The 20 Gigs I Reviewed in 2023:

Bonus Content for Paid Subs: All the gig reviews from 2023 in one handy place...

Earnestly, I add the little tag/spiel to each piece - some variation on the theme that gig reviews (and reviews in general) are dead, but I’m trying to bring them back. I’m over here (on Substack!) trying to breathe a bit of life into the form; trying to kickstart the (he)art of this format. I loved going to gigs and reviewing them, not because I thought I was right, not because I thought what I said mattered, but as a record of the time - capturing a moment, putting it down for the public record. I know there are people that still care.

So I’m going to keep up with the reviews - I actually reviewed more shows than I reaslised in 2023. Most of them I paid money to attend, but old habbits die hard so I wrote about them regardless you see. Some were comped though, by publicists and/or promoters. And I’m always grateful if/when that happens - it’s certainly not a given. But if a publicist, promoter, or venue owner wants to let me in and wants me to write about the night, that tells me that the music means something to them - and the idea of reviews and reviewing and reviewers means something to them.

Most of the reviews were going to be paid content only, that was my though. Initially. But if a promoter/publicist lets me in the door they should at the least be able to see the review, and share it if they care - I don’t do social media in the way I once did. I just let the reviews live here. But I shouldn’t put a paywall between my words and readers if the ticket was comped. So I’m just learning the ropes again, in that regard. Making the rules up as I go along.

Anyway, for those that might care, here are the 20 shows I saw and reviewed in 2023: