Find our comprehensive guide to what’s on each night below. If we’ve missed your gig or made a typo, inbox us at editor@secondcityuk.com. Oh, and please use our links to Ticketmaster UK for your advance tickets – little commissions help cover the site running costs.

SUNDAY 1ST

MOHO LIVE – SONIC BOOM SIX / DIRTY REVOLUTION / SKINLESS FINGER / NEXT STOP ATLANTIS / THE HUSTLED. 7pm, £8 advance.
RETRO BAR – BILLY RUFFIAN / METONIA / RUM DIAMOND / GARETH EVANS. 7pm, £2.

MONDAY 2ND

DEAF INSTITUTE – JENS LEKMAN / THE BLOW / BILL WEILS. 7.30pm, £13 advance.
MOHO LIVE – COMBICHRIST / RABIA SORDA / DISMANTLED / THE LADDER. 7pm, £15 advance.
RUBY LOUNGE – CW STONEKING / HONEY FEET / DR. TID & THE TRIPLE EIGHTS. 7.30pm, £10 advance.

TUESDAY 3RD

ACADEMY 1 – WU TANG CLAN. 7.30pm, £29.50 advance.
DEAF INSTITUTE – GRAND ARCHIVES / SARAH LOWE. 7.30pm, £7 advance.
NIGHT & DAY – PEOPLE IN PLANES / THE UNDIVIDED / TOM CAN’T FLY. 8pm, £5 advance.
RUBY LOUNGE – PANTHA DU PRINCE / D/R/U/G/S / SZARE. 7.30pm, £7.50 advance.
STAR & GARTER – CHOKING SUSAN. 7pm, £3.

WEDNESDAY 4TH

MOHO LIVE – THE AGGROLITES. 7pm, £10 advance.
NIGHT & DAY – KITTY DAISY & LEWIS / TAYLOR AND THE MASON, 8pm, £7 advance.
RUBY LOUNGE – HENNY FOX / PHIL MADDOCKS / MONOR COLES. 7.30pm, £5.

THURSDAY 5TH

DEAF INSTITUTE – THE HEARTBREAKS / THE COLD ONE HUNDRED / LIAR LIAR. 8pm, £5 advance.
NIGHT & DAY – HORSEGUARDS PARADE / THE GINELLI’S / LOVE ENDS DISASTER. 8pm, £5.

FRIDAY 6TH

MOHO LIVE – THE VOLANTES. 7pm, £5.
RETRO BAR – EL TORO / THE CEMETERY GIRLS / BROWN BROGUES. 10pm, £4.
RUBY LOUNGE – CHAPEL CLUB / BOOKS / LOST KNIVES / OPTIONAL WALLACE. 8pm, £6 advance.

SATURDAY 7TH

FAC251 – THE HIDDEN GEM / LITTLE AVIS. 9pm, £3.

SUNDAY 8TH

MOHO LIVE – BIG D & THE KIDS TABLE / MOUTHWASH / THE JB CONSPIRACY / CHOKESLAM CHARLIE. 7pm, £9 advance.

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MONDAY 9TH

MOHO LIVE – THE DWARVES / TROJAN HORSE. 7pm, £8 advance.
STAR & GARTER – FIRST BLOOD / SEVENTH CROSS / BROKEN TEEF / PRECINCT 13 / ENDLESS THREAT. 7pm, £7 advance.

TUESDAY 10TH

DEAF INSTITUTE – GET CAPE WEAR CAPE FLY.7.30pm, £10 advance.
MOHO LIVE – VOIVOD / NASHVILLE PUSSY. 7pm, £10 advance.
NIGHT & DAY – CIVET / OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE / THE SMEARS. 8pm, £6 advance.
STAR & GARTER – CRUEL HAND / MILES AWAY / THE RIVERCARD / BAYS. 7pm, £8 advance.

WEDNESDAY 11TH

NIGHT & DAY – THE DOMINO STATE / JAMES OWEN FENDER. 8pm, £5 advance.
RUBY LOUNGE – PABLO’S FINEST HOUR / THE MINNIKINS. 7.30pm, £5.
STAR & GARTER – IT PREVAILS / HEART IN HAND / EMPIRES FADE / POISON MY BLOOD / POLAR. 7.30PM, £6.

THURSDAY 12TH

NIGHT & DAY – THE JOE PUBLIC / POST MODERN GEISHA / WHISKEY AND LACE. 8pm, £4.
RUBY LOUNGE – THE STEALS. 7.30pm, £4.

FRIDAY 13TH

CLUB ACADEMY – MY FAVOURITE RUNNER UP / TYRO / CLUB HI-FI / EIGHTH CONESSION. 7.30pm, £6 advance.
FAC251 – KASIUSS / THE NEWS. 9pm, £3.
MOHO LIVE – I AM BLACKBIRD / 1913 / THE JADE ASSEMBLY / AJAH. 7.30pm, £5.
NIGHT & DAY – NAYMEDICI / SMALL GODS / BLACK MARKET KARMA / THE NORTH & SEARCH PARTY. 8pm, £6.
RUBY LOUNGE – LAURA VIERS & THE HALL OF FLAMES / LED TO SEA / KARL BLAU. 7.30pm, £12 advance.

SATURDAY 14TH

CLUB ACADEMY – SPEEDBIRD / BETA / THE EMPTY HEART PROJECT / KILL THE DRAMA CLASS. 7.30pm, £6 advance.
FAC251 – THE ELECTRIC KOOLS / PSEUDO STEREO. 9pm, £3.
NIGHT & DAY – LOUIS BARRABAS & THE BEDLAM SIX. 8pm, £6 advance.
ROADHOUSE – SOUNDTRACK TO YOUR SUMMER / ALL SHE’S GOT / LOST IN COLOUR / I, SAID THE SPY / LAST REGARDS. 5.30pm, £6.

SUNDAY 15TH

DEAF INSTITUTE – GRAMMATICS. 7.30pm, £7 advance.
SATAN’S HOLLOW – COMPLY OR DIE / DESOLATION REMAINS / OIZ II MEN / GLUE EAR / LITTERBUG / THE CRUX / THE DISTRAKTED / THE KIRKZ. 2pm, £5 advance.

MONDAY 16TH

MOHO LIVE – THE WONDERSTUFF / THE SUN ELECTRIC BAND / GRAND OLD DUKES / GHOST TRAINS / SMALL TOWN / MATCHSTICK MEN. 7pm, £8 advance.
RUBY LOUNGE – BESNARD LAKES / FINAL FLASH. 7.30pm, £10 advance.

TUESDAY 17TH

NIGHT & DAY – THE SUN EXPLODES / SILVER LINING. 8pm, £3.

WEDNESDAY 18TH

NIGHT & DAY – DEM BONES. 8PM, £4.

THURSDAY 19TH

NIGHT & DAY – YVES / TEAM A VS TEAM B / BAD BAD BIRD. 8pm, £5.
RETRO BAR – SWORN TO OATH / SUICIDLE PIGEONS / THROUGH THE ABYSS / PORTRAITS. 7.30pm, £5 advance.

FRIDAY 20TH

FAC251 – THE TAPESTY / GLASS. 9pm, £3.
MOHO LIVE – THE CROOKES. 7pm, £5 advance.
NIGHT & DAY – THE BLACK AND REDS / BLEACHED WALL, THE NICE SHARP PENCILS / ALTER EDEN. 8pm, £6.

SATURDAY 21ST

CLUB ACADEMY – THE SOMETHING STORY / THE RACKET / DRESSED TO KILL / INTO AIRSTRIKE. 7.30pm, £6 advance.
RUBY LOUNGE – VIOLET YOUTH / RYAN LAMEY / THE FRESH KILLS. 7.30pm, £3.

MONDAY 23RD

ACADEMY 1 – JASON DERULO. 7.30pm, £23.50 advance.

TUESDAY 24TH

ACADEMY 2 – BAD RELIGION. 7.30pm, £15 advance.
DEAF INSITUTE – UGLY DUCKLING / KINNY. 7.30pm, £8 advance.
NIGHT & DAY – CHI LIMPIROJ / WE PAINTED MONSTERS / ANDREW LAYTON. 8pm, £3.

WEDNESDAY 25TH

MOHO LIVE – STREETLIGHT MANIFESTO. 7pm, £12 advance.
NIGHT & DAY – CAITLIN ROSE / LA LA LA LOW LOW LOW LOVE LOVE LOVE. 8pm, £7 advance.

THURSDAY 26TH

ACADEMY 3 – ASH / DUTCH UNCLES / 52 TEENAGERS / LIAM FORST / THE MEKKITS. 7.30pm, £15 advance.
BAND ON THE WALL – GIDEON CONN. 7.30pm, £10 advance.
NIGHT & DAY – ROLO TOMASSI. 8pm, £8 advance.

FRIDAY 27TH

MOHO LIVE – BEATBULLYZ / BLUNDERBS BENEFIT / ALL THE KING’S MEN / FETCH THE WITCHES. 8pm, £5 advance.
NIGHT & DAY – THE ODDS / THE BREAKAWAY DUKES. 8pm, £6.
RUBY LOUNGE – BLACK KNIGHTS. 8pm, free entry.

SATURDAY 28TH

FAC251 – THE WORDS / CATFISH & THE BOTTLEMEN. 9pm, £3.
NIGHT & DAY – UNIQUE TUNES / WALLGATE CIRCUS / NICOLA NUGENT. 8pm, £6.

MONDAY 30TH

NIGHT & DAY – HER NAME IS CALLA / THE MONROE TRIGGER. 8pm, £5 advance.

TUESDAY 31ST

MOHO LIVE – PAINT IT BLACK / BLACKLISTED / OFF WITH THEIR HEADS / HAMMERS. 7pm, £8 advance.
NIGHT & DAY – SECRET PILOT / EFFLUENCE. 8pm, £3.

Hey! We’re back on the ball at long last – email and bandwidth troubles now seem to have been dealt with – so let’s just recap on what’s happened this month, shall we?

UPDATE: Hold the front page, prog-metal fans! Rumour reaches us that the mighty Beecher may be getting back together 4 years after splitting. The band, formed in Manchester in 2001, enjoyed relative success across Europe – touring with the likes of Killswitch Engage and Norma Jean – but many fans stated that they called it a day far too soon.

Whisperings have been heard of a reunion via Earache Records, the label responsible for their second album, and all we can see in the way of them getting back together is a £39 Easyjet flight from Belgium for vocalist Ed Godby. Here’s hoping.

Elsewhere, Manchester lost a musical legend at the end of last month. Chris Sievey, the man behind the fibreglass head of Frank Sidebottom, lost his brief battle with cancer and sadly passed away on June 21st. A musician in his own right with punk-pop act The Freshies in the 70s, he also set up a label that pre-dated Factory Records and others of its ilk amongst other achievements.

He will be best remembered for his TV and public appearances as Frank though. On the local news, having his own bizarre talk show and gigging up and down the country. A true hard-working funnyman. He was given a special send-off at Castlefield on July 8th, with proceeds going to the costs of his funeral after he was found to have died penniless. RIP Chris.

Time for the short-and-snappy news bites now, so get set…

• Local prog-rockers Trojan Horse are setting out on a tour of the north-west in August. Prog’s making a comeback, haven’t you heard? Event details here.
• In The City 2010 is beckoning from the near future. My, it’s come around quick again. Anyway, we’ll have more info soon, but here’s what you need to know for now. Bands can apply to be a part of the renowned new music event here (deadline Friday August 6th), and there’s still 48 hours to apply to be a Marketing & Event intern, so float your CV off here.
• Damon Gough, aka Badly Drawn Boy, is touring in October. Dates and details here.
• The almost forgotten Cherry Ghost are back and headlining Academy 2 in October.
• Everything Everything’s much-hyped debut album is finally going to see the light of day come August 30th. It’s called ‘Man Alive’ and you can bet your bottom dollar it’ll be worth the wait.
• Equally as exciting, Hurts have their next single ‘Wonderful Life’ re-released on August 23rd followed by their first full-length ‘Happiness’ on September 6th. Tracklisting can be found here. They also play The Ritz on October 5th.
• Indie youths The Heartbreaks release their second single ‘I Didn’t Think It Would Hurt To Think Of You’ on August 2nd. High Voltage are promoting an accompanying launch gig on Thursday 5th at the Deaf Institute.
• Performance are as back for good as Robbie, as new single ‘The Unconsoled’ shows. Out on August 9th via Too Much Information Records; watch the great video below.
• And while we’re on the topic of news of new releases, it’d be rude not to mention Oceansize. The post-rock quintet have new album ‘Self Preserved While The Bodies Float Up’ ready to drop on September 6th. They’ll play Academy 2 on November 15th as part of the tour.

That’s all I can think of at the minute, but there’s enough reasons for you to save the pennies. Pretty busy autumn by the looks of things.

Expect more regular news bursts as of now, and don’t forget to inbox us with anything relevant to these pages.

Performance – ‘The Unconsoled’

Tonight is part two. The sandwich filler, if you will. And my, look what Ma’s put on our butties today. Our favourites, Kong, with tasty Brew Records garnishings in the form of Castrovalva and These Monsters, and some other bits that we’re not too sure what they are, but we’ll trust the chef.

It’s a little after 6pm when things kick off. The Heebie Jeebies are onstage by the sounds of things, so it’s time to head upstairs to the treat that is the Deaf Institute’s Music Hall. Man, I love this venue.

Taking a seat in the staggered cinema-style viewing section, the rest of the room is pretty empty and bright. Of course, it’s barely evening in the middle of summer, so the daylight shines through and illuminates us all. First on the bill, the Rotherham/Swinton-based trio seem happy to open. And their jangly waves of guitar pop with smearings of Americana are a pleasant start to proceedings.

With a hoppety bassist and obvious camaraderie within the group, the good vibes are flowing. It is a festival after all. Tribal percussion and an off-kilter bass detract from the Libertines-like vocals and guitar to form something else. Good, raw indie-pop songs – such as forthcoming single ‘Misery Guts’.

Holy State are on next, and I’ll say it now, they’re my new favourite band. The Leeds troubadours have an EP out on the ever-great Dance To The Radio, and on this offering, it’s well worth a purchase.

Playing a fuzzy, Fugazi-influenced blend of energetic post-rock, the quartet have toe-tappers aplenty. With throaty vocals and punk rhythms, it’s a less raucous Fucked Up and perhaps more akin to the garage style of Hot Snakes.

The band are clearly honed in unison, thrashing out with confidence and enjoying themselves doing so. A performance at last year’s Leeds Festival and previous splits with Pulled Apart By Horses and Brontide on Holy Roar Records show that something’s been building for a while. Thankfully the close proximity of Yorkshire means they’re likely to be back sooner rather than later.

Third up are Cumbrian post-rockers Crane – another new one for yours truly. These guys are actually on Hairy Wolf Records (the label behind Wolves Fest), with a single and EP doing the rounds. Having heard their riff-filled antics on record, I’m left slightly disappointed by them live. I’m not sure why – I fear I may be succumbing to tiredness after a long day – but it’s not quite on par with expectations.

Make no mistake, they’re damn tight and the riffs are definitely still there. I was probably just wanting them to take over from fellow noisy Lake District-ers, Arficeden, who I miss greatly. Don’t let me put you off though, their instrumentals flow with determination and collide like drugged-up kayakers in river rapids. New Olympic sport, right there.

To the floor for Castrovalva next, and the most energetic performance of the day. When I play them to people at home, they divide opinion more than that soddin’ meerkat advert. But if you don’t like Blood Brothers mic skills over Lightning Bolt bass and drums, then don’t listen. Cymbals!

Frontman Leemun Smith’s vocal style does have to be heard to be understood, but in layman’s terms it’s shouty rap, high-range wails and tongue-in-cheek grime. All at full exertion so as not to get lost beneath the loud and rampant bass/percussion combo. A combo that stood alone until last year, but thankfully Castrovalva took the step to add another man to the firing line.

Echoes of nu-metal can certainly be heard, what with the hip-hop lyrics and powerful breakdowns as evident in ‘Better Make That Money’ and the stupendous ‘Donut’. All bandying across and below the stage, ‘Valva put on a grand, sweaty show. Brutally bonkers.

These Monsters are a polite bunch. Noting that things are running slightly behind schedule, they opt to blast through their set without much ado. It’s good to see them again after so many missed opportunities, and my, how they’ve grown. Their awesome debut album ‘Call Me Dragon’ has been out since March on Brew Records, but These Monsters are very much a live band.

Think avant-rock at its furthest parameter; truly barnstorming riffs, terrifying yelps and narration, pulsating moments of swirling madness… Scared yet? Well, throw a saxophone into the mix and it all makes for exquisite chaos. Fear ye not, brass-haters; the sax lurks amidst the madness, aiding not distracting.

Songs such as the album’s title track or ‘Harry Patton’ (see what they did there?) would likely lift the roof were it not already raised. Musical experimentation with grand vigor, the quartet could easily steal the night on any other line-up, and they don’t come up much short tonight. Sam Pryor at the helm as they march through further album tracks, lucidly at place on the stage. Super duper stuff.

I’m told as Brontide are setting up that their drummer is also the tub-thumper for La Roux. He does have a quiff to add weight to that story, but I figure a version of ‘Bulletproof’ isn’t going to happen either way. Instead, let’s have some heavy melodies. Yeah!

A gentle start with trepidation turns out to be a red herring, as we’re soon cast into relentless territory. That point in a song where you know something’s about to go down, and it’s going to be good. Brontide bring the beauty of meandering and teasing shoegaze, but also know how to kick up a fuss.

They’ve toured with Oceansize (hey, there’s Mike Vennart in attendance) and are on Holy Roar Records. I’ll have to pick up some of their music, as I can’t decipher if they’re just playing tracks or jamming a bit here and there. It’s all gravy though. Sort of like Battles meeting Mars Volta for a coffee and a chinwag. How’s things? Not bad, not bad at all.

So it’s left to see how Kong will wrap the evening up. And it’s predictably unpredictable.

Three men dressed in red, with masks that look like they’d be used in a bank robbery. Only Kong wouldn’t be after your money, they’d merely want to raid your fridge and kidnap your dog. Led by lead vocalist and guitarist Magpie, the warped delinquents tear into material from last year’s ‘Snake Magnet’ in front of suitably the largest crowd of the day.

‘Leather Penny’ and ‘Blood Of A Dove’ both get a welcome airing, with their feverent jarring prangs and manic incoherent warblings. The stage glows red throughout, with Magpie trying to rile the crowd in comedic fashion. As scary as those masks are, you can’t take someone seriously when they’re stripping down to Y-fronts. Song gaps are thus filled with nonsense statements, provoking laughter and smiles from the crowd. (For evidence of their bizarre personas, check the video of their time in Amsterdam below).

Bassist Lulu (now also in Future of the Left) teeters on the edge of the stage, rocking back and forth as the Shellac-style blasts of ‘Sport’ kick in. Drummer Krem works to a sweat behind the kit, and although no new material is on offer, this timely reminder of how good their first album was leaves us salivating for their August tour and promises of a near-future release.

Leaving the stage to universal applause, Kong pull the curtain down on a splendid half-day of alternative music. We’ve had a bit of everything, and of a consistently high quality too. Some of the North’s best noisemakers, and a few newer to our happy ears. If the other two nights run as well as Manchester, that’ll be three crowds going home well fed.

Wolves Festival had the idea and the desire to do something daring. And although he who dares doesn’t always win, let’s hope there’s more to come from HWR & co. Because this was ace.

http://www.hairywolfrecords.co.uk

I get down much later than anticipated due to a delayed screening of Inception (believe the hype), and enter the main room of Moho to catch the last few songs from South Manchester ensemble Motion Theory.

It’s nostalgically quite late 90s alt-rock; the funk sensibilities of Red Hot Chili Peppers mashed with ‘Make Yourself’-era Incubus. Frontman Dom Main even has vocal comparisons to Brandon Boyd, and it fits quite well amidst the slow tempo moments. Yet when the band let loose, with clear musical accomplishment I might add, it at times sounds dated.

Don’t get me wrong, the 90s is one of my favourite decades for music, but there’s something within the bass and guitar set-up that stops the band sounding like they’re from this side of the millennium. I’ll save further judgement for a full viewing, but here’s a video.

Tiger Please are up next, but with all the local bands having played, they face a dwindling crowd of friends and family. There are a few people here to see what the co-headliners are made of though, and the prominent afterthought about these South Wales gents is that they possess a singer with a fantastic voice.

Somewhere between the projected tones of Caleb Followill and the trodden crooning of Eddie Vedder, Leon Stanford commands the stage with minimal effort. Musically, the quintet emit big-sounding modern-rock songs, somewhat as if The Gaslight Anthem grew up on U2 rather than Springsteen. There’s familiar but defined build-ups and interludes, and they manage to sound as powerful as they most likely intended through the oft-derided sound system.

It’s a formula that has seen two EP releases on Walnut Tree Records and slots at both Download and Sonisphere this summer. They’re clearly doing something right on that front; it’s just a shame that there’s not that many people here to represent it. Maybe that’s due to an £8 door charge – who knows?

Stand out tracks ‘Light And Sound’ and ‘Without Tomorrow’ (which I later realise I’ve heard before via this free compilation) are just personal picks amongst a set that may point towards another future Welsh success story. With the right guidance, there’s every chance.

Top of the bill tonight are Eaststrikewest, but sadly they play to a crowd befitting of a wedding that neither partners’ side gave their blessing to. Hopefully the rest of the tour won’t be as demoralising for the London six-piece.

A much-tipped new name on the British rock front, their debut full-length ‘Wolvves’ makes for great listening when the summer weather is betraying itself. Atmospheric, searching and mind-shifting, with blustery crashes of emotion.

But does it match up live and in-person? Well, this is their first jaunt up to Manchester – Dry Bar cancelled their April gig without explanation – and it’s no disappointment. Tom Clark works the mic at the front of the stage, his voice soaring like a gentler Matt Bellamy. Behind him, the band craft patiently and steadily, evoking Explosions In The Sky comparisons with added keyboard-backed grandeur.

Beneath the beauty of the music, the band are quite politically-opinionated. They did a blog for Rock Sound’s website around the general elections, and it’s their music of cinematic hope that will have got them on the rather tasty-looking Hevy Festival next month.

The superb ‘Stumble’ gets the biggest cheer of the set tonight; a truly inspirational and uplifting number. Well for me at least, if not themselves. The band do give it their all, but with a crowd of few faces, talk is kept to an absolute minimum and smiles rarely emerge.

Please don’t judge Manchester’s alternative scene on first impressions, guys. We’re better than that.

http://www.myspace.com/eaststrikewestband

http://www.myspace.com/tigerplease

http://www.myspace.com/motiontheoryband

Warehouse Project 2010 : 23rd September-1st January

Yes, Warehouse Project is back. And after arguably their biggest 12 months to date, they’ve gone all-out in securing a fantastic line-up of line-ups across September to December.

There’s something here for everybody; from the return to action for alt-indie chaps Maximo Park and pop diva Kelis, to the same-night combination of Chase & Status and Grandmaster Flash.

Minimalist techno don Richie Hawtin headlines the Minus event on Friday October 15th, with one of Manchester’s favourites, Doves, taking the same slot the following night.

There does seem to have been the shift of WHP accepting guitar bands in the past year, and fellow Manc sons Delphic and Ian Brown also see themselves play under Piccadilly train station.

The onus though is, as always, on the wide range of electronic music and just how far the genre is now spread as a result of technology and forward-thinking individuals. So, cue returns from Simian Mobile Disco, DJ Yoda, Andy C, Boys Noize, Paul Van Dyk, Luciano and John Digweed.

Personal picks would have to be Four Tet (with support from Caribou and Mount Kimbie amongst many others), the Thrasher showcase with Magnetic Man and Flying Lotus, and perhaps most excitingly, underground hip-hop legend DOOM. Three surefire corkers.

Below is a link to the full listings. I’ll leave you to pick and choose, and then get the relevant days after booked off work. Come September, our body clocks will be upside-down once again.

WHP 2010 Line-ups

Manchester Jazz Festival : July 23rd-31st 2010

In its 15th year, Manchester Jazz Festival takes over more of the city centre than ever before, boasting 80+ bands across 9 days and nights.

With a good percentage of the events open to the public free of charge, the Festival Pavilion can seat up to 600 people in front of the town hall. Bars and food outlets will serve international cuisine catering to hunger and thirst, while equally widespread talent grace the stage to please the ears.

Of course, Matt & Phred’s Jazz Club gets involved with evening proceedings, but so too do Band On The Wall and Royal Northern College of Music. Other venues include The Bridgewater Hall and the slap-bang in shop central St. Anne’s Square. All corners covered.

I’m no jazz expert (my knowledge admittedly doesn’t stretch much further than Miles Davis and Glenn Miller), but looking at the programme of festivities, highlights would appear to be Kid Creole & The Coconuts (edit – now cancelled until September 13th), Asaf Sirkis Trio, BBC’s Jazz on 3 sessions, the National Youth Jazz Orchestra of Scotland and Huw Jacob.

So for the last week or so of July, expect to hear saxophones blaring, double basses rumbling, the odd bit of scat… and all that jazz.

http://www.manchesterjazz.com/

Wolves Festival : Wednesday 21st-Friday 23rd July 2010

Manchester, Leeds and Barrow-In-Furness are those cities in question. And a 3-day 3-city event would be a commendable achievement in itself, yet in forming 3 equally exciting bills of alternative hullabaloo, we may have a new favourite wild canine. Move over, Michael J. Fox and your hairy basketball antics.

Manchester-based label Hairy Wolf Records have only been going less than a year, but clocked up enough nights across town that they’re ready to up the ante. Three splendid venues, 24 bands, and 6 DJ collectives to finish off each night. Grandiose.

So, what bands I hear you say? Well, let’s look at the headliners first. Leeds and Manchester each provide hometown shows for sublime art-rockers Grammatics and noise merchants Kong respectively. Both threaten to showcase new material after their great debut full-lengths last year.

I don’t know much about Barrow-In-Furness in all honesty (it’s in Cumbria for those more clueless than I). But I do hear good things about the live music scene, particularly gigs put on by HWR and Dingo Barracks. And I do know that Exeter punk n’ rollers The Computers will be topping the Barrow bill on the Friday.

It must have been a scattered drawing table when it came to assembling these line-ups. Which city gets which bands, who plays in what order, etc. So kudos then for the resulting balance between the three. Brew Records‘ fantastic duo of Castrovalva and These Monsters get the bonus of playing both Leeds and here, while Manchester’s own Cats In Paris can be caught only in Barrow.

Holy Roar’s Brontide feature at The Deaf Institute while recent Glassjaw tour support Shapes have an early slot at The Well. I fell upon Ox Scapula in Stoke last year, and they’re well worth the jaunt across to  the Lake District alone.

I could go into detail about all the bands playing, but that would lessen the chances of you reaching the end of the article and clicking the links to buy tickets, wouldn’t it? Instead, I’ll just list the info here:

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WEDNESDAY 21ST JULY – THE WELL, LEEDS

GRAMMATICS (http://www.myspace.com/grammatics)
TBA
THESE MONSTERS (http://www.myspace.com/thesemonsters)
TALL SHIPS (http://www.myspace.com/tallshipsfromfalmouth)
HOLY STATE (http://www.myspace.com/holystate)
CASTROVALVA (http://www.myspace.com/castrovalvamusic)
SHAPES (http://www.myspace.com/weareshapes)
WINGMAN (http://www.myspace.com/wingmanuk)

DJ’s -
VERY SPECIAL GUEST DJ TBA
BREW RECORDS (http://www.brewrecords.net/)
BIG SCARY MONSTERS RECORDS (http://www.bsmrocks.com/)

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THURSDAY 22ND JULY – THE DEAF INSTITUTE, MANCHESTER

KONG (http://www.myspace.com/kongdom)
BRONTIDE (http://www.myspace.com/brontidetheband)
THESE MONSTERS (http://www.myspace.com/thesemonsters)
HOLY STATE (http://www.myspace.com/holystate)
CASTROVALVA (http://www.myspace.com/castrovalvamusic)
CRANE (http://www.myspace.com/cranehq)
MARVEL (http://www.myspace.com/marveljersey)
THE HEEBIE JEEBIES (http://www.myspace.com/theheebiefuckinjeebies)

DJ’s -
GOLD TEETH (http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=331210366263)
CRACK YR SKULL (http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=120159061882)
CLUB COG (http://www.checkoutgigs.com/)
BIKO RECORDS (http://www.umsu.manchester.ac.uk/action/records/about/home)
HAIRY WOLF RECORDS (http://www.hairywolfrecords.co.uk/)

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FRIDAY 23RD JULY – THE CANTEEN, BARROW-IN-FURNESS

THE COMPUTERS (http://www.myspace.com/thecomputersfromexeter)
TBA
CATS IN PARIS (http://www.myspace.com/catsinparis)
OX SCAPULA (http://www.myspace.com/oxscapula)
LET OUR ENEMIES BEWARE (http://www.myspace.com/letourenemiesbeware)
TREATMENT ROOMS (http://www.myspace.com/inthetreatmentrooms)
THE BASTARD BIT ME (http://www.myspace.com/536603074)

AFTER PARTY – THE BAR CONTINENTAL, BARROW-IN-FURNESS

SECRET HAIRY WOLF & DINGO BARRACKS DJ’s!!

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TICKETS

Online – Http://Www.Seetickets.Com/S.Asp?A=Wolves+Festival&P=7397
Door – Advanced price + £2

In Shops -
LEEDS: The Well, Crash Records, Jumbo Records
MANCHESTER: The Deaf Institute
BARROW: Kates Skates, Barrow 6th Form College, Working Class Heroes

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VENUES

Leeds, The Well -
The Well, Josephs Well, Chorley Lane , Leeds , LS3 1AB, Tel: 0113 244 0474
http://www.thewell-leeds.co.uk/

Manchester, The Deaf Institute -
The Deaf Institute, 135 Grosvenor Street, Manchester, M1 7HE, Tel: 0161 276 9350
http://www.thedeafinstitute.co.uk/

Barrow In Furness, The Canteen -
The Cinema Room, The Canteen Media & Arts Centre, Barrow-In-Furness, Cumbria, LA14 1AD, Tel: 01229 822113 http://www.myspace.com/thecanteenmaac

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Basically, if you like your music leftfield and removed from mainstream approval, appreciate a good riff as opposed to autotune and are generally open-minded… then you’ll probably be aware of most of these bands. If you aren’t. then you could make far worse summer plans than following this glorious travelling raucous.

On a side note, this summer really is testament to Manchester’s live music scene. You’ll notice on these pages alone just how many festivals there are, all varied in taste. The music on display at Wolves Fest is far from everyone’s cup of tea, and proud of it. Even when all the students have dispersed home for the summer, our city is involved in such niche events. If it actually needed pointing out further, the city’s come a long way since the ‘glory days’. And it’s promoters/events such as those featured here that continually help to generate a top-notch crop of acts in every musical genre imaginable. Long live creativity and freedom of expression.

Back to the point, this is a rather magnificent first major outing for HWR. And they’ve pulled no punches. Get yourself down to at least one of these. Bonus points for those that make all three. Now may be a good point to mention the advantages of earplugs…

As Anthax said, ‘turn it up, bring the noise’.

http://www.hairywolfrecords.co.uk/

manchFESTer : Saturday 24th July 2010

The Americans know how to through a good punk-rock party. Take last year’s FEST 8 for example; 200+ bands, ranging from Dilinger Four and Gainsville’s own Less Than Jake through to Russian Circles and Strike Anywhere, across eight venues on 3 days in sunny Florida. All for $60. Gnarly, man.

Over here, punk in all its forms is still alive and well. It’s just on a smaller scale to our American cousins. DIY will never die, and thanks to tireless promoters such as the new-to-the-area Moving North, Manchester continues to have a scene to boast about.

And it’s these chaps that bring you manchFESTer, a small-scale homage/creation. Twelve likeminded yet diverse bands piled onto one big bill at The Oxford – that pub near to the Academy – in exchange for 6 Great British pounds.

The venue’s surprisingly suited to housing gigs. Head up those winding stairs and you’ll realise there’s actually a whole load of space. I enjoyed a separate all-dayer there almost a year ago, and the oft-overlooked Oxford did the gig proud.

The bands? Well, I can vouch for around half of them from my time working behind a bar and a brief spell putting on gigs myself. Pontefract’s Above Them play singalong indie-rock of the highest order. Calvinball are catchy, hoarse pop-punk from Sheffield. Both of these actually played FEST 8.

Apologies, I Have None venture from the capital and I’d wager money on you tapping your feet along to this duo. Seriously, just good vibes. Wooderson are more Steel City visitors, serving up Fugazi-insprired alt-rock noise. The Living Daylights come from absurdly-flat Lincolnshire, and read from similar hymn sheets to Rise Against and Bouncing Souls.

Macclesfield lads The Shuffle play almost as fast as A Wilhelm Scream at times, and with just as much melody. The rest? Well, I’m not going to spill all the beans, am I? A man needs to eat.

If this badgering has got your saliva flowing – and not for the beans that will inevitably be my tea – then you can stream and/or download a whole load of tracks from the full line-up right here for absolutely nothing. Yeehaw!

Here’s the list of bands in reverse playing order.

ABOVE THEM – http://www.myspace.com/abovethem

APOLOGIES, I HAVE NONE – http://www.myspace.com/apologiesihavenone

PEACHFUZZ – http://www.myspace.com/thisispeachfuzz

CALVINBALL – http://www.myspace.com/thisiscalvinball

THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS – http://www.myspace.com/thelivingdaylightsuk

THE SHUFFLE – http://www.myspace.com/theshuffleuk

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HOUR BREAK // HOUR BREAK // HOUR BREAK
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SAM RUSSO – http://www.myspace.com/samrussomusic

SOLUTIONS – http://www.myspace.com/solutionsmusic

LEAGUES APART – http://www.myspace.com/leaguesapartmusic

WOODERSON – http://www.myspace.com/woodersonuk

SATURDAYS KIDS – http://www.myspace.com/thesaturdayskidsuk

CYNICS – http://www.myspace.com/ihatecynics

Doors are at 2pm, with first band, Cynics, going on shortly after. There’ll be an hour-long break half-way through the bill, and there’s plenty of local eateries around to get your food fix. Action resumes with the second half-dozen bands and it should all be wrapped up by 11pm. And with it being a Saturday, the night will still be relatively young.

Expect party.

Facebook event.

Moving North’s blog.

Whether you want to review some gigs, rant about a recent event, showcase some art, fashion or film, or just have somewhere to voice your opinions, get in touch at editor@secondcityuk.com

We want to champion the unheard and the overlooked. And that counts for writers as well as musicians and artists. No word limits, no biased viewpoint, no set style – express your thoughts as you wish.

What matters right now is that there’s a festival going on, and you should go. It’s all about new music, with previous years seeing The Ting Tings and Marina & The Diamonds featuring and then going on to success. Radio One’s Huw Stephens got involved and curated a stage last year, so don’t be taking this lightly.

The festivities take place, in true city festival style, across a multitude of venues (around a dozen), including everyone’s new favourite party venue Islington Mill, The Rover’s Return, The Old Pint Pot and St. Phillip’s Church. It’s now been granted an extended license so the fun will be on from 3pm until 3am, leaving you the whole of Bank Holiday Monday to stop throwing up and pull yourself together.

I write this preview with a heavy heart, as despite having studied for 3 years on the Crescent, I’m yet to attend SFTOC. This year is sadly no different.

So who should you check out this year?

Well, we imagine the crowds will be at the busiest for Manchester’s current buzz kids Egyptian Hip Hop and May68, not to mention angular-popsters Dutch Uncles. Superb solo artists Jo Rose and Jesca Hoop are also stellar local additions to this varied line-up.

And while the promoters involved are obviously adept at picking the best of the region’s current crop, they are equally good at bringing in new and exciting bands from further afield.

Our tips include The Rural Alberta Advantage, with their Smashing Pumpkins/The National-esque heartfelt charm from Toronto, Canada. Chrome Hoof, a madcap experimental orchestra from London, have a decade of material ready to wow any unsuspecting psychadelic fans. There’s also appearances from New York’s Damon & Naomi and Brighton’s krautrock-influenced Fujiya & Miyagi amongst many more.

After the bands are done, it’s time to get your groove on. Cue club nights hosted by Bring On The Dancing Horses, Underachievers Please Try Harder, Stop Making Sense and Contort Yourself.

Here’s all the info you need, lazily copy-and-pasted from the Facebook event. Standard.

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SFTOC BY DAY
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Lamb and Wolf at Islington Mill (club space)

10.30 Chrome Hoof
9.30 Bo Ningen
8.30 Divorce
7.30 The Pharmacy
6.30 Klaus Kinski
5.30 Breaking Colts
4.00 – DJS

-http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=113680245329974&index=1

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Mind On Fire vs. Wotgodforgot at The Kings Amrs

9:40 The Laze
8:30 The Legend Of The 7 Black Tentacles
7:15 Kelpe
6:20 Sirconical
5:30 Io Monade Stanca
4:40 Levenshulme Bicycle Orchestra
3:55 Borland
3:10 Go Lebanon

DJs from Mind on Fire and Wotgodforgot
Cycloptic Visuals
Live Art

- http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=110064822358534

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SWN vs. Hey Manchester at St Phil’s Church

10.30 Damon & Naomi
9.30 Y Niwl
8.30 At Swim Two Birds
7.30 Thomas White
6.30 Tim and Sam Band
5.30 Jesca Hoop
4.30 Jo Rose
3.45 Jasmina Maschina

- http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=114497005250285

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Room Tones at Islington Mill (engine room)

9.00 Alexander Tucker
8.00 The Boats / Danny Norbury
7.00 A Middle Sex
6.00 Dean McPhee
5.00 Seasons (Pre-Din)
4.15 Ithaca Trio
3.15 Operations / Appetites

- http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=113147505365617

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Your Mamas Cooking at The Crescent

10.00 Elvis In Disguise
9.00 Serious Sam Barret & David Broad
8.00 The Graveyard Shift
6.30 till 8.00 Rockabily Bingo! & Lindyhop Demonstration
5.45 Hank Haint
5.00 Zacc Rogers
4.15 TG Elias
3.30 Liz Green

+ Rockabilly Bingo, Junk Shop Vintage Clothing, a bakesale featuring Cake Kitschen, and Vintage Hair & Make-Up and much more

- http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=118060881545542

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Salford Music Co-operative at The Rovers Return

9.00 Sandbox
8.00 John Herring
7.00 The Black Knights
6.00 Death To The Strange
5.00 Kingfisher’s Catch Fire

- http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=114874585204351

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Paradox at The New Oxford

10:25 Frazer King
10.10 Dee Campbell
9:50 Uncle Meat And The Highway Children
9:25 The Scrotes
9:10 Neil Bell
8:55 Jemima Foxtrot
8:40 Thick Richard
8:00 Frank Sidebottom
7:30 Mike Garry
7:00 The Onions
6:45 Socrates Adams Florou
6:30 Lauren Bolger
6:15 Ewan O’Conner
6:00 Fiona Brehony
5:30 Easter
5:15 Neil Campbell
5:00 John G Hall
4:45 Chris Killen
4:30 Jackie Hagan
4:15 Steve Lyons
4:00 Josef Charlton
3:30 Julia Nelson
3:00 Tim Schiazza

- http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=114794071872057

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Bring On The Dancing Horses at The Old Pint Pot (upstairs)

10.30 Fujiya & Miyagi
9.30 Egyptian Hip Hop
7.45 MAY68
6.30 Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs
5.30 Wu Lyf
4.30 Dutch Uncles

- http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=108470245838861&ref=mf

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Postcards From Manchester at The Old Pint Pot (downstairs)

11.15 The Rural Alberta Advantage
10.00 Islet
9.00 Windmill
8.15 Help Stamp Out Loneliness
7.00 Just Handshakes (We’re British)
6.00 The Cavalcade

PLUS special guest appearance from The Lovely Eggs

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=103568076349132

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Comfortable On A Tightrope at The Angel Centre

9.30 Talk Normal
8.00 Dinner Party
7.15 Hotpants Romance
6.30 Way Through
5.45 Pheromoans
5.00 Waiters
4.15 Sex Hands
3.30 Leveret

Upstairs – 4pm – 8pm Cartune Xprez Screenings

9.00 – Girl Mountain
8.40 – No Womb
8.20 – Maria & the Gay

+ Salford Zine Library – Showing the collection so far!

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plus:

Mount Pleasant Exhibition at The Gallery Space, Islington Mill

- http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=118070858204161

Manchester Scenewipe – documentary and secret shows

Ladies of the Press / Wristband Exchange – Communal Space, Islington Mill

also leading up to the event:

‘Box Office’, artist project at Salford Central Train Station, Mon 26th – Fri 30th April. Tickets available for a range of one-off special events at locations including the Chapel St. Phone box and Pomona Docks wasteland.

- http://www.soundsfromtheothercity.com/page19.htm

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and then…..

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SFTOC BY NIGHT
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The Old Pint Pot (till 1am)

Upstairs – Bring On The Dancing Horses vs. Now Wave
Downstairs – Under Achievers Please Try Harder vs. Pull Yourself Together

The Kings Arms (9pm till 2am)

Upstairs – Mind On Fire, Herbal Sessions, This City Is Ours & Drum Music
Downstairs – Naive Melody vs. Stop Making Sense

The Black Lion (10pm till 3am)

Upstairs – Contort Yourself residents party
Downstairs – Bollox vs. Bad Dancer

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If you have a general query, please contact festival organiser, Mark Carlin: mark@islingtonmill.com

If you are a member of the press and have a press query, please contact Ruth Allan: ruthjaneallan@hotmail.com

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TICKETS ON SALE NOW

http://www.quaytickets.com/WhatsOn/EventDetail.aspx?EventId=4454

and in person from Piccadilly Records & Islington Mill

SOUNDS FROM THE OTHER CITY.
VARIOUS VENUES AROUND CHAPEL STREET, SALFORD
SUNDAY MAY 2nd – 3pm till 3am. £15.

SIGN UP TO OUR TWITTER ACCOUNT FOR LATEST NEWS: http://www.twitter.com/sftoc

SFTOC YOUTUBE CHANNEL feat clips of this year’s bands
http://www.youtube.com/user/SFTOC2010#grid/user/EC806E7EFA9EA28E