Kraak Gallery is a nice little place. Heading out on a blisteringly cold Friday evening, I was oblivious to the fact I’d been to a loft party in the same joint a few months earlier. So when we ventured down a familiar side-alley and were faced with a fire door and 3 flights of stairs, my memory started refreshing itself. Typical of the Northern Quarter’s ‘diamond in the rough’ persona; a seemingly disused building is now gaining a purpose.

And tonight’s purpose is to showcase the unchampioned artists of the city’s underground music scene. Y’see, gig flyers/posters can be either plain and simple and you’ll only really look twice if you recognise a band name, or they can be so bizarrely brilliant that you’re suckered into paying attention to the piece of paper because you like the doodle.

At Kraak for the next fortnight, you can find gig art that’s colourful, vibrant, technical and just down-right weird. The noughties (yeah, we don’t like that term either – how about the zeroes?) have gone by faster than Richard Hammond in a dragster, but they’ve left some good memories. Remember when Regina Spektor played at Night & Day or when The Gossip played Manchester for the first time? How about Lightning Bolt’s gig the other month, or when Frank Turner was playing to tiny crowds? They’re all here, and a whole load more, nicely displayed around a couple of otherwise fairly bare welcoming rooms. Promoters represented include WotGodForgot (posters by the excellent Paul Hallows), Akoustik Anarkhy, The Real Collective, Touch Me I’m Sick! and plenty more.

There was a nice jovial house band on while we were there – they played a good version of the theme tune to The Wire – and we hear that more bands are lined up in these next two weeks. A hint of irony arose when 5 police officers appeared just as we were leaving. ‘Fly Posters Will Not Be Prosecuted’? I’m fairly sure all was in order – the boys in blue probably just fancied getting warm and maybe sampling some of that free wine.

All in all, a fine testimony to the DIY promoters, the underground scene that is alive and well within our city, and the people that pick up their crayons.

Facebook Event : http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=243224021058