Hottest Tickets: Take That, Westlife, Boyzone and the Enduring Appeal of Boybands

Boybands have always been big business, but have manbands become even bigger business? A quick look at Stereoboard’s Hottest 100 list suggests that they might well have. Over the coming weeks, Westlife will get their 25th anniversary celebrations underway at the Royal Albert Hall in London, while next year both Boyzone and Take That will hit the road for colossal stadium shows. Here, we take a look at just why these groups continue to resonate with people so deeply.

Written by: Stereoboard | Date: Wednesday, 22 October 2025

Five Sets That Blew Us Away At Sŵn 2025

Photo: Ren Faulkner Each year, as the summer’s festivals fade into a distant memory and the cold winter nights draw in, Sŵn is a beacon warding off impending winter blues by unleashing an onslaught of new music onto the streets of Cardiff, taking over venues both traditional and unusual across the Welsh capital. The only downside of this bountiful celebration of culture is that you can’t catch everyone.

Written by: James Palaczky | Date: Tuesday, 21 October 2025

'We Don't Want to be What You Want Us to Be': Swim School On Their Debut LP and Tour Plans

Swim School are in the midst of a deeply exciting time, with the release of their self-titled debut album running straight into a buzzy UK and Ireland headline tour, which kicks off in Newcastle on November 5. Comprising guitarist-vocalist Alice Johnson, guitarist Lewis Bunting, bassist Lee Brown and drummer Billy McMahon, the Edinburgh band’s sound is a potent blend of shoegaze noise and heady melody — we caught up with them to chatting about everything from the brutality of the music industry to blending genres and touring in a cold van.

Written by: Laura Mills | Date: Monday, 20 October 2025

Scream Louder: Five Pivotal Florence + The Machine Performances

Photo: Autumn De Wilde There are few sights in contemporary pop quite like Florence Welch in full flow. Over the course of almost two decades, the leader of Florence + The Machine has become one of the most arrestingly theatrical live performers on the planet, melding startling vocal power with otherworldly presence equal parts Stevie Nicks and folk-tale sprite.

Written by: Stereoboard | Date: Tuesday, 14 October 2025

The View From The Merch Table: Panic Shack

Photo: Ren Faulkner If you love music, your wardrobe is likely stuffed full of band shirts. You might have a bunch of hoodies or a cap or two as well, or maybe something even more eclectic than that. It’s a conversation starter with fellow fans, a way of announcing that you belong to a certain scene, and a way of shouting about bands you love. On top of that, it’s also a vital way of putting money in artists’ pockets at a time where making enough money is harder than ever. Put simply, it’s the lifeblood of music.

Written by: Emma Wilkes | Date: Thursday, 09 October 2025

'We're The UK's Halloween Band': Creeper On 'Sanguivore II', Cosplay and Comic Con

Photo: Harry Steel For Creeper, rock music is about much more than just riffs and anthemic choruses. While the Southampton goth-punk outfit certainly do a brisk trade in both, there’s a third key element that defines their vision: world-building. From their earliest incarnations, the band have fused theatricality and storytelling with a level of commitment few of their peers can match, creating universes that expand far beyond the confines of a record sleeve. 

Written by: Maddy Howell | Date: Monday, 06 October 2025

'This Year Has Been Crazy': Blood Incantation On Critical Acclaim and Absolute Elsetour II

Photo: Julian Weigand “This year has been crazy, probably the craziest yet,” Paul Riedl says, and given the past 12 months in Blood Incantation’s world it’s not hard to see where he’s coming from. The progressive death-metal titans have barely stopped touring since the release of their incredible fourth album ‘Absolute Elsewhere’ in October last year, but as he logs on to Zoom to chat with Stereoboard, the vocalist and guitarist cuts the figure of a contented, grateful, emboldened man.

Written by: Jack Butler-Terry | Date: Friday, 03 October 2025

The Setlist Draft: What Should The Cure Play At Their 2026 UK and Ireland Shows?

Photo: Andy Vella The Cure are returning for their first full-length tour since the release of 2024 comeback album ‘Songs of a Lost World’. Over the past few days, Robert Smith’s post-punk luminaries have announced multiple 2026 European festival dates, including headline spots at weekenders as huge as Primavera Sound, Isle Of Wigh, Rock en Seine, and Nova Rock. 

Written by: Matt Mills | Date: Thursday, 02 October 2025

A Life That Might Inspire Others: Modern Nature Discuss 'The Heat Warps'

Photo: Michael Stasiak Modern Nature’s latest album ‘The Heat Warps’ opens to the sound of dual guitars echoing, weaving, dancing around each other. It’s a world away from the impressionistic, abstract approach of the alternative rock band’s previous albums and finds them adopting a less-is-more philosophy.

Written by: Jeremy Blackmore | Date: Tuesday, 30 September 2025

A Call To Arms: Sprints Talk 'All That Is Over'

Photo: Emilia Spitale While it’s far from a hot take, it needs to be emphasised just how much of a great place Irish alternative music is in right now, from cutting edge acts such as Just Mustard and Gilla Band to folk channelers Lankum and The Mary Wallopers to world-beaters Fontaines D.C.. Over the past decade, its tangle of scenes has produced consistently interesting, exciting and progressive prospects. A swathe of bands are also pushing post-punk and noise-rock into daring, yet accessible realms, among them Gurriers, NewDad and the intense Dublin four-piece Sprints.

Written by: Tom Morgan | Date: Monday, 29 September 2025

Still Smitten: Pale Waves On Touring, Changing Meanings and Their Next Step

Photo: @shotbykelsi Released last autumn, ‘Smitten’ was something of a reset for Pale Waves, bringing back their earlier blend of guitar jangle and synth-pop, this time complete with effortless polish. The Mancunian band are about to hit the road for another round of touring behind their fourth LP, visiting compact rooms throughout October that will amp up its emotional flourishes. 

Written by: Laura Mills | Date: Wednesday, 24 September 2025

Danceable Realism: Youth Sector on the Duality of 'Pop Couture'

“Life is a scam, get your money back,” Nick Tompkins cries to kick off Crime, an early highlight on Youth Sector’s debut album ‘Pop Couture’. On paper, it’s a lyric that sets the tone for another bleak, despondent post-punk track, mirroring the dire state of affairs that Britain finds itself in. But, in the case of the Brighton five piece’s sound, you can think again.

Written by: Rishi Shah | Date: Monday, 22 September 2025

Out of Tomorrows: Members of Landless and Lankum Combine To Create Poor Creature's Spectral Folk

Photo: Cian Flynn Ruth Clinton and Cormac MacDiarmada have entranced audiences with their contemporary takes on traditional Irish folk in their respective bands Landless and Lankum and both had contributed to each other’s records. So, when the couple were confined to their home in Sligo during lockdown, it was only natural that a new collaboration was born.

Written by: Jeremy Blackmore | Date: Monday, 15 September 2025

Hottest Tickets: Lady Gaga, Lewis Capaldi, Olivia Dean and the Different Stages of Arena Stardom

Arena stardom is a difficult proposition all around — it’s difficult to achieve in the first place, but it’s perhaps equally difficult to maintain. It’s also a serious challenge to reinvent yourself artistically once you’ve reached that level of popularity and fan buy-in.

Written by: Stereoboard | Date: Wednesday, 03 September 2025

Stars Align: How Things Fell Into Place For Slow Crush on 'Thirst'

Photo: Stefaan Temmerman It feels like Slow Crush have been around forever. Though their debut album only landed in 2018, the Belgian band’s crushing brand of shoegaze feels monolithic — it takes genre hallmarks and elevates them to singular, heavier new heights that feel familiar and fresh all in the same breath.

Written by: Jack Butler-Terry | Date: Tuesday, 02 September 2025

Favourite Haunts: Still In Love, Cheerbleederz and Harker on the Small Venues They Love

Clockwise from left: Still In Love, Cheerbleederz, Harker Welcome to the latest edition of Favourite Haunts, where we like to make a big noise about small venues and the bands who make their stages their home for weeks and months out of the year. Here, we catch up with some indie-punk lifers in Cheerbleederz and Harker, along with UKHC royalty in the form of Still in Love. Head below to find out which rooms they  get a kick out of seeing on a tour routing.

Written by: Huw Baines | Date: Tuesday, 26 August 2025

The Setlist Draft: Curating Our Perfect Post Malone Show

Photo: Adam DeGross​ After leaning fully into his country influences on 2024 album ‘F-1 Trillion’, Post Malone has announced his return to the UK this September for two huge shows at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium as part of a massive European run.

Written by: Maddy Howell | Date: Monday, 18 August 2025

Three Cheers For The Black Parade: Five Pivotal My Chemical Romance Performances

Photo: Chapman Baehler “We were spectacular. Every show I knew this, every show I felt it with or without external confirmation.”

Written by: Huw Baines | Date: Wednesday, 13 August 2025

'It's All Testament to the Fans': As December Falls On Their New Album and Massive UK Tour

As December Falls’ rise happened slowly at first, and then all at once. The Nottingham quartet had plugged away quietly for years, wearing their hearts on the sleeves of their earnest pop-punk songs, but that changed with the release of their third album ‘Join The Club’ in 2023, when the broadening of their musical horizons was reflected back by a surge in popularity.

Written by: Will Marshall | Date: Tuesday, 12 August 2025

The View From The Merch Table: Humour

Photo: Rosie Sco If you love music, your wardrobe is likely stuffed full of band shirts. You might have a bunch of hoodies or a cap or two as well, or maybe something even more eclectic than that. It’s a conversation starter with fellow fans, a way of announcing that you belong to a certain scene, and a way of shouting about bands you love. On top of that, it’s also a vital way of putting money in artists’ pockets at a time where making enough money is harder than ever. Put simply, it’s the lifeblood of music.

Written by: Emma Wilkes | Date: Thursday, 07 August 2025