LIVE: CAVFEST – 21/09/13

– CAVENDISH PRIMARY SCHOOL, MANCHESTER – Now normally when primary schools have fundraisers, the most exotic it gets is throwing soggy sponges at the headmaster in the playing fields outside.  However, this is Manchester and at Cavendish Primary in Didsbury, they do things a little differently.  The school site manager was once a guitarist in […]
– THE DEAF INSTITUTE, MANCHESTER –  Many things were lost in the noise of Britpop and grunge – bands that otherwise would have stood out as special were overlooked in the search for the next Oasis, the next Nirvana. Spacehog are a band who straddled the Atlantic with a toe in each of these scenes, […]

LIVE: SPACEHOG – 6/10/2013

LIVE: SCHOLARS – 4/10/2013

– SOUND CONTROL, MANCHESTER – The last time Watford based outfit Scholars hit Manchester was back in April at The Roadhouse just as they were about to drop their long awaited debut album Always Lead, Never Follow. Business has been pretty normal since then as the band have pretty much been constantly on the road, […]
I recall a pub conversation with a friend at Christmas time. I believe the year was 2011, and we were each naming our favourite gig of the year and attempting to explain what it was that we liked so much about it. I think I used the words “hands down” in declaring that Calvi’s gig […]

Album Review: Anna Calvi – One Breath

LIVE: LIVERPOOL INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF PSYCHEDELIA – 27/09/2013 – 28/09/2013

– FRIDAY – Liverpool’s third eye opened for the 2nd annual International Festival of Psychedelia over the weekend of September 27-28, drawing in crowds from countries as far as Mexico and as close as Europe, to interconnect in all things psych-otic. Over 2,000 committed ‘PZYKonauts’ gathered in Liverpool’s most cultural quarter, The Baltic Triangle, to […]
– THE DEAF INSTITUTE, MANCHESTER – “Do you know who the support act are tonight?” “Radstewart.” “ROD STEWART?!” “No, Radstewart.” I can’t pretend I’m not slightly disappointed that the support act for tonight’s gig isn’t Rod Stewart. Sadly he’s headlining arenas in Glasgow for fifty quid this week, not playing the support slot at Manchester’s […]

LIVE: SKY LARKIN / BAD GRAMMAR – 30/09/2013

INTERVIEW: JON FRATELLI

The Fratellis are back with a much awaited new album ‘We Need Medicine’. The guys have a string of tour dates planned around North America, UK and some of Europe. I spoke to Lead Jon Fratelli about how the band feel about uniting back on stage and playing to a crowd again after a five […]
A batch of remixes normally act as a subtle reminder that ‘THIS BAND STILL EXIST’ ahead of a more important release, and tellingly on the day Stubborn Heart’s ‘Penetrate EP’ is released, announcements have been made about the release of a new 27-track deluxe edition of their well-received debut. I am not suspicious. Deluxe editions […]

EP REVIEW: STUBBORN HEART ‘PENETRATE 12”’

LIVE: BC CAMPLIGHT – 28/09/2013

– SOUP KITCHEN, MANCHESTER – I love a good story me, and boy, does Brian Christinzio aka BC Camplight, come laden with a whole heap of baggage. Namely the few the suitcases he packed in 2011, when he upped sticks from Philadelphia to set up home here, in Manchester. “Someday the press will awake to […]
The three Californian sisters that seem to be everywhere right now have finally dropped their long awaited debut album Days Are Gone. They already have a string of hit singles, massive tours and a Glastonbury main stage set under their belt, and since their debut three-track EP, Forever, Haim has been the word on everyone’s […]

Album Review: Haim – Days Are Gone