LIVE: INTERPOL – 16/11/2018

-THE APOLLO, MANCHESTER- Last year, New York indie-punk mavericks Interpol embarked on a sold out world tour to celebrate 15 years of their vital debut album, Turn On The Bright Lights. The trio returned home feeling refreshed and inspired by their past which very much informed the making of their sixth album. Coming in like a […]
-ALBERT HALL, MANCHESTER- With their latest release, Bark Your Head Off, Dog, Hop Along have forged a more mature and glossy album compared to their earlier works. They have side-lined their previous DIY and low-fi sounding ethos for a tighter result. The interesting song structures and intertwining melodies have been brought forward in the mix […]

LIVE: THE DECEMBERISTS / HOP ALONG – 12/11/2018

LIVE: BILLY OCEAN – 12/11/2018

-BRIDGEWATER HALL, MANCHESTER- Billy Ocean is 68 years-old. 68. And he has the most ultra cool moves. Smooth. Slick. Effortless. If I could be as nimble as him even at the age I am now (29) I would be first on the dance floor every time, and that’s before I even talk about his voice. […]
-ALBERT HALL, MANCHESTER- Celebrating fifty years of a band’s existence is a rare thing these days, especially one whose releases and activities were closely monitored by the U.S. authorities back in the 1960s and 70s. Despite the fact there’s now only one remaining member left in the band, the rapturous reception guitarist Wayne Kramer receives […]

LIVE: MC5 – 11/11/2018

LIVE: WAND – 11/11/2018

-DEAF INSTITUTE, MANCHESTER- It’s rare I go to watch a band whose back catalogue I have almost no knowledge of whatsoever, but when the chance to see Wand came up I was intrigued. Having only ever heard ‘Reaper Invert’ from 2015’s Golem and ‘Pure Romance’ from the Perfume EP released this year, I was intrigued […]
-MAYFIELD DEPOT, MANCHESTER- This Bicep show, a collaboration between the incredible Manchester International Festival (MIF) and the stalwart rave up artists Warehouse Project (WHP), is the last gig to be held at the wonderful, industrial (barely) survivor of many a decade, Mayfield Depot before it is refurbished. It’s part of a series of events put […]

LIVE: BICEP / MARIE DAVIDSON / LEON VYNEHALL – 10/11/2018

ALBUM: CHRIS CORNELL – AN ARTIST’S LEGACY

At his final Manchester show in April 2016, Chris Cornell played ‘The Times They Are a-Changin’ Back’ – a re-working of Bob Dylan’s original, which was written in a time of political upheaval, it seemed a very appropriate choice for our current times. Cornell’s skilful re-writing of the lyrics to reflect the authoritarian and populist […]
Four piece London massive Prep are hot on the heels of their last EP, ‘Cold Fire’, with their latest release and it’s just as impressive as their previous offerings. Backed by some heavy hitters on previous EPs – Korean R&B megastar DEAN, Anderson Paak collaborator Pomo & Kitsuné signing Reva DeVito to name but a […]

EP: PREP – LINE BY LINE

ALBUM:THURSTON MOORE & TOM SURGAL – KLANGFARBENMELODIE..AND THE COLORIST STRIKES PRIMITIV

From sticking screwdrivers in guitars to creating some of the most sublime alternative guitar anthems ever, Thurston Moore has long been credited as a guitar genius. His former band Sonic Youth still remain one of the best bands to emerge from the U.S. creating a dazzling array of noise warped melodies over their thirty years […]
-SOUP KITCHEN, MANCHESTER- The first act tonight at Soup Kitchen is the Manchester 5 piece, URF. They have a shoegaze vibe, with sustained cries over sombre guitars and keyboards. A hypnotically doleful start to the evening. URF gradually rise, opening up towards the end of their set, letting loose over thumping rhythms. The gloom advancing […]

LIVE: ESTRONS / LUCIA / URF – 07/11/2018