LIVE: YBAs – 14/06/2014

– FIRST CHOP BREWING ARM, SALFORD – Young British Artists – or YBAs as they now prefer to be known – have kept us waiting. I’ve been lucky to catch them low down the bill at the odd festival in the six years the Manchester foursome have been together, and whenever I try and Google them […]
– GORILLA, MANCHESTER – I’ve been spending the past few weeks submersing myself in the superb new long player from Canadian punks Fucked Up. Glass Boys is the band’s fourth album, considerably shorter than their previous record (a four part rock opera entitled David Comes To Life) but still expansive in production and powerful in […]

LIVE: FUCKED UP – 15/06/2014

LIVE: WYE OAK – 11/06/2014

– SOUP KITCHEN, MANCHESTER – Almost 3 years since I saw them play The Ruby Lounge, Wye Oak return to Manchester with a whole new albums worth of tunes to blend into their set. Despite the extra depth in the sound that runs through ‘Shriek’, the  band continue as a duo – Andy Stack and Jenn Wasner […]
– THE CASTLE HOTEL, MANCHESTER – I love a good freebie. If it’s going free, I’m on it. I’ve always got a keen eye on Twitter, looking for whatever I can get my claws on. So I was delighted when it was announced a couple of months back that the rad Glaswegian three piece Paws […]

LIVE: PAWS – 05/06/2014

LIVE: EMA – 04/06/2014

– THE RUBY LOUNGE, MANCHESTER – Musicians have really had it in for technology this year; Damon Albarn conjured up a nightmarish future where everyday robots were in control, St Vincent took up the role of robot in Digital Witness singing ‘I want all of your mind’, but it was EMA who dealt the most […]
– O2 APOLLO, MANCHESTER – By virtue of where I live, my trip to the Apollo this evening takes me past Manchester Arena. Swarming around the arena are many excited young faces. Often the popularity of pop groups irks me a little, but this evening I’m pleased. It was Little Mix that were to be […]

LIVE: THE FLAMING LIPS – 27/05/2014

LIVE: GOODTIME BOYS / GRAPPLER – 29/05/2014

– KRAAK, MANCHESTER – I’m back for another gig at Kraak Gallery tonight. My new spiritual home of sorts. Although tonight is a four band bill, I regretfully make it to the venue half way through, but I must admit it is the final two bands that I’m most eager to see, in particular tonight’s […]
– SOUND CONTROL, MANCHESTER –  Before we get going, I’ll admit it – I’ve not really paid attention to pop-punk-esque bands since I left Uni, and even then I’d not listened to much since College…But if a band is good, chances are they’re likely to seep through, and it’s this very seeping that lead me […]

INTERVIEW/REVIEW: DECADE / BRAWLERS – 22/05/2014

LIVE: QUILT – 28/05/2014

– ACADEMY 2, MANCHESTER – When Quilt accepted a support slot with fellow Americans The War On Drugs, it is unlikely they expected this to become the hottest show in town. Tickets were trading outside the venue for almost treble face value and demand has forced The War On Drugs to add a show at […]
– ACADEMY 2, MANCHESTER – I have something to confess to you, Dear Reader. Please don’t judge me for it, but it’s true: I do not like Bruce Springsteen. I know, I know, it’s kind of sacrilege, but I just don’t get him, all his music sound boring to me, and his voice really annoys […]

LIVE: THE WAR ON DRUGS – 28/05/2014