If 2020 taught us anything it’s not to look forward to anything too much.

2021 we apprehensively returned to gigs.  My last gig of the year was Princess Goes to the Butterfly museum in November.  Seeing an American band again in Liverpool made it feel like things were finally back to “old” normal.

But then December comes and we’re back to a slew of gig cancellations and everything very much up in the air.

On the plus side at a personal level, 2021 was probably the first year I’ve stuck to my new years resolution throughout the year – which was to sign up for MasterClass and follow some classes so that if nothing else happened this year I’d at least end the year with more knowledge than I started it with.  From improving my sleep and helping me rid myself of severe sleep apnoea to improving my cooking skills and losing weight, it turned out to be one of my better decisions of the year.

Anyway… what am I tentatively looking fwd to (covid permitting) in 2022?

SKATING POLLY

When I saw them live in October 2019 Kurtis told me “we hope to come back to the UK earlier next year…” of course due to circumstances the band neither made it to the UK in 2020 or indeed 2021.

They are currently scheduled to come to the UK in March, and I’m co-promoting their Liverpool show (Jimmys Bold St, Friday 25th March 2022.  Tickets)

Obviously co-promoting your favourite band’s show is exciting, but scary too!

With over 50 advance tickets sold at a time when people aren’t buying advance tickets for obvious reasons, I was starting to relax a little, and for a while it felt like the show would definitely happen.

But with it being part of a European tour taking in several countries, if any of them are in lockdown it could cause problems.

Live everything else during this pandemic, hope for the best, prepare for the worst, if it gets postponed again it will happen eventually, and when it does I will take the time to fully appreciate the show.

Aside from covid delaying Skating Polly’s tour, it has of course, also delayed their next album which was originally meant to be released in 2020.

It is I believe currently under way , so fingers crossed it will surface this coming year.

A source close to the band (aka their dad/step-dad) recently posted about the album on Skating Polly Fans Group  and it already sounds like it could be the album to take the band from cult band to stadium filler.  It’s a whopping 17 tracks, the pop songs are poppy-er, the heavy songs are heavier.  Bearing in mind how great their past 5 albums have been, this one really sounds like something to get excited about.

 

Beach Bunny

I was originally meant to see Beach Bunny back in Summer 2020, you can guess the rest.

It’s currently scheduled for February 2022, and like Skating Polly they take in other European countries too.

The way the band have been blowing up recently, I get the feeling that if it gets delayed again then by the time they play, it could be in a much bigger venue and the chance to see them in a small venue will be gone.

There is also a new album in the pipeline.  The Debut was a great album but in some ways felt a little 1 dimensional, their subsequent EPs and Singles show a lot of development and I feel that their next album will be something special.

 

The White Ribbons

Seeing the band early in December, I was punching the air when they told me that their debut album is well underway!

A band who has something to say, A band who want to change things for the better.  A band who give a fuck!  A band that gammony types would called “Woke” (because being asleep, unaware and uncaring is clearly something these people like to boast about, it’s almost like they parrot things without giving it any thought)

A lot of the UK bands who are going places at the moment leave me perplexed – because most of them, without naming names, are frankly shite!

And what’s going on in music broadcasting?  I haven’t watched Jools for a long time for obvious reasons (i.e. the presentation is so bad that even when they have someone decent on, it’s still boring) but I thought I’d check out who’s on this year’s bash.  Wet Leg are surely involved?  Maybe Coach Party?  Ha!  No chance!  “Joining Jools and his Orchestra in the studio this year are Ed Sheeran, Gregory Porter, Lulu, Joy Crookes, Rag’n’Bone Man, Yola, Vic Reeves, Ruby Turner and the Pipes and Drums of the 1st Battalion Scots Guards.”

Where do I even start with that lot?  Isn’t New Year a time to look forward?  A time to push things forward?  Is this really the best that the supposed UK flagship music show can muster?

I really hope that The White Ribbons album breaks through, because the UK music scene very clearly desperately needs it!

Wet Leg

Wet Leg need no introduction, 2021 has very much been their year, I predict that their April debut album will be on a lot of end of year lists, judging by the songs they performed live and the singles released so far.

I’m sure many other highlights will present themselves along the way, but these are the things I’m most looking fwd to.

Happy New Year and hopefully catch some of you at a gig!