The Murder Capital - Manchester New Century - 18th April 2025

The second night of The Murder Capital’s UK tour in support of their third album Blindness rolled into town on Good Friday with a show at Manchester’s New Century Hall playing most of Blindness alongside old favourites.

John Bramwell - Waterfoot Horse And Bamboo - 17th April 2025

John Bramwell continued his never-ending solo travels around the UK with an intimate sold-out show at the Horse And Bamboo in Waterfoot on Thursday night. Mixing classics from his days with I Am Kloot and material from his solo albums as well as a blast from the past, he charmed the audience with stories, humour as well as some of the finest songwriting this country has produced since the turn of the century.

TRACK OF THE DAY : Little Sparrow - Moondust

It's been four years since we heard new music from Little Sparrow, but she's out of hibernation today with a brand new single Moondust. It's a change in direction that Katie (aka Little Sparrow) describes as "space folk" but with old friends in collaboration with her.

The Man From Delmonte / The Mudd Club - Manchester Academy 2 - 12th April 2025

The Man From Delmonte's unexpected reunion continued apace on Saturday night with a sold-out show at Academy 2 in Manchester. Thirty-five years on from their split they brought memories of misspent youth flooding back with a glorious seventy-five minute set.

slab / Vice Vera - Manchester Peer Hat - 11th April 2025

slab celebrated the release of their debut album Taut with a packed out show in the basement of The Peer Hat in Manchester on Friday night delighting the crowd with their dark heavily instrumental brooding soundtrack.

Divorce / Dug - Manchester Gorilla - 3rd April 2025

Divorce brought their sold-out tour in support of their debut album Drive To Goldenhammer to Manchester's Gorilla on Thursday night. Supported by newly-signed Dublin duo Dug, they delighted a packed crowd by performing their album in full alongside tracks from their early EPs.

Inspiral Carpets - Coventry HMV Empire - 27th March 2025

When Inspiral Carpets announced they were opening the year with some big gigs in Greece -  with bass supremo Martyn Walsh returning to the fold - there was immediate excitement at Even The Stars. We couldn’t make it out to Greece unfortunately but there was no way Stuart Ralston was missing the first show back on British soil. 

Thus Love / Ain't - Salford White Hotel - 29th March 2025

Thus Love continued their relentless touring schedule with a packed out show at Salford's White Hotel on Saturday night with a set taken from their two albums to date Memorial and last year's All Pleasure in front of an appreciative crowd. Support came from heavily-backed newcomers Ain't.

Westside Cowboy / Pushbike - Manchester Gullivers - 27th March 2025

The hottest name in town, Westside Cowboy, took two sold-out nights at Gullivers in their stride as they played their biggest headline shows to date in what felt like a significant undersell. Over forty-five minutes the four-piece justified the mounting hype around them.

Ist Ist - Preston The Ferret - 26th March 2025

Ist Ist prepared for their upcoming European and UK tours with a sold-out packed warm-up show at The Ferret in Preston. Mixing songs from their back catalogue celebrating ten years as a band with tracks from their top 25 album Light A Bigger Fire and giving a three-song insight into the writing sessions for their fifth album, they delighted the fervent crowd with a mammoth twenty-two song set.

Tom A Smith / The Manatees - Manchester Night And Day Cafe - 19th March 2025

Tom A Smith called in at Manchester's Night And Day Cafe on Wednesday night for the first of two shows on a short tour with Southampton's The Manatees promoted by The Rock Revival. Over the course of fourteen songs he got the audience singing along to every word of old favourites whilst revealing new music from one of the country's most prolific young songwriters expanding his musical palette still further.

The Slow Readers Club - Leeds Headrow House - 16th March 2025

As part of the campaign for the release this week of their seventh album Out Of A Dream, The Slow Readers Club headed to Headrow House in Leeds for two shows in conjunction with Crash Records playing the album in full plus four tracks from their substantial back catalogue repertoire.

Whitehorse / Mleko - Manchester Rat And Pigeon - 13th March 2025

Whitehorse opened their debut UK tour with a ten-song set at a packed sold-out Rat And Pigeon in Manchester on Thursday night. Despite only having one released song to their name - Doesn't Come Close - they held the audience's attention with a set full of ambitious rock songs heavier than frontman Thomas Haywood's previous work delivered with power and passion by his new bandmates.

The Slow Readers Club - Interview

The Slow Readers Club release their seventh studio album Out Of A Dream today. The self-released album is one of their strongest bodies of work to date as yet as evidenced at their preview shows in Bury and Manchester a couple of weeks ago. We caught up with the band after soundcheck for their Manchester Gorilla show to chat about the recording of the album and where The Slow Readers Club stand today.

The Slow Readers Club - Out Of A Dream

When The Slow Readers Club debuted songs from their seventh long player at the tail end of last year, we were instantly excited for the release of Out Of A Dream. We noted that “the band are on fire and frontman Aaron Starkie has an energy, an enthusiasm, and a passion that suggests he’s on a mission.” That mission has been delivered. 

Divorce - Bury Wax And Beans - 8th March 2025

Divorce celebrated the release of their debut album Drive To Goldenhammer with an intimate stripped-back Saturday evening performance in the Wax And Beans record shop in Bury to an attentive and appreciative crowd and the backdrop of Saturday night passers-by looking through the windows bemused at such a cool event in their town.

The Man From Delmonte / The Mudd Club - Waterfoot Horse And Bamboo - 27th February 2025

When cult heroes The Man From Delmonte announced last year that they were reforming to play shows in Manchester and London, there was immediate excitement and the shows quickly sold out. Having last played in 1990, the social media campaign to get the four piece to reunite paid off and following last night's rousing show at Band On The Wall, The Man From Delmonte moved twenty miles north to play the more intimate Later@ show in Waterfoot's Horse & Bamboo.

The Slow Readers Club - Manchester Gorilla - 2nd March 2025

With the imminent launch of their seventh album Out Of A Dream, The Slow Readers Club have taken to the campaign trail this weekend with a couple of intimate preview shows, performing the album plus selected back catalogue highlights in full. On Sunday night they played a hometown show at Gorilla revealing the ten new songs from the record to a loyal and dedicated fanbase.

Tim Burgess, Helen O'Hara and The RNCM Session Orchestra - Manchester Royal Northern College Of Music - 1st March 2025

Tim Burgess joined forces with Helen O'Hara and The RNCM Session Orchestra for a couple of special evenings in the RNCM's main theatre on Friday and Saturday. Performing tracks from Tim's career with The Charlatans and his solo projects as well as a couple from Helen's time with Dexy's Midnight Runners, the RNCM Session Orchestra reinvented and reinvigorated old favourites and shed new light on Tim's solo work.

The Man From Delmonte / Edward Barton / The Mudd Club - Manchester Band On The Wall - 26th February 2025

It's thirty-five years since The Man From Delmonte departed the world without a single studio album to their name, but a trail of wonderful EPs and thrilling live shows continued to live on in the memories of those fortunate enough to have caught this off-kilter four-piece who flitted around the outskirts of the Madchester explosion despite being an ill fit to the hedonistic flower-power of the time. Whilst most of the big names of that time split and reformed, The Man From Delmonte coming back really only existed in the heads of a few fans who'd set up a Facebook tribute group. Led by Iain Lee, the momentum gathered pace, front man Mike West's kids started to research their Dad's band and slowly the seeds were sown for one of the most unlikely reunions of recent times. Five-hundred people crammed into The Band On The Wall on Wednesday night to relive their teenage years to the sound of gender-fluid, confused songs about being twenty-two and being in love with everyone.

The Murder Capital - Liverpool Rough Trade - 24th February 2025

The Murder Capital's release week trip around the UK's record stores in support of their third album Blindness continued on Monday night with an hour-long set in the venue space at Rough Trade's new store in Liverpool. Performing the whole of Blindness plus three old favourites, the five-piece brought Blindness to vivid life.

Ist Ist - Manchester Night And Day Cafe - 16th January 2025

Ist Ist celebrated the tenth anniversary of their first ever show by returning to the very same stage they performed on that night for a career spanning set to a crowd who snapped up the two hundred and fifty tickets in seconds when they went on sale. Across twenty-five songs they reminded us of just how many great songs they've released across that time.

EVEN THE STARS TOP 10 ALBUMS OF 2024

 

It's that time to reveal our mostly unsurprising list of our top ten favourite albums of 2024

Déjà Vega - Manchester Gullivers - 21st December 2024

Déjà Vega finished off 2024 with a low-key headline show at Gullivers in Manchester on Saturday night. Over a ninety-five minute set they delighted a packed enthusiastic audience with a mix of songs taken from their first two albums with six brand new songs from the sessions for their third album that showcase a different direction without losing the raw power and intensity of their performance.

LIINES / Trupa Trupa / Vincent's Last Summer - Manchester Gullivers - 12th December 2024

LIINES made their long-awaited return to the stage on Thursday night with a sold-out co-headline show with Polish trio Trupa Trupa who were on a short European tour. With Tamsin temporarily back with them on bass, they mixed new songs with tracks from their debut Stop / Start to an enthusiastic and supportive crowd after Trupa Trupa had impressed a curious crowd and Vincent's Last Summer had provided an enthusiastic opening to the evening.

Blossoms - Manchester Diecast - 11th December 2024

Blossoms completed the most successful year of their career to date with a show at Diecast in Manchester sponsored by Spotify and Budweiser. Playing an hour set that spanned their four albums they delighted a crowd of hardcore fans and Instagram wannabes.

James - Live At The Acropolis Film Screening / Q&A

James provided fans with an exclusive preview of their Live At The Acropolis film recorded in Athens with the Manchester Inspirational Voices Gospel Choir and Orca 22 arranged and conducted by Joe Duddell on Tuesday night in the magnificent surroundings of Aviva Studios' Hall. A showing of the full concert film was followed by an insightful Q&A session led by director Chris Atkins with Tim Booth, Jim Glennie and Chloe Alper of the band and Joe Duddell.

The Slow Readers Club - Glasgow Stereo - 6th December 2024

The Slow Readers Club returned to Glasgow for the first time since their triumphant Barrowland Ballroom gig (opening for Shed Seven) last autumn for a more intimate affair. Stuart Ralston went back home for the evening and was blown away. 

The Slow Readers Club - Manchester Ritz - 5th December 2024

The Slow Readers Club's short Winter tour rolled into their hometown of Manchester on Thursday night for a sold-out months in advance show. A mix of new songs from their forthcoming album Out Of A Dream and fan favourites from their exceptional extensive back catalogue delighted a partisan crowd.

Westside Cowboy / All Girls Arson Club - Manchester Castle Hotel - 3rd December 2024

It’s been a long time since we’ve been genuinely excited about the possibilities of a new band. COVID killed a lot of nascent bands stone dead as they couldn’t get into a room together and only now is the scene starting to fully recover. A couple of weeks ago, we were in The Ritz early for the English Teacher headline and the opening band Westside Cowboy struck as one to find out more about. They’re Manchester-based and had their own headline show for their debut single launch at The Castle Hotel.  So here we are two weeks later.

Sprints - Manchester New Century Hall - 29th November 2024

Sprints' rise in 2024 has seen them go from The White Hotel across the border in Salford to selling out New Century a couple of months in advance, a four-fold increase in audience size armed with just their debut album Letter To Self to their name. Over the course of eighty minutes they delivered a set taken from the record with a fascinating insight into new material that suggests that trajectory isn't going to slow down any time soon.

Blossoms / The Lottery Winners / The Guest List - Manchester Apollo - 23rd November 2024

Blossoms concluded their five-night stand of Manchester venues they'd headlined previously in their career with a final sold-out show at the Apollo, scene of their four-night residency in 2022. A captivated Saturday night audience dance and sung along to a mix of their greatest hits and tracks from their most recent number one album Gary. Support came from The Lottery Winners and The Guest List.

Blossoms / Neon Waltz / Delights - Manchester Ritz - 20th November 2024

Blossoms' five night stand of Manchester's mid-sized venues in support of their fourth number one album Gary. Performing tracks from across their career they brought the big arena show vibe to the intimate surroundings of the Ritz.

Ist Ist / Marathon - Amsterdam Paradiso Grote Zaal - 18th November 2024

“Four best friends playing The Paradiso” bassist Andy Keating tells the thousand and a half crowd in front of him half way through the set in the Grote Zaal (Big Room) of the legendary Amsterdam venue. That Ist Ist don’t at any point look or sound out of place on one of the world’s best known stages is testament to how far they’ve come as they approach their tenth anniversary.

John Bramwell And The Full Harmonic Convergence / Dave Fidler - London Hackney Earth - 15th November 2024

John Bramwell And The Full Harmonic Convergence opened their UK tour in support of this year's The Light Fantastic album at Earth Theatre in Hackney, London on Friday night. Over the course of a mammoth twenty-five song set they performed the album in full as well as tracks from John's solo debut and his I Am Kloot back catalogue to an attentive and appreciative audience.

English Teacher / TTSSFU / Westside Cowboy - Manchester Ritz - 14th November 2024

The Mercury-prize winning success of This Could Be Texas has catapulted English Teacher from the grassroots venues of which they are such ardent champions to selling out venues like The Ritz at the drop of a hat. With that comes the challenges of entertaining a curious audience eager to see whether that accolade was justified (note - it is) and how they cut it live.  Support came from TSSFU and Westside Cowboy.

Blossoms - Stockport Plaza - 3rd November 2024

Blossoms played their traditional album launch hometown show at Stockport's grand Plaza on Sunday. Performing both matinee and evening sets which included their recent number one album Gary in full plus six classic tracks from their first three albums, they delighted two seated 1,300 crowds with a performance that demonstrated just how far they've come and how they've developed as showmen.

Courteeners - Warrington Parr Hall - 31st October 2024

Courteeners headed to Warrington on Thursday night for two intimate shows to support the launch of their Pink Cactus Cafe album. Mixing tracks from the record with some old favourites, they delighted the crowd for an hour.

October Drift / Rude Films - Manchester Gorilla - 29th October 2024

October Drift continued their UK tour in support of their third album Blame The Young by playing their biggest headline show to date at Manchester's Gorilla on Tuesday night. In front of an adoring audience, they delivered an adrenalin-heavy seventy-five minute set featuring tracks from across the band's catalogue. Support came from Rude Films.

Whitehorse - Manchester Rose And Monkey - 27th October 2024

This is Whitehorse's first ever gig. It's sold out The Rose And Monkey weeks in advance. At the helm of the new band is Thomas Haywood, frontman of The Blinders who played their final shows back in February. With nine unreleased songs plus a cover of Amazing Snakeheads, Whitehorse revealed that the demise of his band hasn't dampened Haywood's creative spirit at all. 

Johnny Marr / James - Montreal MTLEUS - 13th October 2024

Back in the Summer, Manchester icons James and Johnny Marr joined forces for two UK festival shows - Bedford Summer Sessions and Lytham Festival. Delivering two incredible nights that saw Johnny join the nine piece for Laid, it was the first time that they’d played together since James supported The Smiths back in 1985. Luckily for fans in North America, they’ve been able to experience the magic as the two have just come to the end of a lengthy co-headline tour that started in Denver last month. On Sunday 13th October, the tour stopped at MTELUS in Montreal.

Ist Ist / Cucamaras - Cambridge MASH - 16th October 2024

MASH is a venue more often host to sticky-floored, student club nights or tribute bands, as per the promo posters plastered on its walls. But tonight, we are blessed with the real deal. Post-punk four-piece IST IST make their debut on the Cambridge stage following the recent release of their fourth album, Light A Bigger Fire. 

Lanterns On The Lake / Philip Selway - Halifax Minster - 18th October 2024

Lanterns On The Lake headlined the Friday night of Halifax's Town Festival in the resplendent setting of the Minster. Whilst vision was difficult from the pews, Lanterns On The Lake delivered a set of songs taken mostly from their last two albums Spook The Herd and Versions Of Us that felt even more imperious and overwhelming in the hallowed settings. Support came from Philip Selway with a solo set before taking his place behind one of the headliner's two drum kits.

TRACK OF THE DAY : The Slow Readers Club - Technofear

The Slow Readers Club return with their first new material since last year's Knowledge Freedom Power album in the shape of Technofear. The single is taken from their forthcoming album Out Of A Dream and sees the band on fine form, pushing their anthemic sound for which they're known to new areas without losing their core appeal.

Ist Ist / Cucamaras - Hebden Bridge Trades Club - 2nd October 2024

Ist Ist opened their UK and European tour in support of their top 30 album Light A Bigger Fire with an intimate opening night sell out at Hebden Bridge Trades Club. Playing the album in full as well as a selection of big-hitters from their first three albums, they confirmed their burgeoning reputation as one of the most powerful independent bands around. Support came from Nottingham's Cucamaras.

Tom Hingley / Harrison Rimmer - Manchester Castle Hotel - 27th September 2024

Tom Hingley launched his The Grand Mal album with an intimate set at The Castle Hotel in Manchester on Friday night. Performing the album in full with a band in tow he demonstrated that whilst fame and fortune might not last forever songwriting talent does with one of the finest collections of songs of his career to date. Support came from Harrison Rimmer.

Ist Ist - Bury The Met - 22nd September 2024

Ist Ist continued their launch week activities for their fourth studio album Light A Bigger Fire with an intimate out-store show in conjunction with Wax And Beans at Bury Met. Performing the album in full and in order they bring the record to glorious technicolour light and dispose finally of some of the comparisons they've had hung around their necks.

Jack Jones - Jack Jones

Trampolene frontman Jack Jones released his eponymous debut solo album on Friday. Julia Grantham took a listen and concludes that perhaps every adult needs a Jack Jones song to guide them along the path of life.

Tom Hingley - The Grand Mal

Tom Hingley returns with his first new material since last year’s Decades album, delivering another beautifully heartfelt collection of songs and his first ever solo vinyl album (other formats are available too!).

Venus Grrrls / Queen Cult - Manchester Soup - 14th September 2024

Venus Grrrls brought their UK tour to an end with a packed out show at Manchester's Soup on Saturday night supported by Macclesfield's Queen Cult.