LIVE: DEERHOOF – 24/08/2015

– GORILLA, MANCHESTER – Deerhoof are 20, and remain edgy. That’s quite an achievement. The 4-piece band, born in San Francisco, have survived a few line-up changes over the years, but the current members have performed onstage together since 2008. Maryland drummer Greg Saunier was joined in ’96 by Tokyo singer Satomi Matsuzaki, and Guitarist John Dieterich (2001), was later joined […]
– ANTHONY BURGESS FOUNDATION, MANCHESTER – I did not know who Peter Broderick was until I saw the Mancunian gig advertised. I listened to a few songs and I decided to go and check him out live. I trust Hey! Manchester and I like going to the International Anthony Burgess Foundation because they have an […]

LIVE: PETER BRODERICK – 18/08/2015

LIVE: ESPER SCOUT – 15/08/2015

– FALLOW CAFE, MANCHESTER – August in Fallowfield is the depths of tumbleweed season, with students having committed their post-graduation mass exodus a month previous and a new influx of freshers still several weeks away. Even Saturday night is quiet, with the closure of the once-prominent Baa Bar adding to the eeriness. However, one local […]
– NIGHT & DAY CAFE, MANCHESTER – These kinds of nights are usually a rarity from artists that have reached the stellar heights of Frank Turner. Not for him, this was a welcome return to the Night and Day Café, following his previous gig in January. There is no going through the motions and familiarity […]

LIVE: FRANK TURNER / PJ BOND – 10/08/2015

The Mynabirds

LIVE: THE MYNABIRDS – 06/08/2015

– THE CASTLE HOTEL, MANCHESTER – Tonight’s line up features two fantastic solo artists, Sobi and Elle Mary, and the headlining indie band, The Mynabirds. This line-up is sure to get many people off the couch and into The Castle, but the fact that it is free, yes free, has just served to nearly double […]
– FOPP, MANCHESTER – Finding beauty amongst the daily grind is no easy task, yet Southern London’s guys Maccabees have managed to do so. Their brand new album, Marks To Prove It, seems an urban ode to their beloved London’s area Elephant and Castle. Some kind of crazy London’s B Side, I guess. They’ve chosen […]

LIVE: MACCABEES – 05/08/2015

LIVE: STEALING SHEEP – 05/08/2015

– THE OAST HOUSE, MANCHESTER – You’d be forgiven for not realising that Stealing Sheep were playing at The Oast House in Spinningfields tonight. Yes, there’s a stage set up but that’s been there for a few weeks now without any obvious action. There are no posters, there’s been no promotion. Google is coming up […]
– THE RITZ, MANCHESTER – For some reason, now seems the right time to catch The Dandy Warhols live. Since being a fan of theirs when they were arguably at their peak, around the turn of the century, they have always remained in my thoughts largely due to the The Brian Jonestown Massacre. Ironically, The Dandy’s […]

LIVE: THE DANDY WARHOLS – 31/07/2015

LIVE: THE GORIES / THE HIPSHAKES – 29/07/2015

– THE RUBY LOUNGE, MANCHESTER – The Hipshakes are like those kids you see hanging around the hallway in High School at the beginning of a John Hughes movie. They don’t figure in the main plot, but they’re far more interesting. They ain’t nerds and they aren’t jocks, they are the music obsessive vinyl collectors […]
Can an album sound retro, contemporary and futuristic at the same time? Y Dydd Olaf certainly succeeds in doing so. This is a beautiful album of contrasts from start to finish, and is one that demands close attention. As a non-Welsh (or Cornish) speaker (the featured languages for Y Dydd Olaf), it would be easy […]

ALBUM REVIEW: GWENNO – Y DYDD OLAF