Baxter Dury returns to the East Midlands just as sharp, as he enters his dance-pop era. The last time we saw him in Nottingham was hitting supporting duties for Primal Scream back in April. Now, with his ninth studio album in tow, Dury gets to do it all again. But this time as the leading man...
For tonight, Rock City was densely packed, sporting every age bracket available. It was a fitting melting pot of '70s kids fondly remembering Ian Dury and Noughties kids who have marvelled at Baxter's work since 2002.
The night kicked off with Joshua Idehen. A charismatic spoken-word poet who was both funny and meticulous in craft, he was a support like no other. Performing alongside his beat-maker Saturday/Monday (AKA Ludvig Parment), Idehen made us think with his social commentary via Music Does the Washing all the while making us dance with electronic masterclass, It Always Was.
It's not an easy feat showing what you're all about to a crowd who are mostly not here for you. But Idehen made it look easy, almost effortless. Poignant moments of word and sound, Joshua envisioned for us to all be friends and by the end, we most certainly were.
After a truly enthralling setlist lasting a solid three quarters of an hour; it's safe to say that the crowd were all warmed up. But with Joshua posing as part-comic, part-poet, all-round performer - who can follow up such entertainment?
Enter: Baxter Dury.
Allbarone, once stripped down, is a finely-polished disco record. A nine-track blitz of dancefloor indentations and curious grooves, it sees Baxter at his most charming and most confident. It is this same bodacious bravado that he no doubt planned to take on tour with him. A physical presence in flailing limbs, gesticulating poses and flaunting stretched suit jackets. Impassioned deliverance in imaginative voice. An iconic character in an industry that has a habit of repeating itself, his mannerisms are too enticing to look away - for fear you'll miss out on something rather spectacular.
Simply put, Baxter is a true commandeer on stage. Now, with a new direction surveying the land of dance and disco, it's just gone up a level.
Wading in the new Allbarone era, it was evident that neither Baxter (or the essential backing band doing the rhythmic heavy lifting) were set to just stand on ceremony here. The punchy power of Alpha Dog and the flamboyant swagger of Hapsburg saw the new tunes puff their chests out on the main stage while favourite classics I'm Not Your Dog and The Night Chancers (from 2020's record of the same name) also found spots. The new record still got plenty of run-ins however, with the doozy Kubla Khan bringing the house down with its decree of funky pleasure dreams.
An artist will always have one undeniable track that holds setlist royalty across every leg of a tour. For Baxter, you needn't look any further than Miami. Taken off Prince of Tears in 2017, it introduces us to a cocksure character with delusions from heartbreak. A bodacious anthem that oozes sleaze, patter and a devilishly slick bassline, it has Baxter comparing himself from Morgan Freeman to an urban goose. And yet, it's everything we have come to expect from him.
Before we're acclimatised, the lead stalwart sends us off into the night looking for a good time. More importantly, the dance-floor. You wouldn't expect such certified dance-pop filler to be associated with a man who's backlog is mostly spoken-word indie offerings. But it all just seems to work so well together. A horror-show of a love story in the rain outside of an All Bar One, the hit single delivers scurrying synth stabs and an off-kilter rhythm. An anthem deserving of any floor, Rock City was alive and bouncing. And all the while, as Baxter strode the stage uttering very little between the 20-track setlist, the crowd still hung onto his every word; every cadence.
As the rip-roaring scale of Baxter (these are my friends) - an iconic collaboration between Dury and Fred Again.. - belted out, it reminded us of one thing. The magic of live music and its sense of belonging within a hard-fought community. And as the house lights were brought up and the smiles on sweaty faces were brought into view, it gives you another reminder that this is what we live for. And why we must keep doing it.
After leaving Cardiff, the UK leg of the tour fittingly saw Baxter headline London's Hammersmith Apollo on the 22nd November - 46 years since his dad, Ian Dury, performed his own noteworthy concert there. The tour will then continue into Europe, ending in Lisbon - all before Christmas.
Baxter Dury performed at Rock City on 18th November 2025.
We have a favour to ask
LeftLion is Nottingham’s meeting point for information about what’s going on in our city, from the established organisations to the grassroots. We want to keep what we do free to all to access, but increasingly we are relying on revenue from our readers to continue. Can you spare a few quid each month to support us?
