ANDY HEDGECOCK is entertained by a playful novel that embeds a fictional game at its heart
PERSONNEL-HEAVY English folk band Bellowhead walked away decisively from live performances in 2016 with a sell-out show at the London Palladium – so they were keen to portray this global concert stream as nothing more than a one-off reunion, organised to celebrate the 10th anniversary of their successful third album, Hedonism.
Operating together under “strict Covid-safe conditions” in Stabal Mansion near Epping Forest, their hour-long, 15-song set was, naturally, based around songs from Hedonism, although there were excursions into other albums.
While the feel and subject matter of their roustabout material makes their recorded work rather samey, when it comes to the live experience there’s no doubting they know how to hit the spot.
SUSAN DARLINGTON swoons in the presence of a magnetic frontman
New releases by Porridge Radio, The Cribs, and Bjorn Meyer
This is a remarkable set of hop hip, salsa, reggae, soul, cumbia and traditional Mexican music finds TONY BURKE
MIK SABIERS wallows in a night of political punk and funk that fires both barrels at Trump



