LIVE: PAUL HEATON & JACQUI ABBOTT – ACADEMY 2, MANCHESTER 12/12/2014

I’m heading down Oxford Road and feeling festive. Students abound in Christmas jumpers, work do’s are spilling out of Kro and Paul Heaton & Jacqui Abbott are playing a charity* gig at Academy 2. Not even Scrooge himself could turn down a mince pie. The Beautiful South duo reunited this year for the underrated ‘What […]
I’m trying to place that voice. It’s smooth and buttery, and you can’t help but notice the audience swoon a little as Ren Harvieu gets on stage. It’s other era-esque, with Forever in Blue playing, the stage would be better off framed with heavy velvet drapes. There’s even the merest hint of Alison Goldfrapp here. […]

LIVE: REN HARVIEU – THE RUBY LOUNGE, MANCHESTER 11/12/2014

LIVE: COASTS – 07/12/2014

– SOUND CONTROL, MANCHESTER – Potential is a dangerous word for new bands. It’s nice to have the label but it’s how you react to it that counts. Coasts are certainly riding the crest of the hype wave (obvious pun, sorry) at the moment. I was originally all set to review their performance at Sound […]
– THE RITZ, MANCHESTER – 2014 has been quite the year for Kettering rock band Temples. They were a surprise choice for Rough Trade’s album of the year, recipients of public blessing from both Johnny Marr and Noel Gallagher while sound tracking a ubiquitous summer Strongbow advert.  Little surprise then their sold out Ritz show […]

LIVE: TEMPLES – 06/12/2014

LIVE: TURBOWOLF – 02/12/2014

– THE DEAF INSTITUTE, MANCHESTER – A couple of years back some big music industry cheese declared rock music dead. This year they declared it undead. Now, although the first statement was utterly ludicrous, I must admit that 2014 has been the year of the Riff! There’s been an influx of great rock bands across […]
– SOUND CONTROL, MANCHESTER – My mate Danny is a terrible influence on me. By the time we arrive at Sound Control he’s already five pints deep and complaining that it’s £2.50 more on the door than it was in advance. It’s worth it for Trust Fund though. I first saw them play at the […]

LIVE: LOS CAMPESINOS! – 04/12/2014

LIVE: RODRIGO Y GABRIELA – 02/12/2014

 – THE APOLLO, MANCHESTER – Generally I don’t know any of the music that is played before gigs – it’s just one of those things for me. The bands that I like all seem to play obscure indie that I have never heard of. But tonight is different; Rodrigo and Gabriela like rock music. The […]
– THE DEAF INSTITUTE, MANCHESTER – The Wytches are one of the hottest properties in the country with a dark, ominous sound as occultish as their name would suggest. They mix surf guitar and a grungy psych rock, breaking out the Ouija board and channelling the furious, restless spirit of a brutally murdered Dick Dale […]

LIVE: THE WYTCHES – 28/11/2014

LIVE: MANCHESTER PSYCH FEST II – 29/11/2014

– NIGHT AND DAY, MANCHESTER – Psych! A few years ago, if you’d asked me to define the genre, I’d have had an easier job. It seems the category now encompasses any new band that’s influenced by anything from the 60’s and early 70’s; no longer restricted to the output of those on hallucinogenic drugs, or who sought spiritual enlightenment… […]
There’s an innate appeal in hearing bands who push boundaries and plough their own furrow. The interest for the listener in being at the edge of the musical map is there are fewer points of reference, no landmarks to keep us on track and provide comfortable orientation. For the bands performing in this space, there […]

Album Review: Trash Kit – Confidence