We roundup the best music news from the past week!
Every week we roundup the best music news from the past week in our News Report. To stay up to date with the biggest news be sure to follow us on our social channels:
Welcome to another weekly News Report from Full Pelt Music. We start this week with a handful of 2022 festival line-up announcements and first up is this beauty from 2000trees Festival.
Added to the event this week were the likes of Dream State, Tigercub, Ginger Wildheart, ROAM, Never Not Nothing and WITCH FEVER.
They join the already announced IDLES, Jimmy Eat World, The Amazons, Dinosaur Pile-Up, Young Guns, Royal Republic, Lonely The Brave, Crossfaith, Vukovi, Bob Vylan, Beans On Toast, Will Varley, Press To MECO, Lauran Hibberd, Haggard Cat and so many more.
To be at the loaded event, you can grab your ticket here.
Check out The Full Pelt Music Podcast with guests Press To MECO ?
Bearded Theory announce more acts for 2022 Festival
Some of the best UK Festivals are the smaller independent variety that can feature real strength and depth in their line-ups. Bearded Theory’s Spring Gathering was already looking packed, but this week they’ve added even more incredible acts!
New acts include Frank Turner & The Sleeping Souls, The Hives, Yonaka, Working Men’s Club, Billy Nomates, John, Do Nothing, Bob Vylan and Little Comets!
They join Placebo, The Flaming Lips, Patti Smith, The Mission, Shame, Peter Hook & The Light, Wilko Johnson, Ferocious Dog, Lauran Hibberd, The Ninth Wave, Nova Twins and more!
Another festival revealing their 2022 line-up this week is Boardmasters. Headlining the surf and music event will be George Ezra, Disclosure and Kings of Leon!
They’ll be joined by the likes of Bastille, IDLES, Declan McKenna and Tom Grennan with hundreds more still to be announced.
British Summer Time in Hyde Park has added two more superstar names to it’s 2022 bill this week. First it was announced Adele would perform two now sold out shows. It was then announced that the legendary Eagles will also perform the event.
They join already announced headliners Pearl Jam, Elton John and Duran Duran. Tickets for the shows are here.
Stereophonics to celebrate 20th anniversary of ‘Just Enough Education to Perform’
Our News Report moves onto tour announcements now and we start with a celebration from Stereophonics. The band will be playing some intimate ‘Just Enough Education to Perform’ shows to celebrate the albums 20th anniversary.
New music now as our News Report continues. Ahead of his upcoming album, ‘FTHC’, Frank Turner this week debuted the latest track from the record, ‘Non Serviam’.
Check the song out above and pre-order the album here.
Watch Frank Turner on The Full Pelt Music Podcast ?
Nova Twins unveil ‘Antagonist’
Nova Twins this week unveiled their latest track ‘Antagonist’, which you can check out above or here.
Finally this week we conclude our News Report with the latest single from Blood Red Shoes. You can check out ‘Morbid Fascination’ above ahead of the release of their new album ‘Ghosts On Tape’ which arrives January 14th!
We roundup the best music news from the past week!
Every week we roundup the best music news from the past week in our News Report. To stay up to date with the biggest news be sure to follow us on our social channels:
Welcome to another edition of our weekly music News Report. We start this week with some festival news with events turning now to the 2022 festival season.
One of the biggest events in the UK, the iconic Isle Of Wight Festival has this week revealed the first acts set to grace the festival next year. Topping the bill will be Lewis Capaldi, Lionel Richie, Kasabian, Pete Tong and huge Sunday headliners Muse.
They’ll be joined by the likes of Blossoms, The Vaccines, Happy Mondays, Shaggy, The Proclaimers and The Coral.
This week also saw a stunning line-up announcement from 2000trees Festival as their 2022 edition takes shape. The event will be headlined by IDLES, Thrice and Jimmy Eat World!
They will be joined by The Amazons, Dinosaur Pile-Up, Young Guns, Royal Republic, Rolo Tomassi, Lonely The Brave, Crossfaith, Vukovi, Bob Vylan, Beans On Toast, Will Varley, Lauran Hibberd, Press To Meco, Haggard Cat and many more.
Last week Slam Dunk Festival announced the first acts that will play the event next summer. This week two huge shows were announced to take place on the same site in the days leading up to the festival.
Hitting Leeds and Hatfield in June will be You Me At Six as they celebrate the 10th Anniversary of their album ‘Sinners Never Sleep’. There will also be a supporting bill that will include The Hunna.
Next June will see Liam Gallagher return to Knebworth Park. The ex-Oasis icon will headline a venue close to his heart coinciding with the release of his new album ‘C’mon You Know’ on May 27th.
A huge support bill has been revealed with Kasabian, Michael Kiwanuka, Fat White Family and Goat Girl all set to join Gallagher.
We continue our News Report with some tour announcements. First is a run of three UK dates for Tool. The rarely seen band will be playing shows in Manchester, Birmingham and London in May 2022.
Also revealing a run of UK Arena dates for early summer next year is Billy Idol. Playing six dates in June he will be joined by The Go-Go’s for ‘The Roadside Tour’.
Our final tour announcement comes from Rolo Tomassi who will team up with Pupil Slicer for a February European Tour which will include four UK dates finishing up in London.
This week saw IDLES announce the release of their fourth studio album, ‘Crawler’ which will arrive November 12th. The first single from the album, ‘The Beachland Ballroom’, can be heard above!
Ghost are the masters of the mysterious, the epic, the macabre… the enthralling. Now, they are gearing up for their next chapter with the unveiling of their brand new single, ‘Hunter’s Moon’.
We close out our News Report this week with the ‘End Of The World’! After all that is the title of the new single from Fatherson and they also enter the next phase of their career.
We roundup the best music news from the past week!
Every week we roundup the best music news from the past week in our News Report. To stay up to date with the biggest news be sure to follow us on our social channels:
It’s another busy music news week, particularly for Stereophonics – so that’s where we commence our News Report!
This week saw the band announce the release of ‘Oochya’, their 12th studio album. The record will arrive on March 4th 2022, and you can pre-order your copy here.
Preceding the release of the album is their new single, ‘Hanging On Your Hinges’, which you can check out below. The band has also revealed a huge UK Arena Tour for next year with tickets available here.
Sticking with tour news, this week saw a huge announcement from The Coral. The band revealed a 12 date trek around the UK set for March 2022. Making the shows extra special they will celebrate the 20th Anniversary of ‘The Coral’, with a remastered edition available on Friday 4th March 2022.
Miles Kane also revealed a lengthy 16 date UK tour this week. The run of dates will take place in January/February 2022 with support from Brooke Combe and includes a huge show at the Roundhouse in London.
The tour comes as Kane announces the release of his fourth studio album, ‘Change The Show’, which will arrive January 21st! You can check out his track, ‘Don’t Let It Get You Down’ below.
Jamie Lenman has this week also announced a tour of the UK, dubbed the ‘King of Clubs’ tour. He will take in 13 venues across the country prior to the end of the year.
Just the one piece of festival news this week in our News Report, and it comes from Wolverhampton event Creation Day.
The two day event will see headline performances from IDLES and Happy Mondays. Also playing the event will be the likes of Echo & The Bunnymen, Cast, Glasvegas, Friendly Fires, Ash and more.
This week saw Billy Talent return with their new single, ‘End Of Me’, which features Rivers Cuomo. The single comes ahead of a new album, ‘Crisis Of Faith’ which will arrive January 21st!
Finally this week we close our News Report with the brand new track from Skinny Lister. Featuring The Longest Johns, ‘Damn The Amsterdam’ comes ahead of new album, ‘A Matter Of Life & Love’.
That album arrives on October 22nd, and you can pre-order here.
Album release shows would normally happen around the time that a new album is released. We all know why this isnât the case for any artist releasing new music over the past 18 months but finally for IDLES the time has arrived to play these special intimate shows. With two hometown Bristol shows and an Oxford gig in the bank, the band arrive in Kingston for their opportunity to grace the PRYZM stage.
âUltra Monoâ was released in September 2020, so these release shows happen almost a year on from the albumâs arrival. For some acts this could cause issues, but not for IDLES. If the euphoria for fans seeing the band after the last year or so isnât enough, they have also waited patiently to hear these new songs live.
It actually feels wrong to call them new songs, as theyâve helped many a fan through a difficult period in all our lives. These songs are now part of our lives, but IDLES songs always seem to grow wings in the live setting. So as the clock strikes half past nine, itâs time to let these track soar.
Straight out the bat fans are treated to âWarâ, âGroundsâ, âMr. Motivatorâ and âAnxietyâ as âUltra Monoâ comes to life for a sold out Kingston crowd. With so much pent up frustration there is immediately a cathartic release of energy with the audience and the band clearly up for it tonight.
As the evening continues and the setlist weaves between the bands three albums, it becomes clear that the new(er) tracks more than hold their own live. âThe Loverâ, âKill Them With Kindnessâ and in particular âReignsâ all sound monstrous tonight.
When you add these tracks to a set that includes âMotherâ, â1049 Gothoâ, âSamaritansâ and âDivide and Conquerâ you come to realise how formidable a back catalogue IDLES have amassed over a relatively short period of time.
The band has always been ferocious yet incredibly tight live and they have lost none of this innate ability during their enforced time away from the stage. Finishing with âNever Fight a Man With a Permâ and âDankeâ you know that opportunities to catch this band in venues this size are going to be few and far between.
We roundup the best music news from the past week!
Every week we roundup the best music news from the past week in our News Report. To stay up to date with the biggest news be sure to follow us on our social channels:
Another act heading across the pond is Myles Kennedy. The frontman for Alter Bridge and Slash will arrive for a run of UK dates this December in support of his latest solo album.
Tickets to these full band shows can be found here.
Next spring will see The Wombats hit the road for six huge shows across the UK. Playing huge venues such at The O2 in London, the band has promised to play all the hits!
The first ever Wide Awake Festival will take place at Brockwell Park in London on September 3rd. With the event just happening in just a couple of weeks the organisers have added a handful of additional acts.
Joining the fun will be the likes of Porridge Radio, Self Esteem, Yard Act, and Regressive Left. They join the already announced IDLES, Crows, Dream Wife, Lazarus Kane, The Murder Capital, SCALPING, Shame and Squid.
Swn Festival have unveiled their line-up for the 2021 edition of the multi-venue event this October. Featured are many young acts to recently feature on our ‘Discover’ New Music Playlist.
Playing the event will be Lynks, MarthaGunn, Hamish Hawk, Lady Bird, The Goa Express and Wooze.
Onto the latest new releases now in our News Report. The legendary Iron Maiden continue to build towards their upcoming new album, ‘Senjutsu’ which arrives September 3rd.
This week they debuted the latest single from the album, ‘Stratego’, which you can check out here.
Finally, we finish our News Report this week with the latest track to come from Wargasm. One of the hottest new bands around this week released their new single ‘Salma Hayek’.
We roundup the best music news from the past week!
Every week we roundup the best music news from the past week in our News Report. To stay up to date with the biggest news be sure to follow us on our social channels:
Download Festival makes huge additions to 2022 line-up
This week has been full of ups and downs for the UK Festival industry. We have seen numerous cancellations, but also many line-up announcements. We are going to concentrate on the positives as we begin a festival heavy edition of our News Report.
First up, a festival that has already moved to 2022. This week Download Festival announced the bulk of the artists joining headliners Kiss, Iron Maiden & Biffy Clyro!
The main stage will host the likes of Korn, The Pretty Reckless, RiseAgainst, Theory, Monster Truck, Wayward Sons and Those Damn Crows.
Staying in Derbyshire, and Y Not Festival has announced a massive line-up for this year. Taking place over the weekend of July 30th to August 1st, the event will be headlined by Stereophonics, Bombay Bicycle Club and Blossoms.
Also featured at the top of the line-up are Manic Street Preachers, Fontaines D.C., Levellers, James, Frank Turner, Jake Bugg, Circa Waves and Pale Waves.
Plus an incredible supporting bill featuring The Futureheads, Dinosaur Pile-Up, The Snuts, Black Honey, Dream Wife, Vistas, Beans On Toast, InMe, Ferocious Dog, REWS and Zuzu!
Tramlines festival has this week announced a huge line-up for 23-25 July. Such a huge line-up that the Sheffield event has now completely sold out. You can however register for ticket alerts here.
Headline acts The Streets, Royal Blood and Richard Ashcroft are joined by a host of established and new acts. Friday brings sets from The Kooks, Jake Bugg, Pale Waves and The Pigeon Detectives.
Saturday will feature Blossoms, Vistas and Lauran Hibberd. Whilst Sunday will close out the event with The Fratellis and The Snuts amongst others.
Boardmasters follows sell out trend with line-up reveal
The trend of festivals selling out also continued with Boardmasters. The Cornwall event revealed a line-up headlined by Foals, Gorillaz and Jorja Smith before immediately selling out.
Also joining the line-up are Sam Fender, The Kooks, The Snuts, Blossoms, Slowthai and Gengahr. The festival is sold out, so check here for any ticket information.
We said that our News Report would be festival heavy this week, and we meant it. As we continue to report on the best announcements of the past week we head to Portsmouth.
Victorious Festival has this week added additional names to its line-up. Fans can now expect to see the likes of Nile Rodgers & Chic, Frank Turner and Lottery Winners.
They join an already packed event headlined by Madness, The Streets and Royal Blood! Pick up tickets here.
Leicestershire now, and 110 Above Festival. The event has added even more names whilst also announcing a new stage. The Elizabeth Stage will be headlined by Fickle Friends, Black Honey and The Snuts!
Headlining the main stage will be Sports Team, The Amazons and Sundara Karma. For tickets you’ll want to head here.
Black Deer keeps getting bigger
Black Deer Festival in Kent continues to grow bigger and bigger. The event which takes place 25th – 27th June 2021 has this week made further additions to an already stellar line-up.
Added are Jake Bugg, Ginger Wildheart & The Sinners and many more. They join the likes of Frank Turner, Imelda May, Band Of Skulls, Emily Barker and Broken Witt Rebels.
With previously announced headliners Anthrax unable to make it, Steelhouse Festival has moved quickly to draft in The Darkness as a more than worthy substitute.
They join the likes of Europe, Phil Campbell and the Bastard Sons, Therapy?, The Wildhearts and Those Damn Crows in Wales this July.
The final festival of our News Report is an interesting new event for Clapham Common. Taking place on Monday 30th August the rock and hip-hop crossover event features an eclectic bill.
On the heavy side of things at ALT+LDN are Architects, Machine Gun Kelly, Sleep Token and Bob Vylan. More info over here.
On to the new music portion of our News Report. Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes have kicked off their latest era with a brand new track featuring IDLES man Joe Talbot. You can listen to ‘My Town’here.
The iconic Garbage continue to gear up for the release of their upcoming album ‘No Gods No Masters’ on June 11th. This week saw the group release the title track of said album.
Bruce Dickinson hits the road for a very special tour
Finally as we finish our News Report for another week. Legendary Iron Maiden singer Bruce Dickinson is scheduled to hit the road this August for a very special tour. The spoken word tour will feature an audience Q&A session and you can grab tickets here.
We roundup the best music news from the past week!
Every week we roundup the best music news from the past week in our News Report. To stay up to date with the biggest news be sure to follow us on our social channels:
We once again start this week’s edition of the News Report with a slew of festival announcements.
Up first is Oxfordshire’s Truck Festival. The event has unveiled a huge line-up for 23-25 July 2021. Headlining the event will be Bombay Bicycle Club, The Kooks and Royal Blood!
That’s not all though as the top of the bill also features big sets from Blossoms, Fontaines D.C., DMA’s, IDLES, Pale Waves, Sports Team and The Pigeon Detectives.
There are also many more amazing acts set to grace the event including The Snuts, Dinosaur Pile-Up, Black Honey, Vistas, Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs, Lauran Hibberd and The Mysterines.
Tickets are SOLD OUT, however you can join the waiting list here.
Whilst we are of course hopeful that we will safely be able to return to live music this summer, it’s not yet guaranteed. One festival that has chosen to move to 2022 is Bearded Theory.
In doing so they have revealed that the event will be headlined by Placebo, Patti Smith and The Flaming Lips. The event promises to be one not to miss and you can grab your tickets here.
Red Rooster reveals full line-up
Suffolk’s Red Rooster Festival is another event still looking to go ahead. The festival will take place over the weekend of 27-29 August and will feature sets from Richard Hawley, Jade Bird, Kitty, Daisy & Lewis, Emily Barker, The Urban Voodoo Machine and many more.
Ghost Road Fest is set to take place on the 6th and 7th November. Day one will takeover Kolis in London and the final day will emanate from Belgrave Music Hall in Leeds.
This week, the organisers revealed the full line-up for the event with a stunning line-up including The Virginmarys, Bang Bang Romeo, The Pearl Harts, Salvation Jayne and Moses.
Get Together festival will take place this August from Sheffield Uni Students’ Union. The two day event has just announced a great line-up featuring Black Honey, Dream Wife, Tim Burgess, Willie J Healey, The Mysterines, The Ninth Wave, Self Esteem and The Orielles.
Our News Report now moves onto our tour news section with the announcement from The Offspring that they will be hitting UK arenas this November!
The massive tour will be the biggest shows from the band in a long time, and they are made even bigger by the addition of The Hives as special guests.
This is a guaranteed good time, so guarantee your ticket here.
Lauran Hibberd announces the Goober Tour
The fantastic Lauran Hibberd has unveiled a run of dates around the UK. The Goober Tour hits this October and finishes at OMEARA in London on October 13th.
Now our News Report turns to new music releases. Up first is the return of Twenty One Pilots. This week saw the duo unveil their latest single ‘Shy Away’.
In a big news week for their fans, it was also announced that a new album, ‘Scaled And Icy’ is due on May 21st. You can pre-order your copy here.
Finally, it was revealed that the band will play a special livestream event on the same day. Tickets are available here.
The iconic Gary Numan is gearing up for the release of his new album, ‘Intruder’, on May 21st. This week Numan debuted the latest single, ‘Saints and Liars’, which you can view above.
We finish our News Report with the news that Dave Grohl will be releasing a collection of memories of a life lived loud! ‘The Storyteller – Tales of Life and Music’ will arrive October 5th.
We roundup the best music news from the past week!
Every week we roundup the best music news from the past week in our News Report. To stay up to date with the biggest news be sure to follow us on our social channels:
We start our News Report this week with our tour section of the best music news.
Up first is this huge homecoming show for IDLES. The band will takeover Clifton Downs in Bristol for what is set to be an unmissable show. If you want to be there on Friday 3rd September 2021 then you’ll need to be quick.
Beartooth have announced a run of dates for February 2022. These dates are the bands biggest shows to date and finish up at Brixton Academy. Support will come from Motionless In White and Stray From The Path.
The band will release their next album, ‘Below’, on June 25th. You can pre-order your copy here. For tickets you’ll want to head here.
Pirates rejoice! Another band making their way to Brixton Academy is Alestorm. The band will conclude a massive tour of the UK on December 11th. Along for the ride are Gloryhammer and ĂTHER REALM.
Scottish rockers Gun are set for a lengthy UK tour later this year. ‘The Backstreet Brothers Tour’ will see the band trek around the UK in support of their latest single ‘Whiskey And A Prayer’.
Next on our News Report is the return of Trash Boat for eight dates around the UK this October. The dates will finish up at Camden’s famous Electric Ballroom.
Beans On Toast is coming to an independent venue near you!
Beans On Toast is certainly not adverse to playing shows and he has this week announced a whopping tour of independent venues. This tour will be taking in some of the best small venues the UK has to offer.
London’s Wide Awake Festival just got a load bigger with the addition of a special afternoon set from IDLES! They join a fantastic line-up at Brockwell Park including Black Country, New Road, black midi, Crows, Dream Wife, shame and The Murder Capital.
Bloodstock Festival continues to grow. We featured new additions in last week’s News Report and now we have more to report! This week has seen the additions of Therapy? and Bleed From Within to the Sunday Main Stage line-up!
In need of your metal fix, head here for tickets to Bloodstock!
Eridge Park in Kent is set host a stunning looking Black Deer Festival from 25th – 27th June this summer. The event was already set to feature the likes of Saving Grace, Frank Turner, Emily Barker and Imelda May.
The event has now added Foy Vance, Wildwood Kin and Band of Skulls amongst others. To join the fun head here for tickets.
Glastonbury set for Livestream event from Worthy Farm
Whilst there will be no Glastonbury Festival this year. Organisers have now announced a very special livestream event from Worthy Farm. Live at Worthy Farm will feature sets from Coldplay, Damon Albarn, HAIM, IDLES, Wolf Alice and more.
To be a part of the action you will need to pick up a ticket here.
Garbage return with ‘The Men Who Rule The World’
Finally we arrive at the new music section of our weekly News Report. We start this week with the return of Garbage. The band have released their brand new single ‘The Men Who Rule The World’.
The single precedes the bands upcoming album, ‘No Gods No Masters’ which will arrive June 11th. You can pre-order your copy here.
Wayward Sons this week released their latest single ‘Big Day’. You can check out the song above and grab tickets to their upcoming tour here.
The Subways announce ‘Fight’
We conclude this week’s News Report with The Subways. The band have announced that they will release a new single, ‘Fight’, on April 30th. You can pre-order the limited edition splatter 7″ vinyl here.
Full Pelt Music looks back on 2020 for our Year in Review
What a year to pick to review. Itâs been a year like no other and not for good reasons.
On a personal level as detailed within my first blog, âThe Reluctant Bloggerâ, I was made redundant from a job I loved, just before Christmas and during a global pandemic! Not nice, but realistically I wouldnât be writing this blog on this website if that hadnât happened! The decision to return to writing about music also allowed me to take a look at the relationship between music and my mental health in âMental Health, Music and Meâ.
For the world it has been a year of pain, struggle and despair. From the fires of Australia to the flooding of the UK early in the year and now again just before Christmas; there has been no restpite in the year of the coronavirus. Unprecedented is the word of the year, but with Brexit and the ongoing pandemic looming large, the word for next year is probably uncertain.
Everybody has struggled this year, personally and professionally. This struggle is not limited to the music industry but our industry has struggled greatly. The live side of the industry is built on bringing people together and of course that has not been possible since March. The recorded side of the industry has also struggled with delays in recording, producing and distributing.
Recovery for the grassroots of the industry is far from guaranteed. The stark and sad reality is that many musicians and hard working crew members will have needed to have sought alternative employment and the actuality here is that many will never return to the music industry. The fact is many government schemes setup to alleviate the financial pressures on individuals and businesses simply bypassed these people.
Unfortunately the pandemic has also hastened the plight of many grassroots, independent music venues. We have sadly already lost many venues and there are still many more at imminent risk of permanent closure. We have written extensively about the issues surrounding our industry in our blog âWhy We Need To #SaveOurVenuesâ, and we encourage you to get involved in the initiatives highlighted.
This is of course a creative and innovative industry and through struggle we evolve. Much like the loss of my own job bred this website, the loss of touring and live shows has seen the evolution of the livestream. Many musicians have embraced technology and sought new ways to engage with their audiences. We have looked at the rise of this phenomenon in our blog âLivestreams: Good or Bad for the Music Industryâ.
When looking back on 2020 in the future, the memories will fill everybody with dread. There has however been some fantastic musical highlights despite everything else. We recently revealed our Album of the Year in our â2020 Album of the Yearâ blog; and the Top 20 list was highly competitive.
2020 has produced some incredible music and thatâs where we are going to focus this end of year review. In order to celebrate the successes of a very difficult year we going to look at the following awards – Album of the Year, Single of the Year, Gig of the Year, Festival of the Year and Artist of the Year!
Album of the Year
As mentioned we recently listed our Top 20 Albums of the Year here. This was a highly competitive list as 2020 saw some truly phenomenal releases.
We said âIt has been a crazy year, and this list has been heavily influenced by that. As mentioned the top of this list is massively impacted by new music I heard during the height of the initial lockdown. âUltra Monoâ was an album that I was already extremely excited to hear; and the stream of songs released during Lockdown only served to raise that excitement to a fever pitch.
Thankfully IDLES didnât disappoint and when the album arrived it was a pure masterpiece. It shows a natural progression on the bands first two records and grows the bands sound. It still captures what made us all fall in love with the band but by incorporating new elements into the bands sound the album shows that IDLES are no one trick pony.
Above all other releases this year and those that feature in this list, this was the album that we needed this year. In a year where we have all been knocked down one way or another, IDLES and âUltra Monoâ has been a call to arms, to pick ourselves up, dust ourselves down and keep going.â
WINNER:‘Ultra Mono’ by IDLES
The Contenders:‘A Hero’s Death’ by Fontaines D.C., ‘Post Human: Survival Horror’ by Bring Me The Horizon, ‘Nothing Is True & Everything Is Possible’ by Enter Shikari, ‘A Celebration of Endings’ by Biffy Clyro, and ‘Sex, Death & the Infinite Void’ by Creeper
Single of the Year
Itâs been a good year for both Bring Me The Horizon and Yungblud, with both releasing stunning new records. Yungblud recently hit the number one spot with âweird!â which we reviewed here, and Bring Me The Horizon silenced their doubters with âPost Human: Survival Horrorâ which we reviewed here.
It shouldnât therefore be so much of a surprise that their collaboration together is our standout single of the year. Accompanied by an over the top video, ‘Obey’ is a rip roaring tale of corruption and brainwashing, so perfectly fitting for 2020!
WINNER:‘Obey’ by Bring Me The Horizon feat. Yungblud
The Contenders:‘Model Village’ by IDLES, ‘Space’ by Biffy Clyro, ‘Trouble’s Coming’ by Royal Blood, and ‘Protect The Land’ by System Of A Down
Gig of the Year
I was lucky enough to catch some fantastic shows early in the year, you know BC (before Covid!), and Stereophonics, Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes, Kaiser Chiefs and Fontaines D.C. all deserve special mention.
For my Gig of the Year however Iâm again looking to the Covid era.
When life has drastically changed and youâve been deprived of the opportunity to do something you love, you learn to savour those moments more. For me, as somebody that in 2019 attended some 93 gigs, the loss of live music was devastating. Of course, many people have endured much worse in 2020, particularly at the height of the initial national lockdown; for me however, I was just desperate for live music.
The opportunity to watch real, live music again thankfully emerged (if only for a short time) at the end of summer. Frank Turner lives by the moto âAlways on Tourâ, and he wasnât going to let a global pandemic get in the way. An innovative location for a socially distanced gig was Nottingham Arboretum, basically a bandstand in a park. The result was a stunning if unusual setting for a gig which came to life when night fell and Turner serenaded the sold out crowd with his biggest hits.
A great supporting cast including Tash Bird, Holly Carter and Beans On Toast helped to make this show one to remember. The musicianship on show was fantastic, as was the togetherness and gratefulness of an audience desperate to once again forget lifeâs stresses and enjoy an evening of music. It was a powerful evening that brought tears to many an eye, and thatâs why it wins our Gig of the Year award.
WINNER: Frank Turner @ Nottingham Arboretum (20/09)
The Contenders: Stereophonics @ Kentish Town Forum (21/01), Kaiser Chiefs @ Brighton Centre (30/01), Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes @ Alexandra Palace (15/02), and Fontaines D.C. @ Norwich UEA (24/02)
Festival of the Year
The coronavirus pandemic completely obliterated the 2020 festival season, as early optimism that some festivals would survive was eventually swallowed whole by this horrible virus. With social distancing in place, festivals just were not possible. But didnât I say that the music industry is the most creative and innovative industry? Whilst some promoters attempted to arrange socially distant shows, tours and festivals, few succeeded; with even Live Nation cancelling a huge programme of drive in shows.
I was lucky enough however to venture to two such festivals at the Norfolk Showground near Norwich. A mixture of entertainment was laid on in a specially designed arena with socially distanced âpodsâ maintaining the necessary safety measures. Brickfest was a one day festival focussing on covers band with a handful of original acts like headliners Bad Touch thrown in. The day was a huge success given the circumstances, as was our 2020 Festival of the Year â Wild Fields Festival!
Wild Paths Festival debuted in Norwich last year with acts gracing venues across the fine city. This year the event embraced the outside arena and rebranded as Wild Fields Festival over two days was an eclectic line-up on offer. The first day featured great sets from many young artists including Lauran Hibberd, Indoor Pets, Another Sky and headliners Gengahr.
Even through the greatest adversity the power of the arts shines through and Wild Paths was a shining example of how to put on a safe, fun and thoroughly entertaining festival during a global pandemic.
WINNER: Wild Fields Festival
The Contenders: Brickfest
Artist of the Year
Our final award is for Artist of the Year. In a such an unprecedented and difficult year this award is going to an act that has considerably contributed to making the year better. Fantastic new music has played a hugely positive role in improving a hard year. With this in mind that means that IDLES, Biffy Clyro, Enter Shikari, Bring Me The Horizon, Fontaines D.C. and Yungblud are all in the running for this award.
Beyond that however real live music when possible has been an even greater high than normal. As such Frank Turner enters the running as an act I somehow managed to catch live this year some four times including the aforementioned Gig of the Year.
But this year is different, new albums and live shows whilst normally the lifeblood of our industry almost feel insignificant when you look at the horrors witnessed across society, both inside and outside the music industry. One saving grace for many this year has been the arrival of the music livestream. A number of those already mentioned have dabbled if not excelled in this activity.
Our winner however has taken this new outlet to heart. They have provided joy and distraction to thousands of people during what must be a record setting number of livestreams. More than that, they have managed to raise an amazing amount of money for a cause I have already championed in this blog. That cause is of course the Save Our Venues campaign and our Artist of the Year is clearly that man again, Frank Turner!
In 2020, Frank Turner has probably played more real shows and more livestreams than anybody else. He has recorded and released new music including collaborations with NOFX and Jon Snodgrass. He has produced the fantastic new Beans On Toast record. He has thoroughly entertained and provided much needed distraction from the real world to thousands; and he has raised an incredible amount of money for charity.
In reality Turner deserves a medal, but what we can give him is our Artist of the Year award!
WINNER: Frank Turner
The Contenders: IDLES, Biffy Clyro, Enter Shikari, Bring Me The Horizon, Fontaines D.C., and Yungblud
2020, a year we will all be hoping to forget very quickly, but there has been some great music released. All focus now however is on 2021 and those vaccinations. We hope that sooner rather than later we will be able to safely gather again in those venues and fields to watch our favourite artists in the flesh.
There will also likely be an avalanche of new music coming our way with artists having been isolated with their creatively for company. Letâs just hope that not every song is about lockdown!
Who is going to make the Full Pelt Music Top 20 Albums of the Year List?
2020 – a year we would all much sooner forget. Certainly not the year we had all envisaged. Real life has been traumatic and upsetting for many. The effects of the virus have been disastrous for the music industry, with the collapse of live music and many delays and production issues for albums.
You’d think therefore that selecting an Album of the Year list would be difficult due to a lack of new music! We are however talking about the most creative and adaptable industry and in fact compiling this list has been hard for the opposite reason. Even through all the sadness and despair this year, we have been graced with some amazing new music.
More so, the uniqueness of this year has created a special connection to the music released during the most troubling times. This is therefore a highly competitive list and all 20 entries deserve high praise!
We have been counting down the list as part of our #AdventCalendar of music over on our Twitter Page. Be sure to follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram by clicking the icons below!
Finally, before we talk through our Top 20 Albums of the Year, a special mention to Yungblud and his new album ‘Weird!’ which we recently reviewed here. Released after the compilation of this list, the album is a stunning piece of work and had it been released earlier would have been competitive at the top of the list! But, now to the countdown…
20
HAYLEY WILLIAMS ‘Petals For Armor’
In a year that doesnât seem to want to end, January seems a lifetime ago when Paramoreâs Hayley Williams announced her debut solo album âPetals For Armorâ. By the time that album arrived, the world had descended into chaos and all touring plans had been cancelled. When the album did emerge in May it represented a ray of light in dark times, and showed Williams has a lot to offer outside of Paramore.
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19
DOVES ‘The Universal Want’
When Doves returned from an eight year hiatus in 2018 the band initially basked in that reformation glory. Thankfully for fans though it hasnât taken long for the band to head back into the studio and the resultant album âThe Universal Wantâ is a timely reminder of what we had been missing.
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18
AC/DC ‘Power Up’
After a tumultuous few years with the tragic loss of Malcolm and departures of Cliff, Phil and Brian, AC/DC could have been easily forgiven for riding off into the sunset having had one of the greatest careers of any heavy rock band. But then that wouldnât be the AC/DC way of doing things would it? Instead we get another classic AC/DC album in âPower Upâ with Williams, Rudd and Johnson back in tow!
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17
REWS ‘Warriors’
The Shauna Tohill led REWS have somehow managed to equal if not surpass their debut album with sophomore release âWarriorsâ. Packed with punchy, catchy, bouncy rock and roll, we challenge you not to throw your heart and soul into this album just as Tohill clearly has.
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16
THE STRUTS ‘Strange Days’
With The Struts you should always expect the unexpected. This is not a band that plays by any kind of rule book. So why wouldnât they team up with guests as diverse as Tom Morello, Phil Collen & Joe Elliott, Albert Hammond Jr and yes the actual Robbie Williams? âStrange Daysâ solidifies The Struts reputation as the future of rock.
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15
ALL TIME LOW ‘Wake Up Sunshine’
âWake Up Sunshineâ is somehow the eighth studio album for All Time Low, which makes me feel very old. Thankfully this isnât an album that rests on any laurels and the band continue to deliver the goods with another very solid album added to that back catalogue.
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14
THE KILLERS ‘Imploding The Mirage’
By now we know exactly what to expect from The Killers and thankfully their first album without lead guitarist Dave Keuning still delivers that classic feel. With the likes of Lindsay Buckingham instead contributing on âImploding The Mirageâ, there is even an air of freshness to their sound.
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13
PHIL CAMPBELL AND THE BASTARD SONS ‘We’re The Bastards’
When Phil Campbell And The Bastard Sons released their debut album, to the surprise of many they delivered a classic rock masterpiece. Any doubters thinking they couldnât do it again have now been proven wrong with the release of âWeâre The Bastardsâ In our recent review (here) we stated âThe bands fans are the loyal kind hence their lyrics proclaim â…âcause weâre the bastards, and youâre a bastard too…â. If youâre in to good old fashioned rock and roll, give this album a listen and you too will be in that clubâ.
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12
GREEN DAY ‘Father Of All…’
âFather Of All…â may not sit highly amongst the bands back catalogue if we are being honest, but an average Green Day album is still a very good album in the grand scheme of things. Despite this album pre-dating national lockdowns the album has remained on rotation throughout the year which is a testament to its real qualities.
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11
BOSTON MANOR ‘Glue’
Nobody should be surprised at the quality of Boston Manorâs albums anymore. With the release of their third album âGlueâ, the band have now delivered three high quality albums with plenty to unpack.
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10
HAIM ‘Women In Music Pt. III’
With âWomen In Music Pt. IIIâ, Haim have let it all hang out with a statement of an album that takes listeners on a musical journey of wonder. Taking elements of various genres and given them that now classic Haim twist, this album is a stunning piece of musicianship.
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9
PVRIS ‘Use Me’
With the release of third album âUse Meâ, PVRIS have continued their evolution into something majestic, enormous and vital. The bands growth had been put out there for all to see and this album just encapsulates the power of Lynn Gunn.
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8
BLACK STONE CHERRY ‘The Human Condition’
On âThe Human Conditionâ we get the Black Stone Cherry that we all love, just doing what they do best. Full of head banging and foot stumping this record sees the band confirm that they are here to stay, and that they have plenty left in the creative tank.
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7
TRIVIUM ‘What The Dead Men Say’
âWhat The Dead Men Sayâ is a stunning piece of work that captures a band that has hit their peak. Trivium have mixed the lessons learnt from their past with their recently rejuvenated vigour and have come out the other side with an album that stands up that anything that they have previously released. Â
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6
CREEPER ‘Sex, Death & The Infinite Void’
The release of âSex, Death & the Infinite Voidâ was a rocky road for Creeper, and not just because of a global pandemic. Various internal struggles and personal demons had to be overcome before Creeper could make their grandiose return. Sadly this return coincided with a certain virus which hampered the typical over the top promotion of a Creeper release. Thankfully for the band the record itself is brilliant enough to shine through even the darkest times.
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5
BIFFY CLYRO ‘A Celebration Of Endings’
As we hit the top five Albums of 2020, things are very tight. A terrible year has thankfully seem some amazing music emerge to see us through. Biffy Clyro are another band whose plans were destroyed by this horrible virus, with tours cancelled and the album delayed. The early single releases from âA Celebration of Endingsâ however provided much joy in the early period of lockdown.
When the full album finally found his way into the public domain, little did fans realise the treat that was in store for them. Biffy Clyro always evolve with each release, but they somehow manage to retain that Biffyness to their music. This is a unique band and âA Celebration of Endingsâ is a unique record that mixes both the beautiful and the heavy as only Biffy Clyro seem to be able to.
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4
ENTER SHIKARI ‘Nothing Is True & Everything Is Possible’
Another band whose releases were a small positive in the huge negative that was the first national Lockdown was Enter Shikari. It was clear from the start that âNothing Is True & Everything Is Possibleâ was going to be a very special album. The connection felt now with certain tracks only serves to ensure that this album will forever be seen as one of, if not the best Enter Shikari album.
All the normal quirkiness is there, along with the more mainstream elements incorporated into 2017âs âThe Sparkâ. In fact, on this album Enter Shikari may have actually made the perfect Enter Shikari recipe and in turn the perfect Enter Shikari album!
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3
BRING ME THE HORIZON ‘Post Human: Survival Horror’
Yes, âPost Human: Survival Horrorâ is technically an EP, but it is just so outrageously good that it had to feature and feature high. Precursors such as âLudensâ and âParasite Eveâ had promised something special but I donât think anybody predicted anything this good.
When we recently reviewed the record (here) we told you âThis new EP takes the best elements from throughout their career and combines them in one stunning masterpiece of an album.â. Bring Me The Horizon prove with this album that the best is still to come!
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2
FONTAINES D.C. ‘A Hero’s Death’
The battle for the number one spot this year was fierce. Actually, the battle for the top 5 was fierce this year. Fontaines D.C. are the band that gets the number two spot, but this album deserves Album of the Year. âA Heroâs Deathâ shows that the band are no flash in the pan and builds on the basis of debut âDogrelâ. This album actually feels a step above that debut album, and is another that has created a huge personal connection during this tough year.
This record has already rightfully brought the band much acclaim and we canât wait to hear these songs live. Fontaines D.C. are an unstoppable songwriting force and with âA Heroâs Deathâ they have placed their claim to be the band of their generation.
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1
IDLES ‘Ultra Mono’
It has been a crazy year, and this list has been heavily influenced by that. As mentioned the top of this list is massively impacted by new music I heard during the height of the initial lockdown. âUltra Monoâ was an album that I was already extremely excited to hear; and the stream of songs released during Lockdown only served to raise that excitement to a fever pitch.
Thankfully IDLES didnât disappoint and when the album arrived it was a pure masterpiece. It shows a natural progression on the bands first two records and grows the bands sound. It still captures what made us all fall in love with the band but by incorporating new elements into the bands sound the album shows that IDLES are no one trick pony.
Above all other releases this year and those that feature in this list, this was the album that we needed this year. In a year where we have all been knocked down one way or another, IDLES and âUltra Monoâ has been a call to arms, to pick ourselves up, dust ourselves down and keep going.
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So, there you have it, the Top 20 Albums of 2020 as considered by Full Pelt Music. We are sure that your lists will be different to ours and we want to hear them, so why not share yours with us on social media!