Is black midi performance art now? Halfway through this absolutely ferocious gig, keyboardist ‘Shank’ sneaks up behind the extraordinary saxophonist ‘Cassanova’ with a plastic pirate cutlass, and proceeds to ‘slash’ his neck. But lo! Casanova rises (through ‘the power of love’, we are told by vocalist and guitarist Geordie Greep, who is narrating the pantomime […]
– Ritz, Manchester – In support of their seventh studio album ‘Nature Always Wins’, released earlier this year, Maximo Park are tonight playing at Manchester’s Ritz. I seem to have lost track of the band’s album releases somewhere along the way, pretty sure I haven’t heard all of them despite being a fan when they […]
– The Ritz, Manchester – This is being billed as a homecoming gig of sorts for The Orielles. By ‘homecoming’, I think people mean ‘big gig up north’, as the band hail from Halifax on the wrong side of the Pennines to Manchester, but we’ll let that slide; the excitement amongst a near to sellout […]
-THE RITZ, MANCHESTER- Playing their self-titled debut album in its entirety, The Futureheads have filled out the Ritz with an eager crowd of all ages. With an album that is as quick and snappy in length as the guitar riffs that fill it, it is a concern whether they will fill the evening. But, with […]
-THE RITZ, MANCHESTER- (Insert: Opening statement about how, like everybody else, I discovered them through a certain viral hit that appeals to anyone with a sense of humour regarding inhaled narcotics.) The obvious appeal with this particular 3-piece is the straight forward, 3-chord mimicry of classic punk which is tied in with their Australian background […]
-RITZ, MANCHESTER- Dear Reader, this is going to be one of those reviews where I say how great someone has been before declaring ‘I don’t understand why they’re not a massive pop star’, because that is exactly, one hundred percent what I have witnessed tonight. Shura (real name Alexandra Lilah Denton), has electro-pop bangerz and […]
-RITZ, MANCHESTER- Walking into the Ritz on this bitterly cold Wednesday night, I could not help but feel a rather morbid atmosphere, no one looked like they had paid twenty-five pounds a ticket to be stood there. The weird yet at points interesting collaboration between front man Bradford Cox and support act Cate le Bon, […]
-VARIOUS VENUES, MANCHESTER- As the title shows, the event primarily caters towards a genre half a century in age, although that didn’t stop the promoters from cherry picking enough non-psych bands to give off the impression it was a name only title. I mean understandably you need a healthy balance of differing styles and realistically […]
With both local and external talent alike forming the nucleus of this year’s line-up, Manchester’s annual commemoration of all that is paisley has once again returned to the forefront. The seventh annual edition of Manchester Psych Fest takes place across five stages in three great Manchester venues on Friday 30 August. Alongside an eclectic mix […]
-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 […]
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
ALBUM REVIEW: CAT POWER - COVERS
ALBUM REVIEW: VIS-A-VIS – BEST OF VIS-A-VIS IN A CONGO STYLE
LIVE: JAMES / HAPPY MONDAYS – 03/12/2021
LIVE: THE CHARLATANS – 06/12/2021
INTERVIEW: JOE MATERA - AUTHOR OF BACKSTAGE PASS, THE GRIT AND THE GLAMOUR. DETAILS HIS ENCOUNTERS WITH THE LIKES OF LEMMY, GEORGE MARTIN, DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE AND MORE
LIVE: WILLIAM DOYLE – 29/11/2021
DECEMBER 2021
