Mick Birchall Reviews

2025 has been… Quite the year for me. On a personal note, I’ve moved house, and I’ve moved careers. Yet, as always, I still write this blog. I’ve been doing this for a long, long time now. So, as always, it only makes sense to sum up the year with an end-of-year post, and as you all love, give you my favourite albums of the year list. Music this year has been some of the best I’ve heard in a while. 2025 has been substantially better than 2024 for releases, but I’m not blind to the struggles of the industry. Streaming services continue to pay artists basically nothing for their music, the general population continues to ignore the plight of artists wanting to be paid daily for their work, and, my biggest pet peeve, the rise of AI in music! Oh, how I despise the rise of AI artists on streaming platforms. The dawn of AI music makes it even harder for new artists to break through to the mainstream, or even any sort of stream. So, this is why I will continue to champion the real musicians, ...

Photo Credit: Mark Powell Man, it’s been a while since I’ve walked the cold, wet streets of Manchester for a gig. I had a feeling that this one was going to be good as well! Last year, I came across the Canadian rock band, The Commoners . Their 2024 album, Restless , was one of my absolute favourites of last year, and I’ve been meaning to catch them live for a while now, as they do frequent the UK quite a bit. So, this night was my opportunity to see what all the buzz is about. Rebellion is such a good venue for shows like these. Located next to Deansgate train station, Rebellion is tucked away and hosts some of the best nights for rock and metal in Manchester—the dark room, illuminated by the stage lights, has just the right atmosphere for rock shows. You’ve got to appreciate the stamina of some bands. This show was in Glasgow the night before, and after a long journey, they made it to Manchester. Also, they didn’t come alone. They brought the incredibly talented Candar out on the roa...

This was such a special day for me. When I first saw the lineup on the poster, my teenage nostalgic brain went into overdrive. An entire day of Welsh rock and metal music in the confines of a medieval castle in one of the biggest cities in the UK. Sign me the feck up! I was immediately drawn in by the name of The Blackout and Funeral For A Friend . Two bands that I’ve spent a little too many hours with in my life. Between the years of 2010 and 2016, I must have seen both of them over 10 times live in concert. Both have always been super consistent over the years. I think it would be difficult for them to put on a bad show. Then, if we look down the rest of the poster, we have names that have certainly stuck their claim in the cultural zeitgeist. I think what makes this even more special is the sheer fact that all of the bands on the poster come from Wales. The Welsh rock and metal scene has always been one to stand in awe at. I think, over the years, Wales has produced some of the mos...

Photo Credit: David Pickles   If you had told me as an eager teenager learning to play the guitar that one day, not only would I be going to see this show live, but get to go as a member of the press, and people would want to read my gig report from the show, I would have thought you were a crazy person. Like most kids who pick up the guitar, I started to idolise many musicians. However, I think it’s fair to say not many captured my imagination quite like the master of modern blues rock, Joe Bonamassa . I think what captured my attention the most about him was how slick and effortless he made the guitar look. Every note is hit with pinpoint precision, every melody performed with such conviction, and his records never fail to enthral me. So, just getting the opportunity to watch someone who has spent over 10000 hours mastering their craft play is one I could never pass up. Getting into Liverpool, there was just that feeling of excitement in the air. I usually go to Manchester for sh...

At the start of this year I was acquainted with the blues rock stylings of The Zac Schulze Gang . Their music sent shivers down my spine when I first listened to them. The technical abilities of the three members blew my socks off. To the point where I was genuinely impressed to find that there are only three members. I took a listen to songs like “Woman” and their new single “I Won’t Do This Anymore” and, whoa, that was something else. So when I got the opportunity to check out the band on their UK tour, you bet I was going to get my butt out to the show. As an added little bit of specialness to this event, this was going to be their first time in Manchester. For this gig, I ventured into the Northern Quarter and made my way to Gullivers . Tucked away the bar and gig venue has been home to some amazing shows over the years. I have had the pleasure of seeing some iconic rock bands here and this was going to be another one for the ages. As the room filled, the lights hit the stage and M...