LIVE: PARKLIFE WEEKENDER – 08/6/13 – 09/6/13

– HEATON PARK, MANCHESTER – With over 40,000 tickets sold, Parklife’s fourth year is off to a big headed start. Headlining acts such as Plan B, Example, Disclosure, TNGHT and Johnny Marr have certainly helped ticket sales sore to new heights, bringing an official start to the British summer in style..but can the festival live […]
– NIGHT & DAY CAFE, MANCHESTER –  “This is the first time I’ve played the Night & Day while it’s still been day,” jokes Glass Ankle frontman, Greg Jackson, in what turns out to be the highlight of the duo’s set. Greg’s clipped vocals aren’t a million miles away from Paul Heaton’s, but as each […]

LIVE: AMONG BROTHERS – 13/6/2013

LIVE: TROPHY WIFE – 10/6/2013

 – NIGHT & DAY CAFE, MANCHESTER –  In the last couple of the years, the music scene in Oxford has become a hub of activity and creativity. This is mainly thanks to The Blessing Force collective; a talented group of friends working together to create exciting projects, releases and club nights. Three piece Trophy Wife […]
– ACADEMY 2, MANCHESTER – “I’ve been waiting 20 years for this,” says a guy at the bar as he pulls his 25th anniversary Mudhoney t-shirt over his head. Now don’t get me wrong its great that he is seeing them at last but where have you been???? Mudhoney are the godfathers of garage / grunge […]

LIVE: MUDHONEY / MEAT PUPPETS – 07/06/2013

LIVE: JACCO GARDNER – 8/6/2013

– SOUP KITCHEN, MANCHESTER – On a summers day such as this, psychedelic 60’s baroque pop is as good an idea as ordering a tall glass of iced lemonade. The Parklife festival is in full swing just north of here; Netherlanders Jacco Gardner’s stage, however, is in a basement in the centre of town. Patrons […]
 – THE DEAF INSTITUTE, MANCHESTER –  It’s always a wonderful feeling when you finish work on a sunny day. I’ve rolled up virtually every item of clothing I’m wearing and I don’t intend on taking off my sunglasses until it’s real dark. My soundtrack to this glorious afternoon? The tropical pop grooves of London based […]

LIVE: FAIR OHS – 04/6/2013

LIVE: ALLISTER – 30/5/2013

 – SOUND CONTROL, MANCHESTER –  About 10 years ago as a younger, thinner gig goer I saw Allister play in Manchester supporting their then new release Last Stop Suburbia. A decade later Allister are playing that album in full, plus more. It’s at Sound Control, a venue I’ve heard about but actually not been too […]
 – THE OPERA HOUSE, MANCHESTER – Everything about this gig was luxurious, from the opulent setting of the grand Manchester Opera House, through the twelve musicians on stage, to the two hour, 22 song running time of the set, it was an old school occasion, the likes of which we don’t see much any more. […]

LIVE: IRON & WINE – 30/05/2013

LIVE: GHOSTPOET – 28/05/2013

– GORILLA, MANCHESTER – Things are really moving fast for Obaro Ejimiwe, a.k.a Ghostpoet. His bedroom produced debut album ‘Peanut Butter Blues and Melancholy Jam’ was nominated for the Mercury Prize, which thrust him into the limelight with a little help from Gilles Peterson’s label Brownswood. Two years on, he has released his 2nd album (through […]
– THE RUBY LOUNGE, MANCHESTER –  Formed in 2003 by Québécois husband and wife team Jace Lasek and Olga Goreas, The Besnard Lakes are something rather special live. With earlier albums The Besnard Lakes Are The Dark Horse and The Besnard Lakes Are The Roaring Night erring towards the intellectual indie side of indie rock, over […]
Besnard Lakes

LIVE: THE BESNARD LAKES – 23/05/2013