Riotous Collective Festival

RIOTOUS COLLECTIVE FESTIVAL

Kvin Hewick - Marlinas - Virginioa's Wolves - Chris Ilett - 

Hymns for Horses - Amy DX
Duffys 26th October 2025

Like everyone else there, I am a huge admirer of the Unglamourous/Riotous project and what we are hearing now is a tremendous legacy for Ruth's work...

This weekend saw a festival at Firebug and Duffys celebrating the work of the Riotous Collective, and merging with the monthly "Up the Duffys" gig...

From all i have read and heard about the event it has been a resounding success and a great credit to everyone involved in setting it up...

DuE to other interests/commitments I was only able to go for the middle part of Sunday, so i think i missed some great music... However I did get to see six great sets from Kevin Hewick, Marlinas, Virginia's Wolves , Hymns for Horses and Amy Dx...

For those I missed... hope to catch them nbext time... for those I saw... hope to catch them again

Keep music live... mkeep music real... support your local venues and artists

5 Guys NOT Bruce

5 GUYS NOT BRUCE

IMV 25th October 2025

Saturday night at The International Music Venue was a very special one... the return of Five Guys NOT Bruce III: The Songs Of Bruce Springsteen... so it was welcome back to TOM BROOKSBY, Kev Jamieson, RICO RICHARDSON, DARREN DRIVER, JERRY BRENNAN... 5 of the very best Springsteen tributes all playing acoustic both solo and combined... and I don't have the words to describe the joy, camaraderie and good vibes of this event... the first two years shows were superb, this, the third, even better!!

There was a warmth and good vibe as we walked into the room and found a seat... and when the band came on one by one unannounced the crowd instantly fixed totally on them

The show works simply... each man sings a song then passes the baton to the next man... in this way they go around the group one by one and all perform five numbers... the set covered classics and deep cuts... and to my joy concentrated on the Nebraska album (my favourite album!)...

I can only give a few highlights of the repertoire... but Tom opened things up with a simply beautiful version of "Blood Brothers" and ended his 5 with a wonderful "Highway Patrolman"... after Tom came Kev who among others delivered a stunning version of "Atlantic City" then to his left Rico took up the baton and among others delivered a simply breathtaking "Mary Queen of Arkansas" as well as a favourite of mine, the "Ghost of Tom Joad".

Across the stage Darren included "The Ties that Bind" and a storming versIon of "Johnny 99" and Jerry included a supreme version of "Thunder Road" in his set...

All five musicians were in scintillating form singing and playing with supreme love, conviction and quality... joining in with each others songs vocally, on guitar or harp as required... Five superb musicians who showed a deep respect and love for each other and the music they played...there was minimal blather between songs but lots of banter between the musicians and you only had to look at them to see they were all having a ball playing together and loving each others contributions... and the audience were enraptured from the start, singing out whether invited to or not at every familiar chorus and verse... especially perhaps on "Atlantic City", "Thunder Road" and "Highway Patrolman"... it really was a party atmosphere throughout, both on stage and in the audience... at the end they came back to encore with a group version of "Born to Run"... which was, as ever, for the encore as shambolic as it was uplifting... and finally closing with a beautiful song (which i confess to not being able to name) and ended with a standing ovation and so much love between musicians, between musicians and audience and back to the musicians...

Five superb musicians combining on stage to deliver 5 superb performances each and deliver one of the best and most joyful uplifting shows you are likely to see... Tom said they will be back to do it again next year if the audience want them to.. .the verdict was unanimous... see you next year guys!!

Absolutely magnificent night five superb musicians delivering five sublime performances each... can't get much better than this!!

This was a wonderful and totally uplifting joyful night

Keep music live... keep music real... support your local venue

Pistols/Docs

PISTOLS/DOCS

Duffy's 18th October 2025

Another exceptional night of rock'n'roll at Duffys thanks Wake up promotions and the return to Leicester of the Pistols... this gig was not for the faint-hearted!!

First up were THE DOCS, a cracking good punk/rock band who clearly understand the importance of getting an audience moving and having a really great fun time... and they do both in great style... . They may deliver, in their words, a three chord thrash, but they do it with great style, energy and a real sense of fun, and communicating totally with the audience throughout... i don't know the songs, but they did end with CCR'S "Have you Seen the Rain" followed by "I'm a Cunt"... on which they were joined on stage by "Johnny Rotten".

A rollicking great opening set which i loved and went down a storm in the room.

After a short break, up stepped THE PISTOLS to barnstorm through a wonderful set of Sex Pistol material... the band have the authentic sound and feel of the originals and "Sid" and especially "Johnny" look rather like the originals... and definitely are spot on in mannerisms...

The band are musically excellent and the "Johnny" character an outstanding frontman overloaded with charisma, personality and energy delivering the vocals with great power and an impish sense of fun.

He is superbly supported by the bass and guitar players who were equally adept at adding to the visual impact of the show as well as the banter, while the drummer drives the band powerfully from the back

The band rock like crazy from the first moment as they joyfully tear through a host of familiar classic pieces that have the audience bouncing and joining in... the whole show is hugely high energy, but as they hit the last couple of songs, "Anarchy in the UK" and "Pretty Vacant" the heat seemed to have been turned up even more threatening to lift the roof... and then the encore.. a frantic manic and exhilarating "Frigging in the Rigging" which brought a superb set to a climactic end...

The Pistols are a really great tribute band, representing one of the great english rock bands... a superb performance which was full of fun and left the audience exhilarated and sweating.

A really fabulous evenings entertainment

Keep music live... keep music real... support your local venues

Bo'weevil Brothers/Karen McLeod

BO'WEEVIL BORTHERS/KAREN MACLEOD

IMV 12th October 2025 

Back to the The The International Music Venue Sunday afternoon... there may be fewer gigs this year but this was the 4th fabulous gig in a week!!... today hosted by the The Bo'weevil brothers for their album launch.

First things first... opening up was the excellent Karen Karen Macleod, a superb finger-picking blues guitar player and singer. Her set today covered a range of blues pieces, some familiar others less so, but all great pieces, and every one played and sung beautifully by Karen. Her playing is all finger picking, which I love to hear, and her playing is intricate and fluent, beautiful to hear and a perfect accompaniment to her lovely soft relaxed singing... beautiful set to open the afternoon

As the band were already set up there was only a minimal gap between Karen and the The Bo'weevil brothers starting.. .and the game plan was to be two sets, the first a run through of the album. I'm sure we all know and love the band by now, so you will, i am sure, know just how good they are

The scene was set with a pounding version of "My Babe"... as far as I can recall the bulk of the songs were new to me, though "Storm Warning" stands out as a familiar piece...

The band play uncompromising rocking blues... even on the country based songs and as ever the brilliant musicianship was allied to real fire and conviction in the playing, and laced with humour.. I haven;t had a chance to play the album yet, but based on what we heard this afternoon "Blues Done Different" looks like a magnificent piece of work.

Once they'd finished playing the album the band took a short break before coming back to play a batch of songs... some regular features of the set, such as "Bring me back my Wig" and other less familiar pieces... by the time they reached their superb powerhouse last song, their version "Who do you Love", this is the one vocal of the day from Nick, and with both he and Al standing up (and Al hatless!) the dancers were doing their thing and the audience at large bouncing in their seats... there was always going to be an encore... and as ever it was "Lets Work Together", made famous by Canned Heat... and a fine sentiment to round off a breathtaking performance by a superb band.

Al, Jimmy and Nick are beyond question great musicians who blend together into a seamless whole, with clearly a lot of love and telepathy among ther musicians, and indeed the audience...

Absolutely superb.. .two totally brilliant , though at opposite poles stylistically, blues acts delivering superb sets...

My, it's been a hell of a week for great gigs!!

Keep music live... keep music real... support your local venues and artists

Back to the The The International Music Venue Sunday afternoon... there may be fewer gigs this year but this was the 4th fabulous gig in a week!!... today hosted by the The Bo'weevil brothers for their album launch.

First things first... opening up was the excellent Karen Karen Macleod, a superb finger-picking blues guitar player and singer. Her set today covered a range of blues pieces, some familiar others less so, but all great pieces, and every one played and sung beautifully by Karen. Her playing is all finger picking, which I love to hear, and her playing is intricate and fluent, beautiful to hear and a perfect accompaniment to her lovely soft relaxed singing... beautiful set to open the afternoon

As the band were already set up there was only a minimal gap between Karen and the The Bo'weevil brothers starting.. .and the game plan was to be two sets, the first a run through of the album. I'm sure we all know and love the band by now, so you will, i am sure, know just how good they are

The scene was set with a pounding version of "My Babe"... as far as I can recall the bulk of the songs were new to me, though "Storm Warning" stands out as a familiar piece...

The band play uncompromising rocking blues... even on the country based songs and as ever the brilliant musicianship was allied to real fire and conviction in the playing, and laced with humour.. I haven;t had a chance to play the album yet, but based on what we heard this afternoon "Blues Done Different" looks like a magnificent piece of work.

Once they'd finished playing the album the band took a short break before coming back to play a batch of songs... some regular features of the set, such as "Bring me back my Wig" and other less familiar pieces... by the time they reached their superb powerhouse last song, their version "Who do you Love", this is the one vocal of the day from Nick, and with both he and Al standing up (and Al hatless!) the dancers were doing their thing and the audience at large bouncing in their seats... there was always going to be an encore... and as ever it was "Lets Work Together", made famous by Canned Heat... and a fine sentiment to round off a breathtaking performance by a superb band.

Al, Jimmy and Nick are beyond question great musicians who blend together into a seamless whole, with clearly a lot of love and telepathy among ther musicians, and indeed the audience...

Absolutely superb.. .two totally brilliant , though at opposite poles stylistically, blues acts delivering superb sets...

My, it's been a hell of a week for great gigs!!

Keep music live... keep music real... support your local venues and artists