Pull Yourself Together Zine Issue 16

PULL YOURSELF TOGETHER

FEBRUARY - MARCH 2011 *FREE*

JONNY - POPFESTS OF THE WORLD - PYT RECORDS - PORT STREET BEER HOUSE HAIRCUT RECORDS GUIDE TO EAST LONDON

WELCOME

02

pull yourself together zine.co.uk ON THE PYT STEREO DARREN HAYMAN’S JANUARY SONGS WEIRD ERA BRITISH SEA POWER URANIUM LAKE WITH THAT KNIFE SUBURBAN DOGS PODCAST Design: teacakedesign.com WELCOME

pull

yourself

together

Well well, January 2011 has almost reached its end. It may be pretty bleak outside (it’s a rainy Sunday afternoon right at this moment), but if anything the past month has been unusually busy for what is traditionally a quiet month. We’re pretty sure that the January gig calendar used to be rather sparse, but not even a week of the month had passed when Sam and Toby of the fantastic Manchester Scenewipe kickstarted the year with their first showcase at Fuel. The crowd was so large that people were literally climbing the walls for a better view of Beat the Radar, With That Knife and PYT’s very own Patterns. An excellent evening was had by all, and we’re hoping for many more nights from the Scenewipe boys! We’re incredibly proud to be able to say that Patterns have been going from strength to strength, with the New Noise EP close to selling out already (but more of that later), and are generally feeling that 2011 could well be an exciting year here in Manchester - many of us from the (relative) musical underground seem to be incredibly energised by the potential this city has to offer right now.

SO WHAT’S IN ISSUE 16?

P3 - Our travelling feature finally sets its sights on London, with Giles Barrett of Haircut Records shouting about the great things going on in the East of the city.

P4 - Unsurprisingly, PYT like nothing more than a good Popfest. From the London Popfest in February to other incarnations all around the world and all through the year, we’re making plans...

P6 - What’s that, a collaboration between Euros Child and Norman from Teenage Fanclub you say?

PYT caught up with Euros to talk about their new band Jonny, candyfloss and fake guitar solos.

P8 - At the end of 2010, we embarked upon a new chapter: PYT Records. Here’s how it’s been going and what you can expect from us during the year!

P12 - Had enough of the New Year detox? Us too.

It’s probably time to join Will at the newly opened Port Street Beer House to sup some ale.

Our artwork this time round comes from Croatoan Design in Cardiff. Adam is best known in that part of the world for his poster design work, with our personal favourite being his Jarvis Cocker inspired one for our good friends Modern Life Is Rubbish.Check out his design and photography at croatoandesign.co.uk PULL YOURSELF TOGETHER

My name is Giles Barrett and I’ve been moustache-free for 17 days now. Just kidding.

The real confession is that I live and work near Brick Lane, East London. Hipster central, in other words, or, according to the YouTube smash hit of 2010, the place where being a dickhead is cool.

The Beegees-sampling “Being a Dickhead’s Cool” savagely mocked the moustachioed hipsters of Shoreditch so effectively that sales of day-glo leopard-print leggings never really recovered.

It was spot on: there was an actual riot at an American Apparel sample sale last summer. But it satirised a cynicism in hipster culture, not just the haircuts, and six months on actually makes it easier to see what was good about Shoreditch in the first place, before the over-styled clusterfuck.

See, that which lures in the aspiring ad-exec is often equally appealing to the young popkid. The Pride of Spitz, nestled just off Brick Lane, attracts almost everyone with countless ales, a cat by the fire in the winter and a brilliantly English interpretation of café culture: two umbrellas and everyone sitting on the pavement. Another favourite oddball hang-out is the Palm Tree, in the park by the Regents Canal, it hosts an octogenarian covers band fronted by the singer from Blue Velvet. Honourable mentions must go to Captain Kidd’s, at execution dock in Wapping*, the George Tavern for it’s discocar and Jan’s Bar in Stoke Newington for stocking more 12% Belgian beers than you can blearily shake a stick at.

Where there are pubs, there are musicians, and London has a lot of my favourites. Allo Darlin’ played some of last year’s best shows, and recorded their joyous LP at Soup Studios, where I work beneath the Duke of Uke¸ London’s only ukulele and banjo emporium. Soup is also home to the Wave Pictures and Darren Hayman, both of whom have been showing the rest of us how it’s done for years now, but the latter is having a particularly good 2011.

Not content with releasing one of last year’s finest albums in Essex Arms, he is writing and recording a song every day this January, and releasing them for free through januarysongs.tumblr.com FEBRUARY - MARCH 2011

But you know all that already, right? You want to know about Moustache of Insanity, the best casio plus guitar duo in the world right now, whose glorious anthems about cheese, freckles and brains turn polite acoustic shows into sweaty dancefloors.

And you need to know Owl & Mouse, who appeared at their first ever gig last December seemingly fully-formed. My favourite place to watch bands is How Does It Feel to be Loved? and used to be the Luminaire, a venue that was just that bit too good to be true and closed in December. But before my tears were dry I heard about new indiepop clubnight Playhouse. Shrag are djing the launch, and it looks set to continue the drunken madness of Twee as F**k, but I’ve got to give the last club mention to my all-time favourite London night out, the literally earth-shaking wall-to-wall speaker madness of University of Dub.

LETTERS FROM INDEPENDENT LONDON

A VIEW OF LONDON FROM THE EAST

03

*Captain Kidd met his end in the standard grisly way for captured pirates in the 18th century, death by hanging followed by the exhibition of his corpse in a cage called a gibbet, pour encourager les autres.

Giles plays in Hexicon, Tigercats and Houdini, and releases music through Haircut Records.

Tigercats have a 7” out soon on WeePop! LETTERS FROM INDEPENDENT LONDON

04

Popfests of the World For us, it all started with Indietracks.

We may have missed their first weekender back in 2007, but we heard rumblings that what had begun was quite possibly a festival made specifically with us in mind. Since 2008 we’ve been loyal Indietracks followers, and one of the many wonderful outcomes of this has been that it has opened the door to numerous similar events worldwide.

What we encountered at a Railway Museum in Derbyshire was a group of people from all over the world, all of whom seem to have tales of the best Popfests they’ve encountered, from Glasgow to San Francisco, via Nottingham and New York.

Whilst a tour of said festivals would undoubtedly bankrupt PYT, we can certainly dream, and there’s plenty to line up for future plans.

Rome Popfest - March romapopfest.frigopop.com Copenhagen Popfest - April Wowzers. The Danish leg of indiepop fun from last year may well be our favourite lineup of all. Liechtenstein remain one of our best Indietracks finds, and it looks like they totally stole the show in Copenhagen in 2010. Anyone who saw The Roadside Poppies play for PYT at Fuel in 2009 will know how much fun they are, and that’s before you get to Cats On Fire, Stars In Coma, Leaving Mornington Crescent... here’s hoping for more gems in 2011! copenhaganpopfest.blogspot.com NYC Popfest - May Set to celebrate it’s 5th Birthday in 2011, the New York Popfest was so successful last year that Allo Darlin’ made it onto the front page the the New York Times’ arts section. The list of bands who have played in New York is like a who’s who of indiepop royalty - Pains of Being Pure at Heart, Suburban Kids With Biblical Names, The Radio Dept, The Drums and The Smittens. myspace.com/nycpopfest

Popfests of the World, Unite and Take Over!

San Francisco Popfest 26th - 30th May Another rather popular weekend if the number of SF Popfest tote bags seen at any and every indiepop gig are anything to go by! They’re keeping announcements quiet for now, but the past line-ups speak for themselves, with highlights last year from Casiotone for the Painfully Alone, Still Flyin’, and Math & Physics Club (who we hear are due to be making some UK appearances later in the year). sfpopfest.moonfruit.com

Indietracks, Derbyshire - 29th - 31st July You know the score by now: some of the world’s best up and coming indiepop bands alongside exciting newcomers and the odd stalwart, all at the Midland Railway Centre. Indietracks has recently helped the Centre raise money to continue work on restoring its Swanwick station building, which we’re looking forward to seeing the progress on! indietracks.co.uk Athens, GA Popfest - August All is quiet on the Athens Popfest front for 2011 thus far, but you can still download an excellent compilation of last year’s artists, including Eux Autres, Standard Fare and The Wedding Present from their website. athenspopfest.com PULL YOURSELF TOGETHER

Unite and Take Over!

Indiepop Days, Berlin - September indiepopdaysberlin.blogspot.com Nottingham Indiepop Weekender September alayerofchips.blogspot.com Edinburgh Popfest - October edinburghpopfest.co.uk New England Popfest - November skippingstonesrecords.com/popfest Glasgow Popfest - December bubblegumrecords.org.uk

FEBRUARY - MARCH 2011

London Popfest - 24th - 27th February Following on from Fortuna Pop’s (Not) The Winter Sprinter in January, London keeps the indiepop year dancing with a brilliant lineup this year. The Pooh Sticks, Eux Autres, Bearsuit and 14 Iced Bears are the standout big names, but for Dan PYT the most exciting band on the bill are Sweden’s totally ungoogleable indiepopshoegazey Youngfuck. londonpopfest.com

05

Madrid Popfest - 11th - 12th March Given that Barcelona is fast forging a reputation as the best city in the world for music festivals (if you don’t believe this, just go and look at the Primavera lineup again), Madrid needed to do something to prove its indie roots. This year sees the first ever Madrid Popfest, and they’ve hit the ground running with Tender Trap, Cola Jet Set and the terrific The Blanche Hudson Weekend already confirmed. madridpopfest.com Popfests of the World, Unite and Take Over!

IN WHICH PYT INTERROGATE JONNY

06

Everyone loves a collaboration, but this one is more exciting than most! PYT were slightly baffled by the appearance of ‘Jonny’ on the listings for Green Man 2009, but were then pleasantly surprised to find that it was a new project from Euros Childs (formerly of Gorky’s Zygotic Mynci) and Norman Blake (of Teenage Fanclub). Said project was a lot of fun live, but we heard nothing of Jonny for over a year after the performance. Then the Autumn of 2010 brought wonderful news: Jonny were to put out a free EP (yep, that’d be the one entitled ‘Free EP’) before the end of the year, following it up with an album and tour at the beginning of 2011. Although Euros has also recorded a new solo album, Face Dripping, and Norman has spent a great deal of time recently touring with Teenage Fanclub in support of their latest effort Shadows, they’ve found the time to make rather a lovely album as Jonny. On top of that, Euros has taken the time to tell us about it!

Hi Euros, Happy New Year to you! You seem to have been rather busy lately; did you manage to get a break over Christmas, or has it been all go in the world of Jonny? No a break has been had. All that’s left to do now is rehearse and remember the songs ready for the gigs that are coming up.

IN WHICH PYT INTERROGATE JONNY

How did the project get started? Has this all been in the mug brewing since the Gorkys/ Teenage Fanclub tour in the late 90s?

I don’t remember anything being mentioned back then, but we got on really well when Norman joined Gorkys’ on tour in 2000.

It felt as if he was a part of the band.

So in a way maybe that paved the way for this collaboration.

PULL YOURSELF TOGETHER

07

Do you think that Jonny is a meeting point between both your musical lineages? Are folks to expect psychedelic indiepop from Jonny? I’m not sure what my musical lineage is. Psychedelia still means L.S.D to me, none of which was consumed during the writing or recording of the Jonny album.

Indie brings to mind Kingmaker and Shed 7, none of which are influences. It’s very much a pop record though.

We were very impressed by your set at Green Man in 2009, had you already planned to release a record at that point? We’d recorded an E.P and done a few demos, I think we knew we were going to record an album.

With these various other projects, is it going to be nice to finally get on the road proper as Jonny? Yes indeed. I’m really looking forward to it, the gigs we’ve done over the last couple of years have gone well, but they’ve only been one offs so it will be good to be on tour and get a bit of momentum.

What can we expect from the live shows? Are you touring as a two-piece or are you going to have some help along the way? Two piece all the way, with a drum machine acoustic guitar and a few keyboards.

FEBRUARY - MARCH 2011

JONNY PLAY THE DEAF INSTITUTE MANCHESTER MONDAY 14TH FEBRUARY

Are the rumours of sleeve first, name second true? Completely true. Norman and I both saw the picture and agreed that it was too good not to be an album cover. The only way in which it work as an album cover is if the band was called Jonny.

Wich wich is wich? The one on the left.

Speaking of that song, last time we saw you play it there were dueling ‘guitar solos’ which consisted of you both ‘wah wah wah’ing at each other. Have these vocal battles been replaced with actual guitars yet? The duelling vocal riffing is sadly no longer there.

It’s been replaced by a Moog and a much simpler riff. The riff itself was impossible to play. It would have taken about a day’s worth of recording to get right. We should have got Peter Frampton in with his voice guitar gizmo.

So. Who won that Candyfloss eating competition then? We hope neither of you were ill! We were both winners. Neither of us threw up, but I think we came close. We must have eaten the equivalent of 15 to 20 candyflosses. I had cold shivers running down my back and felt as if I was coming down with a virus. A rock ‘n’ roll virus.

Jonny are touring the UK throughout February, stopping at Manchester’s Deaf Institute on Monday 14th. The self-titled album is out now on Turnstile, as is the single, Candyfloss. Be sure to take a trip over to YouTube to find the video for said single and see the evidence of Euros and Norman’s candyfloss-eating endeavour!

Has it been hard to fit in Jonny-related work, what with you releasing a new album in December and Norman having spent a lot of time last year on Teenage Fanclub’s Shadows? Not really, I think when we recorded it we knew that we’d have to wait a while before it was released. Norman was very busy touring Shadows and I recorded an album to keep busy.

It would seem that you had a good time recording together, given that you put together too many songs for the album. Is the Free EP a good pointer for what to expect from the album?

Not really. The album was done with a band - Dave McGowan on bass and Stuart Kidd on drums. We were going to play it all ourselves with Norman on drums, but a few days before we decided maybe the songs needed a full band.The Free EP is what the album would have sounded like if we’d played everything ourselves.

IN WHICH PYT INTERROGATE JONNY

INTRODUCING... PYT RECORDS

08

PYT RECORDS

The end of 2010 saw the beginning of an exciting new chapter in the Pull Yourself Together book.

The idea we’d both talked about at length of starting a record label became more than a conversation with the release of the New Noise EP by Patterns. We have always used this fanzine, the clubnight and our website as a way of giving exposure to artists who we care about, so really a label was a natural step - what better way of helping a band get their music out there than putting it out for them?

This is where PYT Records comes in. We aren’t claiming to be the new Rough Trade or anything like that, but we do think we can play a role in helping people get their music into people’s hands (or onto their computers). The ethos of PYT Records is that exposure for the music is key, and the inspirations for starting the label are pretty clear. Getting to know the folks behind some of our favourite labels such as Brainlove, Red Deer Club, Cherryade, Shape, WeePOP and Thee SPC has shown us that being massively enthusiastic about your releases is actually the most important thing going, and that is certainly what we are. With that, let us introduce our first two signings...

PATTERNS The response to our first release has been nothing short of overwhelming.

Having said yes to our question of “We think you should have something out by the end of the year, fancy doing a Christmas single?” we set about promoting Patterns’ New Noise EP. Well, that is after we’d listened to it for the first time on Dan’s phone driving back from ATP... Within a month the EP racked up just shy of 3000 listens online, had been played

by Steve Lamacq on 6Music, Huw Stephens on Radio One, John Kennedy on Xfm, BBC Introducing in Manchester and Salford City Radio, alongside great press from Drowned in Sound, Manchester Music, The Pigeon Post, Folly of Youth and loads more. At time of writing we have a handful of the limited edition CDs left.

We could not have wished for a better way to launch the label, and are looking forward to a massively exciting year for Manchester’s bright new hopes.

CHRISTOPHER EATOUGH Quite a change in sound from New Noise, but just as exciting and we wouldn’t want to limit ourselves to a particular genre anyway! Mr Eatough has been peddling his inimitable, heartbreaking sound around Manchester for a couple of years now, and we’re certainly not the only ones who think it’s high time an album found its way into the world. Cue release number two for PYT Records: a free download single - Shades of Blue, which is available now - with Christopher’s debut album, A Creak In The Cold, to follow on the 14th February. The album is a thing of real beauty in its most tender form, showcasing Christopher’s well-renowned lyricism and finally releasing a number of live classics, like Southern State and Between the Trees, to a wider audience. Let this be the year that Christopher Eatough makes his mark.

To sum up, we’re incredibly excited about these artists (and many more). We hope you are too!

To keep up to date with the goings on of PYT Records, check out pullyourselftogetherzine.co.uk/ pyt-records. Limited copies of Patterns’ New Noise EP are available from the PYT website, Piccadilly Records, Rough Trade and Thee SPC; Christopher Eatough’s A Creak In The Cold will be available in stores and online from the 14th February.

PULL YOURSELF TOGETHER

Craft beers from here, there and everywhere.

Opening end of January 2011 Port Street Beer House, 39– 41 Port Street, Manchester, M1 2EQ

FEBRUARY - MARCH 2011

Twitter – @PortStreetBeer PortStreetBeerHouse.co.uk info@PortStreetBeerHouse.co.uk

IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN ADVERTISING IN PYT PLEASE GET IN TOUCH - HELLO@PULLYOURSELFTOGETHERZINE.CO.UK

10

THE LISTINGS The Vaselines & Schwervon! SoundControl - Saturday 5th February How have I only just spotted that this gig is happening? The Vaselines were one of the most fun bands at December’s Bowlie 2. Well, as fun as a band who keep making increasingly leud innuendos about each other can be. Their last album, Sex with an X, was every bit as good as their earlier ‘generation defining’ material, and they are great live. Support comes from New York noisesters Schwervon! whose 09 LP Low Blows is a certified PYT hit!

Grouplove & Patterns - Ruby Lounge - Sunday 6th February You know that song you keep hearing on the radio, and never quite catch what it was?

You know, the one that sticks around in your head? There is a good chance it is Colours by the very hotly tipped Grouplove. Catch them at the ‘new’ Ruby Lounge, with support from PYT Records’ own Patterns, who also play with the legendary Chameleons at Band on the Wall on Monday 14th February.

The Lovely Eggs & This Many Boyfriends - Gullivers - Saturday 12th February What would we do without Team Underachievers eh? Having catered for fans of music of a noisier variety last month with Eagulls, it’s a quick switchover to the infectious oddball-pop of The Lovely Eggs, who are touring in support of their new album and the single Don’t Look At Me (I Don’t Like It). Holly and David probably represent the most fun you can have with music, and they’re bound to be full of surprises! Indiepop support comes from Hillary and the Democrats, The Thyme Machine and PYT faves This Many Boyfriends.

British Sea Power - The Ritz - Tuesday 15th February For what seems like the first time in an age, BSP are playing in a venue where you will be able to both see and hear them - and if our first few listens of latest album Valhalla Dancehall are anything to go by there are plenty of new treats in store. It may not sound as complete as Do You Like Rock Music?, but it’s almost as if they’ve got that out of their system and just want to enjoy themselves. As we all know, the Sea Power gang create quite a spectacle when enjoying themselves, so don’t miss out!

Air Cav - The Castle - Wednesday 17th February We keep hearing little bits of news that Air Cav’s long-awaited debut album is edging towards completion, which surely means that a trip to see them in the rather intimate environs of The Castle will be very good indeed.

The band have always made a glorious racket, and we’re expecting this to be an energised return to form! Support comees from Goodnight Lenin.

The Go! Team - Academy 2 - Saturday 19th February It’s probably a good thing this gig is on a Saturday night, as if The Go! Team are in town you need to get out those dancing shoes! Latest single Buy Nothing Day is a fantastic slice of 60s-tinged pop with a slight scuzzyness to it, and sounded great when the band played at the Bowlie Weekender in December.

Mary Kelly: Projects 1973 - 2010 Whitworth Art Gallery - from Saturday 19th February Mary Kelly has been seen as a key figure in the discourse of feminism and postmodernism in art, with her large reaching ‘Projects’ often provoking outrage when dealing with subjects from motherhood, women’s life and the Kosovo war as an entry point for reflection on the viewer’s personal experiences. This snapshot of four decades of work at the Whitworth is the most comprehensive collection of Kelly’s work ever presented, and an opportunity to see the development of both her ways of thinking and use of the narrative based installation format.

Mogwai - Academy 1 - Saturday 26th February The last time I saw Mogwai they actually shook the change in my pockets. If you have never seen this band live then you have to, they are frankly amazing. From what we’ve heard of their new long player, Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will, the band are in the process of adding yet more layers of noise into their setup, with synths and electronics merging with the ever present post-rock drone. Great stuff.

Weird Era & Milk Maid - Gullivers Saturday 26th February Alright, so you get two bands for the price of one here - they are pretty much the same lineups, but both bands have built differing reputations. Milk Maid have slowly been building a reputation as one of the best live bands in Manchester, whilst Weird Era have released two magnificent lofi albums in the past twelve months - so good that even Pitchfork have picked up on them. A certain option for anyone who misses out on a Mogwai ticket.

PYT @ Common - Wednesday 9th February, Wednesday 23rd February, Wednesday 9th March, Wednesday 23rd March Hot off the back of DJing at the Friends of Manchester Festival, PYT return to Common for our usual dose of the finest indiepop, C86, Swedish pop, pretty 60s French melodies and a smattering of noisy weird stuff. Check out the new artwork at Common by Matt ‘Rabbit Portal’ Saunders who did our zine cover last time out.

THE LISTINGS

PULL YOURSELF TOGETHER

FEB-MAR 2011 Surfer Blood & No Joy - Academy 3 - Wednesday 2nd March Astrocoast

by Surer Blood was one of PYT’s slow burning highlights of last year. It’s a record full of great songs, the kind that sees you singing along to songs you didn’t realise you knew the words to.

We’ll also stick out neck out early and say that No Joy could well do the same with their racket of a debut album Ghost Blonde. This could well be one of the highlights of the early spring gig season.

Anish Kapoor: Flashback - Manchester Art Gallery - from Saturday 5th March Kapoor is generally regarded as one of the finest British sculptors, and this new show at Manchester Art Gallery is his first exhitbition outside of London in over a decade. Following on from his record breaking Royal Academy exhibtion of 2009, Flashback mainly focuses on two of Kapoor’s earlier works, alongside a series of more recent piece. A great opportunity to see Turner Prize winning art in the city. ¡Viva! Spanish & Latin American Film Festival - Cornerhouse - Saturday 8th - Sunday 27th March Cornerhouse’s internationally renowned Spanish film festival returns for its 17th year, and promises to build on what has already been a big year for the Oxford Road based arts venue. We are particularly looking forward to catching the smart satire Gordos, and Iyari Wertta’s surrealist film noir La Pantera Negra.

Doug Stanhope - Dancehouse Thursday 24th & Friday 25th March “I’m Doug Stanhope, and that’s why I drink.” The imortal words of the angry American commentator on Charlie Brooker’s fabulous Screenwipe. Or is it Newswipe. Definitely not Gameswipe.

Stanhope is a man who doesn’t like people. His 2006 book, Fun with Pedophiles: The Best of Baiting, consisit of him posing as a teenage girl beore launching a tirade of abuse when propositioned for sex. He’s also got an album out. And a failed Presidential campaign.

Elbow - MEN Arena - Friday 25th March Sure, it’s a shame that Elbow’s intimate warm-up show in support of fifth album Build A Rocket Boys! is taking place in Cambridge rather than Manchester, but the band promise that this will be no ordinary arena show, with the stage stretching into the crowd to avoid that gulf that has a tendency to appear between band and fan at the MEN. Initial evidence from the Elboys’ latest is that there may be something of a return to Asleep in the Back era sounds, with the single Neat Little Rows sounding echoey and a touch tortured.

Deerhunter - Sound Control - Wednesday 30th March When did Deerhunter shift from being a music geek’s band to making hipster chic anthems? Their last LP, Halycon Days, saw Bradford Cox et al suddenly become the hottest ticket in town and are now one of those bands that everyone else cites as a reference point. This will be the fourth occasion that Now Wave have put the band on, moving up to the large scale Sound Control this time to pack more kids in tight chinos and checked shirts than you can shake a stick at.

EVENT

11

King ISSUE Creosote & The Earlies Band on the Wall - Friday 25th February OF TH

E

Oh golly, what a combination.

At Green Man Festival in 2005 I saw Kenny Anderson’s Fence Collective merge into The Earlies as the two bands shared the stage. This brief tour of Lancashire sees The Earlies return the favour, lending backing to King Creosote’s most recent album, 11th, 12th & 13th bits of strange, an album which exists only in live performance form. The Earlies themselves have gone missing of late, so it will be great to see them on a stage again, and cross everything that it might lead to them putting together new material of their own too! Support comes from our good friend Micktravis, who himself has some fantastic new material coming out soon.

PYT presents... Napoleon IIIrd & Patterns - Islington Mill - Friday 11th March You’ve probably noticed by now that we think Napoleon IIIrd’s Christiania was by far and away one of the best records of 2010. He capped off the year with a massive full band show at London’s Koko, which went down so well that he’s taking it on tour. We are delighted to be hosting the Salford leg of the tour, and to be offering you another chance to see one of the best live acts around.

FEBRUARY - MARCH 2011

THE LISTINGS

12

PORT BEER HOUSE ALE TALES To say my journey into beer appreciation has been a strange one is an understatement. I was never one for the world’s most popular alcoholic beverage. I was not a big drinker throughout university; the drinking culture that I encountered was never my sort of thing. Selling copious amounts of cheap alcohol just didn’t sit well with me. In my final year of studies however I encountered a great bar were the sale of good products was the main objective; the place was a little pricey for a student but the drinking culture it created really stuck with me.

For the first time I enjoyed drinking a couple of pints.

The bar then employed me, only part time while I was still a full time student. I started to learn a lot from my new colleagues and their enthusiasm rubbed off on me; before I knew it I was fully engrossed in their drinking culture.To say this is of a European style is a little cliched, but only in England does it seem that we drink to excess and not to enjoy. The first sip of an ice cold lager when you’re parched in summer or the warming glugs of a rich stout in winter are moments I wish to savour, not ruin by downing a flatliner and puking on my friend’s shoes.

There is a beer for every occasion and purpose it seems, from the super hopped IPA that was brewed to last the long journeys to India throughout the days of ‘’The British Empire” to the refreshing Saison that was made in the farmhouses of Wallonia for the farm workers as a form of hydration. There is an astounding variety to be discovered and enjoyed.

This brings us onto to PYT’s long running associate Common and its new sibling Port Street Beer House. PSBH is opening at the end of January and showcases some of the world’s most loved styles as well as new interpretations from here, there and everywhere.

There will be amazing, refreshing and light lager biers and kolsch, super hopped IPAs, malty brown ales, German Weiss biers, saisons, stouts, porters and all in between on draft and in bottles.We also will be pursuing the best in British breweries and will have 5 cask ales at any one time, again, showcasing the fine, age old tradition of excellent beer making.

There will be something for everyone; no elitism, no yobbishness, just good beer, atmosphere & times.

Port Street Beer House 39-41 Port Street Manchester M1 2EQ The Port Street Beer House can be found just off Newton Street in the Northern Quarter, where Will can be found sharing his wide range of beer knowledge and expertise with interested customers. For more details and updates on the Beer House’s progress visit portstreetbeerhouse.co.uk

PORT STREET BEER HOUSE

PULL YOURSELF TOGETHER