Mold / Yossari Baby / Wondrous Planet / The Entertainment Club - Salford Kings Arms - 5th August 2022

Advertised as their "first final reunion show" Mold made a one-off return to the live stage on Friday night headlining the monthly Entertainment Club "Multi-Genre Hell Cabaret" event in the beautiful theatre of the Kings Arms in Salford.

Pixies / The Slow Readers Club - Glasgow Kelvingrove Bandstand - 4th August 2022

The Kelvingrove Bandstand is a stunning outdoor arena in Glasgow. Tonight’s show is one in a series of fourteen concerts. Billed as The Summer Sessions and featuring acts as diverse as Van Morrison and Belinda Carlisle, as well as local legends such as The Jesus and Mary Chain and Edwin Collins. Ahead of their Bingley festival slots on Sunday, The Pixies have embarked on a short warm up tour of the north (Edinburgh, Glasgow then Newcastle) inviting The Slow Readers Club along too. 

Daisy Valentine / SKIES / The A.V. Club - Stockport Bask - 4th August 2022

Thursday night saw our first visit to the new venue / bar Bask in Stockport for the launch of Daisy Valentine's Tabula Rasa EP with her performing a headline set supported by acoustic performances from SKIES and The AV Club, both who put on impressive shows despite an audience that felt their conversation was more important than the music.

Liam Frost - Manchester Piccadilly Records - 31st July 2022

To celebrate the first ever vinyl issue of his second and third albums We Ain't Got No Money Honey But We Got Rain and The Latchkey Kid, Liam Frost played a solo acoustic set at Piccadilly Records on Sunday afternoon featuring tracks from both albums as well as a couple from his debut Show Me How The Spectres Dance.

Desperate Journalist / The Empty Page - Manchester Night And Day - 30th July 2022

It's an impressive feat that Desperate Journalist and The Empty Page have sold out Night And Day in an environment where gig attendances are through the floor and a significant element of the Manchester gig going community are on their annual pilgrimage to the Lakes for Kendal Calling where Desperate Journalist are playing the following day. The Night And Day is consequently a sweat box with a fan on stage for the headliner to keep it barely manageable for them, but once the music started people were oblivious to it.

The House Of Love - Burn Down The World (8 CD boxset)

Formed in London in 1986, The House of Love were one of the most respected and revered bands of the late 80s and early 90s. Starting their career on Creation, at a time when the label wasn’t really big enough to take bands like The House of Love into the charts, they signed to a major in 1989 and chart success soon followed. This impressive box set takes us through that period and leaves no stone unturned. This is a mightily impressive collection and fans new and old should cherish it. Starting with their self titled 1990 album before moving on to Babe Rainbow (1992), Audience With The Mind (1993) and a whole host of studio and live extras across eight discs, with over 130 tracks included.

John Bramwell - Atherton The Snug - 27th July 2022

John Bramwell's never-ending tour of some of the locations that are often left off other artist tour schedules arrived in Atherton for a return visit on Wednesday night to one of Greater Manchester's hidden gems The Snug. A career-spanning set liberally sprinkled with wit and often self-deprecating humour delighted an attentive appreciative audience.

Charm Of Finches / Megan Dixon-Hood - Manchester Gullivers - 24th July 2022

Melbourne sisters Charm Of Finches' long European tour is drawing to a close and Sunday night saw them pay their first ever visit to Manchester for a ninety-minute set in the ballroom above Gullivers pub in the Northern Quarter where Mabel and Ivy held an audience's attention captive for an hour and a half. Support came from closer to home in the form of Megan Dixon-Hood.

James / Orla Gartland / Coach Party / Lime Garden / Baby Queen - Sheffield Tramlines - 22nd July 2022

We headed across to Sheffield in the rain for the first day of 2022's Tramlines Festival in Hillsborough Park. Moving between the three main stages we caught sets from Baby Queen, Lime Garden, Coach Party, Orla Gartland and James.

Scarlet - Manchester Night And Day Cafe - 21st July 2022

Scarlet kicked off their UK tour at Manchester's Night And Day Cafe on Thursday night. Seven years on since their debut EP, they still have the passion to deliver an energetic ten-song set featuring a mix of older material and new songs.

Little Sparrow - Sale Waterside Refract Festival - 21st July 2022

Little Sparrow headlined the first night of Sale Waterside's fifth Refract Festival playing a fifty-minute set accompanied by Robbie Cavanagh and Robin Dewhurst to a cabaret-seating set up in the venue's main theatre on Thursday night.

TRACK OF THE DAY : The Murder Capital - Only Good Things

The Murder Capital have released Only Good Things, the first taste of their forthcoming second album. The song represents a significant departure from the dark sound of their debut When I Have Fears focusing on celebrating those that are still with us rather than those we have lost. 

TRACK OF THE DAY : Thousand Yard Stare - Isadora

Thousand Yard Stare continue their most unlikely of comebacks with a new single Isadora, the third in a series of four releases this year that will both remind longer-term fans of their infinitely catchy hooks yet still sound like a band exploring new elements of their sound.

Pixies - Manchester Band On The Wall - 19th July 2022

Pixies' shows in Manchester in the late 1980s at the International and International II are the stuff of legend and we never believed we'd see them in such intimate surroundings again. However, a 9am Monday morning alert set up their smallest show anywhere in years on the hottest day of the year in the five-hundred capacity Band On The Wall packed with devotees who reveled in a forty-one song two-hour career spanning set that will be talked about for years.

The John Hall Foundation Launch (Déjà Vega / The Goa Express / Yellow Brain / The Red Stains / Peacock Method / Maddy Storm / James Holt) - Manchester Band On The Wall / Rose And Monkey - 16th July 2022

John Hall was one of the most recognisable faces on the Manchester music scene, an omnipresent champion of new bands, unwavering in his support of those who got up on stage to perform and a will to only see the positive in artists. We sadly lost this magnificent man and friend last year to cancer, but before he passed he set up the John Hall Foundation to support the creation of safe working and rehearsal spaces for musicians in Manchester so that his legacy would never be forgotten, not that anyone who'd ever crossed his path would be able to forget him. Across two stages at Band On The Wall and the Rose And Monkey, artists and friends came together to raise funds and pay tribute on Saturday to a one-of-a-kind man whose loss has made the city's music scene a far poorer place.

TRACK OF THE DAY : Needle - Manual Breathing

Manual Breathing is the debut single from Manchester artist Needle, a fully independent and self-contained project where they write, record, produce and mix everything themselves. It's an impressive first offering, ambitious and very much displaying a desire to express themselves in a natural manner rather than conforming.

Ist Ist / The Jade Assembly / The Empty Page / Cowtown - Bolton Right To Roam Festival - 9th July 2022

Saturday saw the second day of the Right To Roam Festival around four venues in Bolton, a brave festival that is attempting to bring live music back to the streets of a town that's had many of its live venues shut down over the years. We caught four bands - Cowtown, The Empty Page, The Jade Assembly and Ist Ist - across two of the venues.

Pixies / The Slow Readers Club / Klangstof - Manchester Castlefield Bowl - 5th July 2022

Pixies headlined the latest in the Summer In The City series of gigs in Manchester's Castlefield Bowl on Tuesday night supported by local heroes The Slow Readers Club and Klangstof. A thirty-song set provided a perfect reminder of why they are one of the most important and influential bands of our generation.

James - Manchester Castlefield Bowl - 2nd July 2022

One of the things that separates James from other bands is that we, the audience, never ever know what we are going to get when we go and see them. To celebrate their 40th year, James announced two special gigs; last month’s Edinburgh show was a celebration of a Barrowland "Best Of" era gig (from 1998) and then at the wonderful Castlefield Bowl tonight. We  knew exactly what we were going to get - twenty-two songs from the massive 1992 Alton Towers show that made for a curious evening. The band pulled out all the stops, truly testing themselves by revisiting some songs they haven’t played in decades.  What followed was a truly stunning performance. 

TRACK OF THE DAY : SKIES - Deconstruction

SKIES today release Deconstruction, their first new material since last year's It's Not The End Of The World EP. Full of their distinctive hooks and pulsating beats the single will delight their loyal army of fans whose participation in garden shows as lockdown eased helped to fund the recording as well as hopefully win them new admirers.

James / Seb Lowe - Warrington Parr Hall - 29th June 2022

James warmed up for their Castlefield Bowl Alton Towers 30th anniversary show on Saturday with an intimate warm-up show for War Child at Warrington Parr Hall. Revisiting rarely-played songs from that momentous 1992 show as well as more recent tracks . Support came from up-and-coming Seb Lowe.

The Blinders / Uninvited - Hebden Bridge Trades Club - 17th June 2022

The Blinders headed to the Trades Club on Friday night for a sweltering opening night to their three-date mini-tour to support the release of their double EP Electric Kool Aid. Supported by Glaswegians The Uninvited they delivered a set that featured almost all of the new material plus a series of old favourites from their debut Columbia and its follow-up Fantasies Of A Stay At Home Psychopath.

Stephen Fretwell / Later Youth - Hebden Bridge Trades Club - 15th June 2022

Stephen Fretwell is coming to the end of the second of his tours around his very long-awaited comeback album Busy Guy. A sold-out Trades Club stood bewitched by his spell as he ran through a marathon twenty-three song set taken from all three of his albums interspersed with irreverent chat, audience participation and a wit that made it into a truly special evening.

Spud Cannon / Junk Spirits / Concrete Club - Manchester Peer Hat - 14th June 2022

Spud Cannon brought their short UK tour to a close on Tuesday night in the intimate surroundings of The Peer Hat in Manchester. With three albums already under their belt they delivered a fourteen song forty five minute set of three minute gems that touched all bases to an audience that they had eating out the palms of their hands by the end of the night.

Keane / Flyte / Michael Conryan - Cannock Chase - 11th June 2022

Saturday night saw Keane head to the picturesque setting of Cannock Chase Forest as part of their Forestry Live tour of some of the country's most beautiful wooded venues for a sold out show that featured tracks from across their career from their 2004 debut Hopes And Fears to 2019's comeback album Cause And Effect. Support came from Flyte and Michael Conryan.

James / The Charlatans / Maximo Park - London Kenwood House - 10th June 2022

James headlined the opening night of Heritage Live's series of shows at Kenwood House in London on Friday night supported by The Charlatans, Maximo Park and Get Cape Wear Cape Fly with a triumphant set mixing old and new in a picturesque setting in the capital.

James Holt - Manchester Night And Day Cafe - 8th June 2022

James Holt played a rare full band show on Wednesday night at Manchester's Night And Day Cafe, showcasing a rockier side to his art that we don't often see at his solo or duo shows whilst still allowing the finer points of his songwriting craft to shine through.

The Red Stains - Manchester Castle Hotel - 8th June 2022

The Red Stains returned on Wednesday night for an opening slot with another new line-up, introducing Amber on keys and guitar to give a new dimension to their chaotic yet enthralling sound and visual experience.

Blossoms - Glasgow King Tut's Wah Wah Hut - 5th June 2022

Blossoms continued their promotional campaign for their third number one album Ribbon Around The Bomb with two intimate shows at Glasgow's King Tut's Wah Wah Hut on Sunday night. Performing two hour long sets of sixteen songs that were in effect greatest hits sets, they reminded us of the depth and quality of their back catalogue.

Odd Morris / Bleach Boy - Manchester Castle Hotel - 31st May 2022

Odd Morris bade farewell this week with a series of shows in their native Dublin and across the UK. We caught their penultimate show at The Castle in Manchester on Tuesday night, a bitter-sweet experience of witnessing a band doing what they love yet knowing that it would be the last time we see them perform together.

Yard Act / Nuha Ruby Ra - Warrington Friars Court - 23rd May 2022

It's not often you catch a band that was involved in a chart battle at the very top end of the album charts in a small venue, but Monday night saw Yard Act hit Warrington and the intimate surroundings of Friars Court for a special set featuring tracks from that album The Overload as well as a few crowd favourites and a special guest appearance.

Proletariat - Manchester Gorilla - 21st May 2022

Proletariat played their biggest headline show to date at Manchester Gorilla on Saturday night. Following on from last year's successful sold-out comeback at the Deaf Institute and a stream of singles that have shown their development as a band.

John Bramwell And The Full Harmonic Convergence - Castleton Peak Cavern (The Devil's Arse) - 20th May 2022

John Bramwell brought his Full Harmonic Convergence to the picturesque and unique setting of the Devil’s Arse Peak Cavern in Castleton for an exceptionally special long-delayed two hour set primarily featuring songs from their upcoming album The Light Fantastic interspersed with tracks from his Leave Alone The Empty Spaces solo album and his I Am Kloot back catalogue.

Ryley Walker / Simon Joyner - Manchester Yes - 19th May 2022

Ryley Walker made a long-awaited return to Manchester for the first time in five years on Thursday night in the Pink Room at Yes. With tracks from his last album Course In Fables as well as old favourites from his now substantial songbook delivered with an improvisational spirit and scant regard for the structures of the recorded versions, he held an enthralled and besotted audience rapt over the course of ninety minutes.

Travis / Ben Ottewell - Manchester Albert Hall - 17th May 2022

Travis brought their Invisible Band tour to Manchester's Albert Hall on Tuesday night where they performed one of their classic albums in full followed by a mini greatest hits set in a sweltering hot room. Support came from Ben Ottewell with a solo acoustic set of Gomez favourites.

Momma - Manchester Yes Basement - 14th May 2022

Momma are about to release their third album Household Name on July 1st and this Manchester show, as part of the ongoing Mood Swings events, is the final stop on a whistlestop tour that coincided with The Great Escape in Brighton and the release of Speeding 72, the third single to be taken from the album.

Ist Ist - Huddersfield Parish - 5th May 2022

 Ist Ist's short UK tour made a stop off at the impressive Parish in Huddersfield on Thursday night for a set that spanned their two albums Architecture and The Art Of Lying and previewed three tracks from their third album.

Blossoms - Stockport Plaza - 3rd May 2022

With their fourth album Ribbon Around The Bomb sitting at number one in the midweek charts, Blossoms continued their tradition of playing a special hometown show at the Plaza in Stockport to celebrate its release. Playing the album in full accompanied by a string section followed by a short set of some of their biggest singles to date they preceded the show with a special film soundtracked by the record and with some added drama of a fire evacuation to boot.

Blossoms - Manchester Band On The Wall - 30th April 2022

To celebrate the release of their fourth studio album Ribbon Around The Bomb Blossoms played two intimate shows at Manchester’s Band On The Wall on Saturday debuting songs from the album as well as running through old favourites from their first three records to an adoring crowd.

Molly Nilsson - Manchester Soup - 29th April 2022

To celebrate the release of her ninth album Extreme, Molly Nilsson performed a rare live show in the basement of Soup starting with most of the album followed by a short selection of tracks from her impressive back catalogue.

Blossoms - Ribbon Around The Bomb

Blossoms today release their fourth studio album Ribbon Around The Bomb. Our friends over at the Blossoms' fan account At Most One Tour kindly agreed to share their first thoughts on the record with us.

Kristin Hersh Electric Trio - Manchester Band On The Wall - 28th April 2022

Kristin Hersh made a long-awaited return to Manchester on Thursday night as part of the first half of her UK tour performing with long-term Throwing Muses collaborator Fred Abong and 50 Foot Wave drummer Rob Ahlers.

James / The Slow Readers Club / Surma - Lisbon Campo Pequeno - 22nd April 2022

James completed their short two-date tour of Portugal with an ecstatic sold-out show at Lisbon's Campo Pequeno, more accustomed to bull fights than music concerts, supported by The Slow Readers Club and Surma.

James / The Slow Readers Club / Surma - Porto Superbock Arena - 21st April 2022

James played the first of two Portuguese shows that were COVID-delayed from December on Thursday night at a sold-out ecstatic Superbock Arena in Porto with a career-spanning set of old favourites as well as a significant chunk of last year's All The Colours Of You album supported by The Slow Readers Club making their Portuguese debut and local artist Surma.

The Silver Bars / Civic Green / First Lady - Manchester Retro - 16th April 2022

The basement of Retro played host to three out-of-town bands on Saturday night hosted by promoters In Your Ears. Barrow's The Silver Bars headlined the night which also saw South Yorkshire's Civic Green and Glasgow's First Lady play impressive sets.

The Mission / Ist Ist / The Rose Of Avalanche - Manchester Ritz - 14th April 2022

The Mission's Déjà Vu finally rolled into Manchester on Thursday night, two years after the original date for a career-spanning set to an adoring audience of old and young, supported by contemporaries The Rose Of Avalanche and Manchester's own Ist Ist.

Crows / Splint - Manchester Yes - 8th April 2022

Crows brought their second album Beware Believers to the Pink Room of Yes in Manchester on Friday night for a scintillating performance that focused heavily on the new record with a few old favourites thrown in for good measure. Support came from last minute local stand-ins, the mysterious Splint.

Folly Group / Qlowski - Manchester Gullivers - 7th April 2022

London post-punk four piece Folly Group's debut headline tour in support of their new EP Human And Kind rolled into the ballroom above Gullivers in the Northern Quarter of Manchester on Thursday night supported by the equally impressive Qlowski.

Tom Hingley - Edinburgh Old Dr Bell’s Baths - 3rd April 2022

Tom Hingley brought his solo show to the east coast of Scotland this week. Stuart Ralston went to Leith for a stunning career spanning set, not only celebrating his past but also celebrating his future with a clutch of brand new songs.  Although there was a stage with a PA, Tom took the decision to body swerve it and pull up a chair in front of the audience, delivering a more personal, revealing and intimate show.

Fair Play Festival (YAANG / Global Charming / Ditz) - Manchester Northern Quarter - 2nd April 2022

Fair Play Festival took place across five venues in the Northern Quarter of Manchester on Saturday. The sold out festival rekindled the spirit of the sadly departed A Carefully Planned Festival by mixing artists operating at the fringes of the local scene that fall under the radar of most festival organisers with touring bands from the UK and further afield. Dipping in and out around other commitments we caught three very different acts in locals YAANG, Amsterdam's Global Charming and Brighton's Ditz.