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It’s almost Christmas and for many, that means a last minute panic as they try and find the perfect present. Gift vouchers are fine, socks are useful but overdone and the less said about shower gel gift sets the better. Instead, why not give the present of a great night out this Christmas?
From huge stadium gigs through the bombast of live theatre to the dizzying excitement of watching your favourite new band dominate the stage of a small venue, tickets really do make the best gifts. With that in mind, we’ve created the ultimate last minute gift guide to help see you through this festive period. And hey, there’s no harm in buying an extra ticket for yourself either. It is your Christmas too.
Fans can buy and sell tickets for Download Festival at global marketplace, viagogo here.
If you want something more ferocious though, Slipknot have announced a 25th anniversary tour for their debut self-titled album, taking place at the end of 2024.
Fans can buy and sell tickets for Slipknot at global marketplace, viagogo here.
None of hip-hop’s big names have confirmed plans for next year yet but your favourite rapper’s favourite rapper has announced a UK tour. Fresh from releasing debut album ‘How Do You Sleep At Night?’, Teezo Touchdown is heading out on his first proper headline run. With co-signs from Drake, Tyler, The Creator and Travis Scott, Teezo creates what he calls “rock & boom” and looks set to become the next big thing in the scene.
Fans can buy and sell tickets for Teezo Touchdown at global marketplace, viagogo here.
Alternatively, Frank Ocean has just released a range of new merch alongside a repress of ‘Blonde’.
It’s been a huge year for pop music, with massive tours from Beyoncé, Madonna and Sam Smith. Somehow, 2024 will be even bigger. We’ve already had the return of Dua Lipa confirmed and Taylor Swift’s huge ‘Eras’ tour is finally touching down in Europe. Girls Aloud have also announced their long-awaited return, with a sprawling headline tour that just keeps getting bigger. Promising to play all the greatest hits alongside their own favourites, it’s set to be an emotional, joyful evening.
Fans can buy and sell tickets for Girls Aloud at global marketplace, viagogo here.
Alternatively, why not pick up a vinyl copy of Dua Lipa’s banging new single ‘Houdini’ on vinyl.
If you want a great night out, you can’t go wrong with the music of ABBA. Now, while the band aren’t actually touring, the impressive ABBA Voyage is the next best thing as it brings together cutting edge tech with those timeless songs. Alternatively, the musical Mamma Mia! continues to go from strength to strength in London’s West End.
Fans can buy and sell tickets for London’s West End at global marketplace, viagogo here and Abba Voyage here.
Sometimes, you just want the adult version of a sugar-fuelled school disco. Luckily, Nile Rodgers & Chic are touring in 2024 and they’re bringing party-starting queen Sophie Ellis-Bextor with them. If you’ve seen her showstopping Glasto 2023 performance or heard about Chic’s feel-good dance blowout, you know this is going to be a night to remember.
Fans can buy and sell tickets for Nile Rodgers at global marketplace, viagogo here.
Alternatively, Moulin Rouge is currently playing on the West End, featuring tracks from the likes of Adele, Katy Perry and Rihanna.
Fans can buy and sell tickets for London’s West End at global marketplace, viagogo here
Not everyone likes new music and that’s fine. There’s something comforting about going to a gig, and knowing you’re going to know all the words as you’re transported back to a time where, in your humble opinion, music was better. No gig next year is going to be as chaotically wonderful as Liam Gallagher’s 30th anniversary tour for Oasis’ classic album ‘Definitely, Maybe’. He’s even promising not to play any of his solo material.
Fans can buy and sell tickets for Liam Gallagher at global marketplace, viagogo here.
Alternatively, why not pick up a vinyl player to relive the glory days.
Some music lovers can’t resist a deep dive into the carefully curated world of an album. Others are just here for the hits, and next year The Killers are heading out on a massive UK headline tour in support of their second greatest hits album ‘Rebel Diamonds’, which features one song from every year they’ve been a band. As you can imagine, that setlist is going to be wall-to-wall bangers.
Fans can buy and sell tickets for The Killers at global marketplace, viagogo here.
Additionally, why not get some earplugs so they a) don’t damage their hearing and b) can’t hear how out of tune their neighbour is singing along to ‘Mr Brightside’
Got a friend who can’t help but tell you that they saw an artist before they got massive? Well, why not help them out with tickets to see The Last Dinner Party on their upcoming UK and European headline tour. From the moment they released their first single ‘Nothing Matters’, the band have been known as the most exciting thing in indie and with their debut album finally coming out in February, their next headline tour is going to be a real ‘I was there’ moment.
Fans can buy and sell tickets for The Last Dinner Party at global marketplace, viagogo here.
Alternatively, why not buy them tickets to a gig at your local grassroots venue. Not only will you be supporting a scene that can’t help but create greatness, but you could discover something wonderful.
ALBUM REVIEWS
Grandeur sits at the heart of ‘This Music May Contain Hope’, RAYE’s second album, and the result feels nothing short of breathtaking. On this record, the singer born Rachel Keen explores a wide spectrum of sounds across its 73 minute length, moving from emotional ballads to lively funk moments and the jazz pop style she has become closely associated with. It can feel overwhelming at first, yet the magic that comes from RAYE fully committing to her vision makes the experience rewarding from start to finish.
‘This Music May Contain Hope’, a conceptual project about pushing through insecurity and heartbreak, unfolds like a lavish stage production. RAYE takes on the dual role of main character and guiding voice throughout the story. “Allow me to set the scene. Our story begins at 2:27am on a rainy night in Paris. Cue the thunder,” she says during the opening track ‘Girl Under The Grey Cloud’, which arrives with sweeping orchestral strings. Spoken passages appear across the album, helping shape the narrative and giving the project a sense of direction, almost like hearing the official recording of a Broadway show.
With this framework in place, the South London artist allows herself to fully explore the album’s diverse musical palette, and most of the time it works in her favor. Sometimes she fully embraces the theatrical side of the concept, especially during the closing section of the smooth R&B track ‘The WhatsApp Shakespeare’. Other moments are delivered more straightforwardly, such as the emotional slow building ballad ‘I Know You’re Hurting’. She also revisits her earlier dance influences with the impressive house track ‘Life Boat’.
Across the entire album, two things stand out clearly. RAYE’s flexible vocals sound better than ever, and her songwriting feels sharper than it has before. Take the playful highlight ‘I Hate The Way I Look Today’, a swing jazz inspired track reminiscent of Ella Fitzgerald, where she admits “I’m okay to be lonely / If I’m lonely and skinny / I have such silly self-loathing thoughts, it seems”. Then there is the emotional storytelling in ‘Nightingale Lane’: “It was right there, early June / Next to Old Park Avenue / Standing in the rain, I watched him walk away”.
Despite all the vulnerability and emotional struggles explored throughout the record, RAYE ultimately reaches a place of optimism, staying true to the album’s title. She gathers her close friends on ‘Click Clack Symphony’ with support from Hans Zimmer, finds closure with guidance from Al Green on the smooth seventies soul inspired ‘Goodbye Henry’, and reaches toward something greater alongside her sisters Amma and Absolutely on the uplifting ‘Joy’ as she searches to be “free of all the pain and every fear”. After the stormy opening imagery of that “rainy night” and “thunder”, RAYE eventually realizes that “the sun exists behind the clouds”, as she shares on ‘Happier Times Ahead’.
‘This Music May Contain Hope’ shows RAYE performing at her absolute peak. The album feels huge in scale and emotionally powerful, yet it remains rooted in honest experiences and real feelings. Yes, it asks a lot from the listener, but that is also what makes it so special. Every dramatic moment and musical shift feels like RAYE claiming her independence and finally creating music entirely on her own terms.
