I was caught out a bit last night, with a band delivering a set I wasn’t expecting. That can be good of course, but not always. I feel I might be on firmer footing tonight, with some Turkish darkwave ...

How many Cure fans are in here tonight I wonder. A few I suspect. It’s why I’m here, after The Cure guitarist Reeves Gabrels wore the bands shirt on stage this summer, The Empty Page received some solid free promo. That alone isn’t enough though is it. A tshirt doesn’t make the band and truthfully it was more to do with the way they joyfully responded online that made me want to listen and discover some local doom-laden punk. Their album, Imploding, is a good listen, as are the more recent singl

Let’s get the tiny bit of negativity out of the way. Manchester Psych Fest is very spread out this year. My first stop is a delightful little pub venue called The Abbey, but it is quite a trek and the...

After successfully dodging the rain with The Cure and Pulp, it seems my luck has run out with The Prodigy. That’s okay though, the storm clouds are merely an excuse to embrace the chaos as the Essex r...

I’m a little later than I hoped tonight (unable to take my own advice), but the sun is doing it’s best to hold off the torrential rain we’ve had all day as Self Esteem takes the stage. There’s no mist...

The sun is struggling as it slowly drops amongst the looming clouds over Wythenshawe Park. Quite fitting for tonight’s bill, as local lads and one of my favourite bands, The Slow Readers Club take to ...

I’m thankful to be outside, in the shade, with the beautiful Manchester sun slowly setting, but it’s still damn hot at Castlefield Bowl tonight as Wet Leg take to the stage. The weather certainly help...

A severe gear change tonight from the last gig, as we switch from drawn out drone chords, to complex avant-garde jazz with The Bad Plus. A long time fan, this is my first time watching them live. I, l...

Well this is a nice surprise. After a stormy drive over to Liverpool with the rain lashing down, I find myself in The Dome in the city’s Grand Hall. It’s already busy and pretty warm as our ears are t...

Honestly I’m not really in the right frame of mind for this. It’s hot outside and it’s hot inside and I’d rather be somewhere cool with a nice drink, than in Manchester Arena, that although has its to...

It’s a hot day in Manchester, a hot night for that matter. It would take a special band to drag me indoors, I give you… Pixies! We’re in a different room than I’ve been in Aviva Studios for a gig befo...

I swear gigs are getting earlier, this one kicks off at 8 o’clock, then again this is not a standard gig, it’s Kraftwerk. The last time I saw them was in the spacious and luxuriously sounding Bridgewa...

I’ll be honest, this is a gamble. I was hooked in the mid-90s after someone put the first two Puressence singles on a mixtape for me, but aside that first album, I’ve never really dug deeper and reall...

I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve watched IST IST live and I’m pretty sure I’ve said something along the lines of them getting better each time too. If you don’t want to read further, I’ll just s...

Once more into the breech with a big venue. Honestly I might have to think carefully about booking for gigs this size. I like this venue and I love James, who need spaces this size with the demand to ...

It’s funny how your favourite venues change over the years. I don’t mean walls shifting, I mean our perceptions of them. Yes has always ranked high ever since its opening, but its Basement stage reall...

This feels like it’s been a long time coming. I became a little obsessed with the ABOMINATION album a couple of years back, it’s brilliant to run to and I did on repeat. I’ve been dying to witness Lyn...

It’s been a while since I’ve been in Albert Hall (I had to check, it was June ‘25, longer than I thought). Anyway it’s nice to be back in here with Gene. They were brilliant in Leeds last year, so exp...

Well after a nightmare with the tickets getting in, we finally take to the massive Coop Live floor space as Gorillaz warm up with ‘The Mountain’. This is the perfect introduction not only to the new r...

I’m trying to behave this year and stick to Manchester venues. There are going to be exceptions though and one such is the wonderfully named Warrington-Runcorn New Town Development Plan who are playin...

It seems like years since I last saw David Byrne, it’s 8 to be precise, another world away with everything that’s happened. That’s where we’re to be transported to too, another world, a better one. He...

Twickets is an ethical ticket resale marketplace, enabling fans to sell spare tickets at no more than face value (plus fees)

Choices have been made this evening. The Slow Readers Club are playing their Cavalcade album in full across town. As great as they and that album are, I’ve opted instead to get totally destroyed by 80...

Stereolab are a band that were always on the periphery for me. A band whose singles caught my ear, but whose albums I’ve not really explored too deeply. I suspect I’m not the only one, but the sold ou...

I’ve dashed here from another gig to find the band I wanted to see, My First Time, have pulled out. Gutted. The headline spot then is taken by Morn, who I know nothing about. This is a Mood Swings nig...

The first gig of the evening is a bit special, as I squeeze into the wonderful Wax & Beans record shop in Bury, with a bunch of lovely people, to watch The Milk deliver an intimate striped back set. I...

The Horrors I feel are a misunderstood band. When they first appeared, goth was not cool, they stood out when standing out wasn’t welcomed. They divided opinion. Then after some time, they went underg...

I held my breath getting in tonight. My ticket came via a fan exchange after I missed out on the original sale… and well, you just never know if it’s going to work do you. I’m really not keen on resal...

It’s time for some mind relaxing, psychedelic space rock, which can only mean one thing,.. Ozric Tentacles! This band, this sound will always hold a special place in my heart. They’re one of those ban...

There once was a time when it felt like I lived in The Deaf Institute. Not so much these days for some reason, but Bleach Lab have selected it to make their return to the city promoting their latest E...

We need a caveat up front here don’t we. You might be reading this in disgust if you hate Manson and what he’s accused of. You may also be disgusted that I’ve started with this caveat and not the musi...

Tonight’s a severe gear change from last night. From being sat in a massive arena filled with polished radio friendly indie pop, to standing in the intimate bunker that is Gorilla, with Mono testing t...

I have seen Haim once before, 8 years ago, in the sunshine at Glastonbury. A world away, nearly a decade later on a very autumnal Manchester evening, the vibe could be a little different, but fear not...

The last time I saw The Divine Comedy, the sound was uncharacteristically bad in Albert Hall. I feel confident as I take my seat in the gods, that tonight in The Bridgewater Hall, we won’t have that p...

Always try and get to gigs an early! I couldn’t do it tonight and I’m gutted I missed Lynks. Another time hopefully, but I now need cheering up. Enter Mr. John Grant. With half a dozen albums under hi...

Well everyone else is at it, honestly I think every review at the moment starts with Band Name are back! Tonight it’s the turn of The Beta Band. It’s been 20 years. Again what’s with bands getting bac...

This is my fourth gig in as many nights and I’ll admit I’m a little tired, but fear not, Self Esteem’s live show is exactly the sort of gig I need tonight. Had I been watching a band of blokes with gu...

There seems to be a lot of bands reforming at the moment, the latest being Gene, who after announcing their big London gig coming this Saturday, are proceeding it with some warm up gigs. The first of ...

It’s part two of my soul weekend tonight, with a gig that might raise some eyebrows. We’re a mile away from noisy guitars, dirty bass or electro madness in Coop Live, with Simply Red. I don’t believe ...

The Milk are back. It’s been a long time since I last saw them live. Far too long. They’re returning with a new album, their fourth and it’s a corker, but then so were the previous three. There’s noth...

It’s Manchester Psych Fest again! Possibly my favourite day of the year and the line up this year looks great. I’m starting today with the much hyped band, Westside Cowboy. We’re in Academy 2, a new v...

I’ve been to gigs at Projekts MCR Skatepark on numerous occasions, it’s a nice quirky venue and I’m sure a great place to skate. It works well as a daytime venue for events like Manchester Psych Fest,...

Tonight feels like a long time coming. It’s my first time in a room with The Maccabees and honestly until this reunion was announced, I thought I’d missed my chance. It’s not that I wasn’t smitten wit...

My gig calendar slows down over the summer and I very nearly forgot about this tonight. Thank god I didn’t, as I’m feeling a bit rough and the wonderful Sea Power at the marvellous Trades Club is exac...

Now I’m not one of those people who think music and politics need to be kept apart, I’ve no issue with artists having a voice. Unfortunately, as far as I’m concerned at least, politics is a fucked up ...

Bloody hell this place is big. It’s been donkeys since I was last at the O2 Arena, has it got bigger? I don’t think so, but it feels cavernous. Crazy to think its capacity is now dwarfed by Manchester...

We’re in the summer lull for indoor gigs when festivals take over, so it feels like a while since I’ve been crammed in a room with a load of people watching a band. Truthfilly it’s only been a few wee...

I think it was October I was last in Albert hall, has it really been that long? That’s too long for one of my favourite venues, so I’ll thank TV on the Radio for bringing me here tonight. In fact it’s...

I’ve only seen Iron Maiden once before, almost two years to the day. I was quietly impressed, impressed enough to come back for round two. Tonight in Coop Live, they’re promising a set covering the fi...

It’s been 25 years since I was last inside Brixton Academy. It’s a core memory, watching Motorhead with the person I’ve now been married to for 23 years. I’ve a feeling that on a number of levels, wat...