ALBUM: VARIOUS ARTISTS – I’M A FREAK 2 BABY – A Further Journey Through The British Heavy Psych and Hard Rock Underground Scene 1968-73

With the ability to discover previously released tunes, in all genres, from the last forty odd years online where do you start? Thankfully compilations like this exist often covering the lesser known areas of a particular genre, and in this case the UK psychedelic and hard rock scene of the late 60s goes under the […]
I can distinctly remember where I was the first time I ever heard ‘Dry The Rain’ by Steve Mason’s former outfit The Beta Band, I was off work with a cold, and on the radio during the day, as some sort of listener request, this subliminal piece of melodic slow building pop came wafting out […]

ALBUM: STEVE MASON – ABOUT THE LIGHT

LIVE: THE STREETS – 26/01/2019

-APOLLO, MANCHESTER- Mike Skinner is one of those artists for me… you either relate to him so much that every word plays on your heart, mind and gangster finger wave, or you can’t for a second imagine being in his shoes when he wrote legendary albums such as Original Pirate Material and The Hardest Way […]
-BAND ON THE WALL, MANCHESTER- Cloud Nothings, a four strong indie rock outfit from Cleveland, Ohio, have always been on the periphery of my musical scope. Having only vaguely listened to their hard hitting, angsty 2012 album Attack on Memory, I’m keen to get the full flavour of Baldi and co. via the live setting. […]

LIVE: CLOUD NOTHINGS – 27/01/2019

LIVE: HOBO JOHNSON & THE LOVEMAKERS – 26/01/2019

-ACADEMY, MANCHESTER- The atmosphere in the Academy feels like we are at the Pyramid stage of Glastonbury tonight as Hobo Johnson and The Lovemakers enter the stage. I have never heard a crowd so loud. But luckily the crowd still have enough juice in their lungs to emphatically sing along with the opening song, ‘Romeo […]
-VICTORIA WAREHOUSE, MANCHESTER- “This is a punk rock show, which means that there are no rules. Except for don’t be an arsehole and if you know the words to a song, you’ve got to fucking sing along!” The somewhat heartfelt speech from the matured punk rocker Frank Turner gives a taste of what to expect […]

LIVE: FRANK TURNER & THE SLEEPING SOULS – 25/01/2019

LIVE: FRANK TURNER – 25/01/2019

-THE HAT WORKS, STOCKPORT- It’s Friday dinner time in Stockport and I’m stood in Hat Works, the UK’s only museum dedicated to the hatting industry. I have a can of diet coke in my hand and a massive grin on my face. I look around and there are about sixty other people here, mostly clutching […]
-GORILLA, MANCHESTER- For the first time ever when walking into Gorilla, I head straight upstairs to watch a gig with the risk of getting a elbow to the face in a mosh pit. Catching the majority of the opening band’s set, I wasn’t getting the feeling that I was ready to watch Uncle Acid and […]

LIVE: UNCLE ACID & THE DEADBEATS / BLOOD CEREMONY – 22/01/2019

LIVE: YOUNG FATHERS – 23/01/2019

-ALBERT HALL, MANCHESTER- When the Mercury Prize rolled around in 2014, few had anticipated Young Fathers to walk away with the £25k. However, their artful coalition of hip-hop, art-pop and whatever else they fancy have garnered them a sizeable following, enough to suitably pack the beautiful Manchester Albert Hall. The group’s live keyboardist Callum Easter […]
-DEAF INSTITUTE, MANCHESTER- Slothrust, pronounced sloth-rust (a fact that, embarrassingly, I only find out tonight, even with the band being four albums deep) arrive on stage to an eager crowd at Deaf Institute. Their name is not the only aspect that has eluded being pinned down correctly, their sound can also be hard to articulate […]

LIVE: SLOTHRUST – 23/01/2019