Nice’n’Sleazy’s, 20 December
It’s now almost a week since attending, what looks like, my last gig of the year with headliner the Miki Berenyi Trio and local support F.O. Machete.
I’ve used the lapsed time to listen to both their 2025 albums, assess how they both interpreted and re-mixed them into the live setting, and finally positioned the gig amongst all those I had seen during 2025.
Unlike the majority of gigs I went to this year, the impulse to attend was primarily to see F.O. Machete as a result of their album Mother of a Thousand, released in February this year. The album may only be a touch over 40 minutes in length, yet the 10 tracks put down here reflect everything you would hope for in a guitar focused alt-rock band, pounding riffs, a mix of shouty and quietly sung lyrics, wonderful melodies with carefully crafted lyrics.
While the core of the band is made up of Natasha Noramly on bass and lead vocals with Paul Mellon on lead guitar and vocals, at Nice’n’Sleazy’s they added Olly on additional guitar and Jamie on drums to ensure the setlist truly reflected what they had recorded in the studio. As is often the case, the live renditions sounded that bit edgier than what you hear out of the speakers at home and was all the better for it.
There was an air of confidence about the music they were playing. Relaxed and comfortable in their environment, they seemed to thrive on the feedback they were receiving from the audience so much so they overran their allotted time and had to cut the final song off their setlist.
On the basis of the album, together with a stunning live showing, F.O. Machete is a band not to be missed in 2026.
Miki Berenyi? In truth, once I had bought the ticket for the show to see F.O. Machete, I had to look Miki up to see what I might be letting myself in for. It didn’t take long to find out I’d maybe struck gold. Formerly with Lush, a band that were on the day to day ‘playlist’ or whatever we called it back then, of the early to mid-1990s.
The Miki Berenyi Trio has Miki, Kevin McKillop (Moose) on guitar and Oliver Cherer (Aircooled) on bass and vocals. Add to that the essential backing tracks and the stage was set for a simply ‘lush’ hour or so of shimmering guitars and sweet vocals, dreamy pop at it’s very best.
The bulk of the set came off their 2025 album Tripla, an album that reflects on a not altogether pleasant story of past musical experiences by Miki yet manages to sound positive in every other way possible. Other songs on the night looked back to the past with Lush, a recognition that many in the audience were at their gigs as they looked to further their careers at that time. Even the merch stall seller had been at a QMU gig by all accounts.
Miki Berenyi’s voice has an angelic quality that is captivating throughout the set, the introductions to, and outros of, each song giving some form of context to why they were written. The trio are that happy mix of experienced professionals who have seen it and done it all before. Kicking over microphones by mistake, starting off with the chords to the ‘wrong’ song, all part of the entertainment if played right.
This wasn’t so much nostalgia, more looking back to the past to forge the future. On this showing together with the recent album, the future does look a lot more promising.
Tonight was the accumulation of a few serendipitous events during 2025. The receipt of the F.O. Machete album Mother Of A Thousand as a member of the record label Last Night From Glasgow. An album that made me sit up, listen to on numerous occasions and look out for a gig to hear it live.
To find out they’re supporting the Miki Berenyi Trio resulting in buying their album for ‘research purposes’ of course! An album that reminded me why I fell in love with the dream pop / shoegaze genre in the past. An album packed with well crafted, developed and executed songs.
To then see both bands live in Nice’n’Sleazy’s up close and personal. A venue that offers an intimate setting for bands and audience alike.
There have been quite a few gigs this year as part of the #AtoZMusicalTour at home and abroad. Venues large, sometimes too large, and small. Indoors and outdoors. From well kent acts plying their trade for years on the worldwide circuit, to bands, like tonight, who still shine brightly after a musical resurgence that keeps so many of their fans as happy as they were during their first coming together.
The world is a shitty place at present, but nights like this remind us of all that is good, and long may that continue.
With thanks to F.O. Machete, the Miki Berenyi Trio, Nice’n’Sleazy’s and every act, venue, place and audience we’ve shared musical memories with this year.
