LIVE: BELLE AND SEBASTIAN – 14/05/2015

– THE ALBERT HALL, MANCHESTER – The Albert Hall is positively buzzing tonight; there are lots of smiling faces, flowery dresses and woolly jumpers. All shrouded in excited chatter. It’s 9pm and Belle and Sebastian are about to take the stage for the first night of two shows in Manchester, part of their sold out […]
– GULLIVERS, MANCHESTER – Its 10 to 11. The curfew for most Manchester venues is merely minutes away. Yet, as most bands are packing up to the sound of roars from the audience, there is one band that is just coming on stage. The band is Tops and this is not due to any lateness, […]
Tops

LIVE: TOPS – 13/05/2015

LIVE: VENNART – 13/05/2015

– SOUP KITCHEN, MANCHESTER – I won’t lie: I’m as giddy as a schoolgirl tonight. So giddy in fact I’m almost skipping down the stairs in the Soup Kitchen. I’m here to see Oceansize sorry, Vennart. Who are three fifths of Oceansize, Manchester’s very own progressive death indie outfit who tragically split in 2011, leaving […]
– NIGHT & DAY CAFE, MANCHESTER – For the second time in a week I’m in a packed Night and Day Café and it’s a real joy to see it thriving again. Even prior to the turbulent spell which saw residential noise complaints almost close it for good, the Oldham Street venue had been something […]

LIVE: TOBIAS JESSO JR. – 08/05/2015

LIVE: SLAVES – 09/05/2015

– GORILLA, MANCHESTER – The past year has been a real white knuckle ride for Tunbridge Wells duo Slaves. Since signing to Virgin EMI last year, they’ve gone from strength to strength, with more media coverage than you could shake a stick at. The tail end of 2014 had them performing ‘Hey!’ on Later With […]
– THE BUNGALOW CLUB, STOCKPORT – The Bungalow Club in Stockport is the stuff music video dreams are made of. You know the sort, sticky floors, tiny stage flooded with huge illuminated Christmas decoration style moons and a Stockport local drinking too many pints and dancing Bez style at the back. It seems a custom […]

LIVE: BLOSSOMS – 07/05/2015

LIVE: PRETTY VICIOUS – 08/05/2015

– FALLOW CAFE, MANCHESTER – These 4 indie rock lads from Merthyr Tydfil are blazing a trail into the bright lights, having received Radio 1 and XFM airtime, with just 5 months of gigging under their belts. They’ll be appearing at some of the major UK festivals this summer, plus, they’ve signed a record deal with mighty Virgin […]
– ACADEMY 3, MANCHESTER – Wire is a one-way journey, as singer and guitarist Colin Newman says. A deep, disturbing, not necessarily pleasant but always unique and meaningful one. As soon as the band enters the stage at Manchester Academy 3, the atmosphere gets thicker and they take the audience deep into a frenetic hypnosis. […]

LIVE: WIRE – 29/04/2015

LIVE: CALEXICO – 30/04/2015

– THE ALBERT HALL, MANCHESTER – When I reach the Albert Hall, the Barr Brothers, who are supporting Calexico tonight, have just ended their set. The venue is not full yet, and the atmosphere is quite relaxed. No VIP areas and a mature crowd that slowly spreads around the beautiful balconies of the former chapel. […]
– VARIOUS VENUES, SALFORD – With 13 stages and over 100 acts playing during 12 chaotic hours along Salford’s Chapel Street, each reveller is likely to have a very different experience on this bank holiday weekend. All music genre’s are covered, including dance, rock, classical… there’s comedy and art on display, a variety of food […]

LIVE: SOUNDS FROM THE OTHER CITY – 03/05/2015