-CASTLEFIELD BOWL, MANCHESTER- Castlefield Bowl is a phenomenal venue, regardless of who is playing there. It is not used for concerts very often but every year Sounds of the City takes full advantage of the outdoor performance space that is surrounded by the buildings of Deansgate and Castlefield in the city centre. It turns the […]
– MANCHESTER CATHEDRAL, MANCHESTER – Bonobo at Manchester Cathedral was nothing short of an absolutely stunning show. The Manchester Cathedral was an extremely interesting choice of venue but it was the perfect place for the Manchester International Festival to showcase the electronic sensation that is Bonobo. The combination of music and light made this a […]
– PAVILION THEATRE, MANCHESTER – Loud doesn’t really cut it. According to Twitter someone in the crowd clocked Hookworms playing at 124.8 decibels tonight, which Google describes as “tinnitus inducing, ringing in the ears, permanent hearing loss”. It’s an absolute fucking blast. Hookworms play as part of the Manchester International Festival at the Pavilion Theatre […]
– THE RITZ, MANCHESTER – Before I talk about Manchester’s new favourite sons and their Cabbage Patch Kids, I want to briefly mention how good The Blinders and Strange Bones were as support acts tonight. It’s not easy supporting one of the most exciting live bands in the UK but both clearly knew what the […]
-ALBERT HALL, MANCHESTER- When you’re a well blogged about, up and coming artist, it’s very easy to get carried away in a whirlwind of hype, but singer/songwriter Sampha hasn’t let any of this consume him. Forever humble and always focused, the South London based musician delivered an outstanding debut at the start of the year […]
-CASTLEFIELD BOWL, MANCHESTER- The Levellers transported their own-curated festival North and to quote another band they brought the weather with them. The good sort that is. It was Beautiful Days meets Sounds of the City in the perfect surroundings of Manchester’s Castlefield Bowl. The Irish folk band, Beoga get the day’s proceedings under way and […]
– THE RITZ, MANCHESTER – Well… it was certainly a set! Hello, I’m Connor Ryan and today I’m going to talk about how one band so chilled and sunny on record, can in the flesh become a different beast entirely. I’ve had mixed feelings on Real Estate ever since I was notified of their existence […]
– GORILLA, MANCHESTER- Manchester International Festival returns with one of its most eclectic and strongest bills since inception in 2007. The last event 2015 passed with barely a whimper but a new creative director has breathed much needed life into one of Manchester’s greatest cultural happenings. The esoteric Dark Matter series curated by Mary Anne […]
– APOLLO, MANCHESTER – Travelling from the promised land that is Warrington to a city of extreme hustle and bustle called Manchester, two things are crossing my mind. The first, could I have done more to keep The Maccabees from “calling it a day”? The second, I wonder how I’m going to deal with the […]
Boston’s Magic Shoppe are back with the High Goodbye EP, their third release in 18 months. They sprung to public prominence in February 2016 with Interstellar Car Crash EP and then debut LP Wonderland. Having garnered a reputation for their mesmerising live performances, the announcement that they will feature at this year’s Liverpool International Festival […]
GIG GUIDE
Our gig guide is handpicked and every act has been listened to before making it onto the list.
See this month's guide
SINGLE REVIEW - ALKALINE TRIO: OBLIVION
ALBUM ROUNDUP WEEK ENDING 18 JULY 2025
ALBUM REVIEW - BUSH: I BEAT LONELINESS
ALBUM REVIEW - AMY MACDONALD: IS THIS WHAT YOU'VE BEEN WAITING FOR?
ALBUM ROUNDUP WEEK ENDING 11 JULY 2025
LIVE REVIEW - PRESS CLUB: YES PINK ROOM - 09/07/2025
ALBUM REVIEW - GINA BIRCH: TROUBLE
SINGLE REVIEW - HOTEL MERCY: LUCKY
ALBUM REVIEW - GREET DEATH: DIE IN LOVE
ALBUM ROUNDUP WEEK ENDING 4 JULY 2025
