Anna Calvi to unveil EP: Is this all there is? featuring Iggy Pop
Mar 9
Blue Zoo: new songs and a new direction
Eighties band Blue Zoo got back together in 2010 with ‘unfinished business’ as far as their old material was concerned. Now the band are shaking off the past and moving forward with new material set for imminent release plus live dates on the calendar. The band still comprises front man Andy O, with drummer Mickey Sparrow and bass player Mike Ansell. In 2013…
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Mar 6
Review: Julia Jacklin at The Louisiana
Julia Jacklin stands on stage at The Louisiana in Bristol as motionless as a statue, closes her eyes and manages to hush the entire room. All eyes are upon her as she starts to sing. There is a mesmerising quality to her voice, something about the rich, dreamy swoopiness which suits the Australian’s alt– country indie folk material. Then there’s her ability to…
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Feb 23
The best of festivals for 2017
Rejoice – festival season is just around the corner. So what’s in store for 2017? There’s definitely a trend towards offering debates, talks and workshops. And kids are well catered for with high quality and original learning activities, take Bluedot’s Planetarium and Bearded Theory’s OFSTED approved school. But hey, let’s not get too serious about it all. Festivals primarily still…
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Jan 31
Steve Mason Alive! at the Barbican
It doesn’t surprise me that Steve Mason forged a lasting connection with Joe Duddell at Festival No 6. Each year, a selected number of main-stage artists collaborate with Duddell and his ensemble, performing in the tiny Portmeirion Town Hall (queues for these are legendary, as only around 100 get access to the space). From what I’ve heard there isn’t much…
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Jan 9
A powerhouse of a show: North at Open Eye Gallery
North: Identity, Photography, Fashion at Liverpool’s Open Eye Gallery, 6th Jan to 19th March 2017, is the first exhibition to be held as part of their 40th anniversary year. Curators Lou Stoppard and Adam Murray have taken an in-depth and far reaching look of the creativity of the towns, cities and suburbs of the north through different media and…
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Dec 30
Favourite albums of 2016
Putting together a list of favourite albums of 2016, I recalled writing last year’s collection. What a different world we now inhabit. Everything feels brittle and fragile, a sense of permanence lost. The loss of so many great musicians and artists this year has been raw and shocking. However… there are plenty of releases I’ve really enjoyed this year, and inevitably…
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Dec 28
Shirley Baker photographs in new show at Open Eye Gallery, Liverpool
A major exhibition opens at Open Eye Gallery on the waterfront in Liverpool on 5th January 2017, which will include a few works of Manchester photographer Shirley Baker. The multi-media show called North: Identity, Photography, Fashion, will examine the way the north has been depicted in various media. Five works by Shirley Baker are included in the…
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Dec 8
The Orielles added to Heavenly Weekender at The Trades
Great news: young West Yorkshire three-piece The Orielles have just signed to Heavenly recordings. The band – Esme Hand Halford on bass, sister Sidonie on drums and Henry Wade on guitar, are known for their lush garagey sun-drenched sound – a Californian vibe by way of Halifax (the Califax sound, perhaps). Since the band got together they’ve been gigging…
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Nov 23
Wolf People at Oslo, Hackney
As Festival No 6 in Wales this summer descended into a major mudbath after two days of biblical rainfall, Wolf People took to the stage late afternoon (above). They were captivating and the turmoil of guitars suited the inclement weather, but I decided I’d enjoy them more sometime in the future, in the warmth, with dry clothes.…
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Nov 8
Lloyd Cole at Union Chapel review
I noticed that Lloyd Cole was sporting that slightly tricky sartorial trend, double denim. Later in the set, Cole made reference to his outfit. He related a story about a visit to Austin, Texas, where at a honky tonk bar he observed “much younger women dancing with older men… who all wore double denim”. Much of Cole’s amusing onstage patter…
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