Thursday 30 June 2016

Beck / Badly Drawn Boy - Manchester Albert Hall - 29th June 2016


Beck's much-anticipated return to Manchester sold out in minutes when they finally went on sale a few months back and The Albert Hall was rammed to steaming capacity upstairs and down for a set that spanned twenty years of Beck's diverse musical outputs from his breakthrough 1994 single Loser to his critically acclaimed 2014 album Morning Phase. Support came from Manchester's own Badly Drawn Boy.

Wednesday 29 June 2016

Sere Trouble - Burning Milk EP


Headphones, the lead track from Sere Trouble's latest EP, was our tip on Shell Zenner's Amazing Radio show a few weeks back. The EP, entitled Burning Milk, has now been released in full and across the five songs Sere demonstrates that she's an artist to be reckoned with.

Thursday 23 June 2016

The Comet Is Coming - Manchester Soup Kitchen - 22nd June 2016


The Comet Is Coming are an instrumental trio from hometown planet earth featuring King Shabaka on sax, Danalogue The Conqueror on keys and Betamax Killer on drums. They headlined Soup Kitchen in support of their new album Channel The Spirits.

Monday 20 June 2016

James - Amsterdam Melkweg - 19th June 2016


James hadn't played in Amsterdam since 1992 on a balmy night across town at the Paradiso, but returned as part of a trio of European dates that also took in Paris and Berlin. In a 500-capacity venue where the band and crowd were almost eyeball to eyeball, James mixed songs from their number 2 album Girl At The End Of The World with some of their biggest hits and favourites from their back catalogue on a truly special night.

Saturday 18 June 2016

The Longcut - Manchester Ruby Lounge - 17th June 2016


It's ten years since The Longcut unleashed A Call And Response on an unsuspecting and unaware crowd and we've gathered together to pay tribute to a band that refused to make compromises, a trio hell-bent on creating a sonic shit storm that would blow them and you away and take you to another place on a relentless sonic wave.

Thursday 16 June 2016

Augustines - Manchester Fopp - 13th June 2016 / This Is Your Life


Augustines are one of those bands that grip you the moment you first hear them, then take you on a full on passionate, heart warming, soul finding and often tear jerking roller coaster ride that you either refuse to or can't get off. Glenn Wallworth caught their in-store promotional set at Manchester's Fopp on Monday and shared his thoughts with us on their new album This Is Your Life.

Tuesday 14 June 2016

I Am Kloot - London Royal Festival Hall - 13th June 2016


We made the pilgrimage down to London last night to witness I Am Kloot perform their Sky At Night album as well as some selected tracks from their back catalogue with the Millenia Ensemble in the revered surroundings of the Royal Festival Hall.

Monday 13 June 2016

Control Of The Going / The Jungfraus / The Maitlands - Ashton-Under-Lyne Witchwood - 12th June 2016



Sunday night in Ashton-Under-Lyne isn't where you'd expect to see three great bands on the same bill, but tonight's show demonstrated that there's still life in the suburbs away from the city centre venues that dominate the North West music scene. Tameside's very own Control Of The Going head up a bill with The Jungfraus and The Maitlands.

The Rainkings - Oldham Jackson's Pit - 11th June 2016


With Inspiral Carpets enjoying a well earned break, singer Stephen Holt has conjured up a new Rainkings line-up. After 20 years away and a well received low key warm up show, they return to a hot and sweaty Oldham as part of local businessman - and Oldham music fanatic - Mick Harwood's “Oldham Rocks” night.

Jordan Drinkwater - Manchester Gullivers - 10th June 2016


Jordan Drinkwater celebrated the launch of his new EP Pretty Soon with a packed launch gig at Gullivers in the Northern Quarter on Friday night. Boasting an impressive voice and a set full of songs with challenging and different subject matter, the launch also doubled as the debut of the band that he's put together to accompany him.

Saturday 11 June 2016

Spring King / Get Inuit - Manchester Band On The Wall - 10th June 2016


Before taking on bigger halls around the land in the autumn, Spring King returned home to Manchester to celebrate release day of their debut album Tell Me If You Like To in the intimate hot and sweaty surroundings of The Band On The Wall. Support came from Kent's Get Inuit making a welcome return to the city.

Friday 10 June 2016

The Rainkings / Ryan Jarvis - Salford Eagle Inn - 9th June 2016


Whilst reunions of Manchester bands that first made their mark around the time the eighties turned into the nineties and the country rid itself of the blight of Thatcher have been making waves for years now, a small but beautifully formed back street boozer amongst the dark satanic new build flats of the western bit of Manchester that's been annexed to form Salford was home to one of the most unheralded and unlikely reunions.

Wednesday 8 June 2016

Thousand Yard Stare - Live At Electric Studios


A triumphant return for Slough’s finest, Live At Electric Studios captures Thousand Yard Stare in fine form indeed. Last summer Even The Stars ventured down to a hot and sweaty Borderline Club in London to witness what was supposed to be a one off reformation gig for Thousand Yard Stare. Such was the success of that night - indeed it was one of the gigs of the year for this blog - that the band decided to carry on, playing well received sets at a few of the big “Indie” compilation festivals with the likes of Inspiral Carpets and The Wonder Stuff.  Earlier this year, the band decided to book some studio time and Live At Electric Studios is the result.

Tuesday 7 June 2016

The Stone Roses - Halifax Victoria Theatre - 7th June 2016


The wait is finally over. From having queued up for hours on Saturday to get tickets to the moment The Stone Roses walked on to stage at Halifax's ornate Victoria Theatre felt like a lifetime for the 1,800 or so devotees braving sauna like conditions to pay homage to their heroes.

Monday 6 June 2016

LIINES / ILL - Manchester Band On The Wall - 3rd June 2016


LIINES and ILL are bands with a history having played on shared bills in the past. On Friday night they shared an unwisely late one at the latest instalment of A Queer Revue at Band On The Wall. Joined together by a direct uncompromising approach to their art, the two bands made the late night and the appalling hangover absolutely worthwhile.

Cupids - Manchester Aatma - 3rd June 2016


Ahead of a busy festival season, Cupids took to the stage at Aatma for an intimate warm up show. Mixing some of their recent singles as well as some brilliant new material they charmed an audience of all ages.

New York Tourists / Trampolene / Crimsons / Crossfire - Manchester Night And Day - 4th June 2016



The Night And Day provided the home (our second one) to the latest Scruff Of The Neck Records showcase night featuring four very different bands from Manchester and further afield. New York Tourists headed up a bill featuring South Wales heroes Trampolene, local three-piece Crimsons and the stunning Crossfire playing only their seventh gig.

The Creature Comfort - Manchester Night And Day - 3rd June 2016


The Creature Comfort brought their own brand of "psychedelicpunkrocksoulgroove" to the Night And Day on Friday night opening up for Bob Log III. We went along to catch a band that lived up to their own self-billing.

Saturday 4 June 2016

Introducing - Sere Trouble



Sere Trouble is a well-travelled multi-instrumentalist who has just completed recording her new EP Burning Milk which is due out on 14th June. We tipped the lead track from the EP entitled Headphones on Shell Zenner's show on Amazing Radio and had a chat with Sere to find out a little bit more about her.

Wednesday 1 June 2016

Sonic Boom Six - The F Bomb


Hailing from Manchester and citing wide, diverse influences, recent Cherry Red signings Sonic Boom Six return after a short lay off with album number five.