LIVE: HAPPYNESS – 20/06/2014

– THE CASTLE HOTEL, MANCHESTER – For the second time in four days I’m at the Castle for some live music. Tonight’s lineup features Happyness with support from Manchester’s Butcher The Bar. Taking advantage of a warm evening, much of the crowd crammed into the outside area at the back of the venue awaiting the […]
– THE CASTLE HOTEL, MANCHESTER – It’s Tuesday night, the Castle’s selection of ales are flowing and we have four acts to look forward to tonight. Billed as a co-headline show for Literature Thieves and Natalie McCool, support comes from See Emily Play and The Bear Around Your Neck. Slowly making his way to stage, […]

LIVE: LITERATURE THIEVES / NATALIE MCCOOL – 17/06/2014

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