LIVE: BANJO OR FREAKOUT – 19/02/2010

– THE RUBY LOUNGE, MANCHESTER – It’s a golden rule that the best gems are always those stumbled upon. Bands are the same. I arrive at The Ruby Lounge a little early, in search of liquid refreshment, only to be reeled in by London-based duo Banjo or Freakout. Frontman Alessio Natalizia and his sidekick drummer […]
– THE RUBY LOUNGE, MANCHESTER – There is a buzz about The Ruby Lounge as The Soft Pack take to the stage. The bar empties and the dance floor fills with an odd assortment of young indie types and older-looking mods. This sudden surge pricks my anticipation, expecting bigger and bigger things from this four-piece […]

LIVE: THE SOFT PACK – 19/02/2010

LIVE: MIDLAKE – 17/02/2010

– Academy 2, Manchester – The Academy 2 has sold out and there’s a smell of josticks in the air. Actual josticks. The lights go down on the crowd and there’s a buzz of anticipation, everyone halts their conversations and look towards the still empty stage. The seven band members arrive, beards outnumbering 6 to […]
– SOUND CONTROL, MANCHESTER – Cold, empty, unfriendly, not at all accomodating…but enough about me – on to my first experience of Sound Control. Unfortunately it’s not a good one, for much the same reasons. First up, Jo Rose fails to impress. Having seen his gentle, Niel Young-esque performances before, though, I can vouch for […]

LIVE: GABRIEL MINNIKIN/BLIND ATLAS/JO ROSE – 16/02/2010

LIVE: SPOON/WHITE RABBITS – 15/02/2010

– Academy 3, Manchester – It’s a satisfactory feeling, walking into a gig when the band has just started. A large crowd has gathered early to catch the support, White Rabbits, whose media profile suggests that they could be on a successful tour of their own. The stage is busy, 3 guitarists, keys, drummer, and […]
– Moho, Manchester – I descend the stairs at Moho, another blacked out Manchester basement venue. The crowd appears to typically represent the city’s indie population of trendy students and fun loving locals as it immediately becomes apparent that this will be a very Mancunian affair. The Reveres, a swaggering and intimidating version of The […]

LIVE: LIAM FROST – 11/02/2010

LIVE: BEACH HOUSE / LAWRENCE ARABIA – 11/02/2010

– ISLINGTON MILL, SALFORD – There is something wonderfully mysterious about attending a gig at the Islington Mill. Everyone has heard of it before but no one is sure if it still exists or if it does where exactly it is. Every taxi I clamber in to I am faced with a driver who dithers […]
– ACADEMY 1, MANCHESTER – I’ve never been too sure whether to love or hate the NME. On the one hand the NME is frequently guilty of touting substandard bands, hyping them to the hills’ highest hillbillies, only to stab them in the back when they realise that no one actually likes them. The hype […]

LIVE: SHOCKWAVES NME AWARD TOUR – 07/02/2010

LIVE: THE DRUMS – 06/02/2010

– SOUND CONTROL, MANCHESTER – Oh the sound, the sound of The Drums. When I heard seven days ago I was going to see them, I got so excited I began practicing my dance moves and planning what to wear to a night I thought would be monumental. This was the act which I thought […]
– FUEL CAFE, MANCHESTER – It is the first night of the year for Ted Harris as having finished his hundred-and-fifty-first essay he is ready to party and the crowd are ready to join him. Though do note this is a Cloud Sounds Presents night so if you do want to party you had better […]

LIVE: THE MALADIES OF BELLAFONTAINE / S.R. GENTS / SAM & THE PLANETS – 06/02/2010