LIVE: FEMI KUTI & POSITIVE FORCE – 09/06/2019

-BAND ON THE WALL, MANCHESTER- It’s Sunday night and the Positive Force are warming us all up for the incredible, inimitable Femi Kuti and as the groove swells and the brass punches in and Femi starts dancing, we all start dancing too, and all the cares in the world melt away and a huge grin […]
-THE RITZ, MANCHESTER- Support Acts Taking the opportunity to cover an all-dayer is a measure designed to challenge both myself as a journalist and the battery life of my ageing iPhone; to my horror I am to discover that the real challenge is not showing solidarity with my departing friends and staying behind to cover […]

LIVE: MEMBRANES ALL-DAYER – 08/06/2019

LIVE: SNAIL MAIL – 04/06/2019

– GORILLA, MANCHESTER – If one has been paying attention to the indie music sphere over the past 365 days, you will have definitely come across the name ‘Snail Mail’, the solo project of classically-trained guitarist Lindsey Jordan. Much like preceding Habit EP did in 2016, her debut album Lush has raided review sites and […]
-YES, MANCHESTER- For YES Fest on this bank holiday Sunday, thirteen artists and bands are invited to play gigs in the Basement and Pink Room at YES. The two bars and the roof terrace are open as usual, so there are a lot of people in the multi floor venue. The Psychedelic Porn Crumpets from […]

LIVE: YES FEST – 26/05/2019

LIVE: DOT TO DOT FESTIVAL – 24/05/2019

-VARIOUS VENUES, MANCHESTER- For this bank holiday Friday, Dot To Dot is back in Manchester to celebrate its 15th anniversary. In 19 venues over Manchester city centre, several dozens of artists of different genres are performing. The first gig I decide to see is Northern indie rock band Broke Casino at The Venue. So far, […]
-YES, MANCHESTER- The whistles chirrup, as though there are unseen urban disco crickets stalking the dancefloor of the Pink Room at Yes, rubbing their legs in celebration at the home-coming of Manchester’s A Certain Ratio. Old ravers have oiled their joints well enough to groove at the front; even older Factory heads have their arms […]

LIVE: A CERTAIN RATIO – 24/05/2019

LIVE: JACCO GARDNER – 23/05/2019

-SOUP KITCHEN, MANCHESTER- Jacco Gardner has been known to create swirling psychedelic pop boosted by his rich, resonant and baroque voice but on his third and latest LP Somnium, the vocals are gone and in their place is an equally seamless melodic exploration through instrumentation with a menacing edge. When talking about the album, Gardner […]
-THE RITZ, MANCHESTER- Big Thief can’t quite believe how they ended up here. “This is our first tour on a bus!” exclaims band leader Adrianne Lenker, thrilled by the prospect of actually being able to sleep between city stops. Before the last couple of songs this evening they pause to thank the 17 people who […]

LIVE: BIG THIEF – 22/05/2019

LIVE: ALDOUS HARDING – 21/05/2019

-GORILLA, MANCHESTER- I arrive at the sold out Gorilla venue awaiting Aldous Harding to take to the stage. It’s so hot, and the extremely large fans are churning out mildly cold air, whilst making noises as loud as the current Manchester road works. I think about Aldous’ music style and how these fans might interfere […]
-THE RITZ, MANCHESTER- “C’mon everyone… sing along!” Normally at a charged, fizzing, visceral gig like the Manics in the rather cosy environs of The Ritz, a call to arms such as this would garner an immediate, loyal response. Only, the issue here is that it isn’t the Manics… it’s the support act, Gwenno. And the […]

LIVE: MANIC STREET PREACHERS / GWENNO – 20/05/2019