Category: Live Reports (Page 1 of 38)

THE MODERN Live at Fiction Studios

13 July 2026 /

The original line-up of THE MODERN unexpectedly reunited and played a special intimate show to friends and fans at Fiction Studios, a space which is not only used for audio recording but has been the backdrop for numerous TV shows, documentaries and social media reels.

The nucleus of front woman Emma Cooke, with Nathan Cooper and Chi Tudor-Hart on vocals and synths were all present and correct, augmented by guitarist Robert Sanderson who was tempted out of “retirement” to play live again and original drummer Rees Bridges who had left early on to play with DIRTY VEGAS.

Following an independently-issued debut single ‘Suburban Culture’ in 2004, THE MODERN were signed by Mercury Records. With a colourful stage presence and an immediately catchy electronic sound, the next single ‘Jane Falls Down’ made a good impression and reached No35 in the UK singles chart. The band began recording an album under the working title ‘Life In A Modern World’ co-produced by Stephen Hague, best known for his work with OMD, PET SHOP BOYS, THE COMMUNARDS, ERASURE, NEW ORDER and DUBSTAR.

However, after their 2006 single ‘Industry’ was disqualified from the UK singles charts, THE MODERN were dropped by their label and found themselves without a home. Changing their name to MATINEE CLUB, this album finally saw the light of day in late 2007, now retitled ‘Modern Industry’ and issued as a download only by Planet Clique.

The founding trio of Emma Cooke, Nathan Cooper and Chi Tudor-Hart returned to being called THE MODERN in late 2008 but in mid-2010, Cooper left the group to became KID KASIO while Cooke and Tudor-Hart continued as THE MODERN, eventually releasing a brand new album ‘Revenge’ in 2018. In between ‘Modern Industry’ was reissued under the title ‘Life In A Modern World’ as an album by THE MODERN in 2013 with an expanded tracklisting; this live reunion coincided with the release of a revised 10 track vinyl LP edition of ‘Life In A Modern World’, its first availability in that format.

With its characteristic shelves of vintage books and walls of vintage synths, Fiction Studios acted as the perfect homely location for the first performance of this line-up of THE MODERN in 20 years. Certainly among the audience, there was the pleasing air of a school reunion as friends and acquaintances from clubs and gigs of days gone by caught up with each other’s news.

Starting off a bit hesitantly with the sound mix far too low, it was understandable that the quintet might take a few songs to get into their stride, the Emma / Chi / Nathan vocal trioet working its magic and highlighting why THE MODERN were one of the modern synthpop hopes of the period. But it was like riding a horse and before long, it was time to party like it was 2005 as dancing in the audience began, although those in the first two rows had been asked to remained seated as the performance was being filmed!

Still the sexy temptress, Emma Cooke then announced an interlude “because we’re old”! But the break allowed the removal of chairs to guarantee a more active experience as THE MODERN performed the last song they had written in 2006 before being dropped by Mercury and the owning suits in the Universal Music Group; and what a shame that happened because ‘High Rise’ is a cracker recalling ‘The Promise’ by WHEN IN ROME with its repeating synthbass riff and uplifting chorus.

There were more solemn moments of remembrance with Cooper dedicating ‘Goodbye Means Forever’ to his late mother but songs like ‘Seven Oceans’, ‘Closing Door’, ‘Sometimes’, ‘Jane Falls Down’ and ‘Discotheque Français’ kept those already standing to remain on their feet. The enjoyably uplifting evening ended with the hit that got away ‘Industry’; the records state that this was never in the charts!

But rather like the statistic saying Martin Brundle never took part in the 1984 F1 season despite breaking both his legs in practice for the Dallas Grand Prix and today walking with a limp, THE MODERN might still possess the scars from the chair from being pulled from under them back in 2006, but they are back and happy to be playing to a welcoming audience.

What this discreet showcase also showed is that the songs of THE MODERN still stand up and after 20 years, a fair few are far better than the offerings by many modern British synth acts of the past few years. THE MODERN will return to the stage in September… be there and don’t be a ‘Fool In The Name Of Love’.

‘Life In A Modern World’ is available now via Elastic Stage as a vinyl LP from https://elasticstage.com/themodern/releases/life-in-a-modern-world-album

THE MODERN play The Victoria, 451 Queensbridge Road, Dalston, London E8 3AS on Friday 11th September 2026 – tickets available from https://the-modern.co.uk/live

https://the-modern.co.uk/

https://www.instagram.com/themodernofficial/

Text and Photos by Chi Ming Lai
15th July 2026

A THOUSAND MAD THINGS + SIR JUDE Live at Paper Dress Vintage

1 June 2026 /

Clothing boutique by day and live music venue by night, Paper Dress Vintage in London’s Hackney was the location for the first headlining show of A THOUSAND MAD THINGS.

Sold out for several weeks, it has reinforced the impressive impact that A THOUSAND MAD THINGS has made since releasing the debut EP ‘Cry & Dance’. The vehicle of William Barradale, his self-confessed mission is to bring dark synthpop back, reflecting his experience as a tortured outsider navigating young manhood and homophobia.

While having opened for THE HUMAN LEAGUE on Brighton Beach in 2025, live appearances of A THOUSAND MAD THINGS have been comparatively scarce since, save slots at Swn Festival and Release Me in addition to opening for American darkwave acts PIXEL GRIP and TWIN TRIBES.

But opening the evening, ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK was not expecting to see the British answer to LADY GAGA in Hackney; actually from Melbourne in Australia and of Italian heritage, SIR JUDE is the nom de theatre of Juliana Barillaro. While starting her set sedately, from the pumping ‘Homewrecker’ onwards, she gave the order to just dance. Although ‘Madonna’ was not about the superstar diva, Barillaro displayed a similarly feisty independent spirit performing it. The excellent ‘Buried’ pointed to a musical affinity with the diva born Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta but with a grungier edge. By the concluding gallop of ‘Dilemma’, the crowd was already sweating.

In a sea of smoke, when William Barradale arrived on stage dressed all in black with a stylish shirt, tie and long skirt, it was like something out of ‘The Matrix’. Accompanied on keyboards by Jim Foulsham-Rogers, the duo launched into a trio of uptempo numbers to set the ball rolling; the opening track on the new ‘Hate It’ EP, ‘Promises’ gave proceedings a catchy gothic swing while the trance-laden ‘Remorse’ offered clubbier glowstick vibes. The superb ‘Girl’ entered SUICIDE territory before ‘Empty Part of Me’ took things down a notch and allowed Barradale to display his lower and higher vocal ranges.

A new song ‘Loving Was Easier’ explored icy Nordic pop and outlined how much more there is to come from A THOUSAND A MAD THINGS; what Barradale has over other the newer crop of British “synth” acts is classic songs albeit in a modern format which eschews the longer intros and fades of Synth Britannia, plus an emotive voice to match. This was very much in evidence on the frustrated intensity of the more political ‘Truth You Seek’.

The ‘Hate It’ EP title song continued the dark disco dancing but after explaining that ‘My Car’ was about cruising, THE HUMAN LEAGUE inspired ‘She’s On The Run’ had its ‘Sound Of The Crowd’ stomp enhanced further in homage to ‘Love & Dancing’ with an extended ‘She Bleeds’ dub section where Barradale took to a mini-synth and other effects. After all that energy explosion, ‘Cracked Mirror’ showcased a wonderful ballad where Barradale held one particularly long note to cheers from the crowd.

Closing the show were A THOUSAND MAD THINGS’ two most streamed songs ‘Wide Awake’ and ‘Local Guys’. In the hands of an average darkwave act, ‘Wide Awake’ would have had its verse repeated for 5 minutes. Barradale though gave it a killer chorus and a soaring vocal haunted by the spectre of the late great Billy MacKenzie. Meanwhile the glorious ‘Local Guys’ is A THOUSAND MAD THINGS own ‘Smalltown Boy’, a highly relatable song delivered full of angst and passion that clearly connected. Those present could not be helped but wowed by his on-stage charisma. Think Ian Curtis, Andy McCluskey and James New of MIRRORS in his physicality and you would not be far off.

A superb first headlining show, this enthusiastically received performance should give A THOUSAND MAD THINGS the confidence to do more. Certainly deserving of a bigger audience and without the best new act of 2025, ‘Cry & Dance’ was an impressive statement and while less immediate, the more expressive and darker tones of the new ‘Hate It’ EP show that the debut was not a fluke.

Special thanks to James Crosley at Nettwerk Music Group

A THOUSAND MAD THINGS ‘Hate It’ EP is released by Nettwerk on 26th June 2026, pre-save at https://athousandmadthings.ffm.to/hateit_

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https://www.tiktok.com/@athousandmadthings

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCiH0XGmfKMWzM_VsizMgP8A

The SIR JUDE single ‘Buried’ is available on the usual digital platforms

https://www.sirjudemusic.com/

https://www.facebook.com/sirjudemusic

https://www.instagram.com/sirjudemusic/

https://www.tiktok.com/@sirjudemusic

https://www.youtube.com/c/sirjudemusic

Text and Photos by Chi Ming Lai
1st June 2026

Obscure PET SHOP BOYS Live at Electric Ballroom

11 April 2026 /

With the vocodered count of ‘Time On My Hands’ from ‘Disco 3’ acting as walk on music, the third night of the ‘Obscure’ PET SHOP BOYS’ residency at London’s Electric Ballroom began in aid of War Child.

The choice of venue in the heart of Camden was inspired by a BRONSKI BEAT miners benefit show that Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe attended in 1984; it was ‘The Year Pop Went Queer’ and a time of political polarisation, the effects of which have only worsened today.

The aim of the ‘Obscure’ shows was to provide opportunities for some of the less widely known non-single album tracks and B-sides to be aired on stage; with 35 of them programmed and rehearsed, this was manna that brought loyal fans closer to heaven from all over world, as well as fellow musicians like Blank & Jones, Jori Hulkkonen and Sarah Blackwood over the course of five nights.

Although beginning steadily with ‘Through You’, the B-side of 2024’s ‘Loneliness’, the ‘Hotspot’ was immediately hit with the album’s best number ‘Will‐o‐the‐wisp’. The mighty ‘Please’ opener ‘Two Divided by Zero’ continued the momentum before the filmic Satie-influenced ‘Jack The Lad’ with its lyrics about the Cold War double agent Kim Philby.

As Tennant was passed an acoustic six string by his roadie, he warned the audience there would be a second guitar! Cue Johnny Marr (whose name incidentally in French means “I am fed up”) and a rousing rendition of ‘The Truck Driver & His Mate’! Having been part of PET SHOP BOYS setlists in 1997 and 2002, the inclusion of this OASIS-influence rock out was not that surprising but the airing of THE MONKEES pastiche ‘I Didn’t Get Where I Am Today’ perhaps was. To conclude Marr’s guest spot, ‘Up Against It’ from 1996’s ‘Bilingual’ got its live debut. Even after Marr departed the stage, his spirit continued as the nouveau noir of ‘Hit & Miss’ made it four in a row with the guitars!

Looking at times like he was about to give a sermon while staring at a lectern with lyrical prompts and occasionally seated for the more balladic performances, the Reverend Neil Tennant joked about it being like WESTLIFE although his demeanour recalled George Michael’s ‘MTV Unplugged’ from 1996; indeed, slower songs such as ‘Always’ and ‘King of Rome’ were not that far apart from some of those on the former WHAM! frontman’s ‘Older’ album.

But there were bangers and ‘One in a Million’, a ‘Very’ song originally written for TAKE THAT got segued into CULTURE BEAT’s ‘Mr. Vain’ to party like it was 1993! The chugging rave / indie hybrid ‘Sexy Northerner’ proved again that “it’s not all football and fags” as the chugging ‘Young Offender’ was unexpectedly rescued from obscurity.

A magnificently elegiac moment came with possibly the greatest song in the PET SHOP BOYS cannon ‘It Couldn’t Happen Here’; adapted from the Ennio Morricone composition ‘Forecast’, it was written about a friend who had been diagnosed with AIDS. Tennant had previously remarked that “people said it wasn’t going to develop in England like it had in America” and in 2026, the solemn lyrics could be applied to the virus of the far right. But the message is clear: #FuckTrump #FuckFarage #FuckReformUK #FuckReformUKKK #FuckTommyRobinson #FuckFlagshaggers

Despite ‘King’s Cross’ using the tragic London railway station as a metaphor to the carnage of Thatcherism, it actually prompted an audience singalong while on the other side of the coin, ‘Why Don’t We Live Together?’ was more New York in its euphoric clubby euphoria. Written for Shirley Bassey and accompanied by a Stylophone sample, PET SHOP BOYS really went into their deeper cuts with ‘The Performance Of My Life’; in what could be considered their very own ‘My Way’, it was a fitting main set closer.

For the encore, there was a tear jerking moment as Tennant accompanied himself on keyboards for an emotional ‘Your Funny Uncle’ while livening things up, ‘The Way It Used to Be’ saw Lowe now fully relaxed and even bouncing up and down behind his workstation. Meanwhile, the wonderful ‘Later Tonight’ recalled the nervous live TV performance on ‘Old Grey Whistle Test’ in 1986; “we were not very good in 1986” joked Tennant. To finish, Tennant and Lowe performed a so far unreleased song from their new musical ‘Naked’; ‘I Dream Of A Better Tomorrow’ recalled the hopeful widescreen melancholy of ‘Please’ and ‘Actually’.

Over the five nights of ‘Obscure’ PET SHOP BOYS, the loyal Petheads were treated with surprises that included ‘To Face The Truth’, ‘The Theatre’, ‘Do I Have To?’, ‘Bet She’s Not Your Girlfriend’, ‘Requiem in Denim & Leopardskin’,  ‘A Certain Je Ne Sais Quoi’, ‘Positive Role Model’, ‘Happiness Is An Option’ and ‘Miserablism’. Unlike OMD who managed to ruin their 2016 ‘Dazzle Ships’ + ‘Architecture & Morality’ live presentation in Frankfurt by going off-piste with the inane pairing of ‘Sailing On The Seven Seas’ and ‘Locomotion’ in encore, PET SHOP BOYS stuck to their ‘Obscure’ guns. The end result was a brilliant evening that proved that live concepts geared for the cognoscenti can work. It’s not always about music for the masses…

ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK gives its special thanks to Andy De Decker

The book ‘Volume’ is published by Thames & Hudson in hardback, available from the usual book sellers and online retail outlets

https://www.petshopboys.co.uk/

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ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK has compiled an Obscure PET SHOP BOYS playlist on Spotify at https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3QfJbKvMDsTwgInxqbpskm

Text and Photos by Chi Ming Lai
11th April 2026

AUSTRA + TESS ROBY Live at London Village Underground

30 March 2026 /

Named after the goddess of light in Latvian mythology, AUSTRA were back in London for the first time since 2017.

The vehicle of Katie Stelmanis, the Canadian is now a veteran of six AUSTRA albums including the 2023 ballet commission ‘Swan Song’. Blessed with an outstanding operatic voice that conveys heartbreak yet is able soothe broken hearts, despite an enigmatic persona often perceived as “icy”, she has now revealed a playfulness not seen before with her most recent album ‘Chin Up Buttercup’, a cathartic recording capturing the aftermath of a relationship break-up.

With Kieran Adams co-producing, Stelmanis’ new studio partner introduced her to the often misunderstood melodramatics and escapism of Eurodance. Meanwhile Stelmanis also found solace in Madonna’s 1998 album ‘Ray of Light’ which was produced by William Orbit. The end result became a set of hypnotic dancefloor-friendly arias that offered glimmers of hope and optimism.

Opening for AUSTRA on this tour of the British Isles was fellow Canadian Tess Roby; releasing her debut album ‘Beacon’ in 2018 on Italians Do It Better, her second ‘Ideas Of Space’ came out on her own SSURROUNDSS imprint. Her danceable dreampop side project DAWN TO DAWN in collaboration with IDM duo THE BEAT ESCAPE drew much acclaim, as did her photography. Roby had teased photos on her socials of her working with the huge TONTO customised modular system now located at Canada’s National Music Centre in Calgary and is due to release her third album later this year.

Performing mostly new material, while her songs still retain a forlorn contralto introspection, what has been added to template are busy hypnotic electronic rhythms, as exemplified by the excellent opening number ‘Dream Q’. ‘Up 2 Me’ and the title song from ‘Ideas of Space’ provided points of familiarity to those who may have already been aware of her previous work, but another new track ‘High’ affirmed that what she previewed from her new record is sounding really good.

Utilising a streamlined band compared with past tours, drummer Germaine Png and bassist Charise Aragoza complimented the dynamic backing tracks showcasing the new dancier AUSTRA sound while allowing Stelmanis to take centre stage. Opening with the emotive ‘Siren Song’, the superb ‘Math Equation’ with its syncopated ‘Can’t Get You Out Of My Head’ drive set the scene that this was to be a joyous evening with minimal wallowing. ‘Amnesia’ continued the Europop bounce while the avant operatic ‘Think Twice’ was lightened with hearty bursts of “oh whoops!”

Stelmanis is certainly more comfortable fronting a band than she had been in 2014 when she would often turn away from the audience to play keyboards but tonight, there were only occasional forays to enable her to face the crowd. While the set focussed on ‘Chin Up Buttercup’ with the ‘Hirudin’ album notable for its absence, ‘Utopia’ and ‘I Love You More Than You Love Yourself’ passionately revisited 2017’s ‘Future Politics’ album,

‘Blindsided’ began a section that offered respite from the dance along with the ivory-dominant Baroque of ‘Home’ from 2014’s ‘Olympia’, but it was 2010’s debut single ‘Beat & The Pulse’ that drew the first big cheers with the trio providing a suitably powerful rendition. With its melodic and uplifting atmospherics, ‘Fallen Cloud’ returned things to clubbier vibes while ‘The Hopefulness of Dawn’ pushed proceedings into happy hardcore rave. So it was fitting that a COMMUNARDS-inspired restyling of ‘Lose It’ was the perfect tonic to conclude the main set.

With that in mind, the three song encore was comparatively disappointing with one of AUSTRA’s best songs ‘Spellwork’ still not quite coming off live, a situation that afflicted the shows in 2014. But this did not detract from what was an excellent concert this was, with its moods of euphoria demonstrating that AUSTRA are now in the main, a compelling live act.

With thanks to Aoife Kitt at Domino Recordings

AUSTRA ‘Chin Up Buttercup’ is released by Domino Recordings, available on vinyl, CD and digitally

https://austra.fyi/

https://www.facebook.com/austrafyi

https://www.instagram.com/austra/

Tess Roby’s albums ‘Ideas Of Space’ and ‘Beacon’ are available on vinyl, CD and digitally from https://tessroby.bandcamp.com/music

https://tessroby.com/

https://www.facebook.com/tessroby

https://www.instagram.com/tessroby/

Text and Photos by Chi Ming Lai
30th March 2026

LOSCIL + PATRICIA WOLF Live at Rich Mix

20 September 2025 /

Independent London promoter Baba Yaga’s Hut put on a special treat at Shoreditch’s Rich Mix with a line-up featuring two of the best exponents of modern ambient from North America.

Using a pseudonym taken from the “looping oscillator” function in the Csound music computing system, Scott Morgan launched the project in 1998 and released ‘Triple Point’ , his first record as Loscil in 2011. A graduate of Vancouver University’s School for the Contemporary Arts, his exquisite 2019 long player ‘Lifelike’ was a subtle melodic triumph with its soothing tender tones. A prolific artist with music issued on an annual basis, his new album ‘Lake Fire’ is a darker and gloomier affair with a denser resonance.

Embracing the ambient form comparatively more recently, Patricia Wolf was the front woman of synthpop duo SOFT METALS and released her debut solo instrumental work ‘I’ll Look For You In Others’ in 2022 which captured her feelings of bereavement and heartbreak. Immersing herself in nature and field recordings, the wonderful follow-up ‘See-Through’ brought in some joyous radiance. Although 2024’s ‘The Secret Lives of Birds’ had its darker moments of angst and sadness driven by concern, her most recent avian themed work ‘Hrafnamynd’ (Icelandic for “raven film”) provided the splendid windswept soundtrack to a feature-length documentary by experimental filmmaker Edward Pack Davee.

For her opening set, Patricia Wolf opted to roadtest new material; while many of the pieces were at one both aurally and visually with nature and wildlife, enhanced by avian field recordings and exquisite sound design, one was grander than previously with an unexpected soundbite in her own reversed and glitched spoken word. Closing with uplifting ‘Springtime in Croatia’, the fresh breezy escapism of her live presentation was appreciated by those present.

For his headline set, Loscil explored the brooding territory as showcased on ‘Lake Fire’ with the sinister atmospheres complimented by his visual views on the natural world which were particularly impressionistic to suit the mood. Occasionally there would be deep rumbles acting as backbeats to vibed the mind while drones would provide moments of transcendental and occasionally tense listening.

Ambient material can be a challenge for some to consume live as the talkative disruption at the Vince Clarke’s ‘Songs of Silence’ show at the end of 2023 proved. But either standing, sat on the floor or remaining seated, the almost full house at Rich Mix understood, so were respectful and attentive as they enjoyed a fine evening of an often underrated music form.

‘Lake Fire’ by Loscil is released by Kranky as a double vinyl LP, CD and digitally, available from
https://loscil.bandcamp.com/album/lake-fire

https://www.loscil.ca/

https://www.facebook.com/loscill/

https://www.instagram.com/loscil/

https://www.threads.com/@loscil

https://bsky.app/profile/loscil.ca

‘Hrafnamynd’ by Patricia Wolf is released by Balmat as an orange or black vinyl LP and digitally, available from https://patriciawolf.bandcamp.com/album/hrafnamynd

https://www.facebook.com/patriciawolfmusic

https://www.instagram.com/patriciawolf_music/

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Text and Photos by Chi Ming Lai
20th September 2025

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