INTERVIEW & REVIEW: THE TWILIGHT SAD – 02/05/2014

– THE DEAF INSTITUTE, MANCHESTER – Backstage at The Deaf Institute, The Twilight Sad frontman James Graham leads me to a tiny room containing three bunk beds and room for nothing else. “It is like when you were wee and your pal came to play PlayStation” he says with a smile. Hailing from Glasgow, The […]
Here’s a bit of a low-down on some of this Saturday’s RSD action in Manchester. INSTORE AT PICCADILLY RECORDS DJ sets: 12pm-1pm: Ben Ward (Sways Records) 1pm-2pm: Eccentronic Research Council ft. Maxine Peake 2pm-3pm: Nev Cottee 3pm-4pm: The Emperor Machine 4pm-5pm: Smoke Fairies Exclusive live performance: 5.30pm-6.00pm: Smoke Fairies COMMON AND PICCADILLY RECORDS PRESENTS THE 3RD ANNUAL […]

RECORD STORE (SHOP) DAY: WHAT’S ON WHERE

NEWS: DEAF INSTITUTE ANNOUNCES RECORD STORE DAY PARTY

With bands and record stores around the country revving up to celebrate what is already the seventh Record Store Day in the UK, venues around Manchester are getting set to provide the platform for festivities all around the city. As such, The Deaf Institute has announced its annual Record Store Day Party lineup. For this […]
– THE DEAF INSTITUTE, MANCHESTER – “Ve Are Notvist” are the first words from lead singer Markus Acher, who sports glasses along with a host of other members from the German veteran band. Expectations are diverse tonight , varying from those expecting skull-crashing drums often associated with German bands, to those expecting the glacial calm […]

LIVE: THE NOTWIST – 15/03/2014

LIVE: JOHN MURRY – 26/02/2014

– THE DEAF INSTITUTE, MANCHESTER – Phew! It’s warm in The Deaf Institute again tonight. What’s the deal with that? I was here last week for a gig and was actually quite pleased when a lad carrying a couple of beers overhead through the crowd accidentally tipped half of one down my back. Never has […]
– DEAF INSTITUTE, MANCHESTER –  Coming out onto stage to open with ‘For, Words’ tonights headliners Keston Cobblers’ Club have attracted a crowd with a good mix of ages, though since this is the Deaf Institute the lower limit is of course 18. The opening song gets the performance off to a good start and […]

LIVE: KESTON COBBLERS’ CLUB – 10/02/2014

LIVE: FANFARLO – 09/02/2014

– DEAF INSTITUTE, MANCHESTER – I’ve been listening to Fanfarlo since their debut album in 2009, so this gig has definitely been a long time coming. The indie/alternative electro-pop band are based in London and was formed by Swedish musician, Simon Balthazar. Throughout the years, Fanfarlo has racked up an impressive discography of three studio […]
– DEAF INSTITUTE, MANCHESTER – It is typically busy upstairs at The Deaf Institute and with good reason; Forest Swords, aka Matthew Barnes, is in town for a rare headline show. Fresh from supporting Mogwai in Europe, there is a sense of anticipation in the room long before a note is played.  Fortunately, punters don’t […]

LIVE: FOREST SWORDS – 08/02/2014

LIVE: CASS MCCOMBS – 10/01/2014

– THE DEAF INSTITUTE, MANCHESTER – I rarely ever mention support acts in a review, but only one man has led me to break that mould – Frank Fairfield. With a barely comprehensible Southern American accent, baggy trousers and a belt buckle which would take Alex Turner’s belt buckle efforts to town, he sits on […]
There’s a lot of tension in the air:  It’s hard to define, but the sense of expectation this evening has been building for some time, and no-one really knows what to expect.   Before I arrived at the Deaf Institute, I confess I was unaware of MetzJumper, and I’m only at the venue that night to […]

MERCHANDISE REVIEW: MetzJumper