LIVE: INTRODUCING TAKE ON MR. SCRUFF – 14/01/2012

– BAND ON THE WALL, MANCHESTER – Ok so the idea is simple: choose an artist who samples other people’s records to make their own music. Let’s use Mr Scruff as an example. Perfect. Then find a band who performs his back catalogue but subtract the samplers and play every note live. So it’s songs […]
– ISLINGTON MILL, SALFORD – Friday 23rd December: the night before the night before Christmas. The party season is well and truly under way, but it’s not really Christmas yet. There’s no sitting around, feeling bored and consuming more food in one day than you have done all week. This is the fun bit of Christmas, […]

Live: DJ Derek – 23/12/2011

Album Review: Elvis Costello & The Imposters – The Return Of The Spectacular Spinning Songbook

It’s a neat conceit. In a cramped marketplace of ever diminishing record store shelves; in a world where established artists continually look to re-interpret their back catalogue, to breathe life into old songs, it can be hard to divine an original approach. Some artists strip their songs down to their naked nuts and bolts, some […]
– THE WAREHOUSE PROJECT, MANCHESTER – I enter the Warehouse Project’s Store Street venue a little late, and on my own and so have to somehow find my friends- this is no easy task in the refurbished car park, which looks as much like a done up archaeological dig as it does a music venue. […]

LIVE: FOALS – 31/12/2011

LIVE: NEW MODEL ARMY – 15/12/2011

– THE RITZ, MANCHESTER – I like gigs at the Ritz in Manchester. They’re more like events, the ones you should have been at. They are the ones your mates talk about in the pub while you look glumly into your beer. It must be something to do with the history of the place. It’s […]
– ST. PHILIP’S CHURCH, SALFORD – Lovely as this ecclesiastical venue is, my view is partially blocked by a sizeable eagle carving near the chancel, so what follows is filtered via a large, wooden bird of prey. I’m assuming it’s an eagle anyway – if you happen to know, don’t write in. Unperturbed by raptor-based […]

LIVE : SLOW CLUB – 15/12/2011

Album Review: Serge Gainsbourg – Histoire De Melody Nelson (2CD+DVD Deluxe Edition)

Antoine de Caunes, presenter of 90s comedy titillater Eurotrash, famously once said: “Only one French person per generation makes it in England”. Serge Gainsbourg was that Frenchman of his generation, and like Antoine de Caunes he is today most famous for his sexually-charged material – who could forget ‘Je T’aime’? Unlike the Eurotrash man, Serge […]
– THE DEAF INSTITUTE, MANCHESTER – Cherry Ghost is the moniker of singer songwriter Simon Aldred. After doing the rounds in bands for a number of years he decided to go it solo in 2005. Listening to his latest album “Beneath this Burning Shoreline” comparisons to Stephen Fretwell and Ben Howard can be made. Cherry […]

LIVE: CHERRY GHOST – 11/12/2011

LIVE: THE DRUMS – 10/12/2011

– THE RITZ, MANCHESTER – So here I am at the Manchester Ritz and while I’m not a die hard fan, I’ll confess right now to have a bit of a liking for The Drums and so as it turns out, there were a number of surprises in store. It hit me immediately how much […]
– THE WAREHOUSE PROJECT, MANCHESTER – The car park under Piccadilly Station has showcased some incredible line-ups over the last few years. Friday night sees The Warehouse Project bring in some of the most innovative and forward thinking electronic artists in the world, headlined by Modeselecktor, with Squarepusher, Four tet, Skream, amongst others. Upon entering […]

LIVE: MODESELEKTOR – 09/12/2011