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Bringing you all the Live Reviews that matter since 1998 Check out the Live Archives SFTOC08 : SCRIPT OF THE BRIDGE STREET
04 May 2008 / Various Venues / Salford
:: The Manamp
:: Planet Earth :: SeaMing :: The Witches :: Hot Bone :: Sophie’s Pigeons ::
For the true SFTOC experience you have to brave the claustrophobic heat of the Salford Arms where the bands play in a bit of space created by moving some chairs and a table in the corner
SFTOC08 : VANISHING P(O)INT
04 May 2008 / Various Venues / Salford
:: David Thomas Broughton
:: Warm Widow
:: Sara Lowes
:: Planet Earth :: Beach Fuzz :: Talibam! ::
Much as I expected, it featured much stumbling around the mean streets of Salford, much quaffing of slightly rubbish ale, minor ear damage and dancing around like a lunatic
SFTOC08 :
04 May 2008 / Various Venues / Salford
:: LoneLady
:: Tim And Sam's Tim And The Sam Band With Tim And Sam
:: Warm Widow
:: The Manamp
:: Cats In Paris
:: Beach Fuzz :: Planet Earth :: Joe Stretch ::
The lines ups are as diverse as the venues, so if you wanted the less “structured”, approach to music that includes violin bows being drawn across the edge of a cymbal
GUITAR LEEDS
03 May 2008 / Various Venues / Leeds
:: The Longcut
:: Fear Of Music
:: Grammatics
:: Heads We Dance
:: i concur
:: Cazals
:: Ox Eagle Lion Man :: Kid ID :: Breaking The Illusion :: The Rushes :: Pushbike Army ::
I'm on a train to Leeds for a day of inter-venue sprints and music
FUTURESONIC 08 :
02 May 2008 / RNCM / Royal Northern College Of Music / Manchester
:: Caro Snatch :: Peterloo Massacre :: Splice Girls ::
For someone whose live music experiences more often than not involve dark sweaty basements, just walking into the RNCM feels a bit, well, grown up
RUSSIAN FRONT
27 April 2008 / The Academy 3 (Hop and Grape) / Manchester
:: ¡Forward, Russia!
:: Grammatics
:: The ABC Club ::
Just watching ¡Forward, Russia! is tiring enough, but when they catapult into old favourite "Twelve" early on an energetic moshpit springs into life down the front
GREEN DAY
26 April 2008 / The Green Room / Manchester
:: Politburo
:: El Policia
:: The Nouvelles
:: The Joint ::
The Green room continues to promote the cause for live music with another Saturday night showcase of local bands, diverse in style and expectation
GET ME TO THE CHURCH
24 April 2008 / Sacred Trinity Church / Salford
:: Ulrich Schnauss
:: Airiel :: Daniel Land And The Modern Painters ::
The name Sonic Cathedral might have started out as a joke, but tonight a privileged audience with the high priest sees it close to literal
LIFE ON MARRS
23 April 2008 / Ruby Lounge / Manchester
:: Slow Readers Club :: The Windfall :: Kid4077 ::
Why have one vocalist or indeed lead guitarist when you can have two?
TO LIVE AND DIE IN A D.A.
22 April 2008 / Tiger Lounge / Manchester
:: Tom Mansi and the Icebreakers
:: Kid Voodoo ::
The decidedly high quiff count in here tonight are equally enthralled...
SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS
17 April 2008 / Dry Bar / Manchester
:: The Sugars
:: Box Kid
::
Skipping through the 50’s and 60’s (with a lunch break in the 80’s) to bring us something new, seems worth all of the effort
MAYBE TOMORROW
17 April 2008 / Night & Day / Manchester
:: The Manyanas
::
Hey hey “We’re The Manyanas!”
AS COOL AS KIM DEAL
14 April 2008 / The Academy 2 (University MDH) / Manchester
:: Jim Noir
:: The Breeders
::
The shimmering exuberance of it asks one conquering question: “Who the fuck needs a Pixies revival?”
FOUR GUN SALUTE
10 April 2008 / The Roadhouse / Manchester
:: Rig Up Explosive :: Stations :: By The Dorcia Deceived :: Troops of Mafeking ::
Roadhouse rocks out with four new and pretty exciting rock bands..
MINOR THREAT
09 April 2008 / The Academy 2 (University MDH) / Manchester
:: Elliot Minor :: Furthest Drive Home :: The Higher ::
Elliot Minor are just part of a rare spectacular cast
EARS GOOD & MOUTH BAD
08 April 2008 / The Met / Bury (mcr)
:: Butler Williams
:: Lisa-Marie Glover :: Alex Kirby :: Daniel Rossall ::
Witty, beautiful and adventurous are terms that you’d expect to find on a dating website, but Butler Williams are literally wearing the T-Shirt. Well not literally, but they do wheel out a mini glockenspiel
HERE COMES THE (SERIOUS?) BIT
08 April 2008 / The Academy 2 (University MDH) / Manchester
:: The Long Blondes
:: XX Teens ::
I wanna be shouting “Edie Sedgwick, Anna Karina, Arlene Dahl!” with all the other kidz.
TURN UP THE BAND
04 April 2008 / The Roadhouse / Manchester
:: Tim And Sam's Tim And The Sam Band With Tim And Sam
:: King Kayak
:: Vagner Love ::
Original, innovative and easily the best thing – both in musical talent and for pure listener-enjoyment
WHITE MUSIC
03 April 2008 / Night & Day / Manchester
:: Ben McGarvey
:: Thomas White :: The Minority ::
Tonight, stripped down to just voice and guitar, it feels almost like spying on some private moment
DRY EYES
03 April 2008 / Dry Bar / Manchester
:: SAY (Say Jansfield)
:: Ernies Rhythm Section
:: Peterloo Massacre ::
They were good before, but a five piece version of SAY is more than just remarkable
FUTURAMA
02 April 2008 / Night & Day / Manchester
:: Holy Fuck
:: Free Blood ::
"It's kind of hard to tell your parents you're going on tour with Holy Fuck..."
PERFECT COUNTERPOINT
01 April 2008 / Night & Day / Manchester
:: Delphic
::
There are times - not that many, but times nonetheless - when words fail me
HAPPILY EVER EFTER
01 April 2008 / Ruby Lounge / Manchester
:: Nancy Elizabeth
:: Efterklang
:: Our Broken Garden ::
The Ruby Lounge plays host to seven out of eight members of Efterklang, but visa regulations are no match for post-rock.
PSYCHO ANALYST
29 March 2008 / Joshua Brooks / Manchester
:: Revenge Of The Psychotronic Man :: Harijan :: Sound Of Swami :: John Player Specials ::
A presentation of “Music by people who drink cider out of the gutter”, the “That’s Not Skanking” crew really do host a good party
MENTALIST STRIKE ACTION
29 March 2008 / The Roadhouse / Manchester
:: Day For Airstrikes
:: Arficeden
:: Cyril Snear
:: Lou Whatling
::
Someone shouts "Riffhouse!" and they thrash out a ten second hardcore metal attack
SPITITUAL RETURN
26 March 2008 / The Academy 3 (Hop and Grape) / Manchester
:: The Duke Spirit
::
Liela immediately stamps up on the monitors whilst several pairs of male eyes in the front ranks of the crowd visibly pop out
BUTTERFLIES
25 March 2008 / Night & Day / Manchester
:: Lucy & The Caterpillar
:: Chris T-T ::
Even when she's singing about meeting a lover or getting pissed it's with a beautiful innocence that reminds you of doing those things for the first time
REASONS TO BE CHEERFUL
24 March 2008 / Night & Day / Manchester
:: Laymar
:: The Twilight Sad
::
I'd been wondering of late where there was actually any space for yet another intense post-rock-indie band in my life, but The Twilight Sad are worth making room for.
IN DRY WE (T)RUST
20 March 2008 / Dry Bar / Manchester
:: The International Trust
:: King Pest
:: The Dead Certs ::
"We're used to playing shit-holes in Leeds... so we've come over here to play one of your shit-holes!"
PRESS THE EJECT BUTTON
20 March 2008 / Ruby Lounge / Manchester
:: Red Vinyl Fur
:: Ejectorseat
:: The Unstoppable Team ::
A pretty faultless and generally unmissable show - where were you ?
FIST FULL OF FUN
18 March 2008 / Tiger Lounge / Manchester
:: Mr. Fist
:: Jailhouse Fuck :: Hotpants Romance :: Monkeys In Love ::
An excellent laminated Comrade Card - would seem to imply an approach to economics not dissimilar to their approach to the English language. And what a range of bizarre treats they've got for us tonight
GOING GREEN
16 March 2008 / Trof (The Deaf Institute) / Manchester
:: The Coral
::
Jameson’s attempt to compete with Guinness over St Patrick’s Day weekend, with an exclusive show at the new Trof. The budget didn’t quite stretch to U2
HOUSE PARTY
15 March 2008 / Secret Gig / *
:: The Sun And The Moon
::
The devotion of some, even after all these years, to the legacy of Middleton's finest and the former members' subsequent projects is astonishing even to this longtime fan
BEWARE OF THE CAT
14 March 2008 / The Garden Hotel / Manchester
:: Modernaire
:: Cats In Paris
::
Stars of the new Brainlove split 7” are unfathomably supporting some kind of experiment in twee-noise
BEST OF BRITISH
13 March 2008 / The Roadhouse / Manchester
:: Sound Marshals
:: Small Amp
:: Kid British & The Action Manky
:: Shooter ::
If you’re quick and own a record label, you need to beat a path to his door, NOW!
AIRWAVES DREAM
12 March 2008 / Night & Day / Manchester
:: The Enemy
:: Twisted Wheel
:: Lowline
::
...thunderously powerful with a brickwork troubling bass to match the inherent darkness of their rain-lashed songs
SACRED TRINITY BLUES
11 March 2008 / Sacred Trinity Church / Salford
:: Jack Rose ::
Hunched and draped over an acoustic guitar and kinda grizzled looking, it’s difficult to tell quite how old Jack Rose is
LIVE REVIEW LIVE - WINELIGHT AS IT ACTUALLY HAPPENS
11 March 2008 / The Met / Bury (mcr)
:: Fallen Leaves
:: Kate Peters :: Judith :: Simon Chandler ::
OK, so here’s a first. As I write this I’m actually sat in Automatic.
EYE OF THE TIGER
10 March 2008 / Tiger Lounge / Manchester
:: Danny Saul
:: Greg Haines :: Jasper TX :: Pausal ::
A cold storm-threatens the Monday night, but inside Tiger Lounge is another world
LEVEL HEADED
07 March 2008 / Apollo / Manchester
:: Levellers
::
Chadwick sings with raw enthusiasm - if only they could capture this more often these days
A TINGLING IN HANDS AND EARS
06 March 2008 / Sacred Trinity Church / Salford
:: James Blackshaw
::
It’s rare that true beauty and technical skill meet; more often, it is channelled into endless, wanky solos
BOYS SHOULD BE ANTI-SEEN AND HEARD
06 March 2008 / Dry Bar / Manchester
:: The Deodates
:: Victorian Dad
::
Victorian Dad are from Wigan and the place still, apparently, rocks.
VOLT METER
01 March 2008 / Night & Day / Manchester
:: MGMT :: Virgin Passages ::
MGMT are, if you've opened a music paper of any description this year, the hottest band in the world right now
BUZZARDS, BOOZE AND THE BALLAD OF THE LAWNMOWER ACCIDENT
29 February 2008 / Cross Street Chapel / Manchester
:: Liz Green
:: George Thomas And The Owls
:: Sam Amidon ::
The Red Deer Club Tour arrives in town for some gospel folk reverence.
FIRE & BRIMSTONE
27 February 2008 / The Academy 3 (Hop and Grape) / Manchester
:: Exit Calm
:: Dragons
:: El Policia
:: Lowline
::
Anthony Tombling Jnr looks less like he should be fronting a band than attending his offspring's graduation or something, but there's no lack of intensity in his performance
NORTHERN ROCK
26 February 2008 / Night & Day / Manchester
:: The Domino State :: Sloganeer :: Twilight Robin ::
Their way with a tune recalls great lost Manc-Wigan hopefuls The Railway Children in their post-Factory prime...
GIVE ME A BIG MAC AND SOME CRADDOCK
22 February 2008 / The Academy 2 (University MDH) / Manchester
:: Amy MacDonald
::
Many of the hemmed in 800 plus crowd members, stop off at the box office on the way out to pick up tickets for Amy’s return to Manchester in May
CATHERINE RINGS THE BELLE (GENIUS- ARTHUR LEE)
17 February 2008 / Ruby Lounge / Manchester
:: BoneBox
:: Starless And Bible Black
:: Belle of Les Bois & The Semi Precious Gents :: Murmurs of Tension ::
Second event in the GENIUS collection with local bands playing a short set based around a theme for the day
DEVILS ADVOCATE
16 February 2008 / The Castle / Oldham
:: This Is My Lawnmower
:: The 66
:: Lucifer Over Lancashire
::
Don’t expect chart placings or cool, trendy hair product sponsorship but do expect something uncompromisingly vulgar and utterly brilliant.
THIS IS FOR LOVERS
14 February 2008 / Dry Bar / Manchester
:: Politburo
:: Monster Island
::
Invention is still alive and it’s all happening here.
SHAKE YOUR BONES
13 February 2008 / Ruby Lounge / Manchester
:: BoneBox
:: The Bottomfeeders :: Watch This Fire Spread :: Youth Honey ::
Bone-box lead an assault on the senses with honey, fire and latex.
DEATH RACE 2008
12 February 2008 / Tiger Lounge / Manchester
:: The Vipers
:: DennisHopperChoppers :: Necrophiliacs ::
A single red bulb draped over a microphone stand illuminates the stage, although it seems as thought that’s the only light in the place
NO NEED TO BURY THE HATCHET
12 February 2008 / The Met / Bury (mcr)
:: Warren Gaskell
:: Emma Foreman :: Dan Melrose :: Lee Mitchell :: The Laundrette Poets ::
Another Winelight Club event with plenty of surprises...
SINISTER FOOTWEAR
11 February 2008 / Ruby Lounge / Manchester
:: Calvin Party
:: The Sandells
:: The Bent Moustache ::
Another night on the interesting fringes of music, then - good to see Ruby Lounge very much coming into its own in 2008.
SUNDRY & NOCTURNAL
09 February 2008 / The Academy 4 (Basement) / Manchester
:: Sons And Daughters
:: Black Kids
::
There was real joy here in blasting through violent songs of hate and murder
DRY BY SHOOTINGS
07 February 2008 / Dry Bar / Manchester
:: Mr. Fist
:: The Search Map
:: The Generalissimos
:: The Drake Equation
::
The perfect complement to what must be the equivalent of of half a dozen guys letting off army surplus bazookas at the audience
WHALE SONG
07 February 2008 / Night & Day / Manchester
:: Noah & The Whale ::
Noah & The Whale blend youth and maturity with the a substantial acoustic armoury
HE AIN’T HEAVY…
07 February 2008 / Ruby Lounge / Manchester
:: The Medicine Bow
:: Deadstring Brothers
:: The Travelling Band :: The Yellhounds ::
The Deadstring Brothers bring a little bit of Detroit to The Ruby Lounge.
ARISE, QUEEN ALICE
06 February 2008 / Ruby Lounge / Manchester
:: Rachael Kichenside
:: Alice and The Majesty :: Ash Mountain :: Risa Hall ::
The Country Club arrives back at The Ruby Lounge in style…
Go Lebanon :: Liondialer
06 February 2008 / Retro Bar / Manchester
:: The Window Right
:: Denis Jones
::
The sound of the landscape screaming as flickers of other worlds slip through rips in spacetime
SMELL THE GRASS
03 February 2008 / Retro Bar / Manchester
:: This Is My Lawnmower
:: The Dead Class ::
Possibly an even sillier name than Ten Foot Toads is This Is My Lawnmower
SNOW SHOW
30 January 2008 / The Roadhouse / Manchester
:: The Ending Of . . .
:: Snowblind
:: Spectral Fires
::
Imagine if The Killers had never scored that major label deal, and instead of going all big budget blustery on their second album had ended up in a rat-infested loft
VIVA GLASVEGAS
29 January 2008 / Night & Day / Manchester
:: The Sugars
:: Glasvegas
::
The subject of one song, about that old chestnut the "psycho ex-girlfriend", lives in Manchester now. "She's behind you!" shouts a voice from the crowd...
WINELIGHT DELIGHT
29 January 2008 / The Met / Bury (mcr)
:: Angus Barclay :: Lizzie Nunnery :: Fiona Bevan :: Patsy Matheson ::
An evening that includes various lyrical themes such as addiction and why not of course, prostitution..
WE ROBOT
28 January 2008 / The Roadhouse / Manchester
:: Red Vinyl Fur
:: Robots In Disguise
:: Daggers (aka / formerly Bureau)
::
Quarter to seven. It's not exactly rock'n'roll time that, is it? More like... tea time
AGAINST ALL ODDS
27 January 2008 / The Academy 2 (University MDH) / Manchester
:: British Sea Power
:: These New Puritans
:: The Vanguard
::
"We're The Vanguard, who the fuck are you?..."
SUNSHINE ON A RAINY DAY
22 January 2008 / The Roadhouse / Manchester
:: Tim And Sam's Tim And The Sam Band With Tim And Sam
:: The Windfall :: Jake Flowers ::
Manchester Music sincerely hopes you had a note from your mother. This gig was too good to miss.
BOTTOMS UP
22 January 2008 / Night & Day / Manchester
:: The Bottomfeeders ::
When a band take a 2-foot saw onto the stage to use as a musical instrument and there isn’t a magician in sight, then something unusual is to be expected
CHRIS THE CONFESSOR
22 January 2008 / The Academy 2 (University MDH) / Manchester
:: Dashboard Confessional
::
Carraba always comes across as an awkward, nervous character, but maybe that just adds to the appeal
ELECTRIC CIRCUS #65
19 January 2008 / The Castle / Oldham
:: Bye Bye Johnny
:: The Christophers
:: The Fayre
::
Small packages often contain the biggest surprises...
BALLOONS GO UP, COURTEENERS DRIVE ON
18 January 2008 / Parr Hall / Warrington
:: The Courteeners
:: Lead Balloons
::
The Courteeners appear more than ready for the big year that is undoubtedly ahead of them
KING'S RANSOM
17 January 2008 / Joes / Manchester
:: Frazer King
::
Out of the south side's least glamorous suburb come FRAZER KING - a band, not a bloke...
DUCK SOUP
16 January 2008 / The Roadhouse / Manchester
:: Dead Fluffy Duck
:: Ruby Groove
:: Sex Radio
::
Loud, blasting stabs of laptop-generated electronica lashed to slicing guitars
SET THE CONTROLS FOR THE HEART OF THE EARTH
12 January 2008 / Studio - Peter St / Manchester
:: Earthona
:: Fort Worth
::
Earthona turn Peter Street into a hazy stoner-rock dreamscape. In space.
UPSTAIRS DOWNSTAIRS
12 January 2008 / Dry Bar / Manchester
:: Laymar
:: The Ending Of . . .
:: Vessels
:: The Sandells :: The Green Half :: Stop The Blackout ::
There seem to be an inordinately large number of drums on stage too, and there are times when it seems pretty much everyone's having a crack at them...
LADIES & GENTLEMEN..WE ARE SHOEGAZING
09 January 2008 / The Roadhouse / Manchester
:: Daniel Land & The Modern Painters :: The Jannocks :: The Unstoppable Team ::
Early January always throws up some strange and fascinating bills at places like the Roadhouse
JANUARY BLUES
08 January 2008 / The Roadhouse / Manchester
:: BoneBox
:: Ian Britt
:: Grand Volume
:: Ryna
::
After the New Year excess, a January come down requires one to gently break themselves back into the gig world...
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