13 February 2026 (gig)
22 h
GoGo Penguin, the Manchester jazz-fusion three-piece who have steadily carved out a reputation among punters and critics alike, are playing the Alcatraz Club in Milan tonight. Formed in 2012, their debut album Fanfares, released later that year, was warmly received, and its follow-up v2.0 earned a Mercury Prize shortlist nomination in 2014.
The decade since has brought change. Original drummer Rob Turner departed, replaced by Jon Scott, and fairly recently a new bassist, Nick Blacka has joined founding pianist Chris Illingworth. In that time, a wave of nu-jazz acts blending electronica, trip hop and classical textures have emerged. That surge may have dulled some of the early neon sheen around the band’s name, nudging them slightly from the spotlight. Yet 2025’s Necessary Fictions proves they remain creatively sharp: a confident, cohesive record. The new single, “Call To The Void”, is particularly striking — driven by muscular bass, flowing piano lines and a strutting backbeat that hints at a darker, more brooding terrain.
The Alcatraz Club houses both a main stage and a smaller room, and it is the more intimate space that hosts them tonight. Still, the place is packed out with a sea of hipsters in the house. Perhaps the Winter Olympics currently in and around Milan have drawn a few wandering music lovers into town, or perhaps Italy harbours a quiet but loyal following. Either way, the atmosphere is buoyant. Curiously, there is no merchandise on sale — no vinyl, no T-shirts — unusual in an era when touring bands rely heavily on such revenue streams.
General chit chat and background noise dissipates once the music begins. From the outset, the trio lock in, crafting intricate rhythmic patterns built around delicate, looping piano motifs, all underpinned by resonant bass lines that constantly suggest a shift in direction. Add to that a good light show , it’s a very pleasant show, constantly immersive and interesting for the crowd.
Most tracks from the new record make the setlist. “Fallowfield Loops”, “What We Are and What We Are Meant to Be” and “Umbra” feel especially compelling — broader and more expansive than their studio counterparts, with an urgency that adds extra weight to their layered soundscapes. They close the main set with crowd favourites “Hopopono” and “Parasite”, the audience attentive and fully absorbed. The band clearly sense that engagement, offering genuinely warm appreciation as they leave the stage.
They return with special guest Daudi Matsiko for “Forgive All the Damages”, his vocal mirroring the album version with poise and restraint. A blistering rendition of “Protest” follows — brimming with tension and nervous energy, driven powerfully by Blacka and Scott.
My one reservation? The absence of the new single from the setlist. Perhaps it has yet to find its natural place within an already finely tuned performance, but it feels like a missed opportunity. On record, it opens up another dimension in the band’s evolving sonic palette.
Over the coming months, GoGo Penguin will tour fourteen European countries, with twenty-nine dates already confirmed — a tireless and committed live outfit. With shows lined up in Bristol, Leeds, Norwich and Newcastle, take the plunge and gogo see.
