Paul Heaton & Jacqui Abbott / Billy Bragg - Blackpool Opera House - 28th November 2022

Paul Heaton and Jacqui Abbott brought the third night of their tour in support of their number one album NK-Pop to the resplendent surroundings of Blackpool Opera House on Monday night supported by Billy Bragg. A career-spanning set from Paul's earliest days in The Housemartins right up to tracks from NK Pop delighted an initially reticent seated audience and had the whole building on their feet by the end to celebrate two of music's most enduring characters.

Wet Leg - Manchester Ritz - 19th November 2022

Wet Leg's triumphant year continued on Saturday night with a sold-out-in-seconds show at Manchester's Ritz as part of a triumphant year-end celebration of one of the year's biggest success stories.

Sundowners - Manchester Ditto - 19th November 2022

Sundowners concluded their intimate record store tour in support of their Pulling Back The Night album with an afternoon set at Ditto off Albert Square in Manchester. Performing tracks from the album as well as their two previous offerings as well as a special cover version, Fiona and Niamh delighted an attentive crowd with a set full of songs laced with beautiful harmonies, uplifting songwriting and accompanied by witty in-between song chat about the songs and their creation.

HotKid / The Twisted Dolls / Full Billy / Kyle Toolan - Manchester Retro - 18th November 2022

HotKid opened their first ever UK tour in Manchester on Friday night with a powerful intense set in the basement of Retro bar supported by excellent sets from Manchester's The Twisted Dolls and Preston's Full Billy and solo artist Kyle Toolan. 

TRACK OF THE DAY : The Slow Readers Club - Knowledge Freedom Power

The Slow Readers Club return with the first single and title track from their forthcoming sixth studio album Knowledge Freedom Power. Embracing a much more synth-based approach without dispensing with their ability to craft songs with huge anthemic memorable chorus which grab you on first listen and hold you in their spell.

TRACK OF THE DAY : The Murder Capital - Ethel

The Murder Capital have revealed their new single, Ethel, the third track from their forthcoming album Gigi's Recovery. More reminiscent of the style of their debut When I Have Fears than the previous two singles, the powerful track still marks out the new record as a new beginning for a band that has eschewed the album treadmill cycle of many of their contemporaries and taken the time to make a record that reflects their headspace and evolution as a band.

Sorcha Richardson / Morning Midnight - Manchester Yes Basement - 15th November 2022

Sorcha Richardson returned to Manchester after two and a half years away for an intimate show in the basement of Yes on Tuesday night, featuring primarily songs from her second album Smiling Like An Idiot as well as four tracks from her debut First Prize Bravery and a couple of early singles. Support came from Morning Midnight.

TRACK OF THE DAY : Luca - Til I Met You

Manchester singer-songwriter has released her first single of the year Til I Met You after a summer of live performances. The single is a gorgeously rich country-tinged string-laden track that showcases Luca's voice from the very first second to the end.

The Lottery Winners / Dan Selwood - Mrs Boon's Tea Party - Stockport Bask - 13th November 2022

Mrs Boon's Tea Parties were a Northern Quarter Mancunian institution in the 2000s with bands playing afternoon sets in venues in town accompanied by the sale of tea and cakes baked by Charlie Boon and DJ sets by her husband Clint, of Inspiral Carpets fame. They've been resurrected out of town at Stockport's newest venue Bask so we took our manbag with us and headed to catch sets by Lottery Winners and Dan Selwood and eat cake.

Hey Bulldog / Deathretro - Manchester Peer Hat - 12th November 2022

Hey Bulldog made a long-awaited live return in the basement of the Peer Hat in Manchester on Saturday night. Combining old favourites with a couple of new songs in the middle of the set, they delighted a packed crowd in the sweaty venue that's perfect for their intense powerful rock and roll.

HotKid - Interview

Canadian band HotKid are about to embark on their first-ever UK tour starting at Retro in Manchester on Friday. We caught up with front woman Shiloh for an introduction to the band, their history, their excitement at playing over here for the first time and an insight into the Toronto and Ontario scene that they're part of.

TRACK OF THE DAY : The Short Causeway - Tripping Down The Stairs

The Short Causeway are the latest band to emerge from the vibrant Calder Valley scene with their debut single Tripping Down The Stairs, an urgent unsettling track that refuses to stand still for a second and which is accompanied by a video that heightens the sense of unease of the song.

The Murder Capital - Leeds Oporto - 11th November 2022

The Murder Capital continued their short semi-secret acoustic tour on Friday night with a three-piece seven-song set at Oporto in Leeds. Previewing five songs from their forthcoming album Gigi's Recovery as well as a couple of reinvented old favourites, they delighted an enthusiastic audience privileged to see them at such close quarters before they head to bigger rooms in the new year.

Tim Burgess / Dean McMullen / Wax-Tree-Cast - Manchester Gorilla - 10th November 2022

Front man of The Charlatans, head of the listening party and solo artist Tim Burgess brought his Typical Music album tour to Gorilla on Thursday night for a sixteen song set pulled almost exclusively from his solo repertoire. Support came from The Muncie Girls' Dean McMullen and Halifax's Wax-Tree-Cast.

Harriet Bradshaw / Big Society - Manchester Gullivers - 7th November 2022

Harriet Bradshaw's small tour in support of her self-titled debut album that was released last week called in at Manchester's Castle Hotel for an intimate show on Monday night, performing tracks from the album as well as a special cover. Support came from an acoustic solo slot from Big Society's front man Will.

Ist Ist / The Silver Lines - Birmingham The Rainbow - 4th November 2022

Ist Ist played the second of their short three-date November tour in the basement of The Rainbow in Birmingham on Friday night supported by local four-piece The Silver Lines who gave an impressive account of themselves. Ist Ist previewed eight songs from their third album Protagonists due in March next year combined with a set of crowd favourites from their two previous albums Architecture and The Art Of Lying.

TRACK OF THE DAY : Clouds And Errors - See You See Me

See You See Me is the debut single by Bolton five-piece Clouds And Errors, one of the most impressive young bands we've seen over the past couple of years and the single delivers on the promise of the rare live shows of theirs that we witnessed back in 2021.