Having witnessed the ever evolving PJ Harvey perform live in many guises over the years from the guitar fury of the 1992 Manchester Boardwalk gig in the early days, to the more abstract folk of her last few releases, it’s safe to say that you never quite know what to expect from a PJ Harvey […]
I’m still undecided on album anniversary shows. You know the ones: a band don’t have anything new out but in this shit show of an industry they still have to tour if they are to even consider making some cash, so they convene around an arbitrary number of years since a (mostly) beloved album came […]
As a child in the 1980s, Dexys Midnight Runners were everywhere, you couldn’t go to a party or event without ‘Come On Eileen’ being played at least once. Dexys seemed to dominate the pop world for while, in a whirl of cleverly crafted theatrical pop which blended northern soul with folk influenced violins. Fast forward […]
Attitude, energy and a lack of pants is what Nashville punk band Be Your Own Pet are serving up. And I’ll absolutely be ordering more. Feeling as if I’m in a foreign land outside Deaf Institute in Manchester, I do what anyone would do and take a quick look around. Seems as if I’m in […]
On Thursday night the legendary John Cale, perhaps mostly known for his role in one of the most iconic and influential acts of the 60s/70s – The Velvet Underground – played an eclectic set of classics and new jams to an intimate and lucky Albert Hall crowd. This famous Manchester venue over the years has […]
The Last Dinner Party are breaking all the rules. Tonight, they have sold out the jewel in the Manchester live music crown having released exactly two songs; by the time they are back in town in October to play the much larger Academy 2, they’re unlikely to have released many more. This is virtually unheard […]
John Grant is blessed with a glorious, honeyed voice. Early in his solo career, he lived up to the cliché about being able to make anything sound good by turning a list of the items for sale in his childhood sweet shop into the most wonderful confection full of wonder and longing (‘Marz’). At Manchester […]
– Gorilla, Manchester – How on earth is someone this effortlessly cool? Dressed in a white vest with ripped off sleeves, dripping in pearls, Channel Tres is elevated above the audience and his two dancers on a podium on stage, oozing nonchalant chic, and it’s magnetic. Here to support his latest EP Real Cultural Shit, […]
– Yes Pink Room, Manchester – To describe this Anna B Savage show as eagerly awaited would be a major understatement. The searing intensity of her first album, ‘A Common Turn’, became one of my soundtracks to 2021’s winter lockdown while her more nuanced follow-up, ‘in/FLUX,’ has already established itself as a leading contender for […]
– Ritz, Manchester – I usually hate those pretentious types, those fans who believe that the unreleased stuff is better than the released stuff, but for tonight at least I’m my own worst enemy. As someone who only listens to Alex G’s unreleased music I have no idea how I will fare at an Alex […]
GIG GUIDE
Our gig guide is handpicked and every act has been listened to before making it onto the list.
See this month's guide
ALBUM ROUNDUP WEEK ENDING 13 JUNE 2025
ALBUM REVIEW - VAN MORRISON: REMEMBERING NOW
ALBUM REVIEW - LITTLE SIMZ: LOTUS
ALBUM REVIEW - HAYDEN PEDIGO: I'LL BE WAVING AS YOU DRIVE AWAY
ALBUM REVIEW - SHURA: I GOT TOO SAD FOR MY FRIENDS
ALBUM REVIEW - PULP: MORE
ALBUM ROUNDUP WEEK ENDING 6 JUNE 2025
ALBUM REVIEW - KATATONIA: ON NIGHTMARES AS EXTENSIONS OF THE WAKING STATE
ALBUM REVIEW - MCLUSKY: THE WORLD IS STILL HERE AND SO ARE WE
ALBUM REVIEW – PIPPA BLUNDELL: COMMON THREAD
