It has nearly run its course, but 2015 has been packed – Getintothis’ Paul Riley, Shaun Ponsonby and Adam Lowerson picked a comprehensive selection of the highs, lows, and the best of the rest.
Is it that time again? It feels like about five minutes since we were last writing one of these things. But as the saying goes, time flies when you’re covering a thousand gigs a week.
Alright, that be a slight exaggeration, but if you’re a regular reader you might have noticed how big a year it has been for music in Liverpool and for Getintothis. We’ve covered more than ever and been spoilt with some of the bands that have come to town this year, as well as getting to see the emergence and rise of some of our favourite Merseyside bands too.
To see Hooton Tennis Club grow from their early demos and Shipping Forecast support slots to touring the world, headlining the Kazimier and releasing one of the best records of the year on Heavenly Records has been a real fairy tale story and one that we’ve loved following every step of the way. All We Are, Stealing Sheep and Outfit all released great albums too, cementing their statuses as major players on the scene, and we’ve also enjoyed discovering some rising stars, with the likes of Louis Berry, Holy Thursday and the Night Café announcing themselves as serious ones to watch.
It’s been a great year for Liverpool music as a whole, with accolades and awards coming from prestigious places all over the world. Our festivals cleaned up at the UK Festival Awards, with the likes of Sound City, LIMF and Creamfields taking home the gongs, and more recently Liverpool’s reputation as the capital of pop was boosted by receiving official City of Music status from UNESCO. We’ve all know it’s boss here for a while now, so it’s good to see the rest of the world waking up to it.
Looking back it has been a seriously good year for music on Merseyside, and we’re made up to have been there to see it all happen. So join us in reflection with our highs, lows and best of the rest and relive some great shows with our reviews and picture galleries. We’re looking forward to winding down over Christmas now, ready for it all to kick off in the new year, when sadly we’ll be losing our spiritual home in the Kazimier. There’s not a lot you can say about the Kazimier that hasn’t already been said, it is a true Liverpool institution and will be remembered in the same way as the likes of the Cavern and Eric’s. We’ve had some of the best nights of our life there, met some of our best friends, and we will definitely give it the send off it deserves. Here’s to another great year.
End of Year Selections
It’s that time of the year again! Lists, lists and more lists! We have come at it from all angles, and collected the opinions of our contributors and Liverpool’s finest music heads, industry professionals and musicians.
Getintothis’ Top 50 albums that didn’t make it into the Getintothis Top 50 albums of 2015
Getintothis’ Top 40 Tracks Of 2015
Getintothis’ Top 50 Albums of 2015: 50-31
Getintothis’ Top 50 Albums of 2015: 30-21
Getintothis’ Top 50 Albums of 2015: 20-11
Getintothis’ Top 50 Albums of 2015: 10-1
All Talk
We’re continually outdoing ourselves on the old interviews. From local legends like The Coral and Ian McNabb, the new school of great songwriters like Courtney Barnett, comedy legend Stewart Lee or even the most successful songwriter-producer of all time in Motown legend Lamont Dozier.
Gilles Peterson talks hip-hop, alternative club culture and the evolution of the Liverpool scene
The Coral – ‘the new album sounds like we’ve gone through Event Horizon’
Dragged Into Sunlight – “We would not exist in a perfect world” – a story of noise, metal and collaborations
Sodajerker On Songwriting
Circus’ Yousef on influences, inspirations and the future of a Liverpool clubbing institution
Courtney Barnett talks the Zanzibar, songwriting and her band of brothers ahead of O2 Academy date
The Icicle Works’ Ian McNabb talks songwriting, performing in Liverpool and Richard Hawley ahead of O2 Academy return
HEALTH on megalomania, maturity and their pop evolution
Lizzie Nunnery tells all about Narvik – her ‘play with songs’
Dave McCabe: “I wanted to challenge myself, I couldn’t be arsed just making a safe record.
Lamont Dozier: “We made sure the song was King” – the Motown legend on the Supremes, the Four Tops, George Clinton & more
Michelle Roberts talks her EVOL photo exhibition, favourite snaps and Kazimier memories
Clinic – ‘We’re just made up to be playing the Kazimier one last time’
David Sedaris on organs, rubbish & the House of Commons
Outfit – ‘No one who wanted to be commercially successful would’ve made the album we’ve just made’
Shaun Ryder – Black Grape was my little bit of revenge after the Happy Mondays
Thurston Moore talks Liverpool Sound City, Adrian Henri and the avant-garde counterculture
The Pop Group – ‘We’re here to provide an alternative channel against the zombification of society’
XamVolo – ‘I’ve been playing gigs in my head for ages’
Purple Reggae: Fast talks new venture Radio Riddler and a Fun Lovin’ anniversary tour
Abandon Silence 5.5 – Andrew Hill on five years of Liverpool partying
Young Fathers: We always want to put ourselves in awkward situations
Stewart Lee on Liverpool, a cultural monopoly & pining for festivals
Louis Berry – I’m daring, I like to compete and strive to be the best
24 Kitchen Street – ‘part of the most ambitious party the area has ever seen’
Chibuku 15th Birthday – Sean Stephenson on the Camp & Furnace celebrations and Liverpool’s club scene
Mental health matters: exploring depression & anxiety in our musical mess age
Jesus and Mary Chain: We didn’t get within a million miles of the establishment
Silent Sleep talk second album Stay The Night, Stay The Morning Too plus listen to two new tracks
Goatwhore talk life on the road and whether Europe is better than the US
Gilles Peterson at St Luke’s Church
Top Ten
If there’s one thing likely to promote disunity in the GIT camp, it’s a list. Around a dozen of our contributors provided a Top Ten list on any given subject. Only eight survived.
Elvis Presley – Top Ten
Belle & Sebastian – Top Ten
Grammy performances – Top Ten
Afrocentric Electronica – Top Ten
Ryan Adams – Top Ten
Paul McCartney – Top Ten
Austin, Texas – Top Ten
Johnny Marr – Top Ten
Modest Mouse – Top Ten
Threshold Festival 2015 – Our top ten undiscovered gems playing this year’s event
Joy Division – Top Ten
Super Furry Animals – Top Ten
Short Songs – Top Ten
The Fall – Top Ten
The Jurassic World of Dinosaur Bands – Top Ten
Parliament-Funkadelic – Top Ten
Heavenly Recordings – Top Ten
My Morning Jacket – Top Ten
Amy Winehouse – Top Ten
Fleetwood Mac – Top Ten
New Order – Top Ten
Echo and the Bunnymen – Top Ten
Modern Protest Songs – Top Ten
Gorillaz – Top Ten
Aphex Twin – Top Ten
Hip hop films – Top Ten
James Bond Theme Songs – Top Ten
DJ Shadow – Top Ten
Shoegaze – Top Ten
Reservoir Dogs, The Wicker Man, Eraserhead and more – Top Ten musical moments in movies
Deaf School – Liverpool’s second most important band – Top Ten
The Cure – Top Ten ahead of 2016 tour
Ryan Adams at Mountford Hall
Live Reviews
Live music is our bread and butter, and this year our writers and photographers have covered more gigs and events than ever before. From the new, small acts from Liverpool to the major, worldwide names that have visited the city, we’ve seen it all. GIT has spread its wings in 2015, with a number of reviews from Europe and the rest of the UK. Check this out. It’s some list:
MYTHOPOEIA II: feat. Stealing Sheep, Hooton Tennis Club: The Kazimier, Liverpool
Enter Shikari, Baby Godzilla, Allusondrugs: Camp & Furnace, Liverpool
Sankofa, The Sky, Kindest Of Thieves, Electroshock Therapy: The Zanzibar, Liverpool
Riot Jazz, The Helena Johnson Band, Afriquoi DJ: The Kazimier, Liverpool
British Sea Power: Arts by the Sea Festival, Bournemouth
Nils Lofgren: Philharmonic Hall, Liverpool
Colour EP Launch: Colour, Camp Stag, Kingdom: The Blade Factory, Liverpool
Slipknot, Korn: Echo Arena, Liverpool
The Paperhead, Holy Thursday, The Floormen, Shrinking Minds: The Shipping Forecast, Liverpool
Rae Morris, Fryars: The Kazimier, Liverpool
Julian Cope: Epstein Theatre, Liverpool
Blackalicious, Fire Beneath the Sea, Chicken Brothers: The Kazimier, Liverpool
Kaiser Chiefs, Public Service Broadcasting: Echo Arena, Liverpool
The Staves, James Canty, Flo Morrissey: Arts Club, Liverpool
Red Sails, Nick Ellis, John Canning Yates: The Nordic Church, Liverpool
Slaves, Baby Strange, Native Kings: The Shipping Forecast, Liverpool
Abandon Silence 5.3: San Soda and Red D, Seven Davis Jr, Casino Times, Andrew Hill: The Kazimier, Liverpool
The Jesus and Mary Chain, Bathymetry: Mountford Hall, Liverpool Guild of Students
Magnum, Vega: Arts Club, Liverpool
The War On Drugs, Amen Dunes: O2 Academy, Liverpool
Womenfolk – Kathryn Williams, Georgia Ruth, Maz O’Connor – The Kazimier, Liverpool
The Sundowners, Sankofa, She Drew The Gun, Marvin Powell: The Kazimier, Liverpool
Echo & the Bunnymen, Liam McClair: The Philharmonic, Liverpool
Hooton Tennis Club, RongoRongo, Hannah Lou Clark, SeaWitches: The Shipping Forecast, Liverpool
Kate Tempest, Loyle Carner: The Kazimier, Liverpool
Rumer: Epstein Theatre, Liverpool
Slow Club: Arts Club, Liverpool
Hudson Taylor, Jack Morris: O2 Academy, Liverpool
Ryan Adams, Natalie Prass: Mountford Hall, Liverpool Guild of Students
Ten Bands Ten Minutes at the Movies: The Kazimier, Liverpool
Sleaford Mods, Hooton Tennis Club, Sugarmen: The Kazimier, Liverpool
Tune-Yards, Pix: Liverpool Anglican Cathedral
Anathema, Anna Phoebe: Anglican Cathedral, Liverpool
James Taylor Quartet, Dennis Rollins Velocity Trio, Troyka & more: Liverpool International Jazz Festival
Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds: Manchester Arena
Dr John, Edgar Jones: Philharmonic Hall, Liverpool
Placebo, The Mirror Trap: Mountford Hall, Liverpool Guild of Students
D’Angelo: Club Paradiso, Amsterdam
Young Fathers, Hot Vestry: Skelmersdale Library
Glass Animals, Tropics: The Kazimier, Liverpool – Picture gallery
Lucy Rose, The Half Earth: Arts Club, Liverpool
Duke Special, Paul Cook & The Chronicles: Arts Club, Liverpool
We Were Promised Jetpacks, Polar States: Arts Club, Liverpool
The Handsome Family, Daniel Knox: Leaf Tea Shop, Liverpool
SXSW 2015 – what we learnt and best artists & bands from Austin, Texas
Johnny Marr: Arts Club, Liverpool
Chibuku 15th Birthday: Four Tet, George Fitzgerald, Joy Orbison and more: Camp and Furnace, Liverpool
Threshold Festival 2015: review and gallery part one
Chic Featuring Nile Rodgers: O2 Apollo Theatre, Manchester
Threshold Festival 2015: review and gallery part two
Frank Turner: Liverpool Central Library – picture gallery
Vintage Trouble: Academy 2, Manchester
Gretchen Peters: Epstein Theatre, Liverpool
Ghostpoet, Palace, James Canty: The Kazimier, Liverpool
Nicki Minaj, Trey Songz: Echo Arena, Liverpool
Circa Waves, Gengahr, Rat Boy: O2 Academy, Liverpool
Kaleidoscope, The Wicked Whispers: Leaf Tea Shop, Liverpool
Buena Vista Social Club: Philharmonic Hall, Liverpool
Primitive Man, Sea Bastard, Sloth Hammer, Deathtrip: The Zanzibar, Liverpool
Gazelle Twin, Carla Mackinnon & various short films: FACT, Liverpool
Lapsley, Oceaan: Leaf, Liverpool
Villagers, Sobi: The Epstein, Liverpool
Matthew E White: Leaf, Liverpool
No Homer’s Club Launch Night: Constellations, Liverpool
Ben Ottewell, Natalie McCool, Johnny Sands: The Magnet, Liverpool
Ben Howard: Echo Arena, Liverpool
George Clinton & Parliament-Funkadelic: The Ritz, Manchester
Seasick Steve, My Baby: Liverpool Philharmonic, Liverpool
Polar Bear, Leafcutter John: The Kazimier, Liverpool
Paul Simon & Sting: Arena, Manchester
Of Montreal, Holy Family: The Kazimier, Liverpool
Wire, Tomaga, Bathymetry: The Kazimier, Liverpool
Bellowhead: Philharmonic Hall, Liverpool
Acid Witch, Bonehunter, Satanic Dystopia, Live Burial: Blade Factory, Liverpool
Communion New Faces feat Frances, Tenterhook, Charlotte OC, Freddie Dickson: Arts Club, Liverpool
Adam Ant: Arts Club, Liverpool
Portico, Snow Ghosts: The Kazimier, Liverpool
Prong, Steak Number Eight, Hark: O2 Academy, Liverpool
The Twilight Sad, Man of Moon: The Kazimier, Liverpool
The Wombats, Jennifer Davies, Company: O2 Academy, Liverpool
James Holden, D R O H N E x VEED, WYWH: The Kazimier, Liverpool
Calexico, Barr Brothers: Philharmonic Hall, Liverpool
Bonobo, Gilles Peterson, Danny Fitzgerald: St Luke’s Church, Liverpool
Moon Duo, Mind Mountain, TVAM, Pinkshinyultrablast, The Probes: The Kazimier, Liverpool
Spring King: Gullivers, Manchester
Blue Rose Code: Leaf Tea Shop, Bold Street, Liverpool
TOPS, Gulf, Vynce, Del Florida: Shipping Forecast, Liverpool
The Pop Group, Zun Zun Egui, Strange Collective: The Kazimier, Liverpool
The Fall, As Able As Kane: The Kazimier, Liverpool
The Apples, Rumjig, The Soul Rays: The Kazimier
LightNight 2015 Round-Up: Bernard + Edith, Moats, Earth Sound and Fire & more
Super Furry Animals: Albert Hall, Manchester
Mobb Deep, Rodney P and Skitz, L100 Cypher: O2 Academy, Liverpool
People Under The Stairs, Burgundy Blood: The Kazimier, Liverpool
Jad Fair & Norman Blake, AJHD: Leaf, Liverpool
Gemma Hayes, Ollie Gosling: Leaf, Liverpool
De La Soul, Pete Rock, Renegade Brass Band, Children of Zeus, No Fakin’ DJs; O2 Academy, Liverpool
John Doran reading Jolly Lad, Barberos, Krautrock Karaoke: The Kazimier, Liverpool
Paul McCartney: Echo Arena, Liverpool
Stewart Lee – A Room with a Stew: The Philharmonic Liverpool
Tracey Thorn: Writing on the Wall Festival, Leaf, Liverpool
Earth, Mugstar, Markers: The Kazimier, Liverpool
BBC Music Day: Mersey River Festival, Pier Head, Liverpool
The Replacements: The Roundhouse, London
Foo Fighters: Lancashire County Cricket Ground, Manchester
Swervedriver: O2 Academy 2, Liverpool
Liverpool music hub The Well celebrates opening night with James Canty LOVE in
Young Fathers, Kojey Radical, When I Am King: The Kazimier, Liverpool
48 Hours In Liverpool: Nina Kraviz, Enzo Siragusa, Lee Rands, Jemmy: New Bird Street Warehouse
Giant Sand: St George’s Hall, Liverpool
Ad Hoc Creative Expo: Calderstones Mansion, Liverpool
Kazimier Krunk Fiesta: Vogues Animalés ft. Dogshow, Afriquoi, Kero Kero Bonito, Rajasthan Heritage Brass Band and more
Todd Terje, Prins Thomas, Greg Wilson, Gerd Janson: The Bombed Out Church
Outfit, VEYU, Gulf: The Kazimier, Liverpool
Africa Oyé 2015 review and picture gallery
Elvis Costello, Larkin Poe: The Philharmonic Hall, Liverpool
Loop, Jupiter-C, TVAM: The Kazimier, Liverpool
Glastonbury 2015 review and what Getintothis learnt from Worthy Farm
Grant Lee Phillips, John Joseph Brill: Leaf, Liverpool
Heavenly 25 feat The Wytches, King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, Hooton Tennis Club, Stealing Sheep: The Kazimier, Liverpool
Dead Kennedys: O2 Academy, Liverpool
Benjamin Booker, Carbon: O2 Academy, Liverpool
303 Liverpool: Hardfloor, Stu Hodson, Gemma Muir, Samuel Lamont
LIV-BCN Festival feat Clinic, Bathymetry, Minion TV: The Kazimier, Liverpool
Rufus Wainwright, Lucy Wainwright Roche, Max Jury: The Philharmonic Hall, Liverpool
Black Grape, Alias Kid: Parr Hall, Warrington
Martha Reeves & The Vandellas, Jalen Ngonda: Arts Club, Liverpool
Mind Mountain, Strange Collective, Bad Meds, Ohmns: Maguire’s Pizza Bar, Liverpool
John Power, Tony Steele and The Massacre: The Kazimier, Liverpool
Liverpool Calling 2015 feat Reverend & The Makers, Allusondrugs, Dexters, Tea Street Band: Bombed Out Church, Magnet, Maguire’s
Beres Hammond, Bunny Wailer: O2 Academy, Liverpool
X&Y Festival 2015 Gallery: Arts Club, Liverpool
Derrick May, Stuart Hodson: Constellations, Liverpool
All Tomorrow’s Parties Iceland 2015 feat Swans, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Belle and Sebastian, Iggy Pop: Atlantic Studios, Iceland
FestEVOL Part One review feat Dave McCabe and the Ramifications, The Serpent Power, The Sundowners, The Vryll Society and more: The Kazimier, Liverpool
Solstafir, Dialects, Antimatter: Arts Club, Liverpool
Mark Lanegan: O2 Academy, Liverpool
FestEVOL Part Two feat All We Are, Tea Street Band, Dogshow, Bad Breeding and more: The Kazimier, Liverpool
KRS-One, Mad Brains: The Kazimier, Liverpool
Arthur Russell’s Instrumentals directed by Peter Gordon: The Kazimier, Liverpool
Liverpool HorrorFest feat Impropriety, Zombina and the Skeletones, Tommy Creep: The Kazimier
Single Mothers, Black Diamond, Please Head North: Studio 2, Liverpool
Strange Collective, Bad Meds, Ohmns, The Floormen: Kazimier Gardens
Indika feat Prashant Shah, Anil Srinivasan, Rama Vaidyanathan: The Capstone Theatre, Liverpool
Sufjan Stevens: O2 Apollo, Manchester
48 Hours in Liverpool feat Tale Of Us, Mind Against, Nastia, Rossko, Lee Rands, Jemmy: New Bird Street Warehouse, Liverpool
Tame Impala, Nick Allbrook: Olympia, Liverpool
Festival No.6 review diary feat Grace Jones, Metronomy, Belle and Sebastian, Black Grape and more: Portmeirion
LoneLady, D R O H N E: Central Library, Liverpool
La Shark, The Shipbuilders, Mosley Bar, Cabezudos: Studio 2, Liverpool
With Love From Liverpool: The Farm, Space, John Power, Mic Lowry, OMD: Echo Arena, Liverpool
The Polyphonic Spree: Arts Club, Liverpool
Richard Dawson, Asiq Nargile, Ex-Easter Island Head: The Kazimier
Sweet Baboo, Silent Sleep, Year Of The Fiery Horse: Leaf, Liverpool
End of the Road Festival celebrates 10 years – here’s our best bits
Art Garfunkel: Philharmonic Hall, Liverpool
Liverpool Psych Fest 2015 review – day one feat Factory Floor, Anton Newcombe, Evil Blizzard, Blanck Mass and more: Camp and Furnace, Blade Factory, District
Liverpool Psych Fest day two feat Spiritualized, The Heads, Hey Colossus, K-X-P, Jane Weaver, Hookworms: Camp and Furnace, Blade Factory, District
Oneirogen, Dawn Ray’d, Moon Zero: The Kazimier, Liverpool
Etches, MOTHER, Venus Demilo: Arts Club, Liverpool
303 Presents Josh Wink, Stuart Hodson and Gemma Muir – Williamson Tunnels, Liverpool
Ought: Deaf Institute, Manchester
Edan and Paten Locke, Onoe Caponoe: The Kazimier, Liverpool
Joe Driscoll & Sekou Kouyate, Anwar Ali: Leaf, Liverpool
Abandon Silence Farewell to The Kazimier Part One: Move D, Space Dimension Controller
An evening for Syria: Dave McCabe, Springtime Anchorage, The Sundowners, By the Sea, Silent Sleep, Marvin Powell, Bill-Ryder Jones, Jo Mary: 24 Kitchen Street, Liverpool
Squeeze, John Cooper-Clarke: The Philharmonic Hall, Liverpool
The Parrots, The Floormen, Shrinking Minds: Shipping Forecast, Liverpool
Xiu Xiu, James Binary: The Kazimier, Liverpool
Low: Manchester Cathedral, Manchester
Euros Childs, Tom Low: Leaf, Liverpool
Donovan: The Philharmonic Hall, Liverpool
Ride: O2 Academy, Liverpool
Pink Kink, The Orielles, Sundogs, Her’s, Odonata: The Kazimier, Liverpool
Luke Vibert: The Kazimier, Liverpool
Girls Names, SeaWitches, Esa Shields: The Shipping Forecast, Liverpool
Vetiver, Marvin Powell: Leaf, Liverpool
Years & Years, Shamir: O2 Academy, Liverpool
Jess Green and The Mischief Thieves: The Unity Theatre, Liverpool
Richard Hawley: Grand Central Hall, Liverpool
Ron Sexsmith: Epstein Theatre, Liverpool
Black Honey, Scarlet, Whitecliff: Studio 2, Liverpool
Bassekou Kouyaté and Ngoni Ba: The Music Room, Philharmonic, Liverpool
Liverpool Irish Festival 2015 – Sea Legs, Rusangano Family, Terri Hooley and things we learnt from the festival
HEALTH, Barberos, aPAtT: The Kazimier, Liverpool
Asian Dub Foundation play the score from George Lucas’ THX 1138: Liverpool Philharmonic
Foals, Real Lies: Olympia, Liverpool
Gabrielle, ESKA & more: Liverpool SoulFest 2015
The Voodoo Ball feat Voodoo Love Orchestra, 7 Suns, United Vibrations: The Kazimier, Liverpool
Mick Head with Sense of Sound: The Music Room, Liverpool
Drenge: The Magnet, Liverpool
Dan Croll, Max Pope: The Buyers Club, Liverpool
Bill Ryder-Jones, By The Sea, Jo Mary: District, Liverpool
Ady Suleiman: The Magnet, Liverpool
Happy Mondays, The Backhanders: O2 Academy, Liverpool
Titus Andronicus, Washington Irving: The Kazimier, Liverpool
Ezra Furman, The Big Moon: The Arts Club, Liverpool
Beans On Toast, Truckstop Honeymoon: The Kazimier, Liverpool
New Order, Jake Evans: Olympia, Liverpool
The Stairs, The Wicked Whispers & more: The Butterfly’s Ball & The Grasshopper’s Feast, The Kazimier, Liverpool
Mercury Rev, Nicole Atkins: Royal Northern College of Music, Manchester
Four Tet, Andrew Hill, S.G.Lewis: The Kazimier, Liverpool
Ronnie Spector: Philharmonic Hall, Liverpool
Akala, Jamie Broad: Guild of Students Cellar Bar, Liverpool
Stealing Sheep, Dutch Uncles & more: Mythopoeia III, Kazimier, Liverpool
Whyte Horses: Night and Day Cafe, Manchester
Courtney Barnett, Big Scary, Zuzu: O2 Academy, Liverpool
Public Enemy, Age of L. U. N. A.: 02 Academy, Liverpool
A frenzy at The Kazimier with Drenge
Picture Galleries
A picture can tell you something mere words never could, and this year our snappers have captured the action with some stunning photographs to accompany our writing.
Africa Oye 2015 review and picture gallery
Frank Turner: Liverpool Central Library – picture gallery
Glass Animals, Tropics: The Kazimier, Liverpool – picture gallery
Gordon Masiala of MKA Musica at Africa Oyé
GIT Award
It’s been another big year for the GIT Award, with All We Are winning in 2015. The night itself at the Kazimier was a sight to behold. Bring on 2016.
The GIT Award 2015 highlights video from The Kazimier featuring winners All We Are
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