Bringing you all the Live Reviews that matter since 1998
A WOLF IN BURBERRY CLOTHING
26 October 2011 / The Ritz / Manchester
:: Patrick Wolf ::
...it would be expecting a bit too much to have that
infamous, bouncing, wooden floor of the venue put to
the test
A SHOT IN THE ARM
25 October 2011 / Academy 1 / Manchester
:: Wilco ::
They bridge an unwieldy space between oddly disparate musical forms but they do it with triumphant aplomb.
THE LAST RAYS OF SUMMER SUNSHINE
24 October 2011 / Islington Mill / Salford
:: Real Estate ::
The New Jersey natives try and bring a bit of
sunshine to Salford in late October - a tall order
perhaps?
THE GRANDFATHER OF TECHNO
26 October 2011 / Night & Day / Manchester
:: Driver Drive Faster :: Dr Mahogany's Goat Circus :: Silver Apples ::
The hypnotic, repetitive nature of the songs; the
inorganic bleeps and squelches - one could argue
that Simeon and his late colleague were the pioneers
of modern dance music, and tonight he's on great
form.
DEATHRAYS FROM ABOVE?
25 October 2011 / The Castle (Oldham St) / Manchester
:: Weird Era :: DZ Deathrays ::
There's something about the two wavy curly mops
thrashing as one here that makes any cynicism about
a band so heavily reliant on one influence just melt
away.
A PECULIAR EVENING IN LEVENSHULME
22 October 2011 / M19 Bar (Levenshulme) / Manchester
:: Vinny Peculiar ::
There comes a point where you think you've had
enough of acoustic guitar singer-songwriters - and
then one comes along that you wouldn't have missed
for anything...
CAREFULLY PLANNED FESTIVAL - ANOTHER VIEW
16 October 2011 / Various Venues / Manchester
:: Shark Teeth (formerly Blood Oranges) :: Where We Lay Our Heads :: King of Cats :: Invisible Cities :: Decadence in Berlin :: Everything Everything (Secret Show!) ::
More reporting from Manchester's excellent weekend
of underground live music - here, Ged checks out all
the bands with the best names and find most of them
match up musically.
TRES BON
19 October 2011 / Apollo / Manchester
:: Bon Iver :: Kathleen Edwards ::
There is so much overflowing emotion in the music,
in the words and in the voices of everyone in the
audience singing the lyrics back at him that the
hairs on the back of my neck stand up and a chill
sweeps through me – this is truly remarkable.
COMPLETE CONTROL
03 October 2011 / The Deaf Institute / Manchester
:: Cloud Control ::
It’s only three songs in and Alister Wright has
already broken two guitar strings. Not surprising
really, Cloud Control are astonishingly enthusiastic
tonight...
RING ON FIRE
18 October 2011 / Ruby Lounge / Manchester
:: Apparat :: When Saints Go Machine ::
Alone or with Moderat he has been at the forefront
of the Berlin techno scene for years, so pretty much
the last thing you'd have bet on would have been a
set that starts with two minutes of twinkling
mandolin...
STORE STREET SILHOUETTES
15 October 2011 / The Warehouse Project / Manchester
:: The Horrors :: The Kills ::
They've come a long way from their garage goth days,
and now The Horrors not only get to headline the
cavernous arch but to choose their own supports too.
CAREFULLY PLANNED FESTIVAL - DAY TWO
16 October 2011 / Various Venues / Manchester
:: Crash Of Rhinos :: Well Wisher :: My First Tooth :: Emphemetry :: Suttree :: Greta Santagata :: Katie Malco ::
It's about people playing and listening to music,
not to make money or to sell a mobile phone, but
because it’s what they love to do.
CAREFULLY PLANNED FESTIVAL - DAY ONE
15 October 2011 / Various Venues / Manchester
:: Onions :: With That Knife :: Songs For Walter :: Hannah Nicholson :: These Men :: Memoire ::
In the back rooms and the basements of the Northern
Quarter there's a weekend's worth of live music to
be had. Aaron Gow digs in.
BLOOD RUSH
13 October 2011 / Ruby Lounge / Manchester
:: The Blood Arm :: Keith TOTP :: Deadbeat Echoes :: Stalagmites ::
Imagine Stephen Merritt on ecstasy with a Dansette
and a sack of B52s 7-inchers, supported by a bloke
whose entire band are making it up as they go
along...
HALF BAND HALF POET
13 October 2011 / Dulcimer (Chorlton) / Manchester
:: Honeyfeet :: Louis Barabbas :: Alabaster DePlume :: Joe Kriss :: Stan Skinny ::
One debt that's nice to own...
THE HAUNTING
09 October 2011 / The Deaf Institute / Manchester
:: Ghostpoet ::
You don’t receive a Mercury nomination (or free
drinks) for loveliness and lyrical clichés alone...
SIGNS OF LIFE
07 October 2011 / The Methodist Centre / Manchester
:: Y Niwl :: Gruff Rhys ::
From the songs and their visuals, to the props and
placards that appear, Gruff’s attention to detail
makes his gigs memorable...
THERE IS A LIGHT THAT NEVER GOES OUT
06 October 2011 / The Deaf Institute / Manchester
:: Johnny Marr & The Healers ::
You don’t get anything sat at home with a pizza and
a frown on...MM's team buy their way in on both
Tuesday and Thursday
TESTS PROVE SUCCESSFUL
08 October 2011 / The Castle (Oldham St) / Manchester
:: The Bell Peppers :: Brothers of Brazil :: James Kelly ::
Is that drums?
ON YER BIKE
07 October 2011 / Apollo / Manchester
:: Bombay Bicycle Club :: Dry The River ::
I found myself daydreaming, taking myself to other
places with a perfect soundtrack as my guide...
A DOUBLE BILL OF THREE Ms
04 October 2011 / Kings Arms / Salford
:: Milk Maid :: Mazes ::
Like many modern families, Mazes and Milk Maid share
more than just a stage...
IN THE AVENUES & ALLEY WAYS
01 October 2011 / Kraak / Manchester
:: Salford Media City ::
New band, new ideas courtesy of Kraak...
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