Bringing you all the Live Reviews that matter since 1998

LAST EXIT FOR STORE STREET
30 December 2011 / The Warehouse Project / Manchester
:: Tom Vek :: Foals :: Chad Valley :: Stay+ ::
There is a sudden realisation at just how important this band has now become and how intensely passionate they can be.

PUNK ROCK IS FOR LIFE, NOT JUST FOR CHRISTMAS!
18 December 2011 / Star and Garter / Manchester
:: Leather Zoo :: Kingcows :: Cuplrits ::
The spirit of 1977 is alive and well in Manchester's longest established DIY music pub.

A VERY MANCUNIAN CHRISTMAS
17 December 2011 / Sound Control / Manchester
:: The Slow Readers Club :: No Tokyo :: Puressence ::
A remarkable display of heart-wrenching emotion that never fails to impress.

MERRY KONGMAS
19 December 2011 / Ruby Lounge / Manchester
:: Kong :: Warm Widow :: Blacklisters ::
Whilst there is something undeniably pleasurable about having your ears sonically violated until your teeth rattle, this band were always too good to be just that.

FINAL STROKE OF 2011
15 December 2011 / Gullivers / Manchester
:: Onions :: Rapid Pig ::
Before the band is halfway through the first number, the singer is crawling off the front of the stage, his legs flailing in the air as if he is trying to swim across the floor. Just a regular night at Stroke Club then...

SLOWLY DOES IT
15 December 2011 / St Philip's Church / Salford
:: Slow Club :: Literature Thieves ::
The church tonight has a full congregation who have braved the freezing cold and slippery pavements for Slow Club - who have produced one of the best, and, judging by the lack of acclaim in end of year lists, most underrated albums of 2011.

ELECTRONIC EXTRAVAGANZA
13 December 2011 / Night & Day / Manchester
:: The Narrows :: Swansong :: Flashing Astraptes ::
It's an mini-festival of all things synthy and bleepy at Night & Day, with one of Manchester's most exciting new bands of 2011 and two intriguing solo artists...

"FUCK THE SINGING, LET'S ROCK!"
11 December 2011 / Academy 3 / Manchester
:: Mojo Fury :: Amplifier ::
There's something borderline criminal about the fact that bobble-hatted waste of oxygen Dappy ex of N- Dubz is "playing" Academy 2 whilst local heroes Amplifier are up in 3.

CHAPEL CLUB
07 December 2011 / Platt Chapel / Manchester
:: S.C.U.M. :: Money :: Butchers :: Great Waves ::
Is no religious building in Manchester and Salford safe from the Now Wave crew? Tonight's four band bill of hotshots takes place in a freezing 222 year old chapel in December - and it's brilliant.

FUCK IT!
06 December 2011 / Night & Day / Manchester
:: Lovely Eggs :: Literature Thieves :: Jezabellezza ::
Swearing is, we're often told, not big and not clever. It is however fucking ace when done properly.

MEN FROM UNCLES
02 December 2011 / The Deaf Institute / Manchester
:: Dutch Uncles ::
...another new song that has so many 80s references that you half expect Axel Foley to walk on stage

STRANGER THAN EVER
01 December 2011 / Gullivers / Manchester
:: Stranger Son :: Mr Heart ::
A slow-grinding spiral of malevolent psychedelia punctuated with heavily reverbed proclamations that gives the odd impression of being half made up as it goes along, even though it clearly isn't.