THE WAVE: JONNY BOOTH (The Castle Hotel/Gullivers/The Eagle)
Jonny & Rupert Jonny Booth, Manchester Licensee- The Castle Hotel | Business Partner- Gulliver’s, The Eagle & The Parlour | Guitarist- Biederbeck | Top dude & Busy bloke The Wave: In the true spirit of “if you can’t get a job done, do it your fucking self’; the tale of how a bunch of band mates grew tired of their Manchester drinking holes and the on-going struggles of city’s bands and promoters. Today, with four venues up their sleeve and another one opening... Read More
NEWS: ‘CLOSE UP’ FEAT. BLACK FRANCIS (PIXIES)
Black Francis of Pixies will be at Manchester’s historic Albert Hall on Wednesday 20th November for a no-holds-barred onstage interview conducted by Dave Haslam; followed by questions from the audience. It’s a unique chance to find out more about the life and work of the legendary, enigmatic Pixies frontman. Black Francis (real name Charles Michael Kittridge Thompson IV) is a founding member of the Pixies, one of the most loved rock bands of the late 1980s and early 1990s.... Read More
NEWS: BAD GRAMMAR – FIRST HEADLINE SHOW ANNOUNCED
Manchester two-piece Bad Grammar will be playing their first, highly anticipated, headline show as they bring their scuzzy pop songs to the intimate surroundings of suburban bar, Dulcimer in Chorlton (567, Wilbraham Road – two minutes from the Chorlton tram stop) on Thursday 31st October with support from garage duo, The Hyena Kill. The 90 capacity venue has already hosted a range of ‘you had to be there’ gigs from Viv Albertine (ex The Slits) to Manchester band of the moment,... Read More
Album Review: The Wave Pictures – City Forgiveness
The infamous double album…there are not many other things in the music industry that tend to be so hit and miss. They normally come about after an extra special spark in creativity or are written in tribute to something close to the band. The Wave Pictures 5th long player is a mixture of both. Whilst stuck in a van touring around America last year, the boys from Loughborough decided to scribble down note after note in ode to the travelling lifestyle. Opener, ‘All My Friends... Read More
LIVE: BILL RYDER-JONES – 22/10/2013
– THE DEAF INSTITUTE, MANCHESTER – Taking to the stage with a four-man band, who Bill branded as “the most under-rehearsed band on the planet” on his Twitter page just hours before the concert in an unashamed honest use of social media, with no view to ticket sales. This unashamed honesty was soon reflected in his infectious ‘cheeky chappy’ persona, which was clear from the off tonight, making the curtains and bird-themed wallpaper of The Deaf Institute a perfect... Read More
LIVE: WASHED OUT – 22/10/2013
– GORILLA, MANCHESTER – Well I wasn’t expecting this. Washed Out’s Ernest Greene bound on to stage with four other people as his backing band, and after the first song is done, a great version of ‘It All Feels Right’ from his new album Paracosm, we end up in full on euphoric, Tuesday night rave territory. I say I wasn’t expecting this, because on record Washed Out tend to be classed as that awful genre ‘chill wave’ (I just... Read More
LIVE: DAUGHTER – 21/10/2013
– THE RITZ, MANCHESTER – Daughter – a trio from London are on their first headline tour. Placed arbitrarily in the “Indie rock” camp, they specialise in loud beats and echoey guitars, over which Elena Tonra shares her languid, melancholy vocals. They broke into the industry with a selection of well received EP’s in 2011, leading to their first album release If You Leave in March this year. Comparisons were immediately made with the likes of Laura Marling,... Read More
LIVE: ROYAL BLOOD – 17/10/2013
– THE ROADHOUSE, MANCHESTER – I’m not sure whether its because I’ve really submersed myself in it this year, but 2013 sure has been a great year for new music, particularly bands coming out of the UK. There has been a slow rise in the amount of two piece bands too, proving that you don’t need a stage full of people and equipment to make the most noise. Royal Blood very much back up that point.The Brighton-based duo have only been together for... Read More
INTERVIEW: BIG DEAL
Ahead of the release of new single ‘Swapping Spit’ and their second UK headline tour, one half of two-piece Big Deal, Kacey Underwood spoke to us about shedding their ‘intimate’ label in favour of a more bullish sound, supported by two additional live band members, and how self-mutilation on-stage might be the only way to get people’s full attention. Can you tell us a bit about the next single [Swapping Spit] and the reason behind the song’s title? Well it’s... Read More
LIVE: TUNNG – 15/10/2013
– BAND ON THE WALL, MANCHESTER – Tunng return after an interlude of nearly three years to perform at Band on the Wall, as they are promoting their widely reviewed new album Turbines. Known for their mix of upbeat polyphonic folk, complemented with electro keys and multi-part harmonies; they’re not quite Full-folktronica but they’re still quite a fancy Transformer. The venue is populated by a diverse mix of heathens of all ages. Maybe I am just pining after the... Read More
