-MANCHESTER ARENA- Manic Street Preachers are a band of mythologies. They were born as hard-line punks, so devoted to their ideology that their original bassist Flicker left because he felt the band were betraying their roots. That was in 1988. At times tonight, some three decades later, the Manics look and sound every bit a […]
-MANCHESTER ARENA- It’s not often that support bands appeal so accurately to the main act’s crowd, but many have made the extra effort to get in early tonight to see John Grant. It’s easy to see why he appeals to Elbow fans, as his songs have a certain depth to them; whether it’s the slow […]
-MANCHESTER ARENA- There’s a part near the beginning of the recent Nick Cave documentary, which charts the making of Skeleton Tree, his latest album with the Bad Seeds, in which he says: “Isn’t it the invisible things, the lost things, that have so much mass? And are as big as the universe?” Cave has recently suffered […]
Following a run of shows across the UK and Europe this summer, Arcade Fire have announced a headline tour for Spring 2018. The live show will feature songs from the band’s forthcoming album Everything Now, due out on Friday 28th July 2017, featuring the title track as well as the likes of ‘Creature Comfort’, and […]
It is no underestimation to say that the return of Gorillaz has been feverishly anticipated. Last week saw the launch of Humanz, their first new studio album in 7 years, to widespread critical acclaim. Not only that, but tickets to their US live dates sold out in the blink of an eye this month, as […]
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds have announced an 8-week European tour kicking off in the UK at Bournemouth’s International Centre on Sunday 24th September 2017. The European shows follow dates across Australia (January 2017) and the USA (May & June 2017), and the tour will be the first time European audiences can experience live […]
– MANCHESTER ARENA, MANCHESTER – Now this isn’t the type of gig you usually see reviewed on these pages, and it’s not really the type of thing I spend my Sunday nights at. But when the opportunity to see two of the all time RnB titans together on the same night came up, I jumped […]
– MANCHESTER ARENA, MANCHESTER – Before I venture to the Manchester Arena I stop off at my favourite pub on Oldham Street, Gulliver’s. I cannot be arsed paying a tenner for a couple of Fosters when I get to the venue, the worst fucking lager going. With a lovely San Miguel sat off in my belly, […]
– MANCHESTER ARENA, MANCHESTER – Walking casually out onto stage to a packed crowed at Manchester Arena to screams that are enough to make you lose your voice, must have been a pre-Valentine’s treat for Foals. The Oxford band have made their mark as one of Britain’s most artful and expressive musicians. With four albums […]
– MANCHESTER ARENA, MANCHESTER – It has been four years since I had a chance to see Tame Impala play a gig in Manchester. Holidays, plus, I had missed them by about 3 months when moving here, and have been waiting ever since. Tame Impala, whether you know them, like them or not, have been at […]