LIVE REVIEW – BASHT.: GORILLA, MANCHESTER – 29/10/2026

Basht. are one of those bands who you need to see live if you love high energy, mosh pits and a great crowd. Following the release of their debut album ‘Poor Advice’ Basht. returned to Manchester to headline Gorilla and they did not disappoint. Supporting Basht. was the four-piece indie band ‘Cutscene’. I’ve never seen […]
The second album from Ana Lua Caiano magnificently captures the tension between tradition, the modern and futurism. It merges traditional Portuguese music, Caiano’s classical training, electronics and rhythmic intensity to create an effect that is feverish and spiritual on a record where bagpipes, flutes, adufe and bombo are juxtaposed with stunning choral arrangements, synthesisers and […]

ALBUM REVIEW – ANA LUA CAIANO: DEVAGAR QUE A VIDA E CURTA

ALBUM REVIEW – LOTTIE BRAZIER: ON COURSE BUT NO-ONE THERE TO SALUTE YOU

The debut album from Lottie Brazier exists in its own distinct time zone.  It is easy to imagine hearing John Peel playing it on the wintery early 80s night while I snuggled under blankets, transistor clasped to my ear. Whilst it could in no way be pinned as sounding like any one act from that […]
Four years after Here Is Everything, London indie-rock four-piece The Big Moon return with their fourth studio album, Forever. Fronted by Juliette Jackson, alongside Soph Nathan, Celia Archer and Fern Ford, the band have built a reputation for pairing infectious guitar-driven melodies with emotionally candid songwriting. Drawing on influences ranging from Pixies to David Bowie, […]

ALBUM REVIEW – THE BIG MOON: FOREVER

ALBUM ROUNDUP WEEK ENDING 30 OCTOBER 2026

SILVERWINGKILLER     Desperate Struggle EP              Raw African and Asian soundscapes dragged head-on into distorted Manchester electronics, the same illicit pulse as the debut, now with nothing holding it back. Lowly   Softy     Danish quintet blending dream-pop, electronic textures, art-rock experimentation and luminous dual vocals, their music feels both intimate and otherworldly — constantly shifting, yet unmistakably their […]
When an artist has parallel careers in different creative industries, defining their specialism can be confusing. While I think of Johnny Flynn as a musician who also acts, albeit one I first encountered through his music being used on the soundtrack to TV show ‘The Detectorists’, a glance at his acting CV suggests he is […]

ALBUM REVIEW – JOHNNY & LILLIE FLYNN: BEAM COTTAGE

ALBUM REVIEW – RADIO FREE ALICE: WHAT’S IN BETWEEN

Australia has offered many outstanding acts to the music scene from Tame Impala, DMAS, Amyl and the Sniffers to INXS and Crowded House. Now it’s time for Radio Free Alice to have a go. The band first came to my attention with the release of the ‘Empty Words’ EP and the Usher cover (for better […]
During the course of a music business career spanning over half a century, it is inevitable that it will not always run smoothly. After the not-quite overnight success of ‘This Town Ain’t Big Enough For Both of Us’ which appeared on their third album, the 1970s was a glorious decade for Sparks where they regularly […]

ALBUM REVIEW – SPARKS: MUSIC THAT YOU CAN DANCE TO

LIVE REVIEW – UTAH SAINTS: CHESTER, LIVE ROOMS – 23/10/2026

Utah Saints, a name etched into trance music history since the early days of its conception. Their debut album reached the record store shelves in 1992, and since then they’ve contributed to plenty of tunes that have made people bounce until the early hours. Tonight, they make an appearance in front of an eager audience […]
Personal Trainer has established a reputation as one of the best live bands around. Despite loving the band’s three albums, I had not been able to see them perform until their visit to the stalwart of Manchester’s gig itinerary, Band On The Wall. As I took up my vantage point on the venue’s small balcony […]

LIVE REVIEW – PERSONAL TRAINER: BAND ON THE WALL – 22/10/2026