– THE DEAF INSTITUTE, MANCHESTER – When he started in music, Leon Bridges admitted that he had not been listening to Sam Cooke ‘too hard’ and only began really digging into soul music, once his first single hit the cult blog ‘Gorilla Vs Bear’. It seems quite ironic then, when the widely-hyped OkayKaya covers Mr […]
– SOUP KITCHEN, MANCHESTER – The competition for ‘Who’s travelled the furthest to be here’ has a clear winner tonight; While The Holydrug Couple (Ives Sepúlveda and Manuel Parra) hail all the way from Santiago, Chile, Manchester-based Horsebeach (Ryan Kennedy) linger at the bottom of the pile being based in Manchester. Not all is lost […]
Ezra Furman’s rise to prominence stems from some hyperbolic words from Michael Hann. His five star review of Day of the Dog, where he proclaimed the record a “genre classic…that never feels like an exercise, but a living breathing piece of self-expression”, gave the band the success they enjoy in the UK. And those words aren’t unfounded, […]
– KRAAK, MANCHESTER – Tonight at a hidden gem of a venue in Manchester’s thriving Northern Quarter, there is something rather special underway. Interstellar Overdrive have compiled a great line up and it’s sure to be a night to remember. Arriving at the venue it’s disappointing to here that 93MillionMilesFromTheSun have had to pull out due […]
Towards the end of Amy, her idol Tony Bennett comments that she has one of the true voices and should be remembered in the same vain as Billie Holiday. This struck a sore point in me, clearly highlighting the difference in the way musicians were treated then to now. A review of Amy said that […]
– THE ALBERT HALL, MANCHESTER – American rockers Black Rebel Motorcycle Club have never been prolific in their presence, yet their string of albums and stunning live performances have always left fans wanting more earning them a demi-god status. Fans of BRMC are loyal and tonight’s event is set to be no exception with the […]
What is immediately striking about Jenny Hval’s third studio album Apocalypse, girl is the Norwegian’s fearlessness in exploiting speech and melody to convey her highly individual worldview. As a credited lyricist, writer and singer all rolled into one, her work demonstrates an artistic, experimental quality that incorporates familiar influences yet stretches out far beyond them. […]
– THE EAGLE INN, SALFORD – Being a city fattened on a diet of indie rock, Manchester isn’t famous for its incubation of electro-inclined sonic innovators. The scene that exists has been forced to become self-sufficient in order to survive. In some respects our nightlife is illustrious and unparalleled, but in terms of variety of […]
– FAT OUT’S BURROW, SALFORD – This is not your average Wednesday night. A grown man stands above us, wearing khaki shorts, a schoolboy-like shirt and red socks pulled up to his knees. Soon, this man would hold a level of control over us. He would direct us, manipulate us and frankly embarrass us. His […]
Gengahr have trapped a little nugget of sunshine. A Dream Outside is music perfectly paired with a healthy dose of vitamin D. It percolates your inner ear and clouds your vision and poof: you’re at a sunny festival, on a grassy knoll overlooking satellite stage. It gives you that midway-through-my-fourth-warm-can buzz. Although there are plenty […]
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 FEBRUARY 2026
ALBUM REVIEW - TIANA MAJOR9 : NOVEMBER SCORPIO
LIVE REVIEW: SLEAFORD MODS - MANCHESTER ACADEMY 07/02/26
LIVE REVIEW - TWIN TRIBES: MANCHESTER GORILLA - 08/02/2026
ALBUM ROUNDUP WEEK ENDING 6 FEBRUARY 2026SIL
ALBUM REVIEW - YAMILA: NOOR
ALBUM REVIEW - JD MEATYARD: THE MISSION
ALBUM REVIEW - MAYHEM: LITURGY OF DEATH
ALBUM REVIEW - THE MOLOTOVS: WASTED ON YOUTH
SINGLE REVIEW - PIPPA BLUNDELL: BIG BEAR
