The Waterboys are back on the road, and this time they’re bringing with them a bold new album, Life, Death and Dennis Hopper. With over four decades of music behind them, Mike Scott and his ever-evolving lineup continue to deliver performances that blend nostalgia with fearless reinvention.
The night was a sold-out show at the iconic Roundhouse in Chalk Farm. With its circular architecture and intimate acoustics, the venue was the perfect setting for a night of good music. Beer in hand and the buzz of anticipation thick in the air, the crowd erupted as The Waterboys hit the stage—decked out in glittery cowboy hats and flares. Yeehaw!
They opened with “Glastonbury Song,” met with a roar of approval, before easing into the beloved classic “How Long Will I Love You.” Bro Paul Brown lit up the stage with his keyboard work on “Be My Enemy,” which ended with a cheeky nod to the Rolling Stones’ “Bitch.” Then came a show-stopping piano solo from James Hallawell on “This Is the River,” nearly sending the crowd into a frenzy.
Midway through the set, a video of Steve Earle performing “Kansas” set the stage for something special. Mike Scott introduced their new concept album, inspired by the life and times of Dennis Hopper—an idea, he claimed, that came to him in a dream. As the band played selections from the album, scenes from Easy Rider and vintage footage of Hopper and Peter Fonda played behind them, adding a cinematic layer to the performance.
The encore was a celebration in itself. Members of the support band Sugar Foot and rising star Barney Fletcher joined The Waterboys on stage for a rousing rendition of “The Whole of the Moon,” transporting the audience to a time when life felt carefree. Scott then handed the spotlight to Barney, who performed his own track “Wasted Sunset” with Scott backing him—a touching moment that hinted at a bright future for the young artist, clearly in awe of his mentor.
The night closed with none other than “Fisherman’s Blues,” met with a thunderous singalong that echoed through the Roundhouse.
On the way back to the tube, I chatted with a longtime fan who recommended the documentary A Wild and Beautiful Ride, which chronicles the making of the new album. He said it brings the songs to life in a whole new way—so if you’re catching The Waterboys on this tour, maybe grab some popcorn and give it a watch beforehand.
Setlist
Glastonbury song
How long will I love you
Be my enemy (with ‘Bitch’ by the Rolling Stones outro)
Medicine Bow
When ye go away (band intro then)
This is the sea
Life, death and Dennis Hopper (showing Kansas Stephen Earle video)
Live in the moment baby
The tourist (featuring with Barny Fletcher and Sugar foot)
Andy a guy like you
Blues for Terry Southern
Hopper’s on top (Genius) (featuring Barny Fletcher and Sugar foot)
Transcendental Peruvian blues
Michelle (Always stay)
Letter from an unknown girlfriend (Mike Scott solo)
10 years gone
I don’t know how I made it (with Barny Fletcher)
Golf, they say (featuring Barny Fletcher and Sugar foot)
The passing of Hopper
Don’t bang the drum
A girl called Johnny
Spirit
The pan within (extended outro)
The whole of the moon
Wasted sunset (Barny Fletcher cover)
Fisherman’s blues (featuring Barny Fletcher and Sugar foot)
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.
