For those of you who follow our content, you will be familiar with Isaac Neilson and his formidable challenge of playing a gig every single day of 2026. Isaac first caught our attention at the beginning of the year when our socials team came across one of his videos, so we reached out. Since then we have both attended Isaacs gigs and also booked him for a few of ours. 6 months in, Isaac is mid-way through his incredible journey, and I was honoured when he invited me to attend his half way gig at South City MCR studios.
So my Uber dropped me at the studio, and I took the elevator up to the fifth floor. There I was met by the studio staff who welcomed me with a cold can of cider. I immediately realised this wasn’t just any normal gig, this was an intimate session, a treat for those of us who have been following Isaac throughout his challenge. Everyone there was friendly, and although I arrived alone, I didn’t feel alone – the people who were attending this sold out event were the kind of people you want to be at a gig with. The staff at South City Studios were as friendly as they were professional (they kept handing me free beer, it doesn’t get much better than that!), and you can really tell that they are passionate about what they do.
Unfortunately due to having to travel, I missed Daisy Peacock’s opening set. I did manage to catch up with her during the break, and instantly I could see why Isaac had chosen this Birmingham based Indie Pop singer and her band to be a part of his half way show. Daisy has a huge following, and with catchy tunes like Girlbestfriend it isn’t difficult to see why.
I was lucky enough to catch all of Frank and The Beats’ set, including their brand new tune ‘Never Forget Where You Came From’, which was actually released on the day of the gig. This gave the whole night another reason to feel like every one there was a part of something worth remembering. This group of Manchester based, energetic post-punk lads just oozed cool throughout their whole set, and after catching up with Frank and the lads afterwards, they were equally as awesome off the stage.
Now, anyone who knows Isaac or follows his journey, will have seen how confidently he vlogs every day of his challenge. This energy follows him up onto the stage, and with his little quips and between song story telling, the uniqueness of this event was really amplified. With minimal but effective lighting effect, the divide between the crowd and stage was completely removed, it felt more like we were all invited to a really cool house party where your mates were kicking out some really mint tunes. All of Isaac’s songs tell a story, some of them deeper and some are darker, yet he still manages to insert his charm and humor into his indie rock shows. He played a great set list, including fan favourites ‘Dated a Daydream’ and ‘Spiked’ as well as more recent tracks like ‘Falling Down’ and his most recent release ‘Getting Better’. With a backing like the one of his band, it’s hard not to be impressed each time I see one of his shows.
Don’t worry if you missed this gig, he’s literally playing every fucking day. We have managed to book him to open for The Robber’s Dogs Growler Rally on the 27th August in Ellesmere Port so get yourselves down. As for Daisy and Frank (and The Beats!), we have a feeling they will be breaking out into the Liverpool scene before long, so keep your eyes peeled!
Ryan White