Inspiral Carpets concluded their four-day weekend of shows with a visit to the wonderful Lowther Pavilion in Lytham to perform a mix of hits and deep cuts to a bank holiday Sunday audience. With Martyn Walsh back in the saddle on bass, they rolled back the years and reminded us why we fell in love with them in the first place.
Neighbourhood Weekender took a break in 2024, but it returned in style this year, with James headlining Saturday night. The band last topped the bill in 2021, stepping in for Ian Brown after he dropped out over COVID-19 vaccination requirements. With no Manchester date on their current tour, the Warrington-based festival served as the closest thing to a hometown show - and it certainly felt like one.
Pixies concluded their UK tour in support of their most recent album When The Zombies Came with a sold-out show at Manchester's Apollo Theatre. Featuring tracks from the album alongside many of the classics with which they made their name in the late 1980s and early 1990s they delighted a fan base of young and old over the course of an hour and three quarters.
Inspiral Carpets have been out on the road this week on a mini UK tour, calling in at some of their favourite venues in Scotland, England and Wales. The opening night – at Carlisle's Old Fire Station – celebrates the 10th anniversary of the venue. Stuart Ralston enjoyed a phenomenal twenty song set and an impressive opening performance from new 4 piece Malcom.
Mark Hoyle - front man of the legendary Dub Sex - has just released his biography Swerve and to promote it, he’s in the beautiful Rossendale arts centre Horse And Bamboo with a strong supporting cast; Martin Coogan from The Mock Turtles is spinning some classics in the bar before we take our seats in the splendidly decorated auditorium to hear Mark superbly interviewed by another Manc legend; singer, songwriter, actress and writer Stella Grundy.
James warmed up for their Neighbourhood Weekender headline slot on Saturday with an intimate sweaty warm-up show at Edinburgh’s Corn Exchange. Mixing tracks from last year’s number one album Yummy and tracks from the albums that preceded it with some of their biggest hits they delighted a Scottish crowd that took some to get going but which finished one joyful bouncing mass.
Ist Ist made their debut performance in Stoke on Friday night at the legendary Sugarmill venue. A band on a roll on the back of a successful 2024 that saw them breach the top 30 album chart with their fourth album Light A Bigger Fire and sold out shows across the UK and continental Europe. Performing favourites from across their career as well as showcasing two new songs, they demonstrated what a powerful and compelling live act they are.
