Real Life Missives - May 2026
“In an attempt to place a little more emphasis on things that happen in ‘real life’, rather than in the seemingly perpetual online world we all seem to spend so much time in, I’ve decided to write this short monthly roundup. The idea for this is to be a record of musical experiences and adventures, as well as exciting discoveries and recommendations, mostly from outside my work as a mastering engineer, but not exclusively so as the line definitely blurs frequently!”
It’s always a treat to just pop across the road from the studio to watch a gig, and I did just that this month to see the first ever gig by The Terrible Vibes! A brand new band but featuring some very experienced players (including Jo and Eve from Shipwrecker), I had the pleasure of mastering their debut single and you’d never have suspected for a second it was their first public performance. I love a good power trio!
I also made it down to Quarry to catch an absolutely brutal show by Pharmakon, who I haven’t seen for a long time but was just as visceral as I remember. It was a noisy, industrial, confrontational performance but not without structure and purpose, it’s a testament to the richness of Pharmakon’s music that it works as both engaging recorded work and a pretty punishing live experience.
A highlight of the month, and indeed the year really, was the second edition of the awesome Outer Waves festival. I can’t even begin to describe how vital this festival has quickly become to anyone in this area, and this year’s line up was just as wonderful as it’s debut last year. Highlights for me included beautiful and life-affirming sets from Haress, Quieting, Dame Area, Lord Spikeheart, a.P.A.t.T. and ØXN, but mostly it was just just a joy to spend time and be surrounded by so many people in the city I live in who have an appetite for music and art that sits well outside of anything that could be considered ‘mainstream’, and my admiration for the small team who make this event happen is endless.
May was soundtracked by: Boards of Canada