James / The Clause - Wolverhampton The Halls - 20th June 2023

James headed to Wolverhampton on Tuesday night as part of the series to reopen the city's biggest venue complex after a multi-million pound refit. Discarding most of the songs they played on their recent tour with an orchestra and choir they delighted their hardcore fans with a setlist of rarely played songs mixed liberally amongst many of their biggest songs. Support came from the excellent The Clause who made themselves perfectly at home on the big stage and won over a new set of fans.

Ed Cosens / Tom Bright / Oliver Pinder - Leeds Mill Hill Chapel - 17th June 2023

The intimate beautiful surroundings of Leeds' Mill Hill Chapel was the scene for the closing night of Ed Cosens' UK tour performing tracks from his debut solo album Fortunes Favour as well as some old Reverend And The Makers favourites and new songs from his work-in-progress second album. Support came from impressive sets by tour support Tom Bright as well as local lad Oliver Pinder.

David Ford / Abe Partridge - Manchester Castle Hotel - 16th June 2023

David Ford and Abe Partridge brought their two-man songwriters' circle tour to Manchester's Castle Hotel on Friday night in sweltering conditions, each playing a solo set and then an encore where they took turns in playing songs. Each told stories around the songs and their journey as songwriters as well as their obvious mutual love and respect for each other as people and musicians.

Nicole Atkins and Jim Sclavunos - Manchester Yes - 7th June 2023

Nicole Atkins and Jim Sclavunos called in at Yes in Manchester on Wednesday night as part of their tour to perform tracks from Nicole's back catalogue as well as their unreleased duets album. Accompanied by Davey Horne on keys, the trio delivered a set of songs rich in variety that showcased the range of Nicole's vocals from rock and roll to powerful ballads as well as full of between song humour.

James - Be Opened By The Wonderful

James celebrate the fortieth anniversary of their debut single Jimone with a career spanning retrospective with a difference. Instead of the tired old Greatest Hits repackage they've collaborated with composer Joe Duddell on rearranging tracks from across their forty year existence and recorded them with the Orca 22 orchestra and the Manchester Inspirational Voices Gospel Choir. It wouldn't be James though without them not just selecting from their massive array of singles but delving deep into their albums and b-sides to complete a spectacular reimagination of some of their finest moments.

Coldplay / Chvrches / Porij - Manchester Etihad Stadium - 4th June 2023

Coldplay brought to an end their series of four sold-out nights at Manchester's Etihad Stadium on Sunday night with an exhilarating live show featuring many old favourites from their back catalogue as well as significant chunks of their Music Of The Spheres album along with a guest performance from Tim Booth of James. Support came from Porij and Chrvches.

Ist Ist - Rees Haldern Pop Bar - 28th May 2023

Ist Ist's European tour continued with a packed out show at Haldern Pop Bar with people watching outside through windows as the venue was full to capacity. An hour-long set taken from all three of their albums felt even more brutal and uncompromising in the baking heat of the German bank holiday weekend.

Ist Ist / TV Cult - Cologne Artheater - 26th May 2023

Ist Ist's second night of their European tour in support of their UK Top 50 album Protagonists saw them make their Cologne debut in a packed out Artheater in the Ehrenfeld district of Cologne. Mixing songs from across their three albums in front of an enthusiastic crowd, they demonstrate the cross-border appeal of their sound. Support came from locals TV Cult.

TRACK OF THE DAY : Tom A Smith - Weirdo

Sunderland teenager Tom A Smith precedes a busy summer season of shows and his biggest tour to date in winter with the release of Weirdo, the third track to be taken from his forthcoming EP3. 

Déjà Vega / Avalanche Party / Bee Bee Sea - Manchester Projekts MCR Skatepark - 20th May 2023

On Saturday Manchester label and promoters Sour Grapes held their Meltchester II festival at the intriguing location of the Projekts MCR Skatepark under the Mancunian Way. A day and night full of artists performed and we managed to catch a trio of them - Déjà Vega, Avalanche Party and Bee Bee Sea.

SBT (Sarabeth Tucek) - Salford Eagle Inn - 18th May 2023

SBT (Sarabeth Tucek) made her very long-awaited return to the UK for live shows at the Eagle Inn in Salford on Thursday night. On the eve of the release of her third album, Joan Of All, she played the album in full before finishing with her 2006 single Something For You which first brought her to the wider attention over here.

James - London Royal Albert Hall - 17th May 2023

James concluded their James Lasted 40th anniversary tour with Orca 22 and the Manchester Inspirational Voices Gospel Choir with a celebratory sold-out show at London's Royal Albert Hall. An emotional evening that was in doubt up to the day of the show due to Tim Booth's illness turned out by an uplifting night of music from their earliest days right up to the current day.

Inspiral Carpets / Cal Ruddy / The Lottery Winners / French Coriandah - Stockport Bask - 14th May 2023

Clint Boon has always been a champion of The Lottery Winners and it was fitting that the four-piece celebrated their number one album and end of their mammoth promotion cycle at Mrs Boon’s Tea Party at Bask. The event’s special guests were revealed to be Inspiral Carpets who performed a seven song set to a surprised and delighted audience.

James - Blackpool Opera House - 12th May 2023

James headed to the seaside on Friday night for a sold out show with Orca 22 orchestra and Manchester Inspirational Voices Gospel Choir. With Tim suffering with a cold a few adjustments had to be made, but these became happy accidents that gave new life and takes on some of the songs they'd been playing on the tour. A rich mix of hit singles and more obscure selections from their forty year back catalogue delighted an attentive audience that also sought to participate where possible.

TRACK OF THE DAY : James Holt - Do I Ever Cross Your Mind?

Do I Ever Cross Your Mind? is the new single from James Holt. A song about looking back at a past love and wondering whether they still think about them, it's his most accessible single to date whilst retaining the rich detail and lyrical openness in the storytelling of his previous releases.

James - Manchester Apollo - 10th May 2023

James played the second night of the hometown Manchester leg of their tour with the Orca 22 orchestra and Manchester Inspirational Voices Gospel Choir on Wednesday night. A radically rejigged setlist  had the crowd dancing in the aisles by the end of the night.

TRACK OF THE DAY : Lanterns On The Lake - Real Life

Real Life is the third single to be taken from Lanterns On The Lake's forthcoming album Versions Of Us released by Bella Union on June 2. Their most upbeat offering to date, with a twist at the end, the song focuses on throwing aside your inhibitions and self-doubts and living life to its full potential.

James - Manchester Apollo - 9th May 2023

James returned home to Manchester for the first of two nights with Orca 22 and The Manchester Inspirational Voices Gospel Choir for their first show at the city's legendary Apollo venue for twenty-five years. 

James - Liverpool Philharmonic - 7th May 2023

Night nine of fifteen of James' Lasted 40th anniversary tour with Orca 22 orchestra and the Manchester Inspirational Voices Gospel Choir headed to Liverpool, scene of many of their most memorable gigs in the late 1980s as they broke for the first time, for a Sunday night set that became the longest and most celebratory of the tour so far.

James - Birmingham Symphony Hall - 5th May 2023

James reached the half way point in their Lasted fortieth anniversary celebration tour with Orca 22 and the Manchester Inspirational Voices Gospel Choir with another sold out show in the imposing surroundings of Birmingham's Symphony Hall. Once again playing with the setlist to keep the show fresh and improvising within the framework of a thirty-nine person set-up, they delighted the crowd with a mix of old favourites from the start of their career right up to new material.

James - Sheffield City Hall - 4th May 2023

James' tour with Orca 22 and the Manchester Inspirational Voices Gospel Choir headed to Sheffield on Thursday night for the seventh of fifteen dates on the Lasted tour commemorating forty years since their first release. Introducing a couple of new songs to the set for the first time and continuing their quest to change the setlist around to make each experience different, they delighted a reverential and respectful crowd with a mix of hits and deep cuts.

James - Newcastle City Hall - 2nd May 2023

The James Lasted tour headed back into England on Tuesday night for a sold-out show at Newcastle City Hall with the nine-piece James augmented by Orca 22 and the Manchester Inspirational Voices Gospel Choir. A radically restructured set on the smallest stage and venue of the tour made for an intimate experience. 

James - Glasgow SEC Armadillo - 1st May 2023

Night five of the James Lasted fortieth anniversary tour with the Orca 22 orchestra and the Manchester Inspirational Voices Gospel Choir reached Glasgow on Monday and the three and a half thousand capacity SEC Armadillo. A rejigged setlist challenged and delighted a for once restrained Glasgow audience, scene of some of their most raucous nights on previous tours.

James - Edinburgh Usher Hall - 29th April 2023

James’ tour with the Orca 22 orchestra and Manchester Inspirational Voices Gospel Choir headed up to Scotland on Saturday night for the fourth night of the tour in the resplendent settings of Edinburgh’s Usher Hall. Tweaking the setlist as they go and starting to take more risks within songs, the set featured both some of their greatest hits reimagined as well as others plucked from the depths of their forty-year back catalogue and given central billing.

James - York Barbican - 28th April 2023

After a well-earned night off after the first two shows in Brighton and Cardiff, James’ sold out tour with the Orca 22 Orchestra and Manchester Inspirational Voices Choir rolled into York Barbican. A set of hits, deep album cuts and band and crowd favourites from across their forty year career delighted the Friday night audience.

Cindy / Test Card Girl - Manchester Gullivers - 27th April 2023

San Francisco's Cindy brought their UK tour in support of their most recent album Why Not Now to the ballroom of Gullivers in Manchester's Northern Quarter on Thursday night. A set that pulled from each of their four albums to date delighted a small but hugely appreciative Manchester audience

Before Breakfast - Absorbed EP

Following on from last year’s debut album I Could Be Asleep If It Weren’t For You, Sheffield’s Before Breakfast return with a five-track EP Absorbed.

Lottie Gray - How To Haunt EP

How To Haunt is the debut six track EP from Norfolk-born Royal Northern College Of Music student Lottie Gray, a beautifully constructed set of songs that marks her out as an artist of genuine potential who needs your attention now.

James - Cardiff St David's Hall - 26th April 2023

James headed to Cardiff for the second night of their orchestral tour with the Orca 22 orchestra and Manchester Inspirational Voices Choir with a first ever performance at St David's Hall. Tweaking the setlist from the opening night and with first night nerves out of the way, they delighted a sold out audience who found their Welsh singing voices at the end of the night.

TRACK OF THE DAY : Neon Waltz - Thoughts / Dreams / Regrets

Neon Waltz return with their long-awaited single Thoughts / Dreams / Regrets taken from their forthcoming second album Honey Now to be released via Fierce Panda on 1st September. 

James - Brighton The Dome - 25th April 2023

James opened their tour with the Orca 22 orchestra conducted by Joe Duddell and the Manchester Inspirational Voices Choir in front of a reverential seated audience at the resplendent Brighton Dome on Tuesday night. Reinventing and reworking songs from their earliest releases right through to a brand new song recorded for this project, they delighted the audience with hits, rarities and a few surprises along the way.

Caitlin Rose / Dominic Billett - Manchester Deaf Institute - 24th April 2023

Caitlin Rose made her long-awaited return to Manchester, a decade after her last visit to the city, for a sold-out show at the Deaf Institute to promote her Cazimi album. The evening ended with a very special celebration and then Caitlin playing a song unamped sat on the edge of the stage.

The Lottery Winners / Pet Needs / The A.V. Club - Warrington Parr Hall - 22nd April 2023

The Lottery Winners continued their campaign ahead of the release of their third album Anxiety Replacement Therapy with a sold-out show at Parr Hall in Warrington supported by Pet Needs and local band The A.V. Club. Previewing songs from the new record as well as a series of crowd favourites from previous albums and Thom's unique between song chat, the four-piece delighted and entertained an enthusiastic crowd.

TRACK OF THE DAY : emzae - I Guess, Anyway

I Guess Anyway is the new single from emzae, an emotional song written about her reaction to the end of lockdown and the impact that had on her, taken from her debut album All Those Things I Thought I Knew that comes out in September.

Tom Hingley / Ian Britt / Mancunia - Stockport Bask - 16th April 2023

Tom Hingley played an intimate acoustic set mainly comprising hit singles from his time fronting Inspiral Carpets at Bask in Stockport on Sunday night. Support came from Ian Britt and Mancunia.

Inspiral Carpets - Glasgow SWG3 - 13th April 2023

Inspiral Carpets play their first Scottish date  of 2023 to a packed and adoring audience. Stuart Ralston popped home to join the celebrations.

Ist Ist / NOPRISM / Post Ironic State - Glasgow King Tut's Wah Wah Hut / Newcastle Cluny - 13th / 14th April 2023

Ist Ist opened the UK leg of their Protagonists tour in support of their Top 50 album with packed out shows at two legendary venues - Glasgow King Tut's Wah Wah Hut and Newcastle Cluny. Supported by two great local artists - Post Ironic State in Glasgow and NOPRISM in Newcastle, Ist Ist demonstrated why they're on the cusp of making a significant breakthrough under their own steam with the irresistible and overwhelming power of their art.

TRACK OF THE DAY : The Red Stains - TV Static

TV Static is the new single from the latest incarnation of Manchester's most vocal toilet graffiti artists, a satirical view of the world around them tinged with a sense of desperation at the expectations placed on people in the digital age.

TRACK OF THE DAY : Seb Lowe - Cavalryman

Seb Lowe returns with a new single Cavalryman, a studio version of a live favourite. His strongest release yet, it's his most ambitious track yet musically featuring his new band line-up and produced by James Skelly.

Inspiral Carpets / The Solution - Leeds O2 Academy - 8th April 2023

Inspiral Carpets continued their tour in support of The Complete Singles with a sold-out show at Leeds O2 Academy on Saturday night. An expectant crowd revelled in a set that rolled back the years and reminded them of more youthful times. Support came from the very excellent The Solution.

Peter Hook And The Light - Manchester Albert Hall - 7th April 2023

Peter Hook And The Light played a trio of shows at Manchester's Albert Hall over the Easter weekend - performing classic and greatest hits Joy Division and New Order albums in full as has become tradition. The Friday night saw the five-piece tackle both bands' second albums - Closer and Power Corruption And Lies as well as a short encore of singles and favourites from around the period of the release.

The Orielles - Manchester Canvas - 6th April 2023

The Orielles returned to their adopted home of Manchester for a sold out show at Canvas on the penultimate leg of their tour to support their exceptional third album Tableau. Drawing heavily from that record with a few older favourites added for good measure, they delighted a crowd of all ages with an intense hour and a half set.

TRACK OF THE DAY : Bella Estelle - Smile

Smile is the latest single from Portsmouth-based songwriter Bella Estelle. A beautiful love song with a very personal meaning to her, the song is uplifting and emotional, building imposingly and impressively.

Ist Ist - Leeds Oporto - 4th April 2023

From the highs of headlining the fifteen hundred capacity Ritz in their hometown of Manchester on Friday and the elation of hitting number eleven in the midweek album charts with their new album Protagonists, Ist Ist went intimate on Tuesday night with an outstore performance for Crash Records at Oporto in Leeds. Performing a fourteen song set from across their three albums, they reminded us of their earlier days in venues of this size with a raw intense performance in a crammed space.

TRACK OF THE DAY : Lala Hayden - Slice

Remember Anteros? Their one and only album When We Land was one of the greatest indie pop albums of our time. Then they disappeared. Now their front woman Laura Hayden is back, under the not so secretive pseudonym of Lala Hayden with Slice, the first track taken from an EP Girl Becomes that is out in May.

TRACK OF THE DAY : Lanterns On The Lake - String Theory

Lanterns On The Lake have today released String Theory, the second track to be taken from their forthcoming album Versions Of Us. Accompanied by a lyric video, the song muses over the existence of alternative versions of yourself in another world where fate dealt you a better hand and you made different life choices.

Inspiral Carpets - Manchester Albert Hall - 1st April 2023

Inspiral Carpets made an emotional return to Manchester for their first show there for seven and a half years since the passing of drummer Craig Gill. A hits-heavy set with a poignant tear-inducing surprise in the encore delighted a packed out Albert Hall who transmitted so much love to the band on what Clint Boon described as "one of the greatest nights of my life."

Ist Ist / Bandit / Dr Dr - Manchester Ritz - 31st March 2023

Ist Ist launched their third album Protagonists with their biggest headline show to date to over a thousand people at The Ritz in Manchester. Focusing heavily on the new record with old favourites to delight those they've picked up on their journey from the Night And Day to here, they made a triumphant statement of intent. Support came from Dr Dr and Bandit.

TRACK OF THE DAY : Wax-Tree-Cast - She

Wax-Tree-Cast release She, their first single of 2023, a tragic tale of a disabled younger sister being abused by an older sibling who's meant to be looking after her, a thought-provoking track with a twist.