Editor’s Note: Paul originally sent 50; he cut it down to 20. 18 of those have articles attached, and he has the 19th in the queue waiting to be published. Paul is hardcore. We love Paul.

KIm Moenich

Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds at Cruel World, Pasadena, CA, USA
The Go Go's with Jack Black, Kathleen Hanna, Margaret Cho, Kay Hanley, Lisa Loeb, Fred Armisen, and Lt. Jim Dangle, for Musack Rocks Carnival, Hollywood, CA, USA
The Refused's Final Tour with Quicksand, Mar, CA, USA
Night 1 of Dropkick Murphys’ St. Patrick's Day shows, Boston, MA, USA
Texas is the Reason with Samiam, Punk Rock Bowling After Show, Las Vegas, NV , USA
7 Seconds, Punk Rock Bowling After Show, Las Vegas, NV , USA
Lynval Golding and The Aggrolites with The Kilograms, Punk Rock Bowling After Show, Las Vegas, NV , USA
Bad Cop Bad Cop with The Iron Roses, Detroit, MI , USA
Weird Al, Riot Fest, Chicago, IL, USA
Pegboy, Las Vegas, NV, USA
Frail, Sleepytime Trio, and City of Caterpillar, Dark Days Bright Nights Festival, Richmond, VA , USA
Honorable mention: Dance Hall Crashers, Jawbreaker at Riot Fest, Chicago, IL; Samuel, 84 Tigers, The Casket Lottery, Tim Barry at Fest; New Junk City, 40 Reps, and Padfoot in Norfolk, VA; The Pogues Glen Hansard, The Scratch, and Dropkick Murphys at Seisún Festival, Boston, MA

Editor's Note—This is Kim's way of sneaking in more shows onto her list...

Phil Thorns

1. Michael Kiwanuka - Manchester, UK, 13/3/25

2. MILLIE MANDERS AND THE SHUT UP - Scarborough Punk Festival, UK 19/3/25\

3. BROOKE COMBE - Manchester 02 Ritz, UK 12/4/25

4. PANIC SHACK/THE PILL—Sheffield Yellow Arch, UK 14/5/25

5. HOT WAX—Temple Newsam, UK 31/5/25

6. FEMUR—Sheffield Tramlines Festival, UK 25/7/25

7. PULP—Sheffield Tramlines Festival, UK 25/7/25

8. FAT DOG—Rock n Roll Circus, Sheffield, UK 27/8/25

9. STRANGLERS/BUZZCOCKS—Leeds 02 Academy, UK 17/10/25

10. PIL—Manchester 02 Ritz, UK 30/12/25

Editor’s note Phil sent us a photo of his tenth favorite concert for his submission?

***Kevin Shields*** of ***My Bloody*** ***Valentine*** at Wembley Arena, London—photo courtesy of *©1MU*

One Man Underground

In strictly chronological order (except the last one):

DEERMAN2 at Live House Nano, Kyoto, Japan 14 March
I will discuss my Japan trip in detail later, but for now, just know that this virtually unknown, Lightning Bolt-esque, absolutely blistering 2-piece were a real highlight.
Ex-Easter Island Head at Colchester Arts Centre, UK, 20 April
This Liverpool 4-person guitar band are about as far away from the Fab Four as you can get—extraordinary sonic adventures that push their 6-strings way beyond what I thought was possible.
Kneecap at 100 Club, London, UK, 22 May
The Northern Irish rap duo are out of the legal woods now, but at the time, this was as defiant a performance as I’ve ever seen. That it was also great fun didn’t hurt either. Read my review (and see my photos) here.
Stereolab at The Booking Hall, Dover, UK, 24 May
They’ve since sold out venues ten times the size of this, but I doubt those audiences will have had an experience from the Anglo-French indie-lounge legends as special as this. Read my review here.
Evil Blizzard at Rebellion ‘25, Blackpool, UK 7 August
In my earlier review, which you can read here, I described the Nottingham band as a bizarre combination of Primus and The Residents. I don’t think that gets over just how heavy they were. Quite remarkable.
Public Image Ltd. at Rebellion ‘25, Blackpool, UK, 9 August
I will have more to say about John Lydon and co. in the near future. Suffice it to say, though you won’t find many attendees willing to admit it, perhaps in light of some of the recent unsavory opinions expressed by the former Mr. Rotten, they were quite brilliant.
Beverly and Elizabeth Glenn-Copeland at Hackney Empire, London, UK, 15 October
With a recent dementia diagnosis, this might have been the last time Glenn would ever appear on stage in the UK. But if this was a swansong, it was a truly wonderful, emotional, and uplifting one, with wife Elizabeth elevating it from concert to theater.
Everything But The Girl at MOTH Club, London, 26 October
Ben Watt and Tracey Thorn are doing their Vegas residency at a 300-capacity venue in East London. For those lucky enough to get a rare-as-unicorn-shit ticket, an intimate evening of beautifully crafted sophistipop, trip-hop, and everything in-between awaits.
My Bloody Valentine at Wembley Arena, London, UK, 25 November (pictured)
If Marty Di Bergi (R.I.P. Rob Reiner) were making a film about Kevin Shields and co., he would probably refer to them as “Ireland’s loudest band.” On the basis of this show, a greatest hits set-cum-transcendent aural experience for which I’m very glad to have worn earplugs, he would be correct.
Kling Klang + The Rebel at the Shacklewell Arms, London, UK, 29 November
I knew Kling Klang, essentially making heavy metal on synthesizers, would be great. I hoped The Rebel, the songwriting alter ego of Londoner Ben Wallers, would be too. Thankfully, his shambolic knife-edge blend of electro and country was something I want to see all over again.

There are actually 11, but the last one was too good to summarize in a single sentence. Keep reading In Spite to hear about that one…

Editor’s Note: So we are assuming MBV is your favorite? 1MU marches to the beat of his own theremin—and we love it that way.

Goody James

1. Philthy Dronez - The Beat Shop, San Jose, CA, USA

2. Wormrot - Garden Amp, Garden Grove, CA, USA

3. TsuShiMaMiRe - Gasa Gasa, New Orleans, LA, USA

4. Kamasi Washington - Blue Note Los Angeles, CA, USA

5. Devo & The B-52s - Hollywood Bowl, Los Angeles, CA, USA

6. Davy Knowles - Matt Denny’s, Arcadia, CA, USA

7. Ceremony & Touché Amoré - Pappy and Harriet’s, Pioneertown, CA, USA

8. Jack White - Palladium, Los Angeles, CA, USA

9. Charles Lloyd - Blue Note Los Angeles, CA, USA

10. Femi Kuti - Belly Up, Solana Beach, CA, USA

Dick Slaughter

New Year, New Merch: It’s Not Just Cats Anymore

United States ONLY!
**Penny Rimbaud**, the official copyright holder of the **Crass** symbol and creator of the **Crass Art Collective**, has given **In Spite Magazine** his blessing and permission to produce Crass T-shirts through our affiliation with **Dick Slaughter Photo**.
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Best Concerts of 2025

Here we are, another year older and none the wiser. We asked our extended family of music journalists to list their top 10 performances of 2025, with a photo of number one at the top. This is what we got back from the ones who actually did their lists on time.

John Greenwood

Niyaz piranai

Paul Holstein