the EFG London Jazz Festival is going from strength to strength. For 10 days from Friday 13th to Saturday 22nd November, the event will take over more than 70 venues, scattered across over half of London’s boroughs. This year, two major centenaries in the world of jazz have shaped the programming – a pair of music’s most essential and influential figures, Miles Davis and John Coltrane.

The festival is serving up one of its most diverse line-ups, with some gigs veering outside the strictest definitions of jazz as artists from Goldie to Melody Gardot, Fatoumata Diawara and Samara Joy take to the stage. As well as showcasing an incredible array of UK and global talent, the event makes brilliant use of many of London’s finest music venues – from The Barbican and the Royal Festival Hall to Hackney’s EartH, Village Underground, The Jazz Café and many more. Once again, the pop up Jazz Social space will be open for business a short walk from the Barbican, providing a social hub for the concert series.

There are numerous fine gigs to choose from, but to get you going, we’ve selected 10 of the best.

1. Emma Jean-Thackray, Dear Miles – A Love Letter

• (EartH / 13th November)

Multi-instrumentalist Emma-Jean Thackray is one of the most captivating and distinctive figures on the UK scene today. She plays not only guitar, bass, keys and drums – but also a range of brass instruments and is probably best known as a trumpeter. Her work often defies genre, blurring lines between jazz, pop and rock aesthetics as well as soul, funk and more.

Her show will pay tribute to Miles Davis and forms part of the festival’s centenary celebrations for him. Thackray discovered Davis as a 13-year-old and credits him with teaching her about holistic musicianship, balancing the roles of instrumentalist, bandleader and producer, while staying uncompromisingly focused upon vision and artistic integrity.

2. Goldie, Live with Orchestra and Special guests

• (Royal Festival Hall / 14th November)

A true legend of the British dance music scene, Goldie was one of the artists to define the sound of jungle, and in the process helped catalyse a musical revolution.

This show will present him and his work as you’ve never experienced it before. Goldie will be joined on stage by jazz drummer, bandleader, composer and producer Yussef Dayes as well as singers anaiis, Natalie Williams and Cleveland Watkiss. More guests will be announced ahead of the shows. Expect a wild musical ride that is sure to provide one of the moments of true sonic crossover at this year’s festival.

There are two shows to pick from on November 14th: 5pm + 8.30pm.

3. Asha Puthli, The Cosmic Voyager

• (Barbican / 14th November)

Asha Puthli has spent decades pushing musical boundaries by combining jazz, Indian raga, pop, disco and soul elements. This rare UK show is a treat for both existing fans of her wide-ranging cannon and those discovering her for the first time.

Backed by her world-class band, Puthli will be joined on stage by a raft of well-known guests including sitar player Anoushka Shankar, trumpeter Yazz Ahmed and drummer and tabla specialist Sarathy Korwar.

4. Ambrose Akinmusire, Starshine and Clay

• (Kings Place / 15th November)

Californian trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire is a globally renowned figure in contemporary jazz. His work has been commissioned by the Berlin Jazz Festival, The Kennedy Centre, The Hyde Park Jazz Festival and more. He has established a loyal following through releasing nine albums, two of which received Grammy nominations.

At his King’s Place show, he will be presenting new compositions with his band. Expect this to be a hot ticket.

5. GoGo Penguin

• (KOKO / 17th November)

Manchester band GoGo Penguin have helped redefine the piano trio for the modern era. Their music has reached beyond the typical jazz audience with its nods to contemporary classical and electronic styles.

The fine surroundings of Camden’s KOKO will be a perfect backdrop for what is bound to be a special and highly memorable show.

6. Fatoumata Diawara

• (Roundhouse / 18th November)

Paris-based, Malian singer and songwriter Fatoumata Diawara is a torchbearer for modern west-African music. With her roots in traditional Wassoulou and Mandinka folk traditions, she has embraced aspects of western pop and rock styles to create sonic fusions that are all her own.

A regular collaborator with a multitude of artists, Diawara has notably worked with Damon Albarn on many occasions, including contributing vocals to a Gorillaz track. The show will draw upon work from her fourth album Massa.

7. Soweto Kinch x LSO

• (Barbican / 19th November)

Before the current wave of UK jazz, there was Soweto Kinch.

The trail-blazing saxophonist, composer and rapper has mentored and collaborated with many younger musicians, who have come after him. His show will revisit a trilogy of works that he has created with the London Symphony Orchestra since 2019. These are entitled ‘The Black Peril’, ‘White Juju’ and ‘Soundtrack to the Apocalypse’.

8. Church of Sound 10th Birthday – British Jazz songbook

• (Barbican / 20th November)

The Church of Sound night in Clapton has become an essential part of London’s burgeoning jazz scene. The collective's shows are built around a distinct format where a band plays two sets – one being a ‘songbook’ set based on the work of another artist, time period or musical movement, and the other their own material.

To celebrate its 10^th anniversary, the night is leaving its church home and taking to the stage at the Barbican Hall. A specially assembled band will play music from 1960s and 70s jazz figures, ably led by trumpeter and Musical Director Byron Wallen. He will be joined by well known figures on the scene such as Cassie Kinoshi, Daniel Casimir, Tamar Osborn, Oscar Jerome and more.

9. Branford Marsalis and Dianne Reeves celebrate John Coltrane

• (British Airways ARC/ 21st November)

Five-time Grammy winner and world class jazz vocalist Dianne Reeves joins the legendary saxophonist and bandleader Branford Marsalis for a celebration of the work of John Coltrane.

Marsalis is one of the most revered figures in contemporary jazz, as well as being part of the Marsalis musical dynasty. He and Reeves are a fine combination to bring together in honour of one of music’s most important and revolutionary figures.

10. Samara Joy

• (Royal Festival Hall / 22nd November)

Becoming besotted with classic R+B and soul as a child and learning her craft in a gospel choir, Samara Joy has become one of the most essential and celebrated jazz vocalists working today.

At just 26 and with three solo albums to her name, she has already racked up six Grammy wins and developed a loyal following. With much more to come from this hugely talented artist, she is a fine pick for closing out this year’s EFG London Jazz Festival.

• How a tiny church night became one of London's most influential music institutions

London is world-famous for its night clubs. It’s home to some of the world’s most renowned clubs and venues, and each weekend sees spaces booked out with events for every crowd and culture.

After a fantastic festival season, Londoners are heading back to the club to dance the night (and sometimes the next day) away. And with the opening of new venues like Radial in Tottenham and Coven in Soho, there’s some light on the horizon for the city’s embattled nightlife industry.

We’ve teamed up with Faithless co-founder and dancefloor legend Sister Bliss for this list, with some extra picks from Shortlist-reading ravers. Be sure to let us know if we’re missing any essential clubs in the comments below.

Without further ado, let’s get into the groove with the best night clubs in London:

The best nightclubs in London: Sister Bliss’ picks

1. Koko Camden

1A Camden High Street, NW1 7JE
"I’ve been going to Koko since I was a teenager in the 80’s, back when it was in its previous guise as Camden Palace – and I was a goth! It’s such an iconic space, now reimagined as Koko.

"Koko has hosted some of the biggest names in music, and has been revamped with a 360 degree set up with the world's biggest electronic music acts booked every weekend. It basically turns into a giant fabulous disco – I’ve enjoyed throwing shapes here to everyone from The Blessed Madonna to Chris Stussy and Anthony Smierek, to name but a few!"

2. The Cross

2-4 Wharfdale Road, N1 9RY
"The Cross is a 90’s classic, a venue I had some formative and wonderful nights DJing at. It’s moved from its original site at Coal Drops Yard in Kings Cross, to a 6 storey former pub (formerly The Driver) on the Cally Road.

"It’s still run by Billy Reilly & Gemma, but totally reimagined with an amazing roof terrace, a fabulous cocktail bar and, my favourite space to DJ in, the dirty dark basement below.

"No gimmicks, no pixel walls, guest list entry and a banging sound system, plus an over 25’s door policy. It’s especially fun when some of the parties in the private rooms mingle with the club nights – anything can happen. I’m playing here for their birthday party on Saturday 7th November – come join me in the basement!"

3. Number 90

90 Wallis Road, E9 5LN
"I played a Mixmag Lab set at Number 90’s Hideout room, and enjoyed it so much that we booked it a couple of months later to celebrate the release of our recent Faithless album 'Champion Sound'.

"It’s such a cool venue with terraces backing onto the lovely waterside areas, and 3 distinct spaces; Lock and Hideout are inside with amazing sound systems, all built with real love and understanding of what makes a great punter and DJ experience.

"It really feels like a proper community cultural hub, with inclusive programming supporting local DJ’s and bringing underground nights, open mic nights, and live gigs alongside electronic DJ sets. Not too cool for school!"

4. Jazz Cafe

NW1 7PG
"There’s a special place in my heart for this place - it was the first venue to host a Faithless live show, and we were later awarded a special PRS plaque to commemorate that little moment in time, which hung proudly on the wall outside (until it got repainted! It’s now on my mantlepiece).

"So many great global artists have passed through the doors at Jazz Cafe - the vibe is relaxed, unpretentious and every single night of the week there’s so much great music to choose from, from the jazzier end to gospel to latin, reggae, soul, and house. Their club nights that start after the live acts have finished are also brilliantly programmed, with recent residencies from the likes of Joy Anonymous and Greg Wilson. A truly great place to discover new music and dance non-stop.

"I’ve been a punter here forever… I don’t think we would fit on that stage again, but hope to carry on throwing shapes on the dancefloor as much as humanly possible."

The best nightclubs in London: Shortlist selects

5. Fabric

77A Charterhouse Street, EC1M 6HJ
No list of London clubs is complete without Fabric. A survivor through turbulent times, Fabric has stayed open since 1999 thanks to its best-in-class bookings, creative clout, and cutting-edge sound system (which, since opening, has included under-floor transducers for extra oomph).

Though the Fabric brand has grown far beyond its subterranean walls, with a legendary series of DJ mix CDs, festival collaborations, and filmed performances, its three rooms are still considered a premier option for visiting and local clubbers alike.

6. Dalston Superstore

117 Kingsland High Street, E8 2PB
Essential and eclectic, Dalston Superstore is London’s premier queer nightlife destination. Since 2009, Superstore has been a haven for LGBTQ+ folks and their allies – Its basement club is compact and candid, playing host to dozens of genres in a given month, while the upstairs bar is roomier, brighter, and soundtracked by a separate DJ booth. Dance music owes so much to queer culture, and indeed Superstore is more than just a club – its drag brunches, karaoke nights and film screenings make it a valued community hub for chillers and ravers alike.

7. Phonox

418 Brixton Road, London SW9 7AY
Ever-popular and unpretentious, Phonox occupies a crucial place in the middle ground of UK club culture. It’s a meeting place for vinyl-heads and birthday bashes, deep house defenders and post-pub punters. In a scene dominated by algorithmic influences, Phonox is a public sphere with a disco ball.

Phonox’s high-street location makes it easier to get to than some of the city’s more remote rave spots, making it a top pick for chart-topping DJs and producers and an easier sell for group outings. Programming balances that commercial appeal with up-and-comers and scene legends, with month-long Friday residencies from names like Leon Vynehall, Elkka, and DJ EZ.

8. Venue M.O.T

Unit 18/20, Orion Business Centre, Surrey Canal Road, SE14 5RT
Once an underdog, Venue M.O.T has grown to become a club recognised across the capital for daring programming and creative flexibility. Situated in the null zone between New Cross and Bermondsey, MOT’s two converted industrial units host local techno linkups, experimental electronica, and big-name blockbusters. It’s a compact space, but one buoyed by a genuinely fantastic sound system and undeniable industrial vibe. The venue was granted a rare outdoor license this year, converting the courtyard out front into a spot for open-air parties.

9. Palais

1a Rye Lane, SE15 5EW
Some clubs have a vibe – Palais has class. The Peckham venue, split across three stories at the top of Rye Lane, reopened in 2026 following a 15-year hiatus and a redesign from London studio Fare Inc. The result is a decidedly fashionable space that doesn’t skip the essentials – an excellent sound system, a dancefloor that both frees and focuses your movement, and top-tier bookings from day one.

The crown jewel, however, is Palais’ Ballroom, situated two floors above the basement club. Though it’s free to enter, the Ballroom is the only club space in London I’d call luxurious, with a blended art-deco and contemporary aesthetic, warm lighting, comfortable booths, and a relaxed dance floor.

10. AAJA

Comet Place, SE8 4EP
Tucked away behind Deptford High Street, AAJA is the people’s champ of London night clubs. Cheap entry, cheap drinks, and a sound system tuned by on-site bass obsessives have made this mixed-use community space a spot for movers and shakers in London’s underground club scene. Two online radio broadcast rooms compliment AAJA’s club room, making it a brilliant place to find your next favorite DJ or experimental act at any time of day.

Reader picks

11. Fold

Gillian House, Stephenson Street, E16 4SA
As chosen by: Leo Wynne Williams, Tooting:

"It’s pretty easy to assume that the things that make a good club good are tangible assets, like a world-renowned Funktion 1 sound system, world-class DJ bookings and a well-planned layout. Fold has all three, but they aren’t what separate it from other London clubs – that’d be its sense of community and ethos of acceptance for people who enjoy authentic techno parties."

As also chosen by: Jacqueline Akram, Southwark:

"Fold - especially the Sunday Unfold parties. I go to get entranced and dance for hours, and leaving the club feels like my soul took a deep breath of fresh air. The lineup is always solid, the sound system is amazing, and people actually dance hard! The community feels so safe compared to other London clubs."

12. Dalston Den

91-93 Kingsland High Street, E8 2PB
As chosen by: Seun Ige, Greenwich:

"A night at Dalston den has it all. Nestled in a basement on Kingsland High Street, it’s one of the only spaces that has consistently provided me with an amazing (and sweaty) time.

"Dalston Den has an intimate capacity of about 200, and attracts the liveliest dancers. It also offers some of the best music that the UK’s underground DnB scene has to offer. If you arrive before midnight it’s free entry, and standard pricing will only set you back about a fiver. The enclosed space means that the amazing sound system hits all the harder, and if you’re lucky there might even be an MC present to guide you through the night!"

13. Vespers

133A Rye Lane, SE15 4BQ
As chosen by: Harry Newgas, Greenwich:

"Vespers is in the heart of Peckham, running a variety of events from midweek gigs to late night raves. It's a club which champions grassroots and queer events as all should. It also boasts a great sound system, fitting for the hard dance music that often plays there.

"Edith, who runs the venue, is themselves very much engrained into the scene, often going to the same events and festivals as those that would attend the club. Vespers isn’t all about turning a profit and squeezing as much money out of the scene as possible, but actually supporting those grassroots events and artists, leading to a stronger sense of community in the rave scene."

14. Ormside Projects

Penarth Centre, 32 Ormside Street, SE15 1TR
As chosen by: Anita Polizzi, New Cross:

"You might think the most exciting features of Ormside Street are the ghost kitchens that line the back end of the road. You would be mistaken.

"Part of the ‘Bermondsey Triad’ (alongside Avalon Cafe and Venue MOT), Ormside Projects is one of the greatest clubs in London. It’s hidden behind unlabelled shutters in the unassuming Old Kent Road area, but offers an eclectic and exciting mix of everything one might desire from London’s underground music scene. Host to names like XT1ANA, Jadasea, Patch +, Tim Reaper, MC ZKW, Lord Tusk and Mica Levi, it’s a space co-signed by those who are new to this and those who are true to this."

• Faithless’ new album Champion Sound is out now and available on all platforms

Soho has always felt like the beating heart of London after dark. But in 2026, that cornucopia of many a great night out has never felt more on the brink of changing into something completely unrecognisable.

Although Soho is home to no shortage of chain restaurants and theatres with franchise-friendly names above their marquees, the real heart of Soho is in its independent venues. We’re talking about the ones often run by those who live in the area (or not too far afield) and that have long given the area its identity, being a haven for creatives and the LGBTQ+ community.

However, Soho’s independent venues have been shuttering their doors at an alarming rate. CIRCA, G-A-Y and Underbelly Boulevard are just some of the local staples that have suffered this fate, brought about by the sheer financial weight of trying to operate in the nation’s capital.

Amidst this economic turmoil, there are still a few holdouts that are doing all they can to beat back the tide, one of which is the Phoenix Arts Club. This unassuming venue which is far too easy to miss when making your way to the Phoenix Theatre (and as such is often mistaken for the box office), is a thriving underground hub of cabaret, comedy, drag and more.

As one of the last remaining bastions of Soho’s bohemian spirit, we sat down with the Phoenix’s Managing Director, Peter Dunbar, to understand what makes the Phoenix so endearing, the realities of running a London venue and what the future has in store for the club.

A home for all (but not the Arctic Monkeys)

In his own words, Peter describes the Phoenix Arts Club as one of the “last remaining independent venues in Soho dedicated to the arts… a venue that is made for artists of all demographics and earnings... for people from all walks of life, but it’s also a great space if you're not an actor and just love theatre. It's sort of where your absolute die-hard theatre fans congregate; that's the main community.”

That variety is something I can attest to after my own time spent frequenting the venue as a patron. I’ve seen everything from a comedy act where a man covered himself from head to toe in sticky tape (now a fairly serious actor if you can believe it) to Cirque du Soleil-style acrobatics.

Not only are you likely to see something vastly different from one night to another, but there’s a good chance that you might run into a celebrity while you’re there. The likes of Jennifer Lawrence and Neil Patrick Harris have popped their heads through the door, and the venue even featured as one of Anthony Bourdain’s go-to spots in his spectacular London-focused episode of The Layover.

It’s a welcome destination for all, with the only name of note not to be allowed entry being none other than the Arctic Monkeys. In what is now a legendary exchange, the venue’s previous owner, Maurice Huggett, who sadly passed away in 2011, decided to show the band the pavement after deeming their appearance to be unkempt.

Still, for all the many stories that have come out of the venue since it opened its doors way back in 1988, the Phoenix has stood the test of time, but the struggle to remain independent has never felt more real than in a post-pandemic world.

The new London reality

It’s no secret to anyone that, thanks to the pandemic and the various global conflicts that have taken place since, the cost of living is very much out of control. When you throw in a general lack of enthusiasm for nights out on the town, those knock-on effects have been exacerbated for bar and venue owners.

“It’s an incredibly tough climate to operate in,” Peter admitted when asked about the realities of running a venue in 2026, but added, “I'm personally bored of talking about it because you do end up driving yourself into a bit of a rut… having a finger on the pulse on the numbers is really important and keeping a really good line of communication with our landlord is pivotal. But what we really focus on is the community, and we know that in times of need, the community will come forward.”

Earlier this year, the Phoenix held a fundraising gala at the nearby Phoenix Theatre, showing how potent that community spirit can be with £100,000 raised from the event.

As a vocal fan of live music, Prime Minister Andy Burnham has already committed to reducing the business rates for venues up and down the country, and while Peter feels that it’s certainly a step in the right direction, he argues that it’s not quite enough to overcome years of mounting costs.

“Could you imagine how many more independents we would have if there was some form of complete business rates wipe for companies when they hit a certain amount of years of operating? You could perhaps have [a system that says] 'you've operated for 10 years, let's give you something back, something back to the community. Let's give you a year for free, or if you're just starting up, let's give you a couple of years of business rates for free.”

Rising from the ashes

While one can only hope that London’s nightlife will return to its former glory, it’s impressive that even with the economic headwinds working against it that everyone, from the hardworking bar staff to the management team and the thriving community that sees the Phoenix as its second home, has played a part in keeping the venue afloat.

If you’ve yet to visit the Phoenix and would like to see the club’s spirit distilled into a single show, you may want to check out its latest venture: Soho Electric.

Peter details, “it's a rock cabaret show [featuring] electric guitar [and] all of the amazing pop rock songs that people have come to know and love… [it] features everything from cabaret to circus, fire, aerial, and obviously it has these live band elements as well. I'm so proud of it because it's probably the last cabaret show there is launching [in Soho], and it's set to be a killer night and it's running four performances a week, so for the foreseeable it's an open-ended show.”

The Phoenix Arts Club can be found at 1 Phoenix Street in London, just a few yards away from Tottenham Court Road Station.

• How a tiny church night became one of London's most influential music institutions

Rachel Zegler, Broadway baby and Hollywood star, is officially coming back to London for a new show.

If securing a Golden Globe, an Olivier Award, and a Critics Choice by the age of twenty-five wasn’t (sickeningly) impressive enough, Zegler will be performing at the Soho Place theatre for a concert residency that’s “unlike anything she’s done before”. Suck on that, Vegas — you’re not the only place that gets epic residencies anymore.

The actress has described her shows, which will run from January 5th until January 17th, as “her most intimate shows to date”, no doubt putting her “sublime vocals and extraordinary stage presence” in the well-earned spotlight. Anyone who has been to Soho Place Theatre will be familiar with its intimate staging, where the audience is fairly snug with the stage, and it’s laid out so that the audience feels immersed in the production rather than just watching it.

Back to the Big Smoke

Zegler is no stranger to London’s West End, starring in the hit revival of Sir Tim Rice and Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Evita as the lead character, the former first lady of Argentina. The role earned Zegler her first Olivier award. The performance became incredibly popular thanks in part to her rendition of the musical’s most famous number, Don’t Cry For Me Argentina, which she performed from the balcony of the Palladium theatre to passers-by on the street. Crowds of excited theatre lovers who couldn’t quite shell out for the full ticket turned up each night. She also appeared in the West End earlier this year, starring as Cathy Hiatt in the musical The Last Five Years, opposite fellow US actor and broadway legend Ben Platt.

Whilst this is a new show, it isn’t the first time Zegler has done a solo concert in the capital’s theatre district; in October 2025, Zegler returned to the Palladium for a one-night-only concert full of story-telling and songs.

This upcoming series of shows mark Zegler’s residency debut, and more details are expected to be revealed soon about the show. On Instagram, the star said she was “so excited” to announce her first ever concert residency.

The concert residency has been produced by Lambert Jackson with musical supervision and arrangements by Adam Hoskins and follows her wildly successful West End debut last year.

Jamie Lambert, the chief executive officer of Lambert Jackson, said: “Being able to bring Rachel back to London, the city that showed her so much love during Evita, her solo shows and The Last Five Years, is a wonderful next step in our partnership.

“We are thrilled to be presenting Rachel in her first residency, a landmark moment for any artist and one which demonstrates the extraordinary connection she has built with audiences.

“It is richly deserved – she is a rare talent.”

Tickets for all 14 performances will be going on sale on Wednesday 30th via Soho Place.

• Ronnie Scott’s is heading to a new London location for a jazz residency this October

This November, Church of Sound, a pioneering grassroots jazz night, will step out of its usual home at St James the Great church in Clapton to take over Barbican Hall for a celebration of the night’s 10^th anniversary.

On Friday 20th November, as part of the prestigious EFG London Jazz Festival, a specially assembled band led by trumpeter and musical director Byron Wallen will celebrate the impact of UK jazz of the 60s and 70s, while also showcasing the scene of today. The band will feature contemporary figures such as saxophonist Cassie Kinoshi, guitarist Oscar Jerome, saxophonist and flautist Tamar Osborn, singer Norma Winstone and drummer Jas Kayser among others.

Byron Wallen bursts with enthusiasm as he discusses plans for the anniversary gig.

“It's about honouring a specific period but also showing the movement forward from there," he tells Shortlist.

"It represents various aspects of the music community, from the more improvised free scene to the groove scene, which in some ways are polar opposites but are actually quite united.

"It will explore the legacy of British jazz, which is inspired by American jazz but came up with a sound of its own. From there it will show how the current musicians and younger musicians are working today”.

At the inception of the night, founders Lex Blondin of legendary studio and cultural space Total Refreshment Centre and multi-instrumentalist Spencer Martin couldn’t have predicted where their project would take them, or that they’d be celebrating this anniversary at the Barbican.

Establishing the night and in fact finding a suitable venue was a challenge from the get-go, as Martin recalls.

"We considered doing a show at one church, but we could never quite convince them to get on board, so after about six months we gave up," he says.

"They then directed us to St James the Great, to the reverend there, Rosemarie Mallett who was Area Dean of Hackney at the time – a charismatic, relaxed and convivial woman. What had felt like an impossible task at the first church suddenly wasn't. We turned up at St James and she basically said, 'When's the first date? Let's go.'"

A unique format

One of the hallmarks of Church of Sound since its inception has been its format. The band on the night plays twice – first performing a ‘song book’ set where they honour a particular artist, period or influence and the second being a showcase of their own music. One particularly notable show saw Ezra Collective pay tribute to the legendary afro-beat originator Fela Kuti.

For Blondin, the format has always been central to what is special about Church of Sound.

“The songbook thing started when we launched. It was an incredible time for the scene and a lot of the artists like Shabaka [Hutchings] were hanging around at Total Refreshment Centre," he recalls.

"I realised at one of Spencer’s nights that [drummer and band leader] Yussef Dayes sounds like Idris Muhammad. I mentioned it to him and the songbook idea germinated from there. I’m a big fan of all this music, but I’d rarely experienced it live because many of the artists had passed away or it was just a personal listening experience. Being able to translate that into the live realm and share it with 400 people in a beautiful way, set the tone going forward."

The founders wanted the night to be a celebration of musical history, but also crucially a forward-looking event that gave space for innovation that is happening now.

As Martin puts it – “It was a really natural and useful way of contextualising music that was happening now, and placing it in a certain lineage, recognising similarities and things that have been inherited. It's nice to pay tribute, but also to use that tribute as a way of showcasing the new music as well. It also allowed us to naturally split things into two sets, which turned out to be a huge part of Church of Sound."

New blood, new sounds

At the heart of the night’s ethos is fostering talent and supporting the jazz scene here in London, to help it continue going from strength to strength — Wallen is unequivocal when talking about the event’s role for the music.

“One of the interesting things about Church of Sound is the building of the community," he says.

"As an artist working there, you're bringing in all facets of the community and especially music that is marginalised. To see that vibrancy of it and young people coming out who haven't necessarily been versed in jazz is incredible. They want to come because they know something special is going to happen and they trust that the music they hear is going to be great. As an artist coming into that situation is a real blessing”.

The list of artists who have played at Church of Sound reads like a who’s who of contemporary UK jazz from the aforementioned Ezra Collective and Shabaka to Moses Boyd, Emma-Jean Thackray and many more.

Blondin and Martin have also managed to bring in many international musicians too, including the late great Fela Kuti drummer Tony Allen and legendary saxophonist Gary Bartz. A “pinch me” moment as Lex puts it, came when they booked The Cookers – an extraordinary American jazz super group featuring legends such as saxophonist Donald Harrison and Eddie Henderson on trumpet.

There are huge plans for the future of Church of Sound as it continues to be a significant cultural showcase for London’s jazz scene. As an event that has always celebrated lineage and history while looking to the future, it can now have a moment to reflect on its own history and contribution.

• The ‘Church of Sound 10^th Birthday/ British Jazz Songbook’ show comes to the Barbican on 20 November 2026. It is part of the EFG London Jazz Festival.

• The BIG London gig list 2026: Your guide to this year's very best shows, festivals and concerts

Usually Ronnie Scott’s is associated with a suave kind of sultry Soho where people are out past 11pm, with saxy jazz music playing away whilst people sip on Sazeracs. And whilst that’s not changing, the legendary live music is heading on a little sojourn, popping over to a bar right beside London’s St Paul’s Cathedral for a month of music.

The Anthologist over in Bank is welcoming in Ronnie Scott’s for a month of Friday night fun across October. The bar will be hosting the London institution for four evenings of live entertainment from some of the jazz club’s most exciting performers. To go alongside all this sophistication, there will be an exclusive menu created for the evenings, consisting of bourbon based cocktails from Maker’s Mark, bringing the taste of vintage New Orleans as well as its sounds and influence.

There are two speciality cocktails on the menu – a Mango Spiced Whiskey Sour & Salted Caramel Popcorn Old Fashioned. If you want some good news, a welcome cocktail is included in the ticket price, so you won’t be shelling out £££ on top of tickets. At least for the first round anyway.

Doors open at 8pm, with tickets priced at £20 including a welcome cocktail and an evening of live entertainment from the likes of Acantha Lang, Marcus Bofanti, Louise Marshall, and Jo Harrop. Lang is a New Orleans-born soul singer, whilst Bofanti is a two-time British Blues Award winner. Meanwhile Marshall is a long-standing vocalist with Jools Holland's Rhythm & Blues Orchestra, who has performed alongside David Gilmour, Chaka Khan and Beverley Knight, and Harrop, rounding off the residency, who is an acclaimed jazz vocalist and has won Jazz Album of the Year.

TLDR: it’s a pretty fab lineup, and your Friday nights are in good hands – or rather, good bands.

You can book tickets here.

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Apple Music Hall has only just announced its arrival as a new venue at Battersea Power Station, but it already has one hell of a gig diary.

Apple has announced the first run of artists set to perform at its new 600-capacity London space, with Elton John, Baby Keem, Skye Newman, Troye Sivan, Arlo Parks, Burna Boy, Chase & Status and Charli xcx all booked to take the stage.

And the first name through the door is a pretty big one. Elton John will officially open Apple Music Hall on Monday 28th September, followed by Baby Keem on 2nd October and Skye Newman on 7th October.

The rest of the initial schedule runs through the autumn and into December, with Troye Sivan on 13th October, Arlo Parks on 22nd October, Burna Boy on 29th October, Chase & Status on 26th November and Charli xcx on 2nd December.

Big names incoming

The first three shows are particularly imminent, with tickets for Elton John, Baby Keem and Skye Newman going on sale at 9am BST on Monday 28th September. Yep — tickets for the Elton show are being released the same day as the actual performance itself. Keep in mind that Elton has also retired from large-scale global tour schedules, making this an extremely rare hot ticket.

But refreshingly, the tickets are at very accessible prices — none are listed for more than £40 at present, across all shows.

Tickets for the remaining shows will be released at a later date, with Dice the partnering ticket service to book through.

So what makes Apple Music Hall different from London's other gig venues? For starters, this isn't a massive arena where you'll need binoculars to see the artist. The purpose-built venue holds just 600 people, with Apple specifically designing it to combine the intimacy of a small gig with the production capabilities of a much bigger show.

There's a 38-foot-wide stage that can be rearranged for traditional or in-the-round performances, while a 48-speaker Spatial Audio system surrounds the audience.

Behind the scenes, things get even more Apple-y. The venue has two recording and mixing studios, infrastructure for 16 or more cameras and a dedicated broadcast control room. That means performances can be recorded in Spatial Audio, turned into broadcast-ready productions and captured on multicamera video – all from the same gig. Shows will also be livestreamed globally, so that 600-person capacity doesn't necessarily mean only 600 people get to experience them.

Apple Music Hall might be one of London's smallest new venues – but its ambitions match the scale of the tech giant behind the curtains.

• The BIG London gig list 2026: Your guide to this year's very best shows, festivals and concerts

Leytonstone is getting a new music venue and bar next month, dubbed Altar.

The site is set to open on 23rd October, and we’re promised live music at least three times a week, according to a preview by the Leytonstoner blog.

Altar is planned as a multi-identity kind of venue. It’s a cocktail bar, a place to check out new vinyl releases and a place for after-work drinks as well as a gig venue with room for around 100 revellers.

There are no live music listings just yet, but the programme is to be curated by Transgressive Records founder Toby L and the team behind Leytonstone’s Shake the High Road local festival.

Acts at the 2026 edition of the festival included Gold Panda, Pan Amsterdam and Sholto.

Reviving a much-loved space

For now, though, you’ll have to make do with some teasers as to what else you can expect when you step into Altar.

The ground floor seating is decked out in moody velvet, offset by the shiny tiled bar. We expect this area to feel quite different to the sweat-box-ready lower room where you’ll get to see bands and DJs perform.

Altar’s drinks menu is designed by Chop Shop Tavern, and includes unusual picks like the Caprese gimlet, a gin cocktail with flavours of tomato, basil and black pepper. Some of your food options will come with an off-kilter approach too, like the banh mi hot dog, which brings spiced kachumber and sharp pickled carrot flavours to a fast food classic.

Altar takes over the space once inhabited by Luna Lounge. It too was a big live music hub for the area, but closed in 2024 following rising costs and a failed crowdfunding campaign.

Hopefully Altar will have better luck when it opens next month. You’ll find the venue at 7 Church Lane, just a couple of hundred metres away from Leytonstone tube station.

• First two London bars in the worldwide top 100 best revealed

You must have been actively avoiding music news over the last couple of weeks if you’ve missed the Macklemore saga, and the rapper has now announced his own mini tour including a date in London.

There’s not long to wait either. Macklemore’s Free Palestine Tour will land in London on 30th October, at the 12,500-capacity Wembley Arena.

This date follows concerts in Paris on 29th October and Dublin on 26th October, all at sizeable arenas.

“All proceeds benefiting organisations supporting Palestine and the Palestinian movement,” reads the tour poster.

To sign up for ticket availability details, you can enter your number over at the Macklemore website. And given the timescale we’re working with, it can’t be long before tickets go on sale.

Pop problems

This announcement follows Macklemore’s departure from the Ed Sheeran Loop tour following his pro-Palestine statements made during a performance. As Macklemore explained in a a statement, Sheeran was threatened with being blocked from performing at all if he did not remove the rapper from the tour.

Sheeran has said the decision to remove Macklemore was the “promoter’s decision,” rather than his own. He played two dates with Sheeran at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, on 4th and 5th September, and was initially signed-up to perform at most dates until the US leg’s end in November.

Since then, Sheeran’s own self-labelled “apolitical” stance has been criticised widely, while other support acts Aaron Rowe, Beoga and Lukas Graham have also left the tour.

To add to Sheeran’s — a pop star with net worth of upwards of £400 million — woes, there’s word his Gilette Stadium shows in New England this weekend may have to be cancelled thanks to a major incoming storm.

Ed Sheeran last played in London at The O2 Arena’s Capital FM Jingle Bell Ball in December 2025, while the Loop tour is yet to have a single London date announced.

• The BIG London gig list 2026

When most musicians branch out into other fields they set up their own clothing label or launch a new booze brand. But Tom Vek has much grander plans than having his own trainer range or a bottle of vodka with his name on it.

Vek is the man behind four studio albums and one digital audio player called Sleevenote – a pocket-sized attempt to bring some value back to music. He released his debut album We Have Sound in 2005, but it was during the recording of the follow-up, 2011’s Leisure Seizure, that the seed for Sleevenote was planted.

Apple’s iTunes Store had really blown up in the interim and all of a sudden album artwork had gone from being something fans would pore over on the bus home from HMV to a tiny bundle of pixels on a screen.

“I was very taken with the industrial design of the iPod,” says Vek over Zoom from his house in Margate.

“It was very unusual for things to be bright white and it had a sort of sci-fi friendliness, almost like NASA. But the cover art was tiny and the rest of the sleeve art was missing.”

As somebody who had grown up with physical media and studied graphic design at art school, the visual element of an album was almost as important to him as the music itself. As well as writing and recording everything you heard on his records, Vek also designed everything you saw, so to have it reduced to the size of a postage stamp frustrated him.

An alternative to streaming

Vek met his Sleevenote co-founder Chris Hipgrave in 2018 and the pair spent a couple of years working on app ideas that would bring that focus back to the artwork, but the rise of nasty freemium models and what he calls “App Store bureaucracy” pushed them towards exploring their dream product: a digital music player with a square screen for showing off album artwork properly.

After a failed crowdfunding campaign in 2020, and the news in 2021 that Spotify founder Daniel Ek had started funding military technology, Vek and Hipgrave decided to go all-in on a product that would give music fans an alternative to streaming.

“I know as an artist that it actually costs you to really be on Spotify, because they have all these extra features to push your music that mean you get paid even less,” says Vek.

“It's just insane that a music service can have such bad press and still have a monopoly.”

Sleevenote’s Day One Edition, which sold out all 100 of its available units earlier this summer, has a 4-inch touchscreen for displaying full artwork and liner notes, which can be uploaded by artists who, like Vek, want fans to experience the full package. For albums that don’t have it, Sleevenote can still pull in basic artwork from the internet.

The aluminium case also includes six physical buttons to control power, playback and volume, while both wired and wireless headphones are welcome thanks to Bluetooth 5.4 and a 3.5mm socket. It supports hi-res audio files and you get 256GB of storage to fill.

App-free listening

Just as important to Sleevenotes raison d’etre, though, is what the device doesn’t do. It runs on Android but there are no apps or phone calls; no Spotify or other streaming services; and while it does have Wi-Fi it’s only for transferring tunes and sending certain listening data directly to the Sleevenote Discord community.

Instead, there’s a real focus on using sites like Bandcamp in order to financially support the artists as fully as possible. According to Sleevenote’s website, if you spend $10 on a digital download, $8 goes to the artist – a much higher proportion than even buying a vinyl record or some merch (which when bought at live shows can often be subject to the venue taking a cut), and a whole world away from the miniscule payments they receive from streaming.

“It's good to buy music,” says Vek. “It's good for the artist but it's also good for people to actually own it.”

Anyone who’s a fan of a band who has pulled their music from Spotify, as Godspeed You! Black Emperor and King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard did after news of Ek’s investments broke, will attest to that.

A Trojan horse

Vek is not the first musician to move into this kind of hardware either. Neil Young’s PonoPlayer aimed to improve on the sound quality offered by more mainstream devices but its existence was short-lived. After a successful Kickstarter campaign that raised over $6m, the PonoPlayer started shipping in late 2014, but by April 2017 it went the way of the dodo, with Young citing the higher cost of hi-res audio files as the main reason for its demise.

Sleevenote is a much smaller operation and doesn’t rely on its own music store, so pricing of downloads isn’t a concern, although Vek is keen to find a way to make the device itself more affordable (the Day One Edition was £249/$349). He also wants to improve the battery life, which currently stands at between six and eight hours.

For Vek, though, his main hope for Sleevenote is bigger than sales. He sees it as a “kind of Trojan Horse that encourages people to actually buy music.” That’s a pretty lofty ambition, with streaming too convenient to resist for most listeners, but there are signs of hope.

Gen Z is driving a resurgence in CDs and MP3 players, while a significant proportion of people who buy vinyl don’t even own a turntable to play their records on, so there’s clearly a desire among some music fans to support artists properly.

As both a recording artist and a tech fan, it feels like Vek couldn’t be better placed to create a product like Sleevenote.

“Tech that deals with culture needs to be built by people who really do passionately care about that culture,” he says.

“To see music battered around so much by it has been really frustrating.”

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Oasis have announced an entirely unsurprising expansion of their ‘Live 27 tour, as they warn fans not to get taken in by fraudsters as ticket scams ramp up.

The UK gets two more Knebworth gigs, on 25th and 26th September, adding to the four dates between 11th and 19th September the band had already outed.

There are no new Manchester Etihad Stadium dates — 11 is enough for that 60-odd-thousand venue apparently — but the band have also added a few days to the European leg.

Munich adds a 6th July date, Rome gets an additional concert on 25th July. And the Paris plans have been moved around thanks to engineering works in the city.

The 24th July show originally announced has been moved to 20th July, which no doubt helped to bring about the new Rome 25th July show.

This brings Oasis’ ‘Live 27 tour to 42 dates. That is one more show than the band performed as part of the ‘Live 25 tour — 41 — which is no doubt a deliberate move to let the Gallaghers say it’s an even bigger event.

Oasis 'Live 27 Ticket Details

The bad news: while there are new dates, you still need to have signed up for a code to be in with a chance of picking up general sale tickets.

UK date tickets go on sale from 9am on Friday, 25th September, with additional tranches available the following two days too. The date and time you get access to is specified on the invite code fans should have received by now. Registration ended a week ago on 17th September.

There will of course be plenty of opportunities for the fast-fingered among you to get a resale ticket after the fact. This is also the peak time for fans to get targeted by scams.

The band has posted on its social media warning about these scams, focusing on anyone who has been emailed a code that does not come from the official oasis@openstageit.com email.

“Any codes that are offered for sale are fraudulent and will not enable you to buy tickets,” the band warns. It’s also clearly a scam if you end up directed anywhere but Ticketmaster, where the tour tickets will be sold later this week.

The 2025 tour’s ticket sale was absolute chaos, and the hope is the more broken-up ticket process will avoid that this time around. Ticket prices are expected to land between £71.50 and £266.60 including fees.

• Oasis confirm 2027 world tour: Here's how to definitely (maybe) get tickets

Two decades after Amy Winehouse released Back to Black, the seminal album is coming home to Camden for a very special one-night-only concert.

The Amy Winehouse Band will perform the album in full at Camden’s Roundhouse on Wednesday 21st October, with original producers Mark Ronson and Salaam Remi reunited for the celebration.

And they won't be doing it alone. A seriously impressive collection of artists and friends of the late star will take on Amy's songs, with Corinne Bailey Rae, Jorja Smith, Lianne La Havas, Yebba, FLO, Jessie Reyez, Baby Rose, Nia Smith, Sasha Keable and Skye Newman among the special guests.

The event’s music will be masterminded by Ronson and Remi alongside Amy's long-term musical director Dale Davis, producers Paul O'Duffy and p*nut, and Darcus Beese.

“I’m honoured to be asked to come celebrate Amy alongside Salaam and some amazing artists worthy of singing her songs,” said Ronson. “Doing justice to the legacy of Back to Black is the order of the night.”

Released in October 2006, Back to Black remains a much-loved, landmark album, earning Winehouse five Grammy Awards and selling more than 25 million copies worldwide. Its combination of brutally honest songwriting, retro soul, with Winehouse's unmistakable voice cementing her place as one of the defining artists of her generation. The creative partnership with Ronson also gave us a perennial wedding party classic in the shape of her cover of ‘Valerie’, found on Ronson's Version album and also as a live bonus track on Back to Black in some territories:

What sort of anniversary would it be without a reissue though? A deluxe version of Back to Black will arrive on 23rd October, featuring unreleased demos, rare B-sides and a live performance recorded at Amsterdam's Paradiso in 2007. It will also include previously unseen photography and new liner notes from Ronson and Remi.

And if you can't make it to Camden, the concert will be broadcast on BBC Two in late October, with BBC Radio 2 also airing the show during Jo Whiley's programme on Monday 26th October from 7pm.

How to get tickets for Back to Black 20

An official artist pre-sale is available to fans who pre-order a 20th Anniversary edition of Back to Black from the Amy Winehouse Official Artist Store by 12pm on Monday 28th September.

General ticket sales open at 10am on Thursday 1st October, with tickets available via Metropolis Music.

Twenty years on, it feels particularly fitting that Back to Black is being celebrated in Camden – the London neighbourhood that was so closely intertwined with Amy's life and music. Expect this one to be very hard to get tickets for.

• Inside Blue Note London: 10 star-studded shows to catch during the jazz club’s opening season

UK jazz has been having somewhat of a renaissance for a good few years now. Torchbearers Ezra Collective have repeatedly achieved feats previously thought impossible for bands from the scene, such as winning the Mercury Prize, bagging a Brit Award for Group of the Year and now scoring a number one album.

It seems a perfect time for a new jazz venue to be stirring things up in London, drawing in some of the biggest names from the UK and globally. But this isn’t just any venue – it’s Blue Note, a name synonymous with high class jazz clubs and the best music the contemporary scene has to offer.

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The original Blue Note jazz club opened its doors in New York in 1981 and since then sister venues have popped up around the world, in cities from Shanghai to Rio de Janeiro and Tokyo to Milan. Blue Note London finds its home on St Martin’s Lane Covent Garden – becoming the group’s ninth venue.

Nick Lewis, Director of Music and Programming at the venue buzzes with excitement as he discusses Blue Note London’s vision for its opening season and beyond.

“We’re going to bring a big vibe and a contemporary flavour to seated live jazz and jazz-adjacent gigs in the city! The Blue Note room itself is looking absolutely gorgeous and I’ve no doubt artists are going to love performing there, while music fans are going to love being in the room.”

For Lewis, it was important to support and promote talent from the burgeoning UK scene as well as bringing in the international acts.

“I wanted to feature as many of the big names in our brilliant UK jazz scene as possible to really represent the fact that Blue Note, an American brand, is coming to London and recognises our scene loud and clear.”

With a classic jazz-club feel, extraordinary artists and a fine selection of food and drink, the venue is sure to quickly establish itself in the hearts of London jazz fans. With a stellar opening season this autumn and winter – we pick ten not to be missed shows.

1. Nik West

• 30th Sept + 1st Oct
• Shows at 7pm and 9.30pm

Described by Dave Stewart of Eurythmics as “The female Lenny Kravitz”, Nik West has become known for her gutsy fusions of funk, soul and rock. A virtuosic bassist and highly distinctive singer – West has a commanding stage presence and is bound to light up Blue Note across this four-show run.

2. Baaba Maal

• 4th-6th October
• Two shows per day at 7pm and 9.30pm

A true legend of West African music, Baaba Maal has been fusing the traditional sounds of Senegal with influences from the wider world for over four decades. Throughout his career, he has incorporated everything from the blues to electronic elements with traditional sounds. He will debut a brand-new quintet at this show. A perfect chance to see a genuine pioneer in an intimate setting.

3. IMEHO – An Intimate Experience with Erykah Badu

• 10th + 11th October. Shows at 7pm and 9.30pm

A true original, a five-time Grammy winner and genre defying creative force – there are many ways to describe Erykah Badu. Nick Lewis has called booking her “literally a dream come true” and has noted that these shows “will be her most intimate to date”. Most well-known for legendary albums such as 1997’s Baduizm and 2000’s Mama’s Gun, Badu is bound to delight London audiences as she takes to the Blue Note stage backed by a full live band. If you fancy going, be quick as these shows are bound to sell out.

4. Nubya Garcia

• 15th-17th October
• Shows at 7pm and 9.30pm

Playing six sets across three days, Nubya Garcia will light up the stage with her soaring tenor sax work and fiery compositions. Over many years and with the release of albums such as her much-lauded debut Source and 2024’s Odyssey, she has occupied a position as one of the true trailblazers of contemporary UK jazz. Her mastery of the music sees her create pieces that draw on everything from dub to RnB and classical influences.

5. Hak Baker

• 18th October
• Shows at 7pm and 9.30pm

Hak Baker has quickly become one of the most distinctive and intriguing voices within London’s music scene. A soulful singer and storyteller, he combines elements of everything from folk to post-punk and reggae. His genre smashing approach has earnt him fans from Mike Skinner to Pete Doherty. Why not grab this chance to see a fascinating artist at this early point in his career as he takes to the Blue Note stage.

6. Shabaka

• 19th + 20th October
• Shows at 7pm and 9.30pm

From his punchy high-energy sax work with bands such as Sons of Kemet and the Comet is Coming, to his embrace of flutes and electronics on his solo work, Shabaka is an artist who never stays still for long. With his most recent album Of The Earth, he made every sound, handled production duties and even rapped on two tracks. It’s a set that simply couldn’t have come from any other artist. It’s distinctive, enthralling and exists firmly in its own lane. For these shows he will be joined by guitarist Dave Okumu and drummer Austin Williamson.

7. Brandee Younger

• November 8th
• Shows at 7pm and 9.30pm

Decades ago, legendary figures such as Alice Coltrane and Dorothy Ashby helped establish the harp as a jazz instrument. Now, it’s making a return and demonstrating its role in the contemporary musical landscape. One of the leading proponents is the ever-engaging Brandee Younger whose playing honours those that came before her, but establishes the instrument firmly in a contemporary context.

8. Jazzanova Live feat Wayne Snow

• 27th November
• Shows at 7pm and 9.30pm

During the 1990s Berlin Collective Jazzanova forged a distinctive path making electronic music that drew on jazz. Finding commonality between the fast-developing sound of broken beat and classic jazz instrumentation – this was music born of sample culture. Now with a full live band in tow, Jazzanova will reimagine their boundary pushing classic In Between – reconfiguring music built from samples in the live space.

9. The Brand New Heavies

• 13th - 15th, 20th - 22nd December
• Shows at 7pm and 9.30pm

Formed in 1985, The Brand New Heavies developed a loyal following for their blends of soul and funk. Going on to become a leading light of the UK’s acid jazz scene, they remain a force to be reckoned with in a live setting. The band’s sound is grounded in influences from the 1970s funk of Parliament-Funkadelic and James Brown alongside everything from rare-groove to early hip-hop.

10. Digable Planets

• 18th + 19th December
• Shows at 7pm and 9.30pm

Founded in the late 1980s, Digable Planets helped establish the blue-print for the emerging jazz-rap sound. The trio bring together sharp flows and socially conscious lyrics with beats that sample everything from Herbie Hancock to Art Blakey and Sonny Rollins. Their shows will be backed by a full live band.

• The 9 best jazz clubs in London

Though London has plenty of brilliant places to see live music, from tiny pub back rooms to enormous arenas, it’s an area of the capital under fire. For every great venue Londoners can enjoy, there’s a handful more either closed or under threat of closure from rising costs — especially in the grassroots space where up-and-coming artists build a name for themselves outside of record label prep schools.

Entering into the fray is Apple — yes, the Apple behind your iPhone. Having changed the way the world consumes music with the iPod, iTunes, and now purveyor of the Apple Music streaming service, Apple is hoping to carve out a rather different niche with its brand-new Apple Music Hall, which opens this month inside Battersea Power Station.

• 10 best London music venues for seeing unsigned bands

The 600-capacity venue has been designed to bring the intimacy of a small gig together with the production capabilities you'd normally expect from a much larger concert space. And, naturally, because this is Apple we're talking about, there is a serious amount of technology hiding behind the scenes.

Apple Music Hall takes plenty of visual cues from its iconic surroundings, with heritage brickwork, fluted arches and bronze balconies echoing the architecture of Battersea Power Station. It’s slick — this is a venue more in the vein of the Royal Festival Hall or Barbican than, say, the sticky floors of the Brixton Academy.

But it's what's happening behind the stage that makes the new venue particularly interesting.

Small venue, big tech

Apple says the 600-capacity space has been deliberately designed to “close the gap between intimacy and production value”.

The 38-foot-wide stage can be configured for a conventional front-facing performance or an in-the-round setup, while a 48-speaker Spatial Audio system surrounds the audience. That means you could be watching an artist from relatively close range while experiencing the sort of audio and staging production normally associated with a much larger show.

You won’t necessarily need to be in the room to enjoy the performances taking place at Apple Music Hall, either. Behind the stage are two professional recording and mixing studios, allowing performances to be captured as multitrack recordings and mixed in Spatial Audio either during or after the show.

The venue is also wired for 16 or more cameras, feeding into a dedicated broadcast control room. Apple says iPhone video capture can run alongside conventional broadcast cameras, meaning an artist can perform a relatively intimate London gig and leave with a broadcast-ready mix and multicamera footage. It’s all set for capturing a full concert movie, ready to be shared with fans — presumably through Apple’s own platforms.

ITunes Festival: The Sophomore Album?

The opening also marks something of a return to Apple's long-running relationship with London's live music scene.

Apple previously brought its Apple Music Festival (née iTunes Festival) to venues across London (with a long-standing stint at the Roundhouse). Massive acts like Oasis, Amy Winehouse, Elton John, Coldplay, Charli XCX and dozens more household names played. The line-ups really were impressive.

Apple Music Hall takes that idea in a rather different direction: rather than temporarily taking over an existing venue, Apple now has a permanent London home specifically designed around live performance, recording and broadcasting.

According to Apple Music's global creative director and Apple Music 1 host Zane Lowe, the intention is to make the connection between artists and fans the centre of it.

“We’re always looking for new opportunities to connect the artists and the fans because we are fans,” he said of the opening.

“What better way to celebrate this relationship than a new music venue where we get to experience amazing music in an amazing space and share it with the world. Great music and memories will be made at Apple Music Hall.”

There are still some questions to be answered. Apple has yet to announce the full programme of artists who will take to its new stage, how ticketing will work, and how much shows will cost. Given the company's track record of landing some seriously big names for its London music events, that's the bit we're particularly interested in seeing — could Apple subsidise the cost of seeing the mega-stars it pulls into its orbit? And will there be space for unsigned artists whose live music performance options are dwindling? It’ll be exciting to see how the Battersea spot evolves, but consider us very excited indeed.

• The BIG London gig list 2026: Your guide to this year's very best shows, festivals and concerts

In some of the biggest music news of 2026, Oasis recently announced another tour for next year, but the band apparently won’t play at the UK’s most famous music festival, Glastonbury.

A small gap in the Oasis Live ’27 schedule led some fans to speculate the band could play the festival, but organiser Emily Eavis has replied to one fan, appearing to shut down the rumours.

“Sorry Jimmy, not this time,” Eavis responed to Instagram user named Jimmy Chew following an post announcing Glastonbury ticket details. He had previously commented “please say you’ve got Oasis,” on the post.

Next year’s Glastonbury festival begins on 23rd June, 2027, and runs until 27th June. This sits amid Oasis’ run of gigs at Manchester’s Etihad Stadium, with dates on the 22nd, 25th and 26th June.

In order to play Glastonbury, the band would need to play consecutive days in Manchester and Worthy Farm — and there’s a four-hour drive between the two, and that's when the festival isn’t on.

It's a bit of an ask.

Possible headliners

Oasis last played Glastonbury more than twenty years ago, in 2004, following sets in their 90s heyday in both 1994 and 1995.

Emily Eavis, who has been a key part of the running of Glastonbury festival since 1999, has confirmed the headline acts for 2027 have been secured. She said so during an interview with BBC Radio 4’s PM programme.

No acts have been announced for Glastonbury 2027 yet, though, with Eavis simply suggesting Madonna is not among the headliners.

Bookmakers favourites to appear at the festival's Pyramid stage in 2027 include Sam Fender, Taylor Swift, Charli XCX and Eminem.

There was no Glastonbury this year — it was one of Worthy Farm’s “fallow" years, intended to let the farm's environment recover from having 200,000-plus people move in for the weekend.

Tickets for Glastonbury 2027 go on sale from 1st October, starting with coach packages ahead of general ticket sales on 4th October. Weekend tickets cost £408 and, as usual, they will be in high demand, even without a hand from Oasis. To be in with a chance of attending the festival, you need to pre-register for access over at the festival site — registration closes on 25th September.

• The BIG London gig list 2026: Your guide to this year's very best shows, festivals and concerts

It seems somewhat ironic that the director of The Pete Doherty show - the ramshackle yet surprisingly wholesome new YouTube series fronted by the storied musician alongside comedian co-host Josh Pugh - came to the production fresh from a stint on 24 Hours In Police Custody.

For large stretches of his early career, The Libertines frontman would have been far more likely to pop up on the former programme. Yet now, clean for more than half a decade, living with his wife and daughter in rural France, and managing to hold down several bands simultaneously, Doherty’s pivot to beloved British institution is one of modern pop culture’s most unexpected redemption arcs.

The Pete Doherty Show acts as still-fairly-chaotic proof of his considerable charms. Filmed over five days, predominantly in Doherty’s former home of Margate where The Libertines’ recording studio The Albion Rooms still sits, it finds Doherty and Pugh interviewing guests from the sublime (a sing-song with old bandmate Carl Barat) to the ridiculous (Natalie Cassidy trying to play the Eastenders’ theme tune on a trumpet).

In between are clips of Doherty jumping in the Kent sea, messing about in the studio, and attempting to lead Pugh in a guerilla meditation session on the beachfront. Regular snippets of the first episode, featuring a guest spot from comedian Ivo Graham, are taken up with trying to figure out the question at the crux of the matter: what actually is this?

“That was just how it was edited, they weren't supposed to put those bits in,” Doherty pipes up, speaking to Shortlist from a Belfast dressing room where he’s currently on tour with his other reformed band, Babyshambles.

“It was just us desperately scrambling around for someone who might have the faintest idea what the fuck we were supposed to be doing.” Has he not harboured long-held dreams of hosting a TV show?

“Absolutely not, I was dragged in, kicking and screaming pretty much,” he jokes.

“I wasn’t really sure I wanted to be doing a podcast called The Pete Doherty Show, but I wanted to meet Josh because I’m a fan. It was the blind leading the blind,” he continues, an amused look forming, “quite literally!”

The conversation carries on for a few moments. “Just to add to the blind leading the blind thing,” Doherty clarifies, “Josh plays international men's football for the England blind team, just so you know.”

"It's just instinct"

It’s this sort of whimsical commitment to the bit that’s central to The Pete Doherty Show’s appeal. The loose framework allows its titular star to wander off down whatever trains of thought he might stumble upon, such as the truly insane tale of being held hostage in a Russian bunker that appears in Episode One. Doherty is clearly enjoying himself.

“Pete knows what he's doing, he's a born entertainer,” says Pugh. “It's just instinct, that stuff, and it's wanting to make people laugh - that’s the biggest thing. He’s got a glint in his eye that you can see. You can tell when he’s doing something, it's all just genuine.”

“We want to make people laugh because, you know, you can't tickle yourself,” the musician says sagely.

“It’s scientifically impossible. Hopefully that gets in the show somewhere because I said it about 11 times over the course of the week and I swear it got a laugh at some point. It's quite an interesting scientific fact though, that you cannot physically tickle yourself to the point of laughter…”

Doherty might not be able to tickle himself, but everyone else involved seems appropriately amused. In one social media preview clip, Doherty asks ‘disgraced’ ‘90s TV presenter Richard Bacon if he ever snorted cocaine off the Blue Peter tortoise. In another, he spends an interview with Sleaford Mods frontman Jason Williamson shouting random Mods lyrics at him, out of context.

“Jason comes over as a class warrior, with these angry, vicious lyrics about everyone in society, so I thought I'd like to shout out random lyrics of his, just shout ‘TIT RIFLE!’,” Doherty muses.

“He liked that, I think it put him off guard a bit because he's not actually the sort of bloke that goes around shouting ‘tit rifle’. He's just imitating some obnoxious bloke in the pub. But of course, when you first hear him on stage, he is just going ‘tit rifle!’”

The boys in the bands

At the end of each episode is a live performance from one of the artists on Doherty’s record label Strap Originals, filmed at Margate’s Dalby Cafe - the scene of the musician’s now-legendary big breakfast challenge.

“There was a Canadian bloke that did two full platters in a row,” Doherty tells us, “and [the cafe owner] bet two grand he wouldn't be able to do it because he was so sure that no man, especially a slightly-built fellow from Canada, would be able to wolf down 400 pounds of gluten.”

This time round, the treats are firmly in musical form, with a blistering set from Black Country duo Gans kicking the series off.

“We put that at the end so, even if people are fast-forwarding through, they've got to at least get there,” Pugh says. “You know like in a supermarket where they've got the bread and milk right at the back of the shop?”

A section of one episode is also dedicated to Doherty and Pugh trying to write the show’s theme tune: a scrappy, punky number that manages, impressively, to rhyme “voodoo” and “YouTube”.

“Even if I do say so myself, that’s a great lyric,” Doherty nods. “What you'd pay for that experience, people would absolutely love to do what I've done there,” Pugh grins of his drumming contribution.

There’s a genuine camaraderie between the pair that comes through even on two separate zoom screens. Quipping about the influence of Tony Hancock (“Pete Doherty’s Half Hour would have been a no-brainer title…”), Doherty clearly has comedy bones in him; a genuinely decent drummer, Pugh is visibly delighted to be around the show’s musical guests. There’s a haphazard charm and a mutual enjoyment to the whole production that’s the absolute antithesis of most polished YouTubers trying to sell their brand before people even know what it is. Instead, Pete and Josh don’t really know either, but they’re having a right old laugh figuring it out.

“Specifically, for a long time now, I've noticed that there aren't any shows where you see me and Josh interviewing people,” Doherty decides of the gap in the market he’s trying to fill.

“Yeah, there's been a real dearth of that over the last 20 years,” Pugh nods.

“I feel it's a beautiful template for something that could be a bit of a cult favourite,” the musician concludes.

From a big breakfast to The Big Breakfast, The Pete Doherty Show is bringing loose, lovable anarchy back to the chat show: it’s well worth raising a cuppa to.

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A sad amount of old school rocker London has gone to the graveyard of good times, being priced out of staying open thanks to the new cost of living crisis and the anti-raving probiotic Gen Z. One victim of this was club night Trash, which closed nearly 20 years ago, but thanks to Erol Alkan, it could be getting a new lease of life…

“January 2027 will mark 20 years since we closed our doors forever," Alkan – who founded the club back in 1997 – teased on Instagram. "But there is a light that never goes out. Got somethings to share with you, let's stay in touch." The North London DJ also posted a link to sign up in his bio for the first announcements, encouraging readers to sign up to a new Trash mailing list.

For those not in the know, Trash was a weekly club night in London, known for its indie kid credentials, and celebrated for its genre-defying blend of indie, electro, rock and bootleg mash-ups, hosting early performances from acts including LCD Soundsystem, Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Bloc Party. It was basically the kind of alternative sub-culture night out which would get casually referenced by cool people in Camden, and now gets talked about (well, lamented) by the same Camden cool kids who you’ll overhear in a natural wine bar talking about gentrification. Trash was the kind of night that shaped the identity of the city’s nightlife, influencing the electroclash and nu rave movements that followed.

It first appeared at the original Plastic People in Soho, then at neighbouring venue The Annexe on Dean St, before finally heading to a new home at The End off New Oxford Street. When the club moved and expanded to The End they were joined by Rory Phillips and in the years that followed, Mavs and The Lovely Jonjo.

For the latter 5 years of the club, the last two tracks played were always the same. "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out" by The Smiths (which is referenced in the revamped Trash’s Instagram bio) and then "Rock 'n' Roll Suicide" by David Bowie. Erol Alkan believed "they are the two songs that best reflect club culture, its people and places, highs and lows and bring people together".

Trash joined the likes of The Blitz Club, Plastic People, Turnmills, and Bagley's, all legendary nightclubs which have since closed and become various developments, including forming part of King's Cross' Coal Drops Yard. It's a similar arc to the indie goth kid in your year at school who lost the black eyeliner and is now an accountant with two kids. But maybe, as Trash might be about to prove, there's life in the old dog battered leather jacket yet.

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Oasis have officially announced another huge global tour. After a good old tease across socials, the band have confirmed Live 27.

Registration has already opened for a chance to get tickets, and strict rules are already in place which is no surprise given the absolute stampede (and online queues) it took to secure spots for Live 25. Registration for a chance to buy tickets for all the 38 live shows across UK, Ireland, Mainland Europe and US is open now. However, fans must register before Thursday 17 September 4pm BST (5pm CEST / 8am PT / 11am ET) for a chance to buy tickets.

Demand for Oasis Live ’27 is expected to be extremely high (again, no surprises), and so this registration process has been put in place to reduce queuing times and organised ticket touting in order to give genuine fans the best possible chance to buy tickets. Registration is open now at www.oasisinet.com.

Oasis have today ended months of feverish speculation with the announcement, and Oasis Live ‘27 will see the band play 38 live shows, visiting Scotland, England, Germany, Spain, Netherlands, France, Italy, US and Ireland. With the exception of homecoming shows in Manchester, the tour will see the band perform in a completely new set of locations from the Oasis Live ‘25 tour. Fellow musician and artist Richard Ashcroft will also be returning on the band's live tour as a Special guest at all shows.

Fans who are successful with the registration will be sent a unique, non-transferable code to access an allocated onsale window. In the UK, onsale will take place across Friday 25, Saturday 26 and Sunday 27 September, with three onsale windows on each day. Fans will be informed directly which of the onsale windows they can access, and at what time. The registration process is the only public way to buy tickets for Oasis Live ’27. There will be no general onsale or other public presales outside of this process. This structure has been created to ensure the purchase process is as fair and smooth as possible for Oasis fans. Standard ticket prices will be fixed and range between £71.50 and £266.60, including fees.

We don't have any idea of what the setlist will be like yet, and it's likely that this will stay under wraps until opening night. Although, given the duo are performing at all new venues (bar Manchester) it's not a complete stretch to imagine they might mix it up considerably over the previous 2025 tour setlist. Will there be new music? Who knows... Liam has previously stated that the band have no intention of releasing new music for fear of critical backlash.

Oasis Live ‘27 Tour Dates

May

• May 21 Glasgow, Celtic Park
• May 23 Glasgow, Celtic Park
• May 25 Glasgow, Celtic Park
• May 28 Glasgow, Celtic Park
• May 29 Glasgow, Celtic Park

June

• June 04 Manchester, Etihad Stadium
• June 06 Manchester, Etihad Stadium
• June 08 Manchester, Etihad Stadium
• June 11 Manchester, Etihad Stadium
• June 12 Manchester, Etihad Stadium
• June 15 Manchester, Etihad Stadium
• June 18 Manchester, Etihad Stadium
• June 19 Manchester, Etihad Stadium
• June 22 Manchester, Etihad Stadium
• June 25 Manchester, Etihad Stadium
• June 26 Manchester, Etihad Stadium

July

• July 02 Munich, Allianz Arena
• July 03 Munich, Allianz Arena
• July 10 Barcelona, Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys
• July 11 Barcelona, Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys
• July 16 Amsterdam, Johan Cruijff ArenA
• July 17 Amsterdam, Johan Cruijff ArenA
• July 23 Paris, Stade de France
• July 24 Paris, Stade de France
• July 29 Rome, Stadio Olimpico
• July 30 Rome, Stadio Olimpico

August

• August 10 Boston, Gillette Stadium
• August 13 Boston, Gillette Stadium
• August 14 Boston, Gillette Stadium
• August 20 Las Vegas, Allegiant Stadium
• August 21 Las Vegas, Allegiant Stadium
• August 24 Las Vegas, Allegiant Stadium

Watching a concert film in the cinema is all very well, but there's one obvious problem: you're generally expected to sit down and keep quiet. That, however, won't be an issue when Queen Budapest rocks London's Roundhouse this October.

The legendary 1986 Queen concert film is being transformed into a full-on gig experience for one day only, with the Roundhouse hosting a show where fans can stand, dance, sing along and generally behave as though Freddie Mercury and the band are actually on stage in front of them.

Taking place on Saturday 3rd October 2026, with afternoon and evening performances, the ‘is-it-a-gig?’ event comes just before the new Queen Budapest concert film, remastered by Peter Jackson, gets its worldwide cinema and IMAX release on 7th October.

So what sets this apart from just popping some vintage live Queen on YouTube? We sat down with the team behind the event to find.

One vision (with some AC/DC inspiration)

Queen Budapest: The Concert Film Experience is a fresh take on the live gig experience from the production team at Playback Live, who had a eureka moment whilst working with another rock-royalty group — AC/DC.

“We'd been working with Sony on AC/DC when they were on tour in Europe and the States last year and the year before, and we were doing pop-up fan zones for them,” explains Caroline Lockyer Nibs, CEO of Playback Live.

“We had a large screen where we were playing footage from concerts, and it was just interesting to watch all the fans who were coming — basically initially to buy merch, if we're honest — spending time in front of the screens, and having that shared experience. We were getting approximately 5,000 people a day across all of those sites, so it was a big volume of people who were engaging with the screens and the concert and the footage. So we thought there's got to be something in this.”

“We created these beautiful places for fans to sit and chill out, and all they wanted to do is stand at these screens and just sing their hearts out and dance around together!” adds Rebecca Margariti-Smith, Production and Operations Director at Playback Live.

“Everyone's seen so many of the music biopics now, or Taylor Swift's era's tour in the cinemas. But we've always felt personally that it's a bit of a square peg / round hole situation where, sure, it brings fans the opportunity to connect more with the bands and with the artists they love, but films are very much more of an individual experience. No-one wants any talking during a film in a standard cinema.”

Rather than sitting in a cinema watching a concert on a conventional screen then, the Roundhouse will turn its main space into something much closer to a Queen gig.

The restored concert will be projected onto a giant LED screen, accompanied by full surround sound and synchronised concert lighting. The idea is to recreate some of the scale and atmosphere of being in the crowd at a Queen show, rather than simply watching one.

“The bigger concept of Queen Budapest is that it takes that cinema screening problem and just provides the solution,” says Margariti-Smith, “because, at the end of the day, you're reliving the experience, but in a professional live music setting — big surround sound, and lighting that cinemas just can't do.”

And yes, you're actually allowed to get out of your seat. The organisers say fans can move, dance and sing throughout the screening – so if you've ever found yourself wanting to belt out We Are The Champions beyond a karaoke booth or a football terrace, here’s your chance.

Days of our lives

The footage comes from Queen's legendary 27th July 1986 concert at Budapest's Népstadion, performed during the band's enormous Magic Tour.

Around 80,000 people packed into the stadium to see the band, making the show a landmark moment: Queen became the first Western stadium rock band to perform behind the Iron Curtain.

It also has an added poignancy for Queen fans: This was the band's final filmed live performance, captured just three years before Freddie Mercury's death in 1991. It therefore offers a remarkable document of Queen at the height of its stadium-rock powers – with Mercury, Brian May, Roger Taylor and John Deacon performing together.

The setlist is suitably stacked, a greatest hits show including We Will Rock You, We Are The Champions, A Kind of Magic, Crazy Little Thing Called Love, Under Pressure, Who Wants To Live Forever, Hammer To Fall and Bohemian Rhapsody — all primed for mass-singalong potential at the Roundhouse.

The team are more than aware of the reverential love for the gig that fans have, and are striving to do it justice in the production — not just for the fans, but for the surviving band members, too.

“We want to do it to a high quality, that's important, and that is signed off by the band themselves,” says Margariti-Smith.

“The only reason they were doing it is because Sony went to Brian May and Roger Taylor. They were both really excited by it, which is great. And obviously, as soon as we heard that and learnt that they'd given their nod, we were like, right, we're onto something here.”

It’s an important show for Sony too — it spent $1 billion in securing the rights to the Queen back catalogue, and while the remaining members still tour (with Adam Lambert now in front of the mic), that purchase will only pay for itself over decades, not years. As the band grows older, events like Playback Live’s show will give fresh generations of fans reason to splash the cash on Queen’s music for years to come.

A magic makeover

If you've seen Queen Budapest before, this isn't simply a re-release with a new poster. The original 35mm footage has been restored and rescanned in 4K by Peter Jackson's Park Road Post Production facility (the team that worked wonders on all that archive footage of The Beatles for Disney), while the original multitrack recordings have been given newly remixed audio.

The production team are taking full advantage of the technical wizardry at the heart of the remaster.

“We've got the main audio production team that were involved in Peter Jackson’s remastering,” explains Margariti-Smith.

“We’re working really carefully together, collaborating. They’re very much a post-production film, audio, and visual team. But then we're coming at it as a live events team. This is our bread and butter. This is what we know, and we have our experts, from audio designers to lighting designers that work in the live space. They're top of their game, doing shows across the West End.”

As well as live lighting to mimic a concert experience and 360-degree sound, the show will also benefit from a live-on-the-night mix, tuned to match the atmosphere in the venue.

“We've really gotten into the weeds of how the original '86 recording was made, what stems were there, what's then delivered in the film, how we can then take it as a live event, as if they were the band on the stage,” says Margariti-Smith.

“We've got our audio front of house engineer who'll be doing that live mix, and that comes in play as well with the 5.1 surround sound.

“This is the first time that we’ve been able to get stems, which are almost like the audio files of a film, as separate files. That's not just pre-delivered as part of the reel like in the cinemas. We can adjust [the mix], temper it in a live space — when you're hearing the audience track on the film, we can adjust that in the main space because we've got real audience participation, too.”

From Budapest to the Roundhouse

There'll also be an 80s DJ set before the film, while original Queen memorabilia from the band's archive will be displayed around the venue. Photo opportunities, bars and an exclusive Queen Budapest merchandise pop-up complete the line-up — but the glorious Roundhouse venue itself, with its circular shape and skeletal interior leftovers from its former days as railway turntable, will be just as key to shaping the atmosphere on the night.

“It's a great, iconic music venue, which is what we wanted,” says Lockyer Nibs. “That was really important for the idea, that we went to somewhere that was known as a gig space. And it's a good capacity number as well for this kind of event, as it's not too big.”

Fancy belting out Radio Ga-Ga in the heart of Camden? Tickets are available for two performances on Saturday 3rd October 2026, with the matinee opening at 2pm, and the evening performance opening at 7pm.

And there's a nice bit of timing to it all: the Roundhouse event comes just weeks after what would have been Freddie Mercury's 80th birthday, making the screening something of a celebration of the singer's enduring legacy as well as Queen's extraordinary live career.

“To be up on level two during Bohemian Rhapsody, and just looking down on the audience and their engagement, I think I’m going to cry,” smiles Lockyer Nibs.

Hankies at the ready all round then.

Tickets for the Roundhouse performances are available now.

• The top 50 best rock albums of all time, ranked

Oasis Live ’25 will go down as one of the all-timer band comebacks, so it’s no surprise Oasis are back for another dose.

The band posted video of a drone display that took to the skies above Manchester last night, teasing that details will be revealed on 14th September at 4pm.

The drones were arranged as the band logo, before rearranging to display that date and time.

• The 16 best Oasis songs of all time, ranked

This isn’t the first of the band’s teasers either. They have spent the last few days dropping hints as to where they will play during the next Oasis tour.

Amsterdam, Glasgow, Paris, Rome and Boston concerts are expected, while shows in Oasis hometown Manchester and Knebworth are likely on the cards too.

This latest tease was shot over the Etihad stadium in Manchester, which has somewhere in the region of 60,000 capacity.

We’re yet to hear of plans for London — but then we have only a few days to wait until the full reveal on Monday, 14th September.

During the Live ’25 Tour, Oasis played seven nights at Wembley Stadium, spread across July, August and September 2025.

While the band haven’t released an album since 2008, the tour received largely rave reviews. The band artfully avoided seeming like desperate has-beens: Oasis still rock, apparently, performing with signature swagger and muscularity.

Big fan of the band? Oasis: Don’t Look Back in Anger is currently in cinemas, and is a documentary film about the reunion. It too is absolutely worth watching.

Despite all this success, the official word is there are absolutely no plans for Oasis to make a new album. Liam Gallagher has, a few times now, replied to fans on X about why this would be a bad idea — and his explanation does make sense.

“People would moan if it wasn’t up there with the classics and all the music magazines would give it 4 out of 5 then we’d all cry and the pressure would be too much then we’d split up again,” Gallagher wrote in one of these explanations. Fair enough.

The Gallagher brothers have of course made plenty of music separately since Oasis’s last split. Most recently, Liam released an album with John Squire in 2024, while Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds put out Council Skies in 2023.

We’ll be back with Oasis’ full tour details on Monday.

• Exclusive: The new Oasis film made its directors cry — and could even inspire the next James Bond

After his mega Wembley Stadium run of concerts this year, Harry Styles has announced another batch for 2027.

Styles will play the stadium once more on 25th, 26th and 27th August, 2027, with support from the iconic Tears for Fears on all three dates.

The shows are part of a second leg of his Together, Together tour, which sees him dart across the US and Europe from April 2027, before landing in the UK and Ireland to finish off the job. There are two shows at Dublin’s Croke Park on 18th and 20th August.

His list of support acts is pretty fantastic too. LCD Soundsystem joins for the Rome shows, while Kylie Minogue will play the Los Angeles dates. Minehead’s own Getdown Services are out for the Berlin gigs too.

How to get tickets

Want tickets? The London tickets go on sale from 17th September, at 11am. And to help counter the fact these shows’ tickets will probably cost a small fortune, an “unpredictable fun tickets” scheme is planned.

This will let a lucky few get hold of £20 tickets. We’re told more details on these cheapies will be released soon.

Harry Styles fans probably shouldn’t rely on getting those, and should instead consider presale periods too. There are two of ‘em. The first requires an AMEX, American Express, card. That presale begins on 15th September at 11am.

The “artist” presale starts a day later on 16th September, at 11am, and you simply have to sign up for access over at Ticketmaster’s website. Sign-up closes at 14th September at 5am.

Harry Styles’s original Wembley batch of concerts ran from 23rd June to 4th July this year, a 12-concert series that was granted a Guinness World Record for the longest run at the venue to date. Coldplay previously held the record, following their 10-date run in 2025.

The 2026 Wembley Stadium concerts were supported by Shania Twain, and tickets went for anything from around £45 to £500. All 12 nights were sell-outs, and we doubt he’ll have much trouble selling out these final three Wembley Stadium dates.

• The BIG London gig list 2026: Your guide to this year's very best shows, festivals and concerts

“I remember one night in this squat in South London when a really early version of Foals played in the basement,” recalls Blaine Harrison, frontman of stalwart UK indie band Mystery Jets.

“During the set this wall was destroyed and everyone got covered in brick dust and blood. I was chatting to these people over a tinny in the garden and they were TV researchers, and then a few months later, I remember watching Skins and being like, ‘Oh shit, you're creating characters based on all of our friends’. What was going on on screen was basically a replication of what us and all our friends were doing, being sold to the younger generation.”

When Skins first appeared on TV screens at the start of 2007, it pointed towards a change in the temperature of ‘00s alternative British culture. The Libertines frontman Pete Doherty would announce his short-lived engagement to the country’s most famous supermodel Kate Moss a few months later. The seismic youthquake of guitar bands that began with The Strokes and soon travelled across the Atlantic with The Libertines, Bloc Party, Franz Ferdinand and more had already begun to yield a slew of second wave major label signings like The Kooks. Soon, social media would mutate from a nascent, rose-tinted place of Myspace and rudimentary, fan-centric message boards to another means for the industry to regain total control. What had begun as a sexy, hedonistic antidote to the turn-of-the-century beige wave of Starsailor, Travis et al had gone commercial.

But for a pivotal window at the start of the decade, says author Janine Warren, “it felt like there was a really exciting energy. For a while, it really did feel as if culture was something young people could make for themselves.”

It’s this rise and fall-out of the last great British indie boom that Warren - who worked directly as a PR with bands including The Strokes and The Libertines - has documented in The World Was A Mess But His Hair Was Perfect: a new book compiling first-hand testimonies from artists and key players, looking back on the period now often affectionately known as ‘indie sleaze’.

Like Meet Me In The Bathroom before it, it walks readers through the scene via memories and anecdotes told directly by those who were there. But where Meet Me In The Bathroom’s eulogy of noughties New York still contains a sort of sketchy, underground glamour, there is something infinitely more homespun and charmingly haphazard about its British equivalent. Here, we get Wakefield sibling trio The Cribs throwing up in a plant pot after taking a meeting with Tom from Myspace, and The Libertines turning up to early gigs with their first drummer - a 70-year-old pensioner nicknamed Mr. Razzcocks.

Glorious, noisy, drunken

Crucial to the atmosphere of The World Was A Mess But His Hair Was Perfect (named after a track by London post-punks The Rakes) is the London nightlife at its centre: club nights like Trash, AfterSkool, White Heat and Frog, where you could dance most nights of the week with like-minded souls, get pissed for a tenner, and very possibly bump into someone who’d be on the cover of the NME the next month. If those sticky walls could talk, they would doubtless need their own, even heftier biography.

“There was this brief period where [the trends] felt like they were coming from the young people in the clubs and it was them making the decisions about what was cool,” says Warren.

Leonie Cooper, former NME journalist and current Food and Drink Editor at Time Out, spent her formative years rattling around the capital’s vibrant indie club circuit. “I went to Trash once and Grace Jones was there, she just looked me dead in the eye, lifted up her skirt and then put it back down. I was like ‘All right, decent, just been flashed by Grace Jones’,” she recalls.

“Another time, Kings of Leon were there. My friend Jo was wearing all these bangles that she had made, and she gave some of them to the band and then, two weeks later, they were on the cover of NME wearing the bangles. Nobody ever told us to fuck off, and I don't think it was because we were teenage girls because we were all quite goofy back then. I think everyone was just really open to having a chat. And they knew if you were in this place as well, you were probably on the same wavelength.”

For fans, bands and budding music industry bods alike, these nights became a hub and an entry point to a world that, suddenly, was all around you, in glorious, noisy, drunken technicolour.

“I met journalists from NME at Trash, and I think I got an internship at The Face because I’d see them there. I thought I was just being a slightly annoying teenager shouting at people, but in fact, I was networking,” says Cooper.

Hey scenesters!

“Going out five nights a week was a huge part of it,” agrees Harrison.

“That was how a lot of bands [like Mystery Jets] found an audience in the first place. When you were at school, you maybe had your clique of three or four people that liked the same music as you or dressed like you. But suddenly, when we arrived in London and started going to places like Candybox and AfterSkool and Trash, it was like, ‘Oh shit, it's like the ‘me’ of every town and we're all here’.”

Originating from Twickenham curio Eel Pie Island, it was through their affiliation with Trash that Mystery Jets would form a friendship with DJ Erol Alkan, who would produce their second album ‘21’ and its big hit ‘Two Doors Down’. Almost 20 years later they’re still going strong, having just released their seventh album ‘A Hole To See The Sky Through’.

Up north, meanwhile, Nick Hodgson - original drummer and songwriter of Kaiser Chiefs, and now vocalist in indie supergroup Everyone Says Hi, whose new album ‘Funny ‘Cos It’s True’ lands on October 9th - had spent the early years of the noughties running Leeds club night Pigs. Its community became so integral to Kaiser Chiefs’ story that, following a particularly rowdy gig with fellow Leeds band Black Wire, Hodgson was inspired to write their breakthrough hit ‘I Predict A Riot’.

“Pigs created a big gang of people in Leeds who could be identified by their hair or clothes, and I think that’s my favourite memory of that time - walking about feeling like you were part of something new,” Hodgson recalls.

“I do feel very grateful that I was able to start a band in the early noughties and not now. Despite it being easier now to get your music out there, it feels harder to find an audience.”

Harrison agrees: “I don't think genres really exist or have the same relevance as they did and, in some ways, that's a good thing. But it does mean that it's hard to build a fan base as a new artist because people might know a minute of one viral song, but they won’t have necessarily taken a deep dive if they're not invested in everything that you're about.”

Noughties nostalgia

Pre-Spotify and TikTok, there’s a sense of tribalness to the scenes of The World Was A Mess that seems unlikely to return.

“It was always important to me, that sense of belonging,” says Warren. “It was never just about the bands. It was about the people and the places that allowed those bands to mean something.”

And as the cost of living rises, with the average price of a pint in London sitting at £6.50 according to the British Beer and Pub Association, perhaps even the notion of affording to go out multiple nights a week is the noughties’ biggest cause for nostalgia.

“I had the educational maintenance allowance from the government which was £30 a week so I would stay in secondary education and go to sixth form, and I feel like that got me out for five nights a week,” Cooper remembers.

“Drinks at Cheapskates in Soho were 60p and they were rank but they had alcohol in them. They did work.”

“At White Heat you could get a bottle of Smirnoff Ice or a Becks for two pounds, and you'd already drunk half a bottle of wine on the bus to get there,” Harrison agrees. “Most of our clothes just came from charity shops. It was cheap.”

It’s easy to see why, in a world of Ozempic and photo filters, when people’s digital footprint is more highly curated than their real life existence, a less manicured approach to the world might also appeal. The images in Warren’s book are candid snaps of dancing revellers and backstage photos of bands piled on top of each other, sharing an experience in the moment.

“There's a kind of messy decadence to it: the chaos, the imperfection, the creativity, the optimism. Yes you’d plan your outfit, but by 3am no one was worrying about their eyeliner because no one was going to be seeing you on TikTok the next day,” says Warren.

“Now, when you look at people sharing pictures on Instagram of them in the club, everyone's so polished and they look fucking great. Whereas we sort of looked like sweaty little rats in a 1980s rah-rah dress,” says Cooper.

“We all look sort of dreadful, but we all look so happy.”

The World Was A Mess But His Hair Was Perfect is out now via Omnibus Press.

• The BIG London gig list 2026: Your guide to this year's very best shows, festivals and concerts

Raves of yore might conjure up memories of dingy backrooms where you can literally see sweat beading down the crumbling walls of a space that you’re pretty sure used to be some kind of paper making warehouse. Nowadays, you can find parties in some of the UK’s finest establishments, from discos at the National History Museum to raves in a sauna. Now another London landmark is joining the lineup, as St Paul’s Cathedral gets ready to party.

Swapping Evensong for EDM, St Paul’s Cathedral has reportedly signed a four year deal with night out titans Fabric who throw some of the best gigs in town. The two have teamed up to bring live music events to play out under the domed cathedral, with the first event kicking off in October.

Whilst you may not immediately think of a 300 odd year old ecclesiastical site of worship as a natural home for a rave (though churches were the original ravers back in Tudor times — just cast your mind back to belting out a verse of Shine Jesus Shine at school assembly if you don’t believe me...) it’s not the first time the two have teamed up. The last time the two institutions paired was in 2024 when a candle lit cathedral hosted Australian singer Ry X and later punk legend Patti Smith. Whilst these were one off events, 2026 marks the first time the two have devised a full multi-year programme.

Fabric has plenty of other gigs happening across the capital. As well as its flagship nightclub, Fabric London, it hosts a series of other events across other London landmarks like the Shard, EartH, and the British Museum, as well as takeover nights.

Details of the events at St Paul’s are still being kept fairly under wraps, but Fabric has hinted that a ‘broad range of artists’ will feature on the line up.

‘The programme will bring together artists from different musical backgrounds and disciplines, creating experiences that respond to the unique atmosphere, acoustics and architecture of the space,’ the nightclub said in a statement.

Whilst it looks like we’ll have to wait for more details on the event programme, including the first event, we hopefully won’t have to wait too long as the first gig is pencilled in for October 29th. No tickets are available yet, and we don’t have an idea of prices either but you can sign up for early access to tickets via their website.

• The BIG London gig list 2026: Your guide to this year's very best shows, festivals and concerts

Some of British music’s most recognisable names are heading to King’s Cross this month for a one-night-only fundraiser in support of medical workers struggling in the ongoing war in Gaza, bringing together punk, ska, indie and new wave royalty under one roof.

Artists for Gaza returns to London’s Scala on 27th September, with Paul Weller, members of Madness, The Clash’s Paul Simonon, Primal Scream frontman Bobby Gillespie, The Specials’ Jerry Dammers and Dexys Midnight Runners’ Kevin Rowland among those taking part.

The event is raising money for Health Workers 4 Palestine, with funds supporting its work providing aid and support to Palestinian health workers. The first three Artists for Gaza events have already raised more than £80,000, funding food, medical care and shelter.

And this isn't a stadium-sized charity spectacular where you're watching dots on a distant stage. Scala's intimate 800-capacity setting means this is a rare chance to see some genuinely iconic names up close.

Live sets and DJ turns

Weller is set to perform live, while four members of Madness — Suggs, Barso, Bedders and Thomo — will also take to the stage. Kevin Rowland, legendary producer Clive Langer, Lisa Moorish and Roxy Music saxophonist Andy Mackay complete the live line-up, while Simonon, Dammers, Gillespie and Princess Julia will be behind the decks.

Artists for Gaza was created by legendary London club promoter Chris Sullivan, founder of the Wag Club — a key part of the capital's creative culture throughout the 1980s that brought together everyone from David Bowie to De La Soul.

With a line-up that reads like an extremely well-curated British music history lesson, this is set to be one of September's most remarkable London gigs — and one where the ticket money is going towards an important cause.

“The world’s attention may have drifted, but the killing fields in Gaza have continued," Dr Omar Abdel-Mannan, Founder of Health Workers 4 Palestine said.

"Hospitals have been reduced to rubble, children are dying from wounds and hunger that are entirely preventable, and the health workers still standing are performing the impossible with almost nothing. That is precisely why nights like this matter. Every pound raised at the Scala goes directly into the HW4P Solidarity Fund, putting medical aid, equipment and support into the hands of the people treating patients on the ground.

"Music and solidarity can’t stop the bombs — but they can keep a lifeline open. We refuse to look away, and we’re asking London to stand with us.”

Artists for Gaza takes place at Scala, London, on 27th September. Tickets are available now via artistsforgaza.org.uk.

• The BIG London gig list 2026: Your guide to this year's very best shows, festivals and concerts

Six years ago, The Molotovs were busking around London. Now, after a summer smashing through festivals across Europe, they’re preparing for their biggest UK tour yet - including two nights at London’s O2 Forum Kentish Town after the first sold out.

For siblings Mathew and Issey Cartlidge, now 18 and 20 years old, it has been quite the crash course in starting a band. Before even releasing their debut album, ‘Wasted On Youth’ earlier this year, The Molotovs had already clocked up hundreds of gigs and shared stages with the likes of The Libertines, Sex Pistols and Blondie. When it comes to building a band from the pavement up, they’ve put in the hours.

So how do you go from Oxford Street busker to thousands of paying fans? According to The Molotovs: gig constantly, play absolutely anywhere, know exactly who you are - and learn how to survive your bandmates. Especially if they happen to be family.

We sat down with Mathew and Issey to talk busking, building a following, finding your identity, surviving terrible early gigs and why starting a band with your sibling risks turning things distinctly Gallagher-esque.

Consider this your ten-step guide to forming a band - flying platform boots not included…

1. Get out and gig. A lot...

“Genuinely, just gig loads,” says Issey.

“For us, it’s how we started,” the bassist adds, “You start because you just love the thrill of live performance. You want to go out there and get out this extra energy. From honing our craft that way, we obviously got to the point where we could record an album, be on a record label and do all the stuff that follows.”

“Go out and gig, because that’s the best rehearsal you’re ever going to get.”

“But do both,” adds Mathew, “We don’t just go gigging without rehearsing anything!”

2. Don’t get into a band with your sibling

The Molotovs have one fairly significant disadvantage when it comes to getting along with their bandmates: they’re siblings.

“I don’t think you need to get along,” reveals Issey.

“We’re quite Gallagher-esque actually,” shares Mathew, “It’s just that we don’t really have cricket bats around! She has hit me with 6-inch heeled boots before though.”

The worst it has got, they tell us, involved a festival, a pile of freshly cleaned clothes and a pair of enormous La Moda boots.

“I spent all my time ironing my clothes,” says Mathew, “I’d washed them all. They were all really clean. And when I went in there, they were all scattered across the floor - and she’d be stepping all over them with her muddy boots.”

“I loved these clothes. They had mud all over them. I went f*cking mental!”

Eventually, Mathew attempted to make peace.

“I was going to say something like, ‘Look, I’m sorry for going mental, but you understand why I’m angry, right?’

“I was halfway through the word ‘sorry’ and then a boot comes flying at me!”

Issey remembers it differently.

“I remember my thought process. I said to myself, ‘If you say one more word about this…’ because you wouldn’t stop going on about it. You wouldn’t stop!”

“I thought, ‘If he says one more thing, I’m getting him. You did say one more thing, and that’s when I got you!”

3. Don’t wait until you’re ‘ready’

“Every band shouldn’t do it the topsy-turvy way of recording first and then playing live,” says Issey.

“I think you can always tell when someone breaks and they’ve had something like a big online moment and they they’re like, ‘Sh*t, I’ve got to do some gigs!’ and they’re not prepared for it.”

And you can’t just post online content without getting out there anyway: Mathew has a fairly simple response:

“What are you going to film and post then?”

4. Busk until you can stop someone in ten seconds

“I think it hardens you as performers,” says Mathew, “because people who walk by don’t necessarily want to hear your music.

“They’ve had a busy day at work or whatever, and the last thing they want to hear is a couple of kids who can’t really fucking play, playing really loudly. They just want to get on their train back home to their loved ones or whatever.

“You’ve got to turn them around within about ten seconds of them walking by. That’s quite a skill.”

5. Play absolutely anywhere

Before the Molotov’s massive global headline shows came every kind of gig imaginable.

“We played everything,” says Mathew, “Weddings and parties, street parties and birthdays and all sorts. Churches, art exhibitions, private members’ clubs, pubs…”

“Anywhere that would have us,” adds Mathew.

“People’s gardens!” says Issey.

Pro tip: Busking could lead directly to the next booking, too.

“People would book us by throwing pieces of paper into our guitar case. It wasn’t money, unfortunately, but it was more valuable in the end,” explains Mathew.

Those notes would say “Ring me for a gig,” - which actually led to some of the band’s first indoor shows.

6. Treat every gig as training

“I guess our stage presence was built on those gigs,” remembers Issey, “It was like a baptism of fire.

“All those busking sets, all those gigs, and just knowing how to please an audience as well.”

Some were more memorable than others.

“We used to play at Millwall Football Club, before their games. Those were interesting!” says Mathew.

Then there was a wedding where the band performed The Beatles’ Oh! Darling for the first dance.

“It was a pretty bad rendition, but they seemed to enjoy it,” says Issey.

“The bride and groom fell out at the wedding,” she adds, “I was maybe 14 or 15 years old and I was on the steps just outside this social club, with all the bridesmaids and the bride. She was crying into my shoulder…”

After consoling the bride, there was still work to do.

“I was stroking her hair. Then I was like, ‘Oh my God, I’m going to go on and do another set now!’”

7. Build your following in the real world

“We built up our following from that,” explains Issey, “People would follow us when we were busking and we’d have the social media.

“There are still people coming now who saw us way back then.”

That real-world following has grown at the same rate as their gig venues.

Mathew shares: “We sort of level it by London. The Electric Ballroom is like 1,500 capacity. Now we’re doing 5,000 tickets in London, and across the country it’s getting bigger.”

8. Know exactly what your band is

“Know who you are,” says Issey.

“That’s a good thing for anyone, but I mean know what your band is about. That can change, but have an identity. Have a strong visual image.”

That sense of identity helped the band get gigs from the beginning.

“A lot of the time, the reason we got good gigs was because we were aesthetically minded. We had a very ‘classic mod’ get up, but it worked because people could imagine us playing their weddings!”

9. Make the way you look part of the band

“I think the way we dress reflects the music, and I think there’s a very cohesive balance,” says Mathew..

“It’s having a tribe, isn’t it?” adds Issey.

“I guess it’s just a sense of identity,” continues Mathew, “I think it’s very human to want to attach yourself to a sort of tribe.

10. Don’t obsess over whether you’ve made it

For a band that has gone from busking to playing festivals across Europe, identifying the exact moment things changed is surprisingly difficult.

“You don’t really find success until you look back, really,” says Mathew.

“Yeah,” says Issey, “You’re just in the eye of the storm all the time.”

“There’s just so much. I guess it’s hard to say where the success is and quantify what that step up is.”

Six years in, perhaps that is The Molotovs’ simplest lesson of all: keep playing first, work out how far you’ve come later… and try to avoid the flying boots.

The Molotovs have announced that their second album, Welcome To Urbia, will be out on 9th April 2027. The record is the follow up to their No.3-hit debut, Wasted On Youth. The Molotovs’ ‘Welcome To Urbia’ UK tour kicks off across the UK this September, with a second London date added at the O2 Kentish Town Forum on September 26 after the first date sold out. Tickets are available now.

• The 50 best punk albums of all time

Dolly Parton's epic legacy will be celebrated with a two-day festival in London next year called, of course, DollyFest.

London is one of two cities announced to stage the commemorative festival, the other being Nashville, the heartland of country music. But we like to think this shows the level of affection the international treasure had for the capital — and vice versa.

Dollyfest was announced by Dolly Parton’s estate recently, following her death on 25th August.

Most of the finer details are yet to be announced. We don’t know when DollyFest will happen beyond some time in 2027, any of the planned acts or what venue will take on this responsibility. So far Parton’s estate has simply said the Nashville and London events will take place on consecutive weekends.

DollyFest London also has a longer history than you might guess. A decade ago in 2016, Dolly reportedly had plans to curate a DollyFest do in Hyde Park — but that was always subject to finding time in her busy schedule. And it never happened.

A similar event was also scheduled to take place in January 2026 too, but was officially postponed thanks to Dolly Parton’s health issues. It was originally to be a Nashville-only festival, so while the upcoming event will now have a sad tenor, at least at points, it will be a larger party.

“We had the venue booked and we had the announcement ready to go. And then, in August 2025, Dolly had to take a step back after her initial health challenges,” says DollyFest organiser Danny Nozell.

“DollyFest will be the party of a lifetime she wanted to share with the world,” reads the event’s announcement.

Dolly Parton last played the UK in 2014, a year in which she performed two concerts at The O2 as well as a set at Glastonbury’s Pyramid Stage that year. You can watch BBC footage of that set over at YouTube:

• The BIG London gig list 2026: Your guide to this year's very best shows, festivals and concerts

The curtain has fallen on Ariana Grande’s emotional residency at London’s O2 Arena — and with it comes a break from public life for the pop superstar.

In the face of intense media scrutiny, Grande last night capped off a 10-night run at the London venue — the final stretch of her Eternal Sunshine world tour which kicked off in the US in June. 200,000 travelled the globe to see the London leg alone.

"This has been one of the most beautiful, extraordinary experiences of my life. I just wanted to express my gratitude without sobbing completely," she said near the show’s finale.

"I'll cherish this experience always. I have the best fans in the entire world and I always have. Thank you for all of your effort and continuing to make this so special.

"I have loved every minute of this with you all and I just wanted to make sure I express how grateful I am."

The gig (which Shortlist was in attendance for) was a masterclass in pop, with Grande blasting out hits including ‘Thank U, Next’, ‘Break Free’ and ‘One Last Time’. Elaborate, narrative-driven staging saw the star dance around a haunted house, run down a projection-mapped Wicked-nodding Brick Road, and eventually ascend into the rafters.

But the gig also represents a point of uncertainty for the star, with fans left unsure when Grande will return to the stage.

What’s next for Ariana Grande?

Grande’s Eternal Sunshine tour had always been billed as the singer’s final run of gigs for a while — in themselves her first tour in seven years. Grande had been intending to focus on her acting career, following an Oscar-nominated role in Wicked.

During a gig in Chicago in August, Grande addressed her decision to take a step back, saying it "was not a reactive or impulsive thing. It is something that I had decided to plan... quietly, a long time ago."

But it did not stop fans from speculating about Grande’s frail appearance, leading many to wonder if a health reason was the driving factor in Grande's decision.

Grande had been set to return to London next summer for a production of Stephen Sondheim's Sunday in the Park with George at London's Barbican, alongside Wicked co-star Jonathan Bailey. But Grande announced she would not be taking part, leading to Bailey also leaving the production.

Grande’s life-long career — she was a child star on the Nickelodeon TV network — has been often hit with tragedy. Twenty-two people were killed and 1,017 injured at a Grande show in Manchester in 2017. Grande’s one-time partner Mac Miller also passed away due to an accidental drug overdose in 2018.

If it is the final gig — and public outing — for Grande for the foreseeable future, she leaves the stage on a high. There are few pop stars more deserving of a break.

Ariana Grande's September 1st, London O2 Arena setlist was:

• Act I
• petal (intro)
• yes, and?
• positions
• dandelion
• the boy is mine (extended outro)
• Act II
• kiss me / Saturn Returns Interlude (video interlude)
• eternal sunshine (with live looped vocals layers intro)
• just like magic (extended outro)
• The Way / break up with your girlfriend, i'm bored / no tears left to cry / God is a woman (interlude)
• thank u, next
• 7 rings (extended)
• Act III
• freak (video interlude)
• imperfect for you
• warm (extended intro)
• safety net
• One Last Time
• Rain on Me (extended intro)
• Break Free
• Act IV
• (Video interlude: excerpts from "The Wizard of Oz", "The Way", "Be Alright" and "better off")
• twilight zone
• past life
• Dangerous Woman
• kiss me
• oh well
• nowhere, nobody
• like i do
• Honeymoon Avenue
• Hampstead (extended outro)
• Act V
• (Video interlude)
• Into You
• hate that i made you love me
• Encore:
• we can't be friends (wait for your love)
• supernatural
• ordinary things
• (Video outro with versions of "peaches";)

• The BIG London gig list 2026: Your guide to this year's very best shows, festivals and concerts

It’s the 50th anniversary of the birth of punk this year, and the Sex Pistols are celebrating in true punk fashion: by getting back on stage and bringing a touch of anarchy to the UK.

The Sex Pistols (now featuring former Gallows frontman Frank Carter) have announced a new run of UK dates for their ‘Anarchy In The UK – 50 Years Of Punk’ tour, taking the band around the country this December. The run includes shows in Portsmouth, Bristol and two big London dates: O2 Academy Brixton on 18th December and Eventim Apollo on 20th December.

• 50 Years of Punk: A Shortlist Celebration

Original members Steve Jones, Paul Cook and Glen Matlock will be joined by Carter on vocals, continuing the punk past-and-present collaboration that began in 2024 following the Sex Pistols' return to the stage.

And if you think having the young(ish) frontman standing in for John Lydon sounds like sacrilege, Carter himself would probably understand the concern. In our recent exclusive interview, he admitted that joining the band was initially something of a terrifying prospect. When Matlock first approached him about taking over vocal duties, Carter told us he was “really blindsided” – before shaking himself off and immediately taking the gig.

It helps that Carter isn't approaching the job as an impersonation exercise. The former Gallows frontman grew up idolising the Pistols, and says Lydon was one of the reasons he got into music in the first place. “I want to do them proud,” he told Shortlist, adding that without Lydon he wouldn't be in music at all.

Passing the torch

That sense of responsibility might be a bit of modesty on the singer’s part, given Carter's own punk pedigree. With Gallows, he helped drag British hardcore punk into the mainstream in the 2000s before fronting Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes.

But Carter says the point isn't simply to recreate the past. He hopes someone young will come to a Sex Pistols show with their dad or grandparent, see “one guitar, one bass drum, and a singer sweating” and decide to start their own band.

That's probably the most punk justification for a 50th-anniversary tour imaginable.

Here’s that run of dates in full:

DECEMBER

• 4th – Leeds O2 Academy
• 5th – Newcastle NX
• 7th – 3Arena – Dublin
• 9th – Corn Exchange – Edinburgh
• 10th – O2 Academy – Glasgow
• 12th – Liverpool Olympia
• 14th – Birmingham O2 Academy
• 15th – Portsmouth Guildhall
• 16th – Bristol Prospect Building
• 18th – Brixton Academy – London
• 20th – Eventim Apollo – London

• The 50 best punk albums of all time

London is about to get a very Jay-Z-shaped dose of nostalgia, with a huge immersive pop-up experience arriving in Trafalgar Square from today, September 1st.

The five-day installation is part of 'JAY-Z 30', celebrating three decades since the rapper began his career, and comes just days before his two huge shows at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on 4th and 5th September.

• The BIG London gig list 2026: Your guide to this year's very best shows, festivals and concerts

Running until Friday 5th September, the free-to-visit experience will transport fans back to 2001, the year Jay-Z released The Blueprint. Yes, it's been 25 years Jay-Z world beating album reached our ears. Expect a wall of televisions playing music videos, live performances and 'period programming' from the era, giving recent converts to Jay-Z's best album a taste of what the cultural landscape was way back in the year of our Lord 2001.

99 Problems But a Merch Stand Ain't One

And if the trip down memory lane isn't enough, there'll also be an exclusive Jay-Z 30 merchandise collection available to buy at the pop-up, created specifically for the 30th anniversary celebrations.

The experience also celebrates the collaboration between Armand de Brignac and Assouline's The Book of HOV: A Tribute to JAY-Z, giving fans another reason to part with some cash while they're there.

The London installation follows the first chapter of Jay-Z 30 in New York, with the celebration set to continue in Paris alongside his show there on 10th September, before heading to Los Angeles for his October dates.

For Londoners, though, this is a particularly timely chance to get into the Jay-Z spirit before he hits Tottenham. His 4th and 5th September shows will be his first UK performances as part of the Jay-Z 30 celebrations. Jay-Z last played London way back in June of 2018 — that time supporting his missus, Beyonce, on her worldwide stadium tour.

• Best hip-hop albums ever: 50 classics ranked

The 80s provided us with plenty of iconic things – shell suits, leg warmers, neon... everything. Really, we sort of peaked with 80s culture. Smack bang in the middle of all the colourful goings on was Freddie Mercury who graced stages with his enchanting presence, sequinned leotards, and absolute rockstar flamboyance. Now his glorious garms are heading to London’s V&A.

Eight of the singer’s spectacular outfits are set to go on display at the V&A South Kensington from October 24th, all part of the celebrations on what would be his 80th birthday. To make the celebrations even better, the exhibition will be free to visit.

Called Freddie Mercury | Splendid Things, the exhibition has been curated by the V&A and Mary Austin – a close friend and former fiancee of Mercury. The exhibition’s name comes from a remark he made in 1978, where he said ‘I like to be surrounded by splendid things. I want to lead a Victorian life surrounded by exquisite clutter.’

Whilst the Queen singer might be best known for his yellow leather jacket, other unforgettable fits include flowing kimonos, a banana hat crown, slinky dresses, chequered jumpsuits, and whatever that red eye covered singlet was.

Presented as a walkthrough trail at the museum, it celebrates Mercury’s career through costumes and accessories worn in some of the most memorable music videos and performances of modern times. The trail will walk visitors through Freddie’s career, from his early days performing at small, student venues, to some of his biggest gigs and solo performances. On the trail you’ll find six different stops each complete with a full Freddie 'fit alongside a theatrical installation – think lights, sets, sound – which will help bring each look to life.

Obviously, all the outfits Freddie wore were pretty dazzling, but luckily we do know which ones will be included as part of the exhibition. The outfits include the Mercury Wing catsuit he wore for the Night At the Opera tour and Bohemian Rhapsody music video, and that regal fit – complete with the opulent crown and cloak – he wore on the Magic tour and during his final stage appearance with Queen at Knebworth in 1986. What’s an outfit without accessories? Incomplete, quite frankly. Which is probably why there will be an array of accessories from the star’s personal collection alongside the outfits.

Freddie Mercury | Splendid Things will be on at the V&A South Kensington from 24th October 2026 to 17th January 2027.

• Filmmaker Steven Soderbergh is curating a new movie season in London

Last year, Outbreak festival had its first London edition, held in association with LIDO. In 2026 it was All Points East’s turn, bringing a day of rock and alternative to a multi-day line-up otherwise largely dominated by pop and hip-hop.

Guitar bands are still alive and well, though. And not just the headline stars like Deftones — who to be fair are as vital and current now as they have been in decades. What a feat.

We spent the whole day marching between stages (and inhaling a lot more dust than would be recommended under WHO guidelines) in order to bring you some of our favourite picks.

Here are our top 5 stars from Outbreak x All Points East, spanning the big names and some newer faces you may not have encountered yet...

Idles

How do they keep it up? Almost a decade on from their first album, Idles sound as aggressively potent and vibrant as ever. While 2024 album Tangk brought out a somewhat softer side of the band’s sound, the snarl singer Joe Talbot is known for is still present and correct in Idles’ live performance. The day’s highest-energy performance? Perhaps so.

Interpol

Interpol have a new album out this week, This Mirror Weighs a Ton. Early released tracks suggest we’re getting a more atmospheric and airy sound, from a band whose best-known songs trade in edgy pneumatic guitar lines. Saying that, recent single See Out Loud slots into tracks from the band’s first two celebrated albums just fine. It’s those tracks that bring a bit of punctation to a performance that doesn’t even try to bring the bombast of the Amyl and the Sniffers and JPEGMAFIA sets that bookend Interpol’s slot. Check out the new album from 28th August.

Wisp

Apparently shoegaze goes down well on TikTok? Who knew. Wisp’s Your Face was a social media hit back in 2023 — a song that was reportedly built off a licensed backing track rather than composed by Wisp from scratch, but it has launched her into a more substantial music career. That she has covered Coldplay’s Yellow shows this is an entirely new school, new generation of interpretation of shoegaze from, say, My Bloody Valentine, but the band built around Wisp sure do sound great. She also wins the award for the day’s most polite act.

Good Health Good Wealth

In the slot that should — according to the festival timetable — have given us Liam Gallagher son Gene Gallagher’s Villanelle, we got Good Health Good Wealth. And they are almost undeniably a lot more fun. There’s an anachronistic charm to this twosome I’m going lean on the lazy habit of comparison to relay. If you took The Streets, but gave the front man some added Suggs’s cheekiness and layered in some Damon Albarn nonchalance, you’re about there. Sure enough, the group supported The Streets’ 2026 tour. Witty spoken word storytelling.

Deftones

We are in a different era of Deftones to those who may have fond — not to mention ancient — memories of the band’s first three albums. Huge backdrop visuals and the more alt-slash-shoegaze leanings of the band’s Private Music album make for an atmospheric watch — more groove than slam in this Deftones sound. Sadly, we didn’t get to see Stephen Carpenter, who for the last few years has not toured internationally with the band following health issues. But Chino? He’s looking trimmer and more spritely than he has in a long time.

• Four Tet All Dayer 2026 review: The 5 best acts at Four Tet’s London Finsbury Park festival

All Points East’s second day of 2026 one-day festivals may appear to be all about Lorde from the poster, but it was more of a "state of play" of modern pop.

The line-up was packed with powerhouse women of music — oh, plus that guy from Stranger Things, with Djo.

All Points East’s healthy stage separation, both geographically and with set times, mean there were no big problems with sound leakage. In the trade-off, you do spend what feels like half the time in a dusty river of people trudging from one end of the festival site to the other.

But the only real issue? PinkPantheress’s oversubscribed tent set filled up so fast, fans would have had to cut short their watch of collaborator Zara Larsson to have a chance of getting a look in. No doubt this left many grudgingly watching Djo, waiting for him to play “that song” ahead of Lorde’s headliner slot.

But this day was all about the women of pop. Here are five of our highlights.

Zara Larsson

A brief holiday from the seemingly ever expanding badness of the world, watching Zara Larsson is a bit like that feeling of getting off the plane and Balearic sun hitting your face. She has the songs, the moves, the voice and a festival stage setup more like that of a dedicated tour than a festival slot. Larsson may not have been the official headliner of ATP but it's clear that a good chunk of the audience considered her just that. Her set also gave us what would turn out to be our one chance to see PinkPantheress, who joined the stage for the pair’s collab single Stateside.

Lorde

We got to witness a similar version of Lorde's festival set earlier this year one afternoon at Mad Cool 2026 in Madrid. But it makes a whole lot more sense as a UK headliner spot. With the sun having set, her jacket dotted with lasers firing out into the night and her stark pvc costume hit in a way they just could not in searing Spanish sunlight. Her stage show is concert meets art installation, her face at times smushed against glass and fired up onto the huge display screens. Lorde is a moody, dark and more complex counterpoint to the technicolour of Zara Larsson. And it's a contrast that works.

Rose Gray

Rose Gray has some of the most banging songs of the entire festival. It's not often you get an established act of this quality this early in the day. Her dynamic dance-pop is crowd-moving stuff, and her Madonna inspiration comes out in her live presence and performance more so even than on record. Gray is a local, of course, having grown up down the road in Walthamstow, and her set is laced with sections from her song Hackney Wick — which references Victoria Park directly. It’s a hometown gig, basically. Final track Party People is the perfect end of a set that primes you for a day at a London music festival.

Audrey Hobert

You’ve possibly only encountered Audrey Hobert through nasty social media discourse in recent times — yet more fuel for the argument maybe the internet was a bad idea in the first place. But she provides All Points East with easily digestible slices of guitar-led indie pop, with bouncy and super-catchy songs. It's only some guitar distortion and more aggressive drums away from 2000s pop-punk, and we're here for it.

Sienna Spiro

The latter half of Sienna Spiro’s performance saw a good chunk of the crowd make the festival’s site-long exodus to secure a spot for Zara Larsson. But even a few songs are enough to school you in “what all the fuss is about” surrounding Sienna Spiro. No, she doesn’t have the most subtle or original sound, bearing clear hallmarks of the Amy-Winehouse-slash-Adele successor she’s been hailed as. In the context of a festival set, though, it’s easier than ever not to overthink things, and just enjoy her outsize, earnest and emotional vocal delivery.

• Four Tet All Dayer 2026 review: The 5 best acts at Four Tet’s London Finsbury Park festival

You might celebrate your birthday with flowers, drinks, bunting, and an obligatory Colin the Caterpillar cake. London however tends to do things a little differently. For its own celebratory shindig marking 20 years of glorious gigs, London’s O2 is putting on quite the show, and we’re all invited.

Jorja Smith has been announced as the latest artist performing at the venue as part of the celebrations. The singer songwriter and two-time Brit Award winner will be taking to the stage on July 17th in 2027 sharing some of her most beloved and brilliant tunes.

The London venue originally opened up as the Millennium Dome back in December 1999 before opening as the O2 Arena in 2007. To mark 20 years since it rebranded and reopened its (security checked) doors, there will be a series of gigs held at the space, with plenty of performers gracing the legendary stage.

Other acts already announced include Maisie Peters, Don Omar, and Shreya Ghoshal who are performing across May, June, and July. Maisie will be kicking things off on 8th May having released her third studio album Fluorescence earlier this year, and will be performing at Reading and Leeds this weekend.

Talking about the upcoming gig, Jorja said: “Performing at The O2 as part of its 20th birthday celebrations is a huge honour,” she shared. “It’s a venue that has hosted so many incredible artists and unforgettable moments over the years, so to be part of this milestone feels really special. I’m excited to celebrate with you all.” It will be Jorja's only UK arena performance of 2027, so a good one to have your eye on.

General tickets go on sale on Friday August 28 at 10am. There are also Priority Tickets available exclusively to O2 and Virgin Media broadband customers via the Priority app from 10am on Wednesday (August 26).

• The BIG London gig list 2026: Your guide to this year's very best shows, festivals and concerts

Even if you didn’t go anywhere near the hit Netflix film Kpop Demon Hunters, you will inevitably have found yourself humming one of its main songs, Golden, at some point or the other. It was a tune so catchy, part of me joined the ranks of conspiracy theorists believing it to be some kind of guerilla psychological marketing ploy. Turns out it was less maniacal deviance and more musical genius. Now, some of the voices behind the hit characters are coming to London for a special one-off gig.

The Saja Boys are heading to the capital for a UK first in a live performance in the heart of the city. Andrew Choi and Neckwav – who play Jinu and Abby in the global hit – will play a one-off gig at Outernet Live in London next month.

On 6th September the actors/singers will be heading to Tottenham Court Road’s rather high tech immersive exhibition space, which has already hosted a slew of other musical tributes, most recently an homage to Madonna for her birthday. Fans will be able to gather to watch the on screen stars perform irl bringing some of the show’s most beloved songs to life.

“We’re incredibly excited to be sharing the stage during our first-ever performance in London,” said Choi. “The connection everyone has built with the film’s characters has been beyond anything we could have imagined and seeing our U.K. fans embrace the music makes this an even more meaningful celebration.”

Neckwav (real name Kyung Jay Minn) added: “It is an honour to bring my voice as Neckwav, and the singing voice behind Abby Saja, to life at Outernet Live. The love and support from our U.K. fans has been amazing and having the chance to finally meet and perform for them in person makes this moment so special. This will be a night to remember!”

The film featured two fictional bands: Huntr/x, whose singing voices were provided by Ejae (as Rumi), Audrey Nuna (as Mira), and Rei Aami (as Zoey) and the Saja Boys, made up of Choi, Neckwav, Kevin Woo, Samuil Lee and Danny Chung.

This isn’t the only experiential K-pop Demon Hunters musical gig taking place, as back in May, Netflix announced a new global tour which would bring some of the show’s best tunes into a live concert experience for fans, similar to a standard solo artist’s tour. However, we haven’t yet had any further confirmation about who exactly from the film’s various bands and singers will be featuring on the tour, nor where and when it will take place.

• The best exhibitions in London this summer: From Escher to Bowie to Marilyn Monroe

Totes emosh singer-songwriter Noah Kahan has announced a new tour leg that includes just one date in England, but it’s a biggie.

On 23rd July next year, 2027, Noah Kahan will play at the 90,000 capacity Wembley Stadium in London.

It’s comfortably the biggest UK gig of his career, with previous highlights including a two-day stint at the 20,000 capacity The O2 Arena in 2024.

This concert is part of a three date UK and Ireland tour leg, for his The Last of the Bugs world tour series. Here’s the full list of dates:

• 13th July – Glasgow, Hampden Park
• 17th July – Dublin, Aviva Stadium
• 23rd July – London, Wembley Stadium

Tickets for these 2027 shows go on sale at 10am next week on 28th August, while there’s a pre-sale period from 25th August. You have until 5pm on 24th August to sign up for this “artist presale,” accessible from Noah Kahan’s website.

You just need to add your phone number to get an early access code.

There’s no need to wait all that time to see Noah Kahan live in London, though — if you’re willing to put a bit of effort in anyway.

He’s set to play three nights at The O2 Arena, on 13th, 14th and 17th November this year. All three dates are sold out already, but you can always try your luck at one of the non-ripoff resale portals.

Shortlist go-to picks include Twickets, Tixel, Ticketswap and Ticketmaster’s own resale platform (yes, it's surprisingly not dreadful).

Kahan’s current tour is in support of this The Great Divide album, while The Last Of The Bugs edition was a deluxe version released just after the original, adding four new tracks.

This is the first of Wembley Stadium’s 2027 music concerts to be announced. In 2026 it was host to gigs from The Weeknd, Bruno Mars, My Chemical Romance and others, while Bon Jovi are still to play the stadium in 2026, on 4th, 6th and 9th September.

• The BIG London gig list 2026: Your guide to this year's very best shows, festivals and concerts

The K-Music festival has revealed its programme of events for 2026: a celebration of Korean music that will take over some of London’s top venues from late September to November.

Unlike most other London music festivals, this K-Music one is spread across dates and venues, a looser collection of concerts rather than a one-shot hit of acts. But you do get a full line-up of acts on the opening night, which lands on 28th September.

This takes place at EartH in Hackney, and features Lil Cherry & Goldbuuda, Chang Kiha and ADG7. Tickets are a mere £21.94 including all fees, from DICE.

The concept behind the festival is to celebrate Korean music beyond K-pop, which is of course already massively popular.

Here’s the full list of events at the K-Music festival, now in its 13th year, after the opening night concert.

3rd October - Wind Alone, Sand Alone at Stone Nest in Soho

• How much? £20
• What is it? “Immersive sonic theatre” from a six-piece of musicians from Korea and France.

11th October - Korean Games in Concert at the Southbank Centre

• How much? From £17 (adult tickets)
• What is it? Video game music played in part using traditional Korean instruments. Some of the most famous titles on the list include Black Desert and Lies of P.

17th October - Chudahye Chagis at Rich Mix

• How much? £20.34
• What is it? A genre-mashing group from Seoul.

29th October - Kyungso Park + Björn Meyer at Royal Albert Hall

• How much? £20
• What is it? A performance by Kyungso Park, who plays traditional stringed Korean instrument the gayageum, alongside bassist Björn Meyer.

11th November - Dongyang Gozopa at Rich Mix

• How much? £20.50
• What is it? A three-piece band who combine western genres with Korean musical influences. Trippy stuff.

23rd November - Jisu Jung’s Baroque in Blue at Upstair’s at Ronnie’s

• How much? From £33.50
• What is it? An interpretation of Charlie Parker’s Baroque in Blue arranged for a classical ensemble by composer and pianist Jisu Jung.

Shortlist has put together an epic Punk retrospective as the snarling genre hits a milestone 50th anniversary, looking back at interviews with Patti Smith, Iggy Pop, as well as chatting to fans young and old about their favourite memories. And it’s not just us getting a little nostalgic and dusting off our leather jackets — London is getting a brand new festival which is all about the women who changed the punk scene, including a pretty cool reunion.

Called God Save the Queens, the festival is taking to the capital in October and November with gigs, talks, screenings, and workshops all celebrating the female rockers and all-out legends who made the genre what it is. The inaugural festival comes fifty years after legendary punk pioneer Poly Styrene and a generation of women helped shape punk's music, art and identity.

The festival will bring together a landmark exhibition, a one-night-only reunion performance, talks, and the release of previously unheard recordings by Poly Styrene, who passed away in 2011.

Whilst the celebration has already been teased with a punk takeover of summer’s Everyman on the Canal back in July, the events keep unfolding across Autumn 2026. The festival’s centrepiece is a standout gig at Electric Brixton on Friday 16th October that will see the formation of God Save The Queens, a unique supergroup bringing together leading musicians from across generations. The 75-minute performance will reimagine the Poly Styrene playlist alongside iconic she-punk anthems.

The headline performance will feature an historic X-Ray Spex reunion, with original members Lora Logic and Paul Dean returning to the stage alongside Celeste Bell, daughter of Poly Styrene, performing her mother’s songs and honouring her extraordinary legacy.

On 12th September Bell will also be running an exclusive talk at the V&A, exploring the radical legacy of her mother Poly Styrene. On September 18th, the festival takes over the Saatchi Gallery which will host A Night of T/Reason featuring Lauren Estelle Jones and Celeste Bell as panellists.

Moving onto 19th October, the festival will be camping out at the British Library for a flagship panel discussion on the enduring multi-generational impact of women in alternative and DIY music culture. Bringing together original ’77 punk pioneers, contemporary artists, and leading cultural scholars, it will explore how female creativity continues to challenge the mainstream and rewrite the rules of artistic independence.

Music and art icons contributing to the festival include X-Ray Spex saxophonist Lora Logic, fashion designer Dame Zandra Rhodes, The Specials collaborator and The Bodysnatchers lead singer Rhoda Dakar, The Raincoats founder Gina Birch, visual artists Caroline Coon, Linder and Sue Webster, BBC Radio 6 Music DJ, The Slits manager, and The Clash music video director Don Letts and Big Joanie. Also contributing to the landmark event are The Sex Pistols’ official photographer Ray Stevenson, The Slits members Tessa Pollitt and Hollie Cook, and cult fashion brand BOY London.

You can find out more information about the festival and its events including booking tickets via the website.

• Sex Pistols' Glen Matlock picks the 5 best punk songs, ever

In October, a Queen concert film is getting a release in cinemas, including IMAX, but it will also have a special one-day-only screening at London’s Roundhouse.

Queen Budapest will be shown at the popular gig venue on 3rd October, a few days ahead of its cinema release on 7th October.

There will be two screenings on that day, one at 2pm, another at 7pm. And the pitch is it will get you closer to the atmosphere of an actual Queen gig than just watching at a cinema could hope to.

The audience will watch the show standing, with the concert film displayed on a “giant LED screen, with full surround sound [and] synchronised lighting.” You’re welcome to sing along too, a factor we’re less persuaded by.

One vision

Queen Budapest is a filming of the band’s 1986 stadium concert, in which they played in front of 80,000 fans.

The 2026 re-release sees the original film re-scanned and remastered in 4K. It was originally relesed on VHS and laserdisc back in 1987, and on Blu-Ray in 2012.

The concert was from Queen’s last tour, in support of their A Kind of Magic album.

“Peter Jackson’s team have done a magnificent job of restoring the original film footage, at the highest resolution ever; it’s pristine and the quality is breathtaking. I think you’re going to love it. For the sound, we’ve been able to do some top quality restoration work as well,” says Brian May.

And, yes, he’s referring to Peter Jackson of The Lord of the Rings fame — his Park Road production studio is behind the new remaster.

The release is around 90 minutes long, just like the original version. 2012’s re-release was padded out to almost two hours thanks to added documentary segments.

Tickets for the two screenings will be available from the Roundhouse website, while you can sign up for ticket alerts for the cinema release over at the film’s own site.

• The BIG London gig list 2026: Your guide to this year's very best shows, festivals and concerts

In the pantheon of electronic music, few names are held in higher regard than legendary DJ and producer Four Tet.

At 48 years old, there are few feats in the world of club culture that the artist born Kieran Hebden has yet to achieve. His early records made him a critical darling and cult icon. A decade of elite remixes and sprawling, heady LPs in the 2010s made him a mainstay on any DJ’s USB drive. And in 2023, he attained true superstardom as a Coachella headliner alongside protégé Fred Again and dubstep provocateur Skrillex.

To his fans – this writer included – Four Tet has long represented the archetype of "The DJ’s DJ". He’s a truly prolific and proficient artist that has always found a way to merge the sound of the moment with the sound of his mind. In 2022, Hebden would extend his creative and curatorial energy to the first Four Tet All Dayer in London’s Finsbury Park, where it’s been held every year since.

For the fifth annual Four Tet All Dayer, Hebden had recruited pals and peers from across the scene, from certified legends like Ben UFO to underground faves like Aurora Halal and Barker, to play on two stylishly designed and immaculately lit stages. As a long-time Four Tet fan, this was all too tempting to miss – read on for the five best sets from the Four Tet All Dayer 2026.

5. Sofia Kourtesis – Eat Your Own Ears Stage

While Four Tet set the scene for his four hour set, Sofia Kourtesis’ party on the Eat Your Own Ears Stage was well underway. The Berlin-via-Peru DJ and producer sprinted through genres like they were going out of style, playing ghettotech, electro, and disco in breakneck blends.

Kourtesis’ set was more of a selection session than anything else, with some fairly random transitions between tracks, but the mood stayed high as she broke up stretches of obscure trance with the classics. Sometimes, after hours of heady two-step, you just need to hear “Music Sounds Better With You”.

4. Four Tet – Main Stage

Fourth place for Four Tet at this year’s All Dayer. Hebden’s extended headline set was a tour through his own catalogue and leftfield takes on today’s club soundscape, ranging from moments of depth to unbridled bass-heavy chaos. He’s got an uncanny ability to read a crowd; I watched arms fly up from the congregation on the drop of each new tune, as new groups constantly joined the fray, falling in from the pathways and hillsides around.

As ever, Four Tet remains one of the world’s most interesting selectors. He opened with a stretch of heady dubstep, tapping into the genre’s recent resurgence, before tilting into his usual mix of off-kilter tech house and garage. Having such a massive catalogue of original bangers makes Hebden an agile force on the decks, and throughout his set he shelled out edits and remixes of his own tunes – I heard a mashup of ‘Baby’ and ‘Baby Again..’ somewhere in there, fragments of ‘Only Human’ and ‘Anna Painting’, and even individual drum samples that gave away tracks as the artist’s handiwork.

I found myself enjoying Four Tet’s performance more as a listening experience than a dance. Where other DJs on the lineup had a way of calling me to the front-left, I was perfectly content to sprawl out on the dry grass and let Hebden’s tunes find my ears. Whether that’s worth buying a ticket for is up to you.

3. Barker – Main Stage

Techno without drums might sound like blasphemy to devout ravers, but Sam Barker has made a career out of weaving glittering melodies in the absence of the rumbling kicks and lingering dissonance that define the genre. Barker, as he’s mononymously known, played a truly propulsive set at this year’s Four Tet All Dayer, blending elements from various studio recordings with live improvisations from behind a table of synths and controllers.

I’ve been a fan of Barker for years, and hearing the Berlin-based artist build fragmented sequences into towering crescendos with the full power of the Main Stage sound system was truly immersive. I was surprised at how danceable the music turned out to be given the artist’s restraint with percussion – but rules are made to be broken, and Barker’s ambient tones eventually gave way to crowd-shaking bass and irresistible kick patterns.

2. Aurora Halal – Eat Your Own Ears Stage

New York underground staple Aurora Halal closed out the All Dayer’s second stage with 90 minutes of undeniably stylish club tunes. By the time Halal took to the decks, Four Tet was already a half-hour deep into his headline set, meaning those still massed at the Eat Your Own Ears section were committed to the party in motion. A smaller, looser, more hypnotised crowd willing to keep going till the end, so long as the music kept coming.

Handing over from Sofia Kourtesis, Halal understood the assignment and then some, playing a no-frills techno set that took influence from American main-stage EDM and the minimal, groove-focused sounds of continental Europe. The DJ, producer, and promoter mixed techno and tech house fluently, with an emphasis on rolling basslines and cathartic drops.

1. Ben UFO – Main Stage

One of the first unspoken rules you learn in the world of DJing is to not go too hard in the warm-up slot. To the great benefit of everyone at this year’s Four Tet All Dayer, Ben UFO didn’t get the memo.

Ben UFO is one of the UK’s few top-flight DJs to never have released a track of his own. In his fifteen year career he’s focused exclusively on selecting, playing, and mixing records. His set at this year’s All Dayer was a masterclass in the most fundamental of all DJ skills – choosing the right tune for the moment.

As the undercard on the main stage, Ben UFO was tasked with building the crowd’s energy without breaking the wave. What followed was an hours and change of seriously tasteful club music, as the Rinse FM resident and Hessle Audio co-founder mixed four-by-four garage, wobbling bassline, drill edits, techno rollers, and baile funk with mechanical precision.

Every track had a flavour of something new. Every track had phenomenal low-end. Every track just hit. See him when you can.

• Junction 2 review: The 7 best acts from London’s techno and house link-up

Phoebe Bridgers knows how to create hype as well as great music, and, as her long-awaited, highly-anticipated third album is finally dropping this Friday (14th August) she’s throwing a party.

Well, a concert. Same thing, no?

Bringing all the lost boys of North London into one room, Bridgers will be playing at a tiny, intimate show in London next week. And somehow, she has chosen the *most* Phoebe Bridgers venue London possibly has to offer.

The 31 year old singer songwriter will be performing a solo gig at Union Chapel on Monday 17th August just three days after the new album drops. The show will mark the first time Bridgers has performed in London since 2022. As well as a gig at the gorgeous Union Chapel in Highbury, Phoebe will be performing at Circuit in Kingston on the Wednesday (19th), followed by shows in Brighton and Bristol too.

The whole gig is presented by Rough Trade who also recently announced a special release of vinyls which is a total 80s nostalgia fest.

In keeping with recent Phoebe Bridgers gigs across the US, this show will be strictly filming-free, meaning every attendee will be forbidden from recording, having to relinquish any phones, smart-watches, cameras, peculiar glasses, or any other spy-like or tech accoutrements

The official event page says: “Upon arrival at the venue, all phones, smart watches, and accessories will be secured in Yondr pouches that will be opened at the end of the event. Guests maintain possession of their belongings at all times and can access their phones throughout the event at designated Phone Use Areas in the venue. All phones will be re-secured in Yondr pouches before returning to the event space.”

If you want to get your hands on tickets, you best be speedy; tickets go on sale on 13th August at 10am, and there will be two shows on the day – one matinee with doors at 4pm, and another main show that kicks off later at 7.30pm. It looks as though each gig will last around 45 minutes according to the event page. Each ticket also gives you access to a copy of the new album Lost Weekend on CD which you can pick up either from the venue or from the Rough Trade East store.

The tickets will be going on sale via DICE so head to the website to get your bearings ahead of the fan-crazed rush tomorrow, and even set an alarm online so you don't forget.

If you don’t manage to catch Phoebe’s performances next week, you might be lucky enough to see her shows at the O2 in December later this year — they're a touch bigger, with the O2 playing host to 20,000 fans.

Ariana Grande’s run of shows at The O2 begins on 15th August and runs until the beginning of September.

It’s a major mini residency for a singer who, well, may not be seen back on stage performing in London for some time after this. She’s taking a break from the spotlight as soon as her schedule allows.

Have a ticket for an Ariana Grande The O2 show or hoping to get one? Here’ what you need to know before you head out.

1. Queueing starts at 10am

This one is a heads-up for the mega fans out there. You’ll only be allowed to queue for admission from 10am — which is 8.5 hours from the opening of doors at the venue at 6:30pm. There’s really no need to get there anywhere near that early if you have an allocated seat, short of wanting to soak up the pure vibes, though.

2. Bags have to be tiny and made of clear plastic

Sure to trip up a few concert-goers, there’s a very strict bag policy for these shows. They can only measure 30 x 15 x 30cm, and must be clear plastic. That typical rule of an A4-size rucksack doesn’t cut it here, and it’s not hard to understand why when the Manchester Arena bombing in 2017 took place at one of her concerts.

3. The support act (there isn’t one)

Wondering who will be out to support Ariana Grande this time? There is no support act at all, further reducing the need to get there super-early. But the show itself is a multi-act extravaganza.

4. Stage Times: Ariana is expected on stage at 8:10pm

Doors for the Ariana Grande: The O2 gigs are at 6:30pm, with then a roughly 90-minute empty interlude until she’s expected on stage between 8pm and 8:10pm.

The show should be finished by 10pm. You can expect healthy queues for the tube station if you stay to the very end.

5. Last-minute tickets

These Ariana Grande shows are unfortunately in high enough demand that you are not going to be able to snag a bargain last-minute ticket. All the shows are sold out, and we have not found a single great deal at resale.

That doesn’t mean it’s too late to get a ticket, though. Ticketmaster will occasionally have resale tickets available, although you will need to regularly check as these will drop as and when they are available.

There are also tickets available from platforms like Stubhub and Viagogo, although you can expect to pay a solid premium from those. We’ve seen none listed on Ticketswap based on our searching, and just the tiniest smattering of tickets on Twickets — sign up for ticket alert updates if you want a heads up on when more appear.

Website Stereoboard can be a useful site for getting a ticket resale overview, with cost estimates.

6. You can bring a water bottle (up to 500ml)

Food and drink within The O2 costs a small fortune. But you can bring in your own water bottle.

No, don’t pack one of those massive Stanley cups as we can’t imagine them passing through security. You can take in empty plastic or “collapsible” water bottles of capacity up to 500ml.

These can then be filled with water, for free, at any of the bars. Or at the venue’s water filling stations found, according to The O2’s website, here:

• Ground Floor: Towards the back under each tunnel
• Level 1: Outside block 101 and 112
• Level 4: Outside block 405 and 417

7. Don’t bring a sign or banner, or a camera

While the kids might want to bring a “we love you Ariana” banner, in the hopes of being seen on a video screen, the venue rules explicitly bar taking in such items.

Cameras and “recording devices” aren’t allowed in either. This isn’t a phone-free gig, so you can expect to see a sea of folks recording Grande’s performance, but leave standalone cameras at home to avoid tears and arguments at the security checkpoint.

• The BIG London gig list 2026: Your guide to this year's very best shows, festivals and concerts

Iconic London record label Rough Trade has released a second box set of singles commemorating its 50 years in the game.

The first was announced more than a year ago, and charted some of the big names from Rough Trade’s earliest years. Rough Trade 45s: Volume 2 takes on the baton, starting with releases from 1980 and continuing throughout the decade.

It’s a real celebration of the era, with reissued 45s from The Smiths, The Fall, Aztec Camera, Jonathan Richman and others.

The star of the package is a tweaked re-release of The Smiths’ The Headmaster Ritual, with direct involvement from Morrissey and Marr — a pair we typically hear bickering about each other, if they acknowledge each other's existence at all.

B-side I Want The One I Can’t Have has been added at the request of Morrissey and Marr, and the release has new artwork too — a photo of old timey actor Billy Halop.

The Headmaster Ritual was only originally released as a single in the Netherlands back in 1985, otherwise featuring as a B-side to single How Soon is Now in the US.

If the collection’s limited 1000-copy release wasn’t enough to make Rough Trade 45s: Volume 2 seem a valid collector’s item, this The Smiths release surely seals the deal.

Here are the other 45s included within the collection:

• The Fall - Totally Wired (1980), B-side: Putta Block
• Scritti Politti - The Sweetest Girl (1981), B-side: Lions After Slumber
• Robert Wyatt - Shipbuilding (1982), B-sides: Memories Of You
• Aztec Camera - Oblivious (1983), B-side: Orchid Girl
• The Go-Betweens - Cattle And Cane (1983), B-sides: Heaven Says
• Jonathan Richman - That Summer Feeling (1984), B-side: This Kind Of Music
• The Smiths - Headmaster Ritual (1985), B-side: I Want The One I Can’t Have
• The Sundays - Can’t Be Sure (1989), B-side: I Kicked A Boy
• Mazzy Star - Five String Serenade (1993), B-side: Blue Flower

This box set costs £110. It’s available to pre-order now, for release on 30th October.

And if you missed the volume 1 release and fancy that too, a double pack can be had for £190.

Among the sleeve notes you’ll find words from Morrissey and Marr — presumably again not slagging each other off for once — alongside Elvis Costello, Jonathan Richman and others. There’s also an interview with known music obsessive comedian Stewart Lee, in conversation with Rough Trade MD Geoff Travis.

• The BIG London gig list 2026: Your guide to this year's very best shows, festivals and concerts

“Is she really going out with him?”

Think 'punk', think its 1977 explosion. But if you want the precise moment punk went from three chords and a spittle-sizzled spark of anger to a full-throated rock revolution, it’s those opening words of The Damned’s 1976 ‘New Rose’ — the first punk single release, the genre line-in-the-sand which would change the face of popular music forever.

Fifty years ago, from humble beginnings on the streets and in the clubs of London and NYC, a raw, volatile blast of noise tore out of speakers and permanently rewrote the rules of modern music. What began as a fierce underground rebellion defined by DIY ethics, sweat-soaked basements, and pure anti-establishment fury soon grew into a global phenomenon. Half a century later, that initial spark hasn't faded — it’s slashed its way into every level of pop culture, from fashion to film to, of course, today’s most innovative music.

To mark 50 years of punk, Shortlist is taking a comprehensive look back at where the genre came from, where it’s going, and why its unapologetic spirit is needed now more than ever. We’re tracking the movement’s fascinating trajectory, examining how raw underground aggression smoothed out into multi-platinum pop-punk, and counting down the 50 greatest punk albums and anthems of all time as selected by today’s biggest stars.

We’ve also cracked open our archives to resurface legendary conversations with pioneering trailblazers — from punk's high priestess Patti Smith to sharp-tongued poet John Cooper Clarke — alongside brand new, exclusive insights from modern torchbearers like Frank Carter.

Whether through grime-infused modern crossovers or classic vinyl cuts, punk proved that anyone could pick up an instrument and make noise. Five decades on, that ethos is louder, faster, and more vital than ever.

Hey! Ho! Let’s go!

50 Years Of Punk: A Shortlist Celebration

50 years of punk: Why the DIY ethos still matters five decades on (and why the punk spirit is needed now more than ever)

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The 50 greatest punk songs, ever: Today's biggest punk stars pick the most influential songs

Got three minutes to spare? This list will change your life, 50 times. From first-wave firestarters to modern pop-punk anthems, we've enlisted some of today’s biggest punk and rock acts, alongside punk culture pioneers, to help us rank the 50 punk tracks that changed music forever.

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Exclusive: Frank Carter on Sex Pistols, Grime and his “unfinished business” with Gallows

Former vocalist of Watford punk legends Gallows, leading man in rock n’roll upstarts The Rattlesnakes and the current singer in the modern reincarnation of The Sex Pistols, few living musicians can boast the same punk pedigree as Frank Carter. From punk upstart to frontman of the most famous punk band of all time, here's Carter's story — in his own words.

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From punk to pop-punk: How the most raw musical movement of all time went bubblegum

Heartbreak, teenage bedrooms and dick jokes — did punk lose its edge when the snarl turned to snark?

By the early Noughties, punk looked and sounded very different from the movement that had exploded in Britain and New York in the Seventies. This time, the guitars were polished, the choruses anthemic and the songs were way more concerned with crushes, breakups and suburban boredom. Pop punk had arrived — and the genre had gone bubblegum.

Still, millions of teens wanted a taste. Had punk really lost its bite, or just found a sweeter way to deliver it?

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Punks on punk: How the OG era of three chords rock shaped the music of today's biggest acts

Fifty years after four snarling teens took to the stage and changed music forever, the UK punk scene’s influence is still inescapable. Touching everything from fashion to activism, spawning multiple musical subgenres, and with its DIY ethos embedded into the DNA of hip hop and even indie filmmaking, the ‘70s punk explosion didn't just birth a genre – it kickstarted a creative revolution.

We hand the mic to five musicians who've lived with punk's influence for decades. From their favourite UK punk tracks to the modern London scene and the movement's enduring legacy, here's what they had to say.

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From The Archive

Patti Smith's Ultimate Playlist: The tracks that inspired the punk icon

Playlists at the ready: We're revisiting an incredible chat with the high priestess of New York punk, Patti Smith, as she runs through the soundtrack of her life, in her own words.

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“I didn’t want to follow them, it was too good”: Iggy Pop on how his fear of Queens of the Stone Age led to his greatest album in decades

"Most people, once they hit 60 and they’ve got some bucks are not gonna put themselves in this situation, where you’re testing yourself and you’re not sure if you can handle it. But with this, I kind of wanted to see what I could do. I wanted to prove something to myself.”

Iggy Pop on how a chance meeting with Josh Homme resulted in his greatest album in decades.

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Blink 182’s Tom DeLonge on UFOs, Bigfoot, and his debut film Monsters of California

Forget all the small things. If Blink 182's Tom DeLonge was to sit down and write the hit song today, it'd more likely be called ‘All The Mysterious Things’, or ‘All The Secret Things’. Maybe even ‘All The Government-Conspiracy-Military-Industrial-Complex-Cover-Up Things’.

In the years since DeLonge's rise to pop punk superstardom, the Californian songwriter has been a vocal public advocate for transparency around supernatural topics that many would consider "out there". He's staked his reputation on it — and told us all about it.

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Sex Pistols' Glen Matlock picks his 5 all-time favourite punk songs

What does it take to make a revolution-sparking, rabble-rousing, total-anarchy-inducing punk record for the ages?

“The attitude, the delivery, the subject matter, the sound, and the trousers. You've got to wear the right trousers,” reveals godfather of punk, Glen Matlock.

As the bassist of the Sex Pistols, writer of the greatest punk anthems of all time and a trailblazer whose snarling basslines and razor-sharp riffs launched a cultural revolution, he should know. Here, he talks us through the genre's best cuts.

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"It takes a lot of work to look this bad": Poet John Cooper Clarke on punk, inspiring Arctic Monkeys, and getting blagged by Lou Reed

Ready for a trip through Chickentown? We're looking back here at a 2014 chat with the original punk poet and sartorialist extraordinaire John Cooper Clarke. From inspiring the Arctic Monkeys to encounters with Lou Reed, the man’s lived.

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Malcolm McLaren considers the question coolly. “Aren’t you just more interested in sewing chaos?” asks the presenter of the BBC’s Nationwide TV show in 1976.

“Well, that’s an accusation by people who don’t really understand what kids want,” he replies.

“They want excitement, they want to transform what’s basically a very boring life for them right now. And rock music is the one thing they thought that they controlled. But if you look at the charts they don’t really have anything to do with it. Bands like the Sex Pistols are making music from the streets, born out the frustration to get something across, that is their own.”

The presenter then challenges these bands’ “bizarre clothes”.

“They’re only bizarre to old people,” McLaren counters.

“What about the nasty word ‘punk’?” she asks.

In the background a pale and lean 20-year-old John Lydon, struggling to make eye contact, pipes up in that robotic tone: “No, the press gave us [that name]. It’s their problem not ours”.

What about the Rolling Stones and The Who? “Are you against those sounds?” the presenter asks.

“Of course,” says Lydon, “because they’re established. They just do not mean anything to anyone”.

It’s an encounter in ways far more revealing than the much more famous car crash of an interview on The Bill Grundy Show later that year when Grundy, said to be a few sheets to the wind, repeatedly goaded the band members to swear to his London audience live on TV. They kindly obliged.

Yes, The Grundy Incident brought punk to national attention — the newspapers reacted as though the entire country was up in arms, though in reality relatively few people would have seen the programme. But the reasons why punk, which marks its 50th anniversary this year, still leaves its impression on pop culture so many decades after its brief flowering are more complex than confected outrage.

"A sense of agency and the stimulus to do something"

As, indeed, are its uncertain, underground origins: whether in the US, with bands the likes of MC5, Television and The Stooges, or in the UK, with the likes of X-Ray Spexs, The Adverts, The Slits, Siouxsie and The Banshees - “and then a whole bunch of copycat wankers,” as Lydon would put it - or the consequence of a cultural exchange between the two, one in part presciently repackaged by impresarios the likes of McLaren. McLaren, recall, managed the New York Dolls before he discovered the Sex Pistols.

“Certainly the cultural impact punk had in the UK was extremely acute,” argues Matthew Worley, professor of modern history at the University of Reading, who teaches a course on the topic.

“Punk gave young people a sense of agency and the stimulus to do something. And it’s still a template of how to take what’s around you and do something with it. But it wasn’t just about the sound. Punk still resonates in part because it was so visually exciting. We’re so familiar with the tropes of punk now we forget how striking it was in the 1970s when everything was flared and beige, not colourful and tight”.

Many have certainly argued that punk was a counter to the British political climate of the time: runaway unemployment, racial tensions, a disaffected and divided government, an economy in desperate free-fall, the three-day week and the ‘Winter of Discontent’. Punk built on the shock sensibility of glam rock before it — in its way a more artsy, fantastical form of proto-punk — and, arguably, before that, on the paradigm shifts brought by artists from Little Richard to Jerry Lee Lewis at the birth of rock ‘n’ roll. But, given such national instability, as the next big youth culture punk was bound to break with pop’s more romantic inclinations in favour of being angry, nihilistic and disenchanted.

According to Stephen Palmer, author of The History of Punk: Punk & Pistolry , punk just happened to have its origins in music rather than street protest. “But what made it critically important was that it would become an English, working-class, council estate-led movement,” he argues.

“The punk ethos was ‘be yourself’, but its giving permission to express fury against privilege, deference and so on alone made it important. It expressed this chaotic anger that nobody in the middle-class knew was there and which came as a massive shock to many. Punk was a polemic, one that was highly influenced by US bands — the word ‘punk’ was popularised by American culture, after all — but which could only have happened as it did in England, where it exploded”.

"Every generation needs its own sound"

Yet "punk has to be understood in context - not just that it was a time of economic crisis but that popular music [on the radio and TV] seemed to be a million miles from what was going on at street level. And every generation needs its own sound,” adds Don Letts, the DJ, film-maker and co-founder of Big Audio Dynamite who, more by happenstance than intent, documented the punk years with his The Punk Rock Movie.

“That said, the first awareness of punk for me actually came visually — the people walking up and down the King’s Road near where I worked at the time. The first time I saw The Clash I couldn’t understand a word they were singing but the look and the energy and the attitude captivated me instantaneously.”

A dark, seditious, individualistic aesthetic of rips, fetishwear, provocative and contradictory political symbols, meets the cut-and-paste ransom note graphic style of Jamie Reid — all set, in time, to be co-opted by the corporate world, as Reid predicted it would be — well, it was, at the least, fresh and surprising. More deeply, it felt like punk was the bastard lovechild of the avant-garde, and channelled a new kind of otherness.

Worley, however, reckons that the idea of punk as inherently revolutionary has been overplayed in the writing of its history. He suggests that punk’s birth was less a critique of society — lyrically it was broadly anti-establishment, but far from directed towards the end goal of a better world; punk was as apathetic as it was urgent — so much as a critique of culture's failure to reflect the disaffection felt by every generation, sometimes inherently, sometimes with whatever circumstances it finds itself facing.

“Pop music, for example, just wasn’t the preserve of young people anymore," he says, and as McLaren stated.

“It wasn’t ‘relevant’, to use a favourite word of Lydon’s. It was more about light entertainment: more predictable, more tepid, with novelty songs and excessive AOR. It certainly wasn’t providing the larger soundtrack to young people’s lives. Punk injected the thrill again. Punk recaptured what rock ’n’ roll had in part been about at its inception: disruption."

No barriers to entry

Punk was, as Jack Miller, punk historian and guitarist with Diesel Boy, has it, a kind of “lost youth music, of a different flavour but akin to heavy metal - unusual sounding, shamelessly and unapologetically itself, but also very much the basis of a community of the like-minded”, with a cultural impact, he laughs, in proportion to its loudness.

Critical to its disruptiveness was not just the volume but that the music was welcomed in spite of its performers’ ability to use the available tools of disruption, those guitars and drum sets. Its restless, sometimes abrasive, three chord style was for many, if certainly not all, punk bands, a product of rudimentary playing skills, ones that would routinely get them booed off stage, while violent antics on stage and in the audience would see them banned from venues, or from the radio or repeatedly dropped by successive record labels. Still, all the negative publicity from throwing beer glasses only helped punk grow.

That punk had such low barriers to entry — unlike the professionalism and production values espoused by the era’s prog rock, for example — made it that much more immediately accessible, argues Miller. Small wonder that punk would likewise drive an alternative media of independent record labels and lo-fi fanzines the likes of the UK’s Sniffin’ Glue. As the caption of a cartoon in one such fanzine, Sideburns, put it: “This is a chord. This is another. This is a third. Now form a band”.

That’s why “punk is a genre in which the efforts of underground and garage bands that never made an album or onto Top of the Pops are just as important to its story as these that did,” reckons Ian Glasper, bassist with hardcore punk band Stampin’ Ground and author of Burning Britain: The History of UK Punk 1980-1984.

“It’s also why I tend not to think too hard about whether or not ‘the first punk band’ was The Ramones or The Damned, because what matters was that there was this energy developing around the world,” he adds.

“But it was The Damned…”

DIY attitude and "a cultural ladder"

Indeed, rather than being about the music, arguably punk’s most important legacy is the oft-cited DIY, have-a-go mentality — through the music — and the idea that creative self-expression didn’t require anyone’s permission. This was, as Letts calls it, “punk’s greatest gift”. Seeing his mates pick up guitars with no idea how to play them — “and with the stage filling up pretty quickly” — he picked up a film camera with the same mix of ignorance, curiosity and sense of potential.

“One reason we’re still talking about this four letter word so many years later is the sheer number of people who left punk gigs inspired to do something themselves,” says Letts.

“It wasn’t just a soundtrack, or just a style or just an attitude. It was all of that. In fact, I don’t think anything has been that complete since. Of course, nobody at the time was predicting it would have its cultural impact. At the time we were just doing our things, man.

“And in a way punk painted itself into a corner. But the point is that some took that attitude and ran with it,” Letts adds.

“Punk provided a cultural ladder. Some people stayed stuck on the first rung. Others started climbing. It became bigger than a moment. It became a living thing. Like the force in Star Wars, you just had to have a feel for it”.

“As with any explosion it didn’t last long, but in a way by then punk just wasn’t needed anymore anyway,” adds Palmer. “It had already provided the touchpaper for this vast ecology of creative forms. Punk had done its work”.

For all that punk was in one sense starting to fizzle out just three or four years after it started — the Sex Pistols disbanded early in 1978, while other bands went on to be denounced as sell-outs, or to just grow up — that artistically enterprising spirit had fractured and diffused throughout the culture. Punk would prove formative to the likes of New Romanticism, Two Tone and Oi!, to cite just three wildly different youth culture movements that followed it, and not just to music but to art, fashion, film-making.

“Goth, polymorphous sexuality, a kind of laddishness, EMO - these are all lines that stretched out of punk,” Worley suggests. Meanwhile, punk itself mutated into various multiple waves of musical sub-genres throughout the 1980s and beyond, all proudly retaining the ‘punk’ heritage label: ska-punk, afro-punk, skate-punk, the more serious anarcho-punk — bolshily against anything ‘the system’ proposed — as well as many other punkish experiments. Punk could be by turns a product of music business hype, excess exuberance and deeply-felt radicalism.

Punk politicians, punk teachers, punk everyone

But then perhaps core to punk’s strange longevity has been its very nebulousness, its chameleon quality.

“The thing is that punk means something different to almost everyone touched by it,” says Glasper.

“Some see it as deadly serious, a means to convey an anti-authority message. But to others it’s always just been about jumping up and down and having fun." Protest for some was just laughs for many others. It was the Pistols’ Sid Vicious who was said to have invented pogo dancing.

Yet that very nebulousness, he adds, is also important for allowing the essential psyche of punk — rather than some nostalgic revisiting of the 1970s — to be embraced by every generation.

“I grew up in the 1980s, in a boring town, in the shadow of nuclear armageddon, and punk was for me a way of venting my frustrations then too,” says Palmer. “If we all lived idyllic lives there wouldn’t be the need for punk. But unfortunately there’s always something to be angry about."

Is there the same determination to do something about it though, even if that’s just to sneer into the wind? Maybe punk’s dark secret is out: that its hardcore acts of uncomformity didn’t really change much. Don Letts worries that the punk spirit is, if not lost, then at best hibernating and proving hard to wake.

“The problem for me is the aspirations of people creating now,” he says.

“We got into punk to be anti-establishment. Now it’s to be part of the establishment, to be on red carpets and MTV. I know it’s hard to take a chance when you have rent to pay. It’s hard to be a rebel if you’re 30 and still living with your mum. And obviously London isn’t built for people without money anymore is it?

"But we really need the punk spirit now. We need punk politicians, punk teachers, punk expressed though all aspects of life”.

• 50 years of punk: A Shortlist celebration

If the late 1960s were a time when the youth of America and the UK put a flower in the hair of the elder generation, entreating them to chill out and join them in peace and love, then 1976 was the year they took that flower right back, snapped its stalk and stamped on it. No longer were kids going to blithely conform to societal rules, or authority figures, or organised education.

That year, almost simultaneously on both sides of the Atlantic, something changed. In the US, there was a complete distrust of politicians thanks to Watergate, Nixon and the Vietnam war, while in the UK there was total economic crisis and rampant inflation while the country baked in a (then) unprecedented heatwave. Conditions were ideal for righteous anger and indignation, and the younger generation responded by picking up the traditional weapons of the non-criminal — electric guitars.

Punk was born, and with it came a volley of spit in the face of five years of soft rock and masturbatory solos, replaced by two or even three chord exclamations of outright dissatisfaction and a rejection of corporate greed. The spirit of punk has lived on for fifty years now, and has produced some of the most vital, exhilarating and ‘quick, turn this up right now’ music in history.

Here are half a century’s worth of glorious albums that capture it all, in no particular order, all shot through with the kind of vitriol that Johnny Rotten would approve of.

Put them on at full volume. Get pissed. Destroy.

50) MC5 - Kick Out the Jams (1969)

There’s ahead of their time, and then there’s MC5. Summoning the violence of Altamont and the death of hippies, the Michigan band released a live album as their debut, a mix of garage rock, metal and punk before anyone knew what it was, the title track featuring vocalist Rob Tyner screaming ‘Kick out the Jams, motherfuckers’. The upscale department store chain Hudson’s promptly banned it. MC5 took out a full page ad in the national press stating simply: “Fuck Hudson’s.”

49) New York Dolls - New York Dolls (1973)

New York City in the early 1970s was not a safe place to be; Manhattan was practically bankrupt, violent crime spiralled. Out of this backdrop came the New York Dolls, a hard-drinking American counterpart to the Rolling Stones, with songs about kids feeling repressed and like ‘whipped dogs’, all spiky guitars and shouted choruses, while the band would dress in full drag and make up amidst a culture of rampant homophobia.

48) Television - Marquee Moon (1977)

If ever there were a more thoughtful side to punk, this is it — an album that is packed full of gloriously accomplished music, complex guitar lines, stunning melodies and poetic lyrics. Graduates of lower Manhattan’s infamous CBGBs club, Television’s Marquee Moon would go on to influence the likes of U2, R.E.M and Pavement.

47) Stiff Little Fingers - Inflammable Material (1979)

Formed in Northern Ireland as the country was reeling from the violence of the Troubles , Stiff Little Fingers swallowed up the brutality and deprivation of daily life, vomiting it back out with vengeance on this scorching debut. Within one minute of the opener you’ll hear the roots of Green Day’s Welcome to Paradise. “It’s time the bastards fell” screams the frontman Jake Burns. Furious stuff.

46) The Runaways - The Runaways (1976)

Godmothers of punk is a very cool title to have, and a deserved one for a ‘no f**ks given’ all female group led by Joan Jett who grew up playing the Whiskey a Go Go in LA and produced a fantastic, hard rocking debut that featured Lou Reed covers, plus the incendiary, rebellion-on-record, Cherry Bomb.

45) Minutemen - Double Nickels on the Dime (1984)

Double albums are not often punk albums, more often associated with the excesses of prog rock. But inspired by Pink Floyd, Californian trio Minutemen went against that and combined jazz, punk, poetry and country with lyrics that explored war, violence, the American day to day graft, but mostly, brilliantly, just driving different cars around.

44) Public Enemy - Yo! Bum Rush the Show (1987)

Punk in genre they may not have been, punk in mentality they certainly were. Chuck D et al basically threw a political hand grenade of a record into capitalist, ‘80s greed-obsessed American culture and didn’t care less who it upset. Angry, confrontational, it was a debut rap album that won the traditionally guitar-obsessed NME’s album of the year.

43) Buzzcocks - Singles Going Steady (1979)

A compilation album put together to introduce Bolton’s Buzzcocks to the US it might have been, but such was the strength of songwriting on display from Pete Shelley here, it ended up forever sitting with LPs like London Calling and Setting Sons as a bone fide punk classic. Ever Fallen in Love (With Someone You Shouldn’t’ve) is one of the finest pop songs in all history.

42) Green Day - Dookie (1994)

As the 1990s began in California, Billie Joe Armstrong was taking most of the records you’ll read about here, ignoring the grunge all around him, and writing his own breakneck skate punk anthems - fiercely melodic tunes that just worked perfectly on the radio. He zeroed in on his own anxiety and boredom and in doing so found an empathetic audience of millions - the album went 20 times platinum.

41) Husker Du - Flip Your Wig (1985)

A decade that was summed up by corporate greed, cocaine and shoulder pads was always going to need a counter-measure, and in Minnesota Husker Du were trying to make hardcore punk rock into a viable living, adding a far more melodic element while turning down major label attention. On this album you can hear all the signs of singer-songwriter Bob Mould’s defining Sugar album Copper Blue, seven years early.

40) Black Flag - Damaged (1981)

Black Flag were the band that noticed Husker Du, and would sign them to their label, but in 1981 they were busy taking several attempts to record their own debut album because none of them had been in a recording studio before. Once they managed it, they produced an angry, hardcore classic that influenced everyone from Nirvana to Soundgarden to My Chemical Romance.

39) The Misfits - Misfits (1986)

Another compilation, this time from Glen Danzig’s New Jersey horror punk rockers, Misfits is a twenty-song burst of fuzzy guitar on which you can hear elements of almost every remotely similar band ever since. The group had already split up by 1983, but did enough that Green Day and The Offspring cite them as a massive influence.

38) The Jam - All Mod Cons (1978)

Nobody worked faster in the UK in the late ‘70s than a 20 year-old Paul Weller, and he’d already written two superb Jam albums by the time this one came around. But the tracklist on this is just frightening frankly. Brilliant song after brilliant song, with highlights including To Be Someone, David Watts, English Rose and Down in the Tube Station at Midnight.

37) The Stooges - Fun House (1970)

Not a commercial hit when it came out, probably because nobody knew what on earth it was, Iggy Pop and his mates continued in the vein of fellow Michigan-ers MC5 and tried to make everything sound as loud as possible on this second album. Two minutes into this and you know they succeeded in some style. Raw, primal, a true predecessor of punk.

36) The Distillers - Coral Fang (2003)

LA punk rockers The Distillers didn’t last long in their first iteration. But it was long enough for Aussie export Brody Dalle to front three albums with her growling snarl, including this foot to the floor effort that featured breakthrough single Drain the Blood which was championed by Queens of the Stone Age frontman Josh Homme. Dismantle Me and the title track are the real highlights though.

35) Patti Smith - Horses (1975)

The story of punk is littered with trailblazers, and Smith is undoubtedly one of those. Horses was her first album, a combination of poetry and punk, with a man steeped in anti-establishment garage rock at the controls in the shape of Velvet Underground’s John Cale. “Jesus died for somebody’s sins, but not mine” is the opening line, and it continues in that vein.

34) Fugazi - Repeater (1990)

Fugazi were a band you would hear a lot about in the early ‘90s amidst the Pearl Jams and Nirvanas, but not one that ever quite broke through. One listen to this however will underline why they were so often referenced by the bands that did. Underpinned by an awesome rhythm section, songs that speared consumer culture and the annoyance of having to work for a living made for an album that gets better with each passing year.

33) The Who - Live at Leeds (1970)

Pete Townsend has a decent shout for being the original punk; nobody else in the mid 1960s was trashing their own equipment and this album captured his band’s pure on-stage adrenaline like nothing else. Keith Moon is gloriously unhinged behind the drums, Townsend’s guitar a wall of noise. My Generation is a stuttering punk anthem spun out to an astonishing 15 minutes here.

32) Devo - Freedom of Choice (1980)

If you ask anyone to come up with a Devo track they’re going to say Whip It, and this is the album it comes from, written under pressure from their label that if it didn’t succeed they would be dropped. They responded by making a collection of songs with an ironic title that, alongside Talking Heads, crossed punk energy with unusual arrangements and lyrics about how bizarre working life could be.

31) Velvet Underground - Velvet Underground and Nico (1967)

Widely considered the first ‘proto-punk’ album, this is New York garage rock, heroin chic, dark sunglasses, talk-singing, and playing so laid back it's basically horizontal; Lou Reed and Nico with the coolest vocals of all time. Plus that peelable Andy Warhol banana sleeve. This is the sound of telling someone “sorry, you’re in our seat, we pre-booked it”, and getting a response of just a silently raised middle finger.

30) Blondie - Blondie (1976)

Along with the Velvets, Blondie were yet another New York City product, another CBGB standard, and in Debbie Harry had a truly generational icon up front. Their debut, while not featuring many, if any, of the hits that would make them globally famous, is still stacked with melodies and attitude, like the opener X Offender and their first UK single, Rip Her To Shreds.

29) Idles - Joy As An Act of Resistance (2017)

Anyone who saw Idles breakthrough with their festival appearances in 2018, the year this album dropped, will have recognised, as Joe Talbot prowled the stage mic in hand, the air of danger that outlined them as modern day punk royalty — a band ready to take on all comers. It felt like anything could go off at their gigs, and this record reflected that uncertainty perfectly, especially on Never Fight a Man With a Perm.

28) Meat Puppets - II (1984)

After their debut album proved too scuzzy and too hardcore to bring them any attention, California’s Meat Puppets tried pretty much everything on their second, including a Stones cover, country, rock, punk, bluegrass and more (including what some called ‘cowpunk’.) The result was an album that inspired the really big bands to come - hence their on-stage invitation in the middle of Nirvana’s MTV Unplugged.

27) Amyl and the Sniffers - Comfort To Me (2021)

If you want female-led punk rock with attitude to spare, then head down under and share a stubby with Amy Taylor and her group, whose gigs have become legendary. In 2021 they threw this into the mess of Covid, led by the brilliant Hertz, which combined Electric Six’s ‘Gay bar’ with the desperate wish we all had to get the hell out of dodge.

26) Turnstile - Glow On (2021)

And the spirit of punk continued on to yet another generation; Turnstile made that same trip as their forefathers in going from hardcore to something more accessible, in the process making an album that earned Grammy nominations and topped many album of the year polls. Semi-shouted vocals, genre mash-ups, urgent, slammed drums and shades of the ‘90s in Jane’s Addiction made this a must-download for tens of thousands.

25) At the Drive-In - Relationship of Command (2000)

If you want to see modern (if 2000 counts as modern) punk in action then a quick google to witness ATDI perform One Armed Scissor on Jools Holland will do the trick. The Texans put all of that energy and more into their third (and best) album, which starts off thunderous and basically continues in that mode without ever letting up.

24) Rocket From the Crypt - Scream Dracula, Scream! (1995)

Much of the 1990s was not a big time for punk in general, but in the middle of it Rocket from the Crypt appeared from San Diego, armed with the superb single On a Rope which was everywhere for a while, putting on outrageous live shows at which anything could happen, from fire breathing to prize raffles. The album is similarly unpredictable, with sax, violas and chaotic riffs galore.

23) The Offspring - Smash (1994)

Together with Green Day, The Offspring emerged from California in ‘94 and brought with them an army of skate punk teens who snapped up their albums in the millions. Smash was packed with tunes, providing three hit singles, and guitar-wise sounded like the natural progression to where the heaviest of grunge bands had left off a year previously.

22) Bad Religion - Stranger than Fiction (1994)

The same year as punk went mainstream in the US, LA’s Bad Religion, who had been going for 14 years already, did their best to sound like the originals doing it in the UK in the 1970s, especially on the title track. In doing so they had their biggest hit to date, getting certified gold.

21) The Pogues - Rum Sodomy & the Lash (1985)

Shane MacGowan was a punk at heart, a man who belied his private school background by fully embracing the folk songs of Ireland and allying them with table smashing, drink-fuelled live performances. On this second album the recipe was perfected, MacGowan putting all of himself into the laureate level lyrics, twinned with inspired covers like Dirty Old Town.

20) Gallows - Orchestra of Wolves (2006)

When hardcore punks Gallows unleashed the single Abandon Ship on the UK it was with a music video that summed up their live shows; within five seconds lead singer Frank Carter simply launches himself bodily into the crowd. The album was huge, it sounded like it could be American, Warner Bros duly handed them a million quid to make another.

19) Rancid - ...And Out Come the Wolves (1995)

This is punk played as it should be played — breakneck tempo, spiky three-chord guitars, vocals spat rather than sung, and impossible to stand still to. The single Ruby Soho was the song that gained them MTV exposure, and Rancid remained the cool underground California cousins to Green Day and The Offspring in the mid-90s.

18) Siouxsie and The Banshees - Juju (1981)

Formed exactly fifty years ago in London, the Banshees released their first record right in the midst of punk, then used their live experiences and burgeoning musicianship to make two fantastic albums at the start of the new decade, including Juju, which featured the superb Spellbound and Arabian Knights.

17) Rise Against - The Sufferer and the Witness (2006)

While in the UK Gallows sounded distinctly US in their music, the same year over in Chicago, Rise Against were doing American punk rock better than they had in all their seven years on this fourth album, which demanded radio play. Injection is an absolutely brilliant song, Roadside might be even better.

16) Wire - Pink Flag (1977)

If you thought Connection by Elastica was an original composition, then have a listen to track three on this album and report back. Britain’s Wire were seen as post-punk barely a year into punk and this stands as their epitaph; 21 songs smashed into 34 minutes, not a second wasted on it.

15) Dead Kennedys - Fresh Fruit For Rotting Vegetables (1980)

Like New York City, California proved fertile ground for punk bands and the Dead Kennedys were one of the first out of the traps in 1978. Their debut album echoed the sound of the Sex Pistols from over the pond, and if artwork makes a statement, theirs featured several police cars on fire.

14) Bad Brains - Bad Brains (1982)

So many punk bands were initially hardcore groups, and Washington D.C.’s Bad Brains were pioneers of the genre, across nine albums proving also masters of almost limitless artistic directions. On this, their first LP, they attempted to capture the insanity of their CBGB live performances.

13) Descendents - Milo Goes to College (1982)

Yet more Californian punk alumni, Descendents added surf rock elements and never sounded better than on their first album, a yardstick of pop-punk that is referenced by the likes of Fall Out Boy, The Offspring and Blink 182, whose drummer Travis Barker has a Descendents tattoo.

12) The Replacements - Let It Be (1984)

The Replacements had been going for five years by the time they released this album, and the band had grown out of their punk roots, wanting to find genuine success with more complex songs. They did so in spades, creating a catchy tune-filled record that often features in greatest of all time lists — perhaps the only time they managed to hold it together long enough not to totally self-sabotage.

11) Fontaines DC - Romance (2024)

Fontaines DC’s earlier albums certainly sound more ‘straight punk’ than this, the album that took them from side stages to main arenas, but what they did here was go in a completely unique direction against all expectations. Starburster sounds like absolutely nothing else around.

10) Parquet Courts - Wide Awake (2018)

And still, in the 2010s, New York City continued to produce bands that tapped into the sound of the underground and brought it to everyone’s attention. Parquet Courts were eight years in when they made Wide Awake! And yet it sounded as fresh as a debut, topping end of year lists and prompting one reviewer to state it was ‘the most woke punk-rock record since the heyday of The Clash’.

9) The Strokes - Is This It (2001)

A millennium needed a completely new musical movement and The Strokes duly provided it, reaching to steal the best of Tom Petty and the Velvet Underground, sticking on leather jackets and making a New York album that influenced pretty much every guitar band on the planet at the time.

8) Blink 182 - Enema of the State (1999)

Often unfairly derided as simply American locker room fare due to the humour present in their work, Blink were in fact very, very clever and accomplished musicians, and this was packed with punk-pop-rock tunes that swept the radiowaves and sold 15m copies.

7) The Wipers - Is This Real? (1980)

Nirvana were probably the closest to punk in ethos of the mainstream early ‘90s guitar bands, and Kurt Cobain would at one point opine that everything they knew they learned from The Wipers. This album is raw, scuzzy, and poorly recorded, but the melodies shine through regardless.

6) Gang of Four - Entertainment! (1979)

Slotting into the void left by the explosion of the Sex Pistols, Gang of Four introduced British punk to more musical styles, at times sounding similar to The Jam. Heavily political, they might have been even more famous had they not cancelled their own Top of the Pops appearance when the producers wanted them to change a lyric about condoms.

5) The Clash - The Clash (1977)

One of the most influential bands in history, The Clash’s debut was recorded over three weekends and marks a total shift in guitar music — Hate and War providing a direct rebuttal of peace and love, White Riot telling the story of British race politics and London’s Burning doing what it said on the tin. Angry, frantic, urgent, it is all of Joe Strummer and Mick Jones’ talent unleashed on the world.

4) Bob Dylan - Bringing it All Back Home (1965)

If you want an early example of someone facing pearl-clutching anger at his actions and doing whatever he wanted anyway, this is it. Amid cries of Judas, Dylan ignored the acoustic folks fans and plugged in to an amp, managing to heavily influence not just The Beatles, but the Stones, The Who and therefore The Sex Pistols and Ramones in the process.

3) The Undertones - The Undertones (1979)

Feargal Sharkey might have been naff as anything by the 1980s, but at the end of the decade he and his band had gone from their Irish bedrooms to making a proper, timeless punk anthem with Teenage Kicks, a classic that focused on youthful frustrations rather than the troubles that went on all around them. Plus Jimmy Jimmy, which is just as good.

2) The Ramones - Ramones (1976)

And again from New York City, in April of 1976 came the birth of punk in the United States thanks to four leather clad young men singing about violence and drug use across 14 songs, none of which made it to three minutes in length, most of which are north of 160bpm. “Hey! Ho! Let’s go!... The kids are losing their minds” shouted Joey Ramone, and they duly did just that.

1) Sex Pistols - Never Mind the Bollocks, Here’s the Sex Pistols (1977)

The album that completely changed the culture of the UK. Suddenly, it was not a strange sight to see young people on the high streets with green hair and safety pins through their noses. The band were on the telly, swearing and smashing sets up. The record itself was a call to arms, huge guitars, thunderous drums, that nasal whine of malcontent. Nothing was the same afterwards.

• 50 years of punk: A Shortlist celebration

In Shortlist’s 50 years of punk series, we’ve celebrated the bands that started it all. Yet in the last two decades there’s been one frontman who’s been just as vital to UK punk as The Damned or The Buzzcocks of yesteryear — Frank Carter.

The former vocalist of Watford punk legends Gallows, leading man in rock n’roll upstarts Frank Carter and The Rattlesnakes and the current singer in the modern reincarnation of The Sex Pistols, few living musicians can boast the same punk pedigree.

To celebrate London punk still snarling 50 years later, we sat down with Carter to talk about his journey from destroying dive bars in Gallows to performing across the world with The Sex Pistols.

From punk upstart to frontman of the most famous punk band of all time, here's Carter's story — in his own words.

1984 - 2000: The local legends that inspired Frank to pick up a mic

I must have been 13 when I started wanting to play music. There was a punk band from Watford called Captain Everything, and bands like Fire Apple Red and My Dad Joe from the West Harts scene. They made more of a difference to me than the big bands, because there was punk rock in its purest form, directly in front of me, and I could touch it.

It wasn't in pages in magazines, it wasn't on MTV, I wasn't having to steal a CD from a record store, it was right there. I remember thinking, "Okay, this is what I want to be doing!"

2000 - 2004: From cover bands to a bold new sound

I was around 15 years old when I was really trying to pursue a band. I'd had a few bands where we’d have a few practices, play some covers, and then it always just fell apart before the first gig.

Gallows was the first one where we really toured. For Gallows, I got a call from Lags [founding guitarist] And he was like, "Look, I’ve seen you around and you play like me. I want to start a punk band that sounds different from anything else.” And that was exactly where I wanted to be.

At the time it was a lot of nu-metal bands, pop punk bands, and then really techie metal bands — that wasn't for me. I grew up listening to ‘70s, ‘80s, ‘90s pop music. So I think I brought a pop sensibility that most people would shy away from. I was trying to find the hook.

2006: ‘I remember the whole ceiling coming down’ — the sweaty seafront set that got Gallows noticed

We recorded the album and the record company sent us on this month-long tour of every fucking dive.

We played a show in Southend, right on the fucking seafront, and we just tore that fucking place apart. It was a function room at a pub, there was like six regulars just sitting there and then a bunch of gothy punk kids, and we all just fucking shredded the place.

I remember the whole ceiling coming down… The venue were just like, fuck the ceiling, this is the best thing we've had in here in ages!

From Nu-Metal support slots to Nu-opportunities

We opened up for Papa Roach and it was just a fucking disaster. Just Gallows, doing Gallows things, throwing equipment in the crowd, pure chaos. I actually love Papa Roach — I was at Papa Roach's first London gigs— but by this point when I was on stage, I was out for blood.

I think it fell apart within 20 minutes.

When we were off stage getting told off by security, this guy just comes bowling through — a short, stocky fella — and he just puts me in a headlock, and was like “That's brilliant, let me take you out for dinner!” He was a manager and he’s like “I'm setting up this new label, I've got some great bands, and I want you guys!

In September 2006 Gallows debut album ‘Orchestra Of Wolves’ releases, turning heads across the country.

The gig that made waves in the music press

We played London’s Mean Fiddler for a Kerrang! Halloween party. It was us and Bring Me the Horizon — I think Oli [Sykes, Bring Me the Horizon vocalist] was Scooby Doo — but we went as the droogs from Clockwork Orange. We felt like a team, a proper unit because we had this uniform.

We played a great fucking gig. It's easy when you've got a cane in your hands, you can really cause some chaos!

At one point, one of the boys was like, we should just play in this getup all the time, but I didn't want to wear a fucking jock strap for the rest of my life!

2007: Spit by South West — grafting in Texas and performing in front of rock icons

We flew to South by South West in Texas, and we played something crazy like 15 shows in four days. We played in a taco bar in the middle of the day, and I remember looking up and just seeing [Metallica drummer] fucking Lars Ulric! Dave Grohl [Foo Fighters] was there, Tom Morello [Rage Against The Machine] was there…. I remember being like, "I'm fucking out of here!"

We played three songs and I just climbed out the window mid set. I was like, "Nah, I can't do this shit, not in front of them." And it turned out that they liked that. They were just like, "Yeah, that was great. I remember you climbed out the fucking window, you just fucked off, you'd had enough, and we were like, 'We've had enough too, it's too hot for this shit!'"

Gallows goes Grime — Lethal Bizzle x Gallows

“It’s quite simple how this came about — I just love grime. I remember bumping into [Lethal Bizzle] at some award ceremony and saying "We’re gonna do this cover of a Ruts song. Do you know the Ruts?" And he's like, "Yeah, I just did a cover of Babylon’s Burning", so I’m thinking this is the guy, he just fucking gets it!

So we decided to come together to do a cover of ‘Staring at the Rude Bois by the Ruts. It was definitely the most pop sounding song we'd done but it just worked really, really well.

Staring at the Rude Bois went onto be Gallows’ highest charting UK top 40 single, appearing at number 31 on the chart on 25 November 2007. Gallows also won a Kerrang! Award in 2007 for Best British newcomer.

2009: Great Britain, Grey Britain

Warner Bros had signed us, and we had got the unthinkable — we'd managed to secure a two album firm deal. So we were guaranteed a second record, no matter what.

They wanted to re-release Orchestra Of Wolves — so they bought that as the first one — and then Grey Britain was the second record. Korda Marshall is pretty much a genius A&R who was responsible for some of the biggest British rock bands — bands like Ash, and Muse — and he was the one that saw something in us and said, "Yeah, Gallows is going to be the next big thing”.

Grey Britain, however, was the antithesis of Orchestra Of Wolves’ catchy three minute bangers. A prophetic concept album about the tide of hatred and division slowly consuming Britain, it was a dark, cinematic and confrontational record that to this day remains a misunderstood masterpiece.

I remember sitting in the listening party for Great Britain, and it's like a fucking film — it's a movie, that record. It's not supposed to be a hit album. It's supposed to be an atmosphere. It's our odyssey. I remember seeing all their faces [at Warner Bros.] and just thinking, "Right, yeah, well, we're fucked here, they don't get it."

So we made the record that we wanted to make, they fulfilled their obligations, and then they let us go. I’ve got to give some credit to a major for even allowing that to happen.

I was out last night, and someone walked over to me and said "Great Britain changed my life" and that's pretty amazing, 17 years on. We were trying to make a cult classic, we were not trying to make a mainstream hit, and I feel like we did that.

2011: The fall of Gallows

One of the last tours Gallows did was labelled as ‘Back to the Dives’. It was supposed to be this cool thing, us returning to small venues after selling out venues like Brixton and returning to our roots. But it was a market test, to see if there was still love for the band. And I just hate that. I think that's the biggest betrayal.

In some ways I was quite eager to do something different, and I wanted to start moving towards a rock-centred world, and I'm not sure the boys did.

I think the reality was we probably all could have just used a year off, to be honest. Then when the boys said that they were going to carry on, it was a shock to me, because I think at that point my ego was probably quite out of control and maybe that pushed me even further to do my own thing.

2011 - 2014: From all out aggression to new band Pure Love

It was fucking hard. It felt disastrous at the time, if people did come to Pure Love shows [it was] to see the fall of Frank from Gallows. They came to fuck me up and say, "What the fuck you doing?"

But the reality was, I was tired of singing about hate at that point. It was poisoning me, and that's because I wasn't releasing it in a positive way. It was really, really hard work. I had an amazing time, but there's a lot of people there that didn't want it to happen.

In 2014, after releasing just one album, Pure Love disbanded.

2015 - 2024: Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes strike

[The Rattlesnakes] was supposed to be one record. We took it all really in our stride. I think five albums in 10 years is an insane amount of work, and we'd had some crazy highs and lows.

We'd sold out Alexandra Palace. We'd survived fucking Covid as a band. Even on our last tour, we sold out two nights at the Roundhouse, back-to-back, which is an amazing feat for an independent band.

2024 - 2026: Never Mind The Bollocks, Here Comes Frank Carter and The Sex Pistols

Towards the end of [Rattlesnakes], I think we needed a break, and randomly that's when I got a call from Louis Matlock, who's Glenn Matlock's son. He's like, "My dad wants to meet you.” I'm thinking, "I don't want to meet your dad. I love the Sex Pistols. Don't ruin this for me!"

[But] Glenn is lovely. He's very quiet, very softly spoken, but a legend of music. He says "Hey, we want to do this reunion, but we can't seem to make it work with John [Lydon, original Sex Pistols frontman]. So we thought...could this work with another singer? Is that something that you would be interested in?"

I was really blindsided. I just thought he wanted to hang out and maybe write a song together, and immediately I was just like, "Yeah, I'll do it". I just knew in the very soul of me, and I gave it no thought.

The first practice I did with Paul "Cookie" Cook and Glen I thought I totally fucked it. I was really struggling, but! After that Steve Jones flew over and we had, I think, maybe two rehearsals, and then we would just go straight into three gigs. It was a beautiful, beautiful week, amazing shows.

Right off the back of that, they were like, "Hey, we've been offered this gig in Italy, do you fancy doing that?" At that point, I was like, "Yeah, cool, fuck it".

I think off the back of that, they really saw who I was and what I was about, and the next thing I know, they're like, "We're thinking about doing some gigs next year. You busy?" So it just all kind of fell together. Here we are in 2026 and we're still fucking still doing it.

[With Sex Pistols shows] rather than switching off, I switch on more. I think maybe when it's when it's your own stuff it's a lot easier to switch off and just go with the motion, but this I've had to really work at. I want to do them proud.

I've not met John, and I'd love to, but I want to do him proud as well because without him, I wouldn't be in music. I remember seeing him back in the day, skinny orange-haired maniac, and I was like, that's me! The greatest gift is being able to walk on stage with them and make them all smile. I'll be thinking about that on my deathbed. The band that gave me so much, helped me find my people, helped me find my identity, the band that gave punk rock to the world, I'm able to put smiles on their faces.

They're also all very big characters, and I'm not trying to diminish any of that. What the world needs is their fucking songs, the world needs that music more than ever now. If one young kid comes to the show with their dad or their grandparent, and they see one guitar, one bass drum, and a singer sweating, and they think "I'm going to start a band"? Then it was all worth it.

When it comes to new Sex Pistols music, you'd have to ask the others about that. I'm ready. I've written some bits that I think would be cool with them, but l think they just really enjoy playing live. I think it would be a lot harder for them to make some new tunes now, because the whole world is watching. So, I understand the pressure. There's no pressure from me, and if they ever want to, I'd love to.

Will Gallows ever return?

With Gallows, what happened in four years with that band, it's pretty iconic. For me, I feel like there's still unfinished business there. The way it ended was sad. My brother and I, we healed, it's water under the bridge between us now, and so I don't know what the future holds.

But I think at some point, I've at least got to take those lads to dinner and see where their heads are at.

If Gallows got back together, though, I could never call it a reunion, because to me it never stopped.

Just because they went and did other records, that band is still my band, you know? If we ever went back, it wouldn't be a reunion, it would just be a return.

A teenage breakup can feel like the end of the world. For Set It Off frontman Cody Carson, it became the beginning of something even bigger.

It started with New Found Glory’s ‘Sticks and Stones’.

“I was going through a breakup – the kind of high school breakup where it hurts you unbelievably — and they really found me,” the pop punk singer opens up.

“Them, and Fall Out Boy, My Chemical Romance… that was my breakthrough into punk.”

Like most punk fans’ route to rebellion, his wasn’t through a political manifesto or a spikey mohawk. It was through a record that truly understood why he was crying in his bedroom.

By the early Noughties, punk looked and sounded very different from the movement that had exploded in Britain and New York in the Seventies. This time, the guitars were polished, the choruses anthemic and the songs were way more concerned with crushes, breakups and suburban boredom. Pop punk had arrived — and the genre had gone bubblegum.

Still, millions of teens wanted a taste. But had punk really lost its bite, or just found a sweeter way to deliver it?

Punk has always been pop

Punk has always been poppier than it might appear.

The Ramones wrapped catchy pop melodies in buzzsaw guitars, and made no secret of where those hooks came from.

“I hate to blow the mystique, but at the time, we really liked bubblegum music, and we really liked the Bay City Rollers,” Joey Ramone once admitted. Heck, the punk icon even revealed that the Scottish boyband’s chant-heavy hit ‘Saturday Night’ helped inspire the “Hey! Ho! Let’s go!” hook in ‘Blitzkrieg Bop’.

For Adam Lazzara, frontman of 00s emo pop punk superstars Taking Back Sunday, punk was never about following a strict musical formula, anyway.

“I think punk, to me, is that when everyone else says no, you figure out where ‘yes’ is and you go get it,” he shares as we sit down with the band.

His is a definition that feels closer to the spirit of punk than any argument about how distorted the guitars should be.

Pop punk didn’t invent punk’s sweet tooth. It just polished the production and brought those hooks to a new generation. The sound was changing, but the instinct behind it arguably hadn’t.

But, that route between punk and pop wasn’t necessarily a straight line. For American punk rock band The Menzingers, the brighter American version of punk proved to be a path back to the British bands who started it.

“I think as teenagers, the first American punk bands that we started listening to were pop punk bands like Blink-182, Green Day and then even bands like Rancid,” vocalist Greg Barnett explains.

“But when we got into The Clash, we were like, ‘Okay, there’s so much more you can do with this music than just a few chords and some pop melodies.’ The UK punk bands that we got into really expanded what we started to do musically.”

Pop punk hadn’t cut them off from punk’s past — it had led them to it.

“English punk was really huge for us, especially The Clash,” bassist Eric Keen adds, “We built the band around The Clash. We are Clash historians in a kind of ridiculous way. We love everything about them.”

The deeper they dug, the greater the punk influences that came, with Eric also naming The Specials and Cock Sparrer among the British bands who shaped them.

Fifty years on, it is the culture surrounding the music that The Menzingers’ bassist believes is still going strong.

“So much has changed, but the energy and the community, I feel, have stayed the same,” Eric explains.

“People are still going to the shows and building a community around it. That’s the most important and exciting thing to me.”

Pop punk goes mainstream

The Nineties saw Green Day and The Offspring break into the mainstream, before Blink-182, New Found Glory, Sum 41 and Fall Out Boy carried punk’s poppier side into arenas, skateparks and millions of teenage bedrooms.

For Set if Off’s Cody Carson, the appeal of this new generation came down to individual songs. “On Sticks and Stones, ‘Understatement’ was my favourite track. It probably still is,” he says.

“With Fall Out Boy, I think I’d go for ‘Sophomore Slump or Comeback of the Year’. And for My Chemical Romance, ‘Mama’ is one of the most interesting tracks ever written.”

Pop punk’s growing commercial power also made it easier than ever to discover. You could find it on the radio, television, a film soundtrack or the T-shirts in H&M. It became an accessible way into a much wider musical history.

What’s punk anyway?

Not everyone welcomed punk’s glossy new era. As major label budgets grew, music videos dominated MTV and choruses became increasingly radio friendly, others loved to toss around “sell-out” insults.

Motion City Soundtrack guitarist Joshua Cain has little interest in joining in.

“Who are we to police what is punk and what is not?” the rocker asks.

“We wanted to do the right things, go with our gut and make music that meant something to us. It wasn’t ever done for anybody else, and I think that’s what punk is, for me.”

“As long as your band is true to what you fucking want, I think that is pretty punk,” Cain adds.

For the US rock band’s frontman Justin Pierre, being true to yourself doesn’t have to mean staying the same forever, either.

“Being true to yourself can also mean, ‘We’re going this way with what we’re doing, and then we’re going this way with what we’re doing,’” he says.

“The systems in place want to put you in boxes. I think there is something very punk rock about doing the opposite of that.”

Set It Off’s Cody Carson has an even more direct response to anyone who says pop punk isn’t “real” punk.

“Stop putting labels on things. Stop being elitist. Stop gatekeeping,” he shares with us.

“Let people like what they like. At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter. It doesn’t affect you. Let people enjoy things!”

For all its pop punk leaning, for Minneapolis-hailing Motion City Soundtrack, punk’s meaning has become even more political today.

“We were staying out of being a super political band because it would have felt a little forced,” Joshua Cain admits, “Not that we aren’t political, but it just didn’t feel like it worked. Now, the world’s changed so much.”

With “the system so broken”, Cain tells us, “you basically have to fight for your rights at this point”.

Frontman Justin Pierre brings that fight back to something even closer to home. “Try not to look at people as the problem. It’s the systems in place,” he says, “Help your neighbours. Work in your community — just start there. It’s really simple.”

Born in the teen bedroom

Now, Set It Off are becoming the pop punk gateway band for a new generation.

“It’s surreal and it’s weird,” Carson tells us.

“I’ve been seeing a lot of bands come out that have referenced us. Friends of mine in the industry will say, ‘Dude, I keep hearing your name being used as a reference for what to work towards inside a studio when other bands are writing.’”

The songs have travelled further than he ever expected, too.

“There are so many songs where I’m just writing about what I went through specifically, and then you look out into the crowd and see someone angrily singing it back at you,” he says. “You’re like, ‘Wow, you really tied this to something in your personal life.’”

“You never expect how it’s going to reach somebody or how they’re going to connect,” he adds. “It makes us so happy and truly grateful that anybody can see us as a gateway, a connection or a way to cope.”

Sure, punk went bubblegum. But it gave another generation something to sink its teeth into all over again.

• 50 years of punk: A Shortlist celebration

HEY! HO! LET’S GO!

Fifty years after punk tore up the rulebook, its greatest songs are still as loud, shouty, catchy and as relevant as ever. Five decades of punk has democratised popular music letting anyone armed with just three chords and the truth get on stage, find their people, and change the world.

And these are some of punks best cuts. From first-wave firestarters to modern pop-punk anthems, we've enlisted some of today’s biggest punk and rock acts, alongside punk culture pioneers, to help us rank the 50 punk tracks that changed music forever. We couldn't resist throwing some of our favourites into the mix, too.

Crank up the volume, don your best Billy Idol snarl and get ready to pogo…

The 50 best punk songs, ever!

50. Rise Above — Black Flag (1981)

"Rise Above by Black Flag is one of my favorite punk songs. I grew up with The Clash and Black Flag as huge influences, and the energy of the crowd shouting 'Rise above / We gotta rise above!' gives me the adrenaline I need from punk rock sonically.

"And the statement is the truth. Every lyric to this day still resonates with me and I think shows how timeless punk will always be."

- As chosen by TX2

49. Identity — X-Ray Spex (1977)

“It’s incredible how Poly Styrene, fifty years ago, in this fast paced, danceable visceral track, epitomises the plight of many modern day young people, in the social media age especially. To the point where one’s own reflection, not living up to the desired self image, or validation that comes with the commercial and media attention, invokes an immediate response of violent self harm.... all in a 2 minute 17 second track.”

- As chosen by Joe Sangre, artist and owner of Eighties punk boutique, Pure Sex

48. Linoleum — NOFX (1994)

“One of the first songs that like really changed my world was Linolium by NoFX. But of course, it's hard because I feel like everyone might have a different definition of punk. It’s so subjective.”

- As chosen by Adam Lazarra, frontman of 2000s emo rockers Taking Back Sunday

47. MakeDamnSure — Taking Back Sunday (2006)

"Taking Back Sunday’s - MakeDamnSure, was a track that really helped shape my musical journey, it was the first time I can remember hearing lyrics that made me really feel something other than ‘Oh that’s nice’

"It was a totally new approach to storytelling that I had never witnessed prior to this song. It wasn’t cookie cutter, the toxicity, the rawness and shifts from light to dark really spoke to me. Twenty years later this track is still as current as the day it came out, in my mind!"

- As chosen by rising Australian pop metal stars Melrose Avenue

46. Ain’t Got A Clue — The Lurkers (1978)

Hailing from Uxbridge and Fulham, and proof that literally anyone could pick up an instrument and make a record, The Lurkers caught lightning in a bottle with this Ramones-style foot stomper. A definitive early punk single by the West Londoners, and an important record for label Beggars Banquet (aka Beggars) which would go on to become the home of imprints Rough Trade, XL, and Matador, paving the way for the indie explosion to come.

45. One Chord Wonders — The Adverts (1977)

Not true. The Adverts could play three chords. Just not necessarily in the right order. A John Peel favourite, and an important seminal track for Stiff Records — the eventual home of 2-tone, and organisers of the legendary Stiff Tours.

44. I’m Stranded — The Saints (1977)

They may have been Australian but this debut single from The Saints was a pitch perfect fit for the UK punk scene. Sounds writer Jonh Ingham declared it the "Single of this and every week", with The Saints kickstarting the DIY scene in their native Australia.

43. Orchestra of Wolves — Gallows (2006)

"The riff. The vocals. The absolute chaos of the whole track. It's the kind of song that makes you want to start a fucking riot. This was one of the biggest inspirations during the earliest days of MOSKITO.

"We were obsessed with chasing that same raw, guttural sound that Frank Carter's [Gallows frontman, .ed] producer at the time, Thomas Mitchener, managed to capture so perfectly. Getting to record our first two singles with Thomas was a full-circle moment for us, and he absolutely brought that same intensity into the studio. We've never been shy about our love for Frank and the impact he's had on us as a band. His music has shaped so much of what we do, and in our eyes, he goes down as one of the best to ever do it."

- As chosen by rising British rock ‘Shouty boy band’ MOSKITO

42. Jet Boy, Jet Girl — Elton Motello (1977)

“It’s outrageous, obscene and forces you to dance!”

- As chosen by Harry Martinez, singer from British rock ‘n’ rollers, Split Dogs

41. Right to Work — Chelsea (1977)

One of the major punk singles from ‘77, a rousing chorus with a political punk message, too, addressing youth unemployment, strikes, and economic decay under James Callaghan's Labour government. Chelsea's original line-up featured the soon-to-be-known-as Billy Idol on guitar — the band fractured, with Generation X rising from its ashes.

40. How Will I Rest in Peace If I'm Buried by a Highway?// — KennyHoopla (2020)

"KennyHoopla's 'How Will I Rest in Peace If I'm Buried by a Highway?//' is my favourite punk track. The first time I heard it, it felt unlike anything I'd ever listened to before, yet somehow deeply nostalgic at the same time.

"It captured the same melancholic dreamy atmosphere that bands like Joy Division created but fused with an explosive energy that felt completely fresh and magic. This song even inspired a whole era of PAVÉ's writing. Rather than hiding from feelings of anxiety or uncertainty, it embraces them, releases them, and leaves you feeling lighter by the end of the track. That wave and release of emotion is exactly what punk is about."

- As chosen by Manchester alt rock band PAVÉ vocalist Alayna-Jade

39. Where's Me Jumper? — The Sultans of Ping FC (1992)

“His mother is angry. His brother is angry. His girlfriend is angry. Even the dog. This is not a song about a jumper. This is a song about a man completely alone in the world because he misplaced an item of clothing.”

- As chosen by Otto Rot, one half of art rock-pop-comedy duo, Otto and Astrid

38. Where Have All the Boot Boys Gone? — Slaughter & The Dogs (1978)

Manchester punk legends take no prisoners with this Pistols-inspired rant which sums up the teen tensions of the time, reflecting on the broiling violence of 'suedeheads' and 'skinheads' — a subculture being increasingly being co-opted and hijacked by the far-right National Front political party of the time. There's a touch of glam here, with the band taking inspiration from Bowie, T-Rex and Slade.

37. Emergency — 999 (1978)

Led by lovable Nick Cash, 999 were masters of punk pop, and this is a belter. A huge chart hit on both sides of the Atlantic for the London punk band, it's got as much in common with the likes of Talking Heads as it does Magazine and Buzzcocks. The rest of the band's output set the stage for bands like Blink-182 and Sum 41.

36. The Possibility of Life's Destruction — Discharge (1982)

"AWAP as a band were brought up on punk, hardcore and crossover. Bands like Suicidal Tendencies, Minor Threat , Bad Religion and Dead Kennedys were joined by death metal, thrash and Motorhead in making us think and jump around in equal measure.

"One track that unites us all is by Discharge. The Possibility of Life's Destruction is razor sharp, has the pounding D-Beat that dissects a fucked up 80's world that has not changed 30 years later. Truly seminal and fucking raging."

– As chosen by Matt Mason, singer of British thrash punk band AWAP

35. Sunday Bloody Sunday — U2 (1983)

“I don't even really listen to U2, but I feel like Sunday Bloody Sunday is a pretty fucking great song that's anti-horrible things.”

- As chosen by Joshua Cain, guitarist in emo rock band Motion City Soundtrack

34. Drain the Blood — The Distillers (2003)

Brody Dalle delivers pure gravel-throated fury on a defining anthem of the 2000s punk revival. From the still-astonishing Coral Fang album, it's produced by Gil Norton, famous for his work with Pixes and Foo Fighters. That The Distillers never put out a follow up album is one of modern punk's great tragedies.

33. Shot by Both Sides — Magazine (1978)

Howard Devoto leaves The Buzzcocks and drops a scintillating slice of avant-garde punk, pointing the way to a post-punk future. Angular guitars and intellectual lyrics, but with that same vein of alienation being tapped, it's been covered by Radiohead and acts as a bridge to the new-wave 80s era to come.

32. Warhead — U.K. Subs (1980)

OG punks, led by the indefatigable Charlie Harpergargle razor blades for this dark punk anthem. The Subs play their final gig in 2027, when the frontman hits 83. Someone give this man a knighthood.

31. Understatement — New Found Glory (2002)

“My entry to punk music was pop punk, and specifically the album ‘Sticks and Stones’ by New Found Glory. I was going through a breakup - like, the high school breakup where it hurts you unbelievably - and they really found me. That was my personal breakthrough into that. Understatement was always my favourite track on the album.”

- As chosen by Cody Carson, frontman of Floridian pop punk stars, Set It Off

30. Rebel Girl — Bikini Kill (1993)

The riot grrrl anthem: raw, revolutionary and pure girl power, this is feminist punk at its sharpest. Joan Jett was in the producer's seat for this one — a real torch-passing moment for two generations of women in punk.

29. Five Corporations — Fugazi (1998)

“It’s one of the later Fugazi songs I really love, that’s so fun to listen to. I love it. It’s a fucking great song. I would advise everyone to listen to Fugazi, and to watch the Jem Cohen Fugazi documentary, Instrument.

"It is incredible. School yourselves on Fugazi because we need more Fugazi. Be the Fugazi you want to see in the world.”

- As chosen by Justin Pierre, vocalist of emo rockers Motion City Soundtrack

28. Hanging on the Telephone — The Nerves (1976)

“This is just a perfect, perfect song. Blondie’s cover of it is so good, and to me, it's just like a classic. It’s like pop punk, right? That is such a great song.”

- As chosen by Eric Keen, bassist in US punk rock outfit The Menzingers

This one's not on Spotify, so here's the original '45 version as uploaded to YouTube:

27. Boredom — Buzzcocks (1977)

Before the Buzzcocks went pure punk, this was a mantra for the time. The Deveto-era tune was self pressed in a debut batch of just 1,000 copies, the song an early, self-lacerating parody of the punk movement.

26. Top of The Pops — The Rezillos (1978)

Scotland’s finest (don’t tell The Skids), punk at its most feel-good. There's a B-Movie energy to this scathing attack on the '70s record industry, and the lip-synced era of the BBC's titular Top of the Pops. Fun fact: Guitarist Jo Callis would go on to join The Human League, and write all-time Top of The Pops classic, Don't You Want Me.

25. Come Out and Play — The Offspring (1994)

The song that launched The Offspring into the mainstream, full of anthemic punk chants and powered by that unmistakable “keep ’em separated” refrain (spoken by Jason 'Blackball' McLean, a buddy of the band who was paid $200 and a doughnut for his efforts. Hopefully he got a little more later down the line — the massive radio hit helped turn its parent album Smash into the highest-selling independent label album of all time).

24. Alternative Ulster — Stiff Little Fingers (1979)

“It's a protest song. It's unbelievably catchy; it's gruff… and Stiff Little Fingers are fucking awesome.”

- As chosen by Greg Barnett, vocals in Pennsylvanian punk band The Menzingers

23. Holiday in Cambodia — Dead Kennedys (1980)

A spine-tingling riff, coupled to a searing vocal from Jello Biafra that escalates to a brutal climax. One of the most political bands of the 80's US punk scene, Holiday... sets its sights on the hypocritical liberal college students of the era who couldn't put their protest into action.

22. Sheena Is a Punk Rocker — Ramones (1977)

The Ramones gave punk its own party anthem with this irresistible two-minute blast of bubblegum hooks, teenage rebellion and pure New York cool.

21. Ruby Soho — Rancid (1995)

A huge ’90s punk anthem, with more than a passing nod to OGs The Clash. Underneath the punchy riffs there's a soppy side to this one, with singer Tim Armstrong talking the strains of navigating life on the road while in a relationship.

20. Sound of the Suburbs — The Members (1979)

The definitive (sub)urban anthem — if The Sex Pistols were Soho, The Members were Surrey, giving voice to the boredom felt in commuter towns and middle England.

19. Search and Destroy — Iggy & The Stooges (1973)

A foundational epic that was to inspire punk on both sides of the Atlantic, from the album Raw Power - and produced by none other than David Bowie. It's original mix was so low-fi and visceral as to become legendary (and somewhat self-destructive — considered unlistenable by some quarters, a later remaster revealed Search and Destroy's more nuanced majesty. And it still kicked arse.)

18. This Is Not A Love Song — Public Image Ltd (1984)

"One of my favourite punk songs of all time is Public Image Ltd’s This Is Not a Love Song. It was one of the first punk songs I discovered as a teenager and one of the first tracks I ever learned to play on guitar. But not the original version. The version that first captivated me was this raw live recording from the Rotten to the Core bootleg, where the song feels even more chaotic and twisted.

“It’s John Lydon’s voice, the sarcasm, the aggression and the feeling of someone completely unwilling to play along. To me the song feels like a rejection of the expectations placed on artists and the contradictions of the music industry. I resonate with that a lot… The battle between authenticity and success.

“But beyond that, there is this emotional tension in the way he delivers the vocals that has always resonated with me. There is a sense of detachment, frustration and conflict, the feeling of being trapped in a game where the rules keep changing. So if you interpret the song as a love song, the song resembles the darker side of love; obsession, illusion, the power struggles and the feeling of being caught in a game where nobody really wins."

- As chosen by punk-metal-trap trailblazer, Mimi Barks

17. White Riot — The Clash (1977)

“It's got to be The Clash. They’ve got that real great punk energy. I did a movie called The House of Tomorrow, and in that film my character joins a punk band called The Rash.

"Making that movie and working with one of my best friends now, an actor called Alex Wolff, who's also an incredible musician, introduced me to all sorts of punk music for that whole shoot.”

- As chosen by actor Asa Butterfield