LIVE: QUEENS OF THE ELECTRONIC UNDERGROUND – 20/07/2019

-THE RITZ, MANCHESTER- With a title as pompous as displayed above, flattering claims about the performers and MIF’s growing international esteem enticed me enough to think I could actually withstand 6 hours of standing (I did). Largely ignoring the initial DJ set by the event curator, I start to take notice when the first live […]
-HOME, MANCHESTER- Tonight, a film director is curating a concert in a theatre. It must be Manchester International Festival time! This year’s programme sees the great David Lynch putting on a series of three gigs as part of his takeover of HOME. Yesterday, Anna Calvi topped the bill, while tomorrow Oliver Coates is headlining, but […]

LIVE: THESE NEW PURITANS – 13/07/2019

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

-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 […]
-PAVILION THEATRE, MANCHESTER- Stepping from a bright Manchester afternoon into a blacked-out tent in the middle of Albert Square, I am soon joining the gathered crowd in applauding the on-stage arrival of the two young Norfolk musicians in Let’s Eat Grandma. The claps give way to complete silence as Rosa Walton and Jenny Hollingworth take […]

LIVE: LET’S EAT GRANDMA – 16/07/2017

LIVE: THE HAXAN CLOAK – 07/07/2017

-GORILLA, MANCHESTER- The Haxan Cloak, or Bobby Krlic to his friends, is performing as part of the Mary Ann Hobbs curated Dark Matter strand of the Manchester International Festival, “eight immersive shows from pioneering national, international and Manchester-based musicians…with a light show that will transform Gorilla and the Ritz, creating new universes for each artist”, according […]
-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 […]
James

LIVE: JAMES / THE SLOW READERS CLUB – 07/07/2017

LIVE: BONOBO / SANDUNES – 04/07/2017

– 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 […]

LIVE: HOOKWORMS/CARLA DAL FORNO – 02/07/2017

LIVE: SAMPHA / PAULI – 05/07/2017

-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 […]
– 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 […]

LIVE: HOLLY HERNDON – 30/06/2017