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

LIVE: YOUNG FATHERS – 23/01/2019

-ALBERT HALL, MANCHESTER- When the Mercury Prize rolled around in 2014, few had anticipated Young Fathers to walk away with the £25k. However, their artful coalition of hip-hop, art-pop and whatever else they fancy have garnered them a sizeable following, enough to suitably pack the beautiful Manchester Albert Hall. The group’s live keyboardist Callum Easter […]
-DEAF INSTITUTE, MANCHESTER- Slothrust, pronounced sloth-rust (a fact that, embarrassingly, I only find out tonight, even with the band being four albums deep) arrive on stage to an eager crowd at Deaf Institute. Their name is not the only aspect that has eluded being pinned down correctly, their sound can also be hard to articulate […]

LIVE: SLOTHRUST – 23/01/2019

LIVE: WARM DRAG / FRUIT TONES / SLOWHANDCLAP / WOMAN YOU STOLE – 22/01/2019

-NIGHT PEOPLE, MANCHESTER- Woman You Stole Curiously we start with the strongest (my opinion, don’t axe me) of the support acts, a local 3 piece that is dominated by overpowering (Ship of the Line about to commence firing vibe) drums and a robust lead vocal (a soaring, Siouxsie Sioux-esque quality) that binds tastefully with a […]
A friend of mine works at the BBC and from time to time, she has to review historic children’s TV shows before they are re-released, just to check for inappropriate storylines, jokes, politically incorrect content and sinister special guest appearances by those on the wrong side of Operation Yewtree. I couldn’t help but think of […]

ALBUM: THE RESIDENTS – ESKIMO / COMMERCIAL ALBUM