Colacello / Strawberry Lemonade / Max Hammond / South By Zero - Manchester Lions Den - 29th January 2022

Saturday night saw the first Boon Army night at Manchester's Lions Den venue on Deansgate Mews, four acts interspersed and followed by a DJ set from Clint Boon. Giving an opportunity to new and upcoming acts of all ages to play in front of each other's audiences with the attraction of one of the city's favourite musical sons, the Lions Den is trying its hardest to establish its venue, recently refurbished and rearranged, in a part of the city centre that isn't noted for small independent venues.

Wet Leg / Mandy, Indiana / High School - Manchester Yes - 28th January 2022

Wet Leg headed to Manchester as part of the celebrations of Independent Venue Week to play a sold-out-in-seconds show in the Pink Room of Yes to a crowd of the already converted and the curious. Performing their forthcoming debut album in full and more they delighted a two hundred and fifty crowd with a song full of fun and joy that's been in short supply recently. Support came from the contrasting but both excellent High School and Mandy, Indiana.

Proletariat - Manchester Rose And Monkey Hotel - 26th January 2022

Proletariat played an intimate stripped-back show at Manchester's Rose And Monkey on Wednesday night as a thank you for ticket holders for their upcoming headline show at Gorilla on May 21st. Revealing their next single What Do We Call This Place as well as a surprise cover, they demonstrated a different side to their work than we'd previously seen.

The Red Stains - Manchester Stage And Radio - 26th January 2022

The Red Stains' first gig of 2022 was an intimate affair in the makeshift venue of the basement of Stage And Radio on Port Street in Manchester's Northern Quarter. With a significant crowd already in for the opening band, their ten song set gave an exciting and thrilling reminder of their fascinating pop / punk crossover.

Yard Act - Manchester Yes - 25th January 2022

In the middle of a chart battle with Years And Years with their debut album The Overload, Yard Act are on a mission to play as many gigs and sell as many records as humanly possible to try and top the charts at the end of the week. We caught their last minute gig at Manchester's Yes, announced 24 hours before, their fourth of the day and witnessed a tired and emotional band capture the imagination and hearts of a packed out crowd.

Déjà Vega - Personal Hell

Déjà Vega's second album Personal Hell captures one of the most enthralling live bands around spreading their wings from their self-titled debut yet retaining the thrilling intensity for which they've become known, a trio of friends who've been on a musical journey for approaching a decade and who are finally getting the wider acknowledgement that we've known they've always deserved.

The KVB / DEK - Manchester Deaf Institute - 22nd January 2022

The KVB brought their sixth album Unity to a packed-out Deaf Institute on Saturday night in their adopted hometown of Manchester for the second night of their UK tour supported by local trio DEK.

Howling Bells / Lexi Berg - Manchester Night And Day Cafe - 21st January 2022

Howling Bells played the penultimate night of their Revive Live tour at Night And Day Cafe in Manchester on Friday night, performing their self-titled debut album in full plus tracks from its follow-up Radio Wars, turning back the clock way back to 2006. Support came from Lexi Berg playing a solo set showcasing tracks from her recent debut EP.

Lonelady / Peter Duggal - Hebden Bridge Trades Club - 14th January 2022

With so many shows cancelled at present, it was a real joy to witness a gig for the first time in 2022 at our favourite venue, The Trades Club in Hebden Bridge, and with such an intoxicating performer as Lonelady on stage, fusing dance and rock music elements into a combination that few do so successfully and with an audience eating out of the palm of their hands as the seventy-five minute set felt like a genuine release of pent-up frustration and a reminder of the joy that live music can bring.

Ryley Walker - So Certain EP

Ryley Walker is one of the most prolific artists around. Not just content with releasing his own solo album Course In Fable last year, he also put out a number of collaborations inspired by the improvisational spirit that runs through his live shows where songs take on a life of their own often detached from their recorded origins. The So Certain EP is a more traditional record, laid down with long-term collaborator Bill MacKay on guitar, Andrew Scott-Young on bass and cello and Quin Kirchner on drums and percussion, the former two who'd worked with him on Course In Fable.

VLURE - Euphoria EP

Glasgow five-piece VLURE have been the hottest band on our radar since they released a live video of Desire way back in 2019 when the world was a very different place. Two and a bit years on, they release their debut EP Euphoria as a soundtrack to survival, of understanding exactly what and who matters and the importance of love and friendship to our existence and happiness.

TRACK OF THE DAY : Mary Joanna - Dead Man's Eyes

Dead Man's Eyes is the lead track from a new compilation album released by Mary Joanna of unreleased tracks from the short-lived existence of their band in 2015-6 as a tribute to her brother and bassist / programmer Will Coogan who passed away in 2021.