LIVE: THE SCREENING – 25/03/2010

– THE NIGHT & DAY CAFE, MANCHESTER – In the reliably low-lit surroundings of Night & Day Café there is always the chance of seeing something special, even on a washed-out Thursday evening of the kind that levels all hope spring might, just might, be arriving. This was one such occasion, with any thoughts of […]
– BAND ON THE WALL, MANCHESTER – The sound system was rubbish. That MC wouldn’t shut up. The bar was too expensive. I had to go in a portaloo. That DJ didn’t have a clue. These disgruntled statements and more along the same lines are all that I’ve been met with from Drum & Bass […]

LIVE: SOUL:UTION – 26/03/2010

LIVE: KARIMA FRANCIS – 24/03/2010

– BAND ON THE WALL, MANCHESTER – It is clear that I am not a regular to the newly refurbished Band On the Wall, when I turn up at the Frog and Bucket, to claim my place on the guest list, which, I insist exists, despite clearly being at the wrong venue. It is only […]
– ACADEMY 2, MANCHESTER – Dan Le Sac and Scroobius Pip bring together two things I fell out of love with a long time ago, hip hop and poetry. Actually half of that is a lie; I never did in fact fall in love with poetry. It would be fair to say that growing up […]

LIVE: DAN LE SAC VS SCROOBIUS PIP – 22/03/2010

LIVE: THE ALBUM LEAF – 22/03/2010

– THE DEAF INSTITUTE, MANCHESTER – After seeing the wonderful Dennis Jones on Saturday, I’m geared up for some more eclecticism from The Album Leaf. To my ire, I have to wait outside, as (according to the bouncer) doors have been delayed half an hour because the band are ‘just dicking about with their gear […]
– MOHO LIVE, MANCHESTER – When I saw that tonight’s gig is to be a 16+ affair and that the doors were to open at 6.30pm, I had the usual momentary thought of “am I gonna be the oldest person in the room?” Fortunately this never lingers long enough for me to actually care. On […]

LIVE: NEW YOUNG PONY CLUB – 20/03/2010

LIVE: WHY? – 19/03/2010

– THE DEAF INSTITUTE, MANCHESTER – A sudden downpour has kicked up the potassium in the soil and put a late dampener on a real hibernation-buster of a spring day. Meanwhile, the unexpectedly drenched indie-rock denizens of Manchester are standing agape at Josiah Wolf, drummer of tonight’s headliners and solo artist in his own right, […]
– THE NIGHT & DAY CAFE, MANCHESTER – Nine Black Alps have lined up two support acts to accompany them for their gig at Night and Day, Former Bullies and The Witches, both of whom have a similar grungey/rocky style to their own. Former Bullies are first up, and they don’t do a lot wrong. […]

LIVE: NINE BLACK ALPS – 19/03/2010

LIVE: FRANK TURNER/CHUCK RAGAN – 17/03/2010

– ACADEMY 1, MANCHESTER – It’s St. Patrick’s Day, and Manchester is full of students taking their disgusted first slurps of Guinness, while those used to all the faux-Oirishness that March 17th entails have crammed into the Academy 1 en masse, and are mostly holding drinks with an amber hue. The clean shaven Chuck Ragan, […]
– THE APOLLO THEATRE, MANCHESTER – I used to like Editors. That is, I did until last night when they left me cold. In their defence, they weren’t awful, they were merely average. They start with a slow number from their third album ‘In This Light And On This Evening’ before opting for their more […]

LIVE: EDITORS – 16/03/2010