DC’s top blog for live concert reviews
Helen Marnie (Photo courtesy the artist)
Glasgow-based electro rockers Union of Knives self released “A Tall Tale,” their first of two collaborations featuring Ladytron’s lead vocalist Helen Marnie.
The trio is composed of Chris Gordon, Ant Thomaz (Dope Sick Fly), and drummer Pete Kelly, who returned from a decade on tour with The Kills and Ladytron, and brought Marnie into the fold. These songs will appear on their forthcoming album Endless from the Start, which will be released this spring.
Midge Ure (Photo courtesy Erika Tooker)
The brilliantly talented Midge Ure inaugurated his Backstage Lockdown Club — a series of live performances, presentations, and chat — via his Patreon site over the last few months. The gregarious singer-songwriter takes requests, performs acoustically, shares tales, greets guests, and more several times a month for a very reasonable subscription fee! In a time of very few concerts due to the pandemic, Midge has thrown us a live music lifeline, and it’s an absolute pleasure to be greeted in song or story by his distinctive Scottish vocal.
During the concert series, Midge performs songs from his solo back catalogue as well as covers and selections from his other bands, including of course Ultravox, the influential New Romantic band he fronted from 1979-1988 (and again circa 2008-2013). Parklife DC’s Mickey McCarter caught up with Midge via Skype to chat about Backstage Lockdown Club, the 40th anniversary of Ultravox’s breakthrough album Vienna, and more.
We Were Promised Jetpacks performs at Baltimore Soundstage on Feb. 8, 2020. (Photo by Casey Vock)
We Were Promised Jetpacks, an indie rock band from Edinburgh, Scotland, recently visited the Charm City for a performance at Baltimore Soundstage as part of their current tour through the United States, and Parklife DC was on hand to capture images and take in the show. Continue Reading
Midge Ure performs at City Winery DC on Feb. 5, 2020. (Photo by Nalinee Darmrong)
Midge Ure, the gregarious former frontman of Ultravox, answered questions and performed tunes from his solo career, Visage, Ultravox, and even the Rich Kids, in a recent evening of story and song at City Winery in Washington, DC.
Midge Ure (Photo courtesy Erika Tooker)
Midge Ure returns to DC with his open and honest Songs, Questions and Answers Tour 2020, which lands at City Winery on Wednesday, Feb. 5. The show is sold out, but here are some things to know before you go!
The Waterboys perform at the Lincoln Theatre on Sept. 22, 2019. (Photo by Jason Nicholson)
The Waterboys, the storied UK folk rockers, released Where The Action Is, the band’s 13th studio album, via Cooking Vinyl back in May. Frontman Mike Scott and company returned to DC to perform at the Lincoln Theatre recently, and Jason Nicholson photographed the show!
The Waterboys (Photo by Xavier Mercade)
The Waterboys released Where The Action Is in May via Cooking Vinyl, and the British/Irish folk rockers tour the United States for the first time since 2015 with a stop at the Lincoln Theatre on Sunday, Sept. 22!
The Twilight Sad performs at U Street Music Hall on May 12, 2019. (Photo by Jason Nicholson)
The Twilight Sad made a brief appearance at U Street Music Hall recently, but the post-punk quintet, fronted by James Graham, stopped the show sort when the vocalist was too ill to continue.
The Twilight Sad (Photo courtesy Clarion Call Media)
In support of their new studio album, It Won/t Be Like This All the Time, Glasgow’s The Twilight Sad will bring their raw, dynamic sound to U Street Music Hall on Sunday, May 12.
Teenage Fanclub performs at 9:30 Club on March 16, 2019. (Photo by Kyle Gustafson)
It seems wrong to start a concert review by mentioning the one guy that wasn’t there, but we might as well address the elephant in the room first thing. Last fall, Gerry Love, bassist and founding member of Teenage Fanclub, announced he would leave the group after their winter run of shows in the UK.
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