LIVE: DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE – 25/01/2019

-ALBERT HALL, MANCHESTER- Ben Gibbard is modest with his ‘between-song’ banter tonight, but at one point the Death Cab frontman tells Manchester that this is their favourite city to play, adding that if that sounds like it’s made up, in this case it really isn’t. I believe him. I would believe him if he told […]
-YES, MANCHESTER- Fads come and fads go. It’s what keeps the system churning over. Our fair city has dozens of venues that need filling every night, whilst carefully curated publications like this one rely on fresh artists to emerge at a constant, consistent rate. We crave the new. And yes, at times the hype can […]

LIVE: BLACK MIDI – 26/01/2019

LIVE: MARC REBILLET – 27/01/2019

-YES, MANCHESTER- Marc Rebillet aka “Loop Daddy” has gained a huge following through his bedroom performances on social media, even managing to post new tracks from hotel rooms as the tour goes on. His brand of comedic electro loops is getting an ever wider reach and the power of social media shows its might as […]
-GULLIVERS, MANCHESTER- Nephew Rails We commence with a quintet (right word?), whose live debut is somewhat respectable, if a little underwhelming; a steady approach, with a few interesting tempo changes here and there that show evidence of something interesting as their set stumbles on, rendering them the perfect fit for being the quintessential ‘opening act’. […]

LIVE: THE ONE EYED GENERAL’S BANDIT / THE TINFOILS / NEPHEW RAILS – 25/01/2019

LIVE: THE STREETS – 26/01/2019

-APOLLO, MANCHESTER- Mike Skinner is one of those artists for me… you either relate to him so much that every word plays on your heart, mind and gangster finger wave, or you can’t for a second imagine being in his shoes when he wrote legendary albums such as Original Pirate Material and The Hardest Way […]
-BAND ON THE WALL, MANCHESTER- Cloud Nothings, a four strong indie rock outfit from Cleveland, Ohio, have always been on the periphery of my musical scope. Having only vaguely listened to their hard hitting, angsty 2012 album Attack on Memory, I’m keen to get the full flavour of Baldi and co. via the live setting. […]

LIVE: CLOUD NOTHINGS – 27/01/2019

LIVE: HOBO JOHNSON & THE LOVEMAKERS – 26/01/2019

-ACADEMY, MANCHESTER- The atmosphere in the Academy feels like we are at the Pyramid stage of Glastonbury tonight as Hobo Johnson and The Lovemakers enter the stage. I have never heard a crowd so loud. But luckily the crowd still have enough juice in their lungs to emphatically sing along with the opening song, ‘Romeo […]
-VICTORIA WAREHOUSE, MANCHESTER- “This is a punk rock show, which means that there are no rules. Except for don’t be an arsehole and if you know the words to a song, you’ve got to fucking sing along!” The somewhat heartfelt speech from the matured punk rocker Frank Turner gives a taste of what to expect […]

LIVE: FRANK TURNER & THE SLEEPING SOULS – 25/01/2019

LIVE: FRANK TURNER – 25/01/2019

-THE HAT WORKS, STOCKPORT- It’s Friday dinner time in Stockport and I’m stood in Hat Works, the UK’s only museum dedicated to the hatting industry. I have a can of diet coke in my hand and a massive grin on my face. I look around and there are about sixty other people here, mostly clutching […]
-GORILLA, MANCHESTER- For the first time ever when walking into Gorilla, I head straight upstairs to watch a gig with the risk of getting a elbow to the face in a mosh pit. Catching the majority of the opening band’s set, I wasn’t getting the feeling that I was ready to watch Uncle Acid and […]

LIVE: UNCLE ACID & THE DEADBEATS / BLOOD CEREMONY – 22/01/2019