Whenever I reflect wistfully on attending well over 1,000 gigs, right near the top of the list for commandeering an imaginary time machine and nipping back to relive it would be Fela Kuti with a 35-piece band in Manchester in 1989. Having grown up listening to English chart music with its three-minute 7” pop singles […]
It is rare to discover a musician extoling the virtues of repetitive motions like walking, seed planting and sweeping when discussing the creative process. For Marianne Parrish, who performs as Maja Lena, spells working on a no dig permaculture vegetable growing project and in a natural horsemanship yard allowed space for her imagination to flow, […]
The Ruby Cord’ is the final part of a trilogy that started with ‘Peasant’ which was set in medieval times and was followed by the social realism of ‘2020’, an album that saw Richard Dawson hone his idiosyncrasies into a more traditional song format. ‘The Ruby Cord’ is more impressionistic and open-ended, exploring the idea […]
‘Goodbye Asshole’ is the debut album for San Francisco Scuzz-Wave based band Fuckwolf. At first the album title and design create a bold glance of sounding as an ode to no one. It leaves you wondering will be there be sense of heartbreak? Rejection? The trio of Tomo Yasuda on guitar, Simon Phillips on drums, […]
Steve Gullick and James Johnston have both made a name for themselves in their respective creative fields. Gullick as a photographer who has taken some of the most iconic images in rock photography from Nirvana to Spiritualized to Wet Leg and more. As a founder member of indie rockers Gallon Drunk, former member of Nick […]
‘English Primitive I’ was festooned with praise by eminent critics, including the Poet Laurette, Simon Armitage, and Stewart Lee who labelled it as 2021’s stand-out album. To those asking whether the second volume could maintain such distinguished standards, the short answer is an emphatic, ‘Yes’. With column inches to fill, I will gladly wax lyrical […]
– The White Hotel, Manchester – The White Hotel’s very foundations are shaking. The metal shutter behind me is practically part of the show, vibrating and reverberating as doomy Australian post rockers Divide and Dissolve (D&D) absolutely destroy all notions of noise that I’ve ever experienced, taking the concept of ‘you can actually feel the […]
– New Century Hall, Manchester – Turns out black midi are still one of the funnest live bands around then, which is great news. It’s almost a year to the day since I last saw them perform their thrilling show at the Ritz, prior to the release of their fantastic album Hellfire from earlier this […]
– Albert Hall, Manchester – Since her breakthrough debut album in 2015, Courtney Barnett has won the hearts of a diverse fan base. From parents with their 20-something kids to rowdy friend groups and the LGBTQI+ community, tonight’s crowd represents how strongly her music appeals to our experiences, rather than our backgrounds alone. With her […]
It has been a tumultuous time for Héloïse Letissier since the release of 2018’s ‘Chris’. April 2019 brought the sudden death of his mother while Christine and the Queens were performing at the Coachella festival. In addition to handling the grief of that momentous personal loss has come the subsequent liberation of announcing that he […]
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 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
ALBUM REVIEW - CONGRATULATIONS: JOIN HANDS
GIG GUIDE - FEBRUARY 2026
ALBUM REVIEW - CORY WONG: LOST IN THE WONDER
LIVE REVIEW - WESTSIDE COWBOY: MANCHESTER GORILLA - 29/01/2026
ALBUM REVIEW - BUZZCOCKS: ATTITUDE ADJUSTMENT
