In an age of arena tours, live-streamed sets, and algorithmic fan engagement, the humble in-store gig remains a curious relic—and a powerful tool. Rough Trade and many other establishments across the UK continue to champion these intimate performances, offering fans a chance to see their favourite artists up close, often just feet away from the vinyl racks. But as the music industry evolves, it’s worth asking: are instores still essential, or are they a nostalgic indulgence?

Twenty-five years after its original release, My Life Story’s Joined Up Talking is back—and it’s louder, lusher, and more lovingly curated than ever. Out 28 November 2025 via Republic of Music, the band’s third album returns in a remastered 25th Anniversary Edition, available for the first time on double coloured vinyl and a deluxe 3xCD set packed with B-sides, demos, and rarities.

Twenty-five years in, Starsailor are still finding new ways to move us. Their first official live album, Starsailor with Strings: Live from Liverpool, out now via East West / Parlophone, is more than a retrospective—it’s a reimagining. Recorded at the acoustically pristine Tung Auditorium in Liverpool, this one-off performance sees the beloved four-piece joined by a full string ensemble, breathing cinematic life into their most iconic tracks.

Newton Faulkner has never been one to tread water. With the release of his eighth studio album Octopus, the double platinum troubadour dives headfirst into a new phase of fearless creativity, emotional resonance, and social impact.

Fifty years. That’s half a century of snarling riffs, political bite, and rock’n’roll rebellion. In 2025, The Boomtown Rats aren’t commemorating their legacy, they’re reigniting it. With a blistering UK theatre tour, a new documentary, and a definitive career-spanning collection, the Rats are proving that punk with purpose never dies. It just gets louder.

As her UK tour rolls through cities with raw energy and uncompromising spirit, Billy Nomates—aka Tor Maries—returns to the stage with a vengeance. Kicking off on 24th September with a homecoming show in Bristol and culminating in London on 9th October, this run marks a pivotal moment in her career: the live unveiling of Metalhorse, her third studio album, and a reaffirmation of her place as one of Britain’s most vital alternative voices.

If you’ve ever felt the seismic rumble of Jah Wobble’s bass in your chest, you’ll know it’s not just music—it’s ritual. This autumn, the legendary bassist, composer, and dub provocateur hits the UK once again with his band The Invaders of the Heart, bringing a mix of sonic mischief, deep groove, and cultural storytelling to stages across the country.

Ten years in, IST IST are still building upward. The Manchester quartet—known for their brooding synths, post-punk pulse, and fiercely independent ethos—have announced their fifth studio album, DAGGER, due 6 February 2026 via their own Kind Violence Records. And if lead single “I Am The Fear” is anything to go by, this one cuts deep.

After nearly a decade of radio silence, Super Furry Animals have burst back into the ether with a surprise announcement: six Supacabra tour dates across Britain and Ireland, marking their first live shows since 2016. The psychedelic pop pioneers—Gruff Rhys, Huw Bunford, Cian Ciarán, Daf Ieuan, and Guto Pryce—will kick off the run in Dublin on 6 May 2026, with stops in Glasgow, Llandudno, Manchester, London, and a massive Cardiff homecoming.

Tom A. Smith has been busy building a world. With his new EP Say What You Want, out now via Fiction Records, the 21-year-old songwriter, producer, and sonic architect offers a bold, self-made statement—equal parts introspective and dancefloor-ready.

It’s not every day a record label is born two miles from your doorstep — and even rarer when its arrival feels like a rallying cry for a region’s underground. But that’s exactly what happened on Saturday night in Dartington, as the ever-curious crew at THINGS HAPPEN HERE unveiled their new imprint with a launch party that doubled as a love letter to the South West sonic subculture.

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.”