Articles by Michael Barron

There’s something unique about a Teenage Cancer Trust show at the Royal Albert Hall — a combination of the venue’s grandeur, the passion of the audience, and the commitment of the artists means there’s never […]

In the heart of London’s Embankment, the recently opened Emerald Theatre feels part The Great Gatsby, part Emerald City — lavish, theatrical and unapologetically opulent. The room glows in rich green tones and, with its […]

Of Monsters and Men first broke through in 2010 after winning Músíktilraunir, Iceland’s annual Battle of the Bands. That early victory propelled the then-emerging collective onto the international stage, leading to a European Border Breakers […]

The January blues are well and truly over. One of the first major live series of the year — where huge artists return to intimate venues — is back, and XS Noize once again found […]

After more than three decades together, Kula Shaker recently notched up an impressive achievement with their eighth album, Wormslayer, entering the charts just outside the top 10 — their third-highest chart position to date. Whether […]

Kula Shaker have never been a band in a hurry. Their history is dotted with long gaps between albums, sometimes stretching close to a decade. Since 2022’s 1st Congregational Church Of Eternal Love And Free […]

They say things come in threes. Since 2024, Cast have been a three-piece, and Yeah Yeah Yeah is their second album in that leaner setup. It’s also the second time they’ve worked with producer Youth, […]

With three UK number-one albums, a string of major hits, and—impressively—their original core line-up still intact since forming in 2010, now seems the perfect moment for Bastille to take stock of everything they’ve built.  Their […]

For a band often frozen in the public imagination as ’90s indie heroes, James have spent over four decades proving they are far more than that label suggests. Formed in 1982, the Manchester group have […]

When it comes to Levellers albums that fans rally behind, Levelling the Land often steals the spotlight. Its influence is unquestionable. But it’s far from the only record in their catalogue deserving anniversary treatment. This […]

The title of Life Is Beautiful! Life Is Beautiful! Life Is Beautiful! wasn’t born from looking ahead but from looking back. During The Dears’ 20th anniversary tour of No Cities Left, frontman Murray Lightburn was […]

There are countless artists rightly celebrated as prolific contributors to music who haven’t released anywhere near eighteen albums — let alone eighteen compilations of rarities, B-sides, and outtakes. With Through The Open Window, Bob Dylan […]

Many artists proudly boast of having special guests on their tours, but few can introduce one with the grace and humility of Graham Nash. Best known for his pivotal roles in The Hollies and Crosby, […]

Just three years ago, Idlewild celebrated the 20th anniversary of their most successful album, The Remote Part. Hearing that LP performed in full brought a wave of halcyon nostalgia to fans who have followed the […]

For some, thirteen is an unlucky number. But for The Divine Comedy, their thirteenth studio album Rainy Sunday Afternoon — recorded in Abbey Road’s Studio 3 — proves anything but cursed. As the band took […]

Robert Plant’s latest project, Saving Grace, takes its name from the band he assembled in 2019 to play Americana covers in small venues across Britain. Though it has been eight years since his last solo […]

As All Points East drew to its final weekend, so too did the clouds of dust kicked up by Victoria Park’s well-trodden fields—so much so that a weather warning was issued, sending many festivalgoers scrambling […]

RAYE may have narrowly missed out on the 2023 Mercury Prize for her debut My 21st Century Blues, but her sweep of six BRIT Awards the following year more than confirmed her as one of […]