Category: Music
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LIVE REVIEW: Billy Bragg, Liverpool Philharmonic Hall, 26/10/2021.
A few weeks ago I went to Live at Leeds. I met some of my old university mates from back in the day. When we first met up, after the briefest of moments, it was like we had never been away. I had a similar experience this week with Billy…
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LIVE REVIEW: The Cheap Thrills, Arts Club, Liverpool, 9/10/2021.
Some people might tell you that the gig to be at in Liverpool on Saturday was Inhaler at The Guild of Students. Those people may well have been correct. But it will have needed to have been one hell of a gig to better The Cheap Thrills self promoted gig…
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LIVE REVIEW: Sound City Liverpool, 2021.
For most people attending Sound City 2021 their experience would have had a distinct flavour of Scouse. Red Rum Club played a buoyant Saturday headline slot at the Grand Central Hall. Local artists like Courting, SPINN, STONE, and Pixey, were playing highly anticipated festival slots. For me, my taste buds…
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PREVIEW: Sound City – Boss Bands! Liverpool Sound City 2021.
If you’re heading to Liverpool for the Sound City Festival you’ve probably already made your ‘Big Picks’ for the weekend, possibly The Snuts at The Arts Club on Friday, or Red Rum Club at Grand Central Hall on Saturday, but if you need a little help with some of your…
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LIVE REVIEW: The Wendy James Band – Jimmy’s, Liverpool, 17/09/2021.
The basement of Jimmy’s, Liverpool is usually the place where you go to watch exciting new bands on their way up. It’s intimate space is a rather incongruous setting in which to see a true, music icon. I’m here to watch Wendy James and her band perform pieces from her…
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REVIEW: Leeds Festival 2021
It’s been some time since Halfway 2 Nowhere hit the mainstream but this weekend, we were fully immersed in the spectacle that was Leeds Festival. Friday and Sunday were an absolute triumph and whilst we couldn’t attend on Saturday, the early reviews and comments suggest the entire weekend was a…
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LIVE REVIEW: The K’s – Jimmy’s, Liverpool – 10/8/2021.
Things are back to some sort of normality. It feels like the world has turned full circle. The last band I should have seen prior to ‘Lockdown One’ was The K’s at Liverpool Arts Club in April, 2020. The gig happened, but I decided against it. So I couldn’t have…
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Live Review – FestEVOL at Future Yard, Birkenhead, 31/7/2021.
I am sure it was just coincidence that in the same week a major finance company crowned Birkenhead as the ‘Trendiest Town in the UK’, FestEVOL start the first of their triumvirate of local festivals in the town. When you’re hot, you’re hot I guess. And it’s not just the…
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Live Review : The Sway – The Angus Tap and Grind, Liverpool – 30/6/2021.
I hadn’t intended to review The Sway at The Angus Tap and Grind (henceforth called The Angus), but sometimes you have such a great time that you want to share the experience with others. This is one of those occasions. The Angus is a relatively new venue in Liverpool. Situated…
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NEWS: Tramlines Festival 2021 Confirmed For Events Research Programme
Sold-out Tramlines Festival will go ahead at full capacity in Sheffield’s Hillsborough Park from July 23rd to 25th as part of Events Research Programme Sheffield’s Tramlines Festival 2021 today announces that it will join the third phase of the Government’s Events Research Programme, allowing the sold-out music festival at Hillsborough…
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INTERVIEW- Wendy James.
The epithet ‘icon’ is one that is too often freely thrown about. But when you’ve created some of the most instantly recognisable pop songs of the late 80’s and early 90’s; have Top Of The Pops performances that still cause a stir when reshown on TV; and when there are…
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LIVE REVIEW: VLURE, Zee Davine – Future Yard, Birkenhead – 15/6/2021.
Live music is back. Back at my favourite new venue. They’ve made a few changes to the Live Room at Future Yard in Birkenhead since I last attended one of their socially distanced gigs. The high tables built from colourful crates have been replaced by rows of smaller, numbered, wooden…
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SINGLE REVIEW: You Give Me Chills – The Vitrines.
One of the great, yet-to-be-written books on modern music will have a title like ‘The Evolution of The Duo in Popular Music: 1970 – 2020’. The Seventies were all about Boy/Girl couples singing sugary love songs and ballads. The Eighties were characterised by moody synth-pop duos made up of ‘the…
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RELEASE: First Wave of Acts Announced for Live at Leeds in the City 2021!
In the year that live music finally makes a comeback, Live at Leeds returns for a day full of the hottest breakthrough bands on the UK music scene, this time celebrating its 15th year as the North’s leading metropolitan new music festival. Renowned as the first place to hear the essential…
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ALBUM REVIEW: When Does It Become Real? – The Rah’s.
In a week in which the news was dominated by local elections and politics, Prestonpans five piece The Rah’s released their debut album – When Does It Become Real? Unlike a Tory politician, I’m going to declare an interest. I have numerous reasons to wish great success upon the venture.…
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RELEASE: Manic Street Preachers announce new album ‘The Ultra Vivid Lament’
Manic Street Preachers return with their 14th studio album ‘The Ultra Vivid Lament’ on 3rd September 2021 released on Columbia/Sony and have announced a tour for this autumn. ‘Orwellian’ – the first track to be released (today – 14th May) – is classic Manic Street Preachers, dissecting the misuse of words against cascading, glacial melody. Manic Street Preachers on Orwellian: “The…
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RELEASE: Tramlines Festival Launches Apply to Launch Scheme
Emerging artists and bands can now apply to play at Sheffield’s biggest music festival as it continues to support new and undiscovered talent. Tramlines, Sheffield’s biggest music festival, has announced the opening of this year’s ‘Apply to Play’. The scheme offers a limited number of performance slots across various stages…
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Doncaster Racecourse confirms star-studded summer line-up of music
Live music is almost back and so is live sport, so what better way to get back into the swing of things than combining the two for one of your first big outings back! Doncaster Racecourse is known nationwide for getting stellar musical acts alongside their race days and have…
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SINGLE REVIEW: These New Communications – Barbara.
Brighton duo Barbara (brothers Henry and John Tydeman) share many of the qualities of the Roman god Janus, famed for his appearance over the the doorways of ancient Roman homes. Firstly, they have two heads. Secondly, they simultaneously face in two directions. Musically they look to the past for inspiration.…
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Sunday Six – 11th April
OK, I know it’s been a while, but we used to frequent put out a Sunday 6, a little article featuring our favourite six new releases from the previous Friday. Well…it’s back! And with the quality of tunes released so far this year, it’ll be both the easiest and hardest…
The Setlist & The Script 