MON 3RD OCTOBER – THIS WEEK’S GIG PREVIEWS: THUMPER, LEMONHEADS, SOAK
6 Thumper : Night People Thumper are a Dublin six piece, who have recently released their first album ‘Delusions Of Grandeur’, a triumphant, moody, indie rock debut. Alongside Fontaines DC and The Murder Capital they’re one of the brightest new bands to emerge from Ireland in recent times. 8 The Lemonheads: The Ritz Celebrating thirty years of ‘It’s A Shame About Ray’, Evan Dando returns to Manchester with his brilliantly effervescent... Read More
OCTOBER 2022
We have trawled through the forthcoming gigs in and around Manchester so you don’t have to. We believe that if we are going to recommend a gig to you, then it should be exactly that, a recommendation. Our gig guide is handpicked and every act has been listened to before making it onto the list. It has been compiled by the ears of our editors and not by any promoters, band’s management or PR’s. ************* OCTOBER 2022 1 – Neighbourhood Festival – Various 2... Read More
NOVEMBER 2021
We have trawled through the forthcoming gigs in and around Manchester so you don’t have to. We believe that if we are going to recommend a gig to you, then it should be exactly that, a recommendation. Our gig guide is handpicked and every act has been listened to before making it onto the list. It has been compiled by the ears of our editors and not by any promoters, band’s management or PR’s. ************* NOVEMBER 2021 1 – The Burning Hell – Night &... Read More
ALBUM REVIEW: THINK I’M GOING WEIRD – ORIGINAL ARTEFACTS FROM THE BRITISH PSYCHEDELIC SCENE 1966-1968
Ah, the sixties, a time of Beatlemania, rock n’ roll rebellion, pop dominating the charts, three tv channels, and space exploration. While the world was fascinated by what lay beyond our own planet, in the late 1960s music fans around the world were discovering other ways to get ‘far out’ and ‘go cosmic man’ thanks to the psychedelic scenes which had sprung up all over the globe. Although often linked with San Francisco, many musicians outside of California also... Read More
LIVE: SPRINTS – 28/10/2021
– Castle Hotel, Manchester – Sprints It’s a later than expected start tonight, scheduled support act Loose Articles are sadly unable to perform, here’s wishing a speedy recovery. It means I arrive barely ten minutes before the main event, just in time to hear Black Flag then Black Sabbath playing as background music, as though the playlist has been sorted alphabetically. The Castle is sold out this evening, and it’s all a bit cosy in the back room when Sprints... Read More
LIVE: LYRA PRAMUK – 26/10/2021
– Soup, Manchester – Spoiler: this is, hands down, the most extraordinary vocal performance I’ve witnessed live. Lyra Pramuk Lyra Pramuk, the American producer and composer, constructs songs from just her vocals in the most remarkable way. Her debut album ‘Fountain’, released in 2020, sounds like little else released last year (or since, tbf), and when you find out it was made entirely of her own vocal samples, even the parts that sound like actual instruments,... Read More
Silent Radio – 27/10/2021 – Freebie Jeebies
Another hour of pay-what-you-like songs selected by and presented to you by Ian Burke. If you like and can support any of these artists please do, either financially or by simply sharing your love far and wide. This week’s cover stars are Mendra. TRACK LISTING Mendra – Néixer / Mzee feat. Femi Koya – My Teacher Taught Me Nonsense / fine. – I Sleep So Much Better Now / New Goo – Platonia Bells / Rozi Plain – Silent Fan / Fukuoka... Read More
LIVE: JUST MUSTARD – 25/10/2021
– Castle Hotel, Manchester – Just Mustard I’d forgotten, after all this time, just how intimate the back room at The Castle is, and what a wonderfully evocative room it is too. It’s like being in someone’s front room, albeit a front room with a stage. It also has a slight vicarage vibe about it, with its low ceiling at the back giving way to an expansive opening nearer the stage, it always feels a bit churchy to me. And then there’s the heat, which tonight,... Read More
LIVE: VILLAGERS – 15/10/2021
– Albert Hall, Manchester – Villagers The band are playing so softly, the loudest thing you can hear during the introduction of opening song ‘Song In Seven’ are drummer Gwion Llewelyn’s cymbals. The vocals come in after a few moments and take the crown of the loudest sound source, but everything remains gentle. Not that any of this is unexpected, nobody is coming to see Villagers preparing for their ears to be blown off. Band leader Conor O’Brien has... Read More
LOUDER THAN WORDS FESTIVAL RETURNS TO MANCHESTER FOR 2021
For its ninth edition, Louder Than Words Festival is back at a new Manchester home, Innside Hotel, in the shadow of what was Manchester’s Haçienda nightclub. After last year’s virtual festival, some of what was learnt about operating online has been carried forward, to give attendees the choice to join in person or online. The Festival, co-curated by Dr Jill Adam and John Robb, kicks off on the evening Friday November 12 with esteemed designer Malcolm Garrett talking all... Read More