ALD 2022 Favourite Gigs of the Year vol. 2

Edited by Miyuki Wang and Lia Qin

Continuing from where we left off yesterday, here are another 13 most magical nights in 2022. We are surprised (and happy!) to see a wide range of artists, from Rina Sawayama to Fontaines D.C., from Baby Dave to Fleet Foxes, and from Shame to The Vamps.

We started this project with a simple simple thought of doing something different from our usual gig reviews for this special time of the year. However, we have received way more than we expected. Not just by the number of submissions but also by the sense of trust and acceptance for being invited to some of your most precious memories. It makes us feel much closer to you. We are very grateful for each of you who was willing to take time and share such beautiful moments with us and other ALD viewers. Hope you will enjoy this article, we shall see you at the next one ;)

---

RINA SAWAYAMA at PRYZM Kingston, London (UK) - 14 Sep.

This year I had the honour of attending a myriad of captivating shows, although seeing Rina Sawayama at PRYZM Kingston in September sits firmly atop the list as my 2022 gig highlight. It was such a wonderfully peculiar show - the venue was small yet comfortably intimate, the setlist was populated with newly released songs from her highly anticipated sophomore album, and she unusually performed without her band or backup dancers. This stripped-down and freshly vulnerable set-up allowed for a raw and glamorous performance, with Rina's staggering vocals, charismatic personality, and hearty connection with the audience engaging each and every member of her crowd. Whilst it was not my first time seeing Sawayama live (or second … or third …. or forth …), it was certainly my favourite, with Rina and I sharing a moment during 'Phantom,' a stand-out single from her recent album, in which she sweetly held my hand upon noticing my tears (crying is an act that embarrassingly seems to be a habit for me at Sawayama's shows). Each and every performance that I was lucky enough to view within this past year has filled me with great joy and jubilation, yet this one show in particular undoubtedly earned the title as my most magical night of 2022.

(Daisy Warren)

STONE at Camden Assembly in London (UK) - 14 Feb.

I didn't really know how to choose a favourite gig from this year. So I'm going instead with one of the most meaningful ones – the first gig I went to in 2022, none other than A Lucid Dream favourite STONE.

I had a pretty bad start to the year, and basically decided I'd had enough. I wanted to do something to drag myself out of my comfort zone. So when the opportunity came up to go to a gig on Valentine's Day, by myself, to see a support act I had discovered two weeks before and a band I had never heard of? I jumped at it, naturally. And I can tell you without a doubt it was one of the best decisions I made in 2022.

Support was the amazing Seb Lowe, and what an opening act. Lowe's incredible lyricism never fails to impress, weaving verses with just the right amount of satire and choruses that will be stuck in your head for days. It was just him and a guitar onstage and that was all he needed, his music spoke for itself.

And the main act – well, what can I say that hasn't already been said. The crowd seemed to burst into life the moment they came on stage, hardly taking a break until the music had long since gone. And that's far from a surprise – STONE have such an energy to their music, a powerful, punchy punk sound you can't help but move to. And despite not knowing the words at the time, I found it so easy to get lost in. Being able to forget about the world for a bit, getting completely immersed in the sound and just be is such a powerful aspect of music, and I think they capture it so perfectly. And what more could you want from a band.

I've seen STONE three times since then, and it's only a slight bragging right that I got to know some of their setlist before the songs were officially released later in the year. I'm just so grateful that this late-night, last-minute decision both introduced me to this incredible band and some amazing people and opened a door to the massive part of my life live music has been this year!

(Tessa Neale)

OPUS KINK at The Lexington in London (UK) - 30 Mar.

Free booze, do I need to say more

(Elena Caterina Posa)

THE MYSTERINES at Rough Trade Nottingham in Nottingham (UK) - 13 Mar.

The gig that stood out for me this year was The Mysterines at Rough Trade Nottingham back in March. I had only recently started going to gigs and this one ultimately inspired me to be the avid gig-goer I am now. At the time, I had just discovered The Mysterines' music and they quickly became one of my favourite bands. As they played a stripped-back set of their debut album Reeling (in my opinion the best album of 2022), it first struck me how intimate an experience of live music could be. I loved the atmosphere of the small venue and its crowd. There was no big light show, just the band and their fans. Stood listening to lead singer Lia's raw vocals, I gained such an appreciation for the music and its authenticity. Meeting the band after cemented my love for them and their music, and I look forward to seeing them again.

(Anna Holliday)

SAM FENDER at Utilita Arena in Birmingham (UK) - 27 Mar.

The Seventeen Going Under tour felt like the turning point for Sam Fender becoming one of the biggest artists in the UK. You could feel the pride of his fans in the arena as many had watched him go from playing small independent venues to selling out arenas.

The setlist gave the new songs from Seventeen Going Under a chance to be appreciated live, not just at home. As well as showcasing the incredible back catalogue Sam has with songs like 'The Borders,' 'Hypersonic Missiles,' and 'Spice.' One moment the crowd would join together with tears for beautiful melodies, and the next a mosh pit would break out; Sam really commanded the stage and kept the crowd hooked throughout the whole gig.

'The Dying Light' was definitely a stand-out moment; with beautiful piano and lyrics that deeply connect with so many people. As the song built into its moving crescendo, confetti burst onto the crowd; the perfect ending to a perfect song. The crowd joined together for songs like 'Saturday' all the way until the walk out of the arena. This gig brought a sense of community, not just of people who love Sam Fender's music, but of people who love live music.

(Eve Rowley)

BABY DAVE at YES Pink Room in Manchester (UK) - 8 Aug.

Isaac, drummer of the band Slaves who have recently changed their name to Soft Play started his solo project in 2022, called Baby Dave which is very different to his other stuff. This project is quite different to Slaves as it's very electronic based with lyrics about his day-to-day life. I saw Baby Dave in Manchester at YES (pink room). When he plays live he has a full band consisting of drums, bass, keyboard/synth, guitar, saxophone and vocals. It was a sold-out show but felt very intimate, as he interacted with the crowd very well and the whole band had so much energy and enthusiasm on stage especially. His debut album Monkey Brain has a gorilla on the album cover so when he does live shows someone in a gorilla costume comes into the crowd and hypes everyone up, which is a nice touch to the show. I would definitely recommend listening to Baby Dave and if you get the opportunity to see him do it!

(Jaidyn Macdonald, on drums in, DAILY NEWS)

THE VAMPS at 3Arena in Dublin (Ireland) - 3 Dec.

My favourite concert of this year was The Vamps in the 3Arena Dublin on the 3rd of December. It was their greatest hits tour to celebrate their 10-year anniversary and they played their greatest hits from their 5 albums over the past 10 years with most of the setlist being songs from their first album Meet The Vamps which brought a feeling of nostalgia to the set. The atmosphere of the concert was electric and it's a night I'll never forget!

(Tara Hurley)

FONTAINES D.C. at Hammersmith Apollo in London (UK) - 25 Nov. & SHAME at Chalk in Brighton (UK) - 5 Nov.

My favourite gig of 2022 has to be Fontaines D.C. at Hammersmith Apollo, night 2. Fontaines are my favourite band and the best live band on earth, and for this show, they seemed to take another dimension. The setlist was literally incredible and the band put their everything into it, especially Carlos, who was having the time of his life. It was great to hear 'Couple Across The Way' live and my other favourites like 'You Said,' 'Nabokov' and 'Big Shot.' All of their shows this year have been amazing but there was something about that night that stood out.

My favourite gig of 2022 (besides Fontaines DC a total of 18 times all being the best) was shame in Brighton. Shame's live is absolutely incredible and insane. Their shows are the most intense and mental I've been to, and Charlie Steen is definitely one of the best frontmen ever. The way he owns the stage and communicates with the crowd in his own way is so unique. At this gig, I heard 'Angie' live, which was possibly the most overwhelming experience, and in 'One Rizla,' I shared probably the best moment of my life singing down the mic with Steen. I also have to mention when I saw shame play on a boat of 100 capacity in November, where there was no barrier and the band were less than a metre away. They played songs from their new album AND 'Gold Hole,' which they haven't played since 2018 and that was a night I will never forget.

(Lucy Thompson)

GIANT ROOKS at Manchester Academy 2 in Manchester (UK) - 27 Jun.

In 2019 me and a friend stumbled across a band at NBHD while waiting for another band. As soon as they brought out bongos I knew I would love them and we ended up buying tickets to their next tour as soon as the set was finished. WE LOVED GIANT ROOKS! Fast forward nearly three years of covid, obsessive listening, forcing their music on another friend and waiting for this bloody gig we FINALLYYYY got to see our beloved Giant Rooks again. It was the best fucking gig ever. Over lockdown, their cover of Toms Diner went viral on TikTok so the room was packed with new fans that were having the best time along with them. It felt oddly nostalgic hearing their music live again even though I didn't know them the first time but it was also so exciting and new seeing them live as a proper fan. I've never loved a band like I've loved Giant Rooks and finally getting to see them again after waiting so long was probably the most exciting concert experience I've ever had. Not to be cringe but it made my entire 2022 and I'll never forget it (Giant Rooks come back to the UK before I go insane).

(Katie Murphy)

FLEET FOXES at National Museum of Ireland in Dublin (Ireland) - 28 Aug.

On August 28th I got to see a band that I've wanted to see for 7 years, Fleet Foxes. The gig was held in the National Museum of Ireland in Dublin on a warm and still evening. Seeing them live exceeded all expectations, they've developed into more of a hi-fi sound with the maturity of their album cycle so this live show had some amazing production behind it. Projecting colourful shapes, patterns and bucolic visuals enhanced the show, as well as screening the visuals to their music videos of this album's tour (Shore). I'm a big fan of Robin Pecknold's writing and musical talent which has spanned almost a decade with the Fleet Foxes outfit. I came away from the show with a lovely sense of fulfilment finally seeing them and I will definitely be catching them as soon I can in the hopefully not-so-distant future! :)

(Peter Toal, on drums in POST-PARTY)

FONTAINES D.C. at The Rickshaw Theatre in Vancouver (Canada) - 13 May

One of the first gigs of the year for me was Fontaines D.C. at The Rickshaw Theatre on May 13th. Now, what makes this gig my favourite of the year? Was it the fight that broke out halfway through 'Chequeless Reckless' (the band called them out and exited the stage for a minute and returned and restarted the song), finally hearing one of my favourite songs ever 'Televised Mind' live, scoring the setlist at the end or waking up the next morning covered in bruises from the barricade? Excited to see Fontaines yet again when they open for Arctic Monkeys next September in Vancouver! Stream the best album of 2022, Skinty Fia by, you guessed it, Fontaines D.C.

(Emma Dorn)

SPRINTS at The Grand Social Loft (Irish Music Week) in Dublin (Ireland) - 6 Oct.

My Highlight gig of the year would have to be Sprints set at Ireland Music Week in The Grand Social Loft, there was just an electric atmosphere with pure energy from the band and one of the best stage presences I've ever seen, and the crowd were all sound.

(Reuben Barter)

INHALER at Fairview Park in Dublin (Ireland) - 25 Jun.

There's something to be said about seeing a band play in their hometown. Leading up to me buying a ticket, I thought about the artists I'd seen perform at home saying how meaningful it felt to play in places they'd walked past growing up or seen favourite concerts in. That was about all it took for me to bring myself to Dublin to see Inhaler at Fairview Park this past June.

I had almost no plan and had never been to Ireland before but felt an immediate sense of belonging when the man stamping my passport told me how excited he was for the gig too, as he also had tickets! Feeling my airport makeup on my face and tightly holding my overstuffed tote bag I wandered around the city and wished I'd booked my return flight for the next day, completely dazzled by the energy of the place around me. This only continued as I met up with four new friends at a Mcdonald's where we ate a couple of fries to sustain us before making the trek to the venue, guessing who walking around us might be headed to the same place as us. By the time we got under the tent at the park to hear the openers, Kynsy and NewDad (who are both so good!) the place was bustling - so the five of us all gathered our way near the front of the stage as best we could while I handed them all sparkly star wands to dance in the air for fun while we were obstructed by the crowd. And when the band came out, an overwhelming sense of joy came over the crowd in sync with the band. With the start of the music turning the whole place into shambles in the best way possible. People messily scream-singing the words with the sea of people next to them while thoughtful lighting ques washed over everyone. Each song felt so big in its performance but connected enough with the audience to feel intimate - like one big party where everyone was just as excited to be there as you are, already jumping up and down to 'Who's Your Money On?' without being asked to by the band. As the show ended and I found myself walking back through the airport in the early morning hours, Tayto in hand, I thought about all the details to tell my best friends when they pick me up, wishing they'd been there, that I'd taken better pictures, and dreaming of going to concerts all the time for the rest of my life.

(Julia Weaver)