LIVE: ERRORS – 04/04/2015

– THE DEAF INSTITUTE, MANCHESTER – I’m so pleased to be watching Errors. I’ve missed the Scottish ‘post-electro’ band every time they’ve toured for one reason or another, and the only glimpse I’ve had of them live was a couple of songs at the end of a Bestival set in about 2012 that I stumbled […]
– GORILLA, MANCHESTER – There must be a time portal at the door of Gorilla:  We’ve arrived early to check out the support bands, but somehow between the doorman and the cloakroom we’ve been transported to Greenwich village in 1961.  Fraser A Gorman is a man who wears his Dylan influences on his sleeves, in […]

LIVE: COURTNEY BARNETT – 03/04/2015

LIVE: BAD GRAMMAR – 27/03/2015

– THE CASTLE HOTEL, MANCHESTER – When I arrive at The Castle Hotel, unfortunately it’s too late for the first band Elephantine, but I am on time for support act Violet Violet. The Norwich duo, Felicity/Fliss Kitson on drums and Cheri Percy on guitar, have been playing together since they met at sixth form but decided […]
– SOUP KITCHEN, MANCHESTER – The gig space in the Soup Kitchen looks like a catacomb and it fits the night perfectly, given that the devotion shown by fans of The Lovely Eggs shares some traits with a religious cult, and this is now the cult of the Magic Onion, as explained later. The amplification […]

LIVE: THE LOVELY EGGS / THE HIPSHAKES – 28/03/2015

LIVE: DUTCH UNCLES – 27/03/2015

– THE RITZ, MANCHESTER – “Hello Ritz, we’ve gone too fast and need a breather” beams Duncan Wallis, frontman of Stockport’s finest Dutch Uncles. He’s not the only one. Just three songs into their biggest headline show to date and the energy in the room is electric. While a moment of respite gives an adoring […]
– THE RITZ, MANCHESTER – Hype Machine named them the UK’s most blogged about artist of 2013 and then in 2014 they were named Breakthrough Act Of The Year at the UK festival awards. So it’s fair to say a lot has already been written about tonight’s headliners Wolf Alice, and their growing stature has […]

LIVE: WOLF ALICE – 26/03/2015

LIVE: SOKO – 25/03/2015

– THE RUBY LOUNGE, MANCHESTER – French actress, musician, singer and songwriter, Stéphanie Sokolinski, known as SoKo, is finishing up her 14-date European tour in support of brand-new album My Dreams Dictate My Reality, her second LP, with a couple of UK dates. Tonight is the turn of The Ruby Lounge to host her show, […]
– THE ALBERT HALL, MANCHESTER – “Pins hail from your fair city, and they’re awesome!” When the likes of Sleater-Kinney’s Corin Tucker offers up such props to their support band, it’s worth paying attention.  The US alt-rock legends have a reputation as first class BS detectors, and Manchester’s Pins are – in every way – […]

LIVE: SLEATER-KINNEY / PINS – 24/03/2015

LIVE: WILKO JOHNSON BAND- 18/03/2015

– THE RITZ, MANCHESTER – “Man, there’s nothing like being told you’re dying to make you feel alive”. Wilko Johnson did mean those words in a recent interview, and we have some irrefutable evidence of this tonight. The gig of his Still Kickin’ tour is short but pretty intense (it barely takes an hour and […]
– ACADEMY 3, MANCHESTER – The house lights come down and 3 revolving police lights come on, two blue and one red. The room fills with dramatic introduction music and voices greet us in many different languages. It’s not long before The Subways walk out into the flashing light. They receive an enthusiastic welcome and […]

LIVE: THE SUBWAYS – 24/03/2015