Ricky Warwick, Frets, Strathaven Hotel. Saturday 31st January, 2026

The Strathaven Hotel may seem an odd choice of venue for this Northern Irish rocker, but these gigs were personal. Ricky grew up on a nearby farm, and it was here that he and his schoolmates formed The Almighty. With the unwavering support of his father, they would rehearse in the farm's barn, only pausing when they couldn't hear themselves above the noise of the threshing machine. 

Playing this room brought back many memories for Ricky. This was where he attended the school discos. He fondly remembers drinking in the hotel bar as a youth. He still has family living in the village. Indeed, his sister was in the crowd.

By the time we arrived, before the scheduled door opening, the room was already filling up. The Frets function suite had been split into two sides, with chairs arranged in rows and a central aisle, with a channel from the door for access. The seating wasn't staggered, so the further back you sat, the more restricted your view. I chose an aisle seat halfway back, thinking I could lean out to see better (as it turned out, not a good plan, as everyone in front did the same, or worse, jiggled their seat further across). In the end, I took no videos and hardly any photos. 

Not to worry. The stage was bare, bar a couple of acoustic guitars and a mic stand, so there wasn't much to see anyway. This gig was more about listening.

Riddell, the support act, is a local boy whose day job is a music therapist at a hospice. A work connection brought him to Ricky's attention, earning him this slot. He played for half an hour, mostly his own material, with one cover: Franz Ferdinand's "Take Me Out". I'd place him somewhere between a competent Buchanan Street busker and Kelly Jones of Sterophonics. His songs may be sad, but his disposition is sunny.

Riddell

As soon as Ricky took the stage, you couldn't help but be grabbed by his magnetism. He may not be a household name, but he's served his time, chipping out cracking songs over an extended career. Some of these, as well as some favourite covers, received an acoustic airing tonight, with him playing solo for two hours.

It wasn't just a night of music. Ricky is well-versed in the craic and tells a great tale. Like getting to know Lemmy after The Almighty opened for Motorhead, a tale which ended with Lemmy calling him a Lightweight, Ricky having passed out in his own blood and vomit after a night partying with the metal legend. Or his Mum always wanting him to get a proper job, complaining he couldn't be that successful because she'd never heard his songs on the radio. Then, when Black Star Riders made it onto the Radio 2 playlist and were played by Terry Wogan and Ken Bruce, with Ricky getting to choose the Tracks of his Years, she complained that he was now on the radio too much.

In '92, he flew his father, Des, down to Monsters of Rock at Donington, where The Almighty were opening for headliners Iron Maiden. Then lost him. Eighty thousand fans, and his father was nowhere to be found. After hours of searching, just as Ricky was considering putting out a message over the tannoy, he eventually found him coming out of Skid Row's dressing room, with their bassist in tow, absolutely blitzed. His father had been partying all day on their free booze, enjoying the bigger dressing room and better rider. This year, Ricky will be sixty, and for his birthday, he'll get to open for Iron Maiden again when they play Knebworth. 

Ricky misses his father. During one recollection, he had to turn away from the microphone when emotion unexpectedly struck him. Taking a moment to compose himself, he continued the story. Heart on his sleeve stuff. 

The room was warm, the atmosphere supportive. The music was great, but the night was made even better with his sublime storytelling. If we hadn't had an hour's drive ahead of us, I would have waited to meet him again to thank him for such a great night. I'd definitely do it again if he holds another such event.  

Setlist:

Fighting Heart

The Killer Instinct (Black Star Riders)

The Boys Are Back in Town (Thin Lizzy cover)

Three Sides to Every Story

The Whiskey Song - Feckin Whiskey 

All Hell Breaks Loose (BSR)

Testify or Say Goodbye (BSR)

When Patsy Cline was Crazy (and Guy Mitchell Sang The Blues)

Borderline (Thin Lizzy cover)

Schwaben Redoubt

Wasted Years (Iron Maiden cover)

Angels of Desolation

Belfast Confetti

Power (TA)

Little Lost Sometimes (TA)

The Crickets Stayed in Clovis (snippet of Everyday - Buddy Holly)

Wild and Wonderful (TA)

Bound For Glory (BSR)

Celebrating Sinking

Kingdom of the Lost (BSR)

Ace of Spades (Motorhead cover)

Finest Hour (BSR)

Free N Easy (TA)

Ticket Price: £25.00 x2 + Booking Fee £3.75 x2 = £57.50 from wegottickets.com

MIKA Hyperlove Stripped Back Set + Talk, SWG3, Glasgow. Thursday 29th January, 2026

This event was a delight beyond what I could have imagined. Mika is not my usual listening fare, and I must confess I listened to his new album, Hyperlove, and didn't fall in love with it. However, I do find him an interesting character, especially as a judge on The Piano, and I found his explanation of his writing process for each song fascinating. 

SWG3 was hosting two events tonight, with Machine Girl playing in the TV Studio (capacity 1000). We were packed into the Warehouse (capacity 500), as you'd expect for a sell-out. The crowd's age range was wide, skewed toward young, female attendees. The small stage was set up with a piano, an armchair, a coffee table and various microphone stands. Two open laptops sat on top of the piano, displaying music track interfaces in various colours. We stood relatively close to the front, but the view was partially obstructed by the sea of heads in front of us. No chance of any videos tonight.

Radio 1 DJ Maia Beth introduced the show, bringing on Mika and his band: one on keyboards and another on bass and backing vocals. 

Mika, dressed in a red-pinstriped cream suit, immediately set the tone by arriving on stage carrying a tray with china cups and a pot of tea. This was not going to be your usual popstar performance. This was a trip into Mika's mind. 

Instead of launching into the first song, he sat down and explained that when he started to write this album, he began with nothing but a blank page. Then he hit upon two notes, which he played for us. From there, he talked us through his thought process, explaining the steps it took to add the layers which resulted in the finished song. As he talked us through this, he used the computer equipment to add each layer, turning up the volume so we could feel the shape evolving. His glee was ridiculously infectious, his eyes twinkling, his smile never far away.

This was followed by a performance of Science Fiction Lover, introducing it like this: "So I followed that song with another one. Naturally, it was about making love to a robot, and falling in love with it afterwards." (I may have paraphrased.) His self-deprecating humour shone throughout the evening. 

This format of explaining the song's evolution, then playing another, kept the audience rapt. He took delight in demonstrating how idly tapping a teacup with a spoon led to the creation of Spinning Out.  

The beauty of Mika is that he embraces his peculiarities and uses them as a strength. He's comfortable with who he is. He's so thankful that he gets to do what he does as a living, travelling the world recording and performing his music. When else would you get to travel to Montreal to record the sound of an ancient organ in a cathedral late at night, while your sound engineer lay on his back and pretended to make snow angels on the church floor? This is Mika's life.

He told us how much he loves his Glasgow fans, which I initially took with a pinch of salt - that old cliche of insert city name here. He followed that up, though, with a story which gave credence to the statement: performing outdoors in a square in Spain, he asked a male fan to join him on stage and was surprised by how well the fan sang. It turned out that the man was from Glasgow. A single holler and a wave from the crowd identified that the fan was present. He didn't get to repeat the performance, though. 

One needy fan near the back kept shouting, "I love you, Mika," until he acknowledged her. She took this as an invitation to continue, following up with, "Can I get a hug?" Mika had already explained how he lost 40% of his hearing as a youth (sticking his head between two speakers and listening to music at full volume in order to 'feel' it), so he couldn't make out what she was saying, even when she literally spelt it out "H-U-G". Mika moved on.

Then she whined that she was "Sorry for being weird". The crowd grew tired of her interruptions, so when she then begged him to accept her apology, they vociferously shut her down. We didn't hear from her again. I don't know if she stayed. If she did, I imagine she was gutted after Mika read aloud a letter he'd received, delivered to the venue (actually, he'd received FIVE copies).  

The letter had been handwritten by the pupils of P112 at Monymusk Primary School in Inverurie, who asked Mika to allow their head teacher to take a selfie with him because she was such a big fan of his. Having read the letter aloud, including the spelling mistakes, he asked if she was present, which she was. He then invited her to join him on stage. 

She couldn't believe that they'd done this. Five- and six-year-olds making her dream come true. The pair hugged several times, chatted, and then he asked her to help him with Immortal Love, using cue cards to assist our chorus sing-along. When she messed up and Mika corpsed, she automatically used her headmistress voice to tell him to "Behave", making him laugh even harder. It was a lovely moment. Someone recorded the song for her on her phone, and at the end, Mika thanked the pupils directly to the camera for sending him the letter. They'll be buzzing when they see the recording.

After this, Maia returned to conduct the Q&A section, asking questions which had been sent in by attendees prior to the show.  

The night ended with a performance of "Big Girls," with the crowd singing and dancing along. The event had lasted far longer than I expected, not finishing till 9.20 pm (from an 8.05 pm start). Definitely great value and helped me appreciate the album on a whole level.

My wife enjoyed the night so much, she declared she'd love to see him again, having previously dismissed the proposal when he announced his show at the Kelvingrove Bandstand. That show is sold out, so I am now looking for resale or production-release tickets. Nothing on Twickets yet. If I'm unlucky in my search, at least we'll have the happy memories from this show. It was truly superb. 

Setlist

Modern Times (Song evolution)
Science Fiction Lover (Acoustic)
Excuses For Love (Song evolution)
Spinning Out (Acoustic played with tea cup)
Eleven (Song evolution)
Immortal Love
Big Girl (You are Beautiful)

Ticket Price: £15.50 (ticket only) + £19 (CD & ticket) from Assai Records. 

Horse with The Scottish Chamber Orchestra, 30th Anniversary Reunion, Barrowland, Glasgow. Friday 23rd January, 2026

My first gig of 2026, the first in nearly a month. 

I arrived suitably early at 6.30 pm, having driven in, listening to The Same Sky, Horse's debut album, as a refresher of what was to come. As I join the queue, a chilly wind blows along the Gallowgate, the cold air seeping into my skin, despite my apparel. My starting position is at the same level as the accessibility doors, but this shortens after the security person requests that those with Standing tickets form a separate line. I listen to The News Quiz while I wait. I stick my hands in my trousers' pockets to keep warm, but end up giving my testicles frostbite (not really - no medical attention was required). 

The doors open at 7 pm. It doesn't take long to get in. I received the most polite frisk I've ever had. No touching; just a question asking if I'm carrying any sharp objects, glass bottles, or something else I can't remember, to which I reply 'No'. The security girl smiles and waves me on to the wristband table, and then I get my ticket scanned. 

I don't dash up the stairs, but I also don't dillydally looking at the merch. The seating is unreserved, and I want a seat near the front. I'm pleased when I find an aisle seat in the second row on the left of the stage. As it's angled to face stage centre, my view is not impeded, despite the large man sitting in front of me. Fantastic! Now to wait for showtime.

I do the usual: read my Kindle, check my emails, flick through Facebook, reply to messages. I warm my hands in the crook of my knees. As more of the crowd filters in, the room heats up, and I thaw out. 

It's supposed to start at 8 pm, but it's closer to 8.15 pm before the orchestra and band take the stage. And so begins a wonderful evening of joyous music. Horse's voice has retained its strength, clarity and control despite her 'ahem' 45 years (ba dum tish), and she shows off her range exquisitely. She has such a warm, good-humoured presence and is having a great time performing for us. I find myself smiling, partly with nostalgia. This feels so good. I really enjoyed this one.

A few stand-out moments: 

All the songs she played from The Same Sky brought back waves of nostalgia for me. She sang them so beautifully.

The first ba dum tish drumroll after she commented she was '45'. 

When Horse fluffed the opening to the Dusty Springfield cover, she looked so embarrassed.

When the orchestra played the opening bars of Kashmir. I got chills. Was Horse actually going to sing a Led Zep number? No.

Could it be Magic was magical, with the disco balls illuminated. 

Horse being inducted into the Barrowland Hall of Fame. Well deserved. 

The conductor, Paul Leonard-Morgan, was a bit of a revelation. A Scotsman living in LA, he's made quite a career in composing TV and film scores. Yet here he is, supporting Horse for her Barrowland show. 

The performance was recorded and filmed, so I look forward to catching it later in the year when it gets released. Hopefully, the Springfield fluff will be included as an outtake.

Setlist

Careful (string arrangement)

...And She Smiled

The Speed of the Beat of My Heart

Never Not Going To

Breathe Me

You Could Be Forgiven

Sweet Thing

Stay

Somebody

I Close My Eyes and Count to Ten (Dusty Springfield cover)

Wichita Lineman (Jimmy Webb cover)

God's Home Movie

Heaven (something made me fall)

Forever lonely

Superpower

Could It Be Magic (Barry Manilow cover)

Careful

Celebrate

   

Ticket Price: £42.50 Unreserved Seating plus £5.55 Service Charge, plus Handling Fee £2.95 = £51.00 from Ticketmaster.

Videos:

Never Not Going To

God's Home Movie

Could It Be Magic (Kashmir intro)

Photos:

Rockers Through the Ages Christmas Party: Jayler, Gorilla Riot, Voodoo Sioux. KK's Steel Mill, Wolverhampton. Saturday 20th December, 2025

My final gig of 2025 was a wee trip down to KK's Steel Mill in Wolverhampton, with an overnight booked at the Wolverhampton North Premier Inn. Last time we attempted this journey, my partner in crime (Bob) took ill on the way down, and we had to leave the gig early. This time, we chose our meals wisely. 

(Bad news about Tebay Services: whilst its interior refit looks great, they've decided to reverse their dog policy. Dogs are not allowed beyond the foyer. Shame they can't do the same for the children, given the shrieks emanating from the Kids' play area.)

 

We found the hotel and chose to eat dinner in the Beefeater next door, figuring anywhere decent in town would be heaving with Christmas shoppers. Then we drove in and met up with Bob's festival buddies at Jack's Cafe & Bar, opposite the venue. While at that establishment, we struck up a conversation with other gig attendees, who warned us that the street parallel to the venue was a notorious hotspot for car crime. I didn't attempt to park anywhere else and tried to put it out of my mind (fortunately, nothing bad happened).

There was a fairly long queue to get into the gig, so I missed out on a barrier spot once we got inside. I hung back, then spotted a couple of short ladies near the front in the centre, and stood behind them, ending up about three from the front by the time Voodoo Sioux came on. 

They were a big surprise. Their singer, Professor Balthazar (aka Nick Flaherty), is a curious character. A pensioner punk with a fuzzy mohawk, stage makeup and a smile like a 7-10 tenpin bowling pick up, he struts the stage in between his bouts of singing, sipping water, then spitting it out like a fountain. His voice is rather good, though. Equally odd is their bassist, Mario Ermoyenous, who twangs the strings at weird angles and grins like Dr Teeth from the Muppets. The sensible one, Jon JB Blakey, on guitar and backing vocals, is a revelation, both as an excellent singer and guitarist. He provides a solid foundation to the wackiness, as does the drummer, Nige Halford. I had expected to dislike them, but quickly warmed to their performance. Quirky but fun. 

Thank you to the band for posting this on FB for me,
as setlist.fm hadn't been updated to include any sets from the gig.

Gorilla Riot, I love. This was the prime motivator for making the journey down, even though it was only a support slot. Their gutsy, blues-infused rock is always great. Arjun, on vocals and guitar, is a cool frontman with an acidic wit. They visibly enjoy themselves as they play. They gave a rock-solid performance tonight.   

Setlist:

Wrong Side of Town
Molotov Sister,
Kerosene Clown,
Hungry Like the Wolf,
Last Hymn,
Half Cut,
Bad Son,
Dirty.

(Thank you, GR, for replying to my FB request with this list.)

Jayler are a young band going places. They've not even released their debut album, yet they've sold out a 2,000-capacity venue (also helped by an excellent support lineup). If you've seen the film The Substance, imagine Robert Plant's spine opening up to reveal James Bartholomew, and you wouldn't be far off the mark. He is a supreme talent, vocally, on guitar and harmonica. The other band members play their parts well, but James is the star (and he's not even old enough to drink alcohol in the States yet). 

Early on, I felt Tyler Arrowsmith's guitar sound was being lost in the mix, compared to when James was playing. This may have been intentional, given the musical styling, but it initially put me off. By the end, though, they were rocking the room big time. 

For such young men, they've done so well to build a following. With tours supporting Sammy Hagar and Deep Purple next year, their careers will turn stratospheric. I felt lucky to catch them again on their way to superstardom. 

Thank you, Charlie Power, for posting this on the Jayler page for me.

The next day, a weird thing happened after I posted enquiries on the bands' Facebook feeds about their setlists. Voodoo Sioux posted a picture of the setlist (Bravo!). Gorilla Riot listed the songs they played. James from Jayler replied with a thank you, then commented on a couple of my public Facebook posts, asking me to message him. 

So I did.

What followed was a bizarre conversation, obviously with a bot, making up shit in response to my questions while indicating he was upset. It provided me with an inaccurate setlist, told me someone named John in the front row had received the cake for his 50th birthday, and then told me 'he' was uncomfortable with my questioning. No shit, Sherlbot!  

I don't know if it's a fake account or if their management has outsourced fan enquiries. Either way, I won't engage with that account again.

Addendum: the fake account was deleted the following day.

Ticket Price: 2 x £15 plus £3.76 Service Fee = £33.76 from TicketWeb.

Jayler

Gorilla Riot

Band post-gig photos (from FB).

Voodoo Sioux

Gorilla Riot

Jayler

My photos (mixed quality as the night went on):

The joys of a Christmas Party 

It's snowing? Nah, foam.

Lots of foam

Waldorf and Statler approve.