Ross Maclean

Haim provided Ross’s Year of Live Music™ with a Halloween — or Haim-lloween — spectacular. They put on one of the most purely enjoyable shows I’ve seen all year. Blistering stage presence and now firmly on my roster of bands to see again and again.

Can he be enticed out with Kettle Chips?

Is it impending? This is exciting. (Not the Kettle Chips)

Oh, he’s beautiful!

And a Ross’s Year of Live Music™ bonus since it’s always good to get a support act with a personal connection to the act they’re supporting, so it was a pleasure to have Toyah, a scene contemporary of Adam Ant and onetime co-star.

Thank you!

And so Ross’s Year of Live Music™ picks up again for another busy spell, starting with Adam Ant for the first time in a while. An artist I love with a blistering catalogue of bangers and a set that also took in some lesser-heard rarities.

Trying to get high enough up to peer into your flat.

How is this city even real?

This is walking through the centre just after 9pm on a Friday night.

Off to a solid start in that respect.

Seemed like it was going to be nearly impossible to get Angelfish tickets — amazingly, their first hometown gig! — but somehow managed.

Good week to be a Hyams guy.

If only this was remotely the extent of it as far as 2026 is already looking.

A rock solid day of ticket buying.

Tonight I experienced for the first time in many years the thrill of seeing a finished Stewart Lee show without having seen it in various incomplete incarnations beforehand. Absolutely would recommend – especially with this one. Was even lucky enough to get a bonus Glasgow treat.

And rounding off the busiest week in Ross’s Year of Live Music™ so far was returning heroes The Beta Band, celebrating The Three E.P.’s in the most fitting venue possible in their first gig in nearly 21 years. Mighty.

Claire you are absolutely not wrong

Another band I’ve always wanted to see was crossed off the list on Ross’s Year of Live Music™ by getting to see Belly perform King in full alongside other highlights. Just a lovely energy to this gig and a band I couldn’t love more.

Yusuf / Cat Stevens has been one of the most formative musicians in my life so Ross’s Year of Live Music™ got profoundly moving seeing him in a book tour/concert. (Phone-free but grabbed a couple of snaps in the encore, which is why it looks like they were taken on a potato)

Ross’s Year of Live Music™ enters its most packed week with Riding the Low, a band I don’t know really well but have heard bits and pieces over the years, mostly down to being a big fan of the frontman.

“Where was the gig you went to tonight, Ross?”

“Right there.”

When I noted in my last post it was being capped off that’s only because given how the next few months are shaping up, Ross’s Summer of Live Music™ has morphed into Ross’s Year of Live Music™. So, taking me into Autumn, I saw Self Esteem.