![]() While his sound is always gorgeously expansive live, seeing him outdoors, in the daytime, during the height of summer is nothing short of magic. Ammar Kalia DJ KozeĮlectronic music’s Willy Wonka, German DJ and producer Stefan Kozalla can make a drab, humdrum world seem like a psychedelic wonderland his canny fusion of deep house, 90s hip-hop and minimal techno is always a welcome anomaly among electronic lineups. Come for the singalong sections to Sir Duke or Superstition but stay for the moments when Stevie cuts loose, such as when his harmonica improvises over Miles Davis’s All Blues. Dom Lawson Stevie Wonderīacked by a band of at least 10 impeccably drilled musicians, toting a six-decade-long songbook and a set of pipes that can still replicate his tween years as Little Stevie, Stevie Wonder live is a masterclass in slick showmanship. If you want to see a Big Metal Show, Maiden are the undisputed kings. With a giant catalogue of anthems and, in Bruce Dickinson, a frontman with seemingly endless energy, their gigs are always celebratory affairs, but it’s the band’s eye-melting stage sets, pyro and assorted visuals that seal the deal. Photograph: Mick Hutson/Redferns Iron Maidenįorty-three years after the release of their debut album, Iron Maiden are still one of the hottest tickets around. Ben Beaumont-ThomasĮddyfying … Steve Harris, Janick Gers and Bruce Dickinson of Iron Maiden on stage in Sofia, Bulgaria. With a third album this year following up two British classics, the stage is set again. Pacing and skipping, albatross wingspan reaching to the crowd, he is so clearly electrified by his own artistry – one of the great sensations of live music. Chal Ravens J HusĪn MC and DJ can be an appealingly lean setup, but rap also pairs so well with live instrumentation – and an artist as sensually in-the-moment as J Hus can honour both forms. Committed to a radical, kinky, queer and celebratory take on feminist pop, Karin Dreijer’s post-Plunge roadshow – with its all-female band and crew – is a sublime example of politics turned into praxis. Where once there were hooded figures, thick fog and strobes, now the Fever Ray live experience is a riot of bald-caps, muscle costumes, rocking keytars and girls, girls, girls. Her show offers cathartic fun, but also a healthy dose of provocation, daring every man in the audience to learn from her potent message. With playful costume, dry banter and emotive lyricism, Self Esteem (and her exuberant live band) are the art-pop equivalent of a pep talk in the smoking area, belting and double-drumming through stories of comparison culture, unkind exes and learning to love yourself in spite of patriarchal pressure. Photograph: Gus Stewart/Redferns Self Esteem Some wizardry … Self Esteem on stage at Hammersmith Apollo, London 2023. I can think of no other artist who can conjure such intimacy, joy, devotion. He can make you feel as if you are hearing even the most well-worn radio hits for the very first time. Springsteen is as much illusionist as rock’n’roll performer: he can make a vast stadium feel like a front room three hours feel like 30 minutes. Expect cracking jokes, gags, and meandering instrumental solos that show off incredible talent. The California bass player takes a nod from his stage name and injects the cartoonish – cat ears, sparkly clothing, and equally jocular attitude – into the live setup for his feelgood tracks: stunning blends of R&B, funk, rock and exceptional falsetto vocals. Watching Thundercat is much like seeing the most progressive funk-rock act you’ve ever heard if they were playing on the set of Wacky Races. She doesn’t tour often, but with rumours of a new album afoot, it’s worth putting aside some pennies now. With the intricate, fantastical lyricism of a children’s story-book writer, audiences are invited to listen closely, creating a concert environment of rarely experienced attentiveness. There aren’t many singer-songwriters who could silence a room of discerning indie types with just harp and vocal, but then Joanna Newsom isn’t just any performer. No matter where you see him, one thing is guaranteed: a surgically precise showcase of some of the greatest rap music of all time. His latest tour was a sleekly designed melodrama, complete with Kendrick puppets and winky set-pieces his festival headline sets are crowd-pleasing affairs, opportunities for Lamar to flex his deep catalogue of hits. Photograph: Theo Wargo/WireImage Kendrick LamarĮven as his music has become more strange, obtuse and ornery, Kendrick Lamar has become a better and better performer.
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