If there is one thing that is certain in this life is that, like death and taxes, its never too much gap between the last and the next Frank Turner gig! I last caught him at show 3000 at Alexandra Palace at the end of Feb and as we hit mid September this is gig 3070! In that time he has crossed the Atlantic a couple of times, played the US and Canada, completed festival season in the UK and Europe and a few warm up shows before his superb 4 day festival 'Lost Evenings' hits Edinburgh in a week, kicking off the next leg of the Undefeated tour. Phew!

As the veil thins this autumn, the legendary Fields of the Nephilim prepare to rise once more—summoning their spectral soundscapes for a five-date run that marks 40 years of gothic grandeur, sonic mysticism, and uncompromising vision. From the shadowy clubs of early ’80s London to the sacred halls of Whitby’s Tomorrow’s Ghost Festival, Carl McCoy and company are set to commemorate a legacy that has shaped the very soil of alternative music.

Two decades. That’s how long Slam Dunk Festival has been fuelling the UK’s alt-rock, pop-punk and emo scene—and in 2026, it’s throwing its biggest party yet.

Rewind a few weeks and I was at Things Happen Here in Dartington and Ed mentioned something about them setting up a record label, I looked at him in shock, who in their right mind would decide to start a record label in 2025? But you know what, if anyone can do it. Ed can! We chatted a bit more about how the idea came about and what he hopes to get out of the project.

In a world that feels increasingly chaotic, The Orb return with a gentle reminder: the mind still has places to wander. Buddhist Hipsters, out October 10th via Cooking Vinyl, is the latest cosmic transmission from Alex Paterson and Michael Rendall—a duo whose creative chemistry now borders on telepathic. If U.F. Orb was the acid-drenched blueprint, this is the lucid dream sequel.

It’s a strange sensation when a band’s debut album feels like a reunion. Divorce may have only just released Drive To Golden Hammer, but their presence has long lingered in the playlists and hearts of fans who packed out Bristol’s Strange Brew for a sold-out celebration. From the moment they stepped on stage, it was clear: this wasn’t just a normal gig.

Picture the scene. 

You're going out to dinner. You've booked a babysitter. Spruced up in the shower. Applied (insert body spray and/or aftershave of choice here). You and your date look the part. You head to that nice restaurant in town that you've not been to for a while, but always did incredible food. Blew you away. You recommended it and went there with friends, many times. You're looking forward to it, as you'd expect. You go inside. It's much the same as you remember, the decor giving a comfortable sense of contentment. Then you get to the food. The server looks much the same as they always did. Bit greyer round the temples. A few more lines on the face, but that doesn't matter. Happens to us all.

From November 14–16, Butlin’s Minehead transforms into a time machine of sound and sweat, as SHIIINE ON returns for its annual three-day celebration of 90s indie, Britpop, and dance culture. A place where aging ravers, Gen Z crate-diggers, and lifelong band obsessives collide in a blur of lager, lyrics, and late-night euphoria.

Nashville’s rising punk trio Winona Fighter have dropped the deluxe edition of their debut album, My Apologies To The Chef, and it’s not just a re-release — it’s a full-bodied reimagining. Out now via Rise Records, the expanded version features acoustic takes on every track from the original record, plus covers of Beastie Boys’ “Sabotage” and Violent Femmes’ “Blister In The Sun,” and a new single, “(Don’t Get) CLOSE.”

The Last Dinner Party aren’t just back — they’re burning brighter than ever. With a 35-date headline tour stretching from Dublin to Oslo, and a sophomore album that promises to turn heartbreak into folklore, the London five-piece are rewriting the rules of theatrical indie-pop.

Ticket registration opens Friday 5th September at Radiohead.com

Once the quiet sanctuaries of crate-diggers and sleeve-flippers, UK record shops are now roaring with live music—and not just between the shelves. In a seismic shift that’s turning high streets into hotbeds of sonic energy, record stores are staging over 4,000 gigs this year, carving out a new identity as grassroots gig-makers and cultural curators.

If you’d told me a few weeks ago that I’d be spending a weekend surrounded by gladiators, gourmet oysters, and a saxophonist who seemed to teleport between food stalls, I’d have assumed you’d been at the mead again. But Big Feastival 2025 delivered all that and more—an unforgettable three-day celebration of sound, flavour, and family-friendly fun that turned the rolling hills of Alex James’s farm into a technicolour playground for 25,000 lucky festival-goers.

If you haven’t yet heard of Good Habits, that’s about to change. On Friday 7th November, the genre-bending indie-folk trio will bring their riotously inventive sound to Things Happen Here in Dartington — and trust us, this is no ordinary gig. With accolades from BBC 6 Music’s Tom Robinson praising their “pin-precision vocals” and “hard rocking accordion,” and five-star reviews calling them “full of devil-may-care passion,” Good Habits are carving out a reputation as one of the UK’s most exciting live acts. Their music is infectious, their energy irresistible, and their storytelling deeply human.

Nestled in the sun-drenched heart of the English Riviera, Burn It Down Festival returned to Torquay for its seventh year with a blistering celebration of alternative music that set the seaside ablaze. Since its inception in 2018, the festival has grown from a grassroots dream into one of the South West’s most electrifying indoor events, drawing punk, emo, hardcore, and metal fans from across the UK into its tightly packed trio of venues. With the sea breeze just steps away and the roar of guitars echoing through Torwood Street, Burn It Down once again proved that Torquay is a rising force on the live music map.

When Bristol’s Oswald Slain dropped “Have You Got What You Came Here For?” on August 22nd, they delivered a full-throttle snapshot of drunken bar gigs in the French Alps, moonlit ski-lodge revelry, and DIY rock ’n’ roll spirit.

Step into a world where “Heart-Shaped Box” collides with hip-swiveling rockabilly—Elvis Presley risen from the grave fronting Nirvana’s catalogue in a sweaty, joyous ritual. On 29 November, Elvana: Elvis-Fronted Nirvana transform Arena Torquay into Disgraceland’s wildest mosh pit.

Electric Bristol is about to erupt. On September 28th, post-hardcore trailblazers We Came As Romans return to the UK with a lineup that reads like a manifesto for modern heavy music. With support from Canadian deathcore juggernauts Brand of Sacrifice and Australia’s genre-defying Heavensgate, this is a night built for headbangers, screamers, and seekers of sonic transcendence.

If your heart beats in 4/4 and your soul still lives in the golden age of pop-punk, Electric Bristol is calling. On September 25th, Brighton’s own As It Is headline a night of high-octane emo revival, backed by alt-pop disruptors Artio. Expect sweat, singalongs, and the kind of emotional release that only a chorus shouted by 300 strangers can deliver.

If you like your guitars loud, your lyrics raw, and your emotions unfiltered, Electric Bristol is the place to be on September 21st. British hardcore punk stalwarts Basement headline a stacked lineup that’s equal parts catharsis and chaos, joined by rising stars Anxious, DYNAMITE, and Midrift. This isn’t just a gig—it’s a full-throttle release.