LIVE: BELLE AND SEBASTIAN – 14/05/2015

– 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 […]
– 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, […]
Tops

LIVE: TOPS – 13/05/2015

LIVE: VENNART – 13/05/2015

– 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 […]
– HOME, MANCHESTER – The inconclusive evidence surrounding Elliott Smith’s death makes for a compelling story. He died in 2003, at the age of 34, from two stab wounds to the chest. Whether the fatal injuries were self-inflicted is still up for debate, but you’ll be disappointed if you thought this documentary was about getting to the bottom of […]

FILM: ELLIOTT SMITH DOCUMENTARY ‘HEAVEN ADORES YOU’

Album Review: The Nightingales – Mind Over Matter

Wolverhampton-based alt-pop veterans The Nightingales return with their brand new album Mind Over Matter, and it’s a bit of a weird one. I usually don’t like using the word ‘weird’ to describe music. For me it’s just another way of saying: “nah that’s shit that get the kettle on!” However, I’m gonna be honest with you, […]
– NIGHT & DAY CAFE, MANCHESTER – For the second time in a week I’m in a packed Night and Day Café and it’s a real joy to see it thriving again. Even prior to the turbulent spell which saw residential noise complaints almost close it for good, the Oldham Street venue had been something […]

LIVE: TOBIAS JESSO JR. – 08/05/2015

LIVE: SLAVES – 09/05/2015

– GORILLA, MANCHESTER – The past year has been a real white knuckle ride for Tunbridge Wells duo Slaves. Since signing to Virgin EMI last year, they’ve gone from strength to strength, with more media coverage than you could shake a stick at. The tail end of 2014 had them performing ‘Hey!’ on Later With […]
– THE BUNGALOW CLUB, STOCKPORT – The Bungalow Club in Stockport is the stuff music video dreams are made of. You know the sort, sticky floors, tiny stage flooded with huge illuminated Christmas decoration style moons and a Stockport local drinking too many pints and dancing Bez style at the back. It seems a custom […]

LIVE: BLOSSOMS – 07/05/2015

EP Review: Flyying Colours – ROYGBIV

Shoegaze is back! Grow that fringe (I only wish I could)! Not everyone will be doing cartwheels at the return of the ‘scene that celebrates itself’, but I have to admit to becoming quite giddy at the prospect of seeing Ride later this month at the beautiful Albert Hall. Club AC30 are no strangers to the […]
– FALLOW CAFE, MANCHESTER – These 4 indie rock lads from Merthyr Tydfil are blazing a trail into the bright lights, having received Radio 1 and XFM airtime, with just 5 months of gigging under their belts. They’ll be appearing at some of the major UK festivals this summer, plus, they’ve signed a record deal with mighty Virgin […]

LIVE: PRETTY VICIOUS – 08/05/2015