Bringing you all the Live Reviews that matter since 1998
SCHOOLBOY ERROR
22 May 2005 / Academy 3 / Manchester
:: Art Brut ::
Opening track ‘My Little Brother Just Discovered Rock and Roll’ speaks exactly of that; its innocence is delightful: ‘he no longer listens to A sides/he made me a tape of bootlegs and b sides’.
ORANGE SUNBURN - ORANGE EVOLUTION FESTIVAL
30 May 2005 / The Quayside / Newcastle and Gateshead
:: The Colour :: Boy Kill Boy :: Fightstar :: Kubichek :: The Ordinary Boys :: Hard-Fi :: The Futureheads :: The Rakes :: El Presidente ::
Such is the crowd that many are forced to listen from across the Millenium Bridge as the much-loved Mackem quartet launch into opener ‘Decent Days & Nights’
CIRCUS GAMES - ELECTRIC CIRCUS SPECTACLE
21 May 2005 / The Castle / Oldham
:: Thai Bride :: Politburo :: TVH-3 ::
Tunes that Gary Numan never had the balls to write and sounds that Kevin Shields would probably be too scared to record.
BLUE FOR YOU - Carling 24 - Leg 3
28 May 2005 / Various Venues / Manchester
:: Stephen Fretwell :: Elbow :: Blueprint Studios, Salford ::
In a foreboding part of Salford, beauty, passion and fragility have combined with a steely determination
FROZEN BALLS
22 May 2005 / Academy 3 / Manchester
:: Metric :: Test Icicles ::
Fucking impenetrable, highly entertaining and so shit they are quite brilliant.
OK CORAL, BIG FLAMES - Carling 24 - Leg 4
28 May 2005 / Academy 2 / Manchester
:: Little Flames :: The Coral ::
If music could actually make peoples socks pop off their feet, you could bet the room would be as full as the busiest of launderettes by the end of The Little Flames...
MONKEY MAGIC - Carling 24 - Leg 6
28 May 2005 / Academy 1 / Manchester
:: Ian Brown ::
The Monkey successfully denounces rumours of a Stone Roses reunion and simultaneously proves that he doesn’t need anyone else, because originals that have the kind of magnetism and personality can do whatever they want.
NOW THAT'S WHAT I CALL MOO-SIC
29 May 2005 / Retro Bar / Manchester
:: Mugstar :: I Had An Inkling :: Lords :: Cowtown ::
It’s hard to shock these days, at least for the right reasons. We become immune to colourful language, nudity and even violence all too easily.
NO CHEMICALS NECESSARY - Carling 24 Leg 5
28 May 2005 / Apollo / Manchester
:: The Chemical Brothers :: Infadels ::
The upstairs tier shakes with a mixture of natural resonance and intense shamanistic dancing and one can’t help but wonder what it would take to literally bring the house down.
DOVE TAILS - Carling 24 Leg 2
28 May 2005 / The Ritz / Manchester
:: Longview :: Doves ::
...a worthy and reverential performance as ‘home coming’ gigs so often are...
WHISKEY AND RYE
11 May 2005 / Night & Day / Manchester
:: Behind Green Lights :: Whisky Cats ::
Maybe this is another kind of South American revolution
LAST ORDERS
19 May 2005 / The Roadhouse / Manchester
:: Rebbeca :: Floyd Pepper Business Owls :: Daisy Goes Green :: Silverscreen ::
Rebecca make Athelete sound like tramps busking in a doorway
OFF THE TRACKS
22 May 2005 / Retro Bar / Manchester
:: D-Rail ::
At one point he climbs on top of the bar and stomps around, all the while screaming into the microphone some incomprehensible lyrics that may well have been poetry in the class of Byron or Betjeman, but no one would know...
FIRE CONSUMES
04 May 2005 / Academy 1 / Manchester
:: Arcade Fire ::
Arcade Fire grip your attention with sheer involvement and musical possession. Butler sheds sweat like a second skin...
FUNDAMENTALLY FLOORED
05 May 2005 / Dry Bar / Manchester
:: The Second Floor ::
Debauched but honest and fundamentally intense...
VULNERABLE EXPERIENCE
08 May 2005 / Academy 3 / Manchester
:: Martha Wainwright ::
Perhaps all singer-songwriters sing ‘from the heart’, or at least claim to, whether it be indirectly or directly, but few actually ooze emotion like Martha...
GLORIOUSLY RAGGED
07 May 2005 / The Britons Protection / Manchester
:: James Younger ::
At first it feels quite uncomfortable but treatment of less tenderness or proximity would seem quite inappropriate...
SOUNDS FROM THE OTHER CITY - ELECTRIC CIRCUS
01 May 2005 / Rovers Return / Salford
:: The Deadbeats :: Myoho :: TVH-3 :: For Tomorrows :: Yena Veldt :: The Loungs :: The Shmatte Kid ::
Mighty movements begin here and testament to this are the “sold out” stickers on each pubs notice board
SOUNDS FROM THE OTHER CITY - A SNAPPERS GUIDE
01 May 2005 / Salford Arms / Salford
:: For Tomorrows :: Jack Cooper :: Yena Veldt :: Land Ahoy! :: Whisky Cats ::
The bemused look on the faces of Salfordians, is just endearing
FAST TRACK
01 May 2005 / Jabez Clegg / Manchester
:: The Blood Arm :: Maximo Park ::
Smith’s trademark little red book is brought out for one track – there will come a time when it feels rather silly to do this, but right now he can still get away with it.
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