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.

Billy Nomates / LIINES / The Red Stains / bdrmm / The Watchmakers / Happy Couple / Mynk / The Lounge Society / Loose Articles / The Goa Express - Manchester Psych Fest - 4th September 2021

The very long delayed Manchester Psychfest took place on Saturday along the Oxford Road corridor with an expanded line-up of artists, many of whom have outgrown their original bookings giving the audience an opportunity to catch them in rooms they're unlikely to play in again. We caught bands from Goa Express's opening set in the Ritz to Billy Nomates' Deaf Institute (reviews by Jason Wynne up to and including bdrmm)

Ist Ist / The Goa Express / Abbie Ozard / Julia Bardo - Manchester Night And Day Cafe - 5th August 2021

The first of a new series of BBC Introducing showcases at Manchester's Night And Day Cafe saw headliners and hometown heroes Ist Ist play their first non-distanced show in the city since June 2019 with an impressive supporting cast of Introducing favourites The Goa Express, Abbie Ozard and Julia Bardo in a sold-out venue of music lovers making their first excited tentative steps back out into the world of gigging again.

Dantevilles / Hello Operator / Gardenback / Louie Louie / The Goa Express / Maddy Storm - Manchester Jimmy's - 27th January 2018

As January draws to an eventual end, Lucoo filled up the final Saturday with their all-dayer at Jimmy's with a line-up of many of the bands that have graced this stage in the past couple of years. We caught up with Maddy Storm, The Goa Express, Louie Louie, Gardenback, Hello Operator and Dantevilles with a packed hot and sweaty room full of fellow music fans.

Tips For 2018 - Part Two

Welcome to Day Two of our tips of 2018 where we present twenty acts who we think will make an impact on the music scene next year. Today we have Purple Merlin, Pip Blom, The Goa Express and Pale Rider.

Purple Heart Parade / The Goa Express - Manchester Aatma - 21st December 2017

Purple Heart Parade have been away for most of 2017 building up a not inconsiderable and growing fan base around the country including London where they came to the attention of one of the most adventurous psyche labels in the land AC30 with whom they promptly signed on the dotted line. Ahead of an EP release and more in 2018 they returned back to Manchester to one of their old haunts Aatma for a low-key homecoming. Support came from Burnley's The Goa Express.

Control Of The Going / The Valkarys / The Goa Express - Todmorden Golden Lion - 23rd June 2017

We took the train up to Todmorden on Friday night to catch one of Control Of The Going's final shows before they gear up for the release of their album later this year. Support came from The Valkarys and locals The Goa Express.

Heaven On Earth - Manchester Halle St Peters - 22nd April 2017 (Hannah Nicholson, The Maitlands, The 99 Degree, The Creature Comfort. Hey Bulldog, OLA, Dantevilles, The Goa Express, Déjà Vega, Crimsons)

Heaven On Earth festival celebrated Earth Day on Saturday in the beautiful surroundings of Halle St Peters smack bang in the middle of the Ancoats construction zone. A wide range of bands hand-selected by the audience entertained the crowd throughout the day and evening.

Cabbage / The Goa Express / Avalanche Party - Hebden Bridge Trades Club - 26th January 2017

As part of Independent Venue Week, Cabbage headlined the latest of a series of gigs at our favourite independent venue, The Trades Club in Hebden Bridge in one of the last chances we're likely to get to see the most important new band in Britain in such intimate surroundings.  Support came from Avalanche Party and The Goa Express.