LIVE: THE FIELD – 28/11/2018

-YES, MANCHESTER- Axel Willner, AKA The Field, is an absolute dude. He’s probably the coolest person in Manchester at this very moment, despite the high hipster quotient currently in Yes waiting for him to come on and do his ambient, minimal techno thing. You see, Willner is Swedish, which immediately makes him cool, but now […]

-YES, MANCHESTER- YES. YES. YES. I am confused as I enter the new music venue in Manchester. I mean, I’ve been in venues where the local drunk is propping up the bar with a crowd of around 20 people. But walking into a pizzeria bar hybrid is something bizarre… After being ushered up the stairs […]

LIVE: ISAAC GRACIE – 19/11/2018

LIVE: MILES KANE / CABBAGE – 23/11/2018

-ACADEMY, MANCHESTER- When it comes to deciding on a support band, Miles Kane couldn’t have gone for a better choice than Manchester’s own Cabbage – especially in a Mancunian venue in which their energetic, self-proclaimed ‘semi punk’ performance has the crowd on each other’s shoulders and pitting within two songs of their set. Somehow they […]

-YES, MANCHESTER- Manchester’s YES is the hottest new venue in the North West, drawing attention with its unique 4 floor experience. It therefore comes as no surprise that its Basement room has been chosen by the promotion coalition of Band on the Wall x Grey Lantern x Manchester Psych Fest for tonight’s show. Opening are […]

LIVE: THE HOLYDRUG COUPLE / ECHO LADIES – 19/11/2018

LIVE: SLAVES – 17/11/2018

-ACADEMY, MANCHESTER- A boxing ring full of black belts with the overpowering aroma of cigarettes and alcohol, it’s Saturday night and the anticipation of Slaves coming out on stage begins to spill over despite the ironic pre-gig soundtrack playing cheesy 90s pop hits. Laurie and Isaac stomp onto the stage with the intentions of making […]

-CENTRAL METHODIST HALL, MANCHESTER- Being an enthusiastic reader of the liner notes of my favourite CDs as a kid, I remember seeing the SPARS codes that some of them had. The three-letter code, where each letter is either an A for Analogue or D for Digital, would indicate the type of equipment used in i) […]

LIVE: OFF THE RECORD CONFERENCE – MASTERING WITH KEVIN TUFFY – 16/11/2018

LIVE: INTERPOL – 16/11/2018

-THE APOLLO, MANCHESTER- Last year, New York indie-punk mavericks Interpol embarked on a sold out world tour to celebrate 15 years of their vital debut album, Turn On The Bright Lights. The trio returned home feeling refreshed and inspired by their past which very much informed the making of their sixth album. Coming in like a […]

-ALBERT HALL, MANCHESTER- With their latest release, Bark Your Head Off, Dog, Hop Along have forged a more mature and glossy album compared to their earlier works. They have side-lined their previous DIY and low-fi sounding ethos for a tighter result. The interesting song structures and intertwining melodies have been brought forward in the mix […]

LIVE: THE DECEMBERISTS / HOP ALONG – 12/11/2018

LIVE: BILLY OCEAN – 12/11/2018

-BRIDGEWATER HALL, MANCHESTER- Billy Ocean is 68 years-old. 68. And he has the most ultra cool moves. Smooth. Slick. Effortless. If I could be as nimble as him even at the age I am now (29) I would be first on the dance floor every time, and that’s before I even talk about his voice. […]

-ALBERT HALL, MANCHESTER- Celebrating fifty years of a band’s existence is a rare thing these days, especially one whose releases and activities were closely monitored by the U.S. authorities back in the 1960s and 70s. Despite the fact there’s now only one remaining member left in the band, the rapturous reception guitarist Wayne Kramer receives […]