ALBUM REVIEW: JOHNNY MARR – THE AGE OF EVERYTHING

“I bet they heard that all over Manchester” said the bloke stood behind me to his mate, after a mass sing along of ‘There Is A Light That Never Goes Out’ performed by Johnny Marr and his band at Castlefield Bowl back in July this year, the whole crowd belting out those famous lines at […]
As Winter is fast approaching, October is a perfect time to hide away from the dropping temperature and watch some incredible live music. This month is a packed one with some classics and newer artists, it’s certainly a busy one! Here is what’s going on in Manchester this October. October 1  Darren Kiely — Gorilla […]

GIG GUIDE – OCTOBER 2026

GIG GUIDE – SEPTEMBER 2026

After an incredible August filled with amazing weather and perfect for live music, it all had to come to an end didn’t it. Summer is gone for another year and we are back to regular rain and grey skies. However, to cheer you up, there is some wonderful live music happening across Manchester to preoccupy […]
ANYX    Starline              Anchoress front-person’s solo debut. She takes a sculptural approach to her songs, starting with her voice and words as internal navigation from which she works outwards. Around this core, she builds minimal instrumentation – harp, keys, guitar, double bass – until each song is muscular and multi-dimensional. midori jaeger   (Re)planted      A counterpart to […]

ALBUM ROUNDUP WEEK ENDING 28 AUGUST 2026

GIG GUIDE – AUGUST 2026

As Summer begins to draw to a close, there is only one way to make the most of it, live music! And this August there are some incredible gigs happening in and around Manchester to make sure you do just that. With Legendary bands like OMD and The Cure, to new and upcoming artists to […]
It’s not often that a name and description catch your eye that you can’t help but delve into and immerse yourself and that exactly what happened once I saw Nao Yoshioka. Japanese born and raised Nao Yoshioka embodies what soul is not being held back by expectations and labels. Traditional and contemporary are blended to […]

ALBUM REVIEW – NAO YOSHIOKA: SELF

ALBUM ROUNDUP WEEK ENDING 3 JULY 2026

The Heavenly Bodes    Green Hills       Recorded on reel-to-reel in a friend’s living room between trips to the beach, it features a collection of lo-fi garage-psych numbers that vary in feel – sometimes twisting and erratic, sometimes sedated and meandering – but all drenched in tape hiss and left out on the pebbles to dry. Sailing […]
After the intense heatwave of June, Manchester had some unreal scenes, with the World Cup being in full swing, and some amazing gigs hosted across the city, it is a perfect time to get out there and enjoy the City! From the return of Sounds of The City to smaller more intimate gigs, there’s something […]

GIG GUIDE – JULY 2026

GIG GUIDE – JUNE 2026

After an incredible May bank holiday, where the sun was shining, maybe a bit too much, June is also looking hopeful for another great month for gigs in Manchester. Festival season is just around the corner, and with some amazing new and old artists, the second half of 2026 is kicking off with a bang! […]
Having been lucky enough to have witnessed The Fall live several times from the early 90’s onwards, it’s easy to see why they were, and still are, one of the most revered bands to ever emerge from Manchester. “We are The Fall, northern white crap that talks back” they famously announced on their 1979 debut […]

INTERVIEW: PAUL HANLEY (THE FALL / HOUSE OF ALL / OH BROTHER! PODCAST / AUTHOR ) ON THE UPCOMING FALL FUTURES AND PASTS FESTIVAL, BAND ON THE WALL 5TH TO 7TH JUNE, AND NEW ALBUM – FALL SINGLES LIVE VOL TWO 1980-83