Clear Skies, Full Sinuses, New(ish) Shoes

Previously - steadily getting in the miles, and pulling forward my Sunday long run to a Friday.

Friday long run

No Thursday run, as I had a long one on Friday. I jumped on a westbound train all the way to Littlehampton, with the plan of running back home along the coast to Hove. The previous Sunday a fellow local runner (hi Mark!) had done a similar thing and so I decided to straight up copy his route. I knew I wouldn't get anywhere near his time but just wanted to get the distance of 32km/20 miles under my belt ahead of the marathon. After getting only slightly lost around Littlehampton I found a suitable place to start on the banks of the Arun and set off, podcasts in ears. Very quickly I realised that the grey skies were only threatening to rain and wouldn't follow through, so off came my running jacket to cool myself down a bit! 

Apart from a small diversion around Angmering the majority of the route to Worthing was along a coastal path so I had a breeze off the sea to keep me cool. The posher estates in that part of the world had a decent lawn between the properties and the beach which was a nice change to run along, and made a nice difference from tarmacked paths! Eight kilometres under my belt and I suddenly realised I was on familiar territory, as I'd reached the western end of Worthing half marathon - a race I ran two years previously. I followed that route for a few km, the houses providing a change of scenery as well as a mental boost from being able to run along a route I'd previously only lightly jogged. That lasted for all of fifteen minutes before I started getting warmer than I was happy with, so I went back along the beachfront path into Worthing itself. This was a smoother path than the pavement as well - I didn't want to be concentrating on my footing while I was dealing with eating jelly babies!

Down the route of Worthing parkrun, and I bumped my distance up a bit by running to the end of Worthing pier and back up, past several bemused people enjoying cake in the end of pier cafe. The bleak stretch from Worthing to Lancing beckoned, coinciding with the realisation that I was only halfway through my run. These runs aren't just about physical training, it's also about getting your head used to the fact that you'll be exercising for a solid four, five, six hours in one hit. Running on your own does get lonely, which is why I always make sure to have music (if I'm running for a time) or podcasts (distance) to listen to and keep myself occupied. I've also cut off one earbud so while I can listen to my distraction, I'm not completely cut off from the world and can still hear things going on around me for safety. Past Lancing beach green cafe and I was onto very familiar territory, heading out along the course of Lancing parkrun. I paid very close attention to my watch at the point it failed last time but it behaved this time. 

By this point my bladder was grumbling so 19km into my run I stopped at some convenient, um, conveniences. I was only in there for a minute or so, practising a speedy relief ahead of the marathon, but it was enough for my iliotibial band to decide that we were finished, and when I tried to run again it straight up refused. A walk into a gentle jog to a run got it moving again, under protest, and I slogged onward. The route from here was more or less the same as my watch-crashing run, only in reverse and without running out to Shoreham harbour arm, and I carried on round Shoreham fort. Running back towards the bridge over the Adur my knee protested too much and at 24km (15 miles) I finished, completing only 75% of my plan. I stomped into Shoreham, a soggy smelly mess, and had a grumpy pint in a Shepherd Neame pub for consolation/recovery purposes. While I took more time off my half marathon PB (it's now just over 2 hours 18 minutes) I was disappointed that I couldn't go much further.

Midweek runs

Social commitments and a recognised need for rest meant that my next run wasn't until Wednesday. My training plan recommended a 10k run at a slower pace, so I did just that - or tried anyway! I picked a route heading east into Brighton, which also covered a bit of the marathon route. Within the first km I passed a Google Street View car - it hasn't been uploaded yet, but the footage will be good for analysing my running form, and it'll probably end up in my ongoing flattering running pictures thread on Twitter. My pacing for this run was all over the shop, fluctuating between 6 and 7 minutes per km, not aided by the first half of the route taking in a large number of the hills in Brighton. After taking in one of the two uphill sections of the marathon route that might require crampons and pitons to ascend, the rest was a gentle downhill amble towards the seafront, and then a run along the promenade to complete the 10k without issue. I only had three of the ten km within 10 seconds of the target pace of 7 minutes/km, and the average pace was 15 seconds below that - not good for a disciplined marathon start.

Like Kate Bush, I'll be running up that hill

The following day I had another run planned, a shorter (6.5km) and faster (6:15min/km) route. This time I went west of home, to Portslade, covering more of the marathon route. This was much more successful pacing wise as only one full km was outside a +/-10 second variance from the target pace, and that was only out by 12 seconds. The part of the route I covered, along Church Road, was mainly a refresher as I used to walk that route regularly when I worked in Portslade. A much better run, and a nice ego boost passing a pair of pedestrians twice in the run - I worked out later that I'd run 5k in the time it had taken them to walk 1.5k! Granted, I had a schedule and I've no way of knowing if they stopped off or were just ambling, but it was still a lift to see.

A Saturday parkrun to Lancing, a nice catch up with some regulars there, and what I thought was a dreadful run actually turned out to be pretty decent! After a very sluggish start my pace picked up, and every km was faster than the one before. I finished in just over 29 minutes, with my only issue being my watch losing 30 seconds (Strava says I finished in 28:35), so take the above splits with a pinch of salt. Still, I'm now only seven parkruns away from hitting 100! That evening I felt a cold coming on, but at the time (and even now) the symptoms are above the neck, so I proceeded with my Sunday long run as planned.

Sunday Long Run

I got up bright and early, and it was very bright - not a cloud in the sky! I headed out east, across Brighton, but with gentler slopes to contend with this time, as I had another 32km/20 miler in mind. I only touched upon the marathon route once, bisecting it at Preston Circus, as this was about the distance rather than recon. The sun beat down as I plodded along the the Lewes Road out of Brighton, past Moulscoomb station, and once again my bladder was protesting. One thing to remember on marathon day - go to the toilet more! At 7km I spotted some public conveniences (I'm indebted to Brighton & Hove, Adur Valley and Arun Valley councils) and stopped with some trepidation. Would I be able to continue, or will I have a grumpy bus journey back home already after my leg seizes up?

After washing my hands I left and gingerly got back up to speed. No protests from either leg, so I carried on with my route. While my leg hadn't had an issue, my watch had, as I'd suddenly gained some extra mileage while relieving myself. I made sure to stretch my drinks out a bit more (I think 500ml every 10k seems to suit me fine) and I pressed on up to the highest part of my route, at Falmer. With the sun laying down I struggled and came close to giving up until I crested the hill and the run became a lot easier - funnily enough the thoughts of giving up disappeared after that! I ran alongside the A27 to Lewes, slightly aggrieved that I was running in perfect motorbike weather, whereas two days previously I'd ridden my motorbike along the same route in perfect running weather (overcast, breeze, cool)! Into Lewes itself and I followed the road, fairly confident that it would lead me to the centre of town. Running along narrow medieval streets was a pleasant change and as I neared the castle I found myself idly wondering what time it was. Well, I had no need to pull my phone out of my pocket and check as the church bells started to bong the hour at 10am right as I went past, giving me a fright! 

Through Lewes and out along the old railway line (oh look, there's a theme with my runs becoming apparent) with only a slight detour around the local tip being the extent of my getting lost for this run. Under the Lewes bypass and suddenly the land opened up ahead of me - the rest of the run would be alongside the river Ouse, in the valley cutting through the chalk ridges of the South Downs. Flat, clear, the only issue was the muddy paths as I had to slow down and concentrate on my footing! By now my pace was over 7 mins/km as I tired and had to contend with rough terrain for the next 5 km until I found a gravel path to run along. I crossed the river and headed up to the level crossing by Southease station but in the act of slowing for the gates, my leg decided enough was enough and seized on me again. I considered working it loose and pressing on another 5k to Newhaven, finishing on around 30k total, but decided that I didn't want to risk further injury this close to the marathon. Instead I grabbed a slice of cake and a beer from the YHA cafe at Southease and waited for the train back to Brighton.

What have I learnt?

• My watch is on the way out and should probably be replaced sooner rather than later
• I need to find a suitable stretching routine if I stop more than 20km into a run
• I'm pretty confident with my refuelling on the go, both food and drinks
• Brighton is very hilly

Half of my hearty run

Where did I leave off? Oh yes, a long run unrecorded due to my app dying. Well, one upside of that was that in playing about with the Android Wear Strava app afterwards, desperately trying to recover my run somehow, I discovered that one can swipe upwards to finish a run recording - quite handy, considering that for the last few months I'd been restarting the watch in order to stop the run and sync it with my phone! 

A few days later, undeterred by the technological issues of the previous run, I went out on a harder course for a midweek run. No flat coastal routes this time, instead I was running up the chalk hills that border Brighton and Hove to the north of the city, roughly following the route of the old railway line. The route from Aldrington station to the bridge over the A27 was a familiar one from past Sunday runs, so this time I started with a bit of a lap of Hove Park to bring up my finish line to the top of Devil's Dyke. I continued up through the housing estate knowing more or less where I was going...roughly...wait, none of this looks remotely familiar. Heading on a general north-westerly direction I finally found the bridge across the A27 and got back on route. I had a pleasant jog up the old line, sadly not seeing much of anything to indicate the route's prior purpose, until I got to 6k. I realised that my original plan of finishing my route at the top of this ruddy great hill would mean that I'd then have another 8k to walk back home again. Apart from the photo opportunity, which was pretty much ruined by the grey weather anyway, there was no real point to continuing on to the top of the hill and so I returned back to Brighton. 

On the way down the hill I decided to extend my distance for the day. Running downhill was easier than the way up (thanks, gravity!) and I'd have to go the distance back home anyway so I may as well run it and get home quicker. The fickle finger of technology got in my way once again though - as I reached the original total of 8k my podcast started sounding distorted and low bitrate-y. Troubleshooting options like another episode (changing the file), playing a song through Spotify (changing the app) and a good old restart of the phone didn't fix the problem, so I had the last few kilometres without any distraction. 

Still, at least I lowered the tone of Waitrose by walking round shopping directly after finishing my run. Another week spent easing myself back into the runs - I replaced my headphones and took them for a spin at Lancing parkrun on Saturday. The headwind again created a positive split and was a real struggle running back but I kept the time under 30 minutes, with Spotify's shuffle throwing up a mix of NWOBHM bands (Saxon, Judas Priest, Rainbow) rather than the usual pop/Springsteen. A gentle run, but a good trial for my new headphones, and my new shoes - I felt that my current pair would probably be on their last legs by the time I get to the marathon, and this way I can get used to a newer pair with a month or so to go.

The following day was five weeks from M-day, which is an abbreviation I'll probably never use again. A clear, cool day, I decided to take advantage of the weather conditions and go for a longer run. If I could run 16k during a storm, I can run further on a nicer day with just a few gusts of wind, right? I'd read about a coastal route along the base of the cliffs from Brighton Marina to Saltdean in Alexandra Hemsley's Running Like A Girl the previous week so thought I'd head out that way and run back along the cliff tops, covering another bit of the marathon route. Apart from a few puddles (my new shoes no longer look new) and a mix-up involving heading up the steps at Ovingdean instead of further along - I really need to plan my routes better, or at least consult Google Maps while running - the outbound stretch was a breeze, and I headed back up to the top of the cliffs by Saltdean's gorgeous art deco Lido. Fun, this! 

The way back, less so. Up and down undulating cliffs, the slog of running into the wind up steep hills was not quite as daunting as cresting the hill and realising that, oh no, the wind is much worse when it's not blocked. At one point I came to a complete halt because the wind was so strong. I'd finished one bottle of lucozade and remembering what happened last week, refuelled with a small bag of jelly babies that seemed to be never-ending. Over the course of 3km I must've had the last sweet a dozen times, yet there always seemed to be just one more in the bag. Still, they perked me up on the run and I'll grab a few packets for M-day (there it is again!). The slight downhill gradient from above the marina down to the pier was a bit more gentle, but still windy. Good resistance training at least! Knowing it (hopefully) won't be as windy when I do the marathon was a small crumb of comfort.

By now it was around 10:30am and the promenades were filled with people out for a morning stroll. The grim, sympathetic smiles from fellow runners were replaced by odd looks from people who don't know the meaning of a long slow Sunday morning run (normal, sensible folk then) and I decided to cut short my run from the original planned 29k distance. Instead a quick Google threw up a new target of 21.09km - the distance of a half marathon. I had a time in mind as I'd reached halfway of the marathon at 2 hours 33 minutes last year (and the second half of that taking over 3 and a half hours shows you just how unprepared I was for it!) and I wanted to beat that. I pushed and pushed against a wind that seemed to toy with me, envious of the people flying past using the conditions to their advantage, and by the time I turned up The Drive away from the wind I was too worn out to speed up. I plodded along a bit further, eagle eyes on my watch, and stopped at the half marathon distance to a new personal best HM time of 2 hours, 22 minutes and 53 seconds. The good thing is, knowing the conditions I battled against, on a flat course I can easily beat that again - but that's for another day. The (actual) non-alcoholic beer was a great relief afterwards!

Two days later, and I was ready to run again. Not up to 100%, but if I were a player on Football Manager, I wouldn't have a red or orange "inj" symbol next to my name, fit enough to cope with another run. Where to this time? Well, from my flat there's a tower with a black pointed roof roughly west-north-west. I'd always assumed that this was the clock tower on top of the Tesco Extra out Shoreham way until I spotted it from my run up Devil's Dyke last week, and realised it was significantly closer than that. A few minutes on Google Maps produced an answer and now I had somewhere to run to! Starting with a route through Hove Park I paid attention to my route this time and significantly, didn't get lost. West through Hangleton, through a park north of the big Sainsbury that I had no idea existed until yesterday, and up through Portslade village itself. I knew that an out-and-back to the tower would leave me short by 2k, so I passed the tower at 4.5k and kept on going, over the A27 and along a muddy farm track for an extra kilometre. Somewhere back up the track my GPS suddenly leapt up to over 7k run, throwing out my pace for the day and completely throwing me off. I soldiered on back down the route I'd run, knowing that when I reached Foredown Tower on the way back I'd have a further 4.5k left to run. Fortunately for me my watch showed 8k as I passed the landmark - I'm good at mental arithmetic, but not while I'm exercising my body as well as my brain! A few rough calculations and I worked out not only the distance left but also the time markers I'd need every 500m as well, enabling me to stick to my pace. A finish around the top portion of Hove Park left me with some space to warm down as well.

A social commitment this Sunday has meant that I won't be able to fit in a long run, and rather than push it to the day after (and be knackered for a trip to the theatre that evening) I've pulled it forward and will fit it in on Friday morning. This juggling of my training has pulled forward a few other runs, and today I did tomorrow's run of "only" 5k, a distance I was a little disappointed to see yesterday, but glad it wasn't that far when I did the run today! It was timed for completion in 30 minutes, an easy feat considering my parkrun times lately, but on a hillier course than usual as I completed a few laps of Hove park. I got off to a slow, sluggish start, completing the first km in 6:15, and so I had a deficit to make up the rest of the run. I managed it, finishing in 29:53, but I was grateful of the shorter distance today! 

New shoes!

Looking less new after a half marathon

Headwind and the Angry Knee

(Yes, I am resuming this blog partly because I thought of a decent - your mileage may vary - pun for the title.)

So, what's gone on in the *counts on fingers* five months since I last updated this blog? Have a potted history in the style of your favourite recapping narrator (be they Kristen Bell, an undercover Russian, a smooth Latin lover, a dry English librarian, or Kristen Bell):

- Christmas Eve I started my marathon training plan, gradually increasing the distances and speeds of my weekly runs
- My Brighton Marathon shirt from last year racked up more and more PBs, not just course PBs set on each course's inaugural run (thus guaranteeing a new PB) but on occasions when the conditions just felt right, giving me that extra boost to ensure a new record. 
- One of those was smashing my 10k personal best by five minutes on a Sunday morning in late January, finally getting the sub 60 minute 10k time that was my New Year's resolution. For 2017.
- My total distance run for 2018 was a touch over 320km, not only hitting the stretch goal put down in October, but going a little bit further to make up the 20km I was short in 2017.
- I joined the 21st century and upgraded from the dodgy Runtastic app to Strava. 
- I saw a physio for the first time!

When I've been running over the winter months, the outer part of my left knee would occasionally give me feedback, along the lines of "stop running, this hurts". This eased off as I strengthened it, and my rule of thumb became "if the temperature is in single digits, wear leggings" which averted the problem. Sitting still for long periods would occasionally cause it to flare up, so picking specific cinema seats and being able to stretch out sorted this.

Until my marathon plan kicked in, and I suddenly started running more than just a parkrun and an hour's slow run every Saturday and Sunday. A month into my training and a Saturday walk around town post-parkrun became so painful I had to stop and rest every few hundred metres. I bit the bullet and went to a local physio (a stone's throw from my flat - literally, I can stand on my balcony and lob a pebble through their window with minimal effort if I were so inclined!) and it turns out I'd strained my iliotibial band (which runs down the outside of your leg from hip to knee). Three weeks of rest, three weeks out of my marathon training plan, three weeks kicking my heels, three weeks of getting acquainted with my foam roller. 

(Side note: I hate the foam roller and it hates me, but it's incredibly useful. When I'm in the US for the week before the marathon I'll be purchasing a cheap one from Target to keep myself bendy!)

A couple of test runs around Hove Park to make sure my legs were working, and I got back in the game in early March - which just so happened to be the inaugural Seaford parkrun. Again I gamed the stats for my Marathon shirt, jumped on a speedy, comfortable and frequent train along the coast, and ran an out-and-back course by the sea! Very close to the sea, at one point there was less than a metre between the prom and the waves. After some initial complaints from my knee it shushed itself and I flew along the route, making great time. Maybe the enforced rest and exercises did me the world of good? I turned round at the end of the course to head back and faced into a gust of wind. Ah. Looks like the outbound section had some aid! The run back was somewhat trickier, however I managed to keep up a consistent pace throughout despite the conditions, and finish under the 30 minute mark. 

(This is longer than I expected it to be, but the second half ties into the headline, and I'll be damned if I'm losing the wordplay.)

The confidence from my leg not falling off and a run in tricky conditions fired me up, and I went out the following morning for a Sunday long run. I set it in stages - if the walk to the coast to start was fine on my leg, I'd run west with the option of stopping at a railway station and jumping on the next train back. There weren't many people around, running through Storm Freya, so there was a nice camaraderie among those hardy souls mad bastards who were out. Again my knee stopped complaining after the first km (I really need to warm up better) so I reached Hove Lagoon and instead of heading inland, continued along the bleak industrial estate towards Shoreham power station. This is the section of the marathon that separates the wheat from the chaff, and last year knocked me for six. Running along it in the middle of a storm killed some demons, and after a foray out to the end of Shoreham harbour arm I came inland and carried on westwards, passing Southwick station and heading towards Shoreham. 

Passing McDonalds I was tempted by the smell of the breakfast menu (plus the warmth and dryness within - by this point there was very little of me that wasn't soaked by sweat, rain, tears or sea spray) but pushed on, enjoying my podcasts and seeing how far I'd get. Entering Shoreham I turned south, away from the station, across the river Adur. I'd done this section at the end of a previous Sunday run to get some extra distance in, running directly to the beach and back. This time I ran around the coast as best I could, discovering a Napoleonic fort (that was across the harbour from the harbour arm I'd run up and down 45 minutes before) and running along a springy boardwalk across the beach which was a relief from the tarmac. Cutting inland at the end of the boardwalk I could've run north back to the bridge but I decided to head west, until I reached the river.

This is a geographical failing of mine, possibly brought on by poor nutrition beforehand as I was starving at this point, as the next river I could hit was the River Arun at Littlehampton - 15 miles/24km away! I plodded westwards, getting more and more concerned at the lack of river until I passed a familiar row of beach huts. I'd wound up on the Lancing Beach Green parkrun course! Buoyed by being on familiar terrain, and actually knowing where I was, I perked up a bit, noting that I'd surpassed 15km in this run, making it my furthest distance since the marathon last April. My mood was dashed two minutes later when I checked my watch again to see, instead of my time and distance, an error message showing that my app had crashed. After a brief bout of language that I rarely use outside of Gillingham's home ground, I carried on to the cafe, and manually uploaded the distance with an estimated time on Strava. At this point I was soaked through, hungry, and grumpy, so I went to the Asda by Lancing station to refuel before the train, also getting a bottle of beer from the non-alcoholic section (which was surprisingly tasty, before I realised it was alcoholic).

So, that's pretty much the story so far - at least until 3rd March. I've been on four more runs since then, including a new PB, new gear, new routes, new books, and a geographical mystery that's been nagging at me for the last four years. Until next time. 

Tabea Kemme announces her retirement

  I’ve been expecting this for a few months, but that doesn’t make this news any easier to read. I’ve written a few things below about how I’ve followed her career since she became my favourite player.

After watching the German team play in the 2015 World Cup Tabbi very quickly became one of my favourite players, not least because of the Ivory Coast game where it took me 20 minutes to realise the side didn’t have seven players wearing the number 22 shirt - she was just covering most of the pitch! For the next couple of years I consumed every morsel of information about her career, usually easier for international games than club - Frauen BuLi games were difficult to find streams of online! Even so, the odd games I did catch I was amazed at her versatility, playing anywhere across the back line or midfield (and even, once or twice, up front)!

I was lucky enough to watch Turbine Potsdam train one evening while on holiday in Berlin in spring 2017. I dragged my wife to a sports complex deep on the outskirts of Berlin for an hour as the team were put through their paces, before nervously approaching and shyly asking for a photo. She was happy to do so and we had a brief chat (ok, the conversation was carried by Dana and Tabbi), even apologising for not having a match that we could attend during our stay!

A year or so later her stay at Turbine was cut short prematurely with a knee injury, and the rumours were rife that she was moving to an English club. When her long-term housemate* Lia Wälti signed a contract with Arsenal, I spent the next fortnight with notifications turned on for their Twitter account waiting for confirmation that Tabbi would be joining her. Finally it came, and I bought a membership/season ticket for the year ahead. I knew Tabbi was still injured, and I’d be working every other weekend anyway, but surely I’d get to see her kick a ball in anger eventually, right?

Well, no. The three brief appearances she made were all watched via BBC Sport or Facebook streams of the matches on my tablet at work, and the closest I came was her being named as a sub for the title winning match at Brighton, although my hopes were quickly dashed when I couldn’t see her warming up before the match (and noticed an Arsenal player on crutches on the other side of the pitch). One small consolation - due to the availability of players at WSL games, I’d regularly have brief conversations with her (and others) either pre- or post-game, eventually managing not to make an idiot of myself. It’s an odd state of affairs that I’ve had more conversations with my favourite footballer than I have ever seen her play!

After repeated injury updates I gradually started to accept that my chances of seeing Tabbi playing were slim to none, and prepared myself for the news that eventually came today. It’s still sad to hear - not because I’ll never see her play, but for an Arsenal side who could benefit immensely from such a versatile and  talented player, and for a Germany side who have lacked a bit of aggression over the last two years. 

Aggression (fig 1.)

Tabbi is the only player whose name I’ve ever had printed on a shirt more than once - a 2016 Germany shirt (unfortunately I could never find the Olympic shirt to purchase anyway, so made do with a standard one to commemorate her gold medal) and last season’s Arsenal home shirt, because I wanted to emphasise that I was following the women’s side. 

Tabbi obliges a grateful and nervous fan (Also, I did not realise quite how much weight I’ve lost in the last three years)

*I don’t know if Tabbi and Lia officially gave a relationship status, and if not it’s certainly not my place to do it.

Best Songs of 2018

As per last year - a round dozen songs, with a bonus thirteenth track for the deluxe edition. One song per artist, “featuring on” doesn’t count towards that one per artist total - although I’m limiting myself to one “feat.” as well.

13. Dagny - Love You Like That

Youtube // Spotify

I’m taking some liberties with these songs, as while they were all new to me this year, this song (and
one other) were released late in 2017. However as most Best Of Year End lists are compiled in
November for press in December, and it’s my list so it’s my rules, I’m bending things in this new age of
streaming services where most songs don’t have a release date - or even a physical release. Dagny
came to my attention late this year, as one of her songs was played before Sigrid came on stage and I
liked it enough to Shazam. Scandanavian pop became my niche interest this autumn and Dagny filled
that with aplomb.

12. Anavae - Afraid

Youtube // Spotify

Bit of a year for the London based duo, after the highs of their first headline tour in the Spring to
parting ways with their absolute dicks of a label, to successfully launching a PledgeMusic campaign
that, it’s probably fair to say, was more overwhelmingly positive than expected! This is the first song
publicly released from the Pledge EP and demonstrates the growth the band have gone through over
the last few years. If this is the direction they’re going in I’m all aboard the hype train!

11. Pale Waves - Red

Youtube // Spotify

I heard a lot of buzz about Pale Waves’ album from friends on Twitter when it was released in October
so I figured I’d give it a listen. I wasn’t disappointed with what I heard, but oddly the song that stuck out
to me was an album track rather than one of the singles. A band who’ve built on Chvrches’ synthpop
and made something better (it’s telling that this makes the cut while nothing from the Glasgow band’s
third album does), this is one of those songs I can listen to on repeat without getting bored of it.

10. Troye Sivan ft. Ariana Grande - Dance To This

Youtube // Spotify

The first male vocal on this list, and also the first instance of me cheating my own rules to squeeze in
an artist who’ll appear later on, using a “feat.” credit. While she’s not been brutally eviscerating
sentient ham Piers Morgan on Twitter, Ariana’s steadily rolled out some bangers throughout the year,
and this guest appearance just adds a lovely air to a genuinely nice song. While some pop songs
conjure up images of a thrilling romance, this is a cozy afternoon on the couch, and all the better for it.

9. Avril Lavigne - Head Above Water

Youtube // Spotify

A bit of a departure from my other favourite Canadian singer. Rather than coming out swinging for the
fences with a bratty pop-punk belter leading off a new album, as she has done since bursting onto the
scene in 2002, Avril launched this new era with a hopeful uplifting ballad. A more mature sound (it’s
tricky to pull off a defiant teenage punk act when you’re 34) no doubt influenced by her issues with
lyme disease, it’s got me looking forward to the new album.

8. MNEK ft. Hailee Steinfeld - Colour

Youtube // Spotify

Thanks to seeing both artists in support slots, and copious showings of the video before Little Mix, I
managed to hear this song at three separate gigs this year, which may be some form of record for me.
Another nice, lovely song that won’t storm the charts or break the internet but it will make the day
seem a little less grey when you listen to it - and isn’t that the point of pop?

7. Lena - Thank You

Youtube // Spotify

The artist with the most scrobbled track in my 13 year Last.fm listening history, Lena came back this
year with a wonderfully sarcastic peon to an ex. A slow-burner, this song was initially written off by me
as a passable single unfortunately overshadowed by Ariana Grande’s “thank you, next” released a day
after, but it burrowed deep into my skull and became a track I frequently returned to, discovering new
things each time. I just wish she’d tour in England!

6. K.I.D - Boy (reprise)

Youtube // Spotify

Like the Dagny track I’ve fudged the timeline slightly for this song as well, as this was released in
November last year but I only discovered it in July on a Spotify playlist. That was overshadowed by the
discovery of Poppy, a sentient singing Siri, but this track kept reappearing on Discover playlists until
the raw emotion and yearning of Boy became something I made a note of. A beautiful ballad of
teenage lust, the acoustic version has a bit more passion than the original, and I can see this being a
random deep cut I return to in years to come.

5. Sigrid - High Five

Youtube // Spotify

Sigrid won the BBC’s Sound of 2018 poll at the start of the year, and has been pushed heavily since,
with tours increasing in venue size throughout the year. With a debut album next year she’s poised to
break through into the mainstream; given the rate of bangers she’s put out (and the newer songs she
played on the autumn tour) it’ll be justified. Scandinavians just do pop better than everyone else and
this is the perfect example of it - a frothy fun song that seems pleasant on first listen, until you realise
how biting the lyrics are.

4. Ariana Grande - God is a woman

Youtube // Spotify

It’s a long journey from the third female in a kid’s TV show to being the first person ever to be named
an honorary citizen of Manchester after her response to the bombing after her gig, to having to publicly
deal with one actual and one threatened suicide of her ex-boyfriends. In between all that Ari released
several bangers. While No Tears Left To Cry had a cathartic energy to it that launched a new era while
still paying tribute to Manchester, this track was a statement of intent that blew me away. I do love me
some big epic tracks and this is no exception!

3. Carly Rae Jepsen - Party For One

Youtube // Spotify

Carly continues to tease us with the promise of a new album, but in the meantime she gives us little
droplets of single releases to tide us over in the long droughts. After Cut To The Feeling last year we
got this infectious poppy single about being able to support yourself, not needing anyone else, how it’s
ok to spend some time on your own...ok it’s about wanking, but like the Hailee Steinfeld track of three
years ago it’s a great song regardless of subject matter!

2. Selena Gomez - Back To You

Youtube // Spotify

My love of this song is frequently used against me in arguments about my bias towards female singers,
as “if Ed Sheeran sang it instead [I’d] hate it!” Well, probably, but as it was released by a different friend
of Taylor (a description that sounds vaguely euphemistic, like “friend of Dorothy” but less stigmatised)
it’s regularly made it onto my playlists this year. A lovely, pleasant acoustic ballad that’s good enough to
make me forget that it’s probably written about Justin Bieber. Video’s good, too.

1. Hailee Steinfeld - Capital Letters

Youtube // Spotify

Hailee has been quietly putting out some bangers throughout the year, and coupled with a stellar
performance supporting Katy Perry makes me think she’s not just doing this music career as a side gig.
Despite being released at the start of the year this song has a nice uplifting vibe that would’ve made it
a perfect summer song, so I kept listening to it throughout the year to fit it in with the seasons. It’s also
another example of a film soundtrack that’s far better than the film it’s promoting (see also: the other 50
Shades films, Vampire Academy, Twilight, Hunger Games...I’m not sure what it says about me that YA
adaptations have soundtracks that really click with me).

Gig Survey 2018

Top 5 shows of the year? 1. Taylor Swift/Camila Cabello, Wembley Stadium London, 22nd June 2. Jenny Lewis, Koko London, 14th August 3. Sigrid, Brixton Academy London, 12th November 4. Camila Cabello, Brixton Academy London, 12th June 5. Kylie Minogue, BT Cellnet Arena London, 27th September 6. Britney Spears/Pixie Lott/Ella Eyre, Brighton Pride, 4th August 7. Katy Perry/Hailee Steinfeld, BT Cellnet Arena London, 14th June 8. All Saints, Komedia Brighton, 26th September 9. Little Mix, Sussex County Cricket Ground Hove, 6th July 10. Britney Spears, BT Cellnet Arena London, 24th August *The above list should not reflect poorly on the quality of the latter gigs; in most years the lower ranking gigs would easily be top 3. Total number of shows? Eleven, the lowest since 2011 and 2012. First show of the year? Anavae upstairs at the Islington Garage (or whatever it’s called now - Thousand Island, I think). Last show of the year? Sigrid at Brixton Academy. Most surprising show? All Saints at a tiny 200 capacity venue in Brighton. Most disappointing? I genuinely can’t list any gigs as disappointing this year. Even Little Mix - where I attended off the back of a run of night shifts, so had slept for roughly 3 hours in the previous 24 - was fun, aided by the company and copious beers. Farthest travelled? Wembley Stadium in north London, 68 miles or 110 km from home. States attended shows in? Cheerful, grateful, euphoric, terrified, bored, knackered. Venue most visited? The O2/BT Cellnet Arena in East London. Considering my last visit there was for Taylor Swift on the Red Tour in 2014, we saw three gigs there this year, as well as a further three wrestling events - making up for lost time! Worst injury? Nothing! I survived my gigs unscathed. Most expensive ticket? £85 plus fees for the reputation tour. Worth every single penny. Band seen the most? Britney Spears, Camila Cabello, or MNEK (supporting at Pride, one song cameo during Haileeee Steinfeld’s set), all twice. Best new discovery? A lack of The Great Escape (unsigned festival in Brighton) plus a combination of well known or dreadful support acts meant that I was honestly unsure if I could put anything in this section, except Ella Eyre at Pride. Thankfully Sigrid’s pre-set playlist introduced me to Dagny and Bendik, both Norwegian singers. Bands seen this year that also broke up this year? None! Friends made at shows? I mostly went to gigs with Dana so didn’t really talk to anyone else. We did get talking to a Geordie girl in the merch queue at Wembley to whom I’m forever indebted, as she gave us the tea on when to head to the B-stages. Band members met? Becca and Jamie from Anavae, again, but they don’t count by this point. Apart from that, without spending three figure sums on a meet and greet, this is the closest I’ve got - discounting the brief second when Camila Cabello and Charli XCX ran past me at the same show. Best souvenir from a show? Writing this has made me realise I’ve not worn my Sigrid shirt yet. T-shirts from Kylie, Jenny Lewis, and Taylor Swift have all been added to the regular rotation. A Meg Myers t-shirt purchased on pledgemusic was a landmark in that it’s the first medium t-shirt I’ve purchased new in years - a contrast to the final line on my 2015 Gig Survey! One of my most frequently worn pieces of merch was not actually purchased at a show - indeed, I haven’t seen the band live in years - but early in the year I realised with the abundance of pop music gigs in the year ahead, I should wear a suitable t-shirt to them. Having worn various Rammstein t-shirts to previous gigs (Carly Rae Jepsen, Selena Gomez, probably Taylor Swift) I treated myself to a newer and louder shirt for the German industrial metal band, which got me a fair few odd glances (and several thumbs up!) throughout the year. Longest time in line? About an hour outside Brixton Academy for Camila, which felt longer due to the clearly excited young man several people ahead of us who would hyperactively repeat the chorus from Bella Thorne’s then new eponymous single (which sadly doesn’t appear to have troubled the charts over here). Besides that, we spent hours on the pleb barrier for Britney at Pride. Shows seen from the barricade [front row]? Britney at Pride from the pleb barrier (furthest forward without paying £££s on Super Sexy Extra Special Gold Circle tickets) and a few songs for Taylor Swift on the second B stage. We were also two rows from the front for All Saints, but there weren’t a lot of rows in total there. Most shows in one month? June had three, building up to the reputation tour at the end. Most shows in one week? Two, twice - Camila Cabello and Katy Perry/Hailee Steinfeld in three days in June, and All Saints & Kylie in successive days in September. Biggest crowd? Britney at Pride had a reported crowd of 57,000 but that’s topped by Taylor at Wembley - capacity for gigs ranges from 70,000 to 90,000 but even the lowest total tops Britney. Any drunk encounters? Apart from Anavae during my pre-marathon dry spell I had beers at every gig. Didn’t get drunk, although I realised towards the end of Camila’s support at Wembley that I was one beer away from getting the perfect buzz to be receptive to a tour for an album I was ambivalent about. Top 5 best 2018 concert moments: 1. Taylor Swift. Considering I was really not into reputation before the set, I tried to be as open-minded as possible. Hearing Joan Jett’s Bad Reputation as warm-up music really knocked me off kilter - six months of consuming WWE content had conditioned me to expect Ronda Rousey to walk out instead. Viewing the album through a professional wrestling lense made me think of it as a heel turn, with the fans kept involved enough to realise it’s all kayfabe - and it all clicked into place. A rip-roaring 90 minute set followed, with enough fire and theatricality to bring up positive comparisons to Rammstein, and I left the stadium a bigger fan than I even thought possible. 2. Jenny Lewis’s gig in London on my birthday was a damn near religious experience. Again. 3. Sigrid had such a command of the stage for a relatively new artist which, combined with a tremendously strong catalogue, should see her breakout and takeover in 2019. 4. Camila Cabello showed enough star power in her Brixton and Wembley sets to have me convinced of her star potential. Given her current mentor as well, a strong second album could push her into the upper echelon of female pop stars. 5. Hailee Steinfeld’s supporting set had one moment which suggested that her music career wasn’t just a part-time paper round. Midway through she introduced MNEK to sing current single Colour (a song I heard at three separate gigs this year, as he performed it at Pride and it was shown on the video screens before Little Mix a couple of times) but due to technical problems there were issues with his microphone. She handled it well, reacting self-deprecatingly while keeping the crowd in the loop. Top 3 worst 2018 concert moments: 1. Britney forgetting the name of the city she was playing in and asking her backup dancer where she was ought to be number one, but it was genuinely bloody funny to see! 2. Genuinely can’t think of anything else negative to put here. Let’s see off the year on a high then!

Gig List

Near enough every gig I’ve been to. All 200 odd of them.
2001
November 14th - Garbage (Astoria, London)
2002
April 8th - Garbage (Hackney, London)
May 16th - Rammstein (London Arena, London)
November 3rd - Tenacious D (Brixton Academy, London)
2003
March 7 - Feeder (Brixton Academy, London)
March 25th - Avril Lavigne (Brixton Academy, London)
June 19th - Evanescence (Astoria, London)
June 24th - Harry (100 Club, London)
August - Ash (V festival, Chelmsford)
August - Foo Fighters (V Festival, Chelmsford)
August - Feeder (V Festival, Chelmsford)
August - Distillers (V Festival, Chelmsford)
October 17th - The Donnas (Astoria, London)*
November 13th - Distillers (Astoria, London)
2004
February 8th - The Darkness (Leas Cliff Hall, Folkestone)
February 19th - Span w/Bloc Party (Islington Bar Academy, London)
March 11th - Easyworld (ULU, London)
April 13th - Auf der Maur (Mean Fiddler, London)
April 15th - Yeah Yeah Yeahs (The Forum, London)
April 22nd - Span (Underworld, London)
May 1st - Feeder (Hammersmith Odeon, London)
May 14th - Ghost of the Robot (The Forum, London)
August - The Donnas (Reading Festival, Reading)
August - Ash (Reading Festival, Reading)
August - The Offspring (Reading Festival, Reading)
August - The Darkness (Reading Festival, Reading)
August - Razorlight (Reading Festival, Reading)
August - The White Stripes (Reading Festival, Reading)
August - Melissa Auf der Maur (Reading Festival, Reading)
August 29th - Auf der Maur w/The Subways (Astoria, London)
September 26th - Charlotte Hatherley w/The Subways (ULU, London)
November 16th - Yeah Yeah Yeahs (The Forum, London)
December 1st - The Subways (Garage, London)
2005
January 17th - The Barbs (Camden Barfly, London)
February 3rd - Rammstein (Brixton Academy, London)
February 13th - Ordinary Boys w/The Subways (Astoria, London)
March 9th - The Donnas (Astoria, London)
March 30th - Garbage (Scala, London)
May 3rd - The Duke Spirit (HMV Oxford Street, London)
May 25th - The Subways (ULU, London)
June 2nd - Garbage (Paradiso, Amsterdam)
June 9th - Garbage (Brixton Academy, London)
June 20th - The Subways (Islington Academy, London)
June - Nine Black Alps (Glastonbury Festival, Somerset)
June - Maximo Park (Glastonbury Festival, Somerset)
June - Yourcodenameis: Milo (Glastonbury Festival, Somerset)
June - M83 (Glastonbury Festival, Somerset)
June - Be Your Own Pet (Glastonbury Festival, Somerset)
June - The Killers (Glastonbury Festival, Somerset)
June - The White Stripes (Glastonbury Festival, Somerset)
June - Hayseed Dixie (Glastonbury Festival, Somerset)
June - Kaiser Chiefs (Glastonbury Festival, Somerset)
June - The Departure (Glastonbury Festival, Somerset)
June - Rilo Kiley (Glastonbury Festival, Somerset)
June - The Subways (Glastonbury Festival, Somerset)
June - Coldplay (Glastonbury Festival, Somerset)
June - Dresden Dolls (Glastonbury Festival, Somerset)
June - Garbage (Glastonbury Festival, Somerset)
July 4th - The Subways (Virgin Megastore Oxford Street, London)
July 18th - The Subways (Camden Barfly, London)
July 25th - Charlotte Hatherley (Hoxton Bar, London)
August 25th - The Subways (Rock En Seine festival, Paris)
August 25th - Queens Of The Stone Age (Rock En Seine festival, Paris)
August 26th - The Departure (Rock En Seine festival, Paris)
August 26th - Goldfrapp (Rock En Seine festival, Paris)
August 26th - Babyshambles (Rock En Seine festival, Paris)
August 26th - Robert Plant (Rock En Seine festival, Paris)
September 8th - Duke Spirit (Beercart Arms, Canterbury)
September 22nd - Duke Spirit (Social, London)
September 27th - The Subways (Hatfield University)
October 5th - The Subways (Astoria, London)
October 6th - The Subways (University, Colchester)
October 27th - The Subways (Brookes University, Oxford)
October 31st - The Kills/Be Your Own Pet (Zodiac, Oxford)
November 11th - The Subways (University, Reading)
November 12th - The Subways (The Forum, London)
December ??th - Art Brut (Camden Barfly, London)
2006
January 21st - XFM All Dayer (Camden Barfly, London)
February 1st - Be Your Own Pet (Bush Hall, London)
February 2nd - Be Your Own Pet (Camden Barfly, London)
February 9th - Goldfrapp (Brixton Academy, London)
February 21st - Little Man Tate w/The Suffrajets (Camden Barfly, London)
April 8th - Be Your Own Pet (Bloomsbury Bowling Alley, London)
April 21st - Be Your Own Pet (ULU, London)
April 24th - Jenny Lewis/Goldfrapp (Koko, London)
April 27th - Jenny Lewis (Shepherds Bush Empire, London)
May 8th - The Suffrajets (Camden Barfly, London)
May 16th - Yeah Yeah Yeahs (The Forum, London)
May 19th - The Noisettes (KIAD, Canterbury)
July 5th - Giant Drag (The Horn, St Albans)
July 6th - Pretty Girls Make Graves (Islington Academy, London)
July 8th - Duke Spirit (Finsbury Park, London)
July 28th - The Suffrajets (Koko, London)
August - The Hot Puppies (Electric Gardens, Hernehill)
August - The Long Blondes (Electric Gardens, Hernehill)
August - Reading Festival (Subways, etc)
August - Eagles Of Death Metal (Reading Festival, Reading)
August - The Subways (Reading Festival, Reading)
August - Yeah Yeah Yeahs (Reading Festival, Reading)
August - Franz Ferdinand (Reading Festival, Reading)
August - Giant Drag (Reading Festival, Reading)
August - Be Your Own Pet (Reading Festival, Reading)
August - Muse (Reading Festival, Reading)
August - Dresden Dolls (Reading Festival, Reading)
September 12th - The Subways (Shepherds Bush Empire, London)
November 11th - The Subways (Square, Harlow)
November 24th - Motorhead (Leas Cliff Hall, Folkestone)
December 13th - The Duke Spirit (ICA, London)
2007
January 13th - Blood Red Shoes (Camden Barfly, London)
January 30th - Metric (Dingwalls, London)
March 23rd - The Subways (The Square, Harlow)
March 29th - Charlotte Hatherley (Borderline, London)*
March 30th - Blood Red Shoes (Lido, Margate)
April 28th - Blood Red Shoes (ULU, London)
May 8th - Blood Red Shoes (Heaven, London)
May 17th - The Subways (Buffalo Bar, London)
May 29th - Blood Red Shoes (Koko, London)
May 30th - Blood Red Shoes (Concord2, Brighton)
June 13th - Blood Red Shoes (Banquet Records, Kingston)
June 24th - Aerosmith (Hyde Park, London)
August 4th - Blood Red Shoes (Electric Gardens. Hernehill)
August 4th - The Pipettes (Electric Gardens, Hernehill)
August 20th - Rilo Kiley (Islington Academy, London)
August 31st - Blood Red Shoes (Lido, Margate)
September 14th - Alice Cooper (St Petersburg Times Forum, Tampa)
September 21st - Blood Red Shoes (Pavilion Theatre, Brighton)
October 10th - Blood Red Shoes (Bush Hall, London)
October 14th - Blood Red Shoes (Hertford Marquee)
October 23rd - Los Campesinos! (ULU, London)
November 5th - The Donnas (ULU, London)
2008
January 25th - Duke Spirit (The Fly, London)
February 2nd - Blood Red Shoes (229, London)
February 2nd - Blood Red Shoes (Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff)
February 7th - Blood Red Shoes (Sister Ray, London)
February 23rd - Los Campesinos!/Johnny Foreigner (Wedgewood Rooms, Portsmouth)
March 17th - Be Your Own Pet (Banquet Records, London)
March 23rd - The Eagles (O2, London)
March 26th - The Subways (Thekla, Bristol)
April 1st - Be Your Own Pet (Scala, London)
April 5th - Blood Red Shoes (Forum, Tonbridge Wells)*
April 9th - Blood Red Shoes (Kings College, London)
April 10th - The Subways w/Johnny Foreigner (ULU, London) (24)
May 13th - Johnny Foreigner (Kings College, London)
May 14th - The Subways (Hammersmith Working Mens Club, London)
May 28th - Maximo Park w/Blood Red Shoes (The Forum, London)
August 26th - Be Your Own Pet (Dingwalls, London)
August 31st - Blood Red Shoes (Offset, London)
September 15th - Metallica (O2, London)
September 30th - Johnny Foreigner w/Dananananakroyd (Madame JoJos, London)
October 10th - Blood Red Shoes (Freebutt, Brighton)
October 17th - Jenny Lewis (Koko, London)*
October 20th - Los Campesinos! (Electric Ballroom, London)
October 24th - Blood Red Shoes (Mean Fiddler, London)
2009
February 4th - Amanda Palmer (Electric Ballroom, London)
February 13th - Rosie & The Goldbug (Bloomsbury Bowling Lanes, London)
February 23rd - Spinnerette (Islington Academy, London)
March 10th - Blood Red Shoes (Chinnerys, Southend)
April 5th - Rose Elinor Dougall (The Old Queens Head, London)
April 25th - Yeah Yeah Yeahs (Shepherd’s Bush Empire, London)
May 16th - Sky Larkin (Farmhouse, Canterbury)
May 18th - Johnny Foreigner (Flowerpot, London)
May 21st - Rosie & The Goldbug (Water Rats, London)
June 8th - Rose Elinor Dougall (Luminaire, Kilburn)
June 9th - Rose Elinor Dougall (Puregroove records, London)
June 21st - Rose Elinor Dougall (Victoria Park, London)
June 28th - Bruce Springsteen (Hyde Park, London)
June 29th - Rose Elinor Dougall (Garage, London)
July 24th - Sky Larkin (Lexington, London)
August 5th - The Pipettes (Lexington, London)
August 14th - Gwenno (Puregroove records, London)
September 20th - Blood Red Shoes (Breda Barst)
September 30th - Sky Larkin (Cargo, London)
October 4th - Rose Elinor Dougall (Old Queens Head, London)
October 10th - Johnny Foreigner (Garage, London)
October 23rd - Rose Elinor Dougall (Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff)
November 25th - Blood Red Shoes (Cro Bar, Soho)
December 3rd - Sky Larkin/Los Campesinos! (Brixton Academy)
December 3rd - Rose Elinor Dougall (Hoxton Bar and Kitchen, London)
December 11th - Little Boots (Shepherd’s Bush Empire, London)
December 19th - The Subways (The Square, Harlow) - did not attend. Forgot.
2010
January 23rd - Blood Red Shoes (Vienna)
January 27th - Rolo Tomassi (Barfly, London)
January 28th - Blood Red Shoes (Lexington)
February 3rd - Rose Elinor Dougall (Flowerpot, London)
February 4th - Rammstein (Wembley Arena, London)
March 13th - Blood Red Shoes (Garage, London) (26)
April 20th - The Pipettes (Puregroove records, London)
April 20th - The Pipettes (Hoxton Bar & Square, London)
April 29th - She & Him (Alhambra, Paris)
May 7th - She & Him (Koko, London)
May 28th - Rolo Tomassi (Underworld, London)
June ??th - Los Campesinos! (Garage, London)
August 18th - Pretty Reckless (Islington Academy, London)
September 20th - Sky Larkin (Lexington, London)
October 7th - Blood Red Shoes (Electric Ballroom, London)
November 5th - Rolo Tomassi (Electric Ballroom, London)
November 15th - Paramore (O2, London)
November 19th - Ellie Goulding (Hammersmith Odeon, London)
December 8th - Jenny And Johnny (Bush Hall, London)
December 16th - Pretty Reckless (Shepherd’s Bush Empire, London)
December 19th - Rolo Tomassi (Bloomsbury Ballrooms, London) - cancelled, illness to Eva
2011
February 25th – Rose Elinor Dougall (Hoxton Bar & Kitchen, London)
March 18th – Katy Perry (Hammersmith Odeon, London)
March 30th – Taylor Swift (BT Cellnet Arena
April 5th – The Subways (Buffalo Bar, London)
May 7th – Rolo Tomassi (Garage, London)
May 26th  – VersaEmerge (King’s College, London)
June 12th – The Subways (Farmhouse, Canterbury)
June 25th - Glee Live (BT Cellnet Arena, London)
July 5th – Darren Criss (Borderline, London)
October 29th – Marmozets (Barfly, London)
October 29th – Rolo Tomassi (Barfly, London)
2012
February 3rd – We Are The In Crowd (Hammersmith Odeon, London)
February 24th – Rammstein (BT Cellnet Arena, London)
April 3rd – Blood Red Shoes (acoustic) (Resident Records, Brighton)
April 27th – Blood Red Shoes (Concord2, Brighton)
May 3rd – Blood Red Shoes (Heaven, London)
May 9th – Garbage (Troxy, London)
May 10th – Maxïmo Park (Brighton Dome, Brighton)
May 16th – Garbage (l'Olympia, Paris)
May 28th – Summerslam 88 (The Hydrant, Brighton)
July 1st – Garbage  (Brixton Academy, London)
November 12th – Lucy Rose (Coalition, Brighton)
2013
January 22nd – Rolo Tomassi (Shepherd’s Bush Empire, London)
January 22nd – Blood Red Shoes (Shepherd’s Bush Empire, London)
February – Anavae (Bar Academy, Islington)
March 29th – Of Verona (100 Club, London)
April 7th  – Anavae (Bar Academy, Islington)
May 10th– We Are The In Crowd (Roundhouse, London)
May 14th  – Lucy Rose (Shepherd’s Bush Empire, London)
May 17th – Marmozets (Concord2, Brighton)
June 30th – Lissie (Olympic Park, London)
June 30th – Bruce Springsteen (Olympic Park, London)
July 5th – Kaiser Chiefs (Hyde Park, London)
July 5th – Bon Jovi (Hyde Park, London)
July 12th - Lucy Rose (Hyde Park, London)
August 22nd – Lucy Rose (Wedgewood Rooms, Portsmouth)
September 7th – Selena Gomez (Hammersmith Odeon, London)
September 27th – Paramore (Wembley Arena, London)
September 30th - Marmozets (Upstairs at the Garage, London)*
October 2nd - Dog In The Snow (The Prince Albert, Brighton)
October 8th - Nina Nesbitt (The Haunt, Brighton)
October 11th - Pawws (Green Door Store, Brighton)
October 31st - Lorde/Nina Nesbitt (Oval Space, London)
November 1st - Deap Valley (Concord2, Brighton)
November 3rd - Big Deal (The Hope, Brighton)*
November 11th - Mt. Wolf (The Haunt, Brighton)
November 14th - Gabrielle Aplin (Shepherd’s Bush Empire, London)
November 29th - Thao & The Get Down Stay Down (Dalston Victoria, London)
2014
January 31st - Dog In The Snow (Blind Tiger Club, Brighton)
February 1st - Taylor Swift (O2, London)
February 9th - We Are The In Crowd (McLusky’s, Kingston)
February 10th - We Are The In Crowd (Koko, London)*
February 25th - Rae Morris (Komedia, Brighton)
March 2nd - Foxes (The Haunt, Brighton)
March 4th - Blood Red Shoes (Black Heart, Camden)
March 5th - Blood Red Shoes (Resident Records, Brighton)
March 6th - Anavae (Audio, Brighton)
March 6th - Dog In The Snow (Prince Albert, Brighton)
March 24th - The Pretty Reckless (Electric Ballroom, London)
April 25th - Blood Red Shoes (Concorde 2, Brighton)
April 27th - Lightknife (Komedia, Brighton)
April 30th - Blood Red Shoes (Electric Ballroom, London)
May 3rd - Blood Red Shoes (The Lounge, Canterbury)
May 4th - Pawws (Bramleys, Canterbury)
May 8th - Chloe Howl (Dr Martens Store, Brighton)
May 8th - Laurel (Komedia, Brighton)
May 8th - Tove Lo (Komedia, Brighton)
May 8th - Pawws (Komedia, Brighton)
May 9th - Wonder Villains (Prince Albert, Brighton)
May 9th - Honeyblood (Dome Studio, Brighton)
May 9th - Tove Lo (Warren, Brighton)
May 10th - Charli XCX (Corn Exchange, Brighton)
May 10th - The Subways (Concorde 2, Brighton)
May 10th - Wonder Villains (Blind Tiger, Brighton)
May 20th - Foxes (Concorde 2, Brighton)
June 1st - Demi Lovato (Koko, London)
June 6th - Lorde (Brixton Academy, London)*
June 25th - Lucy Rose (Sebright Arms, London)
June 28th - Aerosmith (Clapham Common, London)
July 4th - Black Sabbath/Motorhead (Hyde Park, London)*
July 6th - Lucy Rose (Abbot St Car Park, Dalston, London)
July 12th - Lucy Rose (Hyde Park, London)
July 12th - Hero Fisher (Hyde Park, London)
August 9th - Anavae (The Hope, Brighton)
September 2nd - Jenny Lewis (Roundhouse, London)
September 5th - Jenny Lewis (Islington Assembly Hall, London)
September 15th - Foxes (Roundhouse, London)
September 25th - Fear Of Men (The Hope, Brighton)
September 27th - Soph Nathan (The Hope, Brighton)
September 27th - Honeyblood (The Hope, Brighton)
October 6th - Marmozets (Komedia, Brighton)
November 12th - Honeyblood (The Haunt, Brighton)
November 24th - Echosmith (Barfly, London)
November 26th - The Pretty Reckless (Brixton Academy, London)*
December 2nd - Laurel (Prince Albert, Brighton)
December 3rd - Against The Current (Borderline, London)
December 12th - Foxes (Concorde 2, Brighton)
December 20th - Marmozets/Royal Blood (The Dome, Brighton)
2015
February 10th - Rae Morris (Komedia, Brighton)
February 20th - We Are The In Crowd (Forum, London)
March 17th - Lucy Rose (Concorde 2, Brighton)
March 24th - Charli XCX (Concorde 2, Brighton)
March 28th - Lucy Rose (Engine Rooms, Southampton)
April 22nd - Pvris (Concorde 2, Brighton)
The Great Escape
The Waletones - Fishbowl, Brighton, United Kingdom (14th May)
Ellie Rose - Fishbowl, Brighton, United Kingdom (14th May)
Kerri Watt - Fishbowl, Brighton, United Kingdom (14th May)
Rory Indiana - The Hope and Ruin, Brighton, United Kingdom (14th May)
Fickle Friends - The Hope and Ruin, Brighton, United Kingdom (14th May)
Ward Thomas - Prince Albert, Brighton, United Kingdom (14th May)
High Tyde - Patterns (downstairs), Brighton, United Kingdom (14th May)
Kate Boy - Patterns (downstairs), Brighton, United Kingdom (14th May)
BROODS - Patterns (downstairs), Brighton, United Kingdom (14th May)
Orla Gartland - Prince Albert, Brighton, United Kingdom (15th May)
Secret Company - Shipwright Yard, Brighton, United Kingdom (15th May)
Dog in the Snow - Shipwright Yard, Brighton, United Kingdom (15th May)
PINS - Dome Studio, Brighton, United Kingdom (15th May)
Moumoon - Queen’s Hotel, Brighton, United Kingdom (16th May)
Jagaara - Dome Studio, Brighton, United Kingdom (16th May)
June 9th - Lucy Rose (Courtyard Theatre, London)
June 27th - Taylor Swift (Hyde Park, London)
July 6th - Lucy Rose (Church, Kingston)
July 8th - Gabrielle Aplin (The Haunt, Brighton)
August 1st - Mary Lambert (Pride, Preston Park, Brighton)
August 1st - Tulisa (Pride, Preston Park, Brighton)
August 1st - Ms Dynamite (Pride, Preston Park, Brighton)
August 1st - Ella Henderson (Pride, Preston Park, Brighton)
August 1st - Foxes (Pride, Preston Park, Brighton)
September 4th - Lucy Rose (Together The People, Preston Park, Brighton)
September 23rd - PINS (Oslo, London)*
October 13th - Rae Morris (Concorde 2, Brighton)*
October 28th - Izzy Bizu (Concorde 2, Brighton)
October 28th - Foxes (Concorde 2, Brighton)
November 8th - Dutch Uncles (Brixton Academy, London)
November 8th - Garbage (Brixton Academy, London)
November 14th - Flyte (Wedgewood Rooms, Portsmouth)
November 14th - Lucy Rose (Wedgewood Rooms, Portsmouth)
December 7th - Carly Rae Jepsen (Islington Assembly Hall, London)
December 15th - Lucy Rose (Hoxton)
December 17th - Anavae (Barfly, London)
2016
January 22nd - Lucy Rose (Ramsgate Music Hall, Kent) (Swampmother & SiVu)
February 15th - Gabrielle Aplin (Corn Exchange, Brighton) (Lewis Watson)
February 18th - Lucy Rose (Brighton Dome)
February 18th - PINS (Prince Albert, Brighton) (Peace And Love Barbershop Muhammed Ali)
March 31st - Chvrches (Royal Albert Hall, London) (Shura)
May 6th - HÆLOS (The Hope and Ruin, Brighton) (Vaiko)
May 11th - Foxes (Concorde 2, Brighton) (RIVRS)
— The Great Escape, Brighton - 19th May
Edward Sansom - Spiegeltent
Tuff Love - Brighthelm
Julia Jacklin - Komedia
Danielle Lewis - Latest Music Bar (Upstairs)
Mura Masa - All Saints Church
Shura - All Saints Church
Oh Wonder - All Saints Church
— The Great Escape, Brighton - 20th May
Me And My Drummer - Horatios
Black Honey - Wagner Hall
Black Honey - Horatios
— The Great Escape, Brighton - 21st May
The Big Moon - Komedia
Clean Cut Kid - Komedia
Julia Jacklin - Spiegeltent
The Barberettes - Latest Music Bar
Beverly - The Hope and Ruin (Bar)
Muna - Coalition
Muncie Girls - The Haunt
Area 52 - The Hub
Uniiqu3 - The Arch
Anna of the North - The Arch
June 8th - Anavae (Islington Garage upstairs, London)
June 13th - Garbage (Troxy, London) (The Pearl Harts)
August 6th - Carly Rae Jepsen (Pride, Preston Park, Brighton) (Dua Lipa, Anne-Marie)
22nd September - Anavae (Boston Music Room, London)
— Southsea Fest, Portsmouth - 1st October
The Big Moon (Pyramids)
Black Honey (Wedgewood Rooms)
Lonely The Brave (Wedgewood Rooms)
Lucy Rose (Wedgewood Rooms)
Honeyblood (Trinity Church)
10th October - Pretty Reckless (Scala, London)
9th December - Lucy Rose (The Idea Store, London)
2017
14th February - Gabrielle Aplin (The Haunt, Brighton)
8th March - Against The Current (The Haunt, Brighton)*
17th March - Tove Lo (Shepherd’s Bush Empire, London)
13th April - Rose Elinor Dougall (The Lexington, London)
25th May - Ariana Grande (The O2, London)*
19th June - Paramore (Royal Albert Hall, London)
26th June - Tove Lo  (Concorde 2, Brighton)
30th June - Phil Collins (Hyde Park, London)
9th July - Lucy Rose (Pie & Vinyl, Southsea)
11th July - Lucy Rose (Resident Records, Brighton)
14th July - Lucy Rose (Duke of York’s Cinema, Brighton)
15th July - Oh Wonder (Resident Records, Brighton)
5th August - Louisa Johnson (Brighton Pride)
5th August - Years and Years (Brighton Pride)
11th August - Sainte (Hoxton Square Bar & Kitchen, London)
16th August - Billy Lunn (Prince Albert, Brighton)
22nd August - Marmozets (The Haunt, Brighton)
4th September - Anavae (Paper Dress Vintage, London)
30th September - Lorde (Brighton Centre)
5th October - Dua Lipa (Brighton Dome)
4th November - Lucy Rose (Old Market, Hove)
24th November - Lucy Rose (Engine Rooms, Southampton)
2018
31st March - Anavae (Thousand Island, London)
12th June - Camila Cabello (Brixton Academy, London)
14th June - Katy Perry/Hailee Steinfeld (BT Cellnet Arena, London)
22nd June - Taylor Swift/Camila Cabello/Charli XCX (Wembley Stadium, London)
6th July - Little Mix (Sussex County Cricket Ground, Hove)
4th August - Britney Spears/Pixie Lott/Ella Eyre (Brighton Pride)
24th August - Britney Spears (BT Cellnet Arena, London)
27th September - Kylie Minogue (BT Cellnet Arena, London)
12th November - Sigrid (Brixton Academy)
2019
22nd March - Lucy Rose (Resident Records, Brighton)
4th May - Lucy Rose (Ancienne Belgique, Brussels) [fainted halfway through]
10th May - Anavae (Mesmerist, Brighton)
22th May - Zara Larsson (Electric, Brixton)
29th May - Carly Rae Jepsen/Daya (XOYO, London)
2nd June - Rachel Bloom (Palladium, London)
3rd June - AU/RA/Charlotte (Komedia, Brighton)
10th June - Halsey (Electric Ballroom, Camden)
6th July - Rammstein (Franchise FC Stadium, Milton Keynes)
11th July - Aly & AJ (Scala, London)
24th July - Jenny Lewis (Concorde 2, Brighton)
25th July - Jenny Lewis (Shepherd’s Bush Empire, London)*
6th August - Kylie/Clean Bandit (ft Marina for one song)/Emeli Sande/Fleur East/Bjorn Again/Rina Sawayama/Zak Abel/Alice Chater (Preston Park, Brighton)
19th August - Ariana Grande (O2, London)
5th November - Marina (Brighton Centre, Brighton)
6th November - Anavae (Concorde 2, Brighton)
4th December - Lucy Rose (Barbican Theatre, London)
10th December - Nina Nesbitt (Electric Ballroom, London)*
2020
8th February - Carly Rae Jepsen (Brixton Academy, London)
2021
27th August - Zara Larsson (Kingston Pryzm)
20th October - Maneskin (Islington Academy, London)
2022
2nd March - Foxes (Islington Assembly Hall, London)
31st March - Against The Current (Chalk, Brighton)
6th July - Olivia Rodrigo (Hammersmith Odeon, London)
11th July - Carly Rae Jepsen (Somerset House, London)
6th August - Christina Aguilera (Brighton Pride)
7th August - Sophie Ellis Bextor (Brighton Pride)
12th August - Pale Waves (Resident Records, Brighton) - cancelled due to illness
24th September - Lights (Chalk, Brighton)
27th October - Sugababes (Brighton Centre) - did not attend, flu 
5th November - Tove Lo (Roundhouse, London) - did not attend, train strikes
11th November - Muna (Chalk, Brighton)
12th November - Sigrid (Wembley Arena, London)
27th November - Poppy (Shepherd’s Bush Empire, London)
2023
3rd February - The Subways (Chalk, Brighton)
13th February - Carly Rae Jepsen (Brighton Dome)
15th February - Carly Rae Jepsen (Alexandra Palace, London)
7th March - Mimi Webb (Chalk, Brighton) 
9th April - Billie Marten (Resident Records, Brighton)
19th April - Ava Max (Shepherd’s Bush Empire, London)
12th May - Maisie Peters (Brighton Dome) - did not attend, family tragedy
29th May - The Warning (Bush Hall, London)
2nd June - Pvris (Resident Records, Brighton)
17th June - Beyonce (Johan Cruijff Arena, Amsterdam)
19th June - Sabrina Carpenter (Hammersmith Odeon, London) -  did not attend, stuck in Amsterdam
26th June - The Warning w/Dead Pony (Islington Academy, London)
2nd July - Blackpink w/Sabrina Carpenter, Rebecca Black, Annika Bennett, Peach PCR (Hyde Park, London)
23rd July - The Who (Hove Cricket Ground, Brighton)
5th August - Brighton Pride - Zara Larsson, Black Eyed Peas, Confidence Man, Dylan (Preston Park, Brighton)
20th August - Boygenius w/Muna, Ethel Cain, Soak (Gunnersbury Park, London)
24th August - Be Your Own PET! (Concorde 2, Brighton) - did not attend, other family tragedy
20th September - Dead Pony (Green Door Store, Brighton)
14th October - Madonna (The O2, London)
1st December - Against The Current (Kentish Town Forum, London)
2024
21st February - Zara Larsson (Roundhouse, London)
27th April - The Warning (Kentish Town Forum, London)
3rd & 4th May - Olivia Rodrigo (Co-Op Live, Manchester) - did not attend, venue falling apart
18th May - Olivia Rodrigo (The O2, London)
21st June - Taylor Swift (Wembley Stadium, London)
3rd July - Against The Current/Dead Pony (Lafayette, London)
18th July - Taylor Swift (Veltins Arena, Gelsenkirchen)
22nd July - The Warning (Crate Brewery, London)
25th July - Bruce Springsteen (Wembley Stadium, London)
3rd August - Girls Aloud (Preston Park, Brighton)
20th August - Taylor Swift (Wembley Stadium, London)
Asterisked ones are ones I meant to attend, but couldn't for whatever reason - lack of money, bike issues, lack of motivation - or were cancelled by the artist (depression, poor ticket sales, act of terrorism).
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