LIVE: BLANCK MASS – 04/05/2017

– DEAF INSTITUTE, MANCHESTER – Sweet baby Jesus, this is intense. As soon as Benjamin Power, one half of the sublime Fuck Buttons, presses the first pad on his desk of electronic toys, I feel like I’m being assaulted. I’ve been to some loud gigs (I managed 10mins of My Bloody Valentine’s infamous ‘holocaust section’ […]
– ALBERT HALL, MANCHESTER – This is not a shameless plug but a relevant anecdote: on the day of the Michael Kiwanuka gig, I had a show on Reform Radio and a live pianist was playing live. He planned to play a Kiwanuka song but not, as he informed me, ‘I’m a Black Man In […]

LIVE: MICHAEL KIWANUKA – 29/04/2017

LIVE: THE BIG MOON – 28/04/2017

– DEAF INSTITUTE, MANCHESTER – Are you reading this because you are already on board with The Big Moon? If so, read on. If you are not already on board, especially read on. This London four-piece have released one of the great debut albums of 2017. It is one click away from your ears right […]
– GORILLA, MANCHESTER – White snow dresses Manchester’s Gorilla. What was at first a light flurry has quickly settled into a bed around Greg Gonzalez’s hushed weather. The Texan-native asks for someone he’s been waiting for to return to him, and with the words “stay with me,” Gonzalez expressionlessly falls for the big ‘she’ for […]

LIVE: CIGARETTES AFTER SEX – 18/04/2017

LIVE: PWR BTTM – 11/04/2017

– DEAF INSTITUTE, MANCHESTER – “Why does the UK hate warm water?” seems like such a perfectly phrased question about one of the more bonkers aspects of British society. And PWR BTTM’s first record, Ugly Cherries, is such a delectable listen, and my anticipation of a good time at Deaf tonight so high anyway, that […]
– GULLIVERS, MANCHESTER – Friday’s gig-going saw one hapless Mancunian scruff transition from flummoxed faulty-oven sort-of-repair man to cheerful possessor of a clutch of great new bands to recommend to people in the space of a few hours. Promoters Fat Plastic can always be relied upon to provide a lineup which combines a crop of […]

LIVE: INDIAN QUEENS/LAVENDER/DIVING STATION/RUNAH – 28/04/2017

LIVE: LOW LEAF – 25/04/2017

– BAND ON THE WALL, MANCHESTER – It is quite the feat when, as a self-described DIY musician, your performance repertoire includes sidling up to the worthy likes of Fly Lo, Robert Glasper and Roy Ayers. There have only been a few harpists on my radar over the years, yet all of whom I view […]
– GORILLA, MANCHESTER – Let’s get this out of the way upfront: Deafheaven are not a black metal band. Guitarist Kerry McCoy said that although clearly influenced by the sub-genre, they don’t really have “the ethos, the aesthetic or really the sound of one”. So there you have it: Deafheaven are not a black metal […]

LIVE: DEAFHEAVEN – 24/04/2017

ALBUM: MINISTRY – TRAX! RARITIES

Ministry is a band I’ve been recommended numerous times. I have generally found them too heavy and monotonous for my liking but I’ve never given them a serious go. “A serious go” is definitely what’s on offer with a recently-released double vinyl called Trax! Rarities. I am actually listening on an electronic copy, but the […]
– THE RUBY LOUNGE, MANCHESTER – Found at heights greater than 20,000 feet, Cirrus Clouds are formed of narrow bands of white, delicate filament. Gifting painterly waves, they do little to diminish the brightness of the sun and fade as quickly as their fibrous bodies complete. The subdued, sonic equivalent of such formations ghosts Manchester’s […]

LIVE: PALLBEARER – 09/04/2017