There probably isn’t too many reviews of support acts knocking around, let’s face it 95% of the audience are usually there for the main act especially if it’s a relatively small venue with not a huge name upfront. But on this occasion I’m going to drop two reviews as the support was so damn good why the hell not! Not many people will have heard of folk singer Elanor Moss, me included until a few days ago. I usually make a point of listening to the artists on the drive over to the gig, to see what to expect like. So as I traversed the delights of the A66 and the A1(M) down to Leeds I immersed myself in what Elanor had to offer. I really liked what I heard, a couple of EP’s worth, entitled “Citrus” and “Cosmic” in fact.
Fast forward a hundred miles or so and a sold out venue in Leeds and Elanor is opening for the local hero and good friend Sam Griffiths aka “The Howl and the Hum”. Opening up the evening, bare footed, she is joined on stage by violinist “Reid Jenkins”, we are then treated to a set of beautifully sung songs, mostly new material but a continuation of the musical journey that Elanor is on and taking us along for the ride. I’m not sure I’ve seen an audience as attentive to an artist like this in a long time, an almost reverential hush descends as each song starts and the loud and heartfelt clapping and cheering at the end of each one is a striking contrast to what has just gone before.
Each crafted song is a mastery of vocals and guitar with “Catholic” a particular favourite for me on the night.
Before we know it Elanor’s time is up and she seems genuinely taken aback with the crowds reaction, all of which is genuinely deserved. As an added bonus we get to see and hear her again as she joins the main act on stage for a few numbers too, all of which goes down a storm. If you like some very chilled story telling folk music sung beautifully then you should do yourself a favour and check Elanor Moss out.
MUSIC PREMIERES
Four years on from the ‘Actual Life’ series lifting him into the mainstream spotlight, Fred Again.. continues to feel unavoidable. The London producer and DJ born Fred Gibson has moved at a relentless pace, bouncing between sold out stadium dates in New York and surprise appearances at Sheffield’s 1,000 capacity Forge, while also making history as the first electronic artist to top the bill at Reading and Leeds in 2024.
Where the ‘Actual Life’ releases and his fourth album, 2024’s ‘Ten Days’, leaned into warmth and joy pulled from ordinary moments, Gibson has also sharpened his instinct for high impact club weapons rooted in garage, dubstep and jungle. That side of his output lives on ‘USB’, an “infinite album” first imagined in 2022 as a home for tracks that exist outside any fixed universe, including defining moments like ‘Rumble’ and ‘Jungle’.
‘USB002’, the second vinyl only chapter of the ‘USB’ project, brings together 16 recent tracks, many of which surfaced gradually on streaming services over a ten week stretch. The music was shaped live, in step with ten unannounced DJ appearances across the world from Dublin to Mexico City. Even with a Glastonbury style registration system in place, The Times reported that 100,000 people tried to secure tickets for the opening night in Glasgow.
Appropriately, ‘USB002’ feels alive and constantly in motion, helped along by contributions from close collaborators such as Floating Points and Sammy Virji. The rigid, techno driven pressure of ‘Ambery’ echoes elements of Floating Points’ 2019 album ‘Crush’, while Gibson’s take on ‘The Floor’ builds like the slow climb of a rollercoaster before dropping back to earth without warning.
The guest list stretches beyond the usual dance circles, with two Australian guitar bands popping up in unexpected ways. ‘You’re A Star’ reworks Amyl and The Sniffers’ ‘Big Dreams’ into a breakbeat driven rush, while ‘Hardstyle 2’ pulls the experimental post punk edge of Shady Nasty into an Underworld adjacent space alongside Kettama. Gibson’s real trick is his ability to connect with anyone. These tracks are not reinterpretations but full takeovers.
The visual world wrapped around the ‘USB002’ rollout reinforces the instinct behind the music. Phones were prohibited at shows staged in vast warehouse spaces under sweeping light rigs, while Gibson’s team shared striking black and white footage and created artwork for each single on site. Bottling that sense of urgency, the project is rooted in the thrill of the present moment, something Gibson seems able to summon simply by turning up.
If the ‘Actual Life’ series and ‘Ten Days’ captured passing snapshots of experience, ‘USB’ is defined by constant movement, a space where boundaries are removed entirely. Sitting somewhere between an album and a playlist, ‘USB002’ underlines why Fred Again.. feels so dominant right now, and suggests that his current run may only be the beginning of something much bigger.
