LIVE: FATHER JOHN MISTY / NO – 23/11/2012

– THE DEAF INSTITUTE, MANCHESTER – Tonight, Father John Misty, supported by No, is a sold-out show at The Deaf Institute, probably my favourite gig venue, and one whose glitter ball seems to have grown each time I visit. Either it’s a trick of the mind or just maybe that mysterious sparkly sphere that ominously […]
– THE APOLLO, MANCHESTER – The foyer of the Manchester Apollo is bristling with young teenagers, middle-aged indie throwbacks and entire families, all there to watch The Vaccines. I make my way onto the upper balcony. just as the 1st of 3 support bands are shuffling onto the stage. Their name? I don’t remember. Their […]

LIVE: THE VACCINES – 21/11/2012

LIVE: THE SPINTO BAND – 21/11/2012

– THE RUBY LOUNGE, MANCHESTER – You might not want to read on much further when I say that I have NEVER seen the Ruby Lounge this empty. But don’t despair! I blame this anomaly on the fact that the support band Casablanca were…oh let’s not be mean: not stupendous. So put that into the […]
– THE DEAF INSTITUTE, MANCHESTER – Canadian punk rock outfit Fucked Up are more than a force to be reckoned with. Since their formation at the start of the noughties, the Toronto based six piece have released an impressive back catalogue of forward thinking punk rock records, including the award winning ‘The Chemistry Of Common […]

LIVE: FUCKED UP – 14/11/2012

Album Review: Sekou Kouyate and Joe Driscoll – FAYA

Sekou Kouyate and Joe Driscoll present us with their first collaborative album, Faya, a collection of songs, which span genres from around the world. Communicating through music they have produced an album, which incorporates Kouyate’s sounds of Africa and Driscoll’s eclectic mix of New York bedroom-music styles. It’s an easy-listening reggae-funky-hiphop-afrobeat-rap-rock cocktail that’s refreshing and […]
The melodic beauty of Laura Marling meets the atmospheric rises and falls of Florence + The Machine. Liz Lawrence’s new single ‘Bedroom Hero’ is the first track from her début album (out 2013) with the same title. At only 22 Lawrence has already been receiving rave reviews across Ireland, and it’s no wonder why. ‘Bedroom Hero’ has […]

Single Review: Liz Lawrence – Bedroom Hero

LIVE: HALLS – 12/11/2012

– SOUP KITCHEN, MANCHESTER – Having been a huge fan of Halls’ ever since their debut single, Solace, I came to Soup Kitchen in Manchester tonight with high hopes and a particular hankering for a spot of blissed out, ambient 2-step. Upon entering the venue however, said hopes were subsequently dashed as I noticed the […]
– THE DEAF INSTITUTE, MANCHESTER – There are times when it can take until the morning after for all the dust to settle on an evening’s events before you fully recognise how much you enjoyed a gig or not. Some of the times, it can be incredibly useful to mull it over, and writing a […]

LIVE: TY SEGALL – 08/11/2012

LIVE: HEY ROSETTA! / RICH AUCOIN – 08/11/2012

– SOUP KITCHEN, MANCHESTER – Thanks a bunch Canada, for Celine Dion and environment-boning Prime Minister, Stephen Harper. Fortunately some Canadians have a sense of decency, and tour the world trying to make amends by entertaining us all. Tonight, I am at Soup Kitchen to see some of those good people. I’ve never heard of […]
– THE WAREHOUSE  PROJECT, MANCHESTER –  My disappointment at The Warehouse Project’s relocation is short lived after just a few minutes in the new venue. The Store Street car park served it’s purpose well for a number of years, and it was just up the road from my flat… though the place did have some […]

LIVE: WHP X RBMA – 09/11/2012