EVEN THE STARS TOP 10 ALBUMS OF 2024

 

It's that time to reveal our mostly unsurprising list of our top ten favourite albums of 2024

Déjà Vega - Manchester Gullivers - 21st December 2024

Déjà Vega finished off 2024 with a low-key headline show at Gullivers in Manchester on Saturday night. Over a ninety-five minute set they delighted a packed enthusiastic audience with a mix of songs taken from their first two albums with six brand new songs from the sessions for their third album that showcase a different direction without losing the raw power and intensity of their performance.

LIINES / Trupa Trupa / Vincent's Last Summer - Manchester Gullivers - 12th December 2024

LIINES made their long-awaited return to the stage on Thursday night with a sold-out co-headline show with Polish trio Trupa Trupa who were on a short European tour. With Tamsin temporarily back with them on bass, they mixed new songs with tracks from their debut Stop / Start to an enthusiastic and supportive crowd after Trupa Trupa had impressed a curious crowd and Vincent's Last Summer had provided an enthusiastic opening to the evening.

Blossoms - Manchester Diecast - 11th December 2024

Blossoms completed the most successful year of their career to date with a show at Diecast in Manchester sponsored by Spotify and Budweiser. Playing an hour set that spanned their four albums they delighted a crowd of hardcore fans and Instagram wannabes.

James - Live At The Acropolis Film Screening / Q&A

James provided fans with an exclusive preview of their Live At The Acropolis film recorded in Athens with the Manchester Inspirational Voices Gospel Choir and Orca 22 arranged and conducted by Joe Duddell on Tuesday night in the magnificent surroundings of Aviva Studios' Hall. A showing of the full concert film was followed by an insightful Q&A session led by director Chris Atkins with Tim Booth, Jim Glennie and Chloe Alper of the band and Joe Duddell.

The Slow Readers Club - Glasgow Stereo - 6th December 2024

The Slow Readers Club returned to Glasgow for the first time since their triumphant Barrowland Ballroom gig (opening for Shed Seven) last autumn for a more intimate affair. Stuart Ralston went back home for the evening and was blown away. 

The Slow Readers Club - Manchester Ritz - 5th December 2024

The Slow Readers Club's short Winter tour rolled into their hometown of Manchester on Thursday night for a sold-out months in advance show. A mix of new songs from their forthcoming album Out Of A Dream and fan favourites from their exceptional extensive back catalogue delighted a partisan crowd.

Westside Cowboy / All Girls Arson Club - Manchester Castle Hotel - 3rd December 2024

It’s been a long time since we’ve been genuinely excited about the possibilities of a new band. COVID killed a lot of nascent bands stone dead as they couldn’t get into a room together and only now is the scene starting to fully recover. A couple of weeks ago, we were in The Ritz early for the English Teacher headline and the opening band Westside Cowboy struck as one to find out more about. They’re Manchester-based and had their own headline show for their debut single launch at The Castle Hotel.  So here we are two weeks later.

Sprints - Manchester New Century Hall - 29th November 2024

Sprints' rise in 2024 has seen them go from The White Hotel across the border in Salford to selling out New Century a couple of months in advance, a four-fold increase in audience size armed with just their debut album Letter To Self to their name. Over the course of eighty minutes they delivered a set taken from the record with a fascinating insight into new material that suggests that trajectory isn't going to slow down any time soon.