Mike D 5D / Tony Bontana - Glasgow SWG3 - 26th October 2026

Mike D 5D played another legendary gig and this time GhostBirdUK ventured a few hours north through the dark skies arriving in Glasgow at the distinctive independent venue SGW3.

LIINES - As Shadows Fall

LIINES return with As Shadows Fall, a five-track EP that captures the raw essence and punk spirit of one of Manchester's most under-the-radar bands. Short, sharp and right to the point, the EP will delight long-term fans who've heard these songs live as well as draw new ones into the hard, fast and uncompromising world of LIINES.

Déjà Vega - Another Version Of Ourselves

Déjà Vega return with their third album Another Version Of Ourselves, a thrilling melting pot of influences combining to form their most ambitious  direct record to date and closest to capturing the raw energy of their unmissable live shows whilst taking them down new sonic avenues.

Blossoms - Stockport Plaza - 15th October 2026

For a band with five number one albums Blossoms are a stickler for tradition. As they did a decade ago for their self-titled debut album, and every subsequent record, they headed home to Stockport Plaza to perform the new album, in case Songs From The Wedding Cake, in full accompanied by a few of their biggest hits to a fervent hometown crowd.

The Sly / Sugar Tax / Poor Effort - Manchester Deaf Institute - 25th September 2026

The Sly are making waves under most radars in Manchester. Their debut headline show at Gullivers sold out in minutes and tonight they've filled the Deaf Institute in what feels like a statement of intent. With Levon Gill at the helm on lead vocals and drums, a rare combination, they eschew the traditional guitar anthem sound of Manchester three-pieces and take us on a darker deeper journey. Support came from the excellent Sugar Tax and Poor Effort, three great bands for the ridiculously low £7 ticket price.

The Sukis / Pistol Daisys / The Jacques - Newcastle Zerox - 10th September 2026

The Wheels in Motion tour supporting grassroots music and independent venues has kicked off this month. The brains behind it is JP from Motion Soho. This tour is not to be sniffed at with 17 gigs in September alone across the length and breadth of the UK. Ghost Bird UK caught up with The Jacques, The Sukis and Pistol Daisys at their gig in Newcastle upon Tyne to hear how the tour is going and what new music they have planned.

Pram / Oko Oko - Allendale Village Hall - 11th September 2026

A chance meeting with Lyndsay and James Magill of Oko Oko found GhostBirdUK heading deep into the 'Shires' of Hexham, out towards Allendale. This small village in south-west Northumberland boasts a surprisingly sizeable Village Hall, and within its pine-clad little bar area, excitement was already beginning to build.

The Sly - Head First EP

The recent promo CD from The Sly exudes the kind of confidence you’d usually expect from an established band who’ve been doing this for years. But this demands another listen, then another one. A proper listen.

GETNER / Brickhouse / Dennis Beach / Merlo - presented by akoustik Anarkhy - Manchester The Abbey - 18th July 2026

GETNER, Brickhouse, Dennis Beach and Merlo played the most recent night by legendary Manchester promoters akoustik Anarkhy at the city's newest venue The Abbey. GhostBirdUK went along and witnesssed four exciting up-and-coming bands.

James / The Lilacs - Tynemouth Priory - 12th July 2026

James’ set of summer shows headed to the beautiful setting of Tynemouth Priory’s ruins with a North Sea backdrop for a two-hour set perfectly mixing hits, fan favourites and curveballs to delight a sold-out crowd basking in the evening sunshine. Support came from The Lilacs.

Inspiral Carpets - Chester Live Rooms - 26th June 2026

After a huge tour to end 2025, Inspiral Carpets took some time to record a new album and this week they re-emerged as they start their massive 2026 campaign. Stuart Ralston took a trip down to Chester to catch Oscar Boon’s debut on guitar and a whole lot more.

Mike D 5D - North Shields King Street Social Club, North Shields - 3rd June 2026

This reminds me of when The Good, The Bad and The Queen chose to play an intimate gig at two working men’s clubs in North Tyneside, namely Cullercoats Crescent Club and Tynemouth Social Club back in 2018. They sold out in five minutes, which is exactly what happened when Mike D, along with his band 5D, played to the sold out capacity crowd on Wednesday night. The support tonight was by Tony Bontana from Birmingham, the enigmatic MC, artist and producer.

Little Sparrow / Jake Mattison / Sam Lyon - Manchester 53two - 29th May 2026

Little Sparrow launched her second album Feather Moon with an intimate show at 53two, one of Manchester's best-kept secret creative spaces. Performing the album in full with a band and a surprise guest as well as a series of anecdotes about the songs, she delighted an attentive appreciative and enthusiastic crowd.

Little Sparrow - Feather Moon

Twelve years on from her debut, the long-awaited second record from Little Sparrow is with us. Feather Moon contains a mix of the familiar and the brand-new for those who've followed her flight since Wishing Tree with one constant - a show-stopping voice that carries the emotion of the words and brings them to vivid life.

The Rebel Scum Tour (Native James, MUDRAT, Gen and The Degenerates, Hyphen) - Newcastle Think Tank - 1st May 2026

The Rebel Scum UK tour is the bringing together of four creatives in celebration of the energy and spirit of hip hop, electro punk and the sheer attitude and rebellion against economic and social injustice of the system. As a nod to the rebel forces fighting the Empire think Rage Against the Machine meets Public Enemy. 

The Pictish Trail - Newcastle Cluny - 26th April 2026

Touring with a full live band and presenting his 7th, Pictish Trail studio album; Life Slime, Johnny Lynch does not disappoint.  Along with his many musical talents, he is effortlessly entertaining and amusing. The stage was rather full with the band Joe Cormack on guitar, Robyn Dawson on keys and violin, Susan Baird on bass and Iain Stewart on drums. There was a good mix of fans here with a warm feeling of connection.

Ist Ist / Desperate Journalist / The Youth Play - Manchester Albert Hall - 1st May 2026

Billed as Homecoming, Ist Ist's biggest ever UK show at The Albert Hall in Manchester was the 28th and final show on the tour to promote their most recent album Dagger. A swaggering triumphant twenty-four song set confirmed their status as one of the most exciting and exhilarating bands in the current Manchester canon in front of an adoring hometown crowd. Support came from the well-received Desperate Journalist and The Youth Play.

Katherine Priddy / Amelia Coburn - Manchester Stoller Hall - 29th April 2026

Katherine Priddy brought her tour in support of her third album These Frightening Machines to a sold-out Stoller Hall. Playing to reverential silence punctuated by huge applause between songs she charmed the audience at her biggest Manchester show to date. Support came from Amelia Coburn.

Just Mustard / Cruel Sister - Newcastle The Grove - 21st April 2026

Just Mustard are currently on tour in support of their second album We Were Just Here which they released at the end of 2025. Gillian Heal caught up with their show in Newcastle.

James - Manchester Coop Live - 18th April 2026

James concluded their biggest ever UK arena tour with a sold-out show at the 24,000 capacity Coop Live in Manchester. A career spanning set touched on songs first played as far back as 1982 to a brand new unrecorded track as well as most bases in between. Support was from Doves.

James - London O2 Arena - 17th April 2026

James’ Love Is The Answer tour rolled into its biggest venue to date, London’s O2 Arena where the full extent of the tour’s ambitious sonic and visual production could be witnessed. 

James - Nottingham Motorpoint Arena - 14th April 2026

James made their first ever visit to the Motorpoint Arena as their Love Is The Answer tour rolled into Nottingham on Tuesday night. With an ever-evolving setlist they delivered a mix of the familiar, less-familiar and brand-new.

James - Cardiff Utilita Arena - 13th April 2026

James' Love Is The Answer tour rolled into Cardiff International Arena on Monday night. A perfectly balanced and flowing set had something for everyone - a generous smattering of hits from their 1990's chart heyday, select choices from their reformation period and a glorious brand new song that shows their creative spark is still as bright as it's been at any point in their career to date.

James - Liverpool M&S Bank Arena - 11th April 2026

James' Love Is The Answer Tour headed to Liverpool's M&S Bank Arena on Saturday night, their first visit to this venue in a decade. With a refreshed setlist, changing both the main set opener and closer, playing a brand new song in the encore and reintroducing an old favourite into the set, they ensured that those who'd avoided the chaos of the Grand National in the city had bet on the right horse.

James - Newcastle Utilita Arena - 10th April 2026

James continued their Love Is The Answer tour at Newcastle Utilita Arena on Friday night. Keeping the set fresh with some tour debuts, delving back into their 1980s catalogue and bringing us right up to date with a brand new song, they demonstrated exactly why they’re selling more tickets now than ever before.

James - Glasgow Hydro - 8th April 2026

 James' UK Love Is The Answer Tour rolled into Glasgow's cavernous Hydro on Wednesday night for a set that took the audience on a journey through many of the most celebratory moments of their career as well as reminding them that they're still an awkward bunch who want to challenge their audience and themselves with a series of deeper cuts.

James / Doves - Leeds First Direct Arena - 4th April 2026

The second night of the Love Is The Answer tour saw James and Doves head to the First Direct Arena in Leeds. With a much-changed setlist, James caught the mood of the evening perfectly with an enthralling mix of their biggest hits, band and fan favourites and a stand-out brand-new track.

James - Birmingham Utilita Arena - 3rd April 2026

James opened their Love Is The Answer UK arena tour on Friday night at the Utilita Arena in Birmingham with a set that contained many of their biggest hits, a few surprise curveballs and two brand new songs.

Tom A Smith - Manchester Deaf Institute - 2nd April 2026

“It felt like I was fifteen for like ten years” Tom A Smith jokes half way through his sold-out headline show at Manchester’s Deaf Institute on Thursday night. What is clear though given the crowd’s ecstatic reaction is that his time is here and now.

Good Health, Good Wealth - Newcastle Think Tank - 25th March 2026

A neon sign adorns the stage changing red to blue, Tony Bennett’s Rags to Riches is playing and this all seems very appropriate for the excellent Good Health, Good Wealth on their Millionaires UK & IE Part 2 tour.

James - Bristol O2 Academy - 28th March 2026

James opened their Love Is The Answer tour with a warm-up show at the O2 Academy in Bristol on Saturday night. Combining two brand-new songs with some long-lost deep cuts and some, but not all, of their biggest hits, they delighted a crowd packed in to the intimate venue.

David Ford / Matthew And The Atlas - Manchester Halle St Peter's - 19th March 2026

David Ford returned to Manchester and the hallowed setting of Halle St Peter's as part of Manchester Folk Festival on Thursday night. A career spanning set delighted a mix of older fans and won over many of the festival attendees.

TVAM / Marina Zispin - Newcastle The Common Rooms - 28th February 2026

TVAM's tour in support of new album Ruins, released last Friday, headed to The Common Rooms in Newcastle on Saturday night supported by Marina Zispin. Gillian Heal was there to report back.

Julia Pertuy - Newcastle Cluny - 16th February 2026

French multi-instrumentalist Julia Pertuy played the second of a short two-night UK tour at the Cluny in Newcastle on Monday night. Gillian Heal attended and was blown away by the music, movement and beauty of the performance

Pure Reason Revolution - Manchester Club Academy - 13th February 2026

Pure Reason Revolution headed to Manchester on Friday night to reprise their debut album The Dark Third on its twentieth anniversary as part of a short series of dates that saw them reunited with former members Chloe Alper and Andrew Courtney before playing a second set of career-spanning highlights.

James - Liverpool Cavern Club - 9th February 2026

James played two of their most intimate shows in decades on Monday night as they made good on their postponed album launch shows for Nothing But Love - The Definitive Best Of at the Cavern Club in Liverpool. Stripped down to a four-piece they performed twice with music interspersed with audience Q and A.

Ist Ist - Bury Met - 8th February 2026

Ist Ist continued their launch week for their fifth album Dagger with a show at Bury Met on Sunday night in conjunction with local record shop Wax And Beans. Performing the album in full, their strongest work to date, with a couple of older songs added at the end before signing records, they demonstrated why their march has taken on relentless proportions.

Thousand Yard Stare / John Mouse - Manchester Gullivers - 7th February 2026

Thousand Yard Stare rolled back the years with an energetic show at Gullivers in Manchester on Saturday night. Taking songs from their 90s heyday and mixing them with more recent material from their post-reformation records, they delighted a nostalgic crowd that threw themselves around to songs that defined their youth. Support came from John Mouse, the Welsh one.

The Man From Delmonte / The Mudd Club / Pageant Mum - Manchester Ritz - 21st December 2025

The Man From Delmonte concluded the most surprising and glorious comeback of 2025 with a celebratory homecoming at Manchester's Ritz to celebrate the release of their debut album Better Things, thirty-five years after they first split up. Support came from Pageant Mum and The Mudd Club.

EVEN THE STARS TOP TEN ALBUMS OF 2025

It's time to reveal our list of favourite albums of 2025

The Slow Readers Club - Newcastle University - 11th December 2025

The Slow Readers Club brought their A Decade Of Cavalcade tour to Newcastle University on Thursday night. Performing their breakthrough second album in full followed by a set of hits from across the rest of their career, they delighted a dedicated audience and reminded us of the magic of the album that took the long road to breaking them.

Inspiral Carpets - Birmingham Institute - 6th December 2025

Inspiral Carpets took us on a nostalgic journey through their biggest hits in front of a joyous Birmingham crowd whilst giving us a tantalising glimpse at two new songs from an album they let slip is scheduled for release in 2026.

TRACK OF THE DAY : Ist Ist - Makes No Difference

Makes No Difference is Ist Ist's second single from their recently announced fifth album Dagger, the follow-up to their top 25 Light A Bigger Fire, due for release on February 6th, 2026. Possibly their most immediate and radio-friendly single to date, Makes No Difference is both unmistakeably Ist Ist, but also another step up as the band continue to accelerate their unstoppable momentum both at home and on the continent where they're selling out thousand plus capacity venues in many countries.

David Ford - Hebden Bridge Trades Club - 25th October 2025

David Ford's tour to celebrate the twentieth anniversary of his debut album I Sincerely Apologise For All The Trouble I've Caused rolled into Hebden Bridge Trades Club on Saturday night for a sold-out show. Accompanied by Demi Marriner, Ed Blunt and Emily Grove who each performed a couple of their own songs before David's set, he revisited and reinvented his debut album to an adoring crowd.

TRACK BY TRACK: Carousel Clouds - Control Zed

Last week Carousel Clouds released their second album Control Zed, the follow-up to 2018's Tales Of Coincidence. We caught up with Neil from the band to walk us through the eleven songs that make up the record.

Belly - Manchester Academy 2 - 26th September 2025

Belly rolled into Manchester on Friday night as part of the 30th anniversary celebrations of their second album King. The first set saw them perform the album in full whilst the second set comprised of tracks from debut Star, 2018's comeback Dove and a few surprises.

Déjà Vega / Yetii - Stockport St Mary's Church - 23rd September 2025

Déjà Vega headlined Stockport’s Mercury Climbing Festival in the beautiful setting of St Mary’s Church on Tuesday night with a set of crowd favourites and a brand new song, supported by Yetii.

TRACK OF THE DAY : Ist Ist - I Am The Fear

Ist Ist return with a bang with I Am The Fear, the first single to be taken from their upcoming as-yet-unannounced fifth album.  Accompanied by a traditionally dark video, the song marks another step up for the fiercely independent Manchester band who hit the Top 25 in the Official Album Chart with their fourth album Light A Bigger Fire last year.

James - Alicante Noches Magicas - 24th August 2025

Over the August Bank Holiday weekend, James took Spain by storm - first with a euphoric set at Sonorama Festival, then with their first-ever Alicante show. As part of the Noches Mágicas 2025 series, 3,000 fans filled Muelle 12 for a seaside celebration that embodied the band’s spirit and unofficial anthem, Getting Away With It.

Throwing Muses - Hebden Bridge Trades Club - 25th August 2025

Throwing Muses continued their second leg of the UK and European tour in support of their album Moonlight Concessions with a sold-out bank holiday show at the Trades Club in Hebden Bridge to an appreciative audience where they defied the expectations of a band of their vintage.