Mondo Bizarre Magazine Concert Reviews, Concerts

The Divine Comedy, Casa da Música, Porto, 09.03.2026.

© Mondo Bizarre Magazine/Telma Mota

words: Raquel Pinheiro
photos: Telma Mota

Flying With Friends

The Divine Comedy made a stop on their current tour at Casa da Música, in Sala Suggia – the orchestra room. The band is promoting their latest, beautiful album Rainy Sunday Afternoon, one of my favourite records of 2025.

If I was asked to describe them to someone who has never heard them, my first description would be baroque pop, which fits particularly well with Victory For The Comic Muse (2006), from which they played my beloved A Lady Of A Certain Age. Baroque pop can also be applied to Achilles, the concert opening song. But, The Divine Comedy are more than that.

Neil Hannon took to the stage in hat, sunglasses, jacket, fronting the band, and it was the beginning of a wonderful musical evening that started with Achilles.

By the end of the third song, When The Lights Go Out, off go the hat and the sunglasses. “I got to take this off”, says Hannon, and removes the glasses. Quickly and playfully questioning the audience: “Are you sleepy?”; Audience: “No.”; “Are you drunk?”; Audience: “No!”

I Want You sees him crouched between the keyboards and the drum kit. The elegant Lady Of A Certain Age, here faster than on record, follows, with me singing along, then “And now for probably my most intellectual song” introduces the upbeat, danceable At The Indie Disco. Neapolitan Girl sees me dancing on my seat.

Mar-A-Lago is lounge hour. Neil has a bar/cocktail station, prepares cocktails for the band, and a glass of wine for Tim Weller, the drummer, while introducing his extraordinary fellow musicians (I’m still marvelling at Simon Little): Andrew Skeet (keyboards), Ian Watson (keyboards, accordion, backing vocals), Simon Little (bass, backing vocals), Tosh Flood (guitar, backing vocals), Rosie Thompson (violin) and the aforementioned Tim Weller (drums).

The audience claps enthusiastically every time a drink is delivered to a band member. For himself, Neil pours red wine. From here onwards things become even more enthusiastic.

There will be Neil on his knees on stage; Neil stepping out of the stage walking in front of the front row, falling to the floor, seating up, sitting on the front row – during Our Mutual Friend – and lots of talking: “Thank you front row. If I ever go too far just call me out. You’re free to dance if you want, to move around, I don’t care. It’s more fun”.

And a dancing party starts by the stage, that will end up fully crowded. I’m the only person dancing in the press/guests box, perched on the heights of a wall. Which is a ton of fun, matching what is going down below.

The Heart is a Lonely Hunter, a beautiful romantic song, calms things down a little, and there are now people seated between the front row and the stage: “It’s good you’re sitting down there. It’s like Woodstock”. It kind of is. 🙂

Absent Friends is raising his glass to the audience time and to call on us: “Come on everybody, let’s share the experience.” Down there everyone stands up and dances. Generation Sex not only has an incredibly more partying audience, but the band sound getting louder. Which continues with National Express, the end of the main part.

For the encore we’re treated to To The Rescue, the poignant Invisible Thread, and a delirious finale with Tonight We Fly. And, indeed, flew we did.

© Mondo Bizarre Magazine/Telma Mota

The band:
Neil Hannon – vocals, guitar, tambourine
Andrew Skeet – keyboards
Ian Watson – keyboards, accordion, backing vocals,
Simon Little – bass, backing vocals
Tosh Flood – guitar, backing vocals
Rosie Thompson – violin
Tim Weller- drums

Setlist:
Achilles
The Last Time I Saw the Old Man
When the Lights Go Out All Over Europe
Assume The Perpendicular
Rainy Sunday Afternoon
I Want You
A Lady Of A Certain Age
At The Indie Disco
Neapolitan Girl
Mar-a-Lago by the Sea
Bang Goes The Knighthood
Our Mutual Friend
I Like
Bad Ambassador
The Heart is a Lonely Hunter
Other People
Absent Friends
Becoming More Like Alfie
Generation Sex
National Express
To The Rescue
Invisible Thread
Tonight We Fly

Mondo Bizarre Magazine Concert Reviews, Concerts

Wavves, Mouco, Porto, 28.02.2026.

© Mondo Bizarre Magazine/Telma Mota

words: Paulo Carmona (freely translated by Raquel Pinheiro)
photos: Telma Mota

It was an intense, youthful, irreverent, dynamic and joyous concert from start to finish.

Almost without interruption, with very little chatter, and no hidden agendas.

This Californian quartet knew exactly what they had come for and did not hold back. They delivered everything they had to give in just under an hour, treating their audience to energetic surf rock infused with plenty of that neo-punk edge characteristic of many North American West Coast bands.

Heavily distorted, striking guitars, a strong and present bass, and an immensely energetic, tightly played and incredibly powerful drum kit. It’s a recipe that never fails.

The first assault came with Way Too Much, Idiot, King Of a Beach and Tarantula. Nathan Williams, the project’s founding member, is effusive and provocative. He urged the crowd to split down the middle, only to then charge at one another. It worked perfectly. The mosh and the slam took over Mouco, and the rest is well known. For a few moments, we are all teenagers again.

A special mention for Nine Is God, a very well-structured and captivating song. They closed their set with Green Eyes and took their leave beneath enthusiastic applause, though without an encore. It is what it is, and that’s perfectly fine.

Mondo Bizarre Magazine Concert Reviews, Concerts

Miles Kane, Hard Club, Porto, 13.02.2026.

© Mondo Bizarre Magazine/Telma Mota

words: Paulo Carmona (freely translated by Raquel Pinheiro)
photos: Telma Mota

I could have begun this article with any of the following titles: The Art of Knowing How to Be on Stage; The Magic of Rock’n’Roll; A British Rocker à la Carte; or The Fever of a Friday the 13th at the End of a Storm. Any one of them would have suited Miles Kane’s concert at the Hard Club in Porto.

But I’ll start by saying that I witnessed one of the finest performances I have had the pleasure to see in recent times, because Miles Kane is utterly captivating on stage. All that mojo spills from every pore of his skin. He wants to be loved and idolised by the audience — and he achieves it with a chameleon-like passport in shades of fine French champagne.

He offers the back of his neck to the crowd at the front, to be stroked like a pampered cat, but always in moderation. Then he erupts with every song, exuding the attitude of a wild, untamed Baudelaire. He smiles, sending sensual sparks with every movement, and his guitar is a lunatic that seems intent on reaching multiple climaxes, so excited is it.

It all began the very moment he set foot on stage, launching into Electric Flower, Rearrange, Trouble Son and Cry on My Guitar, and continued seamlessly, supported by his backing band, who give him the space to shine, until he closed with Come Closer. Naturally.

He thanked the crowd, thanked them again, distributed greetings, autographs, and love to his fans, and withdrew with poise, swagger, and the style of a true artist. And he truly is one.

Mondo Bizarre Magazine Concert Reviews, Concerts

The Youth Play, Mouco, Porto, 30.01. 2026.

© Mondo Bizarre Magazine/Telma Mota

words: Paulo Carmona (freely translated by Raquel Pinheiro)photos: Telma Mota

So Young, So Young … The Youth Play take to the stage to enjoy themselves, and that sense of enjoyment comes through in every song.

They walked on stage with an introverted, introspective air, but the mood shifted quickly.

The frenetic cadence of their alternative rock ’n’ roll -characteristic of post-punk bands operating within this sonic register – takes effect almost immediately. This British band further embellishes its sound with flashes of abrasive shoegaze.

Diego Bracho, on vocals and guitar, smiling and self-assured, delivers chords in a tightly sequenced rhythm, supported by vocal lines rich in upper-mid tones and firmly grounded low registers. He combines ethereal, looping vocals with layers of distorted guitar.

He communicates effortlessly with the audience and remains constantly in motion. He did not hesitate to leave the stage and merge with the crowd at Mouco. The desired effect was achieved, as bodies responded in kind.

Harrison Ballard, on lead guitar, makes it scream in sharp, piercing melodies, while Alex Hanrahan on bass blends syncopated rhythms with solid, dependable structures whenever weight is required. Finley Bruce is the band’s driving force. With a dense, low-end drum sound, he imposes exactly what is needed for The Youth Play’s sound to be what it wants to be.

They opened with Castle, May Be This Was All For Us and Wild Flowers, moved through On Fire and After a Moment, and closed with Cowboy, A Fair Life, Sunday and If We Just Ever Were.
A blend of older material alongside newer songs from Someday, Forever, their 2025 album.

After the concert, the band stayed on to spend time more closely with enthusiastic fans in an adjacent space. A genuinely generous gesture from the members of The Youth Play. It is rare to see, but it should happen far more often.

© Mondo Bizarre Magazine/Telma Mota
Mondo Bizarre Magazine Concert Reviews, Concerts

Noiserv, Casa da Música, 06.12.2025.

© Nuno Lopes/Mondo Bizarre Magazine

words: Paulo Carmona (freely translated by Raquel Pinheiro); photos: Nuno Lopes

Noiserv is a brilliant project, conceived by a brilliant artist gifted with an unusual, multifaceted creative capacity.

David Santos, the driving force and sole member of the project, is a talented multi-instrumentalist who manages to capture an audience’s full attention, despite barely being able to move, far too occupied playing instruments, recording, sequencing, and performing all at once, offering his audience live music that almost always grows in dynamic range until it reaches its melodic peak.

Sala Suggia of Casa da Música, though not sold out, was very respectably filled to welcome Noiserv, and David delivered exactly what was expected, or even more.

The concert revolved around his new album, 7305, the artist’s fifth full-length record. Another remarkable work whose spacious, contemplative sound carries us into landscapes with the atmosphere of a northern lights sky.

© Nuno Lopes/Mondo Bizarre Magazine

All one had to do was close one’s eyes and let the sound take us anywhere. Long Journey and Resumidamente opened the way for older pieces such as The Sad Story Of a Little Town and Don’t Say Hi, If You Don’t Have Time For A Nice Goodbye. The set list moved fluidly between tracks from the new album and selections from earlier periods.

Special note must go to A Self-Conversation Is To Loud For An Empty Room, singular and unsettling in its beauty, performed entirely on acoustic guitar.

Noiserv also presented tracks featuring collaborations with A Garota Não (Cátia Oliveira) and Milhanas, the latter appearing onstage to perform A Casa das Rodas Quadradas, where their two voices intertwined in perfect synergy. The staging and lighting were superb, fully worthy of that iconic Porto hall.

It was a warm, celebratory evening, not least because David is an excellent storyteller with a wonderful sense of humour. We all left happy.

© Nuno Lopes/Mondo Bizarre Magazine
Mondo Bizarre Magazine Concert Reviews, Concerts

Best Youth – CCOP, Porto, 04.12.2025.

© Paulo Carmona/Mondo Bizarre Magazine

The Best Youth performance at the CCOP auditorium in Porto unfolded in two distinct parts — different in texture, yet beautifully complementary.

Part I – celebrating 10 years of Highway Moon

Best Youth are a breath of warm, gentle air drifting across a deserted beach on a spring morning still steeped in youth.

The atmospheres they summon almost allow us to levitate for a moment or two. The melodic, contemplative pop of this Porto duo sinks easily beneath the skin, thanks to the richness of the composition and the spell cast by Catarina Salinas’ performance. Her vocal nuances coexist harmoniously with her physical mannerisms, a perfect symbiosis.

Ed Gonçalves, the project’s creative soul, moves between guitar and synths, weaving in vocal melodies here and there. From Sunbird to Renaissance, this was the prevailing atmosphere — the audience yielding to the ritual through rhythmic swaying, sweat-slicked bodies, and joyful shouts.

© Paulo Carmona/Mondo Bizarre Magazine

When Mirrorball arrived, it felt like a prelude to what was coming next.

Part II – An open space for dance-driven rhythms

We stepped into a slightly more frenetic territory of Indie Pop, one that called everyone to the floor — danceable, sensual melodies that remained atmospheric in their pull, the hallmark of what Best Youth do so well.

From Rumba Nera to Midnight Rain, Back With a Bang, and, to finish in style: Cool Kids and Nightfalls. The night was won by all involved. It began well, and ended even better.

Warm-up done!

Mondo Bizarre Magazine Concert Reviews, Concerts

Mayflower Madame, Maus Hábitos, Porto, 27.11.2025.

© Telma Mota/Mondo Bizarre Magazine

words: Neno Costa (freely translated by Raquel Pinheiro); photos: Telma Mota

A welcome surprise on Maus Hábitos stage: Norway’s Mayflower Madame made their Portuguese debut.

Shunning any inflated posturing and maintaining all the discretion they could, the four musicians from Oslo delivered a strong concert, focused on a spotless performance that moved through all three of their albums to date, with a particular emphasis on the most recent, Insight.

Songs such as Lovesick, Paint It All Blue and A Foretold Ecstasy coloured the room with captivating atmospheres, blending – quite fluidly – the sweep of gothic-tinged epics with post-punk exaltation.

Trond Fagernes’s voice, the arrangements, and the rhythm section occasionally summoned cinematic moods, in an immersive performance that did not disappoint.

Decidedly, a band to keep in mind for any Michelin guide to post-sonorities.

© Telma Mota/Mondo Bizarre Magazine
Mondo Bizarre Magazine Concert Reviews, Concerts

The Young Gods, Hard Club, Porto, 24.10.2025.

© Telma Mota/Mondo Bizarre Magazine

words: Neno Costa (freely translated by Raquel Pinheiro); photos: Telma Mota

Six years on, The Young Gods returned to Porto for a performance that in no way disappointed the legion of devoted followers who filled the Hard Club to capacity.

With Swiss punctuality, the trio -long familiar to Portuguese stages since 1990 – appeared to promote their latest album, Appear Disappear, released in June this year.

“I spend my time in the brain of the monster,” sang Franz Treichler, quoting Che Guevara, on Appear Disappear. Riding the mounting tension woven by the energetic guitar riffs, the vigorous electronics of Cesare Pizzi and the tribal percussion of Bernard Trontin, the concert flowed through the creative storm of their latest work before revisiting TV Sky (1992), creating an intriguing juxtaposition that reaffirmed the unmistakable sonic fingerprint of the Swiss trio.

Undisputed masters of finely orchestrated industrial landscapes, The Young Gods delivered a flawless performance that extended across two encores.

The finale came with Did You Miss Me, from their 1987 debut album, a multifaceted evocation at a time when the band celebrates forty years of existence. The night reaffirmed them as a performative force still capable of surprising and stirring… the teenagers of the ’90s.

© Telma Mota/Mondo Bizarre Magazine
Mondo Bizarre Magazine Concert Reviews, Concerts

Samuel Úria, Coliseu do Porto, 17.10.2025.

© Nuno Lopes/Mondo Bizarre Magazine

words: Paulo Carmona (freely translated by Raquel Pinheiro); photos: Nuno Lopes

With characteristic mastery, Samuel Úria prepared his transition towards solo performances on iconic stages, and the Coliseus were no exception.

Samuel appeared in full splendour, surrounded by a panoply of settings, stages and instruments, all enriched and animated by special guests and a chorus of celestial voices. Everything was in place for the night to be memorable, and indeed, it was.

It all began with 2000 AD, the title song of his latest work, and straight away the breath became a complement to the syncopated rhythm of my shoe soles. There was a touch of spaghetti western about the song, and a festive spirit swept through the entire hall of Coliseu do Porto.

Soon after came Pedra e Cal, and someone whispered in my ear, “Samuel does whatever he wants with his voice.” The procession was only just beginning when he announced the first guest – the Queen of Hearts herself: Carol. The song, inspired by Xico da Ladra, a character from the alleys and narrow streets where the artist once roamed and drew inspiration, unfolded like a fable. Imagination is something Samuel knows how to translate into song, and those who listen closely can feel it.

© Nuno Lopes/Mondo Bizarre Magazine

The audience responded instinctively; the atmospheric intensity rose with every beat, every sway of the hips. Samuel is, by nature, an entertainer, a consummate performer. He communicates with ease, radiates genuine warmth and just the right measure of humility, deeply endearing qualities. The crowd loved him for it, answering his gestures with bursts of applause.

There were more surprises and more guests joining Samuel on stage: Margarida Campelo; Manuela Azevedo, with whom he ventured into the middle of the audience to perform Carga de Ombro in a completely acoustic version, a moment that set the Coliseu ablaze.

© Nuno Lopes/Mondo Bizarre Magazine

Then came Milhanas and Gisela João. Each of them wonderful, each unique. One could not have asked for more. The stage even shifted hands, as the band from earlier days – Flor Caveira – filled the air with rock’n’roll à la carte. Like a chameleon slipping between parallel worlds with a diplomat’s passport, Samuel moved through genres that met and mingled here and there.

A special note must be given to É Preciso Que Eu Diminua, in which the artist seemed to perform a near-penitential act. With the wisdom and craft of a poet, he offered his reflection on what it means to accept one’s own place when standing in the light, gently criticising the hollow vanity and narcissism that often accompany it.

He closed the concert, as he must, with Um Adeus Português. It belonged there, perfectly attuned to the moment.

I left Coliseu do Porto as one might leave a banquet of the gods, with a full soul. And I caught myself thinking: “If this man keeps going like this, what more could I possibly say?”
Oh captain, my captain?

© Nuno Lopes/Mondo Bizarre Magazine
Mondo Bizarre Magazine Concert Reviews, Concerts

Sivert Høyem, CCOP, Porto 10.10.2025.

© Paulo Carmona/Mondo Bizarre Magazine

words: Paulo Carmona (edited by Raquel Pinheiro); photos: Paulo Carmona

Sivert Høyem (of Madrugada) possesses an impressive voice with a very rare vocal range in deep tones, very well supported by the diaphragm and perfectly in tune.

He is a man of stories and, more or less, fortunate coincidences with which he captures the audience’s full attention, as they come scented with truth and humor.

Each song is a poetic ode of personal inspiration from something experienced, witnessed, or close. Perhaps that is where his truth and sense of genuine interpretation come from.

The atmosphere felt in each song makes us soar high, and we almost feel a breeze brushing against the skin. It is within the reach of few.

© Paulo Carmona/Mondo Bizarre Magazine

In this intimate solo concert, in which he appears very communicative and friendly, in the third song – Ride On Sisters, and explores his voice between powerful lows and intense, perfect falsettos. Here, Sivert earned the first of several ovations of the night.

Whenever he performs songs from his band – Madrugada – the audience reacts enthusiastically. A good example of this was Majesty, which was sung in full by many of those in the audience. Hollow, On An Island, and even Love vs The World were performed before the announced encore.

© Paulo Carmona/Mondo Bizarre Magazine

Sivert returned to bring us Prisoner, Honey Bee, When Your True Love is Gone, and Moon Landing to end on a high note.

I stayed until the room was practically empty, and there he was, mingling with some of those present. For those on the outside, it really looked like a conversation among friends. Cool!