LIVE: OH SEES – 14/06/2017

– ACADEMY 1, MANCHESTER – “I lie awake until I sleep, I see the sky tear, and then it weeps,” sings the dangerously prolific bird-of-prey John Dwyer, as sheets of blood-sucking black rainbow arch over Manchester’s Academy 1 and suffocate. The founding-member and primary songwriter of Thee Oh Sees – now simply Oh Sees following […]
– ACADEMY, MANCHESTER – The Jesus and Mary Chain became a household name in 1985 when they released their critically acclaimed debut album Psychocandy. The East Kilbride outfit, formed by brothers Jim and William Reid in 1983, recorded a series of six studio albums before disbanding in 1999. The band briefly reformed in 2007 to […]

LIVE: THE JESUS & MARY CHAIN – 25/03/2017

LIVE: THE WAILERS / BY THE RIVERS – 10/03/2017

– ACADEMY 1, MANCHESTER – The happiness that emanates from The Wailers is astounding; from Donald Kinsey’s forever beaming smile to 86-year-old Alvin ‘Seeco’ Patterson ambling on stage with the help of a walking stick and an arm to cheers, there is so much love for this band that to not smile may mean you’re […]
– ACADEMY 1, MANCHESTER –  Making my way into the cramped hole that is the Academy, I begin to feel a sense of fear and excitement, not quite sure what to expect from tonight’s affair. The venue is filled to bursting point and I feel that maybe it is too small for the hundreds of […]

LIVE: BLOSSOMS – 30/09/2016

LIVE: GIGANTIC INDIE ALL DAYER VOLUME III – 28/05/2016

– ACADEMY 1, MANCHESTER – The idea is a simple one, take a number of bands that emerged in the same era and build a festival around them. Although, this is not merely a nostalgia trip, as all the bands on show have reformed with new material to perform alongside their fan favourites. This is […]
– ACADEMY 1, MANCHESTER – Plastic leotards and leatherette tutus. Glitter covered everything and pastel faux fur. Neon faces and blown-out bedroom tattoos. The internet has vomited all over Manchester’s Academy and it’s beautiful. Every spectral colour is represented across a sea of semi-permanently dyed armpits and space-bun topped heads, and as I wade deeper […]

LIVE: GRIMES – 12/03/2016

LIVE: EDITORS – 22/10/2015

– ACADEMY 1, MANCHESTER – I once turned up to an Editors gig a day late. As I walked away from the queue for Fall Out Boy, I vowed I’d probably try and see them again at some point, but it never came up. And then this new album In Dreams somewhat grabbed me. It is dark, moody and punchy with […]
Super Furry Animals, Charlotte Church and now Public Service Broadcasting to join thousands of others in protest to disrupt the Tory Party Conference. As part of a jammed packed week of protests, public meetings, direct action, theatre, music and comedy at Manchester Academy on October 5th 8pm. Some of the artists and organisers had this […]

PUBLIC SERVICE BROADCASTING JOIN PEOPLE’S ASSEMBLY BEAT BACK GIG

LIVE: FUTURE ISLANDS – 08/09/2015

– ACADEMY 1, MANCHESTER – You just know the night’s going to be good when – even before you’ve stepped foot inside The Academy – someone undercharges you for a beer, Rooney beats Bobby Charlton’s goal scoring record and you bump into old, old friends, long lost, somehow having got away from you.  So I […]
– ACADEMY 1, MANCHESTER – “Sorry if you thought you were coming to see Jessie J. She was here last night. I’ll try and put on a good show though” claims Jessie Ware. And she didn’t disappoint us– not at all. Those of us who missed out on her intimate gig at the cathedral last year were treated to a second date […]

LIVE: JESSIE WARE – 25/01/2015