The Lottery Winners / Andrew Cushin / Lois - Manchester Albert Hall - 22nd December 2022

The Lottery Winners played their biggest headline show to date on Thursday night at a sold-out Albert Hall in Manchester that the four-piece had eating out of the palms of their hands. Tears, singalongs and a celebration of an outsider band taking the long road to success made it one of the most heartwarming evenings we've spent at a gig in a long time. Support came from Lois and Andrew Cushin.

TRACK OF THE DAY : The Height - Nowhere

Nowhere is the debut single by teenage Salford trio The Height. It's a wonderfully laid-back song that has plenty of touchpoints in musical history but which still manages the neat trick of sounding fresh and vibrant. It's an impressive first outing from a band that's likely to be heard much more in 2023 and beyond.

EVEN THE STARS ALBUMS OF 2022 - 5 to 1

2022 was a year that most of our favourite artists didn't release an album after last year's run of them. So our 2022 list is a little more varied than in previous years and features a lot of artists that go under the radar of most mainstream lists with a couple of exceptions. In this second post, we recall 10 to 6 before revealing our favourite five.

EVEN THE STARS ALBUMS OF 2022 - 10 to 6

2022 was a year that many of our favourite artists didn't release an album after last year's run of them. So our 2022 list is a little more varied than in previous years and features a lot of artists that go under the radar of most mainstream lists with a couple of exceptions. In this first post we count down our favourite ten from 10 to 6

Blossoms / Brooke Combe - Manchester Apollo - 11th December 2022

Blossoms completed their sold-out four-night residency at Manchester Apollo and their twenty-three date sold out UK and Ireland tour on Sunday night with a hit-packed set that included a special guest appearance by Rick Astley who performed four classics from The Smiths to reprise their shows earlier in the year. Support came from the impressive Brooke Combe who stunned an already packed audience with her showstopping voice.

John Bramwell And The Full Harmonic Convergence / Harriet Bradshaw - Manchester Deaf Institute - 11th December 2022

John Bramwell And The Full Harmonic Convergence warmed up a freezing Sunday afternoon in Manchester with an intimate show in the Deaf Institute that previewed tracks from the forthcoming album The Light Fantastic as well as revisiting classics from his I Am Kloot back catalogue as well as his solo album Leave Alone The Empty Spaces. Accompanied by Dave Fidler, Alan Lowles and Harriet Bradshaw, who earlier performed a short four-song set of her own, he demonstrated that he's writing the best material of his career and looking the happiest up on stage that he ever has.

Blossoms - Manchester Apollo - 10th December 2022

The third night of Blossoms' four gig residency at the Apollo in Manchester always threatened to be overshadowed by the World Cup quarter final between England and France. However, the band lifted the deflated spirits of the audience with an hour and a half set of infectious, glorious songs that lifted the spirits and provided the communion that music provides that nothing else can.

Blossoms - Manchester Apollo - 9th December 2022

Blossoms' run of four consecutive sold out nights at Manchester Apollo continued on Friday with a hit-laden ninety minute set of crowd favourites from across their four albums and featured a guest appearance from Liam Fray of Courteeners.

I Like Trains - Manchester Deaf Institute - 7th December 2022

I Like Trains opened up a short UK tour with a packed out show at Manchester's Deaf Institute on Wednesday night. Heavily featuring 2020's excellent Kompromat album and including new single The Spectacle, they delighted their dedicated fanbase with an intense and powerful performance.

TRACK OF THE DAY : Ist Ist - Mary In The Black And White Room

Ist Ist have released Mary In The Black And White Room, the second track to be taken from their forthcoming album Protagonists which is due for release in March 2023. A more synth-driven track than the album's opening release Stamp You Out, it will both delight long-term fans of the band and give an insight into the progression of their sound on their third record.

Heartless Bastards - Manchester Low Four Studios - 2nd December 2022

Heartless Bastards brought their delayed UK tour in support of their A Beautiful Life album to Manchester's Low Four Studios on Friday night for a sold out show. Overcoming technical issues that threatened to scupper the whole gig they delivered a powerful rocking performance interspersed with more intimate moments to delight the enthusiastic crowd.

TRACK OF THE DAY : Fondabath - Craving

Craving is the second single by Manchester's Fondabath. The follow-up to their debut Where's Your Smile Gone? is a powerful guitar-heavy take on the harm that social media can do and the pressures it puts on people.