LIVE: EINDHOVEN PSYCH LAB DAY 1 – 05/06/2015

– EINDHOVEN, NETHERLANDS – The time is now: the most anticipated overseas psych event is here, from the creators of Liverpool Psych Fest…Eindhoven Psych Lab. Its Day One and Tubelight take the stage in the Main Lab. The Belgian four piece offer up channelled My Bloody Valentine shoegaze vibes and although being relatively unknowns offer […]
This experimental London garage punk band emit a studious vibe – Dreamlands’ album cover is simply a photo of their instruments sat player-less in front of a typical looking shared house. If there were to be a new version of The Young Ones on our tellies, I’d like to think it would sound like this. Band members […]

ALBUM REVIEW: SAUNA YOUTH – DISTRACTIONS

LIVE: THE COURTEENERS – 05/06/2015

– HEATON PARK, MANCHESTER – To date, this is by far The Courteeners’ biggest gig and where better to have it in than their own backyard? Over 25,000 people have crammed into Heaton Park to see the biggest band in Manchester at the moment, perform. The crowd is a sea of Fila bucket hats and wannabe hooligans. […]
– RNCM, MANCHESTER –  Theoretically, this is supposed to be one of the UK dates for the presentation of Amanda Palmer’s book ‘The Art of Asking’. The book is autobiographical and addresses the topic of crowdfunding but also the more general issue of asking for things and why people find it so difficult. In practice, […]

LIVE: AMANDA PALMER – 03/06/2015

Album Review: Pins – Wild Nights

It doesn’t feel like three years since Pins first arrived with their killer EP LUVU4LYF. This is mainly because they don’t seem to have stopped since then, constantly touring and supporting the likes of Sleater Kinney and Warpaint, and endlessly plugging away for their début album Girls Like Us. That album didn’t seem to capture […]
– GORILLA, MANCHESTER – Galeforce winds and stormy skies have freakishly, and most likely temporarily, been replaced by something that resembles ‘summer’ in Manchester today. It must be the presence of the Allah-Las. This LA band have used their musical knowledge, honed from spending time together as record store employees, to come up with a pretty successful […]

LIVE: ALLAH-LAS – 04/06/2015

LIVE: FÖLLAKZOID – 02/06/2015

– SOUP KITCHEN, MANCHESTER – Hailed as the fresh face of krautrock, Chile’s Föllakzoid, signed to Sonic Cathedral records, tour on the back of their third full LP release, III. This is their first UK tour and to say they are eagerly anticipated, would be an understatement. The night kicks off in fine style with […]
– INSTITUTO CERVANTES, MANCHESTER – Spanish singer, songwriter, musician and actress (yes, all that!) Maika Makovski connects with the audience as soon as she enters the cosy stage at Manchester’s Instituto Cervantes, accompanied by the so young and talented band from the prestigious Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts (LIPA). They are Kristine Humerfelt (backing vocals), […]

LIVE: MAIKA MAKOVSKI – 30/05/2015

LIVE: MUDHONEY – 29/05/2015

– THE RITZ, MANCHESTER – It is said that the good wines age well, and one could say just the same about Mudhoney. They practically look like the same guys of 20 years ago. Like Dorian Gray, but without the burden of selling out their souls. They’re not Chardonnay. Not at all. Their insanely invigorating gig […]
– FALLOW CAFE, MANCHESTER – After scouring the internet, I would like to congratulate New Candys for being the first Italian band in my record collection. If you know of any I may have overlooked, please, let me know. Lacuna Coil is a name I recognise, but that’s as far as it goes… Paulo Nutini […]

LIVE: NEW CANDYS – 29/05/2015