LIVE: THE MEMBRANES – 15/05/2015

– ACADEMY 2, MANCHESTER – Sleaford Mods made an inspired choice with asking The Membranes to support them in Manchester. Their brash muscular punk will appeal to enough in the room, but is the right side of obnoxious to thoroughly piss off any non-believers, thus ensuring everyone is fired up by the time the headliners […]
– GULLIVERS, MANCHESTER – New Zealand folk singer songwriter Hannah Hardings’ English-accented singing voice is strong enough to have drawn comparisons to Vashti Bunyan, but it’s not as though she’s  really forcing it, like Joanna Newsom. The delivery of her lyrics – which one could envisage were written on a remote farm, free from technology – seem all too natural to […]

LIVE: ALDOUS HARDING – 18/05/2015

Album Review: Fight Like Apes – Fight Like Apes

Last year Fight Like Apes delivered one of the best pop songs of 2014. ‘Crouching Bees’ saw the Dublin-based outfit smarten up their thrashy electro-pop sound with plush production, ice cool synths and the ever sharp vocal work of front lady Mary Kate. It seemed like after nearly 10 years of being a band, Fight […]
– ACADEMY 2, MANCHESTER – It’s just on a week since the Tories secured an unanticipated majority and with apathy and anger found in equal measure on social media, where better to be in the flesh than amongst the rabid fury of Sleaford Mods? Taking cues from Dan le Sac vs Scroobius Pip, Sleaford Mods […]

LIVE: SLEAFORD MODS – 15/05/2015

LIVE: AMERICAN FOOTBALL – 16/05/2015

– GORILLA, MANCHESTER – American Football a band that mean a lot to people. They only ever released an EP and one album back join 1998 and 1999 respectively, then they split up, ventured off on their own paths, leaving behind their single stunning full length effort, the self titled American Football. Instantly tagged with […]
– THE RUBY LOUNGE, MANCHESTER – New material from a pioneer of a scene can all but confirm the revival of a genre. Swervedriver were at the forefront of shoegaze in the early 90’s, along with other UK bands such as Ride and Slowdive. Their personal development took onboard American influences Dinosaur Jr. and Sonic Youth, as […]

LIVE: SWERVEDRIVER – 16/05/2015

LIVE: THE MACCABEES – 13/05/2015

– THE RITZ, MANCHESTER – When I was growing up and I had to listen to those Bible readings that turned me into an atheist, I only knew these Maccabees. Then, when I moved to Manchester to make Griffin and Farage happy, I started hearing about these other Maccabees, also because the other ones are […]
– THE ALBERT HALL, MANCHESTER – The Albert Hall is positively buzzing tonight; there are lots of smiling faces, flowery dresses and woolly jumpers. All shrouded in excited chatter. It’s 9pm and Belle and Sebastian are about to take the stage for the first night of two shows in Manchester, part of their sold out […]

LIVE: BELLE AND SEBASTIAN – 14/05/2015

Tops

LIVE: TOPS – 13/05/2015

– GULLIVERS, MANCHESTER – Its 10 to 11. The curfew for most Manchester venues is merely minutes away. Yet, as most bands are packing up to the sound of roars from the audience, there is one band that is just coming on stage. The band is Tops and this is not due to any lateness, […]
– SOUP KITCHEN, MANCHESTER – I won’t lie: I’m as giddy as a schoolgirl tonight. So giddy in fact I’m almost skipping down the stairs in the Soup Kitchen. I’m here to see Oceansize sorry, Vennart. Who are three fifths of Oceansize, Manchester’s very own progressive death indie outfit who tragically split in 2011, leaving […]

LIVE: VENNART – 13/05/2015