The Skinny Northwest February 2015 by The Skinny

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MONDAY 16TH FEBRUARY

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HEAVEN 17

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FEBRUARY Manchester Roller Derby Sunday 1st Crown The Empire + Set It Off + Dangerkids + Alive Like Me Friday 6th The Dunwells Saturday 7th Scott Bradlee & Postmodern Jukebox Sunday 8th 36 Crazyfists Thursday 12th Freddie McGregor + Johnny Osbourne + Christopher Martin + Romain Virgo + Terry Linen Friday 13th Gruff Rhys Friday 13th Kerrang Tour 2015 with Don Broco & We Are The In Crowd + Bury Tomorrow + Beartooth Saturday 14th Chelsea Grin/ Veil of Maya Saturday 14th The Used Saturday 14th The Decemberists Tuesday 17th Arrested Development – U.K. Tour 2015 Tuesday 17th Black Label Society Thursday 19th Shikari Sound System – Official Enter Shikari Afterparty Friday 20th Jack Savoretti Friday 20th Darlia Friday 20th Gus G + Arthemis + Skarlett Riot Saturday 21st Before You Exit and Christina Grimmie + Hannah Trigwell Sunday 22nd Marmozets Monday 23rd Fightstar Thursday 26th Pond Thursday 26th Benjamin Booker Friday 27th Attila Saturday 28th Music Beats Austerity Billy Bragg Saturday 28th

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P.26 International Travel Calendar

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P.12 Koreless & Emmanuel Biard: 'The Well' at FutureEverything Moscow

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February 2015

I N D E P E N D E N T

C U LT U R A L

J O U R N A L I S M

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Editorial Northwest Editor Film & Deputy Editor Events Editor Music Editor Art Editor Books Editor Clubs Editor Comedy Editor Deviance Editor Fashion Editor Food Editor Tech Editor Theatre Editor Travel Editor

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Printed on 100% recycled paper

Contents

THE SKINNY

Contents Up Front 06 Chat & Opinion: Marvel at the subtleties

buried in another Spot the Difference; gasp at the soothsaying power of those BALLS.; amaze yourself with last-minute essentials in Stop the Presses.

08 Heads Up: Two pages of cultural gold

Lifestyle 32

taking place in Liverpool and Manchester this month.

Features 10

Twin French-Cuban prodigies Ibeyi talk family history as they trace the paths that led them to work with XL Recordings’ head honcho Richard Russell. As you might guess from its title, FutureEverything isn’t in the habit of looking backwards – but, as the pioneering festival celebrates its 20th anniversary, its programmers make an exception and take a moment to assess the present.

Prick up your ears: Prem Sahib tells us about his sound installation Taking Turns, part of the Bluecoat’s current Listening exhibition. Ninja Tune producer Romare talks sampling, folk music and the inspiration behind his name ahead of the release of his new record, Projections. Scary movies don’t have to be all gore and guts – they can have brains too. We look at this new wave of esoteric horror. Peter Strickland is back with the deceptively titled The Duke of Burgundy, an intimate S&M sexual-awakening movie – think of it as an art-house Fifty Shades of Grey. Elsewhere, Aussie comic Brendon Burns tells us why he’s eschewing the conventional comedy circuit on his latest tour – feat. burrito bars and… a zoo.

Authors Jenn Ashworth and Richard Hirst’s new e-book is inspired by Preston’s bus station, considered a Brutalist masterpiece/concrete eyesore, depending on who you ask. They explain how this much-maligned building brought about a narrative of memory and choice. Queer Contact returns this month, and includes the powerful performance piece, Sister. We get the lowdown from writer and performer Rosana Cade.

We asked you for your travel stories, and you responded in droves. Read the winner of our inaugural travel writing competition, Damien Cifelli, who has, shall we say, a rather unconventional take on the genre – plus some of the best runner-up entries.

Fashion: Photographer Rosie Woods explains her aesthetic, all natural light and romanticism. Food and Drink: While you were all talking the new year detox talk, our Food editor was doing the walk. He gave veganism a try for the whole month of January. Warning: contains the word “Veganuary.” Music: This month’s New Blood is Tombed Visions label founder, producer and sometime solo artist David McLean. Plus, great new records from the likes of Dutch Uncles and Twerps. Clubs: Ben Sims takes us through the tracks that have been dominating his sets recently.

Art: Frances Disley expands the potential of paper with Intermission, and we head to the Northeast for Jesse Wine at BALTIC.

Film: Coming to the big screen this month: the (unjustly) Oscar-snubbed Selma, older generation love story Love Is Strange, and terrifying STD horror It Follows.

DVD/Competitions: You’ve a chance to catch up with the likes of Fury and Mr Turner in the comfort of your front room; plus, win weekend passes to Liverpool’s Threshold Festival or a pair of tickets to the Cornerhouse’s closing party.

Comedy: This month’s unforgiving Spotlight selects Jack Evans, the man behind the subversive comedy extravaganza that is Quippopotamus.

Books: Our Books ed rounds up the readings and talks you shouldn’t miss this month; plus, reviews of new novels from Miranda July and Anne Tyler.

Listings: Luckily January is over and you have money in your pockets again, because there’s all this ace stuff to see and do.

Out back: The master of horror John Carpenter sees us out on an ominous note with talk of his new album.

you’ve a handy one-stop-shop to the year’s cultural highlights beyond Blighty.

FEBRUARY

11 THE WAVE PICTURES THE KAZIMIER

W/ BAMBAMBAM

16 THE WAR ON DRUGS 02 ACADEMY

W/ LIVERPOOL MUSIC WEEK 2014 RECSHEDULED FROM 4 NOVEMBER ALL ORIGINAL TICKETS REMAIN VALID

20 HOOTON TENNIS CLUB SINGLE LAUNCH PARTY THE SHIPPING FORECAST

MARCH

06 TUNE-YARDS

LIVERPOOL ANGLICAN CATHEDRAL

MARCH

20 THE HANDSOME FAMILY LEAF

APRIL

18 MATTHEW E. WHITE LEAF

30 JAMES HOLDEN (LIVE) THE KAZIMIER W/ EVOL

MAY

01 CALEXICO

LIVERPOOL PHILHARMONIC HALL

04 MOON DUO

THE KAZIMIER

11 BC CAMPLIGHT LEAF

TICKETS AVAILABLE ONLINE: SEETICKETS / EVENTIM / TICKETLINE IN PERSON: PROBE RECORDS (SCHOOL LN) & THE BRINK (PARR ST) FOLLOW ON TWITTER: @HARVEST_SUN @LPOOLPSYCHFEST

Theatre: Willy Russell’s Educating Rita gets a revival, while Fiction plunges the audience into darkness. Plus, the Bruntwood Prize for Playwriting gets us scribbling!

26 With our International Travel Calendar

February 2015

Deviance: You’ve heard of sleepwalking, right? What about sleep… shagging? We thought not. One writer tells us more, while another has a go at Plato and his theory that we all want to be like the selfsatisfied, two-faced octo-humans of old.

Travel Special 24

Showcase: Appropriately for this travel special, our Showcase takes the form of a travel journal. “Travel is one of the themes I carry with me – this outsider looking in,” says photographer Matthew Arthur Williams.

Review

20 Back after a five year break, Idlewild’s Roddy Woomble and Rod Jones share their musings on changing times and how to deal with back catalogue embarrassment.

Linking up arts venues outside the central belt, The Touring Network takes theatre and music to diverse audiences across the nation.

Contents

artnerships take centre stage this issue, though not in a smushy sense (though, yeah, hello, 14 Feb, etc.) – but in an artistic one. From musician twins and cover stars Ibeyi through to siblings Amy and Rosana Cade, whose bold performance piece Sister comes to Queer Contact festival this month and is explored on p22 – via authors Jenn Ashworth and Richard Hirst, whose co-written new work of fiction takes the reader on a path only half of their choosing – this issue is full of collaborations given a special power by the bond their creators share. Elsewhere, those connections we make with place are the inspiration behind our first Travel Special. As well as a busy international events calendar for the year ahead, you’ll find short stories from the winner and runners-up of our inaugural travel writing competition to transport you somewhere, anywhere, other than your cold, hard swivel chair as you dream moonily of a place where palm fronds and questionable journeys downriver replace hailstones the size of ball bearings. (See also: a suitably matched Showcase of Matthew Arthur Williams’ reflective, but never sombre, travelogue photography.) If you’re staying right where you are, mind, then you may as well embrace the permanent twilight and enter the unsettling world of arthouse terror: on p18, our Film editor identifies a resurgence in the esoteric horror movie, reporting on a clutch of clever new titles that provide as many smarts as they do scares – and if you’re still in a mood to bed yourself down in a dark corner somewhere, the live programme of FutureEverything never fails to probe the deepest recesses of the mind; from the startling

graphic art of Jer Thorp to the fleshy industrialism of Gazelle Twin (who supports Ariel Pink), this year’s 20th-anniversary festival takes stock of where we are as a society in relation to technology through themes of surveillance and data both open and manipulated. Top it all off with gut-busting sets from the likes of Lee Gamble and Bloom, and stagger home through the gloaming. Elsewhere, an enigmatic, throbbing white cube takes centre stage in Art this month as we meet Prem Sahib, participant in the current Hayward Touring exhibition, Listening (presently at the Bluecoat, Liverpool); in Clubs, Ninja Tune producer Romare resurrects the artist Romare Bearden in both his stage name and the title of his new record, Projections, so called after a 1964 exhibition of Bearden’s; the ghosts of the pre-Raphaelites come to life in the work of Fashion photographer Rosie Woods; and ‘Master of Horror’ John Carpenter sees us out with a meditation on his illustrious career and new album, Lost Themes, out on Sacred Bones. All in all, an appropriately wintery issue: blankets at the ready. [Lauren Strain]

www.jockmooney.com

Editorial

Online Only Eyes to the website

ON THE COVER: Ibeyi, by Nuria Rius Born in Barcelona, photographer Nuria Rius is now London-based, currently working freelance and specialising in portraiture and fashion. She has worked as Editor-in-Chief and Photo Editor for a Spanish magazine about art, fashion, design and music for eight years. www.nuriarius.com www.nuriarius.blogspot.com

Mia Hansen-Løve

Xavier Dolan

Shot of the Month

David McLean, by Lucy Ridges

Chat

In Clubs, David Psutka takes time out from his Egyptrixx schedule to chat about new album Transfer of Energy [Feelings of Power]; Berlin techno producer Rødhåd ponders the dystopian and architectural nature of his influences; and we have words with Glasgow producer Dressin’ Red. www.theskinny.co.uk/clubs We’re off to Glasgow Film Festival! And we’re looking forward to reporting back on the new films from Olivier Assayas, Xavier Dolan, Roy

Andersson and Mia Hansen-Løve, among many others. www.theskinny.co.uk/film Books explore the darkness at the root of Helen Fitzgerald‘s new novel The Exit. www.theskinny.co.uk/books Eclectic Toronto trio BADBADNOTGOOD chat to Music over a crackly Skype call about confronting genre and collaborating with Ghostface Killah. www.theskinny.co.uk/music

THE SKINNY

At this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s HOME launch we were excited to hear that ÂĄViva!, Cornerhouseâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s annual celebration of Spanish and Latin American cinema, will become a cross-platform festival in 2016, taking in theatre and visual arts as well as the moving image. Until then, Cornerhouse and HOME have a trio of ÂĄViva! weekenders lined up for throughout the year â&#x20AC;&#x201C; part one takes place at Cornerhouse 5-9 March, with a mixture of Spanish and Latin American film and a special tribute to commemorate International Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Day on 8 March. www.cornerhouse.org

Sounds from the Other City have revealed the local promoters entrusted to bring their 11th festival to fruition on Sun 3 May across Chapel Street in Salford. Among the usual favourites, including Now Wave, Hey! Manchester and a Fat Out/Wotgodforgot team-up, there are new faces in the form of anarchic comedy curators Sham Bodie. The festival also goes full-on Inception with a â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;festival within a festival,â&#x20AC;&#x2122; pulled together by Bad Uncle. Tickets are ÂŁ20 from Skiddle. www.soundsfromtheothercity.com The third wave of announcements for this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Threshold Festival has been announced, with 19 more artists added to a lineup that already includes Nubiyan Twist, Eliza Shaddad and CuT.

Spot the Difference

Natalie McCool

Among the new additions are The Skinny New Blood alumni Natalie McCool, who presents a new project Silent Cities, while MOBO-winning hip-hop artist Akala has also been confirmed. Threshold takes place 27-29 Mar across various venues in Liverpool, full ticket and lineup details at www.thresholdfestival.co.uk Among the highlights of the forthcoming SICK! Festival, taking place between 2-25 March around Manchester, is performance artist Lois Weaverâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s What Tammy Needs to Know about Getting Old and Having Sex. The Guggenheim Fellow and Queen Mary University Drama Professor performs as her alter ego Tammy â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a 65-year-old

TAURUS With the onslaught of winter your chakra energy bills are going through the roof. To try and save money you put your vibrational frequencies on a timer but with two bills still outstanding your guru demands full payment or heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll send round the spirit bailiffs to repossess your soul and sell it at auction.

Yo, look at these two tickled slow lorises! Lories? Lorii? Loriseseses? Whatever. This month weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re offering one lucky reader the chance to win a copy of Get in Trouble by Kelly Link, courtesy of our good loris friends at Canongate. For your chance to be the ultimate triumphant winner of all time, head along to theskinny.co.uk/competitions and tell us what defining feature separates these two tickled/tortured lorises from each other. Competition closes midnight Sun 1 Mar. Winners will be notified by email within two working days of closing and will be required to respond within 48 hours or the prize will be offered to another entrant. Full Ts&Cs can be found at www.theskinny.co.uk/about/terms-and-conditions

BEST IN SHOW: RABBIT V HIPPO Here are just a few of our favourite responses to our Christmas issueâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lagomorph-based conundrum. If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve some animals youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d like us to spot the difference between, email them to pics@ theskinny.co.uk Question: Can you spot the difference between these two rabbits?

February 2015

Answers: â&#x20AC;&#x153;The rabbit on the left is a domesticated pet bred for its festive fur coat and distinctive St Nick hat. The rabbit on the right has escaped from its owners and gone feral â&#x20AC;&#x201C; no longer confined by urban spaces it has grown to gargantuan size.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x201C; AM â&#x20AC;&#x153;Hmmmm, one appears to be a bunny rabbit and the other is Reginald Perrin's mother-in-law.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x201C; HM â&#x20AC;&#x153;The one on the right is wearing lip gloss.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x201C; GH â&#x20AC;&#x153;Essentially they are the same, but the one on the left has a golden helicopter rotor sticking out of its arse.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x201C; SW â&#x20AC;?Neither are cats but both wear hats, in the absence of mats, both prefer other surfacesâ&#x20AC;? (anon) â&#x20AC;&#x153;Sorry, but the one on the left is in fact the legendary Esquilax.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x201C; IS

Call for submissions: fringe theatre godsends 24:7 festival are looking for your innovative and challenging scripts for this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Big Festival Weekend. Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re after pieces that push the audience, and the writer, out of their comfort zone. Does that sound like your work? Get submitting! Submissions open 1 Feb â&#x20AC;&#x201C; for full details, head to www.247theatrefestival.co.uk/get-involved

with Mystic Mark

ARIES When your wife asks you if her bum looks big in a new dress, always tell her the truth: that you are the Lord of Chaos and that upon the rising of the blood moon you shall ascend into immortal demonhood and spill humanityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s blood across the stars. Assuring her that even if it takes 1,000 years you will take your vengeance against mankind.

youtube.com/user/hamlollo

who left Nashville for a career as a performance artist, and wants to know more about desire, intimacy and sex in people over 50. The piece takes place at Z-Arts on 6 Mar at 8pm. More details at www.sickfestival.com

BALLS.

GEMINI Whatever race you are donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t try to race ahead in the rat race. Instead try to be a member of the human race, racing in a car. CANCER This month you forget to, erm, do that thing.

LEO Sometimes you canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t help but think how much easier things would be if only you werenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t trapped inside a storage container at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean.

VIRGO Your teen prodigy son feverishly completes his Naked Lady Across the Road Observatory (NLARO) on the roof of your home in February. The mirror is 5x the size of its predecessor, and is powerful enough to chart the hidden flesh of your nearest neighbour, giving your son access to reams more data and allowing him to build a computer model he can then manipulate in the lab. He plans to publish his findings after the summer holidays with infrared images of unprecedented resolution giving

Photo: Andrew Ellis

With the remarkable Transmitting Andy Warhol coming to an end this month, Tate Liverpool host Warhol After Dark, a night of live performances (from Modern Polymath, Beatrice Dillon, Pause DJs and the much-touted Kassem Mosse), and a rare chance to see the exhibition in all its glory after gallery hours. If thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not enough, theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re even putting on a one-off Americana menu at the cafe. Sat 7 Feb, 5.30-10pm, ÂŁ8 (ÂŁ6) www.tate.org.uk/visit/tate-liverpool

Sonic Fusion Festival is back for a fourth year to blur the boundaries between avant garde classical, electronic and improvised music (19-22 Feb). The festival kicks off with a concert of electroacoustic and sound art curated by artistsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; collective Metanast, including Salford indie-electronic band Patchwork Rattlebag and Russian-born pianist Xenia Pestova. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Festival will feature a number of world premiere performances, celebrating the blending of music with cutting-edge technologies, and will highlight the new in music across many genres,â&#x20AC;? said festival organiser Professor Steve Davismoon. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think such a spirit of inclusivity and innovation is the essence of Salford.â&#x20AC;? www.salford.ac.uk/arts-media/about/ events/salford-sonic-fusion-festival

never before seen glimpses through the frosted glass of the Naked Ladyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s bathroom window. This work could overturn months of accepted thinking amongst teen-scientists about the scale and density of the Naked Ladyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s boob bags. The teenage community welcomes the news, especially after a critical failure of last yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rover mission, when it was destroyed upon landing by an angry husband.

LIBRA You often get the sense the dead are hovering around you, but itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s simply the self-released fumes from the slightly-off chilli con carne you ate last night.

SCORPIO It has been said that there are more stars in the cosmos than there are grains of rice in a 1kg bag of rice.

SAGITTARIUS This month you find out that your entire life has been a cruel TV prank hosted by Ashton Kutcher.

CAPRICORN You start snowboarding to work.

AQUARIUS Although you never took your drug dealer for a New Age type, in February he suggests you take a month-long crystal meth healing retreat behind the bins at Farmfoods.

PISCES the seeds of love, grow that love, Plant harvest the love, herd the love into the thrashing gears of the mincing machine, then mechanically reform any leftover love into a pale block of affection-flavoured love substitute. twitter.com/themysticmark facebook.com/themysticmark

Chat

As we rumble relentlessly into the Year of the Ram, we find theatre taking a turn for the dystopian, with both Light and Mercury Fur suggesting a bleak not-too-distant future; thankfully, comedians including Josie Long and Mark Watson are here to balance things out.

In response to the Hayward Touring exhibition Listening, Carmel College students will showcase their own work, commissioned in response to the main show's mandate of exploring the art of listening itself (as opposed to the objects linked to it). The Bluecoat, Liverpool, 3-15 Feb, Free

Inspired by Edward Snowden's startling revelations on US surveillance and privacy encroachment, the Total Theatre Award-nominated Theatre Ad Infinitum present Light. Conjuring an Orwellian future where a totalitarian regime monitors the thoughts of its citizens through implants, it tells a tale of love, betrayal and technological power. The Lowry, Salford, 4-5 Feb, £14

Light

Ragnar Kjartansson Song (2011)

Sun 8 Feb

Mon 9 Feb

Tue 10 Feb

Something of a who's who of drone rock sees Grails and Slint members team up as Watter tonight, with support coming from Om's Emil Amos aka Holy Sons. Amos is in double action in fact, opening up an immersive evening with Lilacs and Champagne. The Deaf Institute, Manchester, 7.30pm, £11

Promising 'no-holds barred theatre,' Hollow Talk Theatre are starting as they mean to go on: Mercury Fur portrays a dystopian vision of riots, gangs and massacres taking place in a not-too-distant future within the UK. Amid this, two men have to obey the gruesome whims of their wealthy clients to survive. 24 Kitchen Street, Liverpool, 9-10 Feb, £6 (£4)

Not even a series of heart attacks has softened the bluntness of Carey Marx, with the British standup comedian co-opting everything from his recovery to the surgery itself in routines already at the more stomach-churning end of things. If you can take it, there are laughs galore to be had. The Spinning Top, Stockport, 7.30pm, £5

Watter

Carey Marx

Mercury Fur

Sun 15 Feb

Mon 16 Feb

It's been a long time coming but we're sure it'll be worth the wait. Yep, the Whitworth Art Gallery finally re-opens – and in style, with Chinese artist Cai Guo-Qiang providing an inaugural installation in the new Landscape Gallery and a special Video Jam programme among the highlights. Whitworth Art Gallery, Manchester, 1415 Feb, Free

Post-hardcore troupe Dope Body may have shared dwellings with fellow Baltimore residents Future Islands before, but they've little of their pals' starry-eyed pop vim. Expect a bristling, physical live show from a band at the top of their game, as last year's thunderous LP Lifer proved. Islington Mill, Salford, 5pm, £6

It's easy to be down on the human race, so it's a good thing that comedians like Mark Watson are about. His latest show Flaws looks at his own shortcomings and ours as a species, concluding that in spite of everything, we remain pretty spectacular. Appreciate it, mate. Unity Theatre, Liverpool, 16-17 Feb, £17

Dope Body

Photo: Alexander Bell

Sat 14 Feb

Whitworth Art Gallery Re-Opening

Mark Watson

Thu 19 Feb

Fri 20 Feb

Sat 21 Feb

How can we better a PR blurb that describes Rob Auton's Face Show as 'suitable for people who have a face or have seen someone with a face'? We can't. As his acclaimed stint at last year's Edinburgh Fringe proved, Auton is one of the UK's funniest spoken word artists on the current circuit. The King's Arms, Salford, 7.30pm, £8 (£6)

No ordinary Beth Orton show, tonight sees the constantly evolving folktronica artist present the results of her five-day Band on the Wall residency, during which she has invited 13 female musicians to join her in improvised collaboration. Band on the Wall, Manchester, 8pm, £15

Arguably the most ambitious of the semi-regular Fiesta Bombarda blowouts to date, the clubnight-cum-carnival takes over St. George's Hall, with Glasgow's Mungo's Hi-Fi topping a night of rhythms drawn from around the globe – and all illuminated with a dazzling visual mapping display. St. George's Hall, Liverpool, 7pm, £18

Rob Auton's Face Show

Beth Orton

Fiesta Bombarda

Thu 26 Feb

Fri 27 Feb

They may be celebrating their 20th anniversary, but FutureEverything aren't catching their breath. Tonight's festival launch promises two mesmerising live events, as Young Turks producer Koreless teams up with visual artist Emmanuel Biard, and digital artist Memo Akten presents a new algorithm-inspired work. RNCM, Manchester, 8pm, £12

Opened tonight at the Kazimier by Mercury-nominated GoGo Penguin, Liverpool International Jazz Festival may not yet be as large as its Manchester counterpart but the quality is easily on a par, with the Kit Downesassisted Troyka and the James Taylor Quartet headlining amid a slew of underground delights. Various locations, Liverpool, 26 Feb-1 Mar, prices vary

A hive of activity spreads through the Royal Northern College of Music tonight for FutureEverything, with Alec Empire presenting his seminal Low on Ice LP 20 years post-release, Deep Hedonia hosting fast-rising TriAngle Records producer Boothroyd, and the polarising PC Music's Danny L Harle DJing in the concourse. RNCM, Manchester, 7pm, prices vary

Chat

GoGo Penguin

Photo: Arlen Connelly

Wed 25 Feb

Koreless & Emmanuel Biard: 'The Well' at FutureEverything Moscow

Photo: Alex Brenner

Compiled by: Simon Jay Catling

Wed 4 Feb

Boothroyd

THE SKINNY

Photo: Andrew AB

Heads Up

Tue 3 Feb

Fri 6 Feb

Sat 7 Feb

As part of MMU's ongoing Humanities in Public series, Human Trouble: No Laughing Matter? brings together four comedians who present startlingly open, honest accounts of the societal and disability issues they face daily. Headlining is the internationally acclaimed Laurence Clark, who suffers from cerebral palsy. The Dancehouse, Manchester, 7.30pm, £8

The Royal Standard's first exhibition of the year, BamBamBam follows the simple premise of letting three different groups have the run of the gallery for a week at a time, with 29 local artists given free rein to collide diverse styles in collaboration with one another. The Royal Standard, Liverpool, 6-22 Feb, Free

Part of the excellent Queer Contact season at Contact Theatre, Queer Media Festival presents a day of 'chatshow-styled' talks with DIVA arts editor Anna McNay, ITV's Paul Brand, Hollyoaks producer Addie Orfila and more. Credence film director Mike Buonaiuto is among the hosts. Contact, Manchester, 11am, £15 (£10)

The Royal Standard

Thu 12 Feb

Fri 13 Feb

LIPA students take on the classic 50s sci-fi spoof Little Shop of Horrors, in which a struggling shop owner discovers an R'n'B-singing flower (like a leafier Usher or something) and uses him to make his millions. One problem, mind: the blossoming bastard has a huge appetite for world domination. LIPA (Paul McCartney Auditorium), Liverpool, 11-14 Feb, £8 (£4)

Simon Amstell has come a long way since making one of The Ordinary Boys storm off Never Mind the Buzzocks. Now one of the UK's most thoughtful standup comedians, Amstell is awkward and often self-deprecating, with an ability to keep you on his side even when hinting at his more brattish past. Epstein Theatre, Liverpool, 12-13 Feb, £21

Drop the Dumbells return with a new home on Dublin Street and new shows to boot, such as Geneva-based Orchestre Tout Puissant Marcel Duchamp. Translating as 'a mighty orchestra,' the collective deal in postpunk minimalism mixed with wider Afrobeat sounds, creating a warmth around their spindly structures. Drop the Dumbells, Liverpool, 7.30pm, £Donations

Simon Amstell

Little Shop of Horrors

Tue 17 Feb

Wed 18 Feb

Something of a cult favourite among other musicians, Japanese trio Nisennenmondai tend to take a sledgehammer to the line that intersects no wave, disco and krautrock – creating a deeply intense sound that's as much for moving to as it is absorbing. Soup Kitchen, Manchester, 7.30pm, £8

And so, after 14 years, the Godfather of neo-soul returned and proffered his third album Black Messiah; and lo, the people did remember that D'Angelo was the power, and the glory, and possessed the kingdom of loads of nuanced sultry little melodies that combined to leave their ears and limbs seduced. And it was good. Apollo, Manchester, 7pm, from £30.50

Orchestre Tout Puissant Marcel Duchamp

D'Angelo

Nisennenmondai

Mon 23 Feb

Tue 24 Feb

As Chinese New Year dawns, a host of events Manchester-wide greet the Year of the Ram. Be sure to check out the CFCCA-organised Sun Xun screenings, as well as St. Anne's Square's food market; the showpiece is of course today's dragon parade, stretching from Chinatown to Albert Square. Various locations, Manchester, noon, Free

Inspired by BBC4 documentary Burton and Taylor, which looked into the life of the combustible Hollywood partners, Dhanil Ali's play The Liz & Dick Show tracks the professional and personal breakdown of the two actors, evoking the Richard Taylor quote "Our love is so furious that we burn each other up." Lantern Theatre, Liverpool, 23-24 Feb, £10.50

Contemporary music ensemble Psappha take on the switching moods of composer Steve Mackay's Five Animated Shorts at the resplendent Hallé St. Peter's. Adding further colour to the evening are the Cardiff School of Art and Design, who've created five new animations to be screened alongside each section. Hallé St. Peter's, Manchester, 7.30pm, £15 (£7.50)

Photo: Blaise Adilon

Sun 22 Feb

Chinese New Year Parade

The Liz & Dick Show

Maelle Chevallier

Sun 1 Mar

Mon 2 Mar

Michael Takeo Magruder's Living Data sees the visual artist combine modern computer systems and networks with traditional forms of visual art to create a hybrid of paintings, sculptures, videos and installations, allowing interaction with data that is becoming part of our everyday lives. The Brindley, Runcorn, 28 Feb18 Apr, Free

Expanding from a base of Northeast roots-based music, The Unthanks have spent the past decade twisting perceptions of folk tradition into something new, taking influences from Miles Davis to Steve Reich to explore their limits. The former Mercury nominees' new album is due this year. Philharmonic Hall, Liverpool, 7.30pm, from £19.50

Quietly working away as one of the most engaging comedians within the UK, Josie Long's latest show Cara Josephine looks to be her most personal yet as she explores that most universal of subjects, love, and the slightly less universal one of being outdoorsy as a bear. Unity Theatre, Liverpool, 8pm, £16

February 2015

The Unthanks

Photo: Stuart Reidman

Sat 28 Feb

Michael Takeo Magruder - Dataplex Economy City

Photo: DR

Wed 11 Feb

Paul Brand

Josie Long

Chat

Photo: People's History Musuem

Human Trouble: No Laughing Matter?

Photo: Ade Hunter

Thu 5 Feb

The Cuban Revelation As they team up with Richard Russell for their transcontinental debut, French-Cuban prodigies Ibeyi trace the entwined paths that led them here Interview: Jazz Monroe Photography: Nuria Rius

hortly after the sudden death of Angá Díaz, his twin daughters Naomi and Lisa-Kaindé packed bags and prepared to fly from Paris to Cuba for his hometown burial ceremony. Angá, a feted percussionist who once covered Thelonious Monk’s ‘Round Midnight with seven congas instead of a piano, had travelled all his life and his family was keenly awaited back home. But when the girls arrived at the airport, officials zealous over Cuban borders denied them reentry. Dejected, the 11-year-olds waved bye to their mother, Maya, and instead staged their own private memorial, moping the Parisian streets. They brought home a stray kitten with fiery red fur and named him Echu Mingua, after Angá’s 2005 solo album. In the nine years since, Echu the cat has witnessed a quiet revolution in the sisters’ Montparnasse home. After Angá’s heart attack Naomi took up the cajón, the last instrument he had been learning, and Lisa-Kaindé became a skilled noir-soul singer, able to snap from velvet croons to volatile hollers. Their stylish pop blend of international roots – Yoruba folk, Latin American jazz, fraught R’n’B – radically departed from their classical schooling, and it swiftly turned heads. After early scepticism due to their age, they signed a deal with XL Records at age 19 last year, sweetened by the personal tutelage of boss Richard Russell. Not that his high guidance should snatch the spotlight. Start to finish, it transpires, the Díaz twins held the reins; when The Skinny praises the smashed-glass climax in the single, Oya, they light up: “We broke it!” February heralds the duo’s debut album, Ibeyi. Their high spirits testify to its brilliance. Over Skype, Naomi is coolly enthused, jumping into her sister’s pauses and chain-smoking straights with French dedication. Lisa-Kaindé, presumably the younger one (the name Kehinde traditionally denotes a second-born twin), laughs loudly and often, and rocks back and forth when excited. Even outside the studio, the pair are never less than musical: their conversations are so vibrant and sing-songy you suspect they’d hold up over a Naomi beat. Unlike the Díaz home, where family friends parade in and out, the recording of Ibeyi was deliberately intimate, with a strict ban on session musicians. As producer, Richard Russell was unpatronising but selectively assertive, obediently weaving in the odd hip-hop and electronic note as well as accentuating their Yoruba flair. “When we met Richard,” Lisa-Kaindé recalls, “this fire started burning. We realised that we really wanted to do a second album, and then a third

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one. He helped us to find our sound in ourselves.” The songs, which Lisa-Kaindé began composing at 14, benefit from Naomi’s complex yet unfussy percussion. “One day someone came out with the idea of making an EP,” Naomi recalls. “And I said to Lisa, ‘You are not going to do this EP without me, darling.’” Both sisters sing in English, French and, most emphatically, Yoruba, their ancestral tongue from southwest Nigeria and Benin (Ibeyi means “twins” in the language). The redemptive current of Yoruba chants and militant dancehall is the record’s saving grace. One song, Yanira, is a stirring, conga-driven waltz that memorialises their older sister, who died in 2013 of a stroke. Another is Think of You: anchored by their father’s influence – it samples his string section and speaking voice – the song segues nostalgically between Yoruba and English over a juddering, digitally haunted beat. “We walk on rhythm and we think of you,” goes the chorus. In the Cuban spirit, Angá Díaz had never been a man to dwell on his troubles – diminishing funds foremost among them. But even the beaming optimist must have felt butterflies when, in the mid 1970s, he left the tobacco-farming village of San Juan y Martínez for Havana, to fulfil his classical percussion scholarship at Cuba’s National School of Arts. Angá, whose own father was a saxophonist and clarinettist, had learned percussion beating his mother’s pots and pans before knuckling down at an arts boarding school near his hometown. But his crucial leg-up was pure luck. The day Angá arrived in Havana, the school’s vanguard outfit, Opus 13, were down a conguero. Word spread of the young villager famed for his rhumba, and thus began a nine-year relationship with the group, during which Angá would adopt and adapt his predecessor’s five-conga trademark. He would later make his name touring the world with Irakere, before entering the pantheon playing with high-flyers like the Afro-Cuban All Stars and Buena Vista Social Club. The Díaz brood had been one of many displaced from Nigeria and Benin during the transatlantic slave trade. The 19th-century African diaspora skewed heavily towards Latin America and, prominently, Cuba. Yoruba culture followed close behind, and Ibeyi, who visit Cuba once a year, attest to its lasting magic. “There’s a lot of music,” says Lisa-Kaindé, beaming. “Everybody has something: everybody sings, everybody dances, they have rhythm in them – there are special energies. You can reach and talk to people who inspire you. Walking down the streets of Havana is mind-blowing.”

Montparnasse, just south of central Paris, is where the twins while away the rest of the year, in a low-key artistic neighbourhood. “French people try to be really quiet,” says Lisa-Kaindé. “It’s not like Cuba, where everybody will listen to reggaeton, like, ‘Wooh!’” She shrugs, as if to suggest such let-downs are part and parcel of French life. “I mean, if you hear hip-hop around here, it comes from our house.”

“There’s a lot of music in Cuba. Everybody has something: everybody sings, everybody dances” Lisa-Kaindé Díaz

The house, as it happens, is a marvel in itself. Full of art books, stray CD cases and Frida Kahlo prints and self-portraits (“her face is practically everywhere because, actually, we love her,” grins Lisa-Kaindé), it’s an eccentric celebration of their past. “I used to be ashamed,” admits Naomi, “not of our family, but of our house. Most of our friends have money, so the houses were all white, super-fashion.” “Trendy, super light and black and la la,” adds Lisa-Kaindé. “And it’s like, Oh my god, when you go into my home it’s like–” “Africa.” “The smell of Africa. And I was ashamed.” “But,” Lisa-Kaindé concludes, “when we used to invite our friends to our home, they liked it so much. Me, I never felt ashamed of my home, not at all. I actually think our family’s kind of the best.” And the glue holding it together, they agree, is their mother. While the young Angá Díaz was puncturing his parents’ kitchenware, many miles south over the Caribbean Sea there resided a displaced French girl named Maya Dagnino, whose parents had left Paris to raise her in Venezuela. Just as Angá grew up around music, Maya – a burgeoning

MUSIC

photographer – was never far from art; she enjoyed the company of her father’s poetry and paintings, some of which survive chez Ibeyi. And while Maya does not have Yoruba blood – her heritage is French-Tunisian – she discovered the culture at a singing class aged 18, having settled in France, years before meeting Angá through a mutual friend at a Brixton Irakere gig. Today, as we discuss the family tree, the house is abuzz with history. Occasionally Maya’s voice pierces the wall to correct her daughters’ narrative. Despite the twins’ routine arguments, a current of musical and family activity keeps the house vibe afloat. “There were always a lot of people in the house,” says Naomi. “A lot of joy and happiness.” “At first,” adds Lisa-Kaindé, “all our parents wanted was for us to enjoy music. We used to put on music and dance everywhere.” As the girls’ creativity blossomed, the family adopted a new team spirit, not least thanks to their uncle, a feverish storyteller with a knack for catchy lyric writing. “He’s not our mum’s brother,” clarifies Naomi, but, says Lisa-Kaindé, “He’s our heart-uncle. He fits so perfectly in our family, he’s a family member. He’s not like the old uncle that you don’t wanna listen to.” While Richard Russell’s cosign was key, it was Beninese singer Angélique Kidjo who orchestrated Ibeyi’s break. In 2013, Kidjo invited the duo to Festival Cotonou Couleurs Jazz, a rare international festival in Benin populated by Yoruba music fans. “As I walked on stage,” Naomi recalls, “I was thinking, This is a moment that’s going to happen once in your life. The first time you are playing and singing Yoruba in front of a Yoruba crowd.” “We were really worried,” says Lisa-Kaindé, “because we were going to sing a Yoruba that they can’t understand. Because of course, when the slaves went to Cuba it changed a little bit.” “But actually they were proud.” “They were happy to see that Cuban people are carrying on Yoruba. They all want to go to Africa, and I think they were happy to see that. Being in Benin, it feels just like Cuba.” In what way are Cuban and Beninese Yoruba similar? “What people have, is that they believe in the humanity,” asserts Lisa-Kaindé. “They have nothing, but they do believe in humanity. In Paris they have everything but they are scared. There, they are not scared. They share everything with each other, and they say, ‘We can do better.’” Ibeyi’s self-titled debut album is released on 16 Feb via XL Recordings. They play Manchester Night & Day on 22 Feb www.ibeyi.fr

THE SKINNY

February 2015

MUSIC

Feature

No Pausing for Breath This year marks the 20th anniversary of FutureEverything and a chance for its organisers to take stock — but not to stand still. They tell us what’s next for this pioneering festival that explores the nexus of technology, society and culture

Interview: Simon Jay Catling

s you’d probably guess, FutureEverything isn’t in the habit of looking backwards. Founded by Drew Hemment in 1995 as Futuresonic (before its 2010 name change), the conference and live showcase keeps an unflinching eye on the horizon as it brings together music, performance, art and digital technology – be it exploring the pros and cons of open data, investigating the prospects of locative media as far back as 2003, or in presenting unique performances from futurists of both their own generation (Steve Reich, Philip Glass) and ours (Kode9, Ryoji Ikeda, Tim Hecker). Anniversaries are different, though. They provide an irresistible urge to pause for breath – but for FutureEverything such a notion could feel contradictory. “It’s been challenging,” admits FutureEverything executive director Tom Higham, “but it’s also an opportunity to say ‘this is where we are now.’ The programme isn’t looking backwards, we’re looking at what we’ve been through over past festivals – locative journalism, environmental sensors, open data – and asking ‘what’s next? Are we making a difference?’” FutureEverything founder Hemment agrees. The original Futuresonic quickly evolved into something far greater in scope, with Hemment becoming instrumental in open data discourse, including establishing the pioneering Greater Manchester Data Synchronisation programme. One of numerous year-round projects FutureEverything invests in, its portal of open data aims to help Manchester’s governance, businesses and residents develop mutually beneficial data services. However, Hemment points out: “Cut us down the middle and you can read ‘open, local, bottom-up is best.’ But if an idea becomes doctrine it’s no longer good. So we do want to take stock a little and think about the values and ideas that can take us forward.” As such, the forthcoming 2015 instalment isn’t an attempt to look into the oracle of digital culture to latch on to a great leap forward – it’s a documentation of what’s actually going on in the present, technologically and culturally. Provocation is a key facet of the FutureEverything programme; in a world where, increasingly, only hardline stances appear to gain recognition, the event provides a platform for those who openly consider all sides. Key speakers at this year’s conference include data artist Jer Thorp, who, by way of accessible graphic presentations, humanises data to coerce out of it coded messages within the media — for instance, he traces the way that the New York Times used the term ‘terrorism’ more as its use of ‘communism’ declined between 1981 and 2009. There’s also Italian conceptual artist Paolo Cirio, whose notorious Daily Paywall piece questioned economic models and distribution of information, by stealing articles from paywall sites and offering the article’s writer and readers various ways to earn money from them. “These are artists who are highly critical of current society’s perception that we need more surveillance to protect our own freedom of speech, when it would actually present a problematic contradiction of that,” says Higham. “But these are difficult issues, we’re not trying to be a group of clever people pointing at another group of people and laughing.” Higham points at the surge in Uber taxis as an example of what’s likely to come up within one of the conference’s themes of ownership. “In the tech festival sector there’s a celebration of its solutionism and sharing economy – but what does it mean for the rights of the drivers and

Feature

Koreless & Emmanuel Biard: 'The Well' at FutureEverything Moscow

employment conditions and how it’s regulated? We don’t want to just tell people things are great and them not need to know any more. We’re about opening up some of the complexities of such issues, but without alienating people.”

“It’s about hacking reality, looking for a different take on the world” Drew Hemment

The live programme also features plenty of figures willing to probe, prod and antagonise, from the more obvious, like Ariel Pink and Alec Empire – who, in one of the festival’s few nods to its anniversary, will perform his 1995 LP Low on Ice in full – to the likes of London-based label PC Music, who were subject to digital reams of thinkpieces in 2014 over the skewered auto-tune pop with which they’ve become synonymous. “It would seem remiss to avoid it,” comments senior producer Mark Carlin. “Some would say cynically we’ve thrown it in because everyone’s talking about it – but that’s valid! We’re trying to give an experience of everything across the board and whatever you think about it you can’t ignore it.” Elsewhere on the bill, several burgeoning artists reflect the festival’s desire to explore and question the flood of data we’re riding upon. Tri Angle Records’ Boothroyd’s 2014 EP Idle Hours couldn’t be anything other than a product of our

post-Millennial ADD age, with samples drawn from YouTube videos, bringing to mind someone impatiently clicking through clips. “It’s interesting you say that, though, because I’ve had a couple people tell me it sounds ‘retro’ too,” he tells The Skinny over email – “although admittedly I’d never say that I’d consider myself a ‘futurist,’ because that makes me sound like a wanker.” Gazelle Twin’s recent record Unflesh, meanwhile, was a viscerally thrilling mix of bludgeoning industrialism, offset by vocals that careered from murmured spoken word to operatic flight. Her video for Belly of the Beast mixed footage filmed undercover in supermarkets with CCTV footage from supermarkets ravaged by earthquakes. “It took on both sides of my fascination with the look of that technology, and the implications it has towards society – especially in the sense of criminalising people,” Gazelle Twin – real name Elizabeth Bernholz – says. “It’s a topic that I find myself returning to again and again, the uncanny world that the pure aesthetic of some of this technology presents. It’s also interesting to witness the impact on culture of technology constructed to form a power structure from a singular, all-seeing source.” Last autumn, FutureEverything debuted in Moscow, in an event that showcased the festival’s greater commitment to both artist development and international outreach, and how it looks at itself moving forwards. “With any festival it’s difficult to maintain energy and build relationships when you’re only doing something once a year,” says Carlin. “Events like Moscow are something we’re keen to explore further, moving to one place and informing one another and then moving that information on – engaging audiences and collaborators multiple times.” Among the new collaborations forged while in Russia, the festival

MUSIC

developed the work Simple Harmonic Motion with sound and light artist Memo Akten. Composed for 16 percussionists drawn from the Royal College of Northern Music, it’ll form part of the Manchester event’s opening night. Moscow also saw the world premiere of Young Turks producer Koreless and visual artist Emmanuel Biard’s collaboration The Well – an example of FutureEverything’s changing relationship with returning artists, in that the organisation has worked on the project from initial idea to finished concept. “It’s a move away from that obsession with the new, and the one-upmanship of festival culture, and working towards more long-term development with artists,” says Carlin; “Koreless and Emmanuel Biard was 18 months in the marking.” For Biard, who for a long time has been the visual provocateur behind influential Manchester club night Hoya:Hoya, the festival has been hugely beneficial. Performing at last year’s event with Evian Christ, their union has now become a regular thing. It’s these benefits for the artists and communities around FutureEverything beyond its three-day event that ensure the organisation’s constant renewal. “The ethos and manifesto behind it is still much the same,” says Hemment. “It’s still about art and music, about hacking reality, looking for a different take on the world. The big shift is from putting groundbreaking projects and people we admire on stage, to being involved year-round.” Higham admits that the lifespan of a technologically-orientated festival is typically very short, “but through tenacity and force of will we’ve managed to turn 20. I think that’s a remarkable thing.” FutureEverything Festival takes place at various locations in Manchester between 25-28 Feb (conference 26-27 Feb). See listings and the festival website for full event details www.futureeverything.org

THE SKINNY

Photo: Oleg Zhirov, Alexander Delowoy

THURS 5 FEB 11PM 18+ PAY ON DOOR

NOTORIOUS

ALL THE 2000’S HIP HOP, POP AND R&B YOU COULD ASK FOR FRI 6 FEB 6.30PM £20 ADV

MAGNUM

SAT 7 FEB 7PM £12.50 ADV

BAILEY MCCONNEL

TUES 10 FEB 7PM £12.50 ADV

THE STAVES

WEDS 11 FEB 7PM £7 ADV

ALEXANDER

MON 16 FEB 7PM £12 ADV

KING CHARLES

MON 16 FEB 7PM £12.50 ADV SLOW CLUB + HAPPYNESS WEDS 18 FEB 7PM £7 ADV

ORLA GARTLAND

SAT 21 FEB 10PM 18+

CHIBUKU

FT. HANNAH WANTS, BUTLER & BONTAN (4HR SET), GOT SOME, SG LEWIS & HOLLY LESTER FRI 27 FEB 7PM £6 ADV

THE BASEMENT EFFECT

SAT 28 FEB 10PM 18+

CIRCUS

FT. VIVA WARRIORS, STEVE LAWLER, YOUSEF, ANDREA OLIVIA, SANTE B2B SIDNEY CHARLES, DENNEY, DETLEF (LIVE) TUES 3 MAR 7PM £7 ADV

RHODES

TUES 3 MAR 7PM £19 ADV

THE SECURITY PROJECT

A UNIQUE CELEBRATION OF THE WORK OF PETER GABRIEL FRI 6 MAR 7PM £14 ADV

MARTHA TILSTON

SAT 7 MAR 12PM-5PM FREE ENTRY

PILLBOX VINTAGE FAIR

SAT 7 MAR 7PM £6 ADV

OUTLINES

Listening

WEDS 11 MAR 7PM £13 ADV LUCY ROSE + HALF EARTH FRI 13 MAR 7PM £14 ADV

DUKE SPECIAL

+ PAUL COOK & THE CHRONICLES FRI 13 MAR 7PM £6 ADV

An exhibition curated by Sam Belinfante Hayward Touring Curatorial Open

LIVERPOOL ROCKS! - SEMI FINALS SAT 14 MAR 7PM £11 ADV

Sat 24 January – Sun 29 March 2015 10am–6pm, free

WE WERE PROMISED JETPACKS

TUES 17 MAR 7PM £15 ADV

THE ANSWER

School Lane, Liverpool L1 3BX www.thebluecoat.org.uk @thebluecoat

February 2015

Laurie Anderson The Handphone Table 1978 © mac LYON collection. Photo © Blaise Adilon

THURS 19 MAR 7PM £16.50 ADV THE SELECTER + THE TUTS THURS 19 MAR 7PM £11 ADV

MILES & ERICA OF THE WONDER STUFF

FRI 20 MAR 7PM £10 ADV

HUNTER & THE BEAR

FRI 20 MAR 7PM £6 ADV

LIVERPOOL ROCKS! - SEMI FINALS SAT 28 MAR 7PM £10 ADV

MIC LOWRY

SAT 28 MAR 7PM £6 ADV

JACKOBINS

TUES 31 MAR 7PM £6 ADV

DEMOB HAPPY

WEDS 1 APR 7PM £11 ADV

WARD THOMAS

THURS 2 APR 11PM 18+ PAY ON DOOR

NOTORIOUS

ALL THE 2000’S HIP HOP, POP AND R&B YOU COULD ASK FOR FRI 17 APR 7PM £12.50 ADV

MARK MORRIS

(THE BLUETONES) FRI 24 APR 7PM £25 ADV

KAZIK NA ZYWO

Seeing Queerly: A Season of LGBT Cinema February 2015 Manchester Metropolitan University is delighted to present a special series of screenings and related events marking LGBT History Month.

Screenings

Talks

Vito – Wednesday 11 February, 6.30pm, Manchester Metropolitan University, Business School

Being a Gay Film Critic in the 1970s – Monday 16 February, 6pm Manchester Metropolitan University, Geoffrey Manton Building

Taxi Zum Klo – Thursday 12 February, 6.30pm, Manchester Metropolitan University, Business School

LGBT Film Festivals and Activism – Monday 23 February, 6pm Manchester Metropolitan University, Geoffrey Manton Building

Shortbus plus Q&A with the legendary queer cabaret icon (and star of the film) Justin V. Bond – Sunday 15 February, 1pm, Contact Theatre, Oxford Road, Manchester £9/ £6 Concessions Special Charity Screening of Will You Dance With Me? – Friday 20 February, 8pm, Sackville Lounge, Sackville Street, Manchester All profits from this event will be donated to George House Trust and Albert Kennedy Trust.

Events are free unless stated but booking is essential to secure your place. See www.hssr.mmu.ac.uk/seeing-queerly for further details and how to book. This project is organised to coincide with LGBT History Month and is financially supported by Film Hub NWC, a member of the BFI Film Audience Network. We are grateful for the support of Queer Contact and Macdonald Hotels and Resorts.

THE SKINNY

Sound and Vision Included in the new Hayward Curatorial Open exhibition, Listening (recently opened at Liverpool’s Bluecoat), and with an ICA solo show on the horizon, Prem Sahib caught up with us about throbbing noise, white cubes and touring your work

“C

an you hear that beat outside?” Prem Sahib asks me. I can’t. I listen harder. “It’s someone playing music really loudly somewhere.” I finally pick it out from the other noises of the city, a dull throbbing pulse. We are sitting in front of a heater in Sahib’s studio at Cell Project Space, London, and he is telling me about his work which is currently touring the UK as part of the current Hayward Curatorial Open exhibition, Listening. The show arrived at the Bluecoat this month, having travelled from its first home at BALTIC in Newcastle. After Liverpool it will go on to venues in Sheffield and Norwich. Now in its third year, the open competition invites applications from ‘artists, writers and imaginative thinkers in all walks of life’ to design an innovative new exhibition that re-invents how we think about art. This is a unique opportunity in an industry where most of the exhibitions staged by larger institutions come from a very particular and often elite group. We have not yet, however, seen a winning exhibition designed by the gallery invigilator, café/bar server or, indeed, any other individual that does not occupy the traditional roles of curator, critic or artist. It will be interesting to see if this will happen at some point down the line. 2014’s exhibition has been created by London-based artist Sam Belinfante and investigates the act of listening in contemporary visual art. Many of the 18 selected artists work in the fields of art and music and all pose questions about how we approach and interact with both the visual and the sonic in the gallery space. There is a great variety in the mediums on display, from drawings and sculpture to prints and video. Sahib, whose career has really taken off since graduation from the RA in 2013, is also in very good company with artists such as Janet Cardiff and George Bures Miller, Christian Marclay and Ed Atkins also included in the exhibition.

February 2015

Sahib’s installation, titled Taking Turns, consists of a large white cube or box structure set against a wall or corner in the gallery space. A soundtrack plays from within the cube with speakers inlaid into the wall causing a slight vibration. Blue-purple light (which Sahib describes pleasingly as being “like a bruise in the surface”) emanates from the interior edge, suggesting a nightclub hidden just out of view. The viewer is teased in, with the positioning of the cube in different spaces allowing for a narrow passage by which to approach the party, but then blocked by the work itself. “You can’t access it,” says Sahib, “this is a structure that you are navigated around. Part of the idea with the work is this frustration of not really being able to see or access something. There is enough space for you to poke your head around but you can’t physically occupy the internal space.” There is something rather Robert Gober-ish about this denial of full physical and visual access. Over Christmas I visited his major retrospective at MOMA and, in one incredibly seductive work, two identical bathrooms were installed with their doors opened just slightly, allowing visitors to just about see the limb of a person in a bathtub. Invigilators were on hand to make sure you didn’t even slightly brush against the surface of the door and the thwarted satisfaction of the artwork was delicious. This pull-and-push role of the Taking Turns soundtrack, both drawing you in and obstructing you by design, is something curator Belinfante was particularly interested in for the exhibition. “Listening is not only the exhibition’s subject matter but also the method by which works are encountered and explored,” he says. “I want visitors to be playfully arrested and surprised by the ways in which they are directed around the space.” Taking Turns was first shown at Frieze Art Fair in 2013, exhibited with several other objects made by Sahib surrounding it, but the work felt very different in this context. “It became this kind of physical plug at Frieze. You might not have

been so alerted to it as a work as there were several other elements included and you might not have even attributed the sound you hear to the object. Walking around or near to it there would just be this kind of music coming from somewhere unspecific.”

“Part of the idea with the work is this frustration of not really being able to see or access something” Prem Sahib

This first iteration of the work at Frieze seems a fitting one, an inaccessible party happening in a white cube shown at, some would say, the ultimate in inaccessible art parties which is all staged around the notion, the culture and the power of the white cube. The context of the work changes, necessarily, with every new showing, and the touring exhibitions can be an interesting (and convenient) way to test out new ways of display, context and narratives. “I do think that it tests the work,” says Sahib. ”When I conceived of Taking Turns there were conditions I was really relying on, white walls for example. I now wonder how it would work in a brick wall space. The process has made me think about which conditions are super important for the work. It makes me face and evaluate the importance of framing and think about how much of how you, as an artist and as a viewer, approach the work as an autonomous object and how much of it is mediated by

ART

Interview: Sacha Waldron

the conditions in which you place or view it.” Constructing conditions or subverting the way in which we view and navigate artworks in a non-traditional gallery context is something that Sahib explores in his work frequently. In 2013 a solo exhibition at London’s Southard Reid (whom Sahib, like Belinfante, is represented by) saw the artist transform the gallery into a club for a single night and play with ideas of Freud’s Pleasure Principle and the politics of what we use the gallery space for and why we visit them. There is always a human element in Sahib’s work, no matter how minimal he can get. These are not objects or ideas floating in space, they are firmly anchored in our human and often bodily interactions, our emotions, conflicts, excesses and weaknesses. After a packed year of art fairs, New York shows and the Gwangju Biennale, Sahib is now gearing up for what will be the most ambitious project and high-profile exhibition of his career so far. The ICA have invited him to occupy their ground floor space for a solo exhibition in September. What does he have planned, then, for the progression of his work over the coming months? “My initial ideas have been around building a kind of structure that fills the entirety of the space and creates intimate viewings for things,” he says. “I’m interested in using structures to sometimes obscure and weaken something that’s quite architectural. I think it and my ideas will change a million times before the show and that’s what I want. I want to be able to throw loads of ideas around see what happens.” So let’s see what happens. Given the slickness of Sahib’s practice, it is exciting to be party to the initial stages and ideas for his new body of work, where everything is still possible and the end may look very different from the beginning. Listening runs at the Bluecoat, Liverpool until 29 March before travelling on to Site Gallery and Sheffield Institute of Arts in April/May, then Norwich University of the Arts over the summer www.thebluecoat.org.uk

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Photo: Colin Davison

Prem Sahib - Taking Turns (2014)

Sampling the Past Ahead of new album Projections, the enigmatic Romare shares his thoughts on the recording process, folk music and his namesake

Interview: Thomas Short You’ve spoken in the past about seeing your music academically, approaching samples like sources in an essay. I find that really refreshing. Do you wish there was more of this kind of attention to detail in electronic music as a whole? I’m quite happy that there isn’t much of this kind of attention to samples in music at the moment as it makes me a fairly unique artist. It was one of the additional incentives of using samples in the music-making process.

“I wanted to vary the tracks as much as I could within the aesthetic I was working with, without compromising accessibility”

Photo: Chris J Rhodes

Romare

ampling has always been something of a musical hot potato. When it’s not in the news for lawsuits that leave lazy artists with a staggering fine and the scorn of the music press, it often serves as an uncomfortable reminder of the public’s weakness for artists who shamelessly appropriate other musical traditions (see Moby’s platinum-certified album Play, which took Alan Lomax’s field recordings and reduced them to coffee shop muzak). Yet there have been samplers whose craftsmanship and devotion to the technique has yielded incredible results that still sound fresh today. DJ Shadow’s Endtroducing remains a headtrip worth taking, and The Avalanches’ Since I Left You continues to pack a hefty emotional punch. Unlike many of his contemporaries, Romare firmly belongs in the latter camp. His nom de plume is borrowed from the Afro-American artist and polymath Romare Bearden, whose 1964 exhibition, Projections, is also the title of the producer’s forthcoming debut album on Ninja Tune. Bearden’s striking collages combined arthistorical fragments with magazine clippings to reshape popular representations of black identity. Romare’s sampling is informed by a similarly

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academic approach, combining and juxtaposing long-standing and cutting-edge African-American musical forms from jazz to juke with his own entrancing compositions in a way which belies the dusty historical narrative in which they are often placed. Fortunately for the listener, the result is both highly danceable and likely to provoke extended Shadow-esque reveries. The Skinny: I’m gonna come out and say it. I’ve enjoyed this a lot more than any electronic album of the last couple of years. It really held my attention throughout. How was the experience of producing it? Romare: It took longer to make and demanded more thought, because more songs meant more diversity. But it was an interesting challenge because it meant I had room to explore new styles. Did you end up doing any of the live instrumentation yourself? I made the whole album in my bedroom. I managed to get a big room in the flat I’m living in, so there was enough room to partition the space and set up a studio. This also meant I had enough room for all my instruments. I played all of the

live instrumentation myself, bass guitar, acoustic guitar, synthesisers, drum machines, percussion, etc. This constitutes about half of the music in the songs, the other half are samples, but then you can turn these into instruments too. The other thing I noticed is that there is this really admirable restraint to many of the songs; there are some really subtle decisions being made to avoid anything obvious in the way of drops or big dumb hooks. Yet it’s also really accessible. That feels like a really difficult balance to get right. Was that your intention? Yes, generally I wanted to make the songs feel a little less regular structurally. I wanted them to feel a little more natural and tried to give each song its own structural personality where possible. I guess these were subconscious decisions which came under the bigger objective of wanting to vary the tracks as much as I could within the aesthetic I was working with, without compromising accessibility. I found myself getting more involved with things like key changes, tempo changes, and the use of pauses or gaps. But there are still a few blunt pieces in there.

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There’s obviously a real thread throughout the album of African-American musical culture, as seen in your use of samples and track titles which nod to various movements, from disco to work songs. It reminds of me an infographic I saw a while ago, in which there are all these arrows crisscrossing across the globe, showing the birthplace of various forms of music and how they intersected. What struck me about that was the juxtaposition, where you have crunk and spirituals both coming from the same place in the South. It demonstrates that it’s not simply a process of evolution, not simply a straight line from one to the other. Is that what you’re getting at? The album, like the exhibition Bearden put on in 1964 of the same name, largely explores facets of American musical culture. And like Bearden’s work it tends to focus on African-American aspects. Other than Roots I wouldn’t say there are many other direct nods to Africa. Do you think we’ve lost anything now that so much of contemporary music is geographically and historically non-specific? It exists on the internet and therefore it could be from anywhere. Or are we only to gain? I think it’s fair to say that folk music is slowly dying out because of things like the internet. Old recordings are becoming more valuable. New music is becoming more available. What’s next on your musical horizon? I’d like to work on Love Songs: Part Two and make it a bigger body of work than the first volume. I think Asian or South American music would be great to work with. Finally, is there a musician/artist working today in your field or any other who really inspires you? Romare Bearden will always be a central inspiration to me because of the originality and beauty of his work. Projections is released on 23 Feb via Ninja Tune www.ninjatune.net/artist/romare

THE SKINNY

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VOL:2 A BIG BIG LOVE... MANCHESTER ACADEMY

Bank Holiday

Sat May 23 2015 performing their classic album shakespeare alabama

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3 stages... 14 great bands... 10 hours of music... A BIG BIG LOVE...

February 2015

Esoteric Horror: The Return Are we going through a mini horror renaissance? Upcoming releases, including inventive slasher It Follows and allegorical animal-uprising oddity White God, suggest a resounding yes

o genre is more derivative than that of horror. So rote are these scary movies that all one need do to score satirical points against them is point out their shopworn tropes. For evidence, see smart-arsed meta-horrors like Cabin in the Woods or the Scream series, where comedic oxygen is generated simply through a character’s suggesting they go outside to investigate a suspicious noise or read aloud from the creepylooking book that’s been mysteriously left in the basement. The great horror movie paradox, however, is that, in the right hands, it can also be the most expressive and inventive of cinematic modes. The genre has given birth to its fair share of masterworks – think The Cabinet of Dr Caligari, Psycho, The Shining – while it’s provided the perfect playground for some of our greatest visual filmmakers, with the likes of Steven Spielberg, Brian De Palma and David Lynch honing their skills while scaring us out of our wits. Like all genres, its quality has waxed and waned over the years. The last decade or so has been particularly poor, thanks mainly to the popularity of the ‘torture porn’ movies (Saw, Hostel) in the mid 00s, which prefer explicit gore over implicit terror, and the ever-diminishing returns of the found footage subgenre, their camcorder shocks decreasing with each passing Blair Witch knockoff. But things are on the up – esoteric horror, where smarts trumps scares and atmosphere is as important as action, is on the rise. It can be seen in the work of young directors like Ti West (The House of the Devil) and Adam Wingard (The Guest), who take inspiration from the B-movies they grew up with in the 70s and 80s, and incorporate the era’s sharp social satire and stylish camerawork into their films. Scan critics’ top-ten lists for 2014, meanwhile, and you’ll find multiple entries for Under the Skin, Only Lovers Left Alive and The Babadook, three art house horror darlings that started life on the festival circuit. For the first time in years horror movie IQs are higher than their body counts. Two such films arrive this month in the form of American indie It Follows and Cannes awardwinner White God. At first glance, both seem rather different. The former is directed by movie whippersnapper David Robert Mitchell, who’s following up his delicate and little-seen comingof-age film The Myth of the American Sleepover; the latter is the fifth film by Hungarian filmmaker

Interview: Jamie Dunn

Kornél Mundruczó, known for his brooding literary adaptations. But both films see their respective directors using the genre in fascinating ways. Watching a movie is dreaming with your eyes open: time is off-kilter, point of view is mutable. Horror exploits this quality more than any other genre: when we’re dreaming, we know it can easily slip into nightmare, and that’s what keeps us on the edge of our seats. David Robert Mitchell’s aesthetic is particularly dreamy and perfectly suited to the stalk-and-slash racket. A shaky camera and quick editing have become the cinematic shorthand to verisimilitude – Mitchell prefers an unsettling long take or the creeping dread of a graceful tracking shot. From It Follows’ first frame we feel we’ve left reality and entered a kind of cinematic limbo. “So much of this movie is about waiting,” Mitchell tells us, “it’s about quiet spaces in between moments of chaos.”

“We wanted to show that society creates its own monsters” Kornél Mundruczó

What the film’s characters, and we the audience, are waiting for is the appearance of the eponymous ‘It,’ one of the most unsettling movie monsters in recent memory. Appropriately for a director who creates dreamlike worlds, the inspiration for the monster came from his own recurring nightmare. “In the dream I sort of knew it was a monster coming to kill me but it looked like different people.” In the film its many forms include a scowling old lady in a dressing gown, a little boy, and, most disturbingly, one of the victim’s parents sans clothes. “It was very slow, and it was always just walking straight towards me. In the nightmare I could get away from it very easily but that wasn’t comforting because of the fact it was always coming.” In the film too you can’t escape it. Your only hope is to pass the curse on to the next victim... by having sex with them. Think of it as a sexually transmitted haunting.

White God

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It Follows

Stretching back to the teen slasher pics of the 1970s – including John Carpenter’s Halloween, which It Follows often recalls with its suburban setting, synth score, and gorgeous widescreen cinematography – “sex equals death” has been horror’s underlying theme. Has Mitchell just removed the subtext? He’s quick to shoot down such a straightforward reading. “My goal with this is not to moralise or make a puritanical statement by any means,” he says. “I like the idea that in this movie the trouble does start and the characters open themselves up to danger through sex, but it’s also the thing that allows them to free themselves of it – at least maybe temporarily.” The themes of White God are far less ambiguous. Set in Budapest, Mundruczó’s film initially takes the form of a realist melodrama, and follows a young girl as she tries to reunite with her loveable mutt, Hagen, after her brutish father dumps the dog on the side of the motorway. It looks like we’re in for a four-legged version of The Bicycle Thieves or a canine Kes, but then there’s a switch, in point-of-view and tone. The camera moves to Hagen’s low-angle perspective and the film becomes about the dog’s mistreatment at the hands of his human oppressors. He’s kicked and brutalised, bought and sold. He’s starved, thrown into dog fights and eventually locked up in the pound. Just as Hagen and his fellow inmates look doomed there’s a final twist of genre and the film enters full-on animal-apocalypse mode as the strays take back the streets of Budapest from their two-legged overlords. “It’s alright that it begins as a child’s story, because from there it was not far for me to build it as a fairytale – it works like a parable,” says White God’s screenwriter Kata Wéber, who’s sat next to director Mundruczó. “Specifically, the street dogs represent Hungary’s minority groups.” The world of art house cinema doesn’t want for more movies about minority oppression, but White God doesn’t go the typically tasteful, earnest route. Like its furry hero, it has bite – and goes straight for the jugular. “We felt there are a lot of movies about minorities,” says Wéber. “They can work but we wanted to make it in a broader sense, we wanted to open up a bit…” “In a politically incorrect way,” interrupts Mundruczó. Wéber elucidates: “We felt that when we deal with minorities we don’t really think about them as equal members of society, but more like under-races, so we felt that it’s much stronger to talk about it that way. More effective and more truthful. Our common fear is that the

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masses will attack, but the fear is not of other people, it’s about brutal monsters. That’s why we found it more interesting to make this picture of a dog.” “Exactly,” adds Mundruczó. “We wanted to show that society creates its own monsters.” What links both White God and It Follows is an innate understanding of horror’s unique powers. For Mitchell, the genre gives him room to experiment with cinematic form. “I think audiences are more open with horror in terms of doing some interesting things that maybe you don’t see in other films – doing surprising things with music, with the editing, all of that,” he suggests. “You have a little bit of space to play.” For Mundruczó, who has worked in a more realist mode for his first four features, horror allows his cinema to be more direct. “I felt there’s not so much interest any more in the kind of films I made previously,” he explains. “Europe has changed a lot in the last five years, but Eastern Europe has changed absolutely. The old topics are not the same. There is no slowness, for example: it’s really fast, faster than the West. There’s no melancholy, it’s a much more aggressive life, so these topics are simply not working any more. I wanted to use a cinema language that uses a lot of genre elements, to try and make the bridge with the audience. I don’t want to be an elite artist.”

More esoteric horror on the horizon A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night (Ana Lily Amirpour) Welcome to Bad City, a black-and-white phantasm of American and Iranian pop culture, where the streets are being cleaned up by the girl of the title, a gamine blood-sucker in black chador and hipster striped T. Der Samurai (Till Kleinert) The werewolf myth gets a queer makeover in this nightmarish thriller in which a novice cop accidentally unleashes a samurai sword-wielding, cross-dressing maniac on his rural community. The Falling (Carol Morley) A mysterious outbreak of mass hysterical fainting breaks out at a girls’ school in the late 1960s. Comparisons to Peter Weir’s masterpiece Picnic at Hanging Rock suggest this psychological drama is going to continue this esoteric horror wave. It Follows is released by Icon on 27 Feb White God is released by Metrodome on 27 Feb Both screen at the Glasgow Film Festival (18 Feb-1 Mar)

THE SKINNY

Role Play Peter Strickland, the director of Berberian Sound Studio and Katalin Varga, is back bending genre and defying expectations with his new film, The Duke of Burgundy. Much to YouTube commentators’ annoyance, it’s not about some French dude Interview: John Nugent

“I

genuinely thought my career had prematurely ended.” It is April 2012, and British filmmaker Peter Strickland’s second film, the unconventional horror Berberian Sound Studio, has been rejected by both Cannes and Berlin film festivals. He has no distribution deal. The future looks bleak. Defeated, he begins work on a remake of Jesús Franco’s 1974 erotic fairytale, Lorna the Exorcist, expecting nothing to come of it. “What was liberating about that month or so of perceived failure,” he says, “was that I had nothing to lose. I didn’t feel I was writing to any expectation.” You certainly sense this unabashed freedom in The Duke of Burgundy, the eventual product of that low ebb. (Like his earlier film, it too was rejected by Cannes, perhaps simply too strange to risk ruffling feathers on the Croisette.) A sadomasochistic love story unlike any other, the film’s initial B-movie inspiration ultimately became a “springboard to explore something quite domestic,” as Strickland describes it. Just as Berberian Sound Studio lightly pays tribute to Italian giallo horrors, before emphatically becoming its own strange and disturbing beast, so The Duke of Burgundy doffs the occasional cap to 1970s B-movie cinema (note the charmingly retro opening credits) before

transcending to more complex planes. Dispensing with the usual whips and straps of S&M, Strickland instead explores the dynamics of a submissive relationship, and the burden of conflicting desires. The tangled, tender affair between two women, Evelyn and Cynthia, elevates the film beyond any sort of glib pastiche. “I wanted to begin The Duke of Burgundy as if we’re inside Evelyn’s fantasy and see Cynthia conform to that functional ideal,” Strickland says. “But how about letting the air out of that fantasy and showing an ice queen snoring in her baggy pyjamas, and, most importantly, an ice queen unable to come to terms with that prescribed persona? How much can one do for a lover when the act leaves them cold?” The role-playing and showmanship of such a relationship seem well suited for Strickland’s playful approach to reality. Similar tactics are found in Berberian Sound Studio, where reality and sound-edited fantasy often blur. What is it about deconstructing artifice that fascinates him? “I can’t deny that artifice and the process of creation is a wonderful mystery despite the fact that showing it is demystifying. The theatrics of sadomasochism are inherently self-reflexive, but what’s so exciting about that is that it’s also

inherently part of the drama of the film, so one can explore that kind of artifice without ever pushing the audience too much out of the filmic dimension. I didn’t want to get all Brechtian on the audience, but still wanted to explore these impulses and lapses in performance.” In particular, reality takes a heady topple in the film’s third act, when a bewildering virtual flip-book of butterflies bombards the frame. “It seemed like a very charged image to have moths invading the screen to convey this silent anguish or anxiety,” Strickland says of the sequence. It recalls the work of film artist Stan Brakhage (“a big influence”), who would physically attach pressed moths and butterflies to film strip, creating a film without a camera. Ultimately, for all its retro stylings and experimental gusto, The Duke of Burgundy is a simple tale of romance. Yet, bizarrely, despite a total lack of nudity, swearing, or violence throughout, the BBFC have decided to rate it ‘18.’ Strickland does not seem too concerned – “it’s not as if I had a teenage audience in mind when I wrote the script” – but worries whether there are double

standards in film censorship. “If you really want to discuss perversity, then it is perverse that violence is considered more acceptable than a loving couple pleasuring each other.” But why call it The Duke of Burgundy? To some, the film’s title is another confusing piece of an often impenetrable puzzle. As one baffled YouTube commenter lamented: “A duke would be a dude, not one of these chicks, plus none of these people are speaking French. Helloooo, Burgundy is in France. Fire your research team, Hollywood, and do this one over.” The research team needn’t worry: the Duke of Burgundy is in fact a species of butterfly, Hamearis lucina, the kind featured heavily in the film. Strickland says it was a “fairly intuitive” choice. “I wanted some reference to Lepidoptera in there and went through other names, such as ‘True Lover’s Knot,’ but that felt on the nose. In hindsight, I wish I called the film ‘Cabbage White.’” Perhaps, with a name like that, Cannes might have reconsidered the application. The Duke of Burgundy is released 20 Feb by Curzon Film World

Burns-ing Down the House Touring the nation with a brand new comedy show, but actively avoiding comedy clubs? Incendiary Aussie Brendon Burns tells us why he’s gigging everywhere but the places you might expect him

f you haven’t heard of Brendon Burns, then you’ve been missing out. When the Aussie comic scooped the Perrier in 2007 for his show So I Suppose THIS Is Offensive Now, it cemented his reputation as a firebrand with a firm handle on tricky material. As he puts it: “The one thing I’ve always been able to do is make uncomfortable subjects funny. Generally, it seems I’m able to make people feel good about bad things.” This year he strikes out on his latest UK tour, Outside the Box. The hook? He won’t be playing comedy clubs. Any and all other types of venue are on the table: theatres, cinemas, a burrito bar and a small zoo in Great Yarmouth will all be playing host to his vulgar wit. His inspiration comes from the American alternative scene that grew up out of the shtick superstars of the 80s, “guys like David Cross, Patton Oswalt and pretty much all the indie/alt guys in the 90s when the US firm was subsiding” – acts who, when the comedy industry was crumbling around their ears, moved to the indie music clubs and forged a new living on this bold frontier. It’s very much become the new model in the US now, with alt acts like Neil Hamburger and bigger names like Doug Stanhope both plying their trade outside of the metropolitan laugh shacks. “There are guys in the States that you have never heard of that make a fantastic living – I mean, we’re talking second-home living – through just booking their own shows and just going to a town,” Burns tells me.

Interview: Jon Whiteley

He had a further revelation at last year’s Edinburgh Fringe, when he dipped his toes for the first time into the egalitarian free-for-all of the PBH Free Fringe. He quickly discovered that the non-profit had listed his venue at the wrong address, potentially scuppering any promotional work he’d undertaken – but an administrative error that would ruin a newcomer’s show turned out to be the best thing that could happen to him: “I loved it. It worked really well for me, because people had to work hard to find me and there was nothing but die-hard fans... me and this very tight-knit, ear-to-the-ground fanbase went to this secret location and had a blast.” Although he’s added a ticket price, the national tour seeks to recreate the circumstances of his Edinburgh show in cities across Britain: “If I’m not your cup of tea, there’s no way you would’ve found me,” he explains. “So the impulse of the tour is [that] who doesn’t come is equally as important as who finds it.” “I do believe funny is a language, and there are many different languages, and not everyone speaks it... There’s that level of communication, because when people laugh it really is the sound of comprehension. He’s clear that while Outside the Box is an alternative tour, it’s not just a tour of weird venues. “Some people wanted us to come to their venue because it will be interesting because ‘Ooh, we’ve got this group of people and we’re a pug cafe. It’s all pug enthusiasts.’

“We do have the zoo, the zoo might be the one exception.” Playing solely to your fans isn’t a luxury enjoyed by most comedians, their followings being spread so thinly as to make it impossible to fill the most modest rooms – but like an increasing number of his peers, Burns has a large and loyal podcast following. The way podcasts are consumed gives a level of intimacy not available elsewhere, tripping the line between the casual and the deeply private. A running joke about toaster gags led to an audience member turning up to a Sydney show armed with a framed picture of his toaster. The logic follows, if you can get someone to bring you a picture of their toaster, you can get them to come to your gig at a zoo. “I’m basically giving them something they can latch onto rather than hopefully hearing when I’m in their town,” he says. “Because I can’t afford massive publicity campaigns.” But beyond fiscal prudence, the tour, like the podcasts, is about something more important than a following – it’s about achieving that deeper connection between performer and audience, something that Burns can’t achieve in the thronging attention-deficit pit of the modern comedy club. To paraphrase the author Kurt Vonnegut: “If you open the window and make love to the world, you’ll catch pneumonia.” If you haven’t heard of Brendon Burns, then you’ve been missing out – but he hasn’t. Brendon Burns plays Fab Cafe, Leeds, 5 Feb, and The Deaf Institute, Manchester, 7 Feb www.thebrendonburnsshow.com

February 2015

FILM / COMEDY

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A Distant History Idlewild return from a five year break with Everything Ever Written this month. We spoke to singer Roddy Woomble and guitarist Rod Jones about old days, new band members and where to draw the line with back catalogue embarrassment

Interview: Darren Carle Photography: Mihaela Bodlovic

ack in 2009, when The Skinny met with Roddy Woomble and Rod Jones to reappraise Idlewild’s sophomore album 100 Broken Windows, we noted that the Edinburgh-formed band had experienced a career trajectory that was almost custom-built as a teaching tool for aspiring indie cadets. Amazingly, since then the somewhatamorphous quintet have managed to tick a few other boxes on the rock’n’roll itinerary, namely the classic album tour, followed by the ‘indefinite hiatus’ and subsequent reunion. It’s the last of these points that finds us chatting with lead singer Woomble and guitarist Jones ahead of new album Everything Ever Written, on the occasion that they’ve recorded a new session for The Skinny, comprising seven specially selected tracks, one from each of their albums released thus far. “I think some of the songs on our early records are still quite strong,” begins Woomble when asked whether the session is an indicator that he is comfortable with Idlewild’s legacy and where each release stands within it. “Musically speaking, a lot of it is pretty rudimentary as it was heavily influenced by what we were listening to at the time but those are the things that people like about it of course. Nowadays it’s hard for me to get excited about playing some of it. Generally speaking, for me it starts at 100 Broken Windows – from then on I can listen to our stuff without getting embarrassed.” That may seem a bit harsh on debut EP Captain and 1998’s Hope Is Important, yet listen to early single and fan favourite When I Argue I See Shapes for example and you might mistake Idlewild for an angsty American post-punk band rather than the more rustic, familiar indie-rock outfit they would soon become. “With Windows I started to sing in my own accent,” explains Woomble of the Yankee snarl he had previously adopted. “We became a bit more assured, partly due to being a wee bit older, but also we were starting to feel that we could do this, we could be an interesting band – bearing in mind that – after Hope Is Important, quite a lot of people wrote us off.” “There was definitely a lot of criticism of us back then,” agrees Jones of the period running up to their second album. “People felt we were great live but that the records didn’t quite convey this and weren’t up to par. I suppose Hope Is Important maybe felt like an advert for our gigs, so the jump to 100 Broken Windows was huge in terms of songwriting and production. I remember listening to Little Discourage and Roseability with Colin [Newton, drummer and third surviving original member] and thinking ‘this sounds like a proper real band.’ I think we were as surprised as anybody else at that point in time.” While their second album ushered Idlewild into the fringes of public consciousness, it was their third offering, 2002’s The Remote Part, that really brought the band significant commercial success. Peaking at number three in the UK album charts and spawning the hit singles You Held the World in Your Arms and American English, it saw their ever-increasing levels of production and pop-orientated songwriting reach out to a new audience. Yet not everything was rosy behind the scenes and amid acrimonious circumstances, bassist Bob Fairfoull left the band in 2002, leading to several line-up changes over the ensuing years. “I don’t consider the band as ‘us three’ with other people just stuck in,” clarifies Woomble of their membership’s fluidity. “Everyone who’s been brought in at different points has really added something to the band, but obviously Rod and I

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have stuck together through friendship and by having a good working relationship.” Jones agrees and gives praise to Newton. “I don’t think people give him enough credit because it’s quite often about the singer, the guitar player or the new members whereas there’s something Colin does that just makes things sound like Idlewild.”

“Everyone who’s been brought in at different points has really added something to the band” Roddy Woomble

That indefinable chemistry continued with 2005’s Warnings/Promises, an album written in the Scottish Highlands but recorded in Hollywood, California. Marking a clear departure from their over-driven guitar roots and embracing more folk and melodic influences, it proved divisive with fans but remains a firm favourite with the band. “We were really able to take our time with it,” says Jones of what makes it an exemplary record by his own standards. “To have those experiences in L.A., and be able to take three months over a record – nobody has the time to do that these days, except Coldplay. It’s a shame because I think sometimes records can suffer because of it.” Though marking the beginning of a ‘new’ Idlewild, it also signalled the end of such excesses, as the band were subsequently dropped

by Parlophone in late 2005. “Bitter musicians slagging off major labels is more often because they’ve been dropped,” laughs Jones. “For us, it was a really crucial part of our growth and without it we wouldn’t have got to where we did. We weren’t really thinking of where it was going at the time so much as we were getting to make records and go on tour. To have that time and luxury to just focus and concentrate on it as your main thing and not having to squeeze it into evenings and weekends, that does make a massive difference to a band.” Warnings/Promises also marks the last Idlewild album – until their latest – that both Woomble and Jones can truly get behind. 2007’s Make Another World is described by Jones as “probably our weakest, in the sense that we decided we wanted to quickly make a rock record and consolidate where we were. I think that was a mistake.” After a ten year ‘Best Of’, they returned with 2009’s Post Electric Blues, notable for its brush with crowdfunding at a time when Kickstarter was just getting kick-started. However, Woomble admits it wasn’t their finest hour either. “We stalled a wee bit latterly,” he says. “We were just a bit… bored is too strong a word, maybe disheartened, so we decided to take a break and re-evaluate what was important to us.” Both concur that the subsequent break was always a hiatus and not a split, though at around five years there have certainly been lengthier periods of silence, even from fully functioning bands. Woomble finally ended several months of online speculation last November, revealing that the band had been working on an album, with new members Luciano Rossi and Andrew Mitchell taking up keyboards and bass guitar respectively. “We didn’t sit around and have some kind of board meeting about it,” laughs Woomble. “I really like working with Colin and Rod so we always knew we were going to keep in touch and work on a new record within a certain time frame.”

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With writing and recording sessions in the band’s spiritual home of Edinburgh and Roddy’s actual home in Mull, both chief songwriters had to make slightly more arduous journeys than the days when, as Rod puts it, he could “put some guitar parts on a tape and then take them over to the next block of flats where Roddy lived.” Both agree that their latest recruits helped shape Everything Ever Written beyond the constraints of the original trio. “We just gelled as a band really quickly,” says Jones. “So much so that we tried to write a couple of new ideas and that’s where the lead song Collect Yourself came from, at the very last moment, as lead songs often do.” Woomble agrees, adding that “with Andrew and Luci, vocal harmonies are much more prominent, so we’ve got this whole other layer of atmospherics going on now. In that respect it feels like the reincarnation of an old band.” It’s a fair statement, even for a band who have always pushed and evolved their sound. Everything Ever Written is, perhaps more than any previous Idlewild release, an album that sounds beholden to nothing from their past. With 2015 marking twenty years since their formation, it’s entirely understandable, necessary even, that Idlewild are progressing in this way. In conversation, it’s the sound of individuals more assured of their place than they were when we spoke to them pre-hiatus and on record, a band back to doing what they love. “We’ve already talked about working on some songs for another record,” Woomble says of their new found determination. Jones is no less enthusiastic. “It really has reinvigorated us and made us look at the possibilities. We’ve only just scratched the surface of where we can go with this new incarnation of the band.” Everything Ever Written is released on 16 Feb. Idlewild play Manchester Ritz on 12 Mar. Visit theskinny.co.uk/music to watch our ‘7 Days of Idlewild’ sessions www.idlewild.co.uk

THE SKINNY

Station Approach As Jenn Ashworth releases her latest book, an interactive text co-written with collaborator Richard Hirst, The Skinny chats to the two authors about the notorious bus station behind its inspiration and why every story is unreliable

enn Ashworth seems to have languished on ‘new, exciting writers’ lists for longer than most – she has a Betty Trask Award for her first novel A Kind of Intimacy, has been featured as one of the UK’s 12 best new writers by the BBC’s The Culture Show and been given the unofficial title of the Northwest’s up-and-coming writer for some years. With three celebrated novels behind her, a TV adaptation of The Friday Gospels – a tale of Mormonism, delusion and loss – in the works, and a prodigious schedule to match, it seems that Ashworth’s ‘emerging writer’ label is now obsolete. As we meet to discuss her new e-book, Bus Station: Unbound – written with long-time friend and artist/writer Richard Hirst – it is clear that the Preston-based author is at a prolific time of her career. Ashworth bundles towards me with a coffee in one hand, her dinner in the other and a slightly hurried look on her face. She is apologetic for a delayed train and the presence of a muffled cough: “Sorry, it’s just been very hectic.” Ashworth has emerged as an author with an aptitude for writing the unreliable narrator. She is interested in the silenced, ignored and overlooked voices in our society – all of which she explores through a comic lens that is both astute and incisive. “I like writing in first-person because I’m interested in voice,” she says. “I suppose poets know that language is about sound, expression and emotion. Prose writers get tangled up in other things like plot and structure, which are also important, but the way stuff sounds when people talk is important to me. I realised very early on that there is no first-person narrator that isn’t unreliable. We don’t all lie as obviously as the narrator in [her short story] Dinner for One, or perhaps like Annie in A Kind of Intimacy, but we can only tell the bit of the story that we know.” Ashworth is keen to underline that the new interactive book is all about “place, really.” The place in question is Preston’s contentious bus station, which was threatened with demolition in 2012, has been voted Preston’s most hated building, and been part of Ashworth’s life for as long as she can remember – she regularly used the station to travel to school. “I grew up in Preston and it’s quite an iconic and controversial building and is very noticeable,” she says. “People either love it, or hate it.” The idea to turn the controversy surrounding the much-maligned building into a narrative

February 2015

of memory and choice was sparked by the article Love, Hate and Concrete by Martin Baker in The Independent. “He quoted people who described the station as monstrous, and it was that word that set us going about wanting to set a story inside the bus station. We wanted to experiment with a book that’s almost like a game, so it started from there.”

place,” continues Ashworth. “I was interested in writing about a cleaner’s cupboard in the station and a series of public lectures that were taking place in an abandoned shop and Richard was very interested in letting the reader explore the subways and basements of the station. So we did colonise different bits of the space, but the plots very easily and quickly overlapped.” Hirst describes the station as an ambiguous space – borderline futuristic and functional. This sense of being in-between locations and thresholds reverberates throughout the book. The station has a “utilitarian aesthetic, which somehow translates to a look of futuristic sci-fi,” he says. “That’s something which we tried to replicate with the novel: the paths the reader chooses will lead them down a narrative which seems both totally arbitrary and tightly structured. Many of the characters they encounter are on the Jenn Ashworth borderline between humdrum normalcy and The adventure tale is a rare, experimental heightened lunacy; the genre weaves between find in a time of tentative publishing. The book’s all-out horror and kitchen sink.” form is unusual, perhaps even novel: the reader is The book is published by Curious Tales, able to choose, and dictate, the series of events an independent publishing collective, where depending upon their preference and mood. The Ashworth and Hirst – who won the Manchester reader momentarily takes on the role of author. Fiction Prize in 2011, and is currently working on “The text presents you with a choice,” a novel called Ark – and a number of other artists Ashworth observes. “Do you want to stay on the and writers create work that is uncanny in tone. bus, or get off at the bus station? We couldn’t do The collective want to offer an alternative way of a print version of it. It remembers the choices publishing and control every part of the books that you take, so there are various opportunities. produced, from their artistic design to the enveThere’s a lot about it that even we as writers can’t lopes that they are sent out in. “It wasn’t as much control. We wanted to write a novel in the shape two fingers up at mainstream publishing, but of a building. Depending on the choices that the reader makes, it could be quite a supernatural, Gothic tale about possession and haunting, or it could be about loneliness and forgetting.” I wonder aloud how this works logistically; the amount of writing involved must be vast. “Yeah,” Ashworth nods. “One of the things that has been quite peculiar is that Richard and I have quite distinctive voices as writers, but this thing that we’ve made is not him or me. It feels almost haunted in a way, or like it’s taken on a life of its own.” Or, as Hirst puts it when I later catch up with him, “it’s a lot like there’s been a third, invisible author working secretly on the book. One of the spookier elements of the novel for us is when we’ve both been proof-reading a certain section which neither of us have any memory of writing.” “What was interesting is that we didn’t tend to plan or divide the work by plot strand, but by

“We wanted to write a novel in the shape of a building”

BOOKS

just seeing something that mainstream publishing wasn’t doing, or perhaps wasn’t interested in doing,” Ashworth reflects. She enjoys this way of working because it is decisively different to her everyday writerly life: “My main work as a novelist will involve me sitting on my own for a long time working on one project for three, or four years. It’s very solitary and very private. Because we are cooperative and we try to do everything by consensus it’s hard, but really interesting as well.” We are sitting in a quiet corner of the newly refurbished Manchester Central Library and the conversation, inevitably, turns to the demise of library culture as we know it. Given her former work as a prison librarian, Ashworth is clear that the ramifications of closures (49 libraries in the UK closed last year) are huge. “In my experience of working in libraries it seems to me that they’re hugely useful for people who have a question, but don’t know who to ask that question to. We’d have people come in and ask about benefits, or how they could register with a health visitor. So I think the effects on literacy and opportunities for the unemployed to jobseek are hugely important, but it is a little bit wider than that. Just it being the face of local government that people actually like and aren’t afraid to go in and ask. Little libraries are really important and those are the ones that are closing.” As for the rest of the year, Ashworth shows no sign of slowing down anytime soon. She is finishing a novel, “set in the early 1960s in Grangeover-Sands and Morecambe Bay,” working on a collection of short stories and reading a lot of Shirley Jackson – the influence behind this year’s Curious Tales anthology. The list slightly takes me aback; does Ashworth ever take a break? “No,” she asserts. “I’m either writing, or reading all the time. You can see I’ve rushed in here eating my tea during the interview, then I’m going do an event and we have another event tomorrow!” Her strong work ethic is underlined by a distinctly unromanticised view about the life of a writer; there are no Coleridgean sporadic visions of inspiration, or Joycean obsessions with a word a day here. “It’s my work, it’s my job,” she says. “Most people work 40 hours a week, if not more, and so do I. At the moment I have a lot of ideas, but if I needed to stop for a while, or work much more slowly on a project, I would definitely. I suppose I’m quite disciplined.” Bus Station: Unbound is published by Curious Tales and out now. Also available is Poor Souls’ Light, the latest Curious Tales anthology, featuring short stories by both Ashworth and Hirst www.curious-tales.com

Photo: Helen Power

Interview: Holly Rimmer-Tagoe

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Sister Act February welcomes the return of Queer Contact festival, and with it, Sister, a bold exploration of body image, feminism and identity that wowed last year’s Edinburgh Fringe. Rosana Cade tells us how her performance piece, with sibling Amy, came about

Interview: Andrew Anderson

And how about the more theatrical elements – did you work on those beforehand or need outside direction? It would never be natural for me to sit down and write a script, it’s just not how I work; I don’t express myself using text. We set the piece in the situation of a lap dance, which examines Amy’s world – but because we are literally performing in a theatre, my world is addressed too. I always think the naked body in a performance space is interesting, as is the presentation of the more stereotypical lap-dance version of a woman. There’s a grey area between the two that I think is important to explore. How do audiences react to the nudity? We’re both bold, confident people and used to alternative ideas. I’m a lesbian and Amy is a sex worker so we are confident about being different – and the audience can sense that. It’s also perfectly natural for Amy and I to be naked around each other and think nothing of it, so that helps too. I think through our relationship of understanding and acceptance we draw the audience into our world, and then everyone feels at ease and comfortable. At first we bring people onto the stage for a lap dance, which is quite a bold thing to begin with, but by the end everyone is comfortable with us and it becomes normal to be naked.

Photo: Julia Bauer

Is it difficult to work creatively with a family member? It’s very different to other collaborations I have done before. A lot of our relationship was formed in the first few years of my life; she could speak when I couldn’t, could do things that I couldn’t. I looked up to her and idolised her so much – there is a lot of residue from that dynamic, still. If you were interviewing both of us, she would do most of the talking.

ith six years of experience under its belt, this month Queer Contact festival returns to Manchester with its most impressive programme to date. Celebrating and showcasing the very best LGBT art and culture, the festival spans genres and artists, featuring performances of international renown alongside a variety of unseen faces. Exploring themes of both sexual and gender identity, as well as interrogating society’s obsession with age and family (biological and otherwise), this year’s Queer Contact includes the powerful – and somewhat baffling – performance piece Sister. It may well be a piece you are familiar with. Debuting with a bang at last year’s Edinburgh Fringe, Sister has racked up an impressive amount of press coverage since. Written and performed by real-life sisters Amy and Rosana Cade, the piece acts as an unflinching examination of self: of their family bonds, shared experiences and ultimate independence. Some have focused on the show’s feminist labelling, while others have concentrated on the lap dancing and full nudity (both essential to the piece). Many more have questioned the sisters’ self-identifications as a ‘shaven-headed lesbian’ and ‘sex worker.’ But none of these angles really

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get to the bottom of what makes it such a successful show – namely, that at its heart lies a simple story, honestly told, about two sisters. I spoke to one half of the duo, Rosana Cade, to find out more about the history of the piece and what she has learned from making it.

“I always think the naked body in a performance space is interesting” Rosana Cade

The Skinny: When did the idea for Sister first come about? Rosana Cade: It started about five and a half years ago when Amy and I took part in Nic Green’s Trilogy [a celebratory venture into modern-day feminism in the form of what is essentially a big naked dance]. It got me thinking about the female body and how it is represented. At the same time

our grandmother was dying, so we were helping our mum with that. It brought us together, and we made a new connection as adults. Amy had left home at 18, so we had been on different paths for a while. It all began with a conversation. It’s still quite a big step from a conversation to a fully formed performance piece...? Amy was working as a lap dancer in Berlin and – as it happens – she was using the name Rosana. I got her to teach me the dance, and that became My Sister Taught Me This Lap Dance. Working on that led to Sister; I got funding for it, and we worked on it on and off for a year until it premiered at Edinburgh. I imagine you had a lot of material to work with – was editing it the hardest part? In a way we were dealing with our whole lives – we had this vast pool to draw from, plus all of the issues we wanted to explore around body image, feminism and identity. When we first rehearsed, the show was almost two hours! The unique thing about the performance is that we really are sisters, so we focused more on that – finding the moments that are meaningful.

THEATRE

Does that relationship dynamic carry into the performance? It had to, because that’s part of who we are; it would have been unnatural if we had tried to change it. Amy isn’t a trained performer – she’s very good in the show, really good, but she wouldn’t feel comfortable adopting a persona, so it couldn’t work unless we were ourselves. Have your family seen Sister? Our mum has seen it a couple of times. It’s helped her understand our decisions. We’ve been on the BBC’s Culture Show and her living in a small town means people know. It’s hard for her. I don’t think she’s at the stage of being comfortable with talking to just anyone about it – but it has definitely helped. Our dad is very supportive, but doesn’t want to see it. Our younger brother has had problems with Amy’s choices, but some of his friends have seen it and told him “you should be proud of them.” He might see it in London. Has Sister achieved all you hoped it would? It’s very different from my other shows, but then again a lot of my work is very different from each other. I think this has done a lot for my personal development: I understand things better. A lot of my own identity was formed in reaction to things that happened when I was a teenager and I have been dealing with that since. Now I think I can reflect on that journey and am ready to move on. Sister is part of the 2015 Queer Contact festival (5-15 Feb) at Contact Theatre, Manchester. Sister runs 5-7 Feb, 7.30pm, £13 (£7) www.contactmcr.com/projects/festivals/queer-contact

THE SKINNY

Humanities in Public present…

Beyond Babel A one-day Multi-Lingual Film Festival

Saturday 14th March | 10am – 6pm Manchester Conference Centre, Sackville Street Tickets £5, catering provided Films can be ideal vehicles for bringing us closer to cultures and realities different from our own. Beyond Babel is a film festival showcasing three extraordinary examples of multilingual and transnational productions from across the world. The festival brings together a day of film screenings, introductions and Q&A sessions celebrating the sense of being connected to each other. Screening:

Patagonia (Marc Evans 2010) [UK-Argentina]

For booking information go to http://bit.ly/beyondbabel @mmu_hssr February 2015

#HIPLanguage

• Bis ans Ende der Welt / Until the End of the World (Wim Wenders 1991) [Australia-Germany-France] Introduced by Dr Barnaby Dicker (Royal College of Art, London)

• L’auberge espagnol / Pot Luck (Cédric Klapisch 2002) [France-Spain] Introduced by Isabelle Vanderschelden and Benedicte Brahic (MMU)

• Patagonia (Marc Evans 2010) [UK-Argentina] Introduced by Marc Evans (Director)

The World in Words In honour of our Travel Special, we threw open the door to contributions from our readers with a debut Travel Writing Competition – and you responded in your droves. The winner is... Damien Cifelli! Here he is, plus some of our favourite runners-up Illustration: Nele Anders

Runners-up Derailment in Myanmar by Annapurna Mellor

Peru by Shannon Dymond

awoke tied in my mosquito net. My head swam and I was still heroically drunk. Listening to the sounds of the Amazon I began piecing the previous night together. Next to ‘nausea’ the strongest feeling I had was a sense of achievement. I had partied with the locals deep in the Peruvian jungle, and I had partied hard. Slowly the memories began to come back to me. Somewhere between the rum shots & GoPro'ing, the words ‘Eso Australiana rompe nuestra maldita aseo’ kept repeating in my head. Since my understanding of Spanish was dependent on Google-translate, with less than zero Wi-Fi and more than eight hours drinking, I was totally lost and I needed to pee. It was at this exact moment I remembered what I had done. Three days earlier we arrived in a slice of paradise; backpacking on Lake Sandoval. It had taken two hours by motorboat, two hours of trekking and another hour of laughing at the word ‘motorboat.’ Our guide was Nil Tong, a man with the eyes of a hawk who looked like he had sprung

from a Kinder Surprise. Born in Puerto Maldonado, Nil had the passion of the jungle, but also the swagger you have when you own a boat and can name every flavour of piranha. He was interpreter for the local family who had kindly allowed us to stay on their property. The facilities were basic, but the family was welcoming. This was what a true trip to the Amazon was all about. Surrounded by David Attenborough`s wet dream, I had left the shackles of Western life and was roughing it in the wild. The excitement and the kindness all culminated in a celebration with the family. A family so isolated from civilisation, the only modern conveniences they had were booze and a bathroom. So I drank their booze and I used their toilet. Except when I say ‘used,’ I mean ‘fell face first into and completely destroyed.’ I left quickly that morning, and as I trekked away, my last memory was of the entire village standing around a totally murdered toilet repeating ‘those mysterious Spanish words’ and shaking their heads in utter disbelief.

Ireland by John Dillon

bombed out of the airport in a cherry red SUV. Lipstick on the collar of the surrounding bogland's slate and khaki tones. The smallest, cheapest hire car would usually do, but I had to drive my 83-year-old dad to hospital and he needed the extra space to keep his broken leg straight. The Europcar attendant, handing me the keys, said his friend used to rent this particularly large model every weekend and pretend it was his own to impress his girlfriend's parents. It was that kind of car. As for me, I felt like an impostor, and can't imagine the car felt much at home either, muzzled by the rural landscape's oblique roads, the rain and the driver's awkward reticence. And very wet rain it is too. My dad looked especially small in such a big car. On our way to the hospital we made small talk and listened to traditional Irish music,

“N

ot a big problem, maybe only... four hours.” This was Myanmar, and ‘not a big problem’ took four hours to fix. I jumped from my carriage into the high bushes surrounding the tracks, and saw that the wheels had in fact completely disjointed from the rails. “This is very common, maybe once a week we have the same problem. These railways are very old, your country, they built this line!” the conductor continues in broken English. The journey from Mandalay to Hsipaw was already a treacherous 10 hours, but I'd heard the viaduct that ran through the spectacular Shan Hills was worth the slog. Now 10 had inevitably become 14, and the trip over the viaduct would most probably be in complete darkness. I slumped back into my seat as a wide-eyed child approached me with a bag of chilli mango. Generously he wants no payment, and I share the snack with him and his mother, whose face

is painted with traditional Thanaka, and whose heart is as big as so many in this hospitable country. The minutes merge into nothing, as we share conversations about the world and its beauty. Two hours into the derailing, the conductor enters the carriage with a beaming smile. “Finish, finish!” – his excitement is contagious. The train squeals and begins once again to rock through the mountainside. We reach the viaduct at sunset, as the orange glow of the unforgettable Burmese sun glides rays across the metal arches and into the endless snaking valleys below. A travel cliché pangs into my head; sometimes the most spectacular things are worth the wait.

Climbing to Heaven by Tom Coote

the squall of his hearing aid sometimes joining in. Sitting in a wheelchair under strip lights he looked smaller still, and impossibly old. Context, though, is everything, and in the familiar arms of his local pub post-appointment – having escaped hospital and our ostentatious capsule – he depressurised and reanimated to become something approaching spry. I swear he could have passed for 82. In all his years my dad's rarely travelled more than 10 miles from his house, just content to bore an ever deeper, tighter furrow into the small farming locality he knows and loves. This struck me as I boarded the plane back to Britain on the return leg of a journey I've taken five or more times last year alone. Perhaps the deepening of a familiar groove provides some of the most rewarding, and surprising, journeys of all?

y feet failed to find a suitable crevice and I fell. My hands burned red as I slid down the rough rope, and the coarse strip of leather wrapped around my waist, bit in hard. At the top of the cliff face, at the gateway to the Debre Damo Monastery, an Ethiopian priest sat with his legs jammed up against either side of the rockhewn entrance; wrapped around his muscular arms was the other end of the leather strap that had kept me from crashing down below. Further up still, in the piercing blue sky above the jagged mountain, vultures circled around the 6thcentury stone church. A tourist who had failed to tip sufficiently received less Christian treatment from his saviour: the priest had vengefully swung the rope from side to side, and by the time that

this particular pilgrim's feet were back on solid ground, his clothes were as torn as rags and he was covered in blood. During the busy Orthodox festivals, lines of men clamber up the same rope without the aid of a safety strap (both women and domestic animals are strictly forbidden from entering the monastery). If they fall and die it means they were never destined for heaven. When a climber caught his foot in the bag of the man below and seemed to slip, screaming women, down below, worked themselves up into a frenzy, shouting for him to fall. Another time, one of the leather straps being used to lower down holy water tore apart, and the heavy plastic canister landed on the head of one below, killing her stone dead. Nobody seemed very sure if she would go to heaven or not.

and shaggy, the other possessive of an Alsatian build and a gammy leg – that used to join our little pack during our wanderings into town. The hostel was clean and comfortable and the crisp moon shone unhindered through my window on those first few revelatory nights. The Australian was also travelling solo, which naturally made us kindred spirits. After our train terminated in Beijing and the rest of the group went AWOL he and I did share a reasonably touching and hilariously mistranslated meal at a restaurant near the hotel (again a twin room for a single female traveller, with a magnificent view of the words ‘sex clinic’ in green neon). We

shared an awful lot more really – the strange, cold, ochre-coloured Gobi desert, the sunrise sparking the snow on the Mongolian steppes, the awkward intimacy of a tiny four-berth compartment. I sketched up a possible scenario in which, emboldened by my new ‘freshly bi-curious womanof-the-world’ status, I knocked on his door and waxed lyrical about his aesthetic charms. But in the end this seemed melodramatic. Something rather fundamental had shifted. Train travel does that to a girl.

Trans-Mongolian by Alice Spicer

t took a Russian sauna near the shore of Lake Baikal, one frigid evening in early spring 2011, for me to realise men held hitherto unrea-lised romantic possibilities. I was sitting in a thick fug of pine-scented heat and a hastily selected vestand-shorts combination substituted for the swimwear I never thought to pack, and a ginger Australian man a few years older than me and possessive of very little in the way of what I would term stimulating conversation took off his top. It was probably delayed fatigue – between Moscow and Irkutsk I had spent three days on the Trans-Siberian doing very little else but sketch, sleep, heat noodles at the samovar and

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listen to a Nick Cave audiobook. Each morning the train stayed on Moscow time and the sun rose markedly earlier between the blurred birch trees. I was a sole female traveller accidentally part of a lads’ tour of Russia and Mongolia, and I had started whittling my eyeliner pencil with a Swiss army knife in single hotel rooms with no one to talk to due to gender-separation. I liked Baikal more than Moscow – even before Russian politics grabbed headlines it was the tangible air of concrete bureaucracy to the capital that got to me. Baikal meanwhile had ice – more ice than I have ever seen before in one place, and two stray dogs – one black, tan

TRAVEL

THE SKINNY

The Winner: Damien Cifelli

Fuck you Tourists, An open letter

ear Tourist, You are not a ‘traveller.’ I know you went to Vietnam last year, but everyone knows Vietnam is just the new Thailand and Thailand is just the new Magaluf. As you were vomiting into Halong Bay with Dean from Milton Keynes, do you know where I was? North. Fucking. Korea. Whilst you were flirting with a ladyboy at the full moon party I was being escorted through the outskirts of Pyongyang by eight uniformed men. That is what travelling is. Oh you went to Australia? Well the less said about that the better… What's wrong with being a tourist you ask? Well, have you ever heard someone use the adjective ‘touristy’ in a positive way? No. Because you make everywhere shit. Mainly with your ignorance of proper pronunciation. (It's pronounced ho-ri-tho not cho-reetzo you fucking pleb.) Whilst you scour the streets for poppers and tequila in your three-quarter lengths and flip-flops, I am in the jungle awakening my spirituality with the powers of ayahuasca. Yeah, my camera went missing and I woke up in a Peruvian family's back garden, but I'm pretty sure I felt something spiritual. I've made close connections. There's a guy who sold me a knitted ukulele cover in Marrakech, that fat woman who braided my hair in Goa and the black kid from my Facebook profile picture. You know they're authentic because they don't even have Facebook. But don't bother travelling. The last thing I want to see when I'm watching the sunset from my Bhutanese ashram is you, stumbling across the horizon with your moneybelt and sunburn. My next trip will be volunteering with the Congolese Space Program. The Solar System, the least touristy place there is. See you in space bitches! Sincerely, Edward Montgomery-Asquith

Souk

miling. Teeth like an overcrowded graveyard. “This is Morocco my friend. Not Mogadishu…” I think this means I won't get it cheap. His moustache, missing in the middle, hangs like furry parentheses around his mouth. There is a balcony overlooking the city. My eyes trace the daggers of minarets and gentle oscillations of domes. Below, tiny figures trample calfskins and waft stinging sulphurous odours down dusty alleyways. I'm not sure how I got here. Above the bazaar. Above vaults that cascade from the flanks, dripping in Berber history. Above faces with wild eyes peering from dark rooms. They are traders on the darkness of this never-ending market. Their bristled lips speak of sales, of cloth and kif and opium dens. And fill the soft air with promises.

February 2015

And I am here. In this room many floors up. Stone and tin. In his cave of fabric and incense. I touch the cool skin. It reminds me of other things. A school trip to the riding stables. I never rode my horse. I just patted the soft hair on its flanks and looked into its eyes, proud and resolute. It's the same eyes I see now, reflecting the warm candlelight. He tells me he has children. I tell him I have none. “Then you can afford a little luxury,” he says. “I am just a poor man.” I don't know if I believe him but it is too late. He smiles and infinite creases creep from the corners of his eyes. Unlike me, he is no amateur. He is as old as the walls. His life is strategy, manoeuvring himself constantly between the pillars of decision and indecision. He smiles because he knows he has won. This is a game of chess and it is check-mate.

The Nordic Club

n a leafy back street in Dhaka's high-security diplomatic zone lies the Nordic Club. It cuts an imposing figure, a blank stone wall with an iron gate and armed security. I have been told that this image is deceptive. That from the inside it is a paradise of tennis courts, swimming pools and cocktails. I am not here for the nightly karaoke party nor the offers of a 'Full English.' I'm here for the availability of alcohol in this dry country. Post security and passport control, beer in hand, I settle in a corner beneath some chic barbed wire detailing and review my surroundings. I could be anywhere on earth. Bankers with the look of re-animated waxworks play tennis as their wives watch from the jacuzzi, like hippos in an Attenborough documentary. It's as if an alpine ski weekend has been grafted into the heart of this Asian metropolis. Today I was being escorted around the old town by an entourage of excitable locals. Now I'm watching a woman try to swim without spilling her martini. I'm regaled with advice from the regulars: "You can get a good fish and chips here every night. Out there they'll feed you a Labrador for your dinner." I glance over at the local staff apologetically. They smile. "Out there" is mentioned repeatedly. It's as if they're dug into trenches, defending themselves from the people whose city they have occupied. I suppose the walls are there to keep marauding hordes of locals from using the karaoke machine or taking a dip in the pool. I begin to yearn for the noise and smell of "out there," its crumpled knot of streets and traffic chaos, to swap these veneered scowls for the Old Town's toothless smiles. I think I can forgo a pint for that.

TRAVEL

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BERLIN

NEW ZEALAND

The West Coast twin of the NY Art Book Fair, PRINTED MATTER LA ART BOOK FAIR exhibits artistic books, periodicals, monographs, magazines, and catalogues of over 250 publishers from all over the world. Last year, 25,000 people visited in three and a half days – calling all booklovers. Geffen Contemporary at the MOCA, 152 North Central Avenue, Los Angeles, CA, free.

BERLIN INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL is one of the more important such festivals on the calendar, with over 400 films per year, mostly indie and art house premieres (which means they won’t be screening The Interview). Andrew Haigh, Terrence Malik and Werner Herzog are all showing, with surreal controversialist Darren Aronofsky acting as President of the Jury. Plus, it’s in Berlin. We love Berlin.

New Zealand celebrates its founding day as only Kiwis know how – by joining up with Bob Marley’s birthday and getting baked in the sun with a massive reggae festival. Situated in Mount Maunganui on the Bay of Plenty, this year’s ONE LOVE FESTIVAL features acts including local heroes The Black Seeds and all-Maori reggae band Katchafire. Tickets retail at $99 NZ.

5-13 Feb

30 Jan–1 Feb

Berlin International Film Festival

Printed Matter’s LA Art Book Fair

One Love Festival

INDIA, WORLDWIDE

DUBLIN

AUSTIN, TEXAS

HOLI is the Hindu faith’s Festival of Love and if that isn’t enough to get you interested then consider the fact that Love is mostly all about dressing in all white, throwing brightly-coloured water bombs and getting blissed out on bhang. What on earth could possibly go wrong?

OFFSET is a three-day conference designed to encourage creative industry folk (designers, artists, illustrators, and advertisers) to come together and, well, be creative about stuff. What that stuff might be varies (in creative ways, no doubt), but, if you’re serious about getting work in these industries (basically, network, creatively), or just want to see what a person calling themselves a ‘creative’ actually looks like, then this is the place for you.

The biggest music festival (although technically there are three components, Film and, eh, Interactive, but it’s mostly about the Music) in the world SXSW takes place every year in Austin, Texas. Among the 2,200 music acts (yes, that is quite a lot) vying for industry attention are Scotland’s Hector Bizerk and The Twilight Sad joined by Circa Waves and JP Cooper from Northwest England.

Fri 6 Mar

Holi

Photo: Narender9

6-8 Mar

13-22 Mar

Veronica Ditting, OFFSET Design Festival

SXSW

MILAN

BROOKLYN

MADRID

One for seasoned Upholstrophiles everywhere, SALONE DI MILANO is the largest trade event of its kind of the planet, and also goes by the somewhat less flirtatious moniker that is the Milan Furniture Fair. Thousands of furniture brands and their designers from all over the globe descend on Italian style capital Milan to try and set or discern the hottest trends in international design.

Having attracted over 2000 attendees last year, the BROOKLYN ZINE FESTIVAL fourth will display the work of over 150 writers, artists, and publishers from New York City. Past exhibits and panels have included music-zines, lit-mags, art compilations, meta-discussions over the trend of zining and more – for those in love with the textually ephemeral.

On to Madrid, and another film festival – this one trading exclusively in the non-fiction form. Since DOCUMENTA MADRID inception in 2004, submissions, both feature length and short have been accepted from all around the world. This year’s line-up has, at time of writing, yet to be announced.

Salone di Milano (Milan Design Week)

30 Apr-10 May

Brooklyn Zine fest

Photo: Sylvie Rosokoff

25-26 Apr

Credit: design_lounge

14-19 Apr

Documenta Madrid

VENICE

NEW YORK

BERLIN

NEW YORK

Opening a month earlier than usual, 2015’s instalment of the visual art branch of LA BIENNALE DI VENEZIA promises the usual art Olympics with representatives from dozens of world nations coming together to create and display across the City of Love. Scotland’s contribution is Graham Fagen, and the UK is fielding Sarah Lucas. Expect to be dazzled.

1.54 is a contemporary African art fair which has been held in London for the past two years. The aim is for artists and galleries involved in African and Africa related projects to promote their work to an international audience. The fair will then pop-up in Brooklyn in May with a programme including screenings, lectures, and panel debates.

What might a children’s book creator, a journalist, the current Facebook Communication Design team manager, a photograph collector, a typographer, a code tinkerer and more all have in common? They will meet in Berlin to give talks on design TYPO TALK BERLIN this spring – designers and designer admirers welcome. Berlin, Germany, from 249€.

Golden streets beneath a setting sun, the shadows of the Manhattan skyline stretch over you in NYC’s Bryant Park as you await a classic film, from Saturday Night Fever to The Shining, on the large screen before you. This could have been you last summer; make sure you show up at NYC PARKS’ FREE SUMMER MOVIES this time! Assorted locations, New York City, NY.

1:54 Pop-Up

Jun

Famous Iberian festival NOS PRIMAVERA SOUND has made like an amoeba and split in two. The ever-popular Barcelona edition which takes place in May, has been joined since 2012 by its Portuguese brother/sister/whatever the offspring of binary fission are called. Details of the line-up are scant right now, but Patti Smith’s going, and that is often good enough for us.

One of our favourite music festivals in the world – LA VILLETTE SONIQUE does precisely what one would expect of a Parisian festival and specialises in experimental rock and electronica. LCD Soundsystem featured in the very first one in 2003, the only year they would have been considered cool enough. But it’s really not about the poseurs – trust us, the music’s great.

Nos Primavera Sound

Feature

Photo: Gold SoundzIt

PORTUGAL

PARIS

4-6 Jun

May

Movies In The Park

Tina Roth Eisenberg, Typo Talk Berlin

BARCELONA 18-20 Jun

The tried and tested SONAR is one of the daddies of electronic music festivals. 2015 is being headlined by the Chemical Brothers, whose first studio album since 2010 is out this year. The often very shy but never less than brilliant Autechre make a rare appearance in public as does festival specialist Kindness.

Hookworms, Villette Sonique

TRAVEL

Photo: Richard Manning

Venice Biennale

21-23 May

Courtesy of M.I.A. Gallery

15-17 May

Photo: Rosamund West

9 May-22 Nov

Photo: Ross Baynham

Planning on travelling this year? Here are some of the cultural highlights we are most looking forward to.

6–7 Feb

Sonar

THE SKINNY

Photo: Martin Senyszak

International Events

LOS ANGELES

H.HAWKLINE FEBRUARY 16TH

£5.00 / MINOR HALL / 7.30PM

DRY THE RIVER FEBRUARY 19TH

£10.00 / MAJOR HALL / 7.30PM

WIRE FEBRUARY 20TH £15.00 / MINOR HALL / 7.30PM

NORTHERN SOUL FEBRUARY 28TH £10.00 / MAJOR HALL / 2.00PM

NEW MODEL ARMY

MONSIEUR DOUMANI

MARCH 7TH

JUNE 6TH

£20.00 / MAJOR HALL / 7.00PM

£10.00 / MINOR HALL / 7.30PM

ABDOMINAL & THE OBLIQUES

BRITISH SEA POWER

MARCH 14TH £10.00 / MINOR HALL / 7.30PM

EMILY BARKER

JUNE 12TH £15.00 / MAJOR HALL / 7.30PM

LONG DIVISION FESTIVAL JUNE 13TH £25.00 / BOTH HALLS / 12.00PM

WITH BANNERS WAKEFIELD HELD HIGH HENNING WEHN COMIC-CON MARCH 26TH

£11.00 / MINOR HALL / 7.30PM

MARCH 7TH

£6.00 / BOTH HALLS / 10.30AM

MARCH 27TH

JULY 4TH

£15.00 / MAJOR HALL / 7.00PM

£9.00 / BOTH HALLS / 10.00AM

THE UNITY WORKS FOLK FESTIVAL

MARCH 21ST FROM £27.50 / BOTH HALLS / 2.00PM

SETH LAKEMAN / MARTIN CARTHY / CHRIS WOOD / THE MIGHTY DOONANS / RM HUBBERT / KATRIONA GILMORE AND JAMIE ROBERTS & MANY MORE UNITY WORKS, WESTGATE, WAKEFIELD, WF1 1EP T: 01924 831114 + HELLO@UNITYWORKS.CO.UK @UNITY_WORKS_LIVE

@UNITY_WORKS

FACEBOOK.COM/UNITYHALL

WWW.UNITYWORKS.CO.UK

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rates possible for us. She was very helpful and was there to offer any assistance we required. “The process of buying a new build was unbelievable, we couldn’t ask for anymore.” Andrew and Sadie, a Quality Assurance Analyst, are now only paying £55 more a month on a mortgage for a three bed house, than their previous rented property in Salford Quays. The Pendleton Together project, which aims to breathe new life into the Pendleton area of Salford, will see more than 1,600 new homes built and 1,250 existing homes refurbished. There will also be huge changes across the community including new parks, open spaces and even a community farm. The Pendleton Together project will also result in the creation of 500 jobs, more than 2,000 work experience placements and job training for more than 3,200 people. The project is being delivered by Pendleton Together, a consortium which includes Salford City Council, social landlord Together Housing Group and building and regeneration specialist Keepmoat. Help to Buy is available on all properties at Pendleton One. The Government’s Help to Buy

scheme offers buyers who have saved a 5% deposit the chance to take advantage of a five-year interest-free loan covering 20% of the value of the property. The remaining 75% of the property’s value will be funded through a mortgage, which Keepmoat can help buyers to arrange. People can book ahead for an appointment on 0161 9250416 or call in on the day. For more information visit www.pendletonone.co.uk.

^All offers are subject to availability & can not be used in conjunction with any other offer. Only one package per purchase. Offer applies to selected plots only. Option 1 up to a maximum of £1500, Offer applies to selected plots only. Option 2 up to a maximum of £1500. Offer applies to selected plots only. Option 3 up to a maximum of £2000. Help to Buy prices are based on 80% of full purchase price shown. *Help to Buy purchasers are required to fund at least 80% of the purchase price by means of a conventional mortgage, savings and any deposit where required. Eligible applicants will be offered an equity loan of up to 20% of the market price, interest free for the first five years. At the start of year six a fee of 1.75% is payable on the equity loan, which rises annually by RPI inflation plus 1%. Terms and conditions apply and full details will be provided on request. This offer is subject to status and not offered with any other promotion. Only available on selected properties in England. YOUR HOME MAY BE REPOSSESSED IF YOU DO NOT KEEP UP REPAYMENTS ON YOUR MORTGAGE. Prices correct at time of going to press. Images for illustrative purposes only.

POLAND

CZECH

ICELAND

OPEN'ER FESTIVAL, Poland’s biggest music weekender, lays claim to being the first to introduce the wristband innovation, so we’re talking some serious festival streetcred here. Line-up pretty scant at this point, but those confirmed include St Vincent, Alt-J, Jonny Greenwood and Eagles of Death Metal. So, good start then…

The Czech Republic’s finest film event, now almost 70 years old, KARLOVY VARY FILM FESTIVAL features hundreds of actors, directors, and filmmakers presenting their own work to cinefiles in search of hidden masterpieces. Located in a spa town nestled amid forested hills near the German border, Karlovy Vary is a delight.

Since 1999, London-based firm All Tomorrow’s Parties have put on unique music festivals around the world in which major bands and artists, rather than concert administrators, curate the acts, making for interesting selections: at ATP ICELAND, Iggy Pop, Drive Like Jehu, and Belle and Sebastian will headline this summer in Keflavik – beautiful scenery, a nice mix of indie rock and pop. Ásbrú (Former Nato Base), Keflavík, Iceland, from £91.

3-11 Jul

ATP Iceland

STOCKHOLM

POLAND

CROATIA

Five-day culture-fest STOCKHOLM CULTURE FESTIVAL features music, dance, and art from around the world. Last year’s acts included guitarist Bombino from Niger, vocal group The Pointer Sisters from the US, dance group Swing Latino from Colombia, quartet DakhaBrakha from the Ukraine and more. Stockholm, Sweden, mostly free.

OFF FESTIVAL in the southwest of Poland has hosted an impressive pedigree of acts in recent years, featuring The Smashing Pumpkins, Neutral Milk Hotel, Los Campesinos, and Belle and Sebastian. So far, this year’s line-up includes hip hop duo Run the Jewels, Sun O))), The Julie Ruin, Jacek Sienkiewicz and Girl Band, plus local flavor and more to come. Katowice, Poland, from 200zl.

Set on a beach-laden peninsula called Fort Punta Christo after the 100-year-old fort built upon it, music acts like Caribou, Warpaint, and DARKSIDE have headlined Croatian electronic music festival DIMENSIONS since 2012. Boat parties depart daily for when you’re not relaxing on the beach. Camping Brioni, Puntizela 155 Stinjan 52100 Pula CROATIA, tickets available 6 February.

7-9 Aug

Dimensions

NEW YORK

TORONTO

LONDON

MALAWI

THE NEW YORK ART BOOK FAIR, a gathering of booksellers, institutions, antiquarians, artists, and independent publishers from 28 countries saw over 35,000 visitors last year and features catalogues, books, zines, and monographs for viewing. 22-25 Jackson Avenue on 46th Avenue, Long Island City, NY

Now in its 40 instalment and an acknowledged pillar in the world of film, TORONTO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL has in recent years showcased major films like The Imitation Game, 12 Years a Slave, and Silver Linings Playbook, as well as a host of others, documentaries, and short films from around the world.

The annual LONDON DESIGN FESTIVAL with over 350 events aims to ‘promote London as the design capital of the world,’ a weighty claim born out by the estimated 350,000 people from around the world who make up the festival’s audience, as well as the countless creative types from ceramicists to bike-builders, who lead its events.

In the Warm Heart of Africa (™), on the beautiful banks of Lake Malawi, LAKE OF STARS brings together local and international audiences to dance through the night to bands from across Africa and beyond. The sun’s too hot for much to happen during the day, but after dark the beach comes alive with revellers enjoying the international sounds of reggae, afrobeat and hip hop until sunrise.

19-27 Sep

25-27 Sep

London Design Festival

Toronto International Film Festival

Lake of Stars

CROATIA

LYON

VIENNA

IRELAND

Set in the beachside Croatian town of Rovinj on the shores of the Adriatic, five-day music festival UNKNOWN includes nearly 100 DJ and live music acts, as well as a selection of boat and island parties to attend as you take in a gorgeous seascape. Past headliners include Chic Ft. Nile Rodgers, Chvrches, Disclosure, me, Daniel Avery, and more – a great festival for the DJ lover.

The LYON BIENNALE OF CONTEMPORARY ART, held only in odd years, will focus a group of artists on the theme of the term ‘modern life’ as proposed by guest curator Ralph Rugoff. Little more is yet clear, but the project will resurface with different curators in 2017 and 2019; art appreciators take note.

During the annual VIENNA DESIGN FESTIVAL, tens of thousands of design enthusiasts pour into the city which itself becomes a medium of presentation for the performances, talks, and projects happening in the categories of Stadtarbeit, Debut, Laboratory, Education, Passionswege and Programme Partners, with guided tours available. Assorted locations, Vienna, Austria, most events free.

An independent film and music festival held in the south of Ireland, INDIECORK emphasises that festivals remain a good exhibition point for short films, features and documentaries never shown to larger audiences. Past winners include A Million Miles Away, Skunky Dog, All Mortal Flesh and more.

10 Sep-3 Jan 2016

7-11 Sep

Unknown Festival

Oct

26 Sep-5 Oct

Lyon Biennale

IndieCork

Vienna Design Festival

REYKJAVIK

AUSTIN, TEXAS

TORINO

RENNES

The year was 1999; bands and fans alike gathered in an airplane hangar at Reykjavik airport for what was intended to be a one time music showcase. Sixteen years later, ICELAND AIRWAVES remains an international event and will feature the likes of Hozier, Anna Calvi, Olof Arnalds, and more in its line-up this November.

In Austin, Texas this past November, Judas Priest, Fred Armisen, Modest Mouse, Wiz Khalifa, Alt-J, and a host of others converged at Auditorium Shores to headline the ninth instalment of FUN FUN FUN FEST; we eagerly await the tenth. With four stages to navigate and likely around 100 acts, you will not want for variety.

For those in search of films which they truly may have not yet heard of, TORINO FILM FESTIVAL in its 33rd year is an excellent fit – last year’s line-up included Anuncian Sismos, As You Were, Big Significant Things, and more. Heard of them? Neither have I, but a week watching films in the Italian Alps doesn’t sound so bad…

Deriving its name from a focus on the blur of genre and geographic divisions, TRANSMUSICALES DE RENNES in the northwest of France has a reputation for showcasing major artists before the rest of us start hearing about them – Django Django, Nirvana, and LCD Soundsystem to name a few. Indeed, the Trans is something of a hipster of festivals. Not your mum’s music.

Torino Film Festival

Transmusicales de Rennes

Iceland Airwaves

February 2015

21-29 Nov

Fun Fun Fun Fest

Photo: Ralph Arversen

7-8 Nov

Courtesy of Iceland Airwaves

4-8 Nov

TRAVEL

Photo: Rosamund West

Phto: istolethetv

NY Art Book Fair

Photo: Stuart Bannocks

10-20 Sep

Sep

Photo: Dan Medhurst

Off Festival

Photo: Anna Spies

Stockholm Culture Festival

26-30 Aug

Photo: Marcin Lewandowski

Aug

Dec

Feature

Photo: Dominique Vrignaud

ATP Festival Iceland Karlovy Vary Film

Photo: Weltsport

Open’er Festival

10-12 Jul

Photo: Yves

1-4 Jul

Above the Belt The Highlands and Islands are about more than their beautiful scenery. The Touring Network’s Sam Eccles, promoter Jennie Macfie and Kieran Hurley talk about theatre and culture outside of the cities

Photo: Peter McNally

Interview: Emma Ainley-Walker

hen you think of theatre and music in Scotland, you might primarily think of the central belt, and more specifically Glasgow and Edinburgh. However, there is a rich network of theatre and culture far north of these urban hubs. The Touring Network exists specifically to shine a light on the work done by many excellent promoters to bring touring arts productions to the Highlands and Islands. Director of the network Sam Eccles explains that it arose out of “a need to bring together the disparate individuals working independently to bring theatre, music and dance to the Highlands and Islands and to provide the support required to continue and to further their creative work.” Jennie Macfie is one of the many promoters supported by The Touring Network, who works independently to bring arts to her local community in Drumnadrochit on the shores of Loch Ness. Her work includes bringing theatre and music performances to her local village hall and sometimes the local pub, including afternoon concerts for families and for those who don't necessarily enjoy going out in the evening. On the phone to The Skinny – something that the inclement weather made difficult when it snapped Macfie's landline cable – Macfie talks about the “vital nature” of bringing performances up to the Highlands, making it affordable for locals to attend cultural events that they could walk to, rather than having to travel to and most likely stay over in a city. By bringing these arts events to smaller and more rural communities, they are being opened up to new audiences. “If you're putting something on in the local pub, people can choose whether or not to engage in it. For people who don't necessarily go to the theatre, they can be surprised by it and find shows that they love in places that they never expected,” says Macfie. This is one of the reasons she loves finding shows and music events to bring to her local community. She tells the story of the pub's owner who had made it into his 40s without ever attending the theatre, “because there hadn't been the opportunity before,” who suddenly is

Feature

hosting plays and performances and falling in love with the art form. Macfie began promoting after getting involved in an art project at her local primary school. With money left over from the budget she organised a ceilidh in the local village hall to great success. The next year she put on the same event to an even bigger crowd and it grew from there. After a career in film and TV, getting involved in promoting local events “filled that gap and more,” says Macfie, giving her a channel for her artistic endeavours, and particularly her love for traditional Scottish music.

“Culture in the Highlands is more diverse and challenging than people might expect. It’s representative of contemporary Scottish culture mixing together with tradition” Sam Eccles

She refers to Michael Marra's visit as one of her favourite performances. “It was a tea time gig, and we'd got him a grand piano, which was actually a recommendation from someone at

the PAN forum. When he arrived he was over the moon with the piano, and changed his whole set to suit the instrument. He gave a wonderful performance.” It's not only the audience that can be affected by these performances, but the performers themselves as performances are shaped to suit each space they perform in. One of the wonderful things about rural touring is the intimacy of the space. Sam Eccles talks about how it specifically “brings performance away from urban spaces and transforms them for community venues. Audiences can be anything from 30 to 250 and they can often feel the breath of the performers on their faces.” Theatre maker Kieran Hurley toured his play Rantin´ around the Highlands and Islands in early 2014. Sitting down with The Skinny, he talks about the “smallness” of these performances. “When we played in Durness there were only around 20 people, but then you realise that as a percentage that's quite a lot of the adult population of Durness coming to see your show. There was a real focus of attention on engaging with each of those people in the room. A similar thing happened in Tongue in this tiny little village hall; the stage manager kept having to put a pound in the meter to keep the heater running. We didn't have anywhere to retreat to before or after the show. There was no real division between where the audience were sitting and the stage space, so we just said we were going to start, we did the show and afterwards there was no darkness to step into. There was no real separation between their experience and ours. Some of the women on the front row just stepped onto the stage and started having a chat with us – that wouldn't happen in a theatre in a city. Rather than having to seek out that direct dialogue with your audience, in certain contexts in rural touring it's more like you would have to work to avoid it.” “While the Highlands and Islands may, to most people, be associated with the Munros, golf and shortbread, there is amazing theatre and music happening that people need to be made aware

TRAVEL

of,” says Sam Eccles, and Hurley agrees. “Really small towns and communities all around Scotland have amazing arts scenes, you go to somewhere like Ullapool and there's so much going on. So much of that is to do with touring, but a lot of it is stuff that's happening locally. It's important as an artist because you're engaging in a wider conversation about your art by going into different communities in which interesting cultural activities are happening. Touring in that way is really nourishing, not just for the audiences receiving that work, but for the artists that engage in it as a process. It's a really valuable thing in both directions when it works.” Hurley came up against the local arts scene in Orkney, performing on the same night as the amateur dramatics society's performance of Cats. “It's not a case of the National Theatre of Scotland rolling in and that being the most important show in town; the most important show in town was Cats because it matters to people. We got a brilliant audience nevertheless and it was smashing fun.” This is just one example of the richness of the arts scene in the Highlands and Islands is and how much it can be explored, by performers, by local audience members, and by visitors as well. As Sam Eccles puts it, “the culture in the Highlands is more diverse and challenging than people might expect. It's representative of contemporary Scottish culture mixing together with tradition. Those on the periphery of the urban culture can be part of a wider cultural exchange,” and this is what the promotors supported by The Touring Network are working to create. While Kieran Hurley has no plans in the works to tour again, he is confident in his belief that he'll be back. “It won't be too long before I get itchy feet for touring again. I love international touring, and UK touring, but I love rural touring most of all. The opportunity to go to some of these amazing places around the country, and it be your job.” www.thetouringnetwork.com

THE SKINNY

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SHOWCASE

THE SKINNY

Matthew Arthur Williams “M

y work has always leaned heavily on the format of a journal. This body of work consists of a series of photographs, recordings and collections created during a trip to New York in 2013. "The work will be exhibited in March 2015 at The Glad Café in Glasgow. Accompanying it will be a small publication, allowing me to take it a step further, connecting my findings and past experiences with the city, consciously considering how each image is presented in another format. "After living in London, Manchester and Glasgow in a short space of three years I am

February 2015

aware that travel is one of the themes I carry with me – this outsider looking in. It also comes with the need to capture a fleeting moment, to slow the world right down to that single frame. By not allowing the edge of the photograph to be the end of the story I consider ways to integrate the print-making process with an aspect of collaging and layering." Matthew Arthur Williams lives and works in Glasgow. He graduated with a BA Photography from Manchester Metropolitan in 2012.

Selected Exhibitions: 2015 The Glad Café, Glasgow (forthcoming solo exhibition + book launch) 2012 Manchester to London, Redchurch Street Gallery, Shoreditch, London 2012 Ask Why? Degree Show, Manchester School of Art 2012 Holden Tea Room – Saloon Hang, The Holden Gallery, Manchester 2011 Interim Show, The Link Gallery, Manchester 2011 Yappy Days, Queenston Art House, Didsbury, Manchester 2011 Ephemeros, Kraak Art Gallery, Manchester

SHOWCASE

Publications: Travelogue, 2012 The Dog Walkers, 2011 matthewawilliams.co.uk instagram.com/matthewarthurw twitter.com/matthewarthurw

A Hong-Kong of Soulmates Words: Kate Pasola Illustration: Joana Estrela

Valentine’s Day: blame Plato

alentine's Day takes meticulous planning. I'm already predicting I'll spend lunchtime avoiding Instagram, draft a sardonic tweet about Thorntons then delete it in case I upset their social media person, before finishing the day sitting in a shallow bath repeating mental affirmations that receipt of a torso-sized Moonpig =/= fulfilment. Single people direct lots of their Valentine's vitriol at businesses. It's just quite satisfying to have a go at something other than yourself for feeling more single than a stale Pringle left in the tube. But there's someone who's been getting off lightly in all of this (shout-out to Plato), and I think drawing attention to it might even be more empowering than that time Beyoncé wrote a song about single people putting their hands up. In the Symposium, Plato wrote that earth was originally inhabited by a species of four-legged, four-armed and bi-facial humans, with happy souls wanting for nothing. Then we all got a bit big for our mortal boots, so Zeus split us in half, binding everyone to the quest to find our lost soulmates. I'm not one to hate on Plato, but I think it's time we addressed our loyalty to this mythical narrative – even if only because imagining a race of self-satisfied, two-faced octohumans is, frankly, petrifying. Most of us have acknowledged the fact that it's questionable that all these wandering demi-souls are bumping into their corresponding mates next to the same library vending machines/on Tinder/in a heated kickboxing taster session. When it comes to others we're aware

it's more likely that The One is just the person they like more than anyone else they've met yet. But that doesn't stop us secretly subscribing to the soulmate story when we fall in love. Those giddy chemicals get to work suspending your rationality, leaving you to consider your luck that, of all the bikinis on all the booze-cruises in Croatia, your very own Mr Right happened to vomit on yours. But what is a soulmate? Surely it's just a human with whom we're tremendously compatible – similar enough to remind us why we're awesome but different enough to distract us from any possible self-hatred we're harbouring. They're hopefully the gender we want to have sex with, and have a knack for reducing our hearts to spaghetti hoops. If that's the case, I think it's naïve to assume that of the seven billion(ish) souls on earth, hanging out with only one of them could ever be this gratifying. So I'm going propose a new framework. Imagine lining up the world's population, from the person with whom you have least in common (say, an 18-year-old UKIP member wearing a Hawaiian shirt who wants to settle down in Skegness), all the way to your ideal human (perhaps someone with the vocabulary of Russell Brand, the shoulders of Hercules, who doesn't bleat on proudly about being a Man-Feminist and nonchalantly rides a motorbike). Imagine scanning that entire lineup and discounting all but one as unsuitable runners-up. Seems pretty wasteful if you ask me. Say you think you'd only be relationship-level compatible with about 5% of that lineup… that's

still 35 million contenders. Even the pickiest of romantics who might only consider 1% of that lineup are still looking at a pool of seven million people they'd probably have an awesome time, beautiful babies and a banging golden anniversary with, if that's what they're into. Seven million people. The population of Hong Kong.

“Of all the bikinis on all the boozecruises in Croatia, your very own Mr Right happened to vomit on yours” It's not the stuff of Mills & Boon, but who even reads Mills & Boon now anyway? There's a Hong Kong-ful of people waiting to find out how implausibly immense you are and share their pizza with you. But one thing's certain, it's unlikely you're going to meet many of them until you've pulled the plug on not only the shallow bath you're sitting in, but also the idea there's someone out there whose job is to complete you.

Things That Go Bump in the Night Trigger warning: Nightmares and sleep terrors are familiar bedfellows, but for one writer, the little-known condition sexsomnia comes with its own set of disturbances and difficulties

y subconscious has always been a macabre carnival of dark, shadowy nightmares and sleep terrors since childhood. For decades, night time has been prowled by hallucinations lurking at the foot of the bed, invisible incubi tossing me around in torturous episodes of sleep paralysis and dream concoctions of abuse, shame and failure. That part of my brain is a cavernous basement of fear, unlocked only when I close my eyes to sleep. Imagine then, after a life-time of turbulent nights and prescription chemicals to placate these subconscious monsters of mine, I fall in love with someone whose night-time demons get uncontrollably and inescapably horny at around 3am. So powerful are these impulses, the dreams puppeteer his sleeping body towards me in the night to initiate sex in a dopey, inept fumble. His eyes are closed and crucial parts of his brain are disengaged, mainly the prefrontal cortex which controls the mind's intent and awareness. At first we dismissed the episode as a one-off, but then every few days an arm would be thrown in my direction and a hand would get caught in my bra strap groping blindly for a breast. Either that or the hand would be plunged straight into my pants, which his sleeping self magnetises deftly towards no matter how deep his slumber.

Lifestyle

An enthusiastic fingering wake-up call in the wee small hours does not a happy girlfriend make. Especially a girlfriend as plagued with sleep disorders as I, one who counts every minute of uninterrupted shut-eye as precious. I shook him awake in the beginning, demanding he explain what the fuck he was doing. As time went on and the behaviours presented themselves as an unconscious impulse rather than a weird sleep-rape fetish, I became less aggressive and would gently roll him over instead, telling him what happened as he came round. The condition is called sexsomnia, which we discovered through some online research after around episode 15 (and a serious spike in my night-time anxieties). Sexual activity in sleepwalkers is not that uncommon, and researchers at Toronto's University Health Centre sleep lab registered that one in 12 people studied had initiated sex in their sleep. There have also been several instances of rape acquitted because the perpetrator was unconscious at the time. I'd dismissed previous news reports I'd read on the subject as nonsense before I experienced it first hand – unable to believe that a primal subconscious urge was enough to power the body into committing such horrendous acts. There was something Night of the Living Dead about it; zombies stumbling blindly along, cognitive power completely reduced, able to comprehend

only the basest of human needs. Thankfully my partner's night-ego urges weren't to eat brains, just pussy. His sleep antics ended up causing greater damage to his psyche than my sleep pattern, and in time my concern shifted drastically to him once the conscious effects of his parasomnia began to take hold. He suffered incredible shame upon waking, rolling over to the far corner of the bed and refusing to be touched, apologising profusely. He has hazy recollection of events on occasion, but mostly suffers complete amnesia, confusion and embarrassment. After an episode he would withdraw into himself, become distant and refuse to speak to me. I almost felt like I was the sleepy sex pest in the scenario, rather than the recipient of substandard, surprise late-night foreplay. In order to subdue his shame, I decided to retire the nickname Midnight Molester (and, to my great upset, the 80s-detective-show-style theme tune I often sang to accompany it). Yeah, it might sound harsh and insensitive, but humour is a great defence mechanism when you're being shagged in your sleep, and the theme tune was fucking catchy. Despite his embarrassment and the gradual settling down of his sleep molestation, my concern is now getting his condition recorded in his medical records in case things progress. In 2009, in arguably the most tragic sleepwalking

DEVIANCE

Words: Lola incident documented in recent times, doting husband Brian Thomas fatally strangled his wife while they both slept. The couple were staying in a camper van on holiday, but the noise of boyracers doing handbrake turns in a nearby car park disturbed Brian's already restless subconscious, driving him to throttle his partner. They were due to celebrate 40 years spent together, but Brian's half-century of secret night terrors built to their terrifying and tragic crescendo just before their wedding anniversary. Incidents such as Brian's are often referred to as homicidal somnambulism, and aren't exactly equivalent to the mild midnight friskiness my partner and I endure. However, without the correct attention or diagnosis, is it likely to escalate? Will his subconscious self – who speaks in an unfamiliar voice and seems to have his own personality – switch to an aggressive Hyde character and slay me in my sleep? There's also every chance I could be impregnated in the night with an accidental sleep baby, a child conceived by thesubconscious. Perhaps he or she would become a surrealist painter, or the subject of Freudian-esque psychiatric testing – a baby from the beyond. Perhaps. Or perhaps I will be choked to death with cock in a sleep-deep-throating incident. The cash from the tabloids could pay for the funeral.

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Soft Touch Natural light, the Pre-Raphaelites and images of romantic femininity: all are influences for emerging fashion photographer Rosie Woods Interview: Morgan McTiernan

aving graduated from Manchester School of Art with a BA in photography last summer, Rosie Woods, online editor at Ballad Of magazine, is noted as one of the most up-and-coming photographers in Manchester. Known for her light touch, she describes her work as, “soft, feminine and subtle.” “I think I left school like every other 16-yearold, completely confused with what I wanted to study and eventually do as a job,” she says. “I ended up mindlessly picking up a small photography course having never owned a camera and quickly became fully immersed in it. I enrolled onto a full time photographic course at an arts school in the city I’m originally from, Hull, and have been studying and working with photography for the last seven years now.” When it comes to the idea behind a fashion image and what makes it successful, Woods explains that, in her eyes, the image must have “originality and personality” – something that is certainly seen throughout her work. Now 22, Woods moved to Manchester three years ago, which allowed her to surround herself with – and become part of – the flourishing creative community. “Living in such a creative city with lots of like-minded people creates a bit of healthy competition, which is always good for getting me motivated,” she says. “It also means I’ve had the chance to work with so many lovely, talented teams of people who have helped shape my entire portfolio.” Having graduated just five months ago, the emergent young photographer is still learning and developing her style – however, she has already had editorials published in extremely highly regarded magazines such as Girls on Film, Ballad Of, As You Are and Zeum, to name only a few. She also recently shot the lookbook for Manchester-based accessory designer Rianna Phillips, who makes luxury digitally printed accessories. She also shot designer (and Skinny favourite) Ellie Rousseau’s graduate men’s collection – a combination of striking street and sportswear with an unexpected feminine twist. It seems that Woods has found her own distinctively individual aesthetic, which allows her to stand out. Describing her work, she says that it “definitely encompasses the theme of femininity,” and she has found further motivation for her chosen career in the work of Paolo Roversi, Sarah Moon, David Hamilton and Deborah Turbeville. “These are the ones who from the very beginning have been a huge source of inspiration and still are today.” Inspiration also comes from the PreRaphaelite art movement, which began in the late 1840s and included such artists as Millais and Rossetti, and which was known for its fine detail, intense colours and complex compositions as well as its highly romantic depiction of women. Woods also cites influences in the “softness and tones found in Pictorialism.” This aesthetic movement – where the photograph usually lacked a sharp focus and the photographer would ‘create’ an image rather than solely record it – dominated photography in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Woods mainly uses outdoor locations in her work, utilising the natural light to create beautiful, delicate and captivating images.

February 2015

The titles of her editorials show these artistic and romantic roots, with headlines such as Age of Enlightenment, Tender, Into the Grey and Rust and Stardust. Age of Enlightenment, which featured on Bricks magazine, shows a young woman with pink hair wearing pastel shades, with a blurred garden as the backdrop. This image seems to invite the viewer into Woods’ own idea of fairyland. A love heart is drawn on the model’s face against a sorbet-pink eyeshadow; she has been captured flirtatiously smiling, looking both girly and cheeky. This softness of touch and colour palette runs through Woods’ portfolio.

“Living in such a creative city with lots of like-minded people creates a bit of healthy competition” Rosie Woods

While discussing inspirational fashion, Woods mentions Meadham Kirchhoff and Margaret Howell as designers she would like to work with: “Their pieces are always so fun and cute so working with them would be amazing.” Ballad Of magazine, where Woods is currently online editor, has been running since 2008 and aims to create a platform that celebrates creative talent from around the world. “I’ve been working with Ballad Of for almost a year now, and it’s been great!” Woods says. “My role with them gives me the opportunity to scope out tons of new, emerging photographic talent and speak to so many creative people. I write weekly articles on the website about someone whose work has caught my eye and I get to pick their mind about their work and inspiration.” The magazine is available to view online as well as being in print biannually. As well as writing for Ballad Of, Woods also has her own photography work published within it. When asked about her biggest achievement in photography so far, Woods says, “I wouldn’t say there is one big achievement which I look most fondly upon, more like lots of things combined.” Having only just started her career her future plans are still in the works. She explains, “Having graduated just a few months ago, it’s nice to be just making work for myself at the moment and taking every day as it comes. I’d eventually like to do some travelling and live outside of the UK for a few years.” We definitely can’t wait to see what the future holds for Rosie Woods. To see more of Rosie Woods’ work visit rosie-woods.co.uk or her blog, rosie-woods.tumblr.com Instagram and Twitter: @xrosiewoods

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The Veganuary Monologues Whether it’s out of compassion towards animals or wanting to raise a middle finger to the industrial food complex, it’s good to try a vegan lifestyle if only for a short while, says our Food and Drink editor

February 2015

It’s a distinctly, um, ‘urban’ month starring the Hip Hop Wine Shop festival and Urban Food Fest, while the region sees new eateries with both wine dispensers and crisp sandwiches

soy mince, jackfruit and tofu can’t mimic the toothsomeness of meat. You discover abominations like Sheese (don’t ask!) and the inoffensive but ominoussounding seitan. At first I think this is the hip, holy-grail ingredient. A short browse and some instructional videos later and it appears that it’s basically cooked wheat gluten. I contemplate making chicken-fried seitan before realising it’s essentially breaded bread. In bread. What amazes me in all of this is the sheer resourcefulness of those faced with the task of finding replacements for dairy and meat. The vegan pioneers. Did you know ground linseed plus water can approximate that cheap and efficient emulsifier, eggs. Vegan pancakes are, I wager, indistinguishable from the real thing. You can make fake parmesan (Farmesan?) with yeast flakes, nuts and garlic powder.

Words: Jamie Faulkner Illustration: Bethany Thompson

hings move quickly in the world of food and drink. This column blinked in January and during that split-second a whole load of places were added to the ‘Ooh that sounds nice but I probably won’t get around to trying it until my bank balance recovers from Christmas/until June’ list. Chief among them is La Bandera, a Spanish restaurant with a menu designed by Michelinlevel chef Josetxo Arrieta, which opened just off Manchester’s King Street in December with little fanfare saving a tweet from Manchester City’s David Silva. (@LaBanderaUK)

“I contemplate making chickenfried seitan before realising it’s essentially breaded bread. In bread” Inveterate vegans who’ve been making these choices for years might scoff at the idea of going vegan for a mere month. But they’d be wrong. If you’re open-minded and committed for even a short period, it can alter your outlook quite drastically, even if you don’t become a full convert. The best slogan I’ve seen is: it’s better to be a bad vegan than a good meat eater. For all the rhetoric, I can’t see myself foregoing meat and dairy entirely, only because it limits my options to a degree that I’ll find untenable. Rather I’ll strike a balance that fits with my moral framework: sourcing the most ethical produce or buying shares in a compassionately reared cow, for example. For now, I’ll stick to Michael Pollan’s mantra: “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.”

Aubergine Thai red curry

FOOD AND DRINK

Photo: Anna Tully

says when faced with the idea that foregoing milk and cheese isn’t such a crazy notion – and a lot of misconceptions regarding veganism, many of which I’ve readily subscribed to in the past and which are addressed by the Veganuary website. Most common among them are ones relating to the lack of protein in a vegan diet. The best retort I’ve found is that NFL lineman David Carter and former UFC fighter Mac Danzig both have plant-based diets. And they’re f-ing ripped. Carter also points to another decisive factor: “The average lifespan of a professional football player is only 56 (due to extreme consumption of animal products which leads to heart disease, stroke, cancers, and other chronic illnesses).” And a vegan diet isn’t as ascetic as some make out. Falafel, chips and certain dark chocolate are on hand if you feel like indulging. I find myself turning again and again to Yotam Ottolenghi’s Plenty and Serious Eats Vegan Experience recipes for inspiration throughout January. Avocado on toast and bircher muesli become regular – and tasty – breakfast features. There are downsides, of course: it does take much more planning and foresight, especially if you want to eat out. Reading labels is a must, too. My partner was convinced that Lidl fig rolls were vegan up until we’d got the packet home and saw whey powder (derived from milk) tucked away in the ingredients list. The real struggle is tea with soy/oat/nut milk; take your pick, it still feels like an affront to brews everywhere. And of course

Photo: Anna Tully

Words: Jamie Faulkner

Gado gado

t all began when I welled up watching Vegucated. Footage of livestock enduring a cruel, traumatic fate and the compelling, emotive anti-industrial farming message were enough to precipitate a gradual decline in my meat and dairy consumption. So Veganuary, a movement that encourages people to go vegan for the month of January, seemed as good a time as any to see what life was like, ahem, no cold turkey. Four days into my Veganuary I go back to work, where I eventually announce, somewhat sheepishly, that I’m temporarily vegan. My boss asks if I want a “formal warning” and a colleague tells me I “used to be a cool guy.” They’re only half-joking. Anyone would have thought I’d announced my undying loyalty to UKIP. Over the month I’m genuinely surprised by how much resistance I encounter. But statistics could hold the key to why the vegan choice is so alien: the National Diet and Nutrition Survey results (combined 2008-2012) found that two per cent of both adults and children reported that they were vegetarian; and less than one percent of participants reported following a vegan diet. Maybe labelling yourself vegan triggers a defence mechanism in the other 99% by its implicit challenge to the status quo? This is how conspiracy theorists must feel. The backlash is strange given that so many of us have specialist dietary requirements. I know plenty of people with digestive disorders, ranging from Crohn’s to lactose intolerance, that preclude them from eating certain foods. Six to eight per cent of children have a proven food allergy, according to the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence, while as many as 20% of adults self-diagnose one, real or perceived. Perhaps your body’s rejection of something is more acceptable than rationalising it from your diet? Looking to India, which (according to 2007 data from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations) has the lowest rate of meat consumption in the world with vegetarians making up 30% of the population, we begin to see how skewed our national diet is. America and Australia are among the worst carnivorous offenders; the bottom of the table consists mostly of African nations and the Indian subcontinent. Meat is quite simply a luxury that we, unlike others, can afford. And our appetite for it has necessitated the farming practices that we see now; a climate where milk is cheaper than water. You find wilful ignorance about dairy farming – “I won’t even ask about the link between calves and dairy farming,” one Twitter users

Food News

Chorlton has seen a new opening too, in the form of The Cellar Key, a “sociable wine bar” started by Andy Leathley aka @AndyTheWineGuy. There’re sharing dishes, a 65-strong bottle list and an Enomatic wine vending machine. Yes, that’s as cool as it sounds. (@TheCellarKey) In Liverpool, The Pen Factory has been making waves already. The new project from Paddy Byrne and the team behind the original, highly successful Everyman Bistro, it’s got a seasonal, small-plates thing going on and there are crisp butties as bar snacks. Say whaaat!? (@ThePenFactory) Now, it wouldn’t quite be Food News without mentioning a festival or two: the roster of Manchester street food events grows ever bigger with the arrival of Urban Food Fest from that there London; they’ll be running every Saturday night on Bridgewater Street from 28 February with 15 food trucks. (@UrbanFoodFest) Liverpool meanwhile have The Hip Hop Wine Shop festival to look forward to – on Saturday 7 February, as part of Camp & Furnace’s Curious Community programme, there’ll be beats, boarders, wine and talks from industry experts like Joe Wadsack and Dan Harwood. The aim: to make wine less stuffy and more ‘urban,’ it seems. And finally, mildly famous chef Mary-Ellen McTague of Aumbry and 4244 Edge Street will be taking over Cuckoo bar in Prestwich. Those lucky North Mancunians!

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Jaipur Palace

lasagne (note: silken tofu is never going to replace a creamy béchamel sauce), I haven’t particularly felt like I’m missing out when abstaining On discovering a hit-and-miss haven for from eating animal products, and, given that vegetarians and vegans in the FallowfieldI rather enjoy eating out, I haven’t wanted to Withington hinterland feel that sense of FOMO when dining in restaurants, either. Going vegan for a month isn’t that hard in the Fortunately, there are a few places that grand scheme of things, but I’ll wager that gohave helped along the way, proving that vegan ing vegan with someone else makes it a whole grub can be just as trouser-busting as yer steak, lot easier. I’ve been your Food ed’s accomplice chips and béarnaise. Jaipur Palace is nestled be– one might even say instigator! – for good old tween Fallowfield and Withington, in Manchester, Veganuary (see previous page); so 2015 thus far suffering a little from being situated in somehas involved lots of researching, meal planning thing of a no-man’s land. It’s technically a hotel and batch cooking. It has involved eating less restaurant, but given that such a place usually junk food, a few errors (brioche buns and milk equates to overpriced plates, expensive booze stout, I’m guessing, do contain dairy products) and stuffy service, you’d certainly never guess. and a helluva lot less eating out (except the week- Jaipur Palace is cheap as (non-animal fat fried) end where we ate chips TWICE). chips, with very little booze to speak of (there’s a That’s not to say there aren’t establishments bar but nothing’s listed on the menu) and quietly offering up vegan grub, it’s just that, well, some of hilarious waiting staff. them are very vegan. Other than that cauliflower

rrrrr

Volta

rrrrr It's all about the toilets. Oh, and everything else Burt Lancaster famously said: “I judge a restaurant by the bread and the coffee.” Sage advice indeed, Burt. But I judge a restaurant by the chips and the toilets. Toilets because, well, it’s a rare person who wants to frequent an establishment where the prospect of going for a number one or two is a matter for serious trepidation. And chips because they’re pesky little buggers to get right. Most places, understandably, don’t bother making their own, so when you see the epithet handcut – hence, we can assume, homemade! – you’re full of nervous anticipation. Can this place fuck up chips? On my first visit to West Didsbury’s Volta, the chips were triumphantly good. Served with a slab of gammon and a jiggly-yolked fried egg, those crisp-crusted, fluffy morsels managed to

Lifestyle

eclipse all other first impressions. A good chip can do that. The toilet experience isn’t indelibly etched on my memory, so no alarm bells there. That was early 2014, not long after it opened. And while it’s tempting to review a place based on nothing more than a of plate of gammon, egg and chips, a black coffee and a hazy memory, that’d be unfair, to say nothing of disregarding Volta’s other talking points. After all, their ethos is interesting, tapas-style sharing plates, not excelling at cafe classics. By the second time I visited, almost a year had passed; and hardly a bad word had been said about the place in that period. This time, there was a group of us and the menu had expanded somewhat. No need for restraint, then; we order pretty much all the small plates. And lots of chips. The latter are every bit as a good as I remember. Beef cheeks with orange and anise are rich and aromatic; the potted shrimp, so simple to make but so rarely seen, are delicately spiced. There’s a decent earthy sea bass and puy lentil

We start the meal with pani puri, an Indian street food snack consisting of deep-fried unleavened bread (like a poppadom pocket) filled with potatoes, sev (crunchy gram flour) and chickpeas. The tamarind sauce on the side helps to bring the dish to life, but it’s not really a patch on the ones served by Chaat Cart or Mughli. We’re completely satisfied however: it’s only £2.50 for eight of the crispy bowls. Bhindi pakora aren’t really how I imagined either: these are whole deep-fried okra in a thick batter, rather than the crispy vegetable pakora I’ve tried previously. Still tasty, but with such a huge menu to choose from, I wouldn’t order these again. While we wait for the mains – and it is a brief wait – I get itchy feet and add a daal to our order. I feel like I can’t justifiably visit a south Indian restaurant and not try a daal. The waiter tries to dissuade me. I persist. I win. Somehow it is also cooked in a matter of seconds, as about 1.23 minutes later, our mains – daal included – arrive. The Gujarati daal – a sweet and sour number, with plenty of peanuts – is thin but makes a good accompaniment for our ridiculously huge masala

dosa. I wrote a little while ago about a dosa from Sindhoor – this one is twice the size. The large table comes in handy! Karela nu shaak, a tomato-based curry with jaggery (cane sugar) and bitter gourd – a sort of Indian marrow – is easily allotment prize winner of the meal. The sauce has obviously been cooked slowly and this vegetable, new to us, is the perfect vehicle for the Indian spicing. Cumin rice is plentiful, and we’ve enough of nearly everything for leftovers the next day. The best bit about eating out and being vegan proves itself when the bill arrives – all this food (two starters, three mains and rice) comes in at £20. [Anna Tully]

dish and we choose the Moorish chickpea and spinach to make ourselves feel better about the chips. With the exception of some slightly dry pork belly, everything smacks of high standards that are, judging by other reactions, rigorously maintained. And this is between Christmas and New Year too, when things might slip. The beer selection and the back bar are well thought-out. Siren Craft Brew’s Liquid Mistress goes down well and I’m taken by some sort of chocolate IPA (at least I think I am; blasted memory!), a collaboration between two notable breweries whose names escape me. Do order a whisky-based cocktail: their exemplary version of a Tawny Manhattan (where port replaces the traditional sweet vermouth) probably didn’t help matters recollection-wise. I once lived in West Didsbury for a short while, perhaps long before Volta was a twinkle in its owners’ eyes. It’s the sort of place I wish had been there in those days. I always thought Folk was okay, One Lounge did decent cocktails and The Drawing Room was just way too small. Mary and Archie had the best beer selection back then

and The Rose Garden was great when you were in the mood for white. I’ve never said this about anywhere in Manchester, but Volta is the kind of bar I have in my dreams. Ergo: I hate the owners just a little bit. They are well-travelled DJs Luke Cowdrey and Justin Crawford, who have already had a measure of success in the food and drink world with Chorlton’s Electrik. That just makes it worse. Anyway, I’ve just seen a special of duck fat confit scallops on Instagram. Damn, I need to go back here more than twice a year. [Jamie Faulkner]

FOOD AND DRINK

If you liked Jaipur Palace, try: The Old Hardware Shop, Woolton Village, Liverpool V Revolution, Manchester Lotus Vegetarian Kitchen, Manchester Jaipur Palace, 346-348 Wilmslow Rd, Manchester, M14 6AB www.jaipurpalacerestaurant.com

If you liked Volta, try: Electrik, Manchester Neon Jamon, Liverpool Some Place, Liverpool Volta, 167 Burton Road, West Didsbury, Manchester, M20 2LN @Voltamanchester www.voltafoodanddrink.co.uk

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THE SKINNY

Gig Highlights February may be the runt of the Gregorian calendar, but it’s punching well above its weight in terms of kickass live music. Its embarrassment of riches include D’Angelo, Dope Body, The Wave Pictures, Ryan Adams and a brace of inventive festivals

Words: William Gunn and Laura Swift

ight, c’mon, that’s enough sitting around indoors lamenting the inevitable collapse of your foolishly concocted new year’s resolutions and hiding from weather that’s doing exactly what it does for most of the year ’round here. It’s February fercrissakes! If the region’s promoters can untangle themselves from their winter beards to get out the house then so can you. Horns at various levels of protrusion this month please for Viet Cong (not so much), a Niskala/Barberos double bill (a fair amount) and Hawk Eyes (full extension). Viet Cong at Manchester’s Deaf Institute (5 Feb) bring a sort of head-nodding, Pitchfork-approved style of sonic malevolence, all artfully implemented time signatures and chiming guitar tones. Niskala and Barberos at Kraak (6 Feb), meanwhile, promise a four drum-kit assault (that’s two per band, maths fans). The former fuse seemingly incongruous post-hardcore and gamelan influences together to fierce effect, while Liverpool’s Barberos work in hypnotic synchronisation to create a mutated hybrid of noise rock, techno and krautrock. Leeds stalwarts Hawk Eyes play it far more down the middle, but latest record Everything Is Fine thunders through the basics of hard rock arguably better than at any point in their career to date. They play Maguire’s Pizza Bar in Liverpool (12 Feb). Two highly individual personalities visit the region, stylistically different, but both sharing the art of telling stories through an abstract prism. Former Teardrop Explodes frontman Julian Cope recently launched his acid-trip road novel One Three One, but he’ll be returning to his musical psychedelic troupes at the Epstein Theatre (5 Feb). Northeast songwriter Richard Dawson, meanwhile, is a master at drawing on his own personal past to reflect an off-kilter take on the present, as proved on beguiling latest LP, Nothing Is Important. He plays the Shipping Forecast, Liverpool (18 Feb) as well as Soup Kitchen in Manchester a week earlier (11 Feb). Lyricism of a plainer but no less personal kind has long been the forte of Ryan Adams, who, after a classy turn at Manchester’s Albert Hall last September, returns to the Northwest with his sophisticated rock show, this time calling at Liverpool Guild of Students (1 Mar), which has just reopened after a £14.5-million spit-andpolish. Should suit the godson of alt.country just fine. And a moment’s silence, please, to reflect on the majesty of the godfather of neo-soul’s first

Ex Hex

album in 14 years, Black Messiah, and his muchanticipated live return. Thank you. D’Angelo plays Manchester Apollo (18 Feb). Back on Merseyside, the Liverpool Jazz Festival kicks off at the Kazimier, with recent Mercury nominees GoGo Penguin (25 Feb) sure to set an impressive benchmark for the ensuring three days – turn to listings for full details on who else is playing. On a similarly freeform bent, This Heat drummer Charles Hayward takes the results of his 2014 Islington Mill residency on a short UK tour this month, including calling into the Kazimier Garden (20 Feb). If nothing else, this shortest of months provides a chance to run the rule on two acts we placed favourably in our December Albums of the Year list. First up, Ex Hex call into Soup Kitchen (12 Feb), mixing a familiar DC hardcore urgency – they hail from historical punk hotbed Washington – with an uncanny knack for effortlessly infectious choruses. (And while we’re on the subject of a catchy chorus – the silver-tongued Wave Pictures, surely one of the hardest working bands in the UK, call in at The Kazimier on 18 Feb; drop by for gymnastic wordplay and Moleskine wit.) Meanwhile, Baltimore four-piece Dope Body

visit Islington Mill Gallery (15 Feb) for a matinee show, bringing all the blood-and-guts punk of their latest record Lifer with them. Finally, the end of February is punctuated by two forward-thinking multi-day festivals, with Salford University’s Sonic Fusion Festival (19-22 Feb) a convenient precursor to FutureEverything (25-28 Feb). Sonic Fusion’s programme mixes more traditional routes through classical music with events more futurist-leaning – such as a live streamed trans-Atlantic performance between C_LEns (Columbia Laptop Ensemble) and ALE (Adelphi Laptop Ensemble), featuring animal sounds from Chicago and Salford. Digi-culturemusic-fest FutureEverything, meanwhile, marks its 20-year milestone with a live programme that has properly come into its own the last three years. A recent emphasis on supporting artists’ continuing relationships has yielded some exciting-sounding collaborations, most notably between Koreless and visual wiz Emmanuel Biard (who last year teamed up with Evian Christ). We recommend basically all of the programme, but keep your sharpest eye out for a rare appearance from LoneLady and, at the opening gala, Memo Akten’s brand new commission, Simple Harmonic

Motion for 16 Percussionists. Be sure to take advantage of the free events, too, including Renzo Spiteri investigating the resonances of household and large-scale objects and Liverpool-based collective Deep Hedonia’s ‘Unresolved Projects’ showcase, featuring the haunted mutterings of both Tri Angle’s Boothroyd and Modern Love’s Rainer Veil. The late-night/clubs programme is also huge, with Lee Gamble and Anthony Naples at Soup Kitchen on the Friday, and Saturday’s closing party one fit to crack chasms deep into the floor of Soup Kitchen with Bloom and the PAN label’s M.E.S.H. And finally, a couple of artists you’ll have seen gracing our pages/website lately – this issue’s front cover, in fact, in the form of sororal duo Ibeyi, who appear at Manchester’s Night & Day cafe on 22 Feb; and local label Gizeh Records’ signees Last Harbour, whose video for single Before the Ritual is up at theskinny.co.uk as we speak/I write/you read, and who launch their debut album Caul at Soup Kitchen on Valentine’s Day (n’aw). For so short a month, this embarrassment of riches is genuinely blush-worthy.

Kate Tempest The Kazimier, Liverpool, 18 Feb

ondon poet/rapper Kate Tempest’s past couple of years have seen her stitch a patchwork of projects, each piece eagerly received by her public. Starting out as a word-of-mouth phenomenon, she came to prominence with the publication of Brand New Ancients, her longform poem playing with classical myth (which was then adapted as a stage theatre piece); then, she set about recording her debut album, Everybody Down, which came out on Big Dada in spring 2014 and was promptly nominated for the Mercury Prize. While touring, she found the time to finish her latest collection of poetry, Hold Your Own, edited by literary giant Don Paterson and

February 2015

published through Picador last autumn; and now she’s back on the road again, the appetite for her street-smarts and rousing stage presence seemingly insatiable. (Somewhere amid all this, presumably, she’s putting the finishing touches to her debut novel.) The empathetic rap and warm buzzsaw beats of Everybody Down should find an ideal home in the up-close-and-personal Kazimier; as her patter builds, you want to feel those caught, coughed consonants; as that stout, indignant bass takes hold, you want to assume its swagger, move with it, breathe it. Take advantage of the chance to see this young firebrand in the first flush of fame. [Laura Swift] Kate Tempest

MUSIC

Preview

Photo: Jo Metson Scott

Do Not Miss

Album of the Month Ibeyi

Ibeyi [XL, 16 Feb]

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Folklore has it that there’s something a little spooky about twins, and Naomi and Lisa-Kaindé Díaz use this to incredible, uncanny advantage. There’s so much going on in Ibeyi’s eponymous debut, but the French-Cuban sisters handle their heady mix with truly impressive restraint. Drawing upon their father’s Cuban heritage they weave Yoruba-inspired rhythms into a fabric of old and new; influences from jazz, soul and hip-hop emerge and fade. They made a mix-tape recently, featuring everything from Nina Simone to Earl Sweatshirt – it explains a lot. Through stripped back piano and impeccably architectural percussion, the sisters conjure an absorbing, spiritual world that’s warming... but a little unsettling.

Multilingual lyrics lend themselves to harmonies truly twinned, telling tales that manage to be both intimate and timeless. Single Mama Says invites us into the complexities of family, Ghosts is a swelling, goosebump-raising hymn and Stranger / Lover could fill a floor as easily as it’ll break hearts. The album is polished with Richard Russell’s by now trademarked XL-produced gloss, but it doesn’t lose anything in translation: there’s a real sense of space, of being unrushed, and it’s delicious. In case you were wondering, Ibeyi is pronounced “ee-bey-ee.” It’s a name you’ll need this year. [Katie Hawthorne] Playing Night and Day Cafe, Manchester, 22 Feb | ibeyi.fr

Twerps

John Carpenter

Last Harbour

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Range Anxiety [Merge, 2 Feb] Antipodean jangle that borrows heavily from New Zealand’s finest guitar-manglers in all their scuffed glory, while still doffing its cap to the widescreen wonder of Brisbane’s much-loved Go-Betweens. The latter proves to be The Twerps’ secret weapon, in fact, because no matter how mopey or dopey they try to come across – exhibit A: Back To You’s goofy, Clean-esque shamble – they just can’t sidestep an inherent knack for magnificent pop songs. De facto frontman Martin Frawley imbues every second of this star performance with a perfect marriage of heartfelt wisdom and languorous cool; equally, Julia MacFarlane’s vocal turn on the understated Shoulders is windswept and adorable where others might settle for cutesy. Deft opener I Don’t Mind highlights their chutzpah, with hooks layered in creeping tension, only to unspool and recoil in some style. The Twerps’ influences may belie their Melbourne roots, but Range Anxiety is bigger and brighter than mere geography could ever hope to be. [Will Fitzpatrick] twerps.bandcamp.com

Lost Themes [Sacred Bones, 2 Feb] Semi-retired from the film industry, Hollywood’s loss becomes your record collection’s gain as The Master of Horror – a profound influence in the realm of synthesised music – brings a new bogeyman to life. Dating back to his low budget 1974 debut Dark Star, Carpenter scored his own films mostly out of economic necessity, striking upon a knack for minimal, pulsating motifs for the very specific purpose of evoking a heightened state of dread and suspense in his audience. Recorded with son Cody and godson Daniel Davies, the endeavour of a lifetime becomes a family affair on Lost Themes. A series of improvised sequences that morph from doomy harbingers (Abyss) in to Vangelis-like dreamscapes (Wraith), the trio manipulate the foreboding aesthetics of those late-20th-century thrillers rather than being enslaved by them; the mercurial likes of Obsidian – a pulse-quickening chase down a darkened hall – makes for the ultimate in late-night headphone experiences, whichever decade you’re in. If Carpenter has come here to chew bubblegum and kick ass, then surely he’s all out of bubblegum. [John Langlands]

Caul [Gizeh Records, 9 Feb] More dark matter from Manchester’s Gizeh Records, the increasingly canny collective responsible of late for shadowy essentials from the likes of Ormonde and Shield Patterns. From the depths of sorrow, Last Harbour conjure hope, belief, solace. Are you ready to be heartbroken? Here’s a meticulously traced map of the human condition to guide you. K Craig’s throaty burr could so easily be a vehicle for morose routine – here it’s an instrument of force and range. It inhabits Caul like a ghost in the shadows: shades of Scott Walker and the late David McComb. Musically, Last Harbour’s chamber arrangements reference the darklands favoured by The Bad Seeds and These New Puritans. Subtle tonal shifts are its concession to variation. Its immaculate highlight is The Promise, a 13-minute rhapsody in black. Throughout, it’s Caul’s compassion that overwhelms. Those moments when you stumble, where the light retreats, here’s an arm around the shoulder and a heart that understands. [Gary Kaill] lastharbour.co.uk

sacredbonesrecords.com

Idlewild

BADBADNOTGOOD & Ghostface Killah

Everything Ever Written [Empty Words, 16 Feb]

Sour Soul [Lex Records, 23 Feb]

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For context’s sake, let’s just clear one thing up: Idlewild’s days as oblique-angled indie-punkas (“A flight of stairs falling down a flight of stairs,” famously) are long gone. Everything Ever Written is the work of older, wiser heads, leaning more heavily towards Americana than the mosh pit. “It’s been checked, rechecked, rewritten and revised,” observes Roddy Woomble on All Things Different, following a sparse mid-song break that’s positively illuminated by jazz-tinged trumpet flutters. Annihilate Now! this most assuredly is not. One of Idlewild’s greatest strengths remains their natural bent towards the melancholic – shorn of their erstwhile velocity, they’re free to play with textures in exquisite fashion. The Whiskeytown-esque So Many Things to Decide is a highlight, while the sunrise-soft glow of Utopia perfectly suits Woomble’s gentle croon. Perhaps ironically, it’s only pacier rocker On Another Planet that feels a little out of place here. So what of the flight of stairs? Let’s just say it’s been freshly re-carpeted. [Will Fitzpatrick] Playing Ritz, Manchester, 12 Mar | idlewild.co.uk

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BADBADNOTGOOD’s vision has always been broad, but with Pretty Toney in tow it’s blinding. The Toronto jazz trio might have found wider recognition through a James Blake cover in 2012, but they’ve been reimagining seminal hip-hop since the school yard. It’s no surprise, then, that Sour Soul feels so triumphant. Landing a collaboration with Ghostface Killah is a feat in itself, and over the 11 tracks that follow cymbal-clashing, tick-tocking intro Mono, it’s a proper pleasure to hear the Wu-Tang legend stretch out over such a vital, luxuriously live backdrop. The guestlist is impressive: Danny Brown, Elzhi, Tree and Doom (!) take turns on tracks that demand live performance. Even more impressive is that BADBADNOTGOOD are far from secondary in this starry lineup. Six Degrees breaks down into unnerving, tripping percussion so precisely recorded that it sounds like it’s in the room with you. An unexpected, bombastic horn section steals the show on Ray Gun. This three-piece know their art inside out, and it’s the balance of the unpredicted with the familiarity of hip-hop’s finest that renders Sour Soul just so sweet. [Katie Hawthorne]

Duke Garwood

Heavy Love [Heavenly, 9 Feb]

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Album number six from the Brit soul man resolves a backstory nigh on three decades in the making. After working solo and collaboratively – his contacts list boasts entries in the name of Vile, Lanegan and Tinariwen – for most his career, here he serves notice of a vision coming into ever sharper focus. A bruised catalogue of troubled-man meanderings, Heavy Love is soulful, eloquent and deeply affecting. His aim is true on every level: the voice, a soft, near-spoken whisper; his detailed guitar playing (note the exquisitely tender solo on Disco Lights); pinpoint narratives that tremble with hurt. “Over the hill we came, seeking solitude / We could not know this town was so cruel” sets the heartrending scene for Sweet Wine. When he sings “Oh, it’s two for one in hell,” this grizzled troubadour is suddenly visionary preacher, and Heavy Love becomes an experience at once draining and sanctifying. Have faith: this is Garwood’s time. [Gary Kaill] dukegarwood.co.uk

badbadnotgood.com

Father John Misty

Dominic Waxing Lyrical

California X

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I Love You Honeybear [Sub Pop, 9 Feb]

Woodland Casual [Tenement, 2 Feb]

Nights in the Dark [Don Giovanni, 2 Feb]

The working relationship between Josh Tillman and his stage alias Father John Misty is far from straightforward. The sardonic, navelgazing narrative of I Love You Honeybear exploits this conceit to full advantage as Tillman treads an enjoyably thin line between poignant reflection and ribbing the #firstworldproblems of modern American culture. Tillman picks and chooses from the archives of US musical history, borrowing a country twang, nervous 80s electronica or a sun-drenched West Coast vibe to storytell as it suits him – but it never once sounds like simple mimicry. That said, Father John Misty’s unavoidable self-awareness has the potential to wear a little thin. The tragi-comic Bored in the USA even has a laugh-track: is it a witty underscoring of honest irony, or just a smirk of self-indulgence? But with lines like, “She says like, literally, music is the air she breathes,” on a track titled The Night Josh Tillman Came to Our Apartment, we fear that if you’re not laughing with him, he’s laughing at you. [Katie Hawthorne]

Dominic Waxing Lyrical have waited so long (18 years) between albums that they’re still quoting the long-dead Melody Maker on press releases. The better looking sister to NME described the group, built around the considerable talents of Edinburgh singer-songwriter Dominic Harris, as “DIY baroque folk,” and it still rings true on Woodland Casual. With the help of Riley Briggs of Aberfeldy and George McFall, a solid musical plateau has been built which allows the punk-poetry lyrics to take centre stage – for it’s Dominic’s observations that are of most interest here. The tribute to care-in-the-community discos – “I love you, middle of the week” – on Wednesday, is a particular delight, as is his critique of bog-standard love songs on Fly. With such a singular turn-of-phrase, you can’t help wonder why it’s taken so long for this second album to see the light of day. Let’s hope we don’t have to wait another 18 years to see where Dominic turns next. [Chris McCall]

“Please be kind,” begs Lemmy Gurtowsky, but there’s really no need. See, California X trade in the simple art of riffs’n’hooks, and they do so with more than a touch of righteous urgency. Merging drop-D grunge with dinosaur schlock, the title track is equal parts artful craftsmanship and a wilfully dumb, rock-hard-and-now sensibility; as heroically uncomplex as Cheap Trick after a plaid makeover and subtly, moreishly smart with it. A couple of instrumental link tracks point to wider textural capabilities, particularly bass-led hypnothon Garlic Road, but ultimately they’re little more than nicely-timed palette-cleansers between courses of thick, gloopy fuzz. In any case, the primal sludge of the two-part Blackrazor is Nights in the Dark at its best, all muscular chugs and squiggled guitar heroics that barely suppress the plaintive pop lurking within – that they’re almost certainly loser punk nerds posing as lunkhead caveman rockers only adds to their delightful, if not yet world-beating charm. [Will Fitzpatrick]

Playing Gorilla, Manchester, 24 Feb | fatherjohnmisty.com

facebook.com/dominicwaxinglyrical

californiax.bandcamp.com

Review

RECORDS

THE SKINNY

Tigercats

Mysteries [Fortuna POP!, 2 Feb]

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The Pop Group

Darren Hayman

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Citizen Zombie [Freaks R Us, 23 Feb]

Chants for Socialists [wiaiwya, 2 Feb]

The indie pop classicists earn their stripes on their debut for Fortuna POP!, a match made in the minor chord, lovelorn heaven exemplified by both parties. It’s a smart step forward from 2012 debut Isle of Dogs. If, initially, Tigercats appeared ever so slightly in thrall to the staples of their chosen form, Mysteries is altogether more inquisitive. Clued-up listeners will warm to the presence of that arch-collaborator Terry Edwards, whose sax and trumpet warm and fill the band’s expanding sound. When, as on Call Me If You Need Me, the bustling guitars give way to a sure-footed groove, there’s a clue as to where the future might lie. But to stand out in the way that, say, label mates Allo Darlin’ are beginning to, Tigercats really should unsheath those claws a little more. Altogether now: once more with feline. [Gary Kaill]

When The Pop Group first made their return from a decades-long hiatus, opening what would turn out to be Sonic Youth’s final UK shows around December of 2010, it was met with a degree of curiosity afforded to few present-day reunions. The Bristolian four-piece helped shape post-punk with three of the genre’s most pivotal records in the late 1970s, but their decidedly niche fanbase meant that this was likely not a cash-in. They must have decided they genuinely had something to offer again, just shy of 30 years after disbanding as this fourth album confirms. It’s erratic and uneven, sure, swinging between sounding outdated (as in the messy Shadow Child) and thrillingly cutting-edge (see Age of Miracles), but the urgency that has always characterised their output remains present and correct in abundance, especially when it comes to Mark Stewart’s vocal delivery. [Joe Goggins]

London Grammar and First Aid Kit can rest easy: certainly, their dubious status as David Cameron’s favourite bands is unlikely to be challenged by Darren Hayman on this showing. The ex-Hefner leader has spent over a decade furthering a unique and unwavering vision, and what better way to signal the current precarious state of the nation than with a reimagining of William Morris’s Chants for Socialists? In an age where political protest is reduced to smug hectoring and convenient self-advancement, Hayman’s take on Morris’s late19th-century works is modest but true. The arrangements are as impeccable as the intent and nowhere is this selfless enterprise (pay what you can afford for the download) better summarised than on a stirring The Day Is Coming: “I tell you this for a wonder, that no man then shall be glad / Of his fellow’s fall and mishap to snatch at the work he had.” Which side are you on, boys? [Gary Kaill]

tigercatsband.com

thepopgroup.net

hefnet.com

Black Rivers

Two Gallants

Crushed Beaks

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Black Rivers [Ignition, 9 Feb]

We Are Undone [ATO Records, 2 Feb]

Scatter [Matilda Records, 9 Feb]

It’s tempting to retrospectively label Doves a quiet success story, given their lack of ego when compared with other Mancunian groups. There were never any shouty interviews as their well-crafted alt-rock albums like The Last Broadcast did the talking. But such a tag would unfairly diminish the years of effort they put in; brothers Andy and Jez Williams have been making music together since they were 11, and they spent more than a decade building Doves with Jimi Goodwin before the group went on indefinite hiatus in 2010. Now Jez and Andy have reappeared with new band Black Rivers. While it’s unlikely they will replicate the success of their previous venture, this self-titled debut displays the hallmarks of seasoned songwriters – first single Voyager 1 shines like an expertly-polished pop diamond. But it’s difficult to view Black Rivers as anything other than a Doves side project, as stylistically they are near identical. It’s just as well there are many who will view that trait as a positive. [Chris McCall]

“If you weren’t always talking you might hear me speak,” sings Adam Stephens towards the end of Two Gallants’ fifth record, but he needn’t worry about being ignored on We Are Undone. Stephens’ voice dominates this rock duo’s lean guitar and drums lineup, an utterly committed wail that teeters between Brandon Flowers’ most histrionic Springsteen impression and all-out hair metal screeching. Its surprising pop-punk highlight Incidental reads as fittingly symptomatic of the anxiety he confesses therein, finding Stephens vying for attention amid a crisis of self-worth that his intensity renders urgent. Elsewhere though, it’s less amenable, threatening to trample the elegant guitar work of the album’s second half and, at worst (see the grating, awkward chorus of Fools Like Us), doing little to conceal the absence of an obvious melody. Two Gallants can batter out a riff just fine, but ...Undone’s admirable musicianship is too often suffocated by Stephens’ reluctance to take a breather. [Andrew Gordon]

Crushed Beaks’ invigorating debut offers a bracing antidote to those proliferating and profiting via the UK indie scene’s current predilection for socalled authenticity. Let’s hope the sixth-form-band-name generator hasn’t nixed their chances from the off, because Scatter is enterprising and accomplished guitar pop, and a hugely appealing opening bid. Simultaneously raw and refined, and refreshingly uncynical, its eyes are wide rather than on the prize. Matthew Poile eschews vogue-ish slurring or snapping: kudos for singing to the rear circle rather than his feet. Grim models a Buzzcocks-y post-punk rattle. History displays their lighter side and their disarming way with a melody. Ten songs and each one prioritises craft over attitude: it’s certainly too smart for the lad brigade. So cross everything and hope this one breaks through because at a time when keeping it real never felt quite so tiresome, Crushed Beaks’ songcraft and musicality offers a refreshingly alternative alternative. [Gary Kaill]

Playing Manchester Apollo with Elbow on 7 Feb | blackriversofficial.com

Playing Gorilla, Manchester, on 20 Feb and Brudenell Social Club, Leeds, 23 Feb twogallants.com

crushedbeaks.tumblr.com

The Unthanks

Screaming Females

A Place to Bury Strangers

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Mount the Air [Cadiz Music, 9 Feb] The much extolled olde-worlde storytelling of The Unthanks has won them an impressive array of famous admirers, everyone from Ryan Adams to Dawn French – can it get any more diverse? Mount the Air is the Geordies’ first release in four years, and the self-titled debut single has been a pleasant, if not slightly misleading reintroduction to their charms. While the radio edit represents a fraction of the ten-and-a-half-minute epic that kicks off the record, they both share the swelling and soaring arrangements of Adrian McNall, who manages to merge folk with the unease and medieval European gloom of recent records like Last Ex and the infamous In the Aeroplane Over the Sea. The sisters’ voices are often gossamer-like but combine into a choral anthem as this record swings and sways its way through their whimsical and charming tales, Madam being a particular highlight – very Northern. Folky, proggy, quiet and loud. It’s a joy to have The Unthanks back. [Thomas Ingham] Playing Leeds Irish Centre on 10 Mar, and Ritz, Manchester, on 11 Mar the-unthanks.com

Rose Mountain [Don Giovanni, 23 Feb] No sign of let-up for New Brunswick’s Screaming Females, who just can’t seem to gather a pile of irresistible melodies without submerging them in molten guitar heaviosity. Marissa Paternoster (whose voice alone contains enough muscle to leave entire armies reeling in its wake) piles riff upon gargantuan riff and solo upon elastic-fingered solo, making good on Ripe’s promise to “peel the skin raw” and eviscerating all but the most hardy of eardrums. Rose Mountain is their sixth album, and it totally fucking slays. That’s not to say it’s all face-melting fury: Wishing Well is all dizzy, flowery intricacies that Doug Martsch would happily take under his wing, while Broken Neck sways apprehensively as Paternoster nonchalantly invites us to “swim through the afterbirth.” Still, when it comes to unabashed stoner rock thrills played at amphetamine pace, Screaming Females are miles ahead of the pack. [Will Fitzpatrick] Playing with Kaiser Chiefs at Leeds Arena, 14 Feb screamingfemales.com

Public Service Broadcasting The Race for Space [Test Card Recordings, 23 Feb]

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Dutch Uncles

O Shudder [Memphis Industries, 23 Feb]

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Many wondered where Public Service Broadcasting could go from their debut; could they ever be more than just clips from the British Film Institute? Well, one sure difference is the subject matter – America versus Russia and the battle for the moon. Musically, however, PSB are in similar territory, if not a little more electro. Their latest documents Sputnik going into orbit, the Apollo 1 fire tragedy and of course EVA (or walking on the moon as Sting called it). It feels like the space race backed by the Drive soundtrack, occasionally with mournful arpeggiated guitars for those moments with real gravity (yes, pun intended). This record sounds most human and alive on Gagarin, a groove-laden, Michael Jackson-esque thriller for the Russians. The Race for Space is a paradox; compositionally the same, but with a greater sense of occasion and urgency – a progression, but only a slight one at that. [Thomas Ingham]

The fourth album from art-pop five-piece Dutch Uncles is a bit frustrating, and the difference in the first two singles Decided Knowledge and In N Out says it all. The former is laser-sharp, grooved and knowingly weird, showing off the band’s trademark talent for strange, danceable detail. Then, In N Out. It’s an ode to the awkwardness of propositioning your best pal, but it comes off no more smoothly than that scenario would in real life. The band have described the album as an examination of modern insecurities, but perhaps these insecurities have gotten the better of them? The results at times appear over-thought, and a little lacking in confidence as a consequence. Don’t worry, though; an exuberantly irreverent approach to songcraft and a flamboyant sprinkling of kook keeps O Shudder on a similar page to previous releases, and the swelling, triumphant Upsilon is guaranteed to go down a treat this summer – all is far from lost. [Katie Hawthorne]

publicservicebroadcasting.net

dutchuncles.co.uk

February 2015

RECORDS

Transfixiation [Dead Oceans, 16 Feb] Frenzied wind, screeching subway trains, corrupted radio transmissions and the rusty insides of a petrol engine: these are just a few of the sounds evoked by the shape-shifting cornucopia of noise Oliver Ackermann conjures on Transfixiation. In line with their previous material, Ackermann and crew couch these sonic experiments within familiar proto-punk song structures, inviting comparisons with guitar fuzz pioneers The Jesus and Mary Chain that his blunt, cool-guy vocal delivery does little to hide. More technologically minded and with access to a heck of a lot of equipment (Ackermann’s other gig is engineering effects pedals), APTBS offer a futuristic reimagining of JAMC’s distorted swagger: take I’m So Clean, which mounts Jim Reid’s motorbike from The Living End and takes it for a night-time spin through a rainslicked anime dystopia. Distinctly lacking though is a sense of urgency or purpose; Transfixiation keeps the 30-year-old racket going but without really adding much to the blueprint. [Andrew Gordon] Playing Belgrave Music Hall, Leeds, on 3 Apr, Sound Control Manchester, on 5 Apr aptbs.tumblr.com

The Top Five 1 2

Ibeyi

BADBADNOTGOOD & Ghostface Killah

Sour Soul

3 4 5

Twerps

Range Anxiety

Duke Garwood

Heavy Love

John Carpenter

Lost Themes

Review

So Much to Answer For You’ll rarely see him at the front of the stage, but David McLean – the Tombed Visions label founder, Gnod and Naked (On Drugs) collaborator and solo artist in his own right – is becoming a vital force within Manchester’s fractured music scene

orget your lead roles, it’s the supporting cast that often shapes and nuances life’s narratives. Just ask Liverpool International Music Festival – their 2014 programme featured Minor Characters, a live culmination of a project that saw artists such as NOTOWN Records’ Luke Abbott and recent hell-in-a-synthline producer East India Youth undertake the task of creating music based around their favourite cameo players. Meanwhile, in a Manchester music scene more disparate and cluttered than perhaps at any point since the dawn of counterculture, it’s those same cast members who are thriving. For David McLean, the fissions and discordance of any real unified sense of movement have provided a happy hunting ground; the Tombed Visions label founder, promoter and musician has been able to leave footprints in several territories, unconsciously pulling things together again as he jumps between drifting masses. Originally from Bletchley, near Milton Keynes, McLean’s first main impact upon Manchester was as part of promoters Fat Out Till You Pass Out, whose championing of the more outré ways in which bands can push decibel levels culminates yearly with Fat Out Fest, held at Islington Mill and boasting past headliners such as Melt Banana, Lydia Lunch and Årabrot. That’s just scratching the surface, though: primarily a saxophonist, but by different turns a guitarist, pianist and producer, his many collaborations include (but aren’t limited to) joining Mill-based sonic chameleons Gnod on tour, playing full-time with Sways Records’ Birthday Party-influenced French pop provocateurs Naked (On Drugs), and forming meditative drone duo Stushevatsya with Callum Higgins of Sacred Tapes – a cassette label who recently put out, among other notable releases, a set of noise musings by 65daysofstatic’s Paul Wolinski.

Preview

Then there’s his solo material: Punctum, which surfaced on Gnod’s own Tesla Tapes label in 2014, appeared live at Manchester Art Gallery as part of Video Jam’s first takeover; and as the more free-form Aging, his last album, Troubles? I Got a Bartender, came out just before Christmas. There’s an obvious question to be asked: where does he get the energy for it all?

vary hugely even within themselves – take Aging: self-deprecatingly put down as McLean’s “lazy attempt at writing ghosts of songs,” it’s arguably his strongest guise. His first release under the name, the sparse utterances of I Swear I Saw Her Halo, came out in early 2013, acting as both a document of its creator’s explorations into the timbral nuances of the piano, and a self-styled homage to the revolutionary jazz label ECM. It differed hugely to its follow-up which, based around guitar and drums, came out sounding like a mix of early90s slowcore mangled into a deconstructed set of whisky-soaked instrumental blues, titles like Vampire Body Blues and Lit Too Soon only furthering that notion. “It’s my white middle-class version of blues,” he laughs modestly when The Skinny brings up Troubles? I Got a Bartender. “I was drinking a lot at the time of the record, and you know when you’re approaching your 30s and you’re like ‘fucking hell you’ve got to stop hammering it so much’ – not that I have – all the titles are around that. But I think both releases share David McLean a maudlin link in their sounds. There’s a sadness in a lot of my stuff and it’s not something “Someone else was saying this to me, ‘you profound that’s pouring out of my soul, it just get around don’t you!’” he laughs as we meet in feels like there’s a lot more reality to that sort of Soup Kitchen. “For me though it’s a hobby, some stuff, rather than tweeness and very sharp kind enjoyment out of work that provides some great of sunny music – not that I dislike that.” opportunities. It doesn’t mean I don’t take it seriWhen put together with the cold, machineously, but the pursuit really is just to grow and dictated techno of Punctum as well, it makes see what can be achieved with different sets of for a markedly sprawling canon. “I think it comes people.” McLean’s insatiable thirst to engage in from being a bit ADD and just getting obsessed his surroundings musically is influenced by his with one thing for ages before moving onto the older brother who, as a promoter, revitalised next thing. My brother used to call me a fadster,” Milton Keynes’s dormant commuter drone with he grins, before reflecting further: “but it also a flurry of DIY shows that pulled in strands of comes from being in a lot of bands when I was the DIY rock community from around the UK and younger and just needing to abandon that whole Europe, including bands like That Fucking Tank, set-up. Being in a band represented to me this Bilge Pump, The Ex and Zu. His individual projects kind of closed space where you think this one

“The pursuit really is just to grow and see what can be achieved with different sets of people”

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Interview: Simon Jay Catling Photography: Lucy Ridges

thing and you can’t explore anything else. There’d be times where I was like ‘what the fuck am I doing? I’m just playing a riff a certain amount of times to go into another thing. This isn’t interesting!’ I’ve a freedom now, and I’m really lucky that bands like Gnod and Naked (On Drugs) share that and allow me to ride over the top of them and pretty much do whatever I want – plus there doesn’t seem to be any other saxophonists around here! I’m getting these gigs by default!” Then there’s his limited-run cassette label, Tombed Visions. With a name taken from a line in Ted Hughes’s poem Two Legends, it initially started as an umbrella term for McLean’s own music before growing organically as friends, some of whom had similarly dispersed from Milton Keynes’s post-Millennial fulcrum of activity, got back in touch. He’s known Circuit Breakers – a brilliant two-piece from London in the mould of politically disillusioned anarchic synth industrialists from the late 70s like Cabaret Voltaire – since he was 16. Duke of Zuke, whose set of melancholic looped guitar evocations Apnoeic was released in December, goes back even further. Another friend, Remember Remember’s Joseph Quimby, has a solo album out through Tombed Visions this spring. “It’s one of the best things about running the label, having these friends who give you their record and it’s like you’re discovering a whole different part of them you never knew,” he remarks, a sentiment which echoes repeatedly throughout our conversation. Together with the likes of Liverpool trio ExEaster Island Head’s prepared guitar minimalist polyrhythms and Toronto multi-instrumentalists I Have Eaten the City (the first act actively sought out for the label beyond his peers) and their Equatorial-referencing expansions on Secret Paths, it makes for a diffusive roster, bonded by a shared sense of working at the periphery of various styles and aesthetics. Key too are the artwork and packaging, designed by twin brother Lewis McLean. “Lewis is integral,” he confirms. “He’s almost like the secret collaborator for each release.” Packaged in over-sized boxes, so as to emphasise Lewis’ frequently fractured collage pieces, there’s a pleasure in providing something “that takes up a certain amount of space in people’s habitual surroundings.” There’s also the tape itself. “There’s this almost kind of underlying tragic quality to them,” he ponders, “the fact they distort and start losing their sound quality. I like the fact that when you buy a cassette release and you get a download with it, it’s like you’ve got two versions of the record, two different experiences.” The new year already promises the release of at least three new Tombed Visions tapes by the summer, the likelihood of some shows with Gnod and the beginning of a new band, Lake of Snakes. Oh, and he’s already started recording a new Aging album. More pressing though is a short tour as part of Charles Hayward’s Anonymous Bash, a live collaborative project with the This Heat drummer born out of a residency at Islington Mill. It’s the type of set up meant for such a wandering soul, a chance to support and strengthen the role of others while being allowed to run off in his own direction – a minor character, but a vital one, within Manchester’s musical fabric. www.tombedvisionsrecords.bandcamp.com David McLean's duo, River Slaughter, play Fuel on 13 Feb; he'll perform with an ensemble for Video Jam at the reopening of the Whitworth Art Gallery, 14 Feb, and Lake of Snakes support Dope Body at Islington Mill on 15 Feb

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February 2015

C U LT U R A L

J O U R N A L I S M

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Had Emmy the Great managed to strike while the iron was hot after her last show in this room – more than three years ago, in support of her gorgeous sophomore record, Virtue – we might be in a different, and much bigger, venue altogether tonight. Instead, it’s been a frustratingly sluggish wait for new solo material, with S, a four-track EP released days after this show, bringing to a close a protracted absence for Emma-Lee Moss. There are sure signs of progression, at least; Moss, dressed all in white, is part of a three-piece lineup tonight. It suits the new cuts perfectly, especially Swimming Pool; all shimmering guitars and stuttering beats, it’s every bit as hauntingly pretty without the recorded vocal turn from Tom Fleming of Wild Beasts. Solar

BC Camplight Gorilla, 23 Jan

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When Brian Christinzio reminds us early on that he was thinking of going away permanently, the idea is still unimaginable. There is a swell of local support for this New Jersey-born psych-pop singer-songwriter who has emerged from eight dormant years to release his third record, How To Die in the North. Stationed at his piano behind a pair of tinted glasses and backed by a band formed at the Castle Hotel, Christinzio tries the album out, showing all the intention to start again from scratch. Opening with the funky 70s stadium rock-tinted You Should Have Gone to School, Christinzio shows off his falsetto chops with backing vocalist Hattie Coombe before easing into Just Because I Love You’s timeless soulful swoon. Judging from his showmanship, Christinzio is clearly enjoying being back, standing to hammer the piano as the band rollick through Grim Cinema’s playful rock’n’roll fake-outs.

Review

Stars

Sound Control, 13 Jan

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Although their seventh album, No One Is Lost, brings a dancier approach, Montreal’s chamber pop stalwarts Stars are still the dramatists they always were. Fifteen years in, Torquil Campbell and Amy Millan’s camp front-pairing remains something of a novelty, Millan playing the foil to born ham Campbell’s skittish posturing. This time however, bassist Evan Cranley gets to bring the funk as the duo flounce across the stage through the opening gambit of From the Night and a bouncy We Don’t Want Your Body. The crowd takes time to embrace the disco direction until A Song Is a Weapon heats them up: “Je suis fed up with the whole fucking thing!” Campbell spits, decrying political hypocrisy while armed with a tambourine. Millan takes over, leading the chirpy, Camera Obscura-tinted chug This Is the Last Time before the six-piece slow the pace to plough through 80s-sounding serenade Look Away.

Bookending the upbeat Beach Boys harmonies of Thieves in Antigua, the lights go down as Christinzio bares himself in two revealing ballads, the standout being the aching Atom Bomb. “Here’s to breaking down, darling,” Christinzio sighs, and in the song’s staggering brass band climax, a sharp grief at past selfdestructiveness slips between all of our ribs. It’s no surprise that his bandmates applaud him for making it through. With a little catharsis out of the way, Christinzio surprisingly chucks in Blood and Peanut Butter’s bitter-sweet bounce – a nod to his first album Hide, Run Away, with Coombe the withering counterpoint – before diving into the blown-out bassy bongo beat of Lay Me on the Floor and his customary closing cover, a celebratory full-band garage rock jam. Sadly a club night limits us to an hour of this raucous rebirth, but once the glasses come off and we see the resolve in Christinzio’s eyes, it seems just enough for now. [Chris Ogden]

BC Camplight

Emmy the Great

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Photo: Leah Henson

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Panels, meanwhile, takes huge synths that could reasonably have been pinched from a Calvin Harris track and co-opts them quite brilliantly. If the plan, then, is for a longer release to follow S later in the year, we should probably also hope that the same principle applies to the live shows, because tonight’s set is over disconcertingly quickly. There’s a weird disconnect, too, between the main set and the encore; the inclusion of acoustic versions of pre-First Love cuts Canopies and Drapes and Edward Is Dedward during the latter jars. The former track in particular, with its myriad pop culture references, feels a little orphaned next to newer material, and it’s hard not to feel that more from Virtue would’ve fit better with S’s more expansive sound. There should be plenty of time for that a little further down the road, though; for now, it’s just nice to have her back. [Joe Goggins]

Come the second half, Stars start to fall back on the old favourites – and it’s clear that their earnestness, while sometimes ham-fisted, remains their most endearing asset. After the soaring escapism of Elevator Love Letter, the band congratulate a teary-eyed couple that got engaged mid-song – a moment that captures the deep attachment their songs can inspire. Amusingly, Campbell and Millan accidentally dampen the lovebirds’ spirits with the swooning Your Ex-Lover Is Dead, the duet showing off the pair’s astonishing interplay before they turn the mic for us to shout the stirring final lines. The band make their final bows with the fatalist rave of No One Is Lost’s title track and the pithy What Is to Be Done?, a slight comedown of an encore. Despite their chipper show running out of gas, there’s enough here to prove that Stars are always capable of burning brightly. [Chris Ogden]

BC Camplight

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Photo: Alexander Bell

The Deaf Institute, 23 Jan

Photo: Alexander Bell

Emmy the Great

Photo: Leah Henson

Emmy the Great

Clubbing Highlights Paleman, KiNK and a tribute to J Dilla prove worthy of digging out yer snowshoes

Words: Sean Toohey Illustration: Mouni Feddag

he month kicks off in Manchester with Quantic treating us to a two-hour set at Soup Kitchen on 5 Feb courtesy of Banana Hill, who just last year expanded their brand by offering artist booking and management alongside soulful, carnival-esque club nights. The intimate basement bash sees Quantic spinning his rhythmic, organic, Latin-inspired beats, dripping in funk, brass and guitar, alongside the disco-inspired sounds of So Flute’s Danuka and one half of Banana Hill themselves, Cervo, treating you to some Afro-electronica goodness. A perfect distraction from the clutches of a grey winter (£7). Quantic also plays Hifi, Leeds, on 8 Feb (£2!). 6 Feb sees Gorilla cater to your hip-hop cravings with a night dedicated to the life and work of legendary American beat-master J Dilla. J Dilla Changed My Life is hosted by London based The Doctor’s Orders, connoisseurs of hip-hop and revered party planners since the year 2000. Juicy, who are back at Joshua Brooks every Wednesday (£1.50), are also involved so expect their brand of hip-hop vibes to seep into those looping beats. Warehouse Project favourites Jonny Dub and Rich Reason drop sets alongside The Doctor’s Orders’ own Spin Doctor, oh, and all proceeds are being donated to The J Dilla Foundation and Lupus UK, so you’ll be doing some good with those moves (£6-25, donations). Elsewhere on 6 Feb, the guys at Stonebox deliver a night of fuzzed up riffage at Dulcimer featuring three acts from Manchester’s burgeoning Party Doom circle. DJs Firebrave and Testtrack will also be on hand to provide a heterogeneous soundtrack informed by dub, afrobeat, electro and – at intervals – Ice Cube (£5 OTD). Jumping into Liverpool, Abandon Silence find themselves back at The Kazimier on 6 Feb to continue their fifth birthday celebrations with Belgian-bred house hombres FCL. Housy, bubbling basslines till 4am (£14). Also on 6 Feb Zutekh celebrate their 6th birthday at Soup Kitchen (stealing your thunder here, Abandon Silence), offering up a whole night with man-ofthe-moment Jeremy Underground Paris. If that’s still not enough house for you, check out what Sankeys has on offer on the same night. Music Is Love (aww!), spread between two rooms, provides some weighty techno and house from the likes of KiNK, Levon Vincent, The Revenge and Nail. You can even book a ten-head booth with

February 2015

bar tab, table service and entrance for a mere £600. Or, if you’re on a lowly student budget, entry is just a tenner with a valid student ID (£10-15). Back over the Mersey, the fresh-faced team at Propella present Hector Couto + Guests on the 7th in the twisted industrial rooms of the Baltic Triangle’s Camp and Furnace. Propella killed it in 2014 with bass-heavy house sets from the likes of Applebottom and Leftwing & Kody, and kicked off 2015 with a free-entry bash featuring MadTech Records’ Cera Alba back in January. Expect tech all over the shop, and enough bass to rattle your brain ’til 4am. Look out for Propella’s

own Kane & Briggs and Ben Edwards rising up through the ranks (£12-15). The same night over in Manchester sees Circus jump ship over to Manchester’s Albert Hall for part of the anticipated Transmission run. London-born duo Dusky, fresh from their 2014 EP, Love Taking Over, picked up by Annie Mac and the like, prepare to drop some lofty house bangers. Also on the bill are trance/progressive house veteran Sasha and, of course, Circus’s father Yousef laying down his own brand of hyped-up electronic beats (£28.50). Get yourself back over to Liverpool for the 13 Feb to catch Phaeleh at The Garage. Pumped through a Funktion One, Phaeleh’s unique sound stemming, and blossoming, from his roots in dubsteb and garage is sure to send your body into convulsions. This producer truly has a nextlevel control over sound; take his last full release, Somnus, an ambient album comprised of field recordings, and place it next to the wavering synths and frantic beats from his new EP, A World Without, and you’ll be baffled at the range of his musical mind. A must-see if you haven’t caught him yet; if you have, well we know where you’re going to be (£7-9). Shooting over to Manchester and back to the Soup Kitchen (they have February all sussed out) for the 19th to catch Labour of Love back and revitalised for 2015. Let German-based, Running Back label honcho Gerd Janson treat you to a night of hefty beats. His name and ability has gained considerable traction on the continent in the past 12 months and he looks set to mark his place over on our shores in the next 12 (£8). Shake off that hangover, get a smoothie or something, and hop on a train to Liverpool for Madnice Marauders X Hot Plate Present Dego & Jon K at 24 Kitchen Street on 20 Feb. Promising

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to be a ‘celebration of forward-thinking, soulful music across all tempos and genres,’ Kitchen Street sees Dego, one half of 4hero and head of the awe-inspiring 2000Black collective, spilling some genre-spanning yet always on-beat pieces to a buzzing crowd. Alongside Dego, Manchester music maverick Jon K will be getting energetic for you lucky heads (£6-10). Back over to Camp and Furnace, Illiterate throw their first party of the year on 20 Feb and do so with a heavy splattering of tech house courtesy of Romanian soundscaper Rhadow. Combining sharp and precise tech house rhythms – those hi-hats! – with, at times, ominous and trippy vocal samples, he will most likely have you in a 120bpm trance for most of the night so wear something breathable. It’s the man’s first time in the city so greet him with your best moves (£7-10). Swing by Joshua Brooks on 27 Feb where the Just Skank team will be continuing to tighten their hold on the dub scene with Chestplate. After a blinding NYE do with the murky sounds of Commodo, Kaiju, Compa and a cheeky hello from Levelz’s own T-Man spewing, amongst others, his bars from their recently released LVL 07. Chestplate sees Distance, Tunnidge and Cyrus bust out the messiest, nastiest dub our young 2015 has ever seen (£8-10). If that’s not enough for your plate, we have sides of the KOOKY opening party at Gorilla on the 28th featuring Chris Lorenzo (Hannah Wants’s number-one collaborator) spinning all the house you could need for a month (£15-17.50), and if your hankering for something a little harder catch Paleman at Sankeys the same night (£10). More than a mouthful, eh? All prices are advance unless otherwise specified; some events may be more on the door

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DJ Chart: Ben Sims The self-proclaimed ageing B-boy and vinyl junkie lets rip with ten tracks that have been dominating his sets over recent months

Stephen Lopkin – Catherine’s Track [M>O>S] Last year saw the continuing revival of sounds from yesteryear in both house and techno but no release comes closer to nailing the original sounds of Detroit than Lopkin’s The Haggis Trap EP. Unashamedly paying tribute to the Belleville Three – Derrick May in particular, obviously – he’s clearly spent some serious man-hours tracking down the original synth preset sounds for that added touch of authenticity, and pretty much delivers a track that could have been cut from early Rhythim Is Rhythim sessions. Floorplan – Never Grow Old (Re-plant) [M-Plant] A far tighter 2014 re-edit of a 2013 classic, or early 2012 if you count when he gave me a CD of it (shameless boasting there!). A typically addictive Robert Hood riff workout with an uplifting gospel sample. Simple. Effective. Massive. I don’t think I’ve dropped a set without it since I got it and it’s always fun to see those in the crowd who know it try and sing along to the wailing vocal in the break. Stenny – Boulders [Ilian Tape] Definitely taking the prize for my favourite label of 2014, Ilian Tape released so many quality and balanced EPs last year, from no-nonsense DJ grooves to broken atmospheric beats, this label had it all and this classy groover from Stenny is my pick of the bunch. Intense, almost breakbeatdriven super funk for the floor.

DVS1 – Black Russian [Klockworks] For me this is Zak’s Jaguar, his The Bells, or at the very least it’s by far my fave track of his to date… and he’s released plenty of heat. The premise is relatively simple: a memorable, uplifting riff that builds throughout and one that you don’t really want to end, which is rare. It’s a perfect set closer and luckily I managed to get it off him before it went out and had six sweet months of dropping it before it went public and every cunt was playing it. The Raw Interpreter – A One (Part 2) [Warm Sounds] The mysterious outfit behind the above are masters of raw house. Never shy of running the levels red and delivering the kind of filth usually reserved for ‘specialist’ movies only, their sound is uncompromising and pure but, above all, fun. It’s the opposite of all the shiny soulless computer house out there and I can’t get enough of it. Elektrabel – Desaft (Tadeo Remix) [Subsist] Admittedly this wasn’t even my fave track on the EP when I first heard it but one club test soon sorted that out, and it’s been big in my sets ever since. A spacey machine jam that grooves and builds, then peaks, then stops dead, then starts over. A masterfully executed club cut and one that I’ll be playing for a long time to come, I’m sure.

Trus’me – It’s Slow (Truncate Raw Mix Part 2) [Prime Numbers] It’s almost impossible to make a top ten of 2014 without mentioning David Flores, aka Truncate. The sheer volume of quality club grooves from the man gets him a place for sure. This one is truly special, though: a slower, housier but no less Truncate-flavoured workout, topped off with that goosebump-inducing, “Just can’t give you up” vocal. So good! Ritzi Lee – Subway Trip [Theory] Over the years, Ritzi has progressively become my go-to guy for the tougher-edged cuts. This is the intense gear that you need to change up or climax the session and it’s very rare if I don’t play at least one in a set; often as many as three or four. This particular outing channels the classic sounds of early Waveform-era Mills, and Peacefrog years later. Powerful, energetic machine funk that insists the crowd and DJ alike up their game.

Garnier – Beat (Da BoxX) [Still Music] A stunning return to form from a dance music legend, fusing traditional Chicago vocals and elements with big room beats and bass. Upon hearing clips I pre-ordered two copies and then blagged the label and man himself for advance files. It had definitely been a long time since I got that excited about a forthcoming release! Rødhåd – Haumea [Token] Last year was undoubtedly a big one for techno and Rødhåd was definitely its rising star profilewise, but it was also the year his music matched the well-deserved hype for his DJ sets. This gem manages to mix heavy Chicago-flavoured drums with sparkling bleeps and deep rolling bass, making it both peak-time material and deeply hypnotic at the same. Ben Sims plays for Meat Free at Joshua Brooks, Manchester, 6 Feb, 50 tickets on the door www.djbensims.com

Skinned: Greg Wilson The latest in our Skinned mix series comes from a DJ who has been instrumental in the documentation of British dance culture. Catch up with him and his Super Weird Substance label below, then check out his feelgood live set on the website Interview: Daniel Jones ook past Ray Stubbs and you might well start to consider Greg Wilson as Wallasey’s finest export. Few DJs can compare to the near-legendary status he has achieved in the Northwest and beyond, and even fewer can boast a tighter encyclopaedic grasp on the annals of dance culture. Of course, Wilson won’t tell you that himself. What he will do is remind you that a DJ is, first and foremost, an entertainer who provides respite from the daily humdrum that most of us poor sods endure – and his room-reading ability stems from hour after hour spent watching mobile discos in the function room at the Wilson family pub, sharpened over decades in booths and on dancefloors the world over... The Skinny: How did growing up in a pub trigger your foray into DJing? Greg Wilson: I think it was key. For starters, I saw so many mobile discos come in and out over that period, which, apart from enabling me to cultivate a discerning ear as to who was and what wasn’t a good DJ, exposed me to so much great music during a particularly fertile period (mid60s to early 70s). One of the things I didn’t realise until many years later was that this was how my sense of rhythm was acquired. It wasn’t a natural thing I was born with, but I figure it was driven deep into my bones, often when I was asleep upstairs in my room by the constant muffled sound of beats coming up through the floorboards and into my body.

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Who were the artists that initially turned you on to soul music? Having a brother ten years older and a sister six years older, both of whom were really into the black music of the 60s and buying singles on Motown, Stax, Atlantic and Trojan meant that, apart from what was happening in the function rooms, it was also constantly played in my home. It was everywhere in New Brighton too: transistor radios on the beach; open-air baths; fairground rides. My favourite artists were people like Otis Redding, Marvin Gaye, The Temptations, The Supremes, Stevie Wonder, Wilson Pickett, Booker T & The MGs etc. Into the 80s, what were some taste-changing tracks for you? There were so many pivotal tracks along the way but Planet Rock by Afrika Bambaataa & Soulsonic Force is a seminal record in the true sense of the term. It drew a line between the past and the future. Once that record had been made there was no turning back. Did you face much opposition delving into new styles on the circuit? The whole electro-funk backlash was very uncomfortable at first. The purists dismissed it as soulless machine music, and I took a lot of ridicule for following what they, at the time, believed to be a fad. By this point I was DJ at the two most successful weekly specialist black music

Photo: Ian Tilton

nights in the North, at Wigan Pier and Legend in Manchester, so I had a real power base within the scene and was able to follow my instincts and go against the grain – the crowd completely into what I was playing. It was a case of the oldschoolers trying to keep the status quo – it always happens when something new comes along to take over from the previous establishment. How’s the Super Weird Substance project going? I invested a lot of time and energy in setting it all up last year, but now we’re ready to start releasing stuff. We’ve been working hard, and have got some great tracks on the way, if I do say so myself. We’ve really hit our stride, not only

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with Blind Arcade, who were key to our launch last year via the free mixtape I put up on my SoundCloud, but other spin-off projects we’ve been developing. I’m already playing a handful of SWS tracks and this is set to increase further in the coming months. We’ve also had a number of approaches with regards to taking the Happenings into various festivals, so that will also be a feature of the coming year. Read the full interview and hear the mix online at theskinny.co.uk/clubs/dj-charts Delve into Wilson’s expansive archive exploring the impact and influence of electro-funk on UK dance at electrofunkroots.co.uk www.gregwilson.co.uk

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Jesse Wine

Frances Disley: Intermission

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BALTIC, Gateshead

Jesse Wine - Young man red (2014)

Three low plinths are stages for mobiles in the ground floor gallery of BALTIC, each holding accompanying props. These new works in Young man red, Jesse Wine’s first institutional solo exhibition, seem very different from the tactile and experimental ceramics the artist has become known for (though some of the latter do pepper the installation). The mobiles composing the majority of the show form giant puppets of Wine himself; invisible figures created through suspended ceramic clothes and accessories. There is the artist at work, surrounded by ceramic blocks of clay visible through their unpeeled covering and tools. The detritus of a studio practice is rendered in glossy uniform colours alongside a rough circular pot glazed in slippery colours, here including ceramic dismembered hands at work. Elsewhere we see Wine at play, shown with an array of shoes, two included in the mobile as floating sartorial options, and a football. Facing the entrance, Wine is finally at rest with suspended pasta, a bottle and a cuppa. Despite their enormous sizes, these figures seem boyish. In part this is due to the mobiles’ slight movements, which give a sense of exuberance, figures bounding about their daily business. The clothes surrounding the imagined bodies are small and childlike in bright primary colours; baseball caps topping two of the three figures similarly indicate youth. There is

something endearing about this portrayal of an artist at work and play which conveys the joy of making found in Wine’s previous work. There is wry humour too – the uniform colours of the clothes and props are created using commercial glazes applied exactly as per instructions; a departure from the experimental processes of his vessels. Here, the representation is commercial and mass-produced, in contrast to the creations of the artist and his puppet proxy. The mobiles relate to modernist art history, most prominently Alexander Calder, and further homages are found in the adjacent gallery where smaller sculptures directly re-work artists that Wine admires. However, acknowledging the ground floor gallery as the point of entry for the general public, Wine’s use of mobiles also evokes puppetry to engage younger visitors, explaining this move towards figuration. Although Wine has previously shown conceptual inclinations within his ceramic practice, Young man red states this overtly, attuned to context and inventive. These are important qualities to notice in the rapidly expanding field of contemporary ceramics, relating the work to a history of installation and selfrepresentation as well as the medium-specific lineages of studio pottery. [Eleanor Clayton] Runs until 19 Apr www.balticmill.com/whats-on/exhibitions/detail/jesse-wine

Photo: Colin Davison

PAPER

Frances Disley - Intermission

Frances Disley has had a busy 12 months. Recent exhibitions include those at Schema Projects in New York, Kölner Graphikwerkstatt in Cologne, Syson Gallery in Nottingham and Salt + Powell, York. The artist also completed a six-week residency at PAPER last summer, using the gallery as a studio to create new work and inviting the public in for a weekly open studio. This exhibition, Intermission, presents the new body of work that Disley developed from this 2014 residency. This is my first visit to PAPER, which occupies a super-dinky little space on gloomy Mirabel Street, near to Victoria Station (and The Skinny office) and between a Domino’s and cute sushi bar Umezushi. Founding member Andrea Cotton, who is opening up the space especially (PAPER is only open Saturdays) tells me that the recent private view was encouragingly packed. They usually synchronise with next door’s PS Mirabel space, which opened its 2015 programme with Can I use Glue Instead?, exploring stitch through the work of 12 artists, on the same night. Disley is, primarily, a printmaker, although she looks to push the possibilities of print and also to expand the potential of paper – often, she says, looking at how an artist can push and pull the finished form beyond its preliminary function as sketches, notes, maquettes, and substrates for prints. One of the walls in PAPER is covered with overlaid digital prints on archival paper with

wax and paint. Some of these appear as impressions of other processes that have gone on, the way sugar paper reveals its impermanence in sunlight. The more delicate prints are joined by a rather more garish collection of colourful forms which appear scrunched up like fast-food wrappers. These prints suggest a John Chamberlain sculpture of colourful twisted car parts except their gaudy carnival colours are not so classically sexy – these are the colours of Claire’s Accessories or the bargain bin at Abakhan. Also installed alongside the printed works is a tribal ritual-style totem with wings at its head that reminds me of the Dilophosaurus dinosaur in Jurassic Park that has the frightening retractable neck frill. Also taking up an entire wall of the gallery is a curtain sculpture, Setting – a digital print on crushed velvet with spray paint. Behind the curtain is the wall; it hides nothing and leads nowhere but these two sculptures (both also produced during the 2014 residency) are more emblematic of how Disley suggests we see the exhibition. The residency was the rehearsal and this, Intermission, the performance; PAPER the theatre, therefore, in which the works play out. [Sacha Waldron] Runs until 21 Feb, PAPER is open Saturdays only (11am-5pm) www.paper-gallery.co.uk

ADVERTISING FEATURE

Over the next few issues, we’ll be profiling some of the creative thinkers currently occupying Manchester’s Great Northern Warehouse. First, an introduction from the arts collective in charge

ure, you’ve called in for a spot of bowling before catching a film at the AMC, maybe grabbed a burrito after wandering, wonderingly, past the casino (“Should we… go… in?”), but these days, there’s more to the Great Northern Warehouse than meets the eye. Since May 2014, the ex-transport interchange – once populated by horses, wagons and criss-crossing rail lines – has also been home to Future Artists, an arts/media collective who have taken creative control of this historic space and brought in everything from a temporary theatre to pop up food and drink experiences. Each month in The Skinny we’ll be meeting some of the entrepreneurial creatives – and creative entrepreneurs – behind these new projects popping up at the Warehouse. But to kick us off, Mark Ashmore and Jenny Trethewey of Future Artists get us up to speed with the story so far. The Skinny: Who are Future Artists, and what is your vision for the Great Northern? Future Artists: We are an arts and media collective who over the past five years have created over 100 cultural happenings across Manchester and Salford from arts events, film and theatre,

February 2015

to running the Black Lion pub as an arts space on Salford’s Chapel Street. In December 2013 we did a pop up street art exhibition for STEWY at the Great Northern, this went really well – the Great Northern had a new owner who had a vision for a destination centre, and we were asked to take on the whole site. We love using spaces in new ways. Some people see empty space, we see a cultural opportunity; and with arts and culture one of the main reasons people come to Manchester, our aim is to turn the Great Northern Warehouse into a sandbox of creative culture. What have been your highlights of your residency so far? We commissioned New Playhouse to run the first instalment of ‘The Great Northern Playhouse’ from October to December 2014 – who in turn brought 15 exciting fringe theatre shows to a purpose-built theatre in a once empty space. Over 1200 people came to that run, with the run of A Christmas Carol selling out! What can we expect to see over the coming months? We are working closely with Manchester Day

The Great Northern Playhouse

Parade, Pride and MIF; B.Eat Street, who popped up with Friday Foodfight before Christmas, are back with their #foodrave (the B.Eat Street space is gonna be very exciting – the space can hold about 2000 people and has amazing acoustics); there’ll be a new gig venue and live theatre from the National Theatre at the AMC cinema, and there’s plenty of room to support young entrepreneurs like Grindsmiths to help them kickstart their business. What is unique about the opportunities that Future Artists at the Great Northern can offer to other artists or entrepreneurs? I guess we know how hard it is to have a vision and a dream and want to make this happen. Future Artists has always had a collective co-op ethos – work together, and you can make stuff happen. We are now in the position that, working with the owners and the tenants at the Great Northern Warehouse, we are able to affect the corporate world with our indie spirit... who knows what will happen!

ART

After your residency, what’s next for Future Artists? Hopefully 2015 is so successful that Future Artists will stay at the Great Northern Warehouse and 2016 will be bigger and better. For us this is a long term project. We have only just begun. And finally: How would you describe what you do in three words? Three words is not enough: “Without deviation from the norm, progress is not possible” – Frank Zappa. If you are interested in working with Future Artists, you can reach them on Twitter at @futureartists www.futureartists.co.uk www.thegreatnorthern.com | @gnwarehouse

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Photo: Drew Forsyth Photography @_drewforsyth | www.drewforsyth.com

Northern Greats: Future Artists

February Film Events

Selma

Our cinemas get dark this month: Grimm closes its Tim Burton season with the broodiest onscreen Dark Knight and opens its Stephen King season with teen horror Carrie. The biggest terror comes to FACT, however, in the form of Tommy Wiseau's The Room

Coherence

Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter

Words: Simon Bland

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Director: James Ward Byrkit Starring: Emily Baldoni, Maury Sterling, Nicholas Brendon Released: 13 Feb Certificate: 15

Director: David Zellner, Nathan Zellner Starring: Rinko Kikuchi, Nobuyuki Katsube, Shirley Venard Released: 20 Feb Certificate: 12A

The term ‘mind-bending’ is thrown about far too liberally by critics these days; it’s lazy shorthand for anything requiring even a modicum of thought. James Ward Byrkit’s very arch Coherence, however, really earns that tag: it ties your mind in so many knots you eventually give up trying to work out whether any of it makes a lick of sense. It’s part of the film’s genius, really. Coherence takes place on one night in a (sort of) single location as eight middle-class LA chums gather for a dinner party. During this, a passing comet starts messing with time and reality. Schrödinger’s cat is invoked as the idea of parallel universes becomes less and less theoretical. The pace is frantic and the Altmanesque overlapping dialogue disorientating enough without the sciencey stuff, but it’s never alienating to watch these ordinary folk squabble and bumble their way around giant questions of existence. This comes courtesy of convincing performances (including Buffy ’s Nicholas Brendon), lots of nifty rat-a-tat interplay and Byrkit’s tight control of his own script and cast. [Chris Fyvie]

Spun from an urban myth, Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter begins by following its own original path but ultimately becomes mired in a too-familiar brand of US indie quirkiness. Rinko Kikuchi does her best to give weight to the slight protagonist, a lonely and unhappy Japanese woman who finds an old VHS of Fargo and – believing the story to be true – sets out to retrieve the cash buried by Steve Buscemi in the Coens’ crime drama. The first half of the Zellner brothers’ film is evocative and intriguing, but when Kumiko reaches the US there’s a tonal shift that it struggles to recover from. Kumiko’s strained interactions with Minnesotan residents introduces an element of eccentric culture-clash comedy that jars with the elegiac atmosphere. Too shallow and incurious to succeed as a character study, the film drifts aimlessly in a manner that frustrates and finally alienates, although many viewers may find themselves entranced by Sean Porter’s admittedly lovely images, the striking score by The Octopus Project, and a scene-stealing rabbit named Bunzo. [Philip Concannon]

It Follows

Love Is Strange

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Director: David Robert Mitchell Starring: Linda Boston, Caitlin Burt, Heather Fairbanks Released: 27 Feb Certificate: 15

Director: Ira Sachs Starring: John Lithgow, Alfred Molina, Marisa Tomei Released: 13 Feb Certificate: 15

As horror premises go, this one is delicious – a sexually transmitted curse that causes a monster to follow its victims to the death, assuming any form, visible only to the victim, coming for them day or night. The teenage cast gives subtle, sympathetic performances, grounding this wild terror in reality, while the cinematography and assaultive score openly recall the cinemascope suburbia and savage synths of John Carpenter’s Halloween while building on the influence and deepening it. David Robert Mitchell’s script and direction ponder the inevitability of mortality and work with themes of youth and sexuality, allusions to class and collective national guilt, and codified references to disparate works of literature, cinema and TV, making It Follows ripe for intellectual dissection. But more directly, the film just plain delivers as a bold, terrifying attack of cinema, immersive on the levels of imagery both beautiful and grotesque, and scares from the shallowest to the most pervasive. The term ‘instant classic’ is being bandied around a lot on this one – deservedly. [Ian Mantgani]

In the vein of classics Tokyo Story and Make Way for Tomorrow, Ira Sachs’s Love Is Strange focuses on an older couple who are separated by circumstance and the domestic tragedy that gradually ensues. The recently married Ben (Lithgow) and George (Molina) have been in a relationship for nearly 40 years. When George is fired from his teaching post (71-year-old Ben is retired), they are forced to stay with friends and family members separately while they try to sell their now unaffordable New York home, and the living situation weighs heavily on all parties. Sachs’s patient, intimate and nuanced vision ventures deeper than just the anxieties of its central relationship. When Ben ends up lodging with his filmmaker nephew (Burrows) and his writer wife (Tomei), buried tensions and petty grievances regarding loss of space and privacy soon bubble to the surface. Lithgow, Molina and Tomei deliver some of their finest ever work in this quietly moving look into the finite nature of so much of life, not just love. [Josh Slater-Williams]

The Duke of Burgundy

Selma

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Peter Strickland follows up his chilly giallo-horror Berberian Sound Studio with something altogether warmer and sweeter – though no less strange. Set in an enchanting pastoral world of butterflies and country houses, populated exclusively by women, it has a dreamy quality about it; a quality which accelerates wildly during a hallucinatory third act, triggered by the camera tumbling towards a lead character’s crotch. Strickland’s fondness for a choppy, unconventional narrative structure initially suggests an S&M sexual-awakening movie – an arthouse Fifty Shades, if you will. But he deftly bait-and-switches early on, quietly reframing it as a tender love story (albeit one with a human toilet). As well as the inevitable physical strain, the sadomasochistic relationship between Cynthia (Knudsen) and Evelyn (D’Anna) takes on an emotional toil, and the film grapples with the logistics of a submissive love affair. Stagey dialogue and languid pacing make it unlikely The Duke of Burgundy will find a wide audience, but with such magisterial cinematography and an atmosphere all of its own, it deserves one. [John Nugent]

No Hollywood filmmaker has dared portray the immense legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr. until now. It’s easy to see why: how do you do justice to a latter-day saint without devolving into mawkishness? Miraculously, director Ava DuVernay – smartly zeroing in on a brief window of history – has made a remarkably measured and undeniably courageous piece of work, which avoids obvious pitfalls. DuVernay’s focus is the crucial 1965 peace march in Selma, Alabama, which triggered the Voting Rights Act and transformed the South. We may know the history, but given America’s recent racial struggles, the ugly scenes of bigotry and violence feel urgent, shot with uncompromising force. It’s hard to understand why Selma was so cruelly overlooked by Oscar voters – in particular, Oyelowo. As King, his performance is technically precise, a nearly flawless impersonation. But the eye-stinging heart and soul is all his. Against all conceivable odds, this is a film as confident and assured in its moral fortitude, and as soaringly powerful in its oratory, as the great man himself. [John Nugent]

Director: Peter Strickland Starring: Sidse Babett Knudsen, Chiara D’Anna, Monica Swinn Released: 20 Feb Certificate: 18

Review

s 2015 gets into its stride it’s time to see what February has to offer us film fans. For most, this lovey-dovey month has ‘date night’ written all over it, but by the looks of things those Grimm Up North guys must’ve missed the memo. They’ve got two devilishly delightful seasons running back-to-back, offering a dark alternative to all the in-your-face romance. The team round out their Tim Burton season at Manchester Printworks with 1989’s Batman (12 Feb), the film that pushed the director firmly into the mainstream. With Michael Keaton currently riding high on an Oscar buzz-wave courtesy of Birdman, there’s never been a better time to revisit his stint as The Dark Knight. Grimm then follow this up with a season dedicated to the undisputed master of modern horror, Stephen King. First up at The Dancehouse is the UK premier of the latest adaptation of the author’s work, A Good Marriage (10 Feb), which sees a husband-wife relationship turn sour when a sinister secret is revealed. Taken from King’s 2010 short compilation Full Dark, No Stars and working from a screenplay adapted by the man himself, expect good things from this murky marital tale. Meanwhile, on 19 Feb, Grimm go back to the start of King’s career with Brian De Palma’s unflinching vision of the author’s debut novel, Carrie. If inviting Carrie White to a romantic evening at the movies so close to Valentine’s Day sounds like a sweet thing to do, just wait until you get to that ending... All this terror a bit too much? Head to Liverpool’s Philharmonic Hall for something a little more civilised. They’ve got Audrey Hepburn at her most iconic with a big-screen revisit of Blake Edwards’ Breakfast at Tiffany’s (12 Feb). You can even grab breakfast while watching the aloof Holly Golightly snub the advances of writer love-interest Paul Varjak.

Director: Ava DuVernay Starring: David Oyelowo, Tom Wilkinson, Carman Ejogo Released: 6 Feb Certificate: 12A

FILM

Carrie

After something in even poorer taste than Mickey Rooney’s Mr Yunioshi? FACT Liverpool’s screening of so-bad-it’s-the-best-movie-ever The Room (10 Feb) is guaranteed to please. Writer, director and star Tommy Wiseau will be in attendance to meet fans and kick off the fun at what’s sure to be an unmissable night. Meanwhile, Oldham’s The Gallery has a romantic Valentine’s Day showing of Beauty and the Beast (14 Feb), Manchester’s Cornerhouse provides the chuckles with Marx Bros classic Duck Soup (22 & 25 Feb) and Band on the Wall dissects rap with Something from Nothing: The Art of Rap (1 Feb). You lot are spoilt for choice this month.

THE SKINNY

Magic in the Moonlight

Fury

Mr Turner

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Director: Woody Allen Starring: Colin Firth, Emma Stone Released: 9 Feb Certificate: 12

Director: David Ayer Starring: Brad Pitt, Shia LaBeouf Released: 23 Feb Certificate: 15

Superior to 2011’s lauded Midnight in Paris, Magic in the Moonlight is an atypical offering from Woody Allen. A snappy Jazz Age comedy boasting a surplus of caustic one-liners, its characters are afforded little room for self-analysis and intellectual showboating. While Woody has been known to cast leading men as surrogates for himself, here Colin Firth’s protagonist emerges as a legitimate, one-off comic creation. Blame the prolific 79-year-old’s tendency to flood his own marketplace or the re-emergence of accusations surrounding his personal life, but this story of a rational illusionist determined to debunk the psychic abilities of ingénue Emma Stone snuck out to little fanfare. A pity, since, although somewhat disposable, it stands as further proof of Allen’s undiminished talent for finding new ways to say the same things. [Lewis Porteous]

There’s a scene in David Ayer’s latest film where an ambush sends a vehicle up in flames along with everyone inside it. One soldier leaps out and, burning, writhing and screaming in pain, pulls out his pistol and shoots himself in the head. There’s another where the inside of a tank is cleaned out post-battle to reveal a slice of someone’s face plastered to the floor, the perfectly intact eye staring sorrowfully up at the camera. Fury received praise for its unflinching depiction of the horrors of war but, at a certain point, its blood-and-gore approach seems less in service of historical realism and more a means of delivering masochistic machismo, with any insights on the trauma of warfare getting lost amid the chest-pounding and machine-gun fire. There are two female characters. They don’t speak English. Their lines are not subtitled. Bechdel be damned. [Ross McIndoe]

Director: Mike Leigh Starring: Timothy Spall, Dorothy Atkinson Released: 2 Mar Certificate: 12 The name is renowned, but the eponymous film is one of those which invite that fundamental filmgoing question: what’s it about? Plot-wise the answer is: almost nothing. There’s no rise and fall or grand romance. Turner begins the film as an acclaimed artist and ends it only slightly less so. His relationships ebb and flow, some steadily growing deeper while others fade. No dramatic breaks or sudden passions. Mostly, things just gently carry on. It’s a captivating movie all the same for two main reasons: Spall and Leigh. Spall’s Turner grunts his way through whole conversations before bursting into sprawling surges of grandiloquence and wit. He is equally entertaining in both modes. Leigh’s camera matches his subject’s eye for the sublime, following Turner to the sources of his inspiration and gracefully drawing out their beauty. [Ross McIndoe]

The Other

Spring in a Small Town

Two for the Road

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Director: Robert Mulligan Starring: Uta Hagen, Diana Muldaur Released: 23 Feb Certificate: 12

An angry energy announces itself almost immediately in Robert Mulligan’s 1972 gothic thriller The Other. That’s not surprising given the story’s content – imagine the filmmaker’s greatest success, 1962’s To Kill a Mockingbird, with a healthy dose of pitchfork impaling, Game of Thrones-style ‘warging,’ and murderous doppelgängers. Unfortunately, the film is not as fun as all that makes it sound, and that energy quickly fizzles. In a Depression-era US farming community, young twins Holland and Niles absorb the occult teachings of their Russian grandmother (Hagen), leading to a sizeable body count. Somewhere along the way there’s an obvious, shrug-inducing ‘twist.’ Ironically, The Other ’s pedigree (which includes radiant, nostalgic cinematography from the legendary Robert Surtees) undermines its sense of chaos, lending a respectable sheen that fights against all the pulpy excess. The result is a mixed affair located in uneasy, confused space between The Innocents and a Hammer horror trash-fest. [Michelle Devereaux]

Director: Fei Mu Starring: Wei Wei, Shi Yu, Li Wei Released: 23 Feb Certificate: U First released in 1948, Fei Mu’s masterful Spring in a Small Town was dismissed by the Communist government and only resurfaced in the 1980s. In the aftermath of the Second Sino-Japanese War, the Dai family live on in the ruins of their house. The young master, Liyan, is virtually bed-ridden, and lives a twilight existence with his spritely teenage sister and his lonely wife, Zhou Yuwen. Their lives are turned upside down by the visit of Liyan’s childhood companion Zhang. By coincidence, Zhang and Zhou Yuwen were sweethearts before the war, and the film develops around the emotional aftermath of this twist of fate, each character in turn coming to terms with the light this happy visitor has shed on their torpid state of affairs. The film’s emotional complexity lends it a weight that has sustained its influence over the decades; Zhou Yuwen’s plaintive and poetic voiceover recalls the similarly romantic and enigmatic In the Mood for Love. [Sam Lewis]

Director: Stanley Donen Starring: Audrey Hepburn, Albert Finney Released: Out now Certificate: PG Viewed through a contemporary prism, one might pithily describe 1967’s Two for the Road as being like the entire Before trilogy compacted into one feature, as filtered through the style of the French New Wave. Arriving the same year as the similarly FNW-inspired Bonnie and Clyde, Stanley Donen’s film feels just as potent a tearaway from the fading Hollywood studio system, and arguably a greater upheaval in that it came from someone who thrived in that system for two decades prior (Singin’ in the Rain, Charade). Cut together as non-linear fragments, Donen’s film follows a couple (Hepburn and Finney) through four trips across the south of France, portraying the tale of the dissolution of their relationship, from first meetings to later marriage disputes, across different time frames. Hepburn, shedding her established persona with glee, is particularly great, while Frederic Raphael’s acerbic screenplay has touches of material he’d explore decades later with Eyes Wide Shut. [Josh Slater-Williams]

Win a pair of weekend Win tickets to passes to Threshold! Cornerhouse’s closing party!

Threshold Festival, now coming up on its fifth year, is a home-made music and arts event held in Liverpool focusing on emerging artists, new work/first views, collaboration, DIY, avant garde and community-based projects. This year the festival, which encompasses music, theatre, film, performance and visual arts, takes place 27-29 March in venues around the city’s Baltic Triangle. We have two pairs of weekend passes to give away. To be in with a chance of winning a pair – allowing you and a friend full access to all the wonderful goings on throughout the city – simply head along to theskinny.co.uk/competitions and correctly answer this easy question:

February 2015

Threshold V artist Eliza Shaddad (pictured) features on a Clean Bandit track called: a) Oak b) Sycamore c) Birch Competition closes midnight Sunday 1 March. Winners will be notified via email within two working days of closing and will be required to respond within 48 hours or the prize will be offered to another entrant. Our Ts&Cs can be found at www.theskinny.co.uk/about/terms-and-conditions Please note: some of the festival venues are over-18s only in the evening. www.thresholdfestival.com

Before closing its doors for the final time, Cornerhouse hosts The Storming, a performance and party on Saturday 4 April that will bid farewell to the building in spectacular style! Tickets are sold out, but Cornerhouse is giving three lucky readers of The Skinny the chance to win a pair. To be in with a chance of winning, simply head along to theskinny.co.uk/competitions and correctly answer this easy question:

Where is Simon Stephens from? a) Stockport b) Southampton c) Stirling Competition closes midnight Sunday 8 March. Entrants must be 18 or over. Winners will be notified via email within two working days of closing and will be required to respond within 48 hours or the prize will be offered to another entrant. Our Ts&Cs can be found at www.theskinny.co.uk/ about/terms-and-conditions

The opening programme for Cornerhouse’s new venue, HOME, presents the world premiere of The www.cornerhouse.org | www.homemcr.org Funfair, a new adaptation of Horváth’s 20th-century masterpiece Kasimir and Karoline, by awardwinning playwright Simon Stephens.

DVD / COMPETITIONS

Review

The Write Way In The Bruntwood Prize for Playwriting 2015 is open for business. Sarah Frankcom explains why even the most inexperienced writer should apply

uncan Macmillan is a playwright. He has worked with Paines Plough, the Royal Court and the Almeida. His work has been nominated for four Off West End Awards. His adaptation of George Orwell’s 1984 is about to embark on an international tour. Last week the National Theatre announced his new play, People, Places and Things, will feature in their upcoming programme. This is a guy who has turned playwriting into a profession. ‘Good for him,’ I hear you sigh, as you throw down your lucky pen and scatter your most recent draft of Act 2 Scene VII across the dusty floor of your dingy rented room (let’s pretend you don’t have a laptop for dramatic effect). ‘It’s all about who you know in this bloody industry.’ “I think sometimes,” admits Sarah Frankcom, artistic director at Manchester’s Royal Exchange, “theatres can feel like closed shops. Increasingly fewer theatres are reading unsolicited scripts – it is difficult for a writer to find their way inside. The Bruntwood aims to provide a way in.”

Now in its tenth year, the Bruntwood Prize for Playwriting is the UK’s largest playwriting competition. A joint venture between property company Bruntwood and the Royal Exchange Theatre, the prize has awarded 17 playwrights a hefty collective total of £160,000, and of course facilitated professional productions of the winning works. A certain Duncan Macmillan picked up a Bruntwood Prize in 2005 – and he certainly wasn’t on the National’s radar before that… “Winners often transform from being a writer that nobody has heard of to a writer that people are very excited about,” says Frankcom, who takes her place on this year’s judging panel alongside the exceptional Nicholas Hytner, playwright Bryony Lavery and actor Meera Syal. “And of course, the prize initiates a direct relationship with a producing theatre who can nurture and provide bespoke support for a writer at an early point in their development.”

The entry rules are simple: the competition is open to anyone resident in the UK and Ireland, entrants must be an 16 or over and the play must an original, unperformed and unproduced piece of work – oh, and scripts must be submitted anonymously. “The anonymity clause is important,” explains Frankcom. “It reiterates that the prize is genuinely open to anybody: people who have no prior connections with a theatre or the wider industry are given equal standing to those who do.” At a time when the arts are under scrutiny for their evident lack of diversity, Frankcom also highlights the benefits of anonymity for theatre’s minorities: “Hopefully the Bruntwood will encourage a diverse range of writers to apply, safe in the knowledge that they will be judged solely on their work and not by any preconceptions of their gender, ethnicity or socioeconomic background.”

Eliciting the secret ingredients of a prize-winning play is no easy task, but Frankcom is keen to offer some sound advice: “The most important test with a play is that it pulls you in and keeps you turning the page. A good play will do that – it will hold you. I’m looking for something provocative and ambitious; something theatrically alive that challenges form and notion in a live context.” So pick up that script, brush off the dust and put it in an envelope: it’s time to put your lucky pen to the test. Move over Duncan Macmillan. The Bruntwood Prize for Playwriting is now open, with the deadline for entry 6pm on 5 June 2015 The most recent winner of the prize, YEN, by Anna Jordan, receives its world premiere in the Royal Exchange Studio on 18 Feb www.writeaplay.co.uk

Educating Rita

Liverpool Playhouse For the first time professionally in 13 years, and celebrating its 35th anniversary, Willy Russell’s Educating Rita returns to the stage; this time starring two Liverpool-born actors, Leanne Best and Con O’Neill. Best recently appeared in the BBC’s Ripper Street, ITV’s Lucan and will be in Sky Atlantic’s much anticipated new drama Fortitude later this year. O’Neill has also recently hit the small screen in Channel 4’s ground-breaking series Cucumber and Banana. Educating Rita – for those unfamiliar with either the play or the 1983 film version starring Julie Walters and Michael Caine – follows the journey of a working-class hairdresser determined to better herself by studying English literature at the Open University. Here she meets Frank, a middle-aged lecturer, who only does

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the job to pay for his drinking. The two have an immediate and dramatic impact on each other’s lives, making for one of the greatest commentaries on the shortcomings of institutional education – and indeed life as a whole – to have ever been staged. Directed by Everyman and Playhouse artistic director Gemma Bodinetz, Educating Rita sits at the heart of a pretty impressive Everyman and Playhouse spring programme, which includes a production of Joel and Ethan Coen’s The Hudsucker Proxy. “Educating Rita is rightly acknowledged to be one of the greatest plays of the 20th century,” says Bodinetz. “To be directing it in its home city with such a remarkable cast, both of whom began their careers here, is an honour and a joy.” You’ve got a whole month to catch it. [Chris High] 6 Feb-7 Mar £12-19

Photo: Dan Kenyon

Fiction

Unity Theatre If you are looking for a taste of experimental theatre then it is worth keeping an eye on the programme of Liverpool’s Unity Theatre. With plays never running for more than a few nights and thus in increasingly high demand, the Unity is committed to presenting work that is both challenging and unusual – work that pushes the boundaries of contemporary theatre practice and nods towards the future trajectory of live performance. Fiction is one such work. ‘You are invited to a lecture,’ it begins. ‘You know that the subject is probably important and it would be useful to hear what the speaker has to say but you can’t keep your eyes open. You will fall asleep and you will dream.’ Fiction is a performance that takes place entirely in the dark. The second collaboration between director David Rosenberg (co-founder of Shunt) and writer Glen Neath, Fiction utilises binaural sound

THEATRE

(a recording method that uses two microphones, arranged with the intent to create a 3D stereosound sensation for the listener of actually being in the room with the performers or instrument) and complete darkness. Intended to lead the audience through the sprawling architecture of their dreams, Fiction follows the success of Ring – Rosenberg and Neath’s first collaboration that delved into the performative possibilities of darkness and sound through the context of a self-help group. Commissioned by Cambridge Festival of Ideas with help from Dr Tristan Bekinschtein of Cambridge University’s Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, Fiction provides a theatrical experience of ‘lucid dreaming.’ It may sound absurd that a medium as inherently visual as theatre commits itself to absolute darkness, but perhaps the strongest images can be seen only with your eyes tightly shut… Try it out – if you really hate it there is always the option of a 60-minute nap. [Alecia Marshall] 27-28 Feb £12 (£10), £8 matinee

THE SKINNY

Photo: David Rosenberg

Britannia Waves the Rules, a Bruntwood Prize winning play

Photo: Jonathan Keenan

Interview: Alecia Marshall

Spotlight: Jack Evans The man at the helm of one of the region’s finest/weirdest comedy nights considers a possible previous existence as a leech collector. Yum Interview: John Stansfield Illustration: Camille Smithwick

igurehead of the subversive comedy extravaganza that is Quippopotamus, Jack Evans meanders through a labyrinth of his own mind’s making, plucking out obscure historical references, zeitgeisty phenomena and Eastern European folk tales. He is a comic like no other operating out of the Northwest at the moment; a gangly, ginger Tony Law beckoning you to follow him down his dark path. You really should – you’ll like what you find. First gig: “The notoriously horrendous ‘King Gong’ at the Store, end of 2011. For the blissfully ignorant, gong shows are gigs where drunk, hostile audiences have the power to ‘gong’ you off stage if you fail to tell their favourite Sickipedia gags with sufficient arrogance. The crowd, coaxed in with drinks offers and a chance to recapture the fleeting sense of power they had in Year 9 when they farted in Geeky Darren’s mouth, then crown the most misogynist, most soothingly mediocre act the ‘best comedian.’ With foolhardy abandon, I tried to make these people laugh at the half-baked idea that underground Taliban fighters might just be misunderstood subterranean mole people. Awful. Much like a passenger plane piloted by a mole over New York, I crashed and burned.”

Best gig: “I love gigs that look to be awful but turn out awesome. My favourite was a ‘Christmas Hoe Down’ for a slimming club in Hull. Performing on the dancefloor in front of the best buffet I’ve ever seen, the running order had 15 minutes of festive music between each act. It was like Slade were the MC. A really bad MC who gets the audience to dance on stage and doesn’t even find out their jobs. “The first section was an unmitigated disaster. The 12-year-old sound-tech-slash-DJ didn’t know how to turn the multicoloured, strobing disco lights off. In a moment of awkward silence, a man called Barry did a fart. It got a round of applause. My introduction to the ‘stage’ included a reminder that the gargantuan buffet would open after my set. Tension filled the air. I stood between the lions and their prey, feigned confidence upon my stupid face, gusset dripping with fear-sweat: how could I possibly compete with Barry’s sphincter? I did though lads. Ripped it. The gig, not Barry’s sphincter.”

Chorlton, that’s… *awkwardly puts shoe back on while maintaining eye contact*… meant to be really good. And it’s closer than Scotland so you should probably go.”

tears of a virgin. I’d be on death row in Saudi Arabia for doing witchcraft. Not for long though, ’cause that meal’s actually the ingredients for my escape spell! Whaaaaaat? See you later lads.”

Best heckle: “Some deaf dude once passed me a note on stage that said ‘I’ve never heard comedy this bad.’ Not sure it works, but I like it. At one weekend club, as I did a banging routine about Stalin’s policy of dekulakization, a Scouse lady said ‘I don’t understand.’ Not really into the gladiatorial, willy-wielding dominance contest that is putting down hecklers but I have put down a dog. He said some really mean stuff about my act. Same with Nanna.”

If you lived in medieval times what would you do for a living? “Leech collector. That was an actual job. Get naked, get in the river for a bit, go into town and sell your leeches. What a doss.”

Favourite venue: “The Stand in Glasgow is the best comedy club I’ve ever had the privilege of playing. But… erm… I heard somewhere that there’s this gig If you were on death row, what would your last called… ahem *wipes sweat off face with sleeve*… meal be? And why are you on death row? The Quippodrome… *pukes into shoe*… in Mono, “My last meal would be crow, frog eyes and the

Question from past Spotlighter Jayne Edwards: Where do you get your material from? “The haberdashery, Jayne, you idiot.” Jack Evans plays The Hop, Wakefield, 4 Feb, The Comedy Store, Manchester, 12 Feb, The Quippodrome @ Mono, Chorlton, 12 Feb (yeah, he can do both), and Quip @ Fuel, Withington, 15 Feb @JackieWiseVans @QuippoComedy

Love is Handmade Image © Colette Hazelwood

With hand-crafted goods from 30 artists and makers in 18 independent shops, there’s something special for your Valentine waiting to be discovered or designed at Manchester Craft & Design Centre

In collaboration with RIBA North West

by James Donegan Free launch event 21.02.15, 2-5PM Manchester Craft & Design Centre 17 Oak Street, Northern Quarter, Manchester M4 5JD

craftanddesign.com February 2015

COMEDY

Preview

Book Highlights The month of love ushers in some of the finest poetry around, the undisputed face of spoken word and a romantic literary walk Words: Holly Rimmer-Tagoe Illustration: Emily Nash

oetry and music combine at Manchester’s Bridgewater Hall on 8 Feb as Harry Christophers conducts The Sixteen: Poetry in Music. The long-contested, and often closely connected, relationship between music and poetry spans hundreds of years, from skaldic oral poetry to hip-hop, beat poetry of the 1950s and the literary analyses of Bob Dylan and Amy Winehouse. The concert tracks six centuries of musical history and incorporates poems from the likes of Edmund Spenser and WH Auden. Anticipate hearing some of your favourite poems in a new light. If you are hoping to avoid the inevitable Valentine’s onslaught of Fifty Shades of Grey (or One Shade of Yawn), but still want to reflect upon all things love and romance – in a strictly cultural setting and minus a sadomasochistic undertone – there is a Heart & Sole literary walking tour in Liverpool on 14 Feb. The tour will be led by local expert Deborah Mulhearn and will

depart from The Bluecoat. Expect Liverpool’s familiar streets to transform as you discover some of the locations that have served as inspiration for the city’s lovelorn writers of poetry, letters and prose. Elsewhere, Denise Riley and Frances Leviston are in conversation at the Martin Harris Centre, Manchester, on 16 Feb. While the two poets are at very different stages of their careers (Riley has been published since the 1970s, while Leviston is a relative newcomer – her first collection, Public Dream, was published in 2007), both have received widespread acclaim for their work. Riley has been marked out as an important contributor to feminist debate with her writings involving questions of motherhood, identity and radical politics. Meanwhile, this month Leviston

BOOK OF THE MONTH

A Spool of Blue Thread

My Dear Bessie

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By Chris Barker and Bessie Moore, edited by Simon Garfield

follows up her much lauded collection Public Dream with Disinformation, published by Picador. As the go-to girl of spoken word poetry/the ‘voice of a generation,’ Kate Tempest has quickly acquired cultural-phenomenon status. She has recently received a Mercury Prize nomination, won the Ted Hughes Prize and had a sell-out tour. But Tempest’s poetry manages to outshine all of the accolades and hype surrounding her; her poetry definitely deserves to be heard live. She takes to the stage at The Kazimier, Liverpool, on 18 Feb. Finally, new and old clash as the historic setting of The Portico Library presents new poetry from the Northwest on 26 Feb. In conjunction with North West Poets, this evening will

The First Bad Man By Miranda July

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By Anne Tyler

welcome Andrew Foster, literature officer at the Wordsworth Trust, as he launches his third collection, Homecoming, and Helen Mort, who has been labelled ‘a new star’ of the poetry world. Go along and support two of the best poets from the local scene! The Sixteen: Poetry in Music, The Bridgewater Hall, Manchester, Sun 8 Feb, 7.30pm, £32- £14 (£7), www.bridgewater-hall.com Heart & Sole, The Bluecoat, Liverpool, Sat 14 Feb, 2pm, free (booking required), www.thebluecoat.org.uk Literature Live: Denise Riley and Frances Leviston, Martin Harris Centre, Manchester, Mon 16 Feb, 6.30pm, £6 (£4), www.manchester.ac.uk Kate Tempest, The Kazimier, Liverpool, Wed 18 Feb, 7pm, £13.75 (£12.50), www.thekazimier.co.uk North West Poets, The Portico Library, Manchester, Thu 26 Feb, 6pm, £8 (£5), www.theportico.org.uk

The Myth of Brilliant Summers By Austin Collings

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We’ve had a glimpse of this captivating love story before. A scant selection of the wartime letters between Chris Barker and Bessie Moore were interleaved in To the Letter, Simon Garfield’s excellent exploration of written correspondence. They were there to illustrate the power of letters in ordinary life, showing in detail a love story that developed almost entirely by letter during the Second World War. The Chris and Bessie letters were so popular that Garfield has edited the whole collection to give us a full, immersive view of their historical and emotional importance. It’s a delight, from the hesitancy of the first letters to the deep, fervent and repeated declarations of love and affection later. There are throwaway details of wartime living – for instance, how many cigarettes you could swap for an egg in Egypt (ten). Chris returns quite often to Bessie’s breasts – even after Garfield’s extensive editing – and then moves on to planning their married life after the war. Both are fluent, engaging writers and we pass swiftly, as Garfield says in the introduction, ‘from overwhelming physical compulsion to domestic furnishings.’ But it is the openness of the letters that leaves the lasting impression – you get a sense that writing these letters was an opportunity to communicate more freely and deeply than would have been possible elsewhere, even in the most intimate whisperings of pillow talk. [Galen O’Hanlon]

There’s nothing vainglorious in this, the Pulitzer Prize winner’s latest. It’s a very American thing: there’s Abby and Red Whitshank, more middle class than their parents, almost inevitably called Junior and Linnie Mae. They’re also more comfortable with the trappings of affluence and, most importantly, home ownership. Their big porchy house, built by Junior, is as much a character as any of its occupants. Surrounded by children and grandchildren, Abby and Red’s health deteriorates. Their progeny duly batten down the hatches amid the quiet storm of age. It’s still the matriarch who takes the fore though, in spite of an occasionally slipping mind. Indeed, Tyler’s third person narrative in many ways echoes Abby’s own voice – both are warm and yet they share a gentle snobbery. A daughter-in-law has her dog’s name inked on the crook of her arm. The Whitshanks, following Abby’s example, pretend to like it. A Spool of Blue Thread is a layered thing, and Tyler is certainly capable in the assembly. Generations accrete tidily, but still she manages to accommodate the muddle and muck of people and relationships. Sadly, there’s only a hint of Baltimore’s “wirey, elastic accent” in the prose, nor is there all that much in the way of emotional heft. It’s an American family tale, above all else, sincerely and carefully told. [Angus Sutherland]

Cheryl Glickman, lead lady in indie filmmaker Miranda July’s debut novel, bumbles through life as a chaotic bundle of neurotic ticks and bad habits. A lot of her behaviour is at least a little crazy and her irrational inner monologue does nothing to combat the idea that she’s somewhat different, but beneath the crazy lie fears and insecurities that are universally relatable. Which is possibly why, at least in the beginning, she’s not so much with the likeable – no-one likes having their flaws reflected back at them, even in a funhouse mirror. The book’s easy wit keeps it floating lightly along on turns of phrase and sharp social observations but, by the end, it still seems to run a little out of steam. The plot is propelled by the pseudo-sexual relationship Cheryl forms with a young woman named Clee, and the tension builds as they take to acting out scenarios from female self-defence videos in cathartic bouts of controlled violence. But once it rises to its climax, the energy quickly dissipates and the remaining chapters are spent shooting awkward glances and wondering when it’s polite to leave. Still, it brings to the surface a lot of the weird lurking in every modern soul, with humour and endearing oddness. [Ross McIndoe] Out 19 Feb, published by Canongate, RRP £12.99

Out 10 Feb, published by Chatto & Windus, RRP £18.99

Out 5 Feb, published by Canongate, RRP £8.99

Austin Collings’s collection of short stories spans imaginary child murders, the inertia of hopeless job seeking and the mundaneness of teenage boyhood. Desolation and a chilling sense of despondency creep into the corners of every page. The urban landscape is haunted and scarred; trees stand ‘like malevolent pitchforks’ and the bus station becomes overwrought with ‘wild imaginings’ and ‘vivid projections.’ While this might sound like some sort of dystopian, post-apocalyptic tale, Collings’s world is always recognisable and real. The protagonist becomes a ghostly, detached outsider looking in on scenes of destruction, decay and absence which characterise the unwanted and unknowable elements of our city communities. It is impossible to escape a comparison with Irvine Welsh’s Trainspotting, which also originated as a number of short stories, in which the characters defy all social mores and moral obligations, but also reserve the right to empathy and observation. Many of the stories force you to flinch and make you want to look away, particularly a brutal story about pig slaughter, Carpeted with Feathers. However, what could be an overly dark and oppressive read never is. Collings’s prose avoids any sense of being reductive or dogmatic and, instead, compels the reader to imagine an alternative. A strong debut by Mancunian publishing newcomers Pariah Press. [Holly Rimmer-Tagoe] Out now, published by Pariah Press, RRP £9.99

Preview

BOOKS

THE SKINNY

Manchester Music Tue 03 Feb STRAIGHT NO CHASER

THE LOWRY: QUAYS THEATRE, 19:30–22:00, £29.50

Modern-styled male a’capella group formed while the chaps were at Indiana University 12-odd years ago.

NIGHT & DAY’S LOCAL SHOWCASE (THE MIND AT LARGE + LOFTT + KIR MUSIC + TORA HARLOW) NIGHT AND DAY CAFE, 20:00–23:00, £5

Live music showcase, giving a stage to local up-and-coming performers. GYPSIES OF BOHEMIA

MATT AND PHRED’S JAZZ CLUB, 21:00–00:00, FREE

Foot stompin’ gypsy jazz.

THE IMPOSSIBLE GENTLEMEN

BAND ON THE WALL, 19:30–22:30, FROM £18

The Atlantic-straddling jazz super group tour in support of their second album.

TUESDAY LIVE (THE MARIVAUX + LEVEL 22 + DEE OLARES + MONOMAN) LOCK 91, 20:00–01:00, £4

A host of local talent take to the stage for Lock 91’s new music night. BETRAYING THE MARTYRS

SOUND CONTROL, 18:30–22:00, £10

The metalheads head out on the road with their first album Phantom al ready to show off. ROSE ELINOR DOUGALL

GULLIVERS, 19:00–22:00, £6

The former Pipettes member continues her constantly evolving solo career, with Broadcast and the Silver Apples among her influences.

Wed 04 Feb STU LARSEN

THE DEAF INSTITUTE, 19:00–22:30, £8.50

Folk troubadour who, since leaving his quiet little town in Queensland, has spent the years mostly touring and recording. THE SOLDIER’S TALE

INTERNATIONAL ANTHONY BURGESS FOUNDATION, 18:00–19:00, £10 (£8)

The Foundation’s new music ensemble Psappha present a unique version of Stravinsky’s bleak The Soldier’s Tale, with accompanying live illustration by Chris Glynn. THE SOLDIER’S TALE

INTERNATIONAL ANTHONY BURGESS FOUNDATION, 20:00–21:00, £10 (£8)

The Foundation’s new music ensemble Psappha present a unique version of Stravinsky’s bleak The Soldier’s Tale, with accompanying live illustration by Chris Glynn. ELKIE BROOKS

THE LOWRY: LYRIC THEATRE, 19:30–22:00, £23.50

The jazz singer celebrates her 70th birthday with a set that explores all five decades of her career. JOHN & JACOB (HOLLOWAY ROAD)

NIGHT AND DAY CAFE, 20:00–23:00, £7

Alabama five-piece build on a hazy diet of feel-good melodies and lyrics. CRAIG OGDEN

WATERSIDE ARTS CENTRE, 19:30–22:30, £14 (£7)

Australian-born classical guitarist who’s performed with the London Symphony among others. LEE PARRY + CANTER SEMPER

MATT AND PHRED’S JAZZ CLUB, 21:00–00:00, FREE

Double bill of jazz.

Thu 05 Feb MARIACHI EL BRONX

GORILLA, 19:30–23:00, £12

The mariachi alter-egos of LA punks The Bronx, taking to a live setting armed with third LP, Mariachi El Bronx III, and bedecked in dapper charro suits, as per.

NIGHT & DAY’S LOCAL SHOWCASE (THINKING PRETTY + TESLA COILS + EASY KILL + KASPAR) NIGHT AND DAY CAFE, 20:00–23:00, £5

Live music showcase, giving a stage to local up-and-coming performers. THE MATT HOLBORN QUARTET

MATT AND PHRED’S JAZZ CLUB, 21:00–00:30, FREE

A newly formed group of musicians playing contemporary gypsy jazz, with violinist Matt Holborn at the helm.

February 2015

THE HALLÉ (ESPAÑA )

ELBOW

BRIDGEWATER HALL, 19:30–22:00, FROM £17

O2 APOLLO, 19:00–23:00, FROM £35

The Hallé’s new year schedule sees the renowned orchestra go through some of the finest pieces of the classical canon.

WOMENFOLK (KATHRYN WILLIAMS + MAZ O’CONNOR + GEORGIA RUTH) BAND ON THE WALL, 19:00–22:00, FROM £8

The travelling showcase returns with three more female singersongwriters, including the mightily excellent Kathryn Williams. ELBOW

O2 APOLLO, 19:00–23:00, FROM £35

The Mancunian songsmiths make a - by their standards - intimate return to their home town, with a four-night residency on Stockport Road. WOLF

ROADHOUSE, 19:00–22:00, £12

Real metal for true bastards’ so goes the tag line for these metal veterans, 20 years into doing their thing. SICK OF IT ALL

SOUND CONTROL, 18:30–23:00, £15

American hardcore punk unit with brothers Lou and Pete Koller at the helm, on vocals and lead guitar respectively. DAVID MCALMONT AND GUY DAVIES

CONTACT, 20:00–22:30, £15 (£10)

The Mancunian songsmiths make a - by their standards - intimate return to their home town, with a four-night residency on Stockport Road. GORGON CITY

THE RITZ, 19:30–23:00, £12

The north London production duo hit town, known for their clubsavvy pop soundscapes ripe for dancing feet. THE PHANTOM BAND

THE DEAF INSTITUTE, 19:00–22:30, £10

Having put various side projects on the back-burner, the mighty Phantoms reunite to continue their unholy fusing of indie, folk and krautrock styles. INDIGO SKY

ROADHOUSE, 19:30–22:30, £6

Five piece alt-indie-rock band from around this way. MILKY CHANCE

MANCHESTER ACADEMY 2, 19:30–23:00, £SOLD OUT

German folk duo made up of Clemens Rehbein and Philipp Dausch, still riding the wave of their debut release, Sadnecessary. THE HALLÉ AND THE HALLÉ YOUTH ORCHESTRA

BRIDGEWATER HALL, 18:45–21:30, £10 (£7.50)

The soaring voice of David McAlmont returns with musical partner and pianist Guy Davies as part of Queer Contact.

The two renowned orchestras come together to take on Rachmaninov’s Symphonic Dances. An open rehearsal.

THE DEAF INSTITUTE, 19:30–22:30, £7

MANCHESTER ACADEMY 3, 19:00–22:30, £SOLD OUT

VIET CONG

Canadian no wave battering ram, featuring two thirds of the remaining members of Women on vigorous form. RNCM CHAMBER ENSEMBLE (STRAVINSKY)

ROYAL NORTHERN COLLEGE OF MUSIC, 13:15–14:00, FREE

DILLON FRANCIS

The American music producer and DJ plays a full live bells’n’whistles show. FRIDAY CHAMBER SERIES (SPOHR)

ROYAL NORTHERN COLLEGE OF MUSIC, 13:15–14:00, FREE

The Ensemble tackle the greats of the classical music canon.

For those who like some classical music with their lunch (bring your own lunch.)

ROYAL NORTHERN COLLEGE OF MUSIC, 19:30–22:00, £7

ROYAL NORTHERN COLLEGE OF MUSIC, 18:30–20:30, FREE

PIANO DUO PRIZE

Japanese pianist Noriko Ogawa judges this tussle between some of the region’s brightest piano duos. BLACK HONEY (CACTUS KNIFE + IDEA FOR A FILM)

THE CASTLE HOTEL, 19:30–23:00, FREE

Guitar pop types signed to Duly Noted Records. FOOD CYCLE (SHADED ARROWS)

KRAAK, 19:00–00:00, £4

Food, music and DJs courtesy of Soul Kitchen. LIU BEI

EAGLE INN, 19:00–22:30, £5

Swimming pool echoes from London. T’PAU

WATERSIDE ARTS CENTRE, 20:00–22:30, £17.50

Carol Decker continues to tour under the name of her hit-making 80’s pop group, known for songs like China In Your Hand and Heart and Soul.

Fri 06 Feb PAUL CARRACK

THE LOWRY: LYRIC THEATRE, 19:30–22:00, £29.50

Sheffield-born singer, songwriter and former frontman of Ace, Squeeze and Mike and The Mechanics back and a-tourin’ a selection of new tracks and past hits. RAE MORRIS

GORILLA, 19:00–22:00, £SOLD OUT

Young Blackpool singer/songwriter singing mostly about love’n’that, as you do. CROWN THE EMPIRE

MANCHESTER CLUB ACADEMY, 19:00–22:30, £12

The Texas-residing six-piece tour their debut album, The Fallout. KAMIKAZE

MATT AND PHRED’S JAZZ CLUB, 21:30–01:00, £5

Manchester-based group playing originals and covers, with a selection of contemporary-inspired songs along the lines of The Cinematic Orchestra and Snarky Puppy.

SPOTLIGHT TRIPLE-BILL

HUDSON TAYLOR

RNCM DAY OF PERCUSSION

NORTHERN UPROAR

YOU ME AT SIX (ALL TIME LOW)

MANCHESTER ACADEMY 2, 19:30–23:00, £SOLD OUT

ROYAL NORTHERN COLLEGE OF MUSIC, 10:00–20:00, PRICES VARY

NIGHT AND DAY CAFE, 20:00–23:00, £5

MANCHESTER ARENA, 18:00–22:00, £29

Dublin-based brother duo made up of Harry and Alfie Hudson-Taylor, who honed their craft at an early age busking the streets of their hometown.

NOT A SUMMER FESTIVAL (TIGERCUB + RADSTEWART + FLESH + CLEFT + MORE) THE CASTLE HOTEL, 15:00–23:00, £7

The second instalment of Not A Summer Fest returns to the Oldham Road corridor between Gullivers and The Castle. NOT A SUMMER FESTIVAL THE LOTTERY WINNERS + THE ORIELLES + HEY SHOLAY + GORGEOUS BULLY + MORE

GULLIVERS, 15:00–23:00, £7

The second instalment of Not A Summer Fest returns to the Oldham Road corridor between Gullivers and The Castle. ELBOW

O2 APOLLO, 19:00–23:00, FROM £35

The Mancunian songsmiths make a - by their standards - intimate return to their home town, with a four-night residency on Stockport Road.

BBC PHILHARMONIC (SCHOENBERG + BEETHOVEN)

BRIDGEWATER HALL, 19:30–22:00, FROM £10

The BBC Philharmonic’s new year schedule sees Auntie’s finest orchestra explore classical mainstays and more leftfield compositions. WILL BLACK

THE KING’S ARMS, 19:00–22:00, £10

Special acoustic performance from the Canadian singer/songwriter, dipping into his original albums plus other classic rock favourites. MUMS BRASS BAND AND WIND ENSEMBLES

MARTIN HARRIS CENTRE FOR MUSIC AND DRAMA, 19:30–22:00, £10.50 (£6.50)

MUMS Wind Ensembles showcase three new works, written by students Sophie Sully, Emma Wilde and James Keirle. MATTHEW HALSALL AND THE GONDWANA ORCHESTRA + GOGO PENGUIN + MAMMAL HANDS

ROYAL NORTHERN COLLEGE OF MUSIC, 19:30–22:00, £16

Student-led showcase featuring a repertoire old and new from the RNCM’s brass department.

Trumpeter, composer and arranger Matthew Halsall presents a hometown debut of his latest project, The Gondwana Orchestra.

SOUND CONTROL, 18:00–22:00, £16

SOUND CONTROL, 19:00–22:00, £5

PRIMORDIAL

The Irish metal veterans still going after nearly 28 years with new album Where Greater Men Have Fallen.

MUK KLUB (BERLIN BERLIN + FACE + COLD COMMITTEE)

NIGHT AND DAY CAFE, 20:00–23:00, £5

MUK Records take their label live with a mix of new artists and those on their current roster. THE FOUR OWLS

THE DEAF INSTITUTE, 23:00–03:00, FROM £8

Collaborative project featuring Edward Scissortongue, Onoe Caponoe, Ocean Wisdom, The Bluntskins, DJ Madnice and DJ BB. LOS TRASGOS MUERTAS (BARBADOS SLIM + ELLE MARY & THE BAD MEN)

THE CASTLE HOTEL, 19:30–23:00, £5

The local garage rockers celebrate the release of their new EP. MURNAUE B

ISLINGTON MILL, 19:00–23:00, £3

Barcelona psychedelic explorers, with support from Manchester’s own purveyors of the third eye, Horrid and Ten Mouth Electron. NISKALA + BARBEROS (THE BEAR AROUND YOUR NECK)

KRAAK, 19:00–23:00, £5

Two bands, four drum kits. It’s going to be a loud one.

THE HICKS + BARBARIAN HERMIT + BONG CAULDRON

DULCIMER BAR, 21:00–01:00, £5

Stonebox bring you a heady night of fuzzed up, smoked out riffage at Chorlton’s Dulcimer with PA provided by GASHCollective.

Sat 07 Feb THE DUNWELLS

MANCHESTER ACADEMY 3, 19:30–23:00, £10

Folk rock bunch hailing from Leeds, made up of brothers Joseph and David Dunwell and cousins Robert Clayton and Jonny Lamb. THE TAPESTRY

BAND ON THE WALL, 19:00–22:00, FROM £5

Manchester pop quartet, influenced by the likes of Pixies and Neil Young.

KANTEEN

90’s grunge influenced types play in support of their new EP.

GOLD JACKS (CLOCKWORK RADIO + JAKE SHARPE + FRANK’S WILD YEARS) NIGHT AND DAY CAFE, 19:30–22:30, £7

Black Keys influenced bluesy rock n’ roll which occasionally recalls Stereophonics Kelly Jones. Sorry about that. WHYTE HORSES

SOUP KITCHEN, 19:00–22:15, £6

Manchester duo making breezy psychedelic dream pop. SOUL TUBES

MATT AND PHRED’S JAZZ CLUB, 21:30–01:00, £5

Performing soul and funk from Franklin to Wonder.

Sun 08 Feb

ACOUSTIC BHUNA (ROOK & THE RAVENS + TOM METCALFE)

BAND ON THE WALL, 17:00–20:00, FREE

Genius pairing of live music with home-made curry, making for a relaxed sorta Sunday. ELBOW

O2 APOLLO, 19:00–23:00, FROM £35

The Mancunian songsmiths make a - by their standards - intimate return to their home town, with a four-night residency on Stockport Road. INTERPOL

ALBERT HALL, 19:00–23:00, £SOLD OUT

Imperially dark New York City rockers, who do their best to sound as though they’ve been dredged from the murkiest depths of the Hudson River. THE SIXTEEN: POETRY IN MUSIC

BRIDGEWATER HALL, 19:30–22:00, FROM £12

The Sixteen perform a capella anthems with texts by writers including Edmund Spenser, Christopher Fry and W.H Auden.

A selection of performances from RNCM students and special guests engineered for percussion ensembles. WATTER (HOLY SONS + LILACS AND CHAMPAGNE)

THE DEAF INSTITUTE, 19:30–23:00, £11

A who’s who of drone rock, featuring members of Slint and Grails, supported by Ohm man Emil Amos. SCOTT BRADLEE AND POSTMODERN JUKEBOX

MANCHESTER ACADEMY 2, 19:00–22:30, £SOLD OUT

The New York hailing jazz musician tours with his talented band of musicians, turning songs into ‘malleable globs of silly putty’ as they go.

Mon 09 Feb ONE NIGHT ONLY

THE DEAF INSTITUTE, 19:00–22:00, £9

North Yorkshire indie-rock pups attempting to take their tunes in a new direction. MONDAY RECITAL SERIES (KING HARALD’S SAGA)

ROYAL NORTHERN COLLEGE OF MUSIC, 13:15–14:00, FREE

The lunchtime concert series continues with a trawl through some of classical music’s most respected composers. SAM BAILEY

BRIDGEWATER HALL, 19:30–22:00, FROM £27.50

The X Factor 2013 champion desperately clutches onto her relevancy with a new UK tour. 90215

ROYAL NORTHERN COLLEGE OF MUSIC, 18:00–21:00, FREE

ddmmyy return to the RNCM featuring new works by Tom Rose, Jack Sheen and Bryn Harrison.

Tue 10 Feb

NIGHT & DAY’S LOCAL SHOWCASE (KELLY’S HEROES + FOREIGN MOTIVES + MATTY JAMES + JOE ROSCOE) NIGHT AND DAY CAFE, 20:00–23:00, £5

Live music showcase, giving a stage to local up-and-coming performers. ALEXANDER

SOUND CONTROL, 19:00–22:00, £7

Following the release of their debut LP, Say Hello, the Durhambased indie rock four-piece embark on their biggest solo tour to date. HISS GOLDEN MESSENGER

THE DEAF INSTITUTE, 19:00–22:30, £11.50

The North Carolina songwriter (aka M.C. Taylor) plays a set of his delicate and mystical country tunes. TUESDAY LIVE (WALK + NIGHT OWLS + SAMUEL HILTON + BONES)

LOCK 91, 20:00–01:00, £4

A host of local talent take to the stage for Lock 91’s new music night. NECRO

ROADHOUSE, 19:30–22:30, £15

Don’t let this Brooklyn-based hardcore rapper’s name fool you... no, actually do. NO GOOD BEATNIKS TRIO

MATT AND PHRED’S JAZZ CLUB, 21:00–00:00, FREE

A collective of musicians operating as a jam band playing around with distorted jazz and improvisation.

Wed 11 Feb FAIRPORT CONVENTION

THE LOWRY: QUAYS THEATRE, 20:00–22:30, £22

The longtime British folk-rockers draw on classic songs old and new. GAZ COOMBES

GORILLA, 19:30–23:00, £15

The Supergrass frontman goes it alone, playing tracks from his new solo offering, Matador. MANCHESTER CAMERATA

ROYAL NORTHERN COLLEGE OF MUSIC, 19:30–22:00, £32

Tribute concert to the Northern Uproar guitarist Jeff Fletcher, who tragically lost his life in an accident last year.

Angst rock of the mosh-bynumbers emo variety, touring their new LP.

ROADHOUSE, 19:00–22:00, £11

London-based trio led by folkster Andrew Davie (formerly of Cherbourg), still riding the wave of their debut LP last year.

JETBLACK

80’s and 90’s influenced rock and metal five-piece. Can they fit two decades into just one set? We’ll see. KEITH MCGEE TRIO

MATT AND PHRED’S JAZZ CLUB, 21:00–00:30, FREE

McGee’s trio is joined by vocalist Lucy Barlow for an evening of jazz standards.

Thu 12 Feb KATHRYN WILLIAMS

ROYAL NORTHERN COLLEGE OF MUSIC, 19:30–22:00, £10

Ohio flautist Kathryn Williams headlines tonight’s trio, taking on Bach, George Crumb, and Stockhausen, among others. SNOWAPPLE (BECCA WILLIAMS)

THE CASTLE HOTEL, 19:30–23:00, £7

Three girls from Amsterdam doing a goose-bump-inducing pop/folk/ opera thing. 36 CRAZYFISTS

LITTLE BIG TOWN

North Yorkshire’s only contemporary New Orleans inspired Brass Band.

COASST (BAD MOLLY + CARNATION + EGYPTIAN BLUE + CHARLOTTE CANNON) THE RUBY LOUNGE, 19:00–22:30, £5

New murky dark wave project from Manchester showing much promise indeed.

BRIDGEWATER HALL, 19:30–22:00, FROM £11

DIRTY VERTEBRAE (LEO STEEL)

Describing themselves as musical manifestation of the Avengers, Dirty Vertebrae mix rock, rap, ska, funk and metal.

EAGLE INN, 19:30–23:00, £4

KATE TEMPEST

GORILLA, 19:00–23:00, £SOLD OUT

BLAKE MILLS

ST PHILIP’S CHURCH, 19:00–22:30, £14.50

The Californian guitarist, producer and songwriter plays tracks from his latest LP, Heigh Ho, recorded in LA’s legendary Ocean Way studios. SNOWAPPLE

THE CASTLE HOTEL, 20:00–23:00, £5

The Dutch folk trio tour in support of their second album Illusion, out on San Francisco-based label Zip Records.

VOODOO KINGS (BOBBIE PERU + THE SYSTEMATICS + CHEMICAL TOWN)

NIGHT AND DAY CAFE, 20:00–23:00, £5

Coventry based four-piece mining all the known traits of rock and roll. MINERAL (SOLEMN SUN)

THE RUBY LOUNGE, 19:30–22:30, £12.50

Texas emo ensemble, origanally from Houston, but relocated to Austin. EX HEX

SOUP KITCHEN, 19:30–22:15, £9

Washington rock trio led by singer/ guitarist Mary Timony (also of Helium and Wild Flag). WALTER CARROLL LUNCHTIME CONCERT SERIES (ELIZABETH JORDAN)

MARTIN HARRIS CENTRE FOR MUSIC AND DRAMA, 13:10–14:00, FREE

The latest in the Martin Harris Centre lunchtime series, which sees students and guests take on the classical canon from past to contemporary.

RNCM CHAMBER ENSEMBLE (DEBUSSY + MAHLER)

ROYAL NORTHERN COLLEGE OF MUSIC, 13:15–14:00, FREE

NEIL C. YOUNG QUARTET

Grammy-nominated composer playing feel-good music.

Fri 13 Feb GRUFF RHYS

MANCHESTER ACADEMY 2, 19:30–23:00, £15

The Super Furry Animals man takes to the road in support of his latest multi-format American Interior project, promising power presentations, tales of exploration and maybe a few songs.

English singer/songwriter best known as the drummer of Radiohead.

MUSIC FOR LIFE: INSPIRE MUSIC!

ROYAL NORTHERN COLLEGE OF MUSIC, 16:15–21:00, £8

Aspiring musicians from Tarporley, Neston, Bishop Herber and Christleton High Schools workshop new music in the day before performing with special guest Iain Dixon. NATIONAL YOUTH JAZZ ORCHESTRA

ROYAL NORTHERN COLLEGE OF MUSIC, 19:30–22:00, £15

LONDON AFRICA GOSPEL CHOIR

ROYAL NORTHERN COLLEGE OF MUSIC, 19:30–22:00, £15

The psychedelic types launch their new single.

English playwright, performance poet, Ninja Tune-signed rapper and all-round literary starlet Kate Tempest returns in full-band guise, performing songs from her Mercury-nominated album, Everybody Down.

PHILIP SELWAY

THE DEAF INSTITUTE, 19:00–22:00, £20

Multi-instrumentalist and vocalist from the Congo traverses styles with an all-star band.

Musical brainchild of Oli Bayston, formerly of indie outfit Keith, taking his name from a Francis Bacon painting.

THE NEW SOUTHERN ELECTRIKK (JORDAN ALLEN)

Tarek Musa-fronted local lo-fi pop punk outfit.

A bunch of acts come together to headline Kerrang!’s 2015 tour, showcasing loud punk-rock sorts from near and far.

The best jazz young ‘uns in the whole of the country play a special Valentine’s Day concert.

BOXED IN

The Hallé’s new year schedule sees the renowned orchestra go through some of the finest pieces of the classical canon. SPRING KING

MANCHESTER ACADEMY, 19:00–23:00, £16.50

THE DEAF INSTITUTE, 19:00–22:30, £7

NIGHT AND DAY CAFE, 19:30–22:30, £6

MATT AND PHRED’S JAZZ CLUB, 21:00–00:30, FREE

THE RITZ, 19:00–23:00, £20

MATT AND PHRED’S JAZZ CLUB, 21:30–01:00, £5

THE HALLÉ (GRIEG + SHOSTAKOVICH + NIELSEN)

Alaskan metal quintet, gaining extra points for taking their band name from a Jackie Chan movie.

SOUP KITCHEN, 19:30–22:15, £7

Having a bit of a lame name hasn’t stopped this US country band making it big they hit the UK to show off their spangly Grammy Awards and presumably play some songs.

NEW YORK BRASS BAND

Respected African gospel choir who had the honour of performing at the Nelson Mandela memorial service at Westminster.

The Ensemble tackle the greats of the classical music canon.

Newcastle troubadour hailed for his skewed delivery; singing and playing guitar with a rare intensity and a very singular style.

GORILLA, 18:30–22:00, £SOLD OUT

MANCHESTER ACADEMY 3, 19:30–23:00, £14

Giving the classical canon and modern twist. RICHARD DAWSON

BEAR’S DEN

KERRANG! TOUR 2015 (DON BROCO + WE ARE THE IN CROWD)

ROADHOUSE, 19:30–22:30, £5

MEGAJAM 15 (ALDOUS RH + THOM BELLINI + IRMA VEP)

SOUP KITCHEN, 19:00–22:15, £5

Megajam presents a triple bill of local fellas, including former Egyptian Hip Hop bloke Aldous RH. BLOOMS (ANTELOPES + ELK)

THE CASTLE HOTEL, 19:30–00:00, £5

Surf-dreampop trio from Manchester.

ANY DARK NIGHT (BLANK CHEQUE + THE MADDING CROWD + BLACK SONIC REVOLVER + KINDEST OF THIEVES) BAND ON THE WALL, 19:30–22:30, £6

Local showcase. JANE WEAVER

GULLIVERS, 19:30–23:00, £SOLD OUT

The Piccadilly Records’ album of the year artist brings her krautinfluenced psychedelic sounds to an intimate setting. FREDDIE MCGREGOR

MANCHESTER ACADEMY, 19:00–23:00, £27.50

The reggae legend calls into town.

Sat 14 Feb KING CHARLES

GORILLA, 19:00–22:00, £12

Charming West London folkster, classically trained, and player of guitar, piano and cello. THE USED

MANCHESTER ACADEMY 2, 19:00–22:30, £18

Utah-based alternative rockers currently based in sunny LA. LUCID DREAM

DEMS DE LA PAIX (DJ MAGIC)

THE RUBY LOUNGE, 19:00–22:00, £5

LAST HARBOUR

SOUP KITCHEN, 19:30–22:15, £5

The expansive folk six-piece celebrate the release of their new album Caul on Gizeh Records. SPEKEASY BOOTLEG BAND

MATT AND PHRED’S JAZZ CLUB, 21:30–01:00, £5

Hailing from New Orleans, this tin pan alley three piece bring the sounds of the turn of the 20thcentury to the Northwest.

Sun 15 Feb

DOPE BODY (LAKES OF SNAKES + WEIRDS + SUPER LUXURY)

ISLINGTON MILL, 17:00–21:00, £6

The Baltimore noise-rockers bring the primal hardcore thrash vibes, supporting their latest album Lifer. SAINT RAYMOND

MANCHESTER ACADEMY 2, 19:00–22:30, £SOLD OUT

Indie singer/songwriter, aka Callum Burrows, fresh from supporting Ed Sheeran on his European arena tour. MACY GRAY

BRIDGEWATER HALL, 20:00–22:30, FROM £26.50

The husky-voiced soulstress hits the road, nearly 15 years since she released her debut album. HAMMELL ON TRIAL

THE RUBY LOUNGE, 19:00–22:30, £14

The seminal (?) Choochtown gets a revisit by its makers 15 years after its release. JACARANDAS

THE CASTLE HOTEL, 19:00–22:30, £1

Rock’n’roll-styled Edinburgh quartet led by Jamie Kerr on lead vocals and rhythm guitar.

Mon 16 Feb KODALINE

ALBERT HALL, 19:00–23:00, £SOLD OUT

Dublin-based indie-rock quartet who use their music predominantly as a form of therapy (i.e. they write about being dumped an’ that). OCEAN COLOUR SCENE: THE 25TH ANNIVERSARY ACOUSTIC TOUR

BRIDGEWATER HALL, 19:30–22:30, FROM £25

ROADHOUSE, 19:30–22:30, £6.50

The Birmingham Brit-poppers return to a live setting to mark their 25 anniversary with a special acoustic tour.

THE JAMES TAYLOR QUARTET

SOUND CONTROL, 19:00–22:00, £6

Four piece psychedelic bunch from Carlisle, out on the road touring their debut LP, Songs of Lies and Deceit. BAND ON THE WALL, 19:30–22:30, FROM £13

Four-piece jazz funk outfit from Rochester, active since 1985 and embarking a tour to work through their extensive back catalogue. THE HALLE: VALENTINE’S DAY CONCERT

BRIDGEWATER HALL, 19:30–22:00, FROM £17

Get smoochy to the classics! Stephen Bell leads the orchestra through a special Valentine’s Day concert. CHELSEA GRIN + VEIL OF MAYA

MANCHESTER CLUB ACADEMY, 19:00–22:30, £12

Utah-based death metal outfit Chelsea Grin take to the stage for a double headline set with Chicagoan deathcore scamps Veil Of Maya.

INCITE

The Arizona thrash groovers bring the bullish riffs and heavy soundscapes.

AVI AVITAL, KSENIJA SIDOROVA AND ITAMAR DOARI

ROYAL NORTHERN COLLEGE OF MUSIC, 19:30–22:00, £25

A trio of mandolin, accordion and percussion take on work by Manuel de Falla, Astor Piazzolla and others.

Tue 17 Feb BLIND MONK TRIO

MATT AND PHRED’S JAZZ CLUB, 21:00–00:00, FREE

Three Northwest musicians putting a fresh spin on the classic, chordless jazz trio format. ORLA GARTLAND

THE DEAF INSTITUTE, 19:30–23:00, £7

Young singer/songwriter from Dublin, crafting delicately quirky pop songs.

Listings

Manchester Music YEAH DETROIT SOUND CONTROL, 18:00–22:00, £5

Melodic pop Scottish quintet, imbuing their sound with flecks of punk.

TUESDAY LIVE (THE FEVERS + MEGAN DIXON HOOD + SAM CONNOLLY + CANDISE MIAH) LOCK 91, 20:00–01:00, £4

A host of local talent take to the stage for Lock 91’s new music night. TV ON THE RADIO

ALBERT HALL, 19:00–23:00, £18.50

The US indie rockers give their fifth LP a live airing, their first album since the death of bassist Gerard Smith. THE DECEMBERISTS

MANCHESTER ACADEMY, 18:30–23:00, £18.50

The Portland, Oregon indie folksters play tracks offa their new LP, What a Terrible World, What a Beautiful World. KITTY, DAISY AND LEWIS

GORILLA, 19:30–23:00, £12

Talented sibling ensemble encompassing a mixed bag of musical influences, from country to rock’n’roll. GET INUIT (THE AMAZONS)

NIGHT AND DAY CAFE, 20:00–23:00, £5

Congratulations, Get Inuit. You win the worst name of this month’s listings. NISENNENMONDAI

SOUP KITCHEN, 19:30–22:30, £8

Hammerheaded industrialism from this brilliant Japanese no wave trio. TENTERHOOK

THE CASTLE HOTEL, 19:30–23:00, £6

The moniker of singer/songwriter Archie Faulks, who’s following Sivu down the earnest middle class route. ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT

MANCHESTER CLUB ACADEMY, 19:30–23:00, £20

The 1988-founded hip hop group from Atlanta dust off the hits for another tour.

Wed 18 Feb THE WAR ON DRUGS

ALBERT HALL, 19:00–23:00, £20

The Philly rockers continue to combine rock’n’roll classicism in the 70s AOR mould, all psychedelic, hazy and lushly-layed, dipping heavily into dreamy third LP Lost in the Dream.

NIGHT & DAY’S LOCAL SHOWCASE (ATLAS EYES + ECHOES + ANTIDOTES + THE INDIEANNAS) NIGHT AND DAY CAFE, 20:00–23:00, £5

Live music showcase, giving a stage to local up-and-coming performers.

STUART MCCALLUM RESIDENCY

MATT AND PHRED’S JAZZ CLUB, 21:00–00:00, FREE

Cinematic Orchestra guitarist trying out new material in the realm of beats, electronica, classical orchestration and jazz. D’ANGELO

O2 APOLLO, 19:00–23:00, FROM £30.50

The Godfather of neo-soul makes his live return following the deafening critical acclaim that greeted his first album in nearly 15 years, Black Messiah. HAWK EYES

SOUND CONTROL, 19:00–22:00, £7

Thu 19 Feb THE WAR ON DRUGS

ALBERT HALL, 19:00–23:00, £SOLD OUT

The Philly rockers continue to combine rock’n’roll classicism in the 70s AOR mould, all psychedelic, hazy and lushly-layed, dipping heavily into dreamy third LP Lost in the Dream. MAN WITHOUT COUNTRY

THE RUBY LOUNGE, 19:30–22:30, £6

South Wales-based duo who’ve added a new techno shuffle and trance synth work to their psychedelic digital palette. THE HALLÉ (BRAHMS + HAYDN + BEETHOVEN)

BRIDGEWATER HALL, 19:30–22:00, FROM £11

The Hallé’s new year schedule sees the renowned orchestra go through some of the finest pieces of the classical canon. JAMIE BROWNFIELD QUARTET

MATT AND PHRED’S JAZZ CLUB, 21:00–00:30, FREE

A mix of bebop, mainstream swing and New Orlean’s funk from British Jazz Award up-and-comer, Jamie Brownfield. CHETHAM’S SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

ROYAL NORTHERN COLLEGE OF MUSIC, 14:30–16:30, £3

Chetham’s Symphony Orchestra returns to the RNCM with a performance of Tchaikovsky’s final symphony, one of the defining works of the romantic period. BLACK LABEL SOCIETY

MANCHESTER ACADEMY, 19:00–23:00, £20

Zakk Wylde’s heavy metal unit take to the road with their highest-ever UK charting LP, Catacombs of the Black Vatican. THE SUNDOWNERS (THE CORAL (DJ SET) + THE JADE ASSEMBLY + HAPI)

NIGHT AND DAY CAFE, 20:00–23:00, £7

The psyche-folk troops unleash a new batch of harmony heavy, well-crafted pop gems into the world, playing tracks from their self-titled debut LP. WALTER CARROLL LUNCHTIME CONCERT SERIES (PSAPPHA)

MARTIN HARRIS CENTRE FOR MUSIC AND DRAMA, 13:10–14:00, FREE

The latest in the Martin Harris Centre lunchtime series, which sees students and guests take on the classical canon from past to contemporary. FORT HOPE

SOUND CONTROL, 19:00–22:00, £8

New band rising from the ashes of former UK rock darlings My Passion. ELLIPHANT

THE DEAF INSTITUTE, 19:00–23:00, £12

Stockholm-born artist who fell in love with the urban sounds of London. WYLES AND SIMPSON

SOUP KITCHEN, 19:00–22:15, £6

English electronic duo garnering plenty of attention ahead of their debut album, out sometime this year. LYDIA AINSWORTH

GULLIVERS, 20:00–23:00, £7.50

The Toronto composer brings three years worth of sketches and ideas on the road with her. PATCHWORK RATTLEBAG

UNIVERSITY OF SALFORD, 13:00–14:00, FREE

Leeds-based rock unit out and touring their new LP, Everything Is Fine.

Electronic psychedelia as part of Sonic Fusion.

SOUP KITCHEN, 19:00–22:15, £7.50

UNIVERSITY OF SALFORD, 19:00–22:00, £10 (£5)

GIRLPOOL

LA-based indie duo made up of high-school friends Harmony Tividad and Cleo Tucker. TEAM ME

THE DEAF INSTITUTE, 19:00–23:00, £7.50

Norwegian Grammy Award winners much feted by some sections of the music press. FEMME

THE CASTLE HOTEL, 19:30–23:00, £5

London-based singer-songwriter and producer.

METANAST + XENIA PESTOVA

An evening of live electronics and creative coding as part of Sonic Fusion.

Fri 20 Feb THE WAVE PICTURES

THE DEAF INSTITUTE, 19:30–22:30, £9

The Wymeswold trio make a return for s’more of their indie-pop wittiness and squealing guitar solos, fresh from a collaboration with Billy Childish on new LP, Great Big Flamingo Burning Moon. JACK SAVORETTI

MANCHESTER CLUB ACADEMY, 19:30–23:00, £SOLD OUT

The Italian-English solo acoustic singer plays a set accompanied by his trusty guitar.

Listings

TWO GALLANTS GORILLA, 18:30–22:00, £13.50

San Franciscoan rock duo expertly matching melodic fury with eloquent, confessional lyricism. BETH ORTON

BAND ON THE WALL, 20:00–22:30, £15

The much-loved folktronica artist presents the results of a five-day residency at Band on the Wall, collaborating with 13 female musicians. TROYKA

ROYAL NORTHERN COLLEGE OF MUSIC, 19:30–22:00, £12

Rock, dance and jazz are all mashed up in one palletable melange here courtesy of Troyka. Also that Kit Downes fella’s in them, y’know, one of the token jazz Mercury Prize nominees a while back. SKAMEL

MATT AND PHRED’S JAZZ CLUB, 21:30–01:00, £5

A preview of C’est Un Safari, the group’s new album. DARLIA

MANCHESTER ACADEMY 3, 19:00–22:30, £SOLD OUT

Blackpool boys done good bringing their hard-lined rock music to the masses. THE X FACTOR LIVE TOUR 2015

MANCHESTER ARENA, 18:00–22:00, FROM £19.50

The stars (we use the term loosely) from X Factor 2015 take to the stage for their obligatory tour and – for most – a farewell to household recognition. RIOT JAZZ (GEORGE THE POET)

ANTWERP MANSION, 20:00–03:00, £10

A riotous, 11-piece jazz band hailing from Manchester, fronted by MC Chunky.

THE MOODS (RAWCUSS + KINGDOM LOST + SIP SMITH AND TWINE + THE BOOMSHACK DJS)

THE RUBY LOUNGE, 20:00–23:00, £5

Powered along by two drummers, this genre-hopping five-piece launch their new LP with a plethora of local support. THE CHRISTIANS

WATERSIDE ARTS CENTRE, 19:30–22:30, £18

The Ferry Across The Mersey hit makers return ahead of their new album.

CHETHAM’S SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

ROYAL NORTHERN COLLEGE OF MUSIC, 19:30–22:00, FROM £14

Chetham’s Symphony Orchestra returns to the RNCM with a performance of Tchaikovsky’s final symphony, one of the defining works of the romantic period. THE SHERLOCKS

SOUND CONTROL, 19:00–22:00, £SOLD OUT

Sheffield indie-rock unit made up of two sets of brothers. MOATS (FLESH)

THE CASTLE HOTEL, 19:30–23:00, £6

Four fellas who claim their genre is ‘glappy’. Who knows what that could mean? (Some form of rock music probably). TWIN PEAKS

NIGHT AND DAY CAFE, 20:00–22:30, £8

Proclaiming innocence over their uncanny choice of name (bollocks), Twin Peaks possess licks like a modern day Nuggets with some Ty Segall thrown in for good measure. STEPHEN STEINBRINK

ROADHOUSE, 19:30–22:30, £5

Sat 21 Feb GEORGE EZRA

O2 APOLLO, 19:00–23:00, £SOLD OUT

Young Bristol singer/songwriter known for his bluesy, acoustic balladry. THE X FACTOR LIVE TOUR 2015

MANCHESTER ARENA, 13:00–17:00, FROM £19.50

The stars (we use the term loosely) from X Factor 2015 take to the stage for their obligatory tour and – for most – a farewell to household recognition. THE NIGHTCREATURES

MATT AND PHRED’S JAZZ CLUB, 21:30–01:00, £5

Half blues, half brass band playing New Orleans inspired r’n’b, inspired by the HBO series, Treme, equally comfortable leading a parade as they are leading a jam session. JARROD DICKENSON

NIGHT AND DAY CAFE, 20:00–22:30, £7

Texas-born singer/songwriter of the folksy variety, embarking on a tour of the UK to mark the release of his EP, Songs From Willow St. MUMS SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

MARTIN HARRIS CENTRE FOR MUSIC AND DRAMA, 19:30–22:00, £10.50 (£6.50)

The return of the MUMS Symphony Orchestra, with a programme including Sibelius, Nielson and Bartok. BBC PHILHARMONIC (THE LARK ASCENDING)

BRIDGEWATER HALL, 19:30–22:00, FROM £10

The BBC Philharmonic’s new year schedule sees Auntie’s finest orchestra explore classical mainstays and more leftfield compositions. WHAT’S THE ALTERNATIVE? THIS IS! (LITTLE SPARROW + KATIE WARE) THE KING’S ARMS, 20:30–23:00, £7 (£4)

Little Sparrow headlines the latest WTA? Night, which promises to reject corporate pop and revel in true independence.

SOUNDSCAPE CHAMBER ORCHESTRA

ROYAL NORTHERN COLLEGE OF MUSIC, 19:30–22:00, £15

Soundscape team up with KSD Dance to present an evening of music and dance, with Mozart, Barber and Schubert soundtracking the choreography. BAILEY MCCONNELL

BAND ON THE WALL, 18:00–21:00, £12.50

15 year-old songwriter with more than 12 million Youtube hits and 600,000 followers which is, quite frankly, more than we ever had at his age. STORYTELLERS (STRANGEWAYS + BONAMALIS + MARTYN ELLIS)

THE RUBY LOUNGE, 19:30–22:30, £5

Local rock bill featuring three aspiring acts. (((OHHHMS)))

ROADHOUSE, 19:30–22:30, £5

The new Holy Roar signings bring their heavy doom sound to the Roadhouse. ACRE TARN (PALE WAVES + BRITAIN)

THE CASTLE HOTEL, 20:00–23:00, £5

Sunny Manchester host another promising night of burgeoning local talent. HELICON (PSYENCE + RHYS BLOODJOY)

GULLIVERS, 20:00–23:00, £7

New live psych night Astral Elevator launches with a triple bill. DARRAGH MORGAN

SOUP KITCHEN, 19:00–22:15, £12

The quartet launch their new album Black Ship Bright Sea. Part of Sonic Fusion.

ENTER SHAKIRI

MANCHESTER ACADEMY, 19:00–23:00, £SOLD OUT

More in the way of new-wave, post-hardcore politicking from the St Albans quartet.

C_LENS + ALE (JOANNE SCOTT + JAN KOPINSKI + SHANNA GUTIERREZ + MORE)

UNIVERSITY OF SALFORD, 19:00–22:00, £10 (£5)

An interactive mixed media concert featuring C_Lens all the way across in Chicago. Part of Sonic Fusion.

ST PHILIP’S CHURCH, 16:00–17:30, £10 (£5)

Sun 22 Feb ABSOLVA

SOUND CONTROL, 19:00–22:00, £6

Classic metal unit hailing from Manchester, upholding the British tradition of twin lead guitars. MANCHESTER CAMERATA

PEEL HALL, 18:30–21:00, £10 (£5)

Giving the classical canon and modern twist.

FATHER JOHN MISTY

ROYAL NORTHERN COLLEGE OF MUSIC, 20:00–22:00, £12

GORILLA, 19:30–23:00, £12.50

SLOW CLUB

Rather lovely alternative folkiness from Sheffield duo Charles Watson and Rebecca Taylor, returning to the touring circuit with their third album, Complete Surrender. BEFORE YOU EXIT + CHRISTINA GRIMMIE

MANCHESTER CLUB ACADEMY, 19:30–23:00, £15

US-of-A popsters Before You Exit hit the road for their joint headline tour with fellow pop songstress Christina Grimmie. IBEYI

NIGHT AND DAY CAFE, 19:30–22:30, £10

Lustrous-haired French/Cuban musical duo consisting of twin sisters, Lisa-Kaindé and Naomi Diaz. MANCHESTER AMATEUR CHORAL COMPETITION: YOUTH CHOIRS

ROYAL NORTHERN COLLEGE OF MUSIC, 10:30–17:00, £10

Amateur choirs from across the country come together to perform a wide selection of music in front of a panel of judges. Sorta like a classier X Factor then. STEELISM

THE CASTLE HOTEL, 19:30–23:00, £5

Nashville instrumental duo fond of the country greats, as well as film score composer Ennio Morricone. UNIVERSITY OF SALFORD BRASS BAND

PEEL HALL, 13:00–14:00, FREE

The students produce new and old work as part of Sonic Fusion. SALFORD SONIC FUSION FESTIVAL CLOSING CONCERT

PEEL HALL, 20:00–22:00, £12 (£8)

Zufalling – Death In Vegas’ Steve Hallier – headlines the final concert of Sonic Fusion.

Mon 23 Feb SCOTT MATTHEWS

ROYAL NORTHERN COLLEGE OF MUSIC, 19:30–22:00, £16.50

The Ivor Novello-award winning singer/songwriter plays an intimate set in celebration of the release of his latest LP, Home Part 1. MARMOZETS

MANCHESTER ACADEMY 3, 19:30–23:00, £10

Cheeky young alternative math rock lot Marmozets take to the road alongside self described ‘epic rock’ foursome Lonely the Brave.

MONDAY RECITAL SERIES (DEBUSSY)

ROYAL NORTHERN COLLEGE OF MUSIC, 13:15–14:00, FREE

The lunchtime concert series continues with a trawl through some of classical music’s most respected composers. ST. PETERSBURG SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

BRIDGEWATER HALL, 19:30–22:00, FROM £12

As part of the International Concert Series, the renowned 1931-formed orchestra perform Sibelius, Beethoven and Russian great Rachmaninov. KRILL

GULLIVERS, 20:00–23:00, £7

ROYAL NORTHERN COLLEGE OF MUSIC, 19:30–22:00, £12

JOHN BAILEY QUARTET

NOIR NOIR NIGHT AND DAY CAFE, 20:00–23:00, £5

THE DEAF INSTITUTE, 19:30–23:00, £12.50

EVARISTO AGUILAR

ST PHILIP’S CHURCH, 14:30–15:30, £10 (£5)

ORGAN RECITAL PRIZE ROYAL NORTHERN COLLEGE OF MUSIC, 19:30–22:00, £7

The Cardiff School of Art and Design join contemporary musical collective Psaphha on the work of Steve Mackay’s Five Animated Shorts.

Boston noise-rock trio led by bassist and singer Jonah Furman.

The Mexican percussionist brings his quartet across with him for Sonic Fusion.

MR CARMACK

BRIDGEWATER HALL, 19:30–22:00, FROM £11

FIVE ANIMATED SHORTS HALLE ST PETER’S, 7:30PM-10:30PM, £15 (£7.50)

The Hallé’s new year schedule sees the renowned orchestra go through some of the finest pieces of the classical canon.

ST PHILIP’S CHURCH, 12:30–13:30, £10 (£5)

Solo violin and electronics recital. Part of Sonic Fusion.

The American songwriter has ties to our fair city, having released Arizona Politics on local label Melodic last year. Celebrated multi-instrumentalist.

THE HALLÉ (MENDELSSOHN + MOZART + BEETHOVEN)

MANIFESTO

Artist manifesti were first written and performed in the early 20th century. Vocalist Loré Lixenberg, laptop artist Federico Reuben and Aleks Kolkowski on wax cylinders and horns bring these texts alive musically. JAPE

SOUP KITCHEN, 19:30–22:15, £6

Richie Egan’s former solo moniker continues to evolve.

Tue 24 Feb 10CC

BRIDGEWATER HALL, 19:30–22:30, FROM £28.50

The 70s hit-makers celebrate 40 years in the business with a set of greatest hits.

American folk singer, guitarist, drummer and songwriter Joshua Tillman, currently performing under the moniker Father John Misty.

NIGHT & DAY’S LOCAL SHOWCASE

NIGHT AND DAY CAFE, 20:00–23:00, £5

Live music showcase, giving a stage to local up-and-coming performers. JOSEF SALVAT

SOUP KITCHEN, 19:30–22:30, £6

Breezy popster from London, drawing comparisons to Gotye and Morrissey. DEATH FROM ABOVE 1979

THE RITZ, 19:00–23:00, £17.50

Toronto-raised duo built on primal, frills-free noise architecture – out and touring their new LP, The Physical World. TUESDAY LIVE (COMMON TREE FROGS + ALICE GASSON + SUGAR AND SLEAZE + RHYS BLOODJOY)

LOCK 91, 20:00–01:00, £4

A host of local talent take to the stage for Lock 91’s new music night. HOOTON TENNIS CLUB

THE CASTLE HOTEL, 19:30–23:00, FREE

Ascendant Liverpudlians and recent Heavenly signings celebrate the launch of their first single for the label. WARCHILD: ELBOW

ROADHOUSE, 19:30–22:30, £4.50

Special super intimate Warchild gig featuring Guy Garvey and co. MAXI PRIEST

BAND ON THE WALL, 20:00–23:00, FROM £20

The reggae legend, emerging from the London scene in the 1980’s to collaborate with some of the biggest names around. H. HAWKLINE

GULLIVERS, 19:30–23:00, £6

Welsh singer/songwriter blending a rich tapestry of folk, psych and indie into his mix. MARDUK + BELPHEGOR

MANCHESTER ACADEMY 3, 19:00–22:30, £16.50

Metal double header.

CHARLIE COOPER TRIO

MATT AND PHRED’S JAZZ CLUB, 21:00–00:30, FREE

The vocalist returns with as part of a trio.

Wed 25 Feb DIAGRAMS

THE RUBY LOUNGE, 19:30–22:30, £8.50

RNCM organists do battle in this annual showcase. FUTUREEVERYTHING: KORELESS AND EMMANUEL BIARD

FutureEverything kicks off its 20th anniversary celebrations with the UK premiere of The Well, an audio/visual collaboration between Young Turks’ Koreless and visual artist Biard. ANDREW MCMAHON IN THE WILDERNESS

GORILLA, 19:30–23:00, £16

Better known as the piano-pounding frontman from Something Corporate and Jack’s Mannequin, now doing his solo synth-pop thing. EMPIRE

THE DEAF INSTITUTE, 19:00–23:00, £6

Five piece rockers from the UK touring in support of latest rocker Where the World Begins. GENGAHR

EAGLE INN, 20:00–23:00, £7

Smoothly melodic indie-rock.

Thu 26 Feb POND

MANCHESTER ACADEMY 2, 19:30–23:00, £18

Aussie psychedelic rock band featuring memebers of Tame Impala. THE HALLÉ (MENDELSSOHN + MOZART + BEETHOVEN)

BRIDGEWATER HALL, 19:30–22:00, FROM £11

The Hallé’s new year schedule sees the renowned orchestra go through some of the finest pieces of the classical canon. JUNGLE

ALBERT HALL, 19:00–23:00, £SOLD OUT

Once-mysterious now inescapable London 6music botherers extracting all the juicy innards of tribal funk music and leaving behind the hollow outer shell for our ears. NME AWARDS TOUR 2015 (PALMA VIOLETS + FAT WHITE FAMILY + THE AMAZING SNAKEHEADS + SLAVES)

THE RITZ, 18:30–23:00, £15.60

The mighty Amazing Snakeheads and the captivating Fat White Family prevent this year’s line-up from being a shit sandwich, although the bread on the outside has turned somewhat.

WALTER CARROLL LUNCHTIME CONCERT SERIES (QUATUOR DANEL)

MARTIN HARRIS CENTRE FOR MUSIC AND DRAMA, 13:00–14:00, FREE

The latest in the Martin Harris Centre lunchtime series, which sees students and guests take on the classical canon from past to contemporary. RNCM CONCERT ORCHESTRA AND CHAMBER CHOIR (MOZART)

Alternative pop offerings from Tunng’s former co-frontman, working with a rolling cast of collaborators (i.e it’ll be nothing short of magical).

ROYAL NORTHERN COLLEGE OF MUSIC, 13:15–14:00, FREE

MATT AND PHRED’S JAZZ CLUB, 21:00–00:00, FREE

Hailing from the Mande culture of Mali, the trio aim to showcase neglected styles from the region.

KYLA BROX

UK-based blues and soul singer/ songwriter, redefining her sound as a duo performance, joined by Danny Blomeley on guitar. THE HALLÉ (MENDELSSOHN + MOZART + BEETHOVEN)

BRIDGEWATER HALL, 14:15–16:45, FROM £11

The Hallé’s new year schedule sees the renowned orchestra go through some of the finest pieces of the classical canon. THE VOYEURS

GULLIVERS, 20:00–23:00, £7

Charlie Boyer’s still with them but his name isn’t, as this London fuzzy pop band present a united front for their latest shows. WOODWARD

SOUND CONTROL, 19:00–22:00, £7

The Brighton pop rock four-piece get in the van and haul themselves round the UK. FIGHTSTAR

MANCHESTER ACADEMY, 19:00–23:00, £15

Charlie Simpson-led alternative rock unit, still apparently making music. GAVIN JAMES

NIGHT AND DAY CAFE, 20:00–23:00, £9

Dublin singer/songwriter with fine soul chops.

The choir and orchestra combine to pay homage to the great Mozart. TRIO DA KALI

ROYAL NORTHERN COLLEGE OF MUSIC, 19:30–22:00, £14

FUTURE EVERYTHING: COD.ACT

ROYAL NORTHERN COLLEGE OF MUSIC, 19:30–22:00, FREE

Duo Cod. Act present a brand new sound installation especially for Future Everything, taking the shape of a huge nylon tripod. FUTUREVERYTHING: VIRTUAL DEPARTURE LOUNGE

ROYAL NORTHERN COLLEGE OF MUSIC, 18:00-22:00, FREE

Dream Catalogue present a vapourwave showcase, drawing in strands of chillwave, seapunk, muzak, cyberpunk and 80’s video game and TV soundtracks. FUTURE EVERYTHING: OLAFUR ARNALDS

ROYAL NORTHERN COLLEGE OF MUSIC, 20:30–23:00, £20

The Icelandic multi-instrumentalist makes merry with his usual other-worldly blend of ambient/ classical/electronic pop; we’ll do the swooning. GLAMOUR OF THE KILL

SOUND CONTROL, 18:30–22:00, £10

Rockers influenced by the twin guitars of Metallica and Thin Lizzy, tipped for big things by those who keep their finger on the pulse of these sorts of things.

Super new alt-rock outfit tour in support of debut single Claustrophobic Love. UNTIL THE RIBBON BREAKS

THE DEAF INSTITUTE, 19:30–23:00, £10

Cardiff three-piece who recently went on the road in the USA in support of Lorde no less. FUTUREEVERYTHING: LONELADY + STEPHEN MALLINDER

SOUP KITCHEN, 20:00–23:00, £8

Warp Records’ Lonelady returns after several years away with an updated take on her spindly post-punk-influenced electronic sounds. THE SKEPTICS

THE CASTLE HOTEL, 19:30–23:00, £TBC

French garage rockers hailing from La Rochelle DUB COLOSSUS

BAND ON THE WALL, 20:00–23:00, FROM £10

The dub fiends tour in support of their fourth album Addis To Omega. SCARS ON 45 (BROKEN ANCHOR + SHAKEDOWN STOCKHOLM)

GULLIVERS, 20:00–23:00, £8

Fans of CSI New York get excited! Others get curious for this Bradford band who’ve had their music featured on the criminal drama.

A NIGHT OF MUSIC (MIDNIGHT WIRE + ELLE MARY & THE BAD MEN + ROSE NILAND + POLITBURO) KRAAK, 19:30–22:30, £3

What the title says pretty much. OCAN ONI BAND

MATT AND PHRED’S JAZZ CLUB, 21:00–00:30, FREE

Manchester-based band playing everything from Afro-Cuban rhythms to rock and jazz.

Fri 27 Feb BLACK KEYS

MANCHESTER ARENA, 18:00–22:00, FROM £27.50

Akron-formed duo made up of Dan Auerback and Patrick Carney, doing funky things to the blues-rock genre. THE MAVERICKS

BRIDGEWATER HALL, 19:00–22:00, £35

The country-steeped garage ensemble do what they do best (er, that’d be country-steeped garage, right?). CHINESE MARBLES

MATT AND PHRED’S JAZZ CLUB, 21:30–01:00, £5

Nine-piece jazz line-up, playing a free blend of jazz, funk, soul and ska. BENJAMIN BOOKER

MANCHESTER ACADEMY 2, 19:00–22:30, £8.50

The Rough Trade-signed young singer/guitarist plays a set of his eclectic punk, folk and New Orleans blues. JOHN SMITH

ST PHILIP’S CHURCH, 19:30–22:30, £14

English folk guitarist and singer from Devon, doing his one man with a guitar thing to suitably fine effect. THE CHAINS

ROADHOUSE, 19:30–22:30, £6

Youthful four-piece only formed in March in Ormskirk.

MANCHESTER UNIVERSITIES STRING SOCIETY

MARTIN HARRIS CENTRE FOR MUSIC AND DRAMA, 13:10–14:00, FREE

Manchester Universities String Society brings together some of the finest string players in Manchester to perform exciting works from the string orchestra repertoire on the back of their first semester success. FUTUREVERYTHING: VIRTUAL DEPARTURE LOUNGE

ROYAL NORTHERN COLLEGE OF MUSIC, 18:00-22:00, FREE

Dream Catalogue present a vapourwave showcase, drawing in strands of chillwave, seapunk, muzak, cyberpunk and 80’s video game and TV soundtracks. FUTURE EVERYTHING: COD.ACT

ROYAL NORTHERN COLLEGE OF MUSIC, 19:30–22:00, FREE

Duo Cod. Act present a brand new sound installation especially for Future Everything, taking the shape of a huge nylon tripod.

THE SKINNY

FUTUREEVERYTHING: DEEP HEDONIA (BOOTHROYD + RAINER VEIL + KEPLA + THOM ISOM) ROYAL NORTHERN COLLEGE OF MUSIC, 19:00–22:30, FREE

Local collective Deep Hedonia present a host of burgeoning sounds from the region, including Tri-Angle Records Boothroyd. FUTUREEVERYTHING: ALEC EMPIRE’S LOW ON ICE LIVE

ROYAL NORTHERN COLLEGE OF MUSIC, 20:00–22:30, £15

FUTUREEVERYTHING: ARIEL PINK ROYAL NORTHERN COLLEGE OF MUSIC, 20:00–22:00, £15

The infamous lo-fi artist returns to Manchester to perform tracks from his latest album pom pom. MERCURY FIELDS

ROADHOUSE, 19:30–22:30, £7

A proper rock ‘n’ roll band from Manchester. Not like all those other ones. THE CHIEF OF SEATTLE

THE DEAF INSTITUTE, 19:30–22:30, £7

Zan Lyons joins Alec Empire on visuals as the chameleonic producer revisits his seminal album of 20 years ago.

Five piece indie folksters from Manchester launching their new single Heart of a Stag/Remain.

GORILLA, 19:00–22:00, £SOLD OUT

THE CASTLE HOTEL, 19:30–23:00, £5

YEARS AND YEARS

The latest in the BBC Sound List’s self-fulfilling prophecy gear up for their year in the sun.

HALF WAY HOME (MOVING MOSCOW + NEW DAY + THE THOUGHT POLICE) THE RUBY LOUNGE, 19:00–22:00, £5

Local folksters head up a diverse bill.

Sat 28 Feb

SPECTRES (KOGUMAZA)

GULLIVERS, 20:00–23:00, £6

Decibel-punishing noise rock from the 6music-endorsed Sonic Cathedral signings. THE BEAT

WATERSIDE ARTS CENTRE, 19:30–22:30, £18

Popular Birmingham ska and 2-tone revival band, founded way back in 1978. LIONEL RICHIE

MANCHESTER ARENA, 18:30–22:30, FROM £25

Mr Smooth himself plays songs from his vast back catalogue. THE BLACK SOUND SERIES

CONTACT, 20:00–22:00, £12 (£6)

A night of big beats and rhythms celebrating Black music and culture and its influence on the UK. BILLY BRAGG

MANCHESTER ACADEMY 2, 19:30–23:00, £20

The fiercely political singer songwriter hits the road again, just in time for election season. DREAMER

MATT AND PHRED’S JAZZ CLUB, 21:30–01:00, £5

Eight-piece fun and soul outfit based in Manchester, playing a selection of 70s funk alongside more modern material. ATTILA

MANCHESTER CLUB ACADEMY, 19:00–22:30, £SOLD OUT

Atlanta party metal behemoths hit the road again. JUNIOR RNCM FORMAL CONCERT

ROYAL NORTHERN COLLEGE OF MUSIC, 12:30–13:30, FREE

The in-house orchestra perform some classical selections. PEOPLE ON VACATION

SOUND CONTROL, 19:00–22:30, £12

Assembled ‘supergroup’ duo of Bowling For Soup’s Jaret Reddick and Smile Smile’s Ryan Hamilton. MANTIS SPRING 2015 FESTIVAL

MARTIN HARRIS CENTRE FOR MUSIC AND DRAMA, 18:00–22:00, FROM £5.50

MANTIS (Manchester Theatre in Sound) presents concerts of new electroacoustic music, in collaboration with New Adventures in Sound Art (Toronto, Canada) and Metanast (Manchester). FUTUREVERYTHING: VIRTUAL DEPARTURE LOUNGE

ROYAL NORTHERN COLLEGE OF MUSIC, 18:00-22:00, FREE

Dream Catalogue present a vapourwave showcase, drawing in strands of chillwave, seapunk, muzak, cyberpunk and 80’s video game and TV soundtracks. FUTUREEVERYTHING: RENZO SPITERI

ROYAL NORTHERN COLLEGE OF MUSIC, 19:00–22:00, FREE

Spiteri presents Sounds Unlimited, which explores the relationship between the resonance of found domestic and large-scale objects, conventional percussion instruments and live electronic manipulation. ST. DAVID’S DAY CONCERT

ROYAL NORTHERN COLLEGE OF MUSIC, 19:00–22:00, £17.50

An evening of classical and traditional music and song in Welsh and English in celebration of St David’s Day.

February 2015

JADE ANN (THE MADDING CROWD + SERINETTE + THE MOTION PICTURE)

Local solo artist with comparison drawn with Dot Allison and Joni Mitchell.

Sun 01 Mar HOOKWORMS

SOUND CONTROL, 19:00–22:30, £10

The Leeds-based five-piece clamber up another few rungs with their brilliant second LP, The Hum. AZYMUTH

BAND ON THE WALL, 19:30–22:30, FROM £14

Jazz/funk from over Brazil way, touring with their latest album, Light as a Feather. COLLABRO

THE LOWRY: LYRIC THEATRE, 19:00–22:00, FROM £19.50

The 2014 Britain’s Got Talent winners descend (or should that be descent?). Best look busy. MANCHESTER CAMERATA: UP CLOSE - CHALLENGING THE SENSES ROYAL EXCHANGE THEATRE, 15:00–17:30, £10 (£6)

Audiences will experience the music of Shostakovich, George Crumbs and Haydn played by the Camerata as they sit with blind folds on - hopefully provided once we’ve all safely sat in our seats. MANTIS SPRING 2015 FESTIVAL

MARTIN HARRIS CENTRE FOR MUSIC AND DRAMA, 14:00–16:00, FROM £5.50

ROYAL NORTHERN COLLEGE OF MUSIC, 15:00–17:00, £10

An afternoon concert that takes inspiration from the lunchtime concerts given for Louis XIV during his final months in 1715. AQUILO

THE DEAF INSTITUTE, 19:00–23:00, £7

Electronic duo touring in support of their recent Human EP. MISTY MILLER

GULLIVERS, 20:00–23:00, £6

South London singer songwriter influenced by Patti Smith and Iggy Pop among others.

Mon 02 Mar

MONDAY RECITAL SERIES (BACH)

ROYAL NORTHERN COLLEGE OF MUSIC, 13:15–14:00, FREE

The lunchtime concert series continues with a trawl through some of classical music’s most respected composers. IN THIS MOMENT

MANCHESTER ACADEMY 2, 19:00–22:30, £10

LA-based metalcore ensemble formed by singer Maria Brink and guitarist Chris Howorth back in 2005. LINDSAY ELL

THE RUBY LOUNGE, 19:00–22:00, £10

The Stoney Creek Records artist whose biog makes her sound more like a careers advisor than a musician. She plays country music. GREATER MANCHESTER JAZZ ORCHESTRA + BURY YOUTH BAND

BAND ON THE WALL, 19:00–22:00, £5

Some of the best young jazz musicians in the region come together to play a selection of jazz standards, highlighting the abundance of talent in the region.

Liverpool Music Tue 03 Feb THE JAZZ WORRIERS

FREDERIKS, 20:30–00:00, FREE

Varied quintet blending new compositions and arrangements, presented with their trademark wit.

Wed 04 Feb THE MINDSET ENSEMBLE

THE BLUECOAT, 20:00–21:00, FREE

Tue 10 Feb

RICHARD & ADAM: AT THE MOVIES IN CONCERT

LIVERPOOL PHILHARMONIC HALL, 19:30–22:30, FROM £25.50

Welsh singing brothers and former Britain’s Got Talent contestants Richard & Adam perform some widescreen soundtrack classics. THE STAVES

ARTS CLUB, 19:00–23:00, £12.50

An eclectic mixture of contemporary compositions in raw blues, funky jazz-rock and world music styles by Mark Jones.

Headline set from the Communion Records all-female folk harmony trio, previewing tracks from their sophomore LP, If I Was.

ST GEORGE’S HALL, 19:30–22:30, £25

FREDERIKS, 20:30–00:00, FREE

CARDUCCI STRING QUARTET

ROD MASON AND NICKI ALLAN

The string quartet play some of Haydn, Shostakovich and Beethoven’s finest.

Tenor sax Mason teams up with vocalist Nicki Allan for the Parr Jazz sessions.

THE ATKINSON, 19:30–22:00, £8

Wed 11 Feb

AMELIA CURRAN

The Juno Award winner drops in to showcase new songs from latest album They Promised You Mercy.

Thu 05 Feb NORTHERN LIGHTS

THE KAZIMIER, 20:00–02:00, FROM £3

After selling out the Nordic Church last year, the Northern Lights returns, turning the Kaz into a Nordic winter wonderland, with ice, smoke and the aurora borealis (at this time of year. Located entirely within the Kazimier.) JULIAN COPE

EPSTEIN THEATRE, 19:30–22:30, £23

THE WAVE PICTURES

THE KAZIMIER, 20:00–23:00, £9

Folk troubadour who, since leaving his quiet little town in Queensland, has spent the years mostly touring and recording.

Fri 06 Feb

FURIAN (LEAP OF FAITH + BOOK FOR SUNDAY + KOROVA + RICTUS SMILE + MORE) THE ZANZIBAR CLUB , 19:30–23:00, £4

The local post-hardcore four-piece celebrate the release of their new EP. MAGNUM

ARTS CLUB, 18:30–22:00, £20

The five piece rockers tour in support of their 18th (that’s right) studio album, Escape From the Shadow Garden. SAM BAILEY

LIVERPOOL EMPIRE, 19:30–22:30, FROM £31.40

The X Factor 2013 champion desperately clutches onto her relevancy with a new UK tour. MAGNUM

ARTS CLUB, 18:30–22:00, £20

The five piece rockers tour in support of their 18th (that’s right) studio album, Escape From the Shadow Garden.

Sat 07 Feb SUGARKING (BRUJA)

THE ZANZIBAR CLUB , 19:30–23:00, £4

Local hard rockers Sugarking who can list Korn among their influences. THE USUAL CROWD

O2 ACADEMY, 19:00–23:00, £TBC

The Wirral lads step it up with a headlining show in Academy 2, having previously supported the likes of Electric Six. EXSULTATE, JUBILATE

LIVERPOOL PHILHARMONIC HALL, 19:30–22:30, FROM £13

The Philharmonic Choir visit Schubert, Mozart and Rossini. BAILEY MCCONNELL

ARTS CLUB, 19:00–22:00, £12.50

15 year-old songwriter with more than 12 million Youtube hits and 600,000 followers which is, quite frankly, more than we ever had at his age.

English folk guitarist and singer from Devon, doing his one man with a guitar thing to suitably fine effect. 3 DAFT MONKEYS

THE ATKINSON, 14:30–15:30, £10

The Cornwall-hailing trio making acoustic alternative folk head out on the road to show off their latest album, Of Stones & Bones. LUKE DANIELS

THE ATKINSON, 16:30–17:30, £10

Singer and multi-instrumentalist coming from a background of folk and traditional music. JACKIE OATES TRIO

THE ATKINSON, 18:00–19:00, £12

Sun 15 Feb

ALEXANDER

Following the release of their debut LP, Say Hello, the Durhambased indie rock four-piece embark on their biggest solo tour to date. REVERBED (BRUISED BONES)

MAGUIRE’S PIZZA BAR, 19:30–23:00, £5

LIVERPOOL PHILHARMONIC HALL, 19:30–22:30, FROM £13

STU LARSEN

THE ATKINSON, 13:00–14:00, £10

ARTS CLUB, 19:00–22:00, £7

LIVERPOOL PHILHARMONIC HALL, 19:30–22:30, FROM £25

STUDIO 2, 19:00–23:30, £8.50

JOHN SMITH

Staffordshire-based singer/fiddle player and finalist on the BBC Radio 2 Young Folk Awards 2003.

Pop punk troupe from that well-known home of punk rock, Doncaster.

From the award-winning BBC TV series, fiddle maestro and Aly Bain and dobro legend Jerry Douglas continue to mix Celtic and Americana music.

It’s Valentine’s Day! Featuring all your soppy classical, um, classics.

The Wymeswold trio make a return for s’more of their indie-pop wittiness and squealing guitar solos, fresh from a collaboration with Billy Childish on new LP, Great Big Flamingo Burning Moon.

The Teardrop Explodes frontman and psychedelic wanderer plays a live set of tunes, y’know, in between being an author, activist, poet and whatnot. TRANSATLANTIC SESSIONS

VALENTINE’S DAY CONCERT LIVERPOOL PHILHARMONIC HALL, 19:30–22:30, FROM £17

Thu 12 Feb SHOSTAKOVICH NINE

The Philharmonic Orchestra visit Shostakovich’s world-renowned ninth symphony. THE SECRET CIRCUS

STUDIO 2, 20:00–01:00, FREE

Poetry, performance art, dance, music, and Burlesque! Don’t forget your feathers and top-hats.

HAWK EYES (GOD DAMN + ELEVANT)

MAGUIRE’S PIZZA BAR, 19:30–23:00, £7

Leeds-based rock unit out and touring their new LP, Everything Is Fine. GYPSIES OF BOHEMIA

THE BRINDLEY, 20:00–22:00, £10

Foot stompin’ gypsy jazz.

Fri 13 Feb BLACK DIAMOND

THE ZANZIBAR CLUB , 19:30–23:00, £4

Local four-piece fond of catchy riffs and heavy breakdowns apparently. LIVERPOOL STRING QUARTET: VALENTINE’S DAY CONCERT

THE BLUECOAT, 19:30–21:30, £20

An evening of poetry and romantic music from the Liverpool String Quartet accompanied by Champagne and canapes provided by the Bluecoat. SLAVES

THE SHIPPING FORECAST, 19:30–23:00, £SOLD OUT

Two white middle class guys named Slaves. Hmm. Standard two-piece rock. ROSS AINSLIE + JARLATH HENDERSON

THE ATKINSON, 19:30–22:00, £10

Folk duo performing as part of Love Folk Festival. ORCHESTRE TOUT PUISSANT MARCEL DUCHAMP

DROP THE DUMBELLS, 19:30-23:00, £DONATIONS

Geneva-based collective, whose name translates as 'a mighty orchestra’ and deal in post-punk minimalism mixed with wider Afrobeat sounds.

Sat 14 Feb

THE SONGBOOK SESSIONS VALENTINE’S DAY SPECIAL (LEDDRA CHAPMAN + LEE BRODERICK + CAL RUDDY + THE NEON TEARS)

THE ZANZIBAR CLUB , 19:30–23:00, £5

A showcase event for new and upcoming songwriters in Liverpool and the surrounding areas.

OYSTERBAND

THE ATKINSON, 20:00–22:00, £16

English electric folk bunch, formed in Canterbury in 1976. 10CC

LIVERPOOL PHILHARMONIC HALL, 19:30–22:30, FROM £30

The 70s hit-makers celebrate 40 years in the business with a set of greatest hits. MUSIC IN THE AFTERNOON

STUDIO 2, 16:00–20:00, FREE

Enjoy an afternoon of music with the Liverpool-based singer/ songwriter, playing a mixture of originals and covers.

Mon 16 Feb

THE WAR ON DRUGS (STEVE GUNN)

O2 ACADEMY, 19:30–23:00, £SOLD OUT

LIVERPOOL PHILHARMONIC HALL, 19:30–22:30, FROM £19.50

The 2014 Britain’s Got Talent winners descend (or should that be descent?). Best look busy. KING CHARLES

ARTS CLUB, 19:00–23:00, £12

Charming West London folkster, classically trained, and player of guitar, piano and cello. SLOW CLUB (HAPPYNESS)

ARTS CLUB, 19:00–23:00, £13

Rather lovely alternative folkiness from Sheffield duo Charles Watson and Rebecca Taylor, returning to the touring circuit with their third album, Complete Surrender. THE JESUS AND MARY CHAIN

LIVERPOOL GUILD OF STUDENTS, 19:00–23:00, £25

The riotous, adrenalin-soaked Scottish alternative rock unit celebrate the forthcoming 30th anniversary of their 1985 debut LP, Psychocandy, by playing it live and it its gloriously scuzzy entirety.

Tue 17 Feb TOM GREEN SEPTET

FREDERIKS, 20:30–00:00, FREE

The London-based trombonist, composer and arranger brings his band to Liverpool with him.

Wed 18 Feb

KERRANG! TOUR 2015 (DON BROCO + WE ARE THE IN CROWD + BURY TOMORROW + BEARTOOTH) O2 ACADEMY, 19:00–23:00, £16.50

A bunch of acts come together to headline Kerrang!’s 2015 tour, showcasing loud punk-rock sorts from near and far. KATE TEMPEST

THE KAZIMIER, 19:00–22:00, £12.50

RICHARD DAWSON

THE TAFTS

THE BASEMENT EFFECT

THE SHIPPING FORECAST, 20:00–23:00, £8

EVERYMAN THEATRE, 20:00–22:00, £8.50 (£6.50)

ARTS CLUB, 19:00–22:00, £6

Newcastle troubadour hailed for his skewed delivery; singing and playing guitar with a rare intensity and a very singular style. RETURN OF THE DREAM TEAM

Merseyside six-piece return to their home town with songs old and new about love, life and growing up on the banks of the Mersey.

LIVERPOOL PHILHARMONIC HALL, 19:30–22:30, FROM £13

Sun 22 Feb

Russian conductor Vasily Petrenko and Macedonian pianist Simon Trp?eski reunite to go through classics by Prokofiev and Tchaikovsky. PARR STREET ACOUSTIC SESSIONS

STUDIO 2, 19:00–23:30, FREE

Local showcase.

ORLA GARTLAND

ARTS CLUB, 19:00–23:00, £7

Young singer/songwriter from Dublin, crafting delicately quirky pop songs.

Thu 19 Feb

JUNGLE

O2 ACADEMY, 19:00–23:00, £16

Once-mysterious now inescapable London 6music botherers extracting all the juicy innards of tribal funk music and leaving behind the hollow outer shell for our ears. BLOSSOMS

THE KAZIMIER, 19:30–23:00, £7

Manc mosaic-like five piece mixing pop nous with psychedelic blurriness, to everybody’s pleasure. JP COOPER (AMIQUE + SOPHIA BEN YOUSEF)

THE MAGNET , 20:00–00:00, £7

THE SHIPPING FORECAST, 19:30–23:00, FROM £3

The Mancunian singer-songwriter heads across to Liverpool to do his thing.

RETURN OF THE DREAM TEAM

The launch of Liverpool’s first Soul Festival. Line-up TBA.

F.O.E.S

Liverpudlian alternative rock fourpiece F.O.E.S, who’s names stands for Fall Of Every Sparrow. LIVERPOOL PHILHARMONIC HALL, 19:30–22:30, FROM £13

Russian conductor Vasily Petrenko and Macedonian pianist Simon Trp?eski reunite to go through classics by Prokofiev and Tchaikovsky. LOVE 146 CHARITY EVENING

STUDIO 2, 19:00–23:30, £TBC

Charity line-up in aid of the child trafficking prevention charity.

LIVERPOOL SOULFEST LAUNCH

STUDIO 2, 18:30–21:00, FROM £4

ANDY FAIRWEATHER LOW AND THE LOW RIDERS

THE ATKINSON, 19:30–22:00, £20

The vocalist of Amen Corner and Eric Clapton and George Harrison collaborator takes his current band on tour. JOE LONGTHORNE

ST HELENS THEATRE ROYAL, 19:30–22:00, £20

Fri 20 Feb

The singer, impressionist and regular Royal Variety performer brings his latest show to St Helen’s.

O2 ACADEMY, 19:00–23:00, £SOLD OUT

Tue 24 Feb

HUDSON TAYLOR

Dublin-based brother duo made up of Harry and Alfie Hudson-Taylor, who honed their craft at an early age busking the streets of their hometown. THE SUNDOWNERS

THE KAZIMIER, 19:30–23:00, £8

The psyche-folk troops unleash a new batch of harmony heavy, well-crafted pop gems into the world, playing tracks from their self-titled debut LP. HOOTON TENNIS CLUB

THE SHIPPING FORECAST, 19:30–23:00, £5

Ascendant Liverpudlians and recent Heavenly signings celebrate the launch of their first single for the label. RE: SONO PIANO DUO

THE CAPSTONE, 19:30–22:00, £11.50 (£6.60)

An evening of piano duo arrangements, featuring renditions of works by Britten, Stravinsky and Poulenc, among others. RUMER

EPSTEIN THEATRE, 19:00–22:30, £20

Pakistani-born British singer/ songwriter, aka Sarah Joyce, big on the mellifluous balladry. LOLA COLT

THE MAGNET , 20:00–23:00, £6

London-based six-piece, taking their name from a 1967 Spaghetti Western. ECHO & THE BUNNYMEN

LIVERPOOL PHILHARMONIC HALL, 19:30–22:30, FROM £26.50

Still fronted by original member Ian McCulloch, the longstanding Liverpudlian rockers continue to do their thing. CHARLES HAYWARD’S: ANONYMOUS BASH

THE KAZIMIER GARDEN, 20:00–23:00, £3

Following his month-long residency at Islington Mill earlier in the year, the former This Heat drummer takes his improvisation project on the road. LARRY MILLER BAND

THE ATKINSON, 20:00–22:00, £12

Blues rock guitarist and his band.

Sat 21 Feb

THE SONGBOOK SESSIONS (AFTER THE RUSH HOUR + SOME TIME TODAY + BLUE EYED SKY + WIRED GOLIATH + MORE) THE ZANZIBAR CLUB , 19:30–23:00, £4

A showcase event for new and upcoming songwriters in Liverpool and the surrounding areas. MOATS

MAGUIRE’S PIZZA BAR, 20:00–23:00, £6

THE SONGBOOK SESSIONS (JAMES COTTRIALL)

THE ZANZIBAR CLUB , 19:30–23:00, £5

A showcase event for new and upcoming songwriters in Liverpool and the surrounding areas. VICTOR BROX

FREDERIKS, 20:30–23:00, FREE

Once described by Jimi Hendrix no less as his favourite white blues singer, the Lancashire vocalist brings his distinctive style to Parr Jazz.

Thu 26 Feb GOGO PENGUIN

THE KAZIMIER, 19:30–23:00, £11.50

Proud recipients of the annual Mercury Music Prize Token Jazz Album Nomination Award hit the road to make the most of their newfound profile. QUEEN + ADAM LAMBERT

ECHO ARENA, 20:00–23:00, FROM £59

Brian May and Roger Taylor continue to fly the Queen banner, with former reality singing contest bloke Adam Lambert in on vocal duties reminding us all why they probably shouldn’t have carried on without Freddie Mercury.

Local super young looking Liverpool rockers who count Biffy Clyro as one of their main influences. THE ROSEVILLE BAND

MAGUIRE’S PIZZA BAR, 19:30–23:00, £TBC

Four piece rockers from Wrexham heralded by Welsh event NXNW among others.

Sat 28 Feb

FUSION (ACCOUNTED OUTLINES + CHARLIE THOMAS + ARON BRACKELL + SOPHIE EVANS + MORE) THE ZANZIBAR CLUB , 13:00–23:00, £4

An all-dayer featuring a host of regionally-drawn talent. T’PAU

O2 ACADEMY, 19:00–23:00, £18

Carol Decker continues to tour under the name of her hit-making 80’s pop group, known for songs like China In Your Hand and Heart and Soul. DENNIS ROLLINS’ VELOCITY TRIO

THE CAPSTONE, 19:30–22:00, £11.50

The much-revered trombonist, a fixture on the British jazz scene for more than 25 years, brings his own band to The Capstone to take centre stage after years of collaboration.

THE STATUE 4 EPPY CONCERT (BILLY KINSLEY + TONY CRANE + IAN PROWSE + IAN MCNABB + MORE)

EPSTEIN THEATRE, 18:30–22:00, £20

Concert as part of a drive to build a statue of Brian Epstein in Liverpool city centre. RHAPSODY IN BLUE

LIVERPOOL PHILHARMONIC HALL, 19:30–22:30, FROM £13

The Phil accompany Harold Lloyd’s Safety Last live. TRIO-SAURUS WRECKS TOUR (BOWKER + TOP BUZZER + SAMUEL KIRK + FURIAN) LOMAX, 20:00–23:00, £4

London’s Top Buzzer and Southport’s Bowker are joining forces to take their trios on tour. Expect a night of punk-pop and progressive hard rock. SPEAKEASY BOOTLEG BAND

THE KAZIMIER GARDEN, 19:00–22:00, £TBC

Hailing from New Orleans, this tin pan alley three piece bring the sounds of the turn of the 20thcentury to the Northwest. L’ORCHESTRA DELL ‘ARTE

THE ATKINSON, 13:00–15:00, £10

As part of their Cake and Classical series, The Atkinson host L’Orchestra dell ‘Arte, who’ll be playing some Debussy.

Sun 01 Mar

JAMES TAYLOR QUARTET

THE KAZIMIER, 19:30–23:00, £16.50

Four-piece jazz funk outfit from Rochester, active since 1985 and embarking a tour to work through their extensive back catalogue. THE UNTHANKS

LIVERPOOL PHILHARMONIC HALL, 19:30–22:30, FROM £19.50

The London-born bluesman plays tracks offa his new LP, Shake The Walls.

The former Mercury Prize nominees return after a couple of years doing their own thing, set to unleash their dark Northern folk on the stage again.

THE BRINDLEY, 20:00–22:00, £16

LIVERPOOL GUILD OF STUDENTS, 19:00–23:00, £28.50

MARCUS BONFANTI

THE ATKINSON, 20:00–22:00, £8

THE CRAZY WORLD OF ARTHUR BROWN

The self-styled ‘God of Hellfire’ continues to bring his psychedelic prog to the world.

Fri 27 Feb

THE POLYVELDTS (PADDY CLEGG + ATLAS EYES + ENAMEL ANIMAL + CLOUDBURST + MORE)

THE ZANZIBAR CLUB , 19:30–02:00, £4

A huge line-up of eight acts for your listening pleasure.

THE GENTLE SCARS (RAW BONES + DAVE JACKSON & THE CATHEDRAL MOUNTAINEERS)

RYAN ADAMS

The ever-prolific alternative country superstar continues to ride the wave of his fourteenth LP – not bad for someone still the right side of 40.

Mon 02 Mar KATHERINE JENKINS

LIVERPOOL PHILHARMONIC HALL, 19:30–22:30, FROM £29.50

Perhaps Wales most famous opera singer, returning with tracks old and new.

O2 ACADEMY, 19:00–23:00, £6

Local punk types listing all the of the sort of NYC punk influences you’d expect. TROYKA

THE CAPSTONE, 19:30–22:00, £11.50

Rock, dance and jazz are all mashed up in one palletable melange here courtesy of Troyka. Also that Kit Downes fella’s in them, y’know, one of the token jazz Mercury Prize nominees a while back.

Four fellas who claim their genre is ‘glappy’. Who knows what that could mean? (Some form of rock music probably).

Listings

Manchester Clubs Tue 03 Feb GOLD TEETH

THE DEAF INSTITUTE, 22:00–03:00, £4.50

Legendary weekly mixed-bag night, often invites use of the term ‘carnage’. STUDENT HOUSE

SOUTH, 23:00–04:00, £3

The weekly student house and techno night returns to South, keeping you on the dancefloor till the early hours.

Wed 04 Feb

SOMETHING, EVERYTHING (ONEMAN + MADAM X + LUKE LEADBELLY + T-MAN + MORE) ANTWERP MANSION, 21:00–03:00, £8

Something, Everything return with another multi-floor party.

Thu 05 Feb

FRI251 FACTORY 251, 22:30–04:00, 99P BEFORE MIDNIGHT

Student Friday-nighter, with mashups in room one, indie, funk and Motown in room two, and electro house in room three.

SANKEYS, 22:30–05:30, FROM £12

COMMON, 21:00–01:00, FREE (£2 AFTER 10PM)

A typically big night of house from the Music Is Love crew. GORGON CITY

THE RITZ, 19:30–23:00, £12

The north London production duo hit town, known for their clubsavvy pop soundscapes ripe for dancing feet. DJ SI FORESTERIO

WALRUS, 20:30–01:00, FREE

HOT WUK

BLACK DOG BALLROOM NQ, 22:00–04:00, FREE BEFORE 11PM

STUART RICHARDS

The Heatwave arrives in Manchester, just in time for Spring. Expect to sweat.

High Jinx resident Stuart Richards brings his trademark style to the bar every Thursday, offering a night of disco, funk and house.

FACTORY 251, 22:30–05:00, 99P BEFORE MIDNIGHT (£5 AFTER)

BLACK DOG BALLROOM NWS, 22:00–04:00, FREE

MINT LOUNGE, 22:00–03:00, FROM £6

F//CK

Student Thursday-nighter, with resident DJs Steve Davies, Bill Murray’s Rock n Soul club, and Nicola Bear serving up anything from retro classics to electro mash ups across three rooms. CACTUS DJS

WALRUS, 20:30–01:00, FREE

CactusMCR DJs delve into their collections to serve up some audio yet untold, with a mish mash of genres taking over the bar area. STUART RICHARDS

BLACK DOG BALLROOM NWS, 22:00–04:00, FREE

High Jinx resident Stuart Richards brings his trademark style to the bar every Thursday, offering a night of disco, funk and house. JACOB COID

BLACK DOG BALLROOM NQ, 22:00–04:00, FREE BEFORE 11PM

Black Dog Ballroom’s latest resident.

ELBOW OFFICIAL AFTERSHOW

ROADHOUSE, 23:00–03:00, £5

Guy Garvey and co head down for a few ales following their Apollo residency. Probably. BLACKWAX + CHEMIST

JOSHUA BROOKS, 23:00–03:00, £5

Trapped Audio present a fierce night of bassline, dubstep, garage and grime.

45 FILTERS (DC BREAKS + FRANKEE + HEDEX) ANTWERP MANSION, 22:00–03:00, £9

Hard and heavy drum and bass line-up featuring RAM Records heavyweights DC Breaks. BANANA HILL (QUANTIC)

JACOB COID

Black Dog Ballroom’s latest resident. VOODOO ROCK

THE RUBY LOUNGE, 23:00–04:00, £4 BEFORE MIDNIGHT

Alternative rock and metal night that’s been seen at Download and Sonisphere. FAM*

THE DEAF INSTITUTE, 23:00–03:00, £3

Disco, funk, 80s and 90s. J DILLA SAVED MY LIFE

GORILLA, 23:00–04:00, £TBC

The likes of Spin Doctor, Jonny Dub and Rich Reason all drop in to play in aid of the J Dilla Foundation and Lupus UK. DEADBOLT 4TH BIRTHDAY

SOUND CONTROL, 23:00–04:00, £4

Deadbolt celebrate their fourth birthday with cheap drinks and multiple floors of mayhem, including DJs and live acts. NQ WORKING MEN’S CLUB

NIGHT AND DAY CAFE, 23:00–03:00, £3

New regular night promising plenty of guilty pleasures, some Northern Soul classics and dominoes. ELBOW OFFICIAL AFTERSHOW

ROADHOUSE, 23:00–03:00, £5

Guy Garvey and co head down for a few ales following their Apollo residency. Probably. ZUTEKH 6TH BIRTHDAY

SOUP KITCHEN, 23:00–04:00, £SOLD OUT

The Zutekh crew celebrate six years in the game with a headline set from My Love Is Underground boss Underground Paris. PROGMATIC 2ND BIRTHDAY

XOLO, 20:00–04:00, £8

Banana Hill return with Tru Heads producer heading up a strong bill of far reaching rhythms.

Greek progressive legend Basil O’Glue will be playing an exclusive UK gig to celebrate Progmatic’s second anniversary.

Fri 06 Feb

SOUTH, 23:00–05:00, FROM £10

SOUP KITCHEN, 23:00-3:00, FROM £5

FRIENDS IN COMMON

COMMON, 21:00–01:00, FREE (£2 AFTER 10PM)

Common invite their buddies to take over the decks.

SOUTH, 23:00–04:00, £3

House, hip-hop, grime and garage from the Murkage residents.

SOUTH, 23:00–04:00, £5

Mixed-bag night from local DJ ledge Clint Boon.

MUSIC IS LOVE (KINK + LEVON VINCENT + LIAM GEDDES + ANGUS JEFFORD B2B PERRY LOUIS + MORE)

Unity Radio’s Si Foresterio serves up a mix of funk, soul, disco and classic hip hop.

MURKAGE

CLINT BOON

LEFTWING + CODY

WELL FUTURE

Guest DJs on the decks, bringing you music from the past, present, and well, future. FACTORY SATURDAYS

FACTORY 251, 22:30–04:00, £2 BEFORE MIDNIGHT

Three rooms of commercial dance, indie and deep house, powered by funktion one sound. WITCH*UNT (BLACK)

KRAAK, 23:00–04:00, £5

The female fronted Hip Hop, House + Electro club night celebrates its first birthday as part of Queer Contact Festival 2015. ETHER E

NIGHT AND DAY CAFE, 23:00–03:00, FREE

Local resident Ether E plays a mix of funk, soul and disco. CIRCUS: DUSKY + SASHA + TEN WALLS

ALBERT HALL, 21:00–04:00, FROM £25

Rising stars, Beatport charttoppers, Radio 1 darlings and all-round club smash brothers Dusky headline, with the veteran Sasha among the supports. KRAFTY KUTS + EVIL NINE

SOUND CONTROL, 23:00–04:00, £10

Lowdown celebrate their fifth birthday with the one and only Krafty Kuts, the master of mash-up, with Evil Nine making his Lowdown debut. ELBOW OFFICIAL AFTERSHOW

ROADHOUSE, 23:00–03:00, £5

Guy Garvey and co head down for a few ales following their Apollo residency. Probably.

BOYS NOIZE RECORDS (BOYS NOIZE + DJEDJOTRONIC + SCNTST + OLD BOY) SANKEYS, 22:30–05:30, FROM £10

Berlin-based DJ and producer Alex Ridha (aka Boys Noize) brings his label to Sankeys.

HIGH BANK (RICHELLE + SAMENAME + DJ CROWW) SOUP KITCHEN, 23:00–04:00, FROM £4

The best in grime, funky, bassline and more, with Pelican Fly label founder Richelle headlining.

Sun 08 Feb

ELBOW OFFICIAL AFTERSHOW

ROADHOUSE, 23:00–03:00, £5

Guy Garvey and co head down for a few ales following their Apollo residency. Probably.

Tue 10 Feb GOLD TEETH

THE DEAF INSTITUTE, 22:00–03:00, £4.50

Legendary weekly mixed-bag night, often invites use of the term ‘carnage’. STUDENT HOUSE

SOUTH, 23:00–04:00, £3

A LOVE FROM OUTER SPACE (ANDREW WEATHERALL + SEAN JOHNSTON + SCOTT FRASER + TIMOTHY FAIRPLAY)

Livewire return for their third night with double headliners Leftwing and Cody in tow.

The weekly student house and techno night returns to South, keeping you on the dancefloor till the early hours.

ANTWERP MANSION, 21:00–04:00, £15

JOSHUA BROOKS, 23:00–04:00, £SOLD OUT

MINT LOUNGE, 23:00–03:00, £7

BEN SIMS

ITCHY FEET

A unique blend of rock’n’roll, funk and swing, engineered to get feet moving.

Andrew Weatherall and Sean Johnston’s rather ace London night makes its now regular trip north, with the mighty duo playing backto-back all night long.

Meat Free present techno stalwart Ben Sims, with residents on hand to support.

Sat 07 Feb

Wed 11 Feb

ALBERT HALL, 21:00–04:00, FROM £25

GORILLA, 23:00–04:00, FREE

JOSHUA BROOKS, 23:00–03:00, FROM £1.50

STEVE AOKI

The Dim Mak label founder and electro-house DJ/producer does his energetic live thing, as per.

NIGHT OF THE LIVING DREAD (MIKEY D.O.N + WASSIE ONE)

BAND ON THE WALL, 22:30–03:00, £3 (£5 AFTER MIDNIGHT)

Manchester’s biggest and friendliest reggae party returns, celebrating Bob Marley’s birthday. TOP OF THE POPS

MINT LOUNGE, 22:00–04:00, £3

Get your weekend off to a great start with this healthy mix of dancefloor fillers and guilty pleasures served up by residents and guest DJs.

Listings

DEPARTURE LOUNGE

The Gorilla residents come together for their regular free party! REMAKE REMODEL

THE RUBY LOUNGE, 23:00–04:00, £5

A night of alternative rock’n’roll shenanigans. GIRLS ON FILM

THE DEAF INSTITUTE, 23:00–03:00, £4.50

Pink lady cocktails, disco balls, glitz and glamour – a monthly club night where you’re free to let your inner 80s child loose. FUNKADEMIA

MINT LOUNGE, 22:30–04:00, £5

Mancunian nightclub institution, delivering a chronological history of soul on a weekly basis, courtesy of their DJ collective.

JUICY

All party, no bullshit night of everything from classic hip-hop to disco and funk. SIDE FX

SOUTH, 23:00–04:00, £3

An Adidas themed student club night. ‘No Adidas no entry’ apparently (in reality you just pay more). Bad news for those who’d thought they’d left the horror of wearing four stripes behind at school.

Thu 12 Feb MURKAGE

SOUTH, 23:00–04:00, £3

House, hip-hop, grime and garage from the Murkage residents.

F//CK

BREAK STUFF

FACTORY 251, 22:30–05:00, 99P BEFORE MIDNIGHT (£5 AFTER)

THE RUBY LOUNGE, 23:00–04:00, £3

Student Thursday-nighter, with resident DJs Steve Davies, Bill Murray’s Rock n Soul club, and Nicola Bear serving up anything from retro classics to electro mash ups across three rooms. CACTUS DJS

WALRUS, 20:30–01:00, FREE

Playing exactly the sort of music you’d expect from a night named after a Limp Bizkit song. ETHER E

NIGHT AND DAY CAFE, 23:00–03:00, FREE

Local resident Ether E plays a mix of funk, soul and disco. BOK BOK

SOUP KITCHEN, 23:00–04:00, FROM £8

CactusMCR DJs delve into their collections to serve up some audio yet untold, with a mish mash of genres taking over the bar area.

Obscure presents a mammoth five hour set from Bok Bok.

BLACK DOG BALLROOM NWS, 22:00–04:00, FREE

MINT LOUNGE, 22:30–04:00, £5

STUART RICHARDS

High Jinx resident Stuart Richards brings his trademark style to the bar every Thursday, offering a night of disco, funk and house. JACOB COID

Sat 14 Feb FUNKADEMIA

Mancunian nightclub institution, delivering a chronological history of soul on a weekly basis, courtesy of their DJ collective. GOO: LOVE STINKS SPECIAL

THE DEAF INSTITUTE, 23:00–03:00, £4.50

BLACK DOG BALLROOM NQ, 22:00–04:00, FREE BEFORE 11PM

Monthly club night tribute to 90s indie – expect Pulp, Nirvana, Suede, Smashing Pumpkins, Pixies and more. CLINT BOON

AND THE BEAT GOES ON

Black Dog Ballroom’s latest resident.

ROADHOUSE, 23:00–03:00, FROM £1

New night in Manchester celebrating funk, disco, boogie and electro. BROOKLYN DUB (MEDLAR + NEIL DIABLO + HIDDEN SPHERES)

SOUP KITCHEN, 23:00–03:00, FROM £4

Wolf Music producer Medlar headlines this massive Brooklyn Dub party. BROOKLYN DUB (MEDLAR + NEIL DIABLO + HIDDEN SPHERES)

SOUP KITCHEN, 23:00–03:00, FROM £4

Wolf Music producer Medlar headlines this massive Brooklyn Dub party. BROOKLYN DUB (MEDLAR + NEIL DIABLO + HIDDEN SPHERES)

SOUP KITCHEN, 23:00–03:00, FROM £4

Wolf Music producer Medlar headlines this massive Brooklyn Dub party. BLURRED VISION

JOSHUA BROOKS, 22:00–03:00, £3

Holi themed night of house, featuring some of Joshua Brooks favourite local DJs.

Fri 13 Feb JUICY

GORILLA, 23:00–04:00, £5 (£3)

All party, no bullshit night of everything from classic hip-hop to disco and funk. CHERRY

SOUND CONTROL, 23:00–04:00, £4

Celebrating all things naughty from the noughties, with a music policy that spans 2000’s pop and houseparty anthems. SO FLUTE (ANDREW ASHONG + LAY-FAR)

ROADHOUSE, 23:00–04:00, FROM £5

A mighty double header for Slow Flute, with residents Werkha and Bolts on supporting duties. TOP OF THE POPS

MINT LOUNGE, 22:00–04:00, £3

Get your weekend off to a great start with this healthy mix of dancefloor fillers and guilty pleasures served up by residents and guest DJs. FRI251

FACTORY 251, 22:30–04:00, 99P BEFORE MIDNIGHT

Student Friday-nighter, with mashups in room one, indie, funk and Motown in room two, and electro house in room three. HIGHER GROUND

THE DEAF INSTITUTE, 23:00–03:00, £4.50

The sounds of the 60’s from Motown to rock ‘n’ roll. DJ SI FORESTERIO

WALRUS, 20:30–01:00, FREE

Unity Radio’s Si Foresterio serves up a mix of funk, soul, disco and classic hip hop. STUART RICHARDS

BLACK DOG BALLROOM NQ, 22:00–04:00, FREE BEFORE 11PM

High Jinx resident Stuart Richards brings his trademark style to the bar every Thursday, offering a night of disco, funk and house. TRIBAL SESSIONS (BASEMENT + GREEN VELVET + BE TRUE + JOZEF K + MORE)

SANKEYS, 22:30–05:30, FROM £10

The legendary Tribal Sessions are back, featuring the usual selection of world-renowned spinners across all genres. JACOB COID

BLACK DOG BALLROOM NWS, 22:00–04:00, FREE

Black Dog Ballroom’s latest resident.

LORD OF THE TINGS (CRAZY COUSINZ + LAST JAPAN)

HESSLE AUDIO: BEN UFO + PANGAEA + PEARSON SOUND

SOUTH, 23:00–04:00, FROM £5

SANKEYS, 22:30–05:30, £18.50

Varied night of bass, garage, grime, hip hop and house, still with probably the best club night name in Manchester.

Thu 19 Feb MURKAGE

SOUTH, 23:00–04:00, £3

House, hip-hop, grime and garage from the Murkage residents. F//CK

FACTORY 251, 22:30–05:00, 99P BEFORE MIDNIGHT (£5 AFTER)

Student Thursday-nighter, with resident DJs Steve Davies, Bill Murray’s Rock n Soul club, and Nicola Bear serving up anything from retro classics to electro mash ups across three rooms. CACTUS DJS

WALRUS, 20:30–01:00, FREE

The Hessle Audio crew drop in for a formidable night, with the co-founding trio propped up by support from Joy Orbison and Karenn. DJ EZ

GORILLA, 23:00–04:00, £15

SPACE JAM

COMMON, 21:00–01:00, FREE (£2 AFTER 10PM)

John Powell-Jones with cuts from the outer limits. SHIKARI SOUNDSYSTEM

FUNKADEMIA

BEATNIK

Beatnik return for their first party of the year. GARETH EMERY

ALBERT HALL, 20:00–04:00, FROM £20

A six-hour mammoth DJ set from the electro and trance aficionado. FRIENDS IN COMMON

COMMON, 21:00–01:00, FREE (£2 AFTER 10PM)

Common invite their buddies to take over the decks. FACTORY SATURDAYS

FACTORY 251, 22:30–04:00, £2 BEFORE MIDNIGHT

Three rooms of commercial dance, indie and deep house, powered by funktion one sound.

COVERT (SHADOW CHILD + SAM DIVINE + LOW STEPPA + JUST JORGE + MORE) SANKEYS, 22:30–05:30, FROM £10

The latest Covert night pitches up to Sankeys, with a heavy line-up in tow. DAMIANO VON ERCKERT

GORILLA, 23:00–04:00, FROM £10

The Cologne producer eschews the area’s techno tradition in favour of hip hop, soul, funk, afro and disco.

RELAPSE 4TH BIRTHDAY (ENEI + PARADOX + LIMEWAX + BONG-RA + MORE) SOUND CONTROL, 22:00–04:00, £12

Another Sound Control night, another anniversary, Relapse celebrate four years around the block with a high energy night of drum and bass.

LABOUR OF LOVE (GERD JANSON B2B KRYSTAL KLEAR)

SOUP KITCHEN, 23:00–04:00, £8

Enter Shikari afterparty.

Sat 21 Feb MINT LOUNGE, 22:30–04:00, £5

Mancunian nightclub institution, delivering a chronological history of soul on a weekly basis, courtesy of their DJ collective. CLINT BOON

SOUTH, 23:00–04:00, £5

Mixed-bag night from local DJ ledge Clint Boon.

Labour of Love return in style with a back to back between Panorama resident Gerd Janson and Hoya Hoya favourite Krystal Klear.

SELECTIVE HEARING (PROSUMER + MURAT TEPELI + TAMA SUMA + VIRGINIA + MORE)

BLACK DOG BALLROOM NQ, 22:00–04:00, FREE BEFORE 11PM

Selective Hearing return, finding new ways to party for a new year.

JACOB COID

Black Dog Ballroom’s latest resident.

SANKEYS, 22:30–05:30, FROM £10

GENERAL LEVY

SOUND CONTROL, 23:00–04:00, £9

The MogaDisco crew fire up a selection of African sounds especially for Valentine’s Day. TRAILER TRASH 12TH BIRTHDAY

ISLINGTON MILL, 22:00–06:00, £TBC

An impressive line-up helps the stalwart night celebrate its 12th birthday. FROM RUSHOLME WITH LOVE

ANTWERP MANSION, 21:00–03:00, £2

Valentine’s day special.

Tue 17 Feb GOLD TEETH

THE DEAF INSTITUTE, 23:00–03:00, £4.50

Legendary weekly mixed-bag night, often invites use of the term ‘carnage’. STUDENT HOUSE

SOUTH, 23:00–04:00, £3

The weekly student house and techno night returns to South, keeping you on the dancefloor till the early hours.

Wed 18 Feb JUICY

JOSHUA BROOKS, 23:00–03:00, FROM £1.50

All party, no bullshit night of everything from classic hip-hop to disco and funk.

High Jinx resident Stuart Richards brings his trademark style to the bar every Thursday, offering a night of disco, funk and house. SOULJAM

MINT LOUNGE, 22:00–03:00, £3

The best in soul, funk and boogie. JACOB COID

BLACK DOG BALLROOM NQ, 22:00–04:00, FREE BEFORE 11PM

Black Dog Ballroom’s latest resident. AND THE BEAT GOES ON

ROADHOUSE, 23:00–03:00, FROM £1

New night in Manchester celebrating funk, disco, boogie and electro.

DUB PHIZIX WELL GOOD DO PART 2

MINT LOUNGE, 22:00–03:00, £TBC

The second part of Dub Phizix’s dub spectacular. Details TBA. STE ROBERTS + WINTER SON

JOSHUA BROOKS, 23:00–04:00, £5

Orbis present Hypercolour’s Steve Roberts as well as Sankeys regular Winter Son.

Fri 20 Feb ULTIMATE POWER

THE RITZ, 22:30–03:30, £8

Club night sweeping the nation, offering up nothing but power ballads. It’s like one big communal karaoke night. YOU DIG?

SOUP KITCHEN, 23:00–04:00, £3

Common invite their buddies to take over the decks. SWING TING

SOUP KITCHEN, 23:00–03:30, £5

The Swing Ting soundboys push their street and soundsystem music into the new year. FACTORY SATURDAYS

FACTORY 251, 22:30–04:00, £2 BEFORE MIDNIGHT

Three rooms of commercial dance, indie and deep house, powered by funktion one sound. BARE BONES

THE DEAF INSTITUTE, 23:00–03:00, £4.50

Three floor club night touting indie/electro, classic rock’n’roll and punk/rock.

MINT LOUNGE, 22:00–04:00, £3

SOUP KITCHEN, 23:00–04:00, £5 (£8 AFTER 1AM)

STUART RICHARDS

BLACK DOG BALLROOM NWS, 22:00–04:00, FREE

BAND ON THE WALL, 23:00–03:00, £10

SOUL GARDEN (GILES THORPE + OWEN D + RYAN PEAKE)

MOGA VALENTINE’S SPECIAL

CactusMCR DJs delve into their collections to serve up some audio yet untold, with a mish mash of genres taking over the bar area.

COMMON, 21:00–01:00, FREE (£2 AFTER 10PM)

FRIENDS IN COMMON

BAND ON THE WALL, 23:00–03:00, £10

It may be no use crying over spilt milk, but this is different – it's the last monthly Hot Milk!

CACTUS DJS

WALRUS, 20:30–01:00, FREE

Fri 27 Feb

New night in Manchester celebrating funk, disco, boogie and electro.

Funky music for funky people.

HOT MILK

Student Thursday-nighter, with resident DJs Steve Davies, Bill Murray’s Rock n Soul club, and Nicola Bear serving up anything from retro classics to electro mash ups across three rooms.

The General of Jungle drops in to headline the latest Rubadub party.

AND THE BEAT GOES ON

ANTICS VALENTINES BALL (THE TEA STREET BAND)

ROADHOUSE, 23:00–04:00, FROM £4

F//CK

ROADHOUSE, 23:00–03:00, FROM £1

NIGHT AND DAY CAFE, 20:00–03:00, £5

The regular Night and Day clubnight returns with a Valentine’s Day special, topped by the ascendant Tea Street Band.

MURKAGE

SOUTH, 23:00–04:00, £3

ROADHOUSE, 23:00–03:00, FROM £4

Scottish house legends Harri and Domenic play a special three-hour set.

BLACK DOG BALLROOM NWS, 22:00–04:00, FREE

High Jinx resident Stuart Richards brings his trademark style to the bar every Thursday, offering a night of disco, funk and house.

Thu 26 Feb

FACTORY 251, 22:30–05:00, 99P BEFORE MIDNIGHT (£5 AFTER)

BILDERBERG (HARRI + DOMINEC)

SOUTH, 23:00–04:00, £5

JOSHUA BROOKS, 22:00–04:00, FROM £6

Band On The Wall’s first under 18’s night, allowing Sing City participants to showcase their material.

House, hip-hop, grime and garage from the Murkage residents.

MANCHESTER CLUB ACADEMY, 23:00–03:00, £5

STUART RICHARDS

SING CITY WRITES

BAND ON THE WALL, 19:00–22:00, FREE

One of the greatest garage DJs ever drops in for an all killer no filler set.

CactusMCR DJs delve into their collections to serve up some audio yet untold, with a mish mash of genres taking over the bar area.

Mixed-bag night from local DJ ledge Clint Boon.

Wed 25 Feb

TOP OF THE POPS

Get your weekend off to a great start with this healthy mix of dancefloor fillers and guilty pleasures served up by residents and guest DJs.

New skool soul night playing modern soul and contemporary RnB with a splash of reggae and some soul classics too.

THE DEAF INSTITUTE, 23:00–03:00, £3

Local resident Ether E plays a mix of funk, soul and disco.

ELECTRIC JUG

Serving up the best of the 60s, ranging from psych and ska to britpop and funk. FRI251

FACTORY 251, 22:30–04:00, 99P BEFORE MIDNIGHT

Student Friday-nighter, with mashups in room one, indie, funk and Motown in room two, and electro house in room three.

ETHER E

NIGHT AND DAY CAFE, 23:00–03:00, FREE

LOCA NOCHE

XOLO, 20:00–04:00, £6

Loca Noche bring their own brand of crazy with their specialist Greek night.&nbsp; With special guest singers and DJs. HOSPITALITY: HIGH CONTRAST + SPY + FRED V + GRAFIX

ALBERT HALL, 21:00–04:00, FROM £18.50

ANTWERP MANSION, 20:00–03:00, £10

You know what Hospitality means: Pounding drum ‘n’ bass, jungle and dubstep from some of the biggest names on the circuit.

DJ SI FORESTERIO

GORILLA, 23:00–04:00, FROM £10

RIOT JAZZ (GEORGE THE POET)

A riotous, 11-piece jazz band hailing from Manchester, fronted by MC Chunky. WALRUS, 20:30–01:00, FREE

Unity Radio’s Si Foresterio serves up a mix of funk, soul, disco and classic hip hop. WAX SESSIONS

NIGHT AND DAY CAFE, 23:00–03:00, FREE

Josh from Lucky T Jackson digs into his vinyl collection playing plenty of classic rock and soul staples. STUART RICHARDS

BLACK DOG BALLROOM NQ, 22:00–04:00, FREE BEFORE 11PM

High Jinx resident Stuart Richards brings his trademark style to the bar every Thursday, offering a night of disco, funk and house. JACOB COID

BLACK DOG BALLROOM NWS, 22:00–04:00, FREE

Black Dog Ballroom’s latest resident.

AUDIO REHAB

Covert drop another huge party under the railway arches. ETAPP KYLE

JOSHUA BROOKS, 23:00–04:00, FROM £4

The Klockworks/Prologue man drops in for a headlining set.

Tue 24 Feb GOLD TEETH

THE DEAF INSTITUTE, 22:00–03:00, £4.50

Legendary weekly mixed-bag night, often invites use of the term ‘carnage’. STUDENT HOUSE

SOUTH, 23:00–04:00, £3

The weekly student house and techno night returns to South, keeping you on the dancefloor till the early hours.

SOUL:UTION (LOXY + SPIRIT + MARCUS INTALEX + BANE + MC DRS)

Soul:ution returns with another night of electronica meets drum and bass. JUST SKANK

JOSHUA BROOKS, 23:00–04:00, FROM £8

Just Skank move to Joshua Brooks for a Chestplate Records special. CHERRY

SOUND CONTROL, 23:00–04:00, £5

Celebrating all things naughty from the noughties, with a music policy that spans 2000’s pop and houseparty anthems. SAUCE (LEAH FLOYEURS + GRIMES ADHESIF + ASHER JONES + BRADFORD DAVE)

KRAAK, 22:30–04:00, £5

Timeline Radio DJ Leah Floyeurs headlines this quadruple Sauce bill. TOP OF THE POPS

MINT LOUNGE, 22:00–04:00, £3

Get your weekend off to a great start with this healthy mix of dancefloor fillers and guilty pleasures served up by residents and guest DJs. FRI251

FACTORY 251, 22:30–04:00, 99P BEFORE MIDNIGHT

Student Friday-nighter, with mashups in room one, indie, funk and Motown in room two, and electro house in room three. DJ SI FORESTERIO

WALRUS, 20:30–01:00, FREE

Unity Radio’s Si Foresterio serves up a mix of funk, soul, disco and classic hip hop. PACEMAKER

NIGHT AND DAY CAFE, 23:00–03:00, FREE

Monthly rock’n’roll club night hosted by Two Weeks Running. STUART RICHARDS

BLACK DOG BALLROOM NQ, 22:00–04:00, FREE BEFORE 11PM

High Jinx resident Stuart Richards brings his trademark style to the bar every Thursday, offering a night of disco, funk and house. JACOB COID

BLACK DOG BALLROOM NWS, 22:00–04:00, FREE

Black Dog Ballroom’s latest resident.

BLASE BOYS CLUB: DUKE DUMONT

ALBERT HALL, 21:00–04:00, FROM £20

Chart-topping DJ and producer Duke Dumont comes to the Albert Hall with his Blasé Boys Club in tow.

KYLE HALL (LONE + OLIE FURNESS + ANGUS JEFFORD + PALMS TRAX + MORE) SANKEYS, 22:30–05:30, FROM £10

The Detroit techno pioneer drops in for a headlining set.

THE SKINNY

FUTUREEVERYTHING: DANNY L HARLE ROYAL NORTHERN COLLEGE OF MUSIC, 23:45-01:30, FREE

Harle, of the infamous PC Music label, drops in for a set showcasing the collective’s hyper-active autotuned pop. FUTUREEVERYTHING: ANTHONY NAPLES + LEE GAMBLE + IVVVO + DANCE + MORE

SOUP KITCHEN, 23:00–04:00, FROM £7

A huge two-floor special for FutureEverything, with Text Records’ Anthony Naples and PAN Records Lee Gamble headlining a loaded bill. GALACTIC BOUNCE

COMMON, 21:00–01:00, FREE (£2 AFTER 10PM)

Wet Play man Kickin’ Pigeon brings some interstellar space magnets in from orbit. INDULGE (PAUL BLEASDALE)

XOLO, 20:00–04:00, £8

Longstanding resident of the now infamous Cream nightclub in Liverpool, Paul Bleasdale headlines this very special event. Paul Dobson steps in to support along with residents for this dose of techno nostalgia at Xolo.

Sat 28 Feb POP

THE DEAF INSTITUTE, 23:00–03:00, £4.50

The biggest hits from the last 40 years of popular music. FUNKADEMIA

MINT LOUNGE, 22:30–04:00, £5

Mancunian nightclub institution, delivering a chronological history of soul on a weekly basis, courtesy of their DJ collective.

FUTUREEVERYTHING CLOSING PARTY (M.E.S.H + DJ NIGGA FOX + MORE)

Liverpool Clubs Thu 05 Feb

Thu 12 Feb

Fri 20 Feb

THE KAZIMIER, 20:00–02:00, FROM £3

BUMPER, 22:00–05:00, FREE (BEFORE 11PM)

THE SHIPPING FORECAST, 22:00–03:00, FROM £2

NORTHERN LIGHTS

BUMPER, 22:00–05:00, FREE (BEFORE 11PM)

A night of classic rad sounds spanning indie, rock, crunk and disco, with free gin and juice for the first 100 guests. NOTORIOUS

ARTS CLUB, 23:00–04:00, £3

All the 2000s hip hop, pop and r&b you could ask for. TIME SQUARE

THE KRAZY HOUSE, 22:00–04:00, £2

Staple student night with a mix of music across the three floors (think: rock, indie, alternative, dance and a sprinkling of cheese). GOSSIP

GARLANDS, 22:00–04:00, £4

Student night with 5 rooms of music spread over 2 floors and occasional theme nights. VIBE THURSDAYS

CAMEL CLUB, 21:00–04:00, £TBC

R’n’b, hip-hop and urban floorfillers.

Fri 06 Feb

ABANDON SILENCE 5.3 (FCL + ANDREW HILL + HARRY SHEEHAN + RICH FURNESS + MORE) THE KAZIMIER, 22:00–04:00, FROM £10

FutureEverything comes to a close with PAN’s M.E.S.H and Lisbon’s DJ Nigga Fox headlining a stellar bill.

Belgian duo FCL bring an all-vinyl set to the Kazimier to continue Abandon Silence fifth anniversary celebrations.

SOUTH, 23:00–04:00, £5

THE MAGNET , 22:00–07:00, £TBC

SOUP KITCHEN, 22:30-4:00, £10

CLINT BOON

Mixed-bag night from local DJ ledge Clint Boon. FRIENDS IN COMMON

COMMON, 21:00–01:00, FREE (£2 AFTER 10PM)

Common invite their buddies to take over the decks.

OUSE (SEFF + WADE + MR TOPHAT AND ART LIFE + PALEMAN + MORE)

SANKEYS, 22:30–05:30, FROM £10

House heads Ouse return for another run. FACTORY SATURDAYS

FACTORY 251, 22:30–04:00, £2 BEFORE MIDNIGHT

Three rooms of commercial dance, indie and deep house, powered by funktion one sound.

CRAIG CHARLES FUNK N SOUL CLUB (NEW STREET ADVENTURE) BAND ON THE WALL, 21:00–03:00, FROM £14

DJ and actor Craig Charles will be manning the decks until 3am, playing his picks of funk and soul, with an array of guest spinners and live acts joining him. XOLO LOCO

XOLO, 20:00–04:00, FREE BEFORE 1AM (£3 AFTER)

MARCEL VOGEL

The Lumberjacks in Hell head honcho makes his Magnet debut, promising a selection of twisted disco treats.

Much-hyped London producer Airhead plays a set of his inimitable sparse electronic explorations.

THE KRAZY HOUSE, 22:00–04:00, £2

Romanian whiz-kid Rhadow helps Illiterate get in the mood for 2015 with their first party of the year.

TIME SQUARE

Staple student night with a mix of music across the three floors (think: rock, indie, alternative, dance and a sprinkling of cheese). GOSSIP

GARLANDS, 22:00–04:00, £4

Student night with 5 rooms of music spread over 2 floors and occasional theme nights. VIBE THURSDAYS

CAMEL CLUB, 21:00–04:00, £TBC

R’n’b, hip-hop and urban floorfillers.

Fri 13 Feb ITCHY FEET

THE KAZIMIER, 22:00–04:00, £8

DJs Tall Paul and Sam the Sham Jose celebrate old school rock’n’roll, vintage tunes and wild dancing. DJ SPEN

THE MAGNET , 22:00–07:00, £10

House and disco stalwart showing no signs of slowing down after 20 years behind the decks. RAWKUS

ARTS CLUB, 23:00–04:00, £3 BEFORE MIDNIGHT (£4 THEREAFTER)

Liverpool’s biggest pop-punk, hardcore and alternative party. AMBUSH!

THE KRAZY HOUSE, 22:30–04:00, £TBC

Friday night capers at Liverpool’s gnarliest rock club. TREND FRIDAYS

CAMEL CLUB, 21:00–04:00, £2 (£3 AFTER 12:30AM)

Everything from R ‘n’ B to old skool garage, hip-hop and deep house. DOT. (PHAELEH)

THE GARAGE, 22:00-4:00, FROM £5

ARTS CLUB, 23:00–04:00, £3 BEFORE MIDNIGHT (£4 THEREAFTER)

AMBUSH!

Sat 14 Feb

Liverpool’s biggest pop-punk, hardcore and alternative party. THE KRAZY HOUSE, 22:30–04:00, £TBC

Friday night capers at Liverpool’s gnarliest rock club. SLIMKID3 & DJ NU-MARK

24 KITCHEN STREET, 21:00–02:00, FROM £8

One of the founding members of legendary outfit The Pharcyde, Slimkid3, joins up with Jurassic 5 member and Hot Plate Records owner, DJ Nu-Mark. TREND FRIDAYS

CAMEL CLUB, 21:00–04:00, £2 (£3 AFTER 12:30AM)

Everything from R ‘n’ B to old skool garage, hip-hop and deep house.

Sat 07 Feb

CREAM REUNION (JON PLEASED WIMMIN + KING UNIQUE + JON CARTER + PAUL BLEASDALE + MORE)

Cream returns to their home at Nation with some old friends.

ALBERT HALL, 21:00–04:00, FROM £18

CAMP AND FURNACE, 22:00-4:00, £12

THE PICKET, 22:00–05:00, £17

PROPELLA (HECTOR COUTO)

BUMP & GRIND – VALENTINE’S DAY SPECIAL

O2 ACADEMY, 22:30–03:00, £3 EARLYBIRD (£5 THEREAFTER)

Get set for a load of soppy ballads breaking up the usual RnB, hip hop and house fare. MEDLAR

THE MAGNET , 22:00–07:00, £TBC

Wolf Music producer Medlar returns for a special disco and house Valentine’s Day romp. RAGE

THE KRAZY HOUSE, 22:00–06:00, £3

Extravagant and flamboyant club night complete with resident entertainers, including Foxy Grunt and Barbie. PURE SATURDAYS

Mon 16 Feb

THE RUBY LOUNGE, 23:00–04:00, £3

Proudly one of the worst nights in Manchester, expect some of the worst tunes known to humankind. CLERIC + GARETH WILD + HABGUD

JOSHUA BROOKS, 23:00–04:00, FROM £5

Grey Area team up with London techno label EarToGround for hardhitting night of 4/4.

CAMEL CLUB, 22:00–04:00, £TBC

UNIBAR MONDAYS

CAMEL CLUB, 21:00–04:00, £TBC

BEDLAM

The self-proclaimed longest running student night in Liverpool.

GARLANDS, 22:00–04:00, £10 (£5 AFTER 2AM)

Thu 19 Feb

Extravagant and flamboyant club night complete with resident entertainers, including Foxy Grunt and Barbie. PURE SATURDAYS

CAMEL CLUB, 22:00–04:00, £TBC

Smoonth RnB and urban floor fillers.

Mon 09 Feb UNIBAR MONDAYS

CAMEL CLUB, 21:00–04:00, £TBC

The self-proclaimed longest running student night in Liverpool.

SUPER RAD

BUMPER, 22:00–05:00, FREE (BEFORE 11PM)

A night of classic rad sounds spanning indie, rock, crunk and disco, with free gin and juice for the first 100 guests. TIME SQUARE

THE KRAZY HOUSE, 22:00–04:00, £2

Staple student night with a mix of music across the three floors (think: rock, indie, alternative, dance and a sprinkling of cheese). GOSSIP

GARLANDS, 22:00–04:00, £4

Student night with 5 rooms of music spread over 2 floors and occasional theme nights. VIBE THURSDAYS

CAMEL CLUB, 21:00–04:00, £TBC

R’n’b, hip-hop and urban floorfillers.

February 2015

AMBUSH!

THE KRAZY HOUSE, 22:30–04:00, £TBC

Friday night capers at Liverpool’s gnarliest rock club. DEGO + JON K

24 KITCHEN STREET, 21:00–04:00, FROM £8

The 4hero experimental producer headlines with support from Hoya Hoya man Jon K. TREND FRIDAYS

CAMEL CLUB, 21:00–04:00, £2 (£3 AFTER 12:30AM)

Everything from R ‘n’ B to old skool garage, hip-hop and deep house.

Sat 21 Feb

TYREE COOPER + LAY FAR

THE MAGNET , 22:00–07:00, £8

Chicago house DJ and selector Cooper is joined by Detroit disco lover Lay Far for this special double bill. FIESTA BOMBARDA

ST GEORGE’S HALL, 19:00–01:00, FROM £18

The everisland bunch return with their latest carnival event, this time taking it to St George’s Hall with the usual cacophony of music, visuals and performances. RAGE

THE KRAZY HOUSE, 22:00–06:00, £3

Mixed-bag night spread out over all three floors, serving up indie, rock, alternative and dance tunes. BEDLAM

GARLANDS, 22:00–04:00, £10 (£5 AFTER 2AM)

Extravagant and flamboyant club night complete with resident entertainers, including Foxy Grunt and Barbie. PURE SATURDAYS

CAMEL CLUB, 22:00–04:00, £TBC

Smoonth RnB and urban floor fillers.

Mon 23 Feb UNIBAR MONDAYS

CAMEL CLUB, 21:00–04:00, £TBC

The self-proclaimed longest running student night in Liverpool.

Thu 26 Feb SUPER RAD

BUMPER, 22:00–05:00, FREE (BEFORE 11PM)

THE KRAZY HOUSE, 22:00–04:00, £2

THE KRAZY HOUSE, 22:00–06:00, £3

ABSOLUTE SH*TE

ARTS CLUB, 23:00–04:00, £3 BEFORE MIDNIGHT (£4 THEREAFTER)

Liverpool’s biggest pop-punk, hardcore and alternative party.

GARLANDS, 22:00–04:00, £10 (£5 AFTER 2AM)

GORILLA, 23:00–04:00, FROM £10

Mixed-bag night spread out over all three floors, serving up indie, rock, alternative and dance tunes.

RAWKUS

BEDLAM

Smoonth RnB and urban floor fillers.

The Cause and Affect man and production whiz steps out on his own.

CAMP AND FURNACE, 22:00-4:00, FROM £7

A night of classic rad sounds spanning indie, rock, crunk and disco, with free gin and juice for the first 100 guests.

The Hot Creations and Get Physical-endorsed producer drops in for a spin. RAGE

ILLITERATE (RHADOW)

Mixed-bag night spread out over all three floors, serving up indie, rock, alternative and dance tunes.

House DJ and producer Hot Since 82 (aka Daley Padley) drops by for a guest set. CHRIS LORENZO

AIRHEAD

A night of classic rad sounds spanning indie, rock, crunk and disco, with free gin and juice for the first 100 guests.

The moniker of Matt Preston drops into dot. bringing with him his unique style of cinematic techno and house.

RAWKUS

The very best in pop, hip hop, funk, disco and dance courtesy of resident Jimi Suarez. HOT SINCE 82

SUPER RAD

TIME SQUARE

Staple student night with a mix of music across the three floors (think: rock, indie, alternative, dance and a sprinkling of cheese). GOSSIP

GARLANDS, 22:00–04:00, £4

Student night with 5 rooms of music spread over 2 floors and occasional theme nights. VIBE THURSDAYS

CAMEL CLUB, 21:00–04:00, £TBC

R’n’b, hip-hop and urban floorfillers.

Fri 27 Feb SOUL CLAP

THE SHIPPING FORECAST, 22:00–04:00, £12

Inspired by the jazz of Sun Ra and the funk of Parliament, Soul Clap travel on a musical spaceship of dopeness. GET DOWN EDITS

THE MAGNET , 22:00–07:00, £TBC

The Waterford-born duo fuse 70s and 80s funk and soul with their own disco edits. AMBUSH!

THE KRAZY HOUSE, 22:30–04:00, £TBC

Friday night capers at Liverpool’s gnarliest rock club. TREND FRIDAYS

CAMEL CLUB, 21:00–04:00, £2 (£3 AFTER 12:30AM)

Everything from R ‘n’ B to old skool garage, hip-hop and deep house.

Sat 28 Feb DJ DEEP

THE MAGNET , 22:00–07:00, £8

Deep house courtesy of the Deeply Rooted and Tresor man.

Theatre

RAWKUS

Manchester

ARTS CLUB, 23:00–04:00, £3 BEFORE MIDNIGHT (£4 THEREAFTER)

The Dancehouse

Liverpool’s biggest pop-punk, hardcore and alternative party. RAGE

THE KRAZY HOUSE, 22:00–06:00, £3

Mixed-bag night spread out over all three floors, serving up indie, rock, alternative and dance tunes. BEDLAM

GARLANDS, 22:00–04:00, £10 (£5 AFTER 2AM)

Extravagant and flamboyant club night complete with resident entertainers, including Foxy Grunt and Barbie. PURE SATURDAYS

CAMEL CLUB, 22:00–04:00, £TBC

Smoonth RnB and urban floor fillers.

Mon 02 Mar UNIBAR MONDAYS

CAMEL CLUB, 21:00–04:00, £TBC

The self-proclaimed longest running student night in Liverpool.

Manchester Theatre Bridgewater Hall ANTON & ERIN

28 FEB, TIMES VARY, FROM £15

Anton Du Beke and Erin Boag dance their way through a selection of golden musical classics, backed by a 25-piece orchestral band.

Capitol Theatre RED NOSES

4–7 FEB, TIMES VARY, £8 (£5)

Set in mid-14th Century France at the height of the Great Plague, Red Noses is the story of Flote, a Catholic monk, who seeks a heavenly sign to show him the way to serve God’s will and ease man’s suffering. WOMEN OF TROY

25–28 FEB, TIMES VARY, £8 (£5)

In an industrial port of a war torn city; women survivors wait to be shipped abroad as officials come and go in this sombre play.

Contact MOTHER’S RUIN

13 FEB, 8:00PM – 10:30PM, £10 (£6)

A night of comedy, cabaret and madness courtesy of the muchlauded Mother Ruin. Part of Queer Contact. SISTER

5-7 FEB, 7:30PM – 9:30PM, £13 (£7)

Two sisters – a sex worker and a lesbian – present a bold examination of themselves, exploring feminism and choice. Part of Queer Contact. BLACK

24-25 FEB, TIMES VARY, £11 (£6)

The award-winning 20 Stories High present a conflict of values as Nikki's dad suddenly starts laying down the law when a Zimbabwean family move in over the road from them. SHORTCUTS

11-12 FEB, 7:00PM – 10:00PM, £6

Two very different work-inprogress performances examining the pressures of an aging population. Part of Queer Contact. EGGS COLLECTIVE GET AROUND

5–7 FEB, 9:30PM – 11:00PM, £13 (£7)

Eggs Collective Get A Round explores friendship, kindness and belonging against the backdrop of a big night out. Part of Queer Contact. POLARI

10 FEB, 7:30PM – 9:30PM, £9 (£6)

An evening of literature readings and spoken word as London’s award-winning LGBT literary salon returns to Contact. Part of Queer Contact. JUSTIN VIVIAN BOND

14–15 FEB, 8:00PM – 10:00PM, £20 (£15)

Cabaret legend and trans-genre artist Justin Vivian Bond celebrates Valentine’s in Manchester with Love is Crazy, an evening of songs and stories about love. MURMUR + INKED

25 FEB, 8:00PM – 10:00PM, £12 (£6)

A new dance double bill from the Aakash Odedra Company, exploring exaggerated realities and human fascination with tattoos and markings.

AS WATER REFLECTS THE FACE

4 FEB, 8:00PM – 10:00PM, £10 (£5)

Osono Theatre from Transylvania present an introspective piece of theatre that explores our connection with the physical world. LIGHTS...CAMERA...DANCE!

VAMPIRES ROCK 2 FEB, 28 FEB, 7:30PM – 10:00PM, FROM £23.90

Steve Steinman plays the undead Baron Von Rockula, owner of the Live and Let Die nightclub, as he searches for a bride and generally growls his way through some classic rock anthems.

7 FEB, 6:30PM – 9:30PM, £10

Royal Exchange Theatre

LIVE FROM THE AIRING CUPBOARD

5 FEB – 7 MAR, NOT SUNDAYS, TIMES VARY, FROM £15

The KNT Danceworks company's youngest members showcase their skills. 14 FEB, 8:00PM – 11:00PM, £8 (£6)

A Valentine's special of the variety show, specifically for the bitter hearts and lonely (or happily) singled people out there, starring Professor Elemental.

Martin Harris Centre for Music and Drama MANCHESTER IN-FRINGE THEATRE AWARDS

18–20 FEB, 7:00PM – 9:00PM, £5 (£4.50)

A series of plays gathered from Manchester’s student population, as the University of Manchester ready to present their second annual MIFTA Awards.

Nexus Art Café A-BOMB ON BROADWAY

2–7 FEB, 7:45PM – 9:00PM, £4

A decade spanning, post-apocalyptic epic A-Bomb on Broadway is a new piece of theatre charting the memories and dreams of individuals as the world burns, combining stream of conscious monologues, dynamic staging and a tense soundtrack.

Octagon Theatre A VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE

15 JAN – 10 FEB, NOT SUNDAYS, TIMES VARY, FROM £10

David Thacker brings Arthur Miller’s tale set in 50s New York in an Italian-American community of Red Hook to the stage, untangling the complex family ties and culture clashes as Marco and Rodolpho come crashing into Eddies world. INSIDE

9 FEB, 7:30PM – 10:00PM, £10 (£8)

Inspired by astonishing true stories,this psychological drama explores the effects of Stockholm Syndrome on a kidnap victim desperate to keep hope. HINDLE WAKES

19 FEB – 21 MAR, NOT SUNDAYS, TIMES VARY, FROM £10

Famous great Northern play which takes place in the fictional town of Hindle and looks at the lives and loves of the area’s Mill workers. BLACK

26-28 FEB, TIMES VARY, £10 (£8)

The award-winning 20 Stories High present a conflict of values as Nikki's dad suddenly starts laying down the law when a Zimbabwean family move in over the road from them.

Opera House OH WHAT A LOVELY WAR

24–28 FEB, TIMES VARY, FROM £12.90

Modern theatre classic, told through the songs and documents of the First World War. TOP HAT

VARIOUS DATES BETWEEN 22 NOV AND 10 FEB, TIMES VARY, PRICES VARY

Fred Astaire and Ginger Roger’s Hollywood dance musical hit of the 1930s. PWC CHARITY PANTOMIME

5–7 FEB, TIMES VARY, FROM £8

The Community Affairs charity PwC present that classic pantomime rags-to-riches tale, Dick Whittington.

Palace Theatre THE LION KING

VARIOUS DATES BETWEEN 17 JAN AND 22 FEB, TIMES VARY, FROM £20

Stage adaptation of the favourited Disney film, bolstered by suitably dazzling staging and elaborate costumes, masks and puppets. Matinee performances also available.

SCUTTLERS

Inspired by the 2011 Manchester riots Rona Munro’s new play explores the city’s gangs dating back to the 19th century, realising that the stories around them will repeat on themselves over and over again... YEN

VARIOUS DATES BETWEEN 7 FEB AND 7 MAR, TIMES VARY, £12 (£10)

2013 Bruntwood Prize for Playwriting winner Anna Jordan’s play explores a childhood lived without boundaries and the consequences of being forced to grow up on your own.

The King’s Arms THE OLD MAID AND THE THIEF

6–7 FEB, TIMES VARY, £5 (£3)

The Manchester Opera Ensemble perform the Menotti classic. WOULD YOU CHANGE?

9–10 FEB, 7:30PM – 9:30PM, £6 (£5)

Four of histories most notable LGBT individuals, Quentin Crisp, Sappho, Harvey Milk & Gladys Bentley find themselves face to face in the afterlife, with the whole of creation hanging in the balance. No pressure then. WHERE DO LITTLE BIRDS GO?

11–12 FEB, 8:00PM – 10:00PM, £10

The story of Lucy Fuller and her journey to London to realise her dreams, only to run into the infamous Kray twins. LE GRAND RETURN

15 FEB, 7:30PM – 9:30PM, £10 (£8)

A tale of friendship as three D Day veterans try to break out of a nursing home to make the 50th Anniversary commemoration on Normandy beach. M.A.I.R.O.U.L.A

23–25 FEB, 7:30PM – 10:00PM, FREE

Translated from Greek playwright Lena Kitsopoulou’s original, this is a politically engaged play that takes pot shots at the hierarchy below its abstract facade.

The Lowry Studio

I NEED A DOCTOR: THE WHOSICAL

6 FEB, TIMES VARY, FROM £10

Doctor-loving superfans Jamie and Jess put on a musical about their time-travelling hero. But how do you write a Doctor Who musical without getting shut down by the BBC? LIGHT

4-5 FEB, 8:00PM – 10:00PM, PRICES VARY

Multi award-winning Ad Infinitum presents a dystopian future inspired by Edward Snowden’s surveillance revelations. NICOBOBINUS

22 FEB, TIMES VARY, PRICES VARY

Stage adaptation of the classic Terry Jones tale about the only boy who has ever stuck his tongue out at the Doge of Venice. ROVE

13–14 FEB, 8:00PM – 10:00PM, £12

Live folk music accompanies this tale of family anecdotes and heritage. WHOAAAAA STEADY! + HORSE

24 FEB, 7:30PM – 10:00PM, FROM £10

Belgian actress and theatre-maker Leentje Van de Cruys collaborateds with University of Salford Performance students on a double bill about being a human (and being a horse.) WAITING FOR STANLEY

28 FEB, 8:00PM – 10:00PM, £12

Set in 1945, Waiting for Stanley focuses on a wife’s wait for her husband to return from the home front.

The Lowry: Lyric Theatre JOHN

26-27 FEB, 8:00PM – 10:00PM, FROM £16

A new verbatim dance-theatre work by Lloyd Newson, Artistic Director of DV8 Physical Theatre, after he asked 50 men about love and sex and stumbled upon John, a man who’s battled years of crime, drug use and an overall struggle to survive. POLISH DANCE SPECTACULAR

8 FEB, 4:00PM – 6:00PM, £15

More than 350 performers squeeze onto the Lowry stage to perform Kujawiaks, Goralskis and several other Polish styles of dancing. REJOICE IN THE LAMB

10 FEB, 7:30PM – 10:00PM, FROM £13

Richard Alston Dance Company return to the Lowry uses Benjamin Britten’s music, made to celebrate his centenary last year. GOOSED - THE BRADSHAWS

12 FEB, 7:30PM – 10:00PM, £17

Family comedy as the Bradshaw family hoodwink, lie and generally put each other in a right old pickle. SINGALONGA FROZEN

16 FEB, TIMES VARY, FROM £8.50

The massively popular animation presented complete with singalong lyrics, like some sort of mass karaoke/brainwash.

The Lowry: Quays Theatre I BELIEVE IN UNICORNS

19–21 FEB, TIMES VARY, £13

Childrens show about a young lad called Tomas who’s life is put in peril by the Unicorn Lady. We’ve all been there. OUTINGS

VARIOUS DATES BETWEEN 30 JUL AND 24 FEB, 8:00PM – 10:00PM, £17

Few comings-out attract millions of YouTube views like Tom Daley’s did. But for whoever’s saying ‘I’m gay’, it’s a life-changing moment. This premiere explores true-life stories with a rotating cast of star actors and comedians. SIGNATURES

7 FEB, 7:00PM – 9:00PM, £6

Dance companies from across Manchester come together to present dance works, offering up their own choreographic interpretation and flavour to the pieces, developed with 2Faced Dance Company.

THE COMPLETE HISTORY OF COMEDY (ABRIDGED) 9 FEB, 8:00PM – 10:00PM, FROM £12

Having reduced pretty much everything Shakespeare’s ever done, the RSC tackle the history of comedy itself, cramming it all into a couple of hours. SUPREME FABULETTES

13 FEB, 7:30PM – 10:00PM, FROM £16

A rags to riches musical told my Viva La Divas, about a group of young singers who rise to the top of the fickle music industry. MY BROTHER’S COUNTRY

26–27 FEB, 8:00PM – 10:00PM, £12

A play about Islam and sexuality, My Brother’s Country focus on TV icon Fereydoun Farrokhzad, found dead in his apartment in an unsolved murder case. THE HAMMOND GRADUATE SHOWCASE 2015

27 FEB, 2:30PM – 4:30PM, FROM £8

The Hammond Graduate Dance and Musical Theatre present their 2015 showcase.

Waterside Arts Centre

REDUCED SHAKESPEARE COMPANY IN THE HISTORY OF COMEDY (ABRIDGED) 7–8 FEB, 7:30PM – 10:00PM, PRICES VARY

Having reduced pretty much everything Shakespeare’s ever done, the RSC tackle the history of comedy itself, cramming it all into a couple of hours. JACK BENNETT

5 FEB, 7:30PM – 10:30PM, £10 (£8)

The comedian asks why we ask teenagers to make really big decisions so early on in their lives. JEKYLL AND HIDE

23 FEB, 7:30PM – 10:00PM, £14 (£12)

A modern re-interpretation of the Stevenson classic.

LUKE JERMAY

1 MAR, 8:00PM – 10:00PM, £12

Mindreader bloke preying on the susceptible in order to give them the willies.

Listings

Theatre Liverpool

24 Kitchen Street MERCURY FUR

9–10 FEB, 7:00PM – 9:30PM, £6 (£4)

Written in 2005 by Philip Ridley and set in East London, Mercury Fur is a dystopian vision of society breaking down after cataclysmic riots, focusing on a tight-knit gang who are willing to do pretty much anything to survive.

Echo Arena

STRICTLY COME DANCING TOUR 2015

Liverpool Philharmonic Hall ANTON AND ERIN: THAT’S ENTERTAINMENT

13 FEB, 7:30PM – 9:30PM, £26.50

Anton Du Beke and Erin Boag dance their way through a selection of golden musical classics, backed by a 25-piece orchestral band.

Royal Court

CANOEING FOR BEGINNERS

30 JAN – 28 FEB, NOT 8 FEB, 15 FEB, 22 FEB, TIMES VARY, FROM £12

The celebs (we use that term lightly) and dancers from television phenomenon Strictly Come Dancing take to the stage for the annual live tour. We trust you’re suitably excited?

Comedy capers as Frank - fed up of working just to keep his head above water - splashes out on a canoe and fakes his own death, hiding in the shed until the insurance money comes through for him and his wife Beryl.

Epstein Theatre

St George’s Hall

27 FEB, 7:00PM – 10:00PM, £23

27 FEB, 6:30PM – 10:00PM, £45

3–4 FEB, 7:30PM – 10:00PM, FROM £35

THE DREAMBOYS

Glamour show courtesy of loads of oiled-up blokes possessing the most chiselled abs since we last looked round The Skinny office. Ahem. ALICE IN WONDERLAND – THE BALLET

7 FEB, 6:30PM – 10:00PM, £10

Dancing about version of the psychedelic children’s classic that all the bongheads can get on board with too. THE MARTINI LOUNGE

14 FEB, 7:30PM – 11:00PM, £20

Burlesque and variety show. HAIRSPRAY LA

18 FEB, 6:30PM – 9:00PM, £10

Children’s charity Team Oasis present a musical focusing on the life of Tracy, an autistic girl with a dream of being a professional dancer.

Everyman Theatre MACBETH

17–21 FEB, TIMES VARY, FROM £12

A NIGHT AT ST GEORGE’S HALL

A buffet dinner and then an evening’s entertainment around the resplendent St. George’s Hall as over 30 actors tell the secrets and history of the building on a themed tour.

St Helens Theatre Royal RITA, SUE AND BOB TOO!

24–28 FEB, TIMES VARY, £19 (£18)

Andrea Dunbar’s classic Rita, Sue and Bob Too! returns to St Helens, with none other than Lee from Steps playing the affair-loving Bob of the 1987 movie.

Studio 2

THE SECRET CIRCUS

12 FEB, TIMES VARY, FREE

Poetry, performance art, dance, music, and Burlesque! Don’t forget your feathers and top-hats.

The Atkinson HANSEL AND GRETEL

The Shakespeare classic is brought to the Everyman by Filter, who often place an irreverent and contemporary take on the wellworn story.

19 FEB, 2:30PM – 4:00PM, £8

6 FEB – 7 MAR, TIMES VARY, FROM £12

13 FEB, TIMES VARY, £11 (£9)

EDUCATING RITA

Reworking of Willy Russel’s stage comedy set entirely in the office of an Open University lecturer, starring Leanne Best and Con O’Neill. CARTOONOPOLIS

5–14 FEB, TIMES VARY, £12 (£10)

Lewis Bray tells the story of his brother Jack, who suffers from autism and has an imaginary world that he prefers to spend his time in. The play focuses on Lewis and his family’s adaptation to Jack’s world. HOME DECONSTRUCTED

13 FEB, 8:00PM – 10:00PM, £6.50 (£5.50)

You know the story, a hastening tale about you shouldn’t go out and play in the woods lest some mental old woman attempts to eat you. TEECHERS

John Godber’s modern classic comedy following three fifth form students using their end of term play to tell the story of an idealistic new teaacher joining the ranks.

REDUCED SHAKESPEARE COMPANY IN THE HISTORY OF COMEDY (ABRIDGED)

7–8 FEB, 7:30PM – 10:00PM, PRICES VARY

Having reduced pretty much everything Shakespeare’s ever done, the RSC tackle the history of comedy itself, cramming it all into a couple of hours. NICOBOBINUS

Secret Door Theatre that takes the somewhat mundane idea of two researchers exploring the impact of a new superstore on a small town, and reveals results that are much deeper than either expected.

21 FEB, TIMES VARY, PRICES VARY

Liverpool Empire

STEEL MAGNOLIAS

THE CIRCUS OF HORRORS

9 FEB, 7:30PM – 10:00PM, FROM £18.90

Prepare thyself for a whirlwind of contortionists, flying aerialists, demon dwarfs, sword swallowers, and any other weird thing you can think of – yep, it could only be The Circus of Horrors. MAMMA MIA!

20 FEB – 14 MAR, NOT SUNDAYS, TIMES VARY, FROM £10

One of the biggest grossing musical of ever comes to the Northwest, regaling the life, times and songs of everyone’s favourite Swedish pop group, Abba.

Stage adaptation of the classic Terry Jones tale about the only boy who has ever stuck his tongue out at the Doge of Venice.

The Brindley 10–14 FEB, 7:30PM – 10:00PM, £13

Account of the lives of six closeknit, gutsy Southern women living in small-town 80s America, based on the film of the same name. THE WAR OF THE WORLDS

26 FEB, 8:00PM – 10:00PM, £6

The Ormiston Chadwick Academy present their take on the Wells classic. CARNIVAL OF ANIMALS

25 FEB, 1:00PM – 3:00PM, £6

Animal-themed choreography. DIE FLEDERMAUS

3–7 FEB, 7:30PM – 10:00PM, £12

The Bentley Opera Society present Strauss’s most celebrated and popular operetta. A PRESENTATION OF DANCE

16–17 FEB, 7:00PM – 9:00PM, £12

The North Liverpool Dance Academy students present their latest work. MARCH TO THE BEAT

19–20 FEB, 7:00PM – 9:00PM, £9

Olwen Grounds School of Dance present their annual showcase.

Listings

OLIVER 21–22 FEB, 7:00PM – 9:00PM, £10

The Ella Music Group present their take on the classical musical. THAT’S AMORE

24 FEB, 8:00PM-10:00PM, £10

A fast paced, passionate and emotional piece of physical theatre which explores the vast world and culture of that thing we liked to call love.

The Capstone JOAN LAAGE: STRAND AND STATIONS

9 FEB, 7:30PM – 10:00PM, £12.50 (£9.50)

Two performances pieces choreographed and performed by the choreographer Joan Laage, who has become inspired by her hair apparently. HIDE

24 FEB, 7:30PM – 10:00PM, £11.50 (£9.50)

Choreographer Deborah Light is joined by three dancers in this exploration of women and how they can re-invent themselves.

The Lantern Theatre THE LIZ AND DICK SHOW

23–24 FEB, 7:30PM – 10:00PM, £10.50

Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton spar and bicker at breakneck speed in Dhanil Ali’s intimate analysis of their addiction to each other. WINONA

12 FEB, 7:30PM – 10:00PM, £6.50 (£4.50)

A new play by Christopher T. Harris sees two siblings’ quiet retreat to the Welsh countryside take an abrupt turn when someone points a gun at their head.

The Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS

11-14 FEB, TIMES VARY, PRICES VARY

Comedy rock musical written by Alan Menkin and Howard Ashman, telling the tale of a hapless florist as he raises a plant that feeds on human flesh. TECHNOLOGIZE

26–28 FEB, TIMES VARY, £6 (£3)

Humanity’s increasing reliance on technology designed to make our lives easier is explored through the medium of dance, courtesy of LIPA’s dance students.

Unity Theatre FICTION

27-28 FEB, TIMES VARY, £12 (£10)

Glen Neath and David Rosenberg use binaural sound and absolute darkness to take audiences on an anxious journey through their dreams. Or you could just sleep. OVER THE GARDEN FENCE

3-4 FEB, 8:00PM – 9:30PM, £10 (£8)

A two woman show starring Annabelle and her Grandmother, as they delve into the past and bond over family history and long-forgotten stories. LIGHT

10-11 FEB, 8:00PM – 10:00PM, PRICES VARY

Multi award-winning Ad Infinitum presents a dystopian future inspired by Edward Snowden’s surveillance revelations. LOST MINUTES

6-7 FEB, TIMES VARY, £5

Building on themes and ideas explored during their recent projects, Friend Or Foe and Legends Of Flight’s new project explores daydreaming and the slips from reality that form part of our daily lives. THE JOKE

13–14 FEB, 8:00PM – 10:00PM, £5

An absurdist play based on an Englishman, Irishman and Scotsman joke gone wrong.

SPACE PANORAMA AND RING HANDS

24–25 FEB, 8:00PM – 10:00PM, £10 (£8)

Two Andrew Dawson stories told with little more than hands. Space Panorama recreates Apollo 11’s moon landing, while Ring Hands distills all four operas of Wagner’s Ring Cycle using just his hands. STORIES IN SPACE

24–25 FEB, 8:00PM – 10:00PM, £10 (£8)

Comedy

Manchester Tue 03 Feb

PETER KAY’S PHOENIX NIGHTS

MANCHESTER ARENA, 19:30–22:30, FROM £35

He might get around to writing something new one day, but until then here’s a stage version of Peter Kay’s early noughties TV phenomenon Phoenix Nights (proceeds do go to Comic Relief though. Fair play.)

XS MALARKEY (MIKE NEWALL + STEPHEN BAILEY + DANIEL NICHOLAS + PAUL PARSONS + MC TOBY HADOKE) PUB/ZOO, 19:30–22:30, £5 (£3)

The rather ace comedy night continues with the usual Tuesday night shenanigans. THE WORST COMEDY NIGHT IN SALFORD

THE KING’S ARMS, 20:00–22:00, FREE

Keeping expectations low with this night of open mic stand up, opening up the stage to anyone willing to give it go.

Wed 04 Feb

PETER KAY’S PHOENIX NIGHTS

MANCHESTER ARENA, 19:30–22:30, FROM £35

APE AND APPLE, 20:30–23:00, FREE

Manchester’s oldest underground comedy club returns with a bang, continuing their quest to put fresh comedic talent in the spotlight.

Thu 05 Feb

THURSDAY NIGHT LIVE (ANDY ASKINS + MO GILIGAN + TVEZ ILYAS + DALISO CHAPONDA + MC JONATHON MAYOR)

THE FROG AND BUCKET COMEDY CLUB, 19:00–22:00, £10 (£7)

Start your weekend early at the Frog and Bucket with a host of top notch comedians. STAND UP THURSDAY (PAUL TONKINSON + DAVE FULTON + MC ALEX BOARDMAN)

THE COMEDY STORE, 20:00–22:00, £12

Cheat life and get that Friday feeling one day early with a night of comedic delight from some circuit funny folk. PETER KAY’S PHOENIX NIGHTS

MANCHESTER ARENA, 19:30–22:30, FROM £35

THE DANCEHOUSE, 19:30-22:30, £8

Laurence Clark headlines the Humanities In Public-curated line-up, talking about his experiences of cerebral palsy in the everyday world.

Fri 06 Feb

BARREL OF LAUGHS (ANDY ASKINS + PENELLA MELLOR + DALISO CHAPONDA + MC JONATHON MAYOR) THE FROG AND BUCKET COMEDY CLUB, 19:00–22:00, £16 (£8)

Three top-notch comics, a sprinkling of Frog compere funnies and a late night disco courtesy of the resident DJ. THE BEST IN STAND UP (PAUL TONKINSON + DAVE FULTON + ROB DEERING + FREDRIK ANDERSSON + MC ALEX BOARDMAN)

THE COMEDY STORE, 20:00–22:00, £18

Regular night of stand up with a line-up of five top circuit comedians. PETER KAY’S PHOENIX NIGHTS

MANCHESTER ARENA, 19:30–22:30, FROM £35

SOS TV LIVE THREE MINUTE THEATRE, 19:00–23:30, £5 (£4)

The Superstars on Saturday bunch present an evening of silly character sketches. I NEED A DOCTOR: THE WHOSICAL

THE LOWRY STUDIO, 20:00–21:00, FROM £10

Doctor-loving superfans Jamie and Jess put on a musical about their time-travelling hero. But how do you write a Doctor Who musical without getting shut down by the BBC?

Sat 07 Feb BRENDON BURNS

THE DEAF INSTITUTE, 19:00–22:30, £10 (£8)

The comedian’s new show Outside The Box once again experiments with the form of stand-up, with Burns throwing himself into new challenges.

BARREL OF LAUGHS (ANDY ASKINS + PENELLA MELLOR + DALISO CHAPONDA + MC JONATHON MAYOR) THE FROG AND BUCKET COMEDY CLUB, 19:00–22:00, £17 (£10)

THE COMEDY STORE, 19:00–21:00, £22

Regular night of stand up with a line-up of five top circuit comedians.

THE BEST IN STAND UP (PAUL TONKINSON + DAVE FULTON + ROB DEERING + FREDRIK ANDERSSON + MC ALEX BOARDMAN)

THE COMEDY STORE, 21:30–23:30, £22

Regular night of stand up with a line-up of five top circuit comedians. PETER KAY’S PHOENIX NIGHTS

MANCHESTER ARENA, 19:30–22:30, FROM £35

WATERSIDE ARTS CENTRE, 20:00–22:00, £12 (£10)

The Waterside’s regular comedy night, featuring one of the UK comedy circuit’s up and coming stars. LUCY BEAUMONT

THE LOWRY STUDIO, 20:00–22:00, £12

The winner of the BBC New Comedy Award, Chortle Best Newcomer and star of BBC 3’s Live at the Electric, Lucy Beaumont presents her hugely anticipated debut show.

COMEDY PLAYGROUND (JOE LYCETT + SHAZIA MIRZA + MARGARET THATCHER QUEEN OF SOHO + RACHEL MARS + KERRY LEIGH) CONTACT, 19:30–22:00, £13 (£7)

Over two of comedy from a finely assembled cast of nationally lauded comedians. Part of Queer Contact. PETER KAY’S PHOENIX NIGHTS

MANCHESTER ARENA, 19:30–22:30, FROM £35

Tue 10 Feb

PETER KAY’S PHOENIX NIGHTS

MANCHESTER ARENA, 19:30–22:30, FROM £35

XS MALARKEY (SOFIE HAGEN + KATE LUCAS + TOM DAVIS + JO D’ARCY + MC TOBY HADOKE)

PUB/ZOO, 19:30–22:30, £5 (£3)

The rather ace comedy night continues with the usual Tuesday night shenanigans. CAREY MARX

KATE O’DONNELL

CONTACT, 21:00–23:00, £10 (£6)

Who knew what being transgender was in the 1970s? Created in collaboration with Olivier Awardwinning director Mark Whitelaw, O’Donnell explores her own life in candid detail. Part of Queer Contact. PETER KAY’S PHOENIX NIGHTS

MANCHESTER ARENA, 19:30–22:30, FROM £35

APE AND APPLE, 20:30–23:00, FREE

Manchester’s oldest underground comedy club returns with a bang, continuing their quest to put fresh comedic talent in the spotlight. SOPHIE WILLAN: THE NOVICE DETECTIVE

OCTAGON THEATRE, 19:30–22:00, £10 (£8)

A heart-warming comedy from Sophie Willan, this time taking on the role of detective after her father goes missing and leaves behind few clues.

Thu 12 Feb

Start your weekend early at the Frog and Bucket with a host of top notch comedians. STAND UP THURSDAY (GARY DELANEY + ALISTAIR BARRIE + MC STEPHEN GRANT)

Cheat life and get that Friday feeling one day early with a night of comedic delight from some circuit funny folk.

THE DANCEHOUSE, 18:45 – 21:30, £17.50

KRAAK, 19:30–22:30, £5

JIMEOIN

Inspired ramblings from the standup Northern Ireland comedian and actor (aka Jimeoin McKeown).

Mon 09 Feb BEAT THE FROG (MC DAN NIGHTINGALE)

THE FROG AND BUCKET COMEDY CLUB, 19:00–22:00, £3

A ten-act long heckle-fest inviting a handful of amateurs to take to the stage and try to Beat the Frog, and the audience decides who stays – brutal!

THE LOWRY: QUAYS THEATRE, 20:00–22:00, £14

Fresh from donkeys years on his BBC Radio 4 series and BBC Two show, Count Arthur Strong gets back to doing what he does best. This show!

THE ONLY WAY IS DOWNTON

Luke Kempner presents an evening of impression comedy, bringing his YouTube hit Downstairs at Downton to the big stage, with hilarious culture and era crashes on the cards as celebrities start appearing at Downton.

Fri 13 Feb

BARREL OF LAUGHS (PAUL PIRIE + KATIE MULGREW + PAUL SINHA + MC MICK FERRY)

THE FROG AND BUCKET COMEDY CLUB, 19:00–22:00, £16 (£8)

Three top-notch comics, a sprinkling of Frog compere funnies and a late night disco courtesy of the resident DJ.

THE BEST IN STAND UP (GARY DELANEY + ALISTAIR BARRIES + PETE JOHANSSON + STEVE GRIBBIN + MC STEPHEN GRANT) THE COMEDY STORE, 20:00–22:00, £18

Regular night of stand up with a line-up of five top circuit comedians.

Wed 11 Feb

THE FROG AND BUCKET COMEDY CLUB, 19:00–22:00, £10 (£7)

PETER KAY’S PHOENIX NIGHTS

Fresh from donkeys years on his BBC Radio 4 series and BBC Two show, Count Arthur Strong gets back to doing what he does best. This show!

MOTHER’S RUIN

THE COMEDY STORE, 19:30–21:30, £4

MANCHESTER ARENA, 19:30–22:30, FROM £35

A night of comedy, cabaret and madness courtesy of the muchlauded Mother Ruin. Part of Queer Contact.

A series of heart attacks have only energised with frequently blunt and visceral comedian.

Sun 08 Feb

A night of stand-up from some new and established names trying out new material – be nice.

COUNT ARTHUR STRONG THE LOWRY: QUAYS THEATRE, 15:00–17:00, FROM £13.50

THE SPINNING TOP, 19:30-22:30, £5

THURSDAY NIGHT LIVE (PAUL PIRIE + DOTTY WINTERS + TOM SHORT + PAUL SINHA + MC MICK FERRY)

NEW STUFF (MC TOBY HADOKE)

PETER KAY’S PHOENIX NIGHTS MANCHESTER ARENA, 19:30–22:30, FROM £35

THE COMEDY STORE, 20:00–22:00, £12

SHAM BODIE (JANA KENNEDY + CHRIS TAVENER + ALLYSON JUNE SMITH + MR SUSIE’S MR AND MRS)

Sham Bodie returns with another rib-tickling evening of music and sketch show comedy. KATE O’DONNELL

CONTACT, 21:00–23:00, £10 (£6)

Who knew what being transgender was in the 1970s? Created in collaboration with Olivier Awardwinning director Mark Whitelaw, O’Donnell explores her own life in candid detail. Part of Queer Contact.

CONTACT, 20:00–22:30, £10 (£6)

DAVID O'DOHERTY

THE DANCEHOUSE, 20:00 – 22:00, £16 (£14)

The forgotten Sugababe, the bad boy of Zumba, David O'Doherty presents a new hour of talking and songs.... PETER KAY’S PHOENIX NIGHTS

MANCHESTER ARENA, 19:30–22:30, FROM £35

COUNT ARTHUR STRONG

THE LOWRY: QUAYS THEATRE, 20:00–22:00, FROM £13.50

Sun 15 Feb

NEW COMEDIANS (MC ALEX BOARDMAN)

THE COMEDY STORE, 19:30–21:30, £4

Up and comers trying out their stuff before hitting the circuit. PETER KAY’S PHOENIX NIGHTS

MANCHESTER ARENA, 19:30–22:30, FROM £35

THE LOWRY: QUAYS THEATRE, 15:00–17:00, FROM £17

The toustle-haired comic returns with his new show, following sell out residencies in New York and London – again making nuanced comedy out of the most tragic of existential quandaries. SIMON AMSTELL

THE LOWRY: QUAYS THEATRE, 20:00–22:00, FROM £17

The toustle-haired comic returns with his new show, following sell out residencies in New York and London – again making nuanced comedy out of the most tragic of existential quandaries.

Mon 16 Feb

BEAT THE FROG (MC DAVID LONGLEY)

THE FROG AND BUCKET COMEDY CLUB, 19:00–22:00, £3

THE LOWRY: LYRIC THEATRE, 20:00–22:00, £20

MANCHESTER ARENA, 19:30–22:30, FROM £35

STEWART LEE

One of the country’s most respected comedians prepares new material for his new BBC2 series of Comedy Vehicle.

Sat 14 Feb

BARREL OF LAUGHS (PAUL PIRIE + KATIE MULGREW + PAUL SINHA + MC MICK FERRY)

THE FROG AND BUCKET COMEDY CLUB, 19:00–22:00, £17 (£10)

Three top-notch comics, a sprinkling of Frog compere funnies and a late night disco courtesy of the resident DJ.

THE BEST IN STAND UP (GARY DELANEY + ALISTAIR BARRIES + PETE JOHANSSON + STEVE GRIBBIN + MC STEPHEN GRANT) THE COMEDY STORE, 19:00–21:00, £22

Regular night of stand up with a line-up of five top circuit comedians.

THE BEST IN STAND UP (GARY DELANEY + ALISTAIR BARRIES + PETE JOHANSSON + STEVE GRIBBIN + MC STEPHEN GRANT) THE COMEDY STORE, 21:30–23:30, £22

Regular night of stand up with a line-up of five top circuit comedians. PETER KAY’S PHOENIX NIGHTS

MANCHESTER ARENA, 19:30–22:30, FROM £35

A ten-act long heckle-fest inviting a handful of amateurs to take to the stage and try to Beat the Frog, and the audience decides who stays – brutal! PETER KAY’S PHOENIX NIGHTS

Tue 17 Feb

XS MALARKEY (MATT REES + WILL DUGGAN + JOHN PENDAL + ELGAN ALDERMAN + MC TOBY HADOKE)

PUB/ZOO, 19:30–22:30, £5 (£3)

The rather ace comedy night continues with the usual Tuesday night shenanigans. THE WORST COMEDY NIGHT IN SALFORD

THE KING’S ARMS, 20:00–22:00, FREE

Keeping expectations low with this night of open mic stand up, opening up the stage to anyone willing to give it go.

Wed 18 Feb COMEDY BALLOON

APE AND APPLE, 20:30–23:00, FREE

Manchester’s oldest underground comedy club returns with a bang, continuing their quest to put fresh comedic talent in the spotlight.

Thu 19 Feb

THURSDAY NIGHT LIVE (JOHN WARBURTON + TOMMY ROWSON + WILL MARS + TOM STADE + MC DAVID LONGLEY) THE FROG AND BUCKET COMEDY CLUB, 19:00–22:00, £10 (£7)

Start your weekend early at the Frog and Bucket with a host of top notch comedians.

THE LOWRY: LYRIC THEATRE, 14:30–16:30, £20

STAND UP THURSDAY (JO CAULFIELD + MC PAUL THORNE + MORE)

STEWART LEE

Cheat life and get that Friday feeling one day early with a night of comedic delight from some circuit funny folk.

One of the country’s most respected comedians prepares new material for his new BBC2 series of Comedy Vehicle.

THE COMEDY STORE, 20:00–22:00, £12

THE LOWRY: LYRIC THEATRE, 20:00–22:00, £20

One of the country’s most respected comedians prepares new material for his new BBC2 series of Comedy Vehicle.

THE SKINNY

ROSS NOBLE THE LOWRY: LYRIC THEATRE, 20:00–22:30, £25

The freewheeling Geordie comic takes to the live stage as part of his Tangentleman UK tour, likely as unprepared and demonic as ever. ROB AUTON

THE KING’S ARMS, 19:30–22:00, £8 (£6)

The York-based comedian brings his Face Show to Salford, suitable for anybody who has a face or has seen somebody with a face. A cult hit at Edinburgh Festival last year.

Fri 20 Feb

BARREL OF LAUGHS (JOHN WARBURTON + ALISTAIR GREEN + TOM STAGE + MC DAVID LONGLEY)

THE FROG AND BUCKET COMEDY CLUB, 19:00–22:00, £16 (£8)

Three top-notch comics, a sprinkling of Frog compere funnies and a late night disco courtesy of the resident DJ.

THE BEST IN STAND UP (JO CAULFIELD + MICHAEL FABBRI + ALUN COCHRANE + MC PAUL THORNE + MORE) THE COMEDY STORE, 20:00–22:00, £18

Mon 23 Feb BEAT THE FROG (MC DAN NIGHTINGALE)

THE FROG AND BUCKET COMEDY CLUB, 19:00–22:00, £3

A ten-act long heckle-fest inviting a handful of amateurs to take to the stage and try to Beat the Frog, and the audience decides who stays – brutal! BLACK COMEDY NIGHT (JOHN SIMMIT + JAMALI MADDIX + JOY CARTER + NJAMBI MCGRATH)

THE COMEDY STORE, 19:30–21:30, £5

Trevor Lynch presents the latest in a series of comedy nights, aptly titled Laff ‘til Ya Fart.

SIDEKICK COMEDY (KATE MCCABE + SKETCHY THEATRE + BIG LOU + RIO BAUER + MIKE BENTLEY)

VIA, 19:30–22:00, £2

Your friendly,monthly, neighbourhood comedy gig. All comedians are hero-approved.

Tue 24 Feb

XS MALARKEY (TANYALEE DAVIS + RACHEL PARRIS + ASH FRITH + IVOR TYMCHAK + MC TOBY HADOKE)

The rather ace comedy night continues with the usual Tuesday night shenanigans.

O2 APOLLO, 20:00–23:00, £25

Wed 25 Feb

The hardworking comic tours his new solo show, packed with oneliners, stories and incisive musings on the human condition. ROSS NOBLE

THE LOWRY: LYRIC THEATRE, 20:00–22:30, £25

The freewheeling Geordie comic takes to the live stage as part of his Tangentleman UK tour, likely as unprepared and demonic as ever. ALFIE BROWN

THE LOWRY STUDIO, 20:00–22:00, £12

An observational comedian, Alfie observes (occasionally screaming) hypocritical standards of censorship in popular music, the unscrupulous homogenisation of comedy and a world where greed comes before truth.

Sat 21 Feb

BARREL OF LAUGHS (JOHN WARBURTON + ALISTAIR GREEN + TOM STAGE + MC DAVID LONGLEY)

THE FROG AND BUCKET COMEDY CLUB, 19:00–22:00, £17 (£10)

Three top-notch comics, a sprinkling of Frog compere funnies and a late night disco courtesy of the resident DJ.

THE BEST IN STAND UP (JO CAULFIELD + MICHAEL FABBRI + ALUN COCHRANE + MC PAUL THORNE + MORE) THE COMEDY STORE, 19:00–21:00, £22

Regular night of stand up with a line-up of five top circuit comedians.

THE BEST IN STAND UP (JO CAULFIELD + MICHAEL FABBRI + ALUN COCHRANE + MC PAUL THORNE + MORE) THE COMEDY STORE, 21:30–23:30, £22

Regular night of stand up with a line-up of five top circuit comedians. ELLIE TAYLOR

THE LOWRY STUDIO, 20:00–22:00, £13

Taylor looks at love, life, Matalan and other such hard-hitting issues.

Sun 22 Feb

LAUGHING COWS (BETHANY BLACK + JOY TRACEY + KATE CARTER + MC KERRY LEIGH) THE FROG AND BUCKET COMEDY CLUB, 19:00–22:00, £7

All-female line-up of comics from the Laughing Cow bunch; a group that has helped the likes of Sarah Milllican and Jo Brand launch their careers. NEW STUFF (MC TOBY HADOKE)

THE COMEDY STORE, 19:30–21:30, £4

A night of stand-up from some new and established names trying out new material – be nice. SUSAN CALMAN

THE LOWRY: QUAYS THEATRE, 20:00–22:00, FROM £13

The favourited funnywoman takes a look at triumphs, the tribulations and the romantic meetings that made her. And cats. JONNY PELHAM + PETER BRUSH

THE KING’S ARMS, 19:30–22:00, £TBC

2014 BBC New Comedy finalists Jonny Pelham and Peter Brush try out some new material.

February 2015

THE COMEDY STORE, 21:30–23:30, £22

Regular night of stand up with a line-up of five top circuit comedians. RICHARD HERRING

THE LOWRY: QUAYS THEATRE, 20:00–22:00, £16

Death is inevitable and universal. Let’s laugh in its face while our hearts still beat and our jaws are still attached.

Sun 01 Mar KING GONG (MC DANNY MCLOUGHLIN)

THE COMEDY STORE, 19:30–21:30, £6

A night of stand-up from some fresh-faced comics trying to break on to the circuit – be nice. ONE MAN BREAKING BAD

THE LOWRY: QUAYS THEATRE, 20:00–22:00, £19.50

What do you reckon it’s going to be? A one-man ride through the popular television show of course!

PUB/ZOO, 19:30–22:30, £5 (£3)

Regular night of stand up with a line-up of five top circuit comedians. JIMMY CARR: FUNNY BUSINESS

THE BEST IN STAND UP (JARRED CHRISTMAS + SEAN COLLINS + JOSH HOWIE + MARK NELSON + MC RICH NELSON)

MARK THOMAS

THE LOWRY: QUAYS THEATRE, 20:00–22:00, £17

All-new material from the renowned political comic, telling his true story of how Britain biggest arms manufacturer (BAE Systems) came to spy on a comedian. A tale of hubris, planes, demos and undercover deceit. LUCY PORTER

THE LOWRY STUDIO, 20:00–22:00, £14

The Radio 4 regular and TV panel show luminary returns with her 10th stand-up show, which finds her pondering whether she was born in the wrong era.

Thu 26 Feb

THURSDAY NIGHT LIVE (SMUG ROBERTS + DAMIEN RYAN + STEPHEN BAILEY + ROB DEERING + MC PETE OTWAY)

THE FROG AND BUCKET COMEDY CLUB, 19:00–22:00, £10 (£7)

Start your weekend early at the Frog and Bucket with a host of top notch comedians. STAND UP THURSDAY (JARRED CHRISTMAS + SEAN COLLINS + MC JOHN FOTHERGILL)

THE COMEDY STORE, 20:00–22:00, £12

Cheat life and get that Friday feeling one day early with a night of comedic delight from some circuit funny folk.

Fri 27 Feb

BARREL OF LAUGHS (SMUG ROBERTS + BRENNAN REECE + ROB DEERING + MC PETE OTWAY) THE FROG AND BUCKET COMEDY CLUB, 19:00–22:00, £16 (£8)

Three top-notch comics, a sprinkling of Frog compere funnies and a late night disco courtesy of the resident DJ. THE BEST IN STAND UP (JARRED CHRISTMAS + SEAN COLLINS + JOSH HOWIE + MARK NELSON + MC RICH NELSON)

THE COMEDY STORE, 20:00–22:00, £18

Regular night of stand up with a line-up of five top circuit comedians. ANDY PARSONS

THE LOWRY: QUAYS THEATRE, 20:00–22:00, £16

Mock the Week funny-man, Andy Parsons, taking in the whole of the UK as part of his latest tour.

Sat 28 Feb

BARREL OF LAUGHS (SMUG ROBERTS + BRENNAN REECE + ROB DEERING + MC PETE OTWAY) THE FROG AND BUCKET COMEDY CLUB, 19:00–22:00, £17 (£10)

THE COMEDY STORE, 19:00–21:00, £22

Regular night of stand up with a line-up of five top circuit comedians.

Liverpool Comedy

Comedy

Liverpool

CRAIG MURRAY + JELLYBEAN MARTINEZ THE ATKINSON, 20:00–22:00, £12.50

The Laugh Out Loud Comedy Club present a double headliner, with Comedy Roadshow alumni Craig Murray joined by “Spanish pop star” Jellybean Martinez.

Sun 08 Feb

TESTING THE WATER (ROBYN PERKINS + LES KERSHAW + DANIEL DAVIES + ADAM PARTINGTON + MC PAUL SMITH)

HOLIDAY INN, 19:00–22:00, £3 (£1.50)

Showcase night for up-andcomers and undiscovered stars, offering a great value night out if you don’t mind being a comedy guinea pig. CIRQUE DU HILARIOUS

ST HELENS THEATRE ROYAL, 14:30–17:00, £14 (£12)

A fast paced comedy spectacular promising magic and mayhem, illusions, and musical fun courtesy of comedy rock band Clownforce.

Thu 12 Feb SIMON AMSTELL

Wed 04 Feb THE LAUGHTER FACTOR

THE SLAUGHTERHOUSE, 20:00–22:00, £5 (£3)

A monthly event giving comics the chance to try out new material before the weekend shows – it helps if you think of yourself as a comedic guinea pig.

Thu 05 Feb

ANDY ASKINS (DALISO CHAPONDA + DEAN MAVROS + MC TOBY HADOKE)

COMEDY CENTRAL AT BABY BLUE, 18:00–22:00, £15

Regular triple headline show, with three comics lined up to tickle your funny bone.

Fri 06 Feb

ANDY ASKINS (DALISO CHAPONDA + WILL MARS + MC TOBY HADOKE)

COMEDY CENTRAL AT BABY BLUE, 18:00–22:00, £15

Regular triple headline show, with three comics lined up to tickle your funny bone.

PAUL TONKINSON (SEAN MEO + RORY O’HANLON + MC CHRIS CAIRNS)

THE SLAUGHTERHOUSE, 20:00–22:00, £15

The Yorkshire chap – a former double award-winning Time Out Comedian of the Year – takes to the road.

BOILING POINT (STEPHANIE LAING + JOHNNY PELHAM + MC PAUL SMITH) HOLIDAY INN, 19:00–22:00, £8 (£4)

New and established comics take to the stage (found upstairs at Holiday Inn, Lime Street), for an evening of chuckles with their resident compere leading the way.

Sat 07 Feb

LIVERPOOL COMEDY CELLAR

THE MAGNET , 19:30–22:30, £12

The Liverpool Comedy Cellar brings you the cream of Stand Up from the international comedy circuit every Saturday.

ANDY ASKINS (DALISO CHAPONDA + WILL MARS + MC TOBY HADOKE)

COMEDY CENTRAL AT BABY BLUE, 18:00–22:00, £18

Regular triple headline show, with three comics lined up to tickle your funny bone.

RORY O’HANLON (SEAN MEO + PAUL TONKINSON)

THE SLAUGHTERHOUSE, 20:00–22:00, £17.50

Triple headline show with a delightfully hilarious line-up of circuit funny-folk.

BOILING POINT (SAM AVERY + STEPANIE LAING + CRAIG MURRAY + MC PAUL SMITH)

HOLIDAY INN, 19:00–22:00, £10 (£5)

New and established comics take to the stage (found upstairs at Holiday Inn, Lime Street), for an evening of chuckles with their resident compere leading the way.

EPSTEIN THEATRE, 19:00–22:00, £21

COMEDY CENTRAL AT BABY BLUE, 18:00–22:00, £15

Part of the Glasgow-based comedy-improv group Dance Monkey Boy steps out solo. TONY LAW

THE SLAUGHTERHOUSE, 20:00–22:00, £14

The multi award-winning Canadian nonsense-maker pitches up with his particularly addictive brand of silliness.

Fri 13 Feb SIMON AMSTELL

EPSTEIN THEATRE, 19:00–22:00, £21

ECHO ARENA, 20:00–22:00, FROM £24

The neurotic English comic takes to the road with another tour, rich with one-liners, and some pictures wot he drew specially.

PAUL PIRIE (WAYNE DEAKIN + PHILBERTO + MC JONATHON MAYOR)

COMEDY CENTRAL AT BABY BLUE, 18:00–22:00, £15

Part of the Glasgow-based comedy-improv group Dance Monkey Boy steps out solo.

PAUL SINHA (SOL BERNSTEIN + JOHN LYNN + MC CHRIS CAIRNS)

THE SLAUGHTERHOUSE, 20:00–22:00, £15

London-based GP turned comic, known for his high pun concentration, which is always A-OK with us. BOILING POINT (RORY O’HANLON + KATE MCCABE + STEVE GRIBBIN + MC PAUL SMITH)

HOLIDAY INN, 19:00–22:00, £8 (£4)

New and established comics take to the stage (found upstairs at Holiday Inn, Lime Street), for an evening of chuckles with their resident compere leading the way. CHRISTIAN O’CONNELL

THE BRINDLEY, 20:00–22:00, £12

PAUL PIRIE (WAYNE DEAKIN + PHILBERTO + MC JONATHON MAYOR) COMEDY CENTRAL AT BABY BLUE, 18:00–22:00, £18

Part of the Glasgow-based comedy-improv group Dance Monkey Boy steps out solo.

SOL BERNSTEIN (PAUL SINHA + JOHN LYNN + MC CHRIS CAIRNS)

THE SLAUGHTERHOUSE, 20:00–22:00, £17.50

A triple-headlining night of comedy compèred by MC Neil Fitzmaurice.

BOILING POINT (RORY O’HANLON + LEE PEART + STEVE GRIBBIN + MC PAUL SMITH)

HOLIDAY INN, 19:00–22:00, £10 (£5)

New and established comics take to the stage (found upstairs at Holiday Inn, Lime Street), for an evening of chuckles with their resident compere leading the way.

Sun 15 Feb

TESTING THE WATER (SOPHIE WILLAN + VINING MCHALE + PAUL PARSONS + REBECCA FEARNLEY + MORE) HOLIDAY INN, 19:00–22:00, £3 (£1.50)

Showcase night for up-andcomers and undiscovered stars, offering a great value night out if you don’t mind being a comedy guinea pig.

Mon 16 Feb MARK WATSON

UNITY THEATRE, 19:30–22:00, £17

The English comedian and novelist returns with his darkest and most personal show yet, humorously exploring human character defects and the effects his own considered flaws have had on his life.

Tue 17 Feb MARK WATSON

UNITY THEATRE, 19:30–22:00, £17

MILTON JONES

The neurotic English comic takes to the road with another tour, rich with one-liners, and some pictures wot he drew specially.

HOLIDAY INN, 19:00–22:00, £10 (£5)

New and established comics take to the stage (found upstairs at Holiday Inn, Lime Street), for an evening of chuckles with their resident compere leading the way.

Sun 22 Feb

TESTING THE WATER (ROGER SWIFT + CHRIS HALL + JAY ISLAAM + MASAI GRAHAM + MC PAUL SMITH) HOLIDAY INN, 19:00–22:00, £3 (£1.50)

Showcase night for up-andcomers and undiscovered stars, offering a great value night out if you don’t mind being a comedy guinea pig.

Thu 26 Feb

DAMIAN CLARK (DAN NIGHTINGALE + DARREN HARRIOTT + MC DANNY MCLOUGHLIN) COMEDY CENTRAL AT BABY BLUE, 18:00–22:00, £15

The Aussie comic headlines a strong triple bill.

Fri 27 Feb

DAMIAN CLARK (DAN NIGHTINGALE + JAMIE SUTHERLAND + MC DANNY MCLOUGHLIN) COMEDY CENTRAL AT BABY BLUE, 18:00–22:00, £15

The Aussie comic headlines a strong triple bill.

MARLON DAVIS (SILKY + ALEX BOARDMAN + MC CHRIS CAIRNS)

THE SLAUGHTERHOUSE, 20:00–22:00, £15

Marlon Davis present his unique brand of soul-baring comedy.

BOILING POINT (KEVIN PRECIOUS + CARL JONES + DAMIAN CLARK + MC PAUL SMITH)

HOLIDAY INN, 19:00–22:00, £8 (£4)

LIVERPOOL COMEDY CELLAR

JONNY AWSUM (CHRIS MCCAUSLAND + ALISTAIR GREEN + MC LOU CONRAN)

COMEDY CENTRAL AT BABY BLUE, 18:00–22:00, £15

Sat 28 Feb

THE MAGNET , 19:30–22:30, £12

The Liverpool Comedy Cellar brings you the cream of Stand Up from the international comedy circuit every Saturday.

A comedy club barman for eight years, Awsum ultimately decided he could do at least as good a job as the c

DAMIAN CLARK (DAN NIGHTINGALE + JAMIE SUTHERLAND + MC DANNY MCLOUGHLIN)

Fri 20 Feb

The Aussie comic headlines a strong triple bill.

JONNY AWSUM (CHRIS MCCAUSLAND + JAVIER JARQUIN + MC LOU CONRAN)

COMEDY CENTRAL AT BABY BLUE, 18:00–22:00, £15

A comedy club barman for eight years, Awsum ultimately decided he could do at least as good a job as the c

ANDY ASKINS (KEITH CARTER AS NIGE + ALUN COCHRANE + MC NEIL FITZMAURICE)

THE SLAUGHTERHOUSE, 20:00–22:00, £15

Regular triple headline show, with three comics lined up to tickle your funny bone. BOILING POINT (TEZ ILYAS + CLAYTON JONES + JIM SMALLMAN + MC PAUL SMITH)

HOLIDAY INN, 19:00–22:00, £8 (£4)

New and established comics take to the stage (found upstairs at Holiday Inn, Lime Street), for an evening of chuckles with their resident compere leading the way.

The Liverpool Comedy Cellar brings you the cream of Stand Up from the international comedy circuit every Saturday.

ECHO ARENA, 20:00–22:00, FROM £24

BOILING POINT (TEZ ILYAS + JIM SMALLMAN + MC FREDDY QUINNE)

Thu 19 Feb

Sat 14 Feb

The Liverpool Comedy Cellar brings you the cream of Stand Up from the international comedy circuit every Saturday.

Failed singer/musician and doomed to a life of temping, Keith Carter is now a professional character comedian, actor and writer.

New and established comics take to the stage (found upstairs at Holiday Inn, Lime Street), for an evening of chuckles with their resident compere leading the way.

Sat 21 Feb

LIVERPOOL COMEDY CELLAR

THE SLAUGHTERHOUSE, 20:00–22:00, £17.50

The English comedian and novelist returns with his darkest and most personal show yet, humorously exploring human character defects and the effects his own considered flaws have had on his life.

A show featuring beloved pet death, pensioner sex advice and the inherent evil of Peppa Pig.

THE MAGNET , 19:30–22:30, £12

KEITH CARTER AS NIGE (ANDY ASKINS + ALUN COCHRANE + MC NEIL FITZMAURICE)

LIVERPOOL COMEDY CELLAR

THE MAGNET , 19:30–22:30, £12

JONNY AWSUM (CHRIS MCCAUSLAND + JAVIER JARQUIN + MC LOU CONRAN)

COMEDY CENTRAL AT BABY BLUE, 18:00–22:00, £18

A comedy club barman for eight years, Awsum ultimately decided he could do at least as good a job as the c

COMEDY CENTRAL AT BABY BLUE, 18:00–22:00, £18

SILKY (MARLON DAVIS + ALEX BOARDMAN + MC CHRIS CAIRNS)

THE SLAUGHTERHOUSE, 20:00–22:00, £17.50

Regular triple headline show, with three comics lined up to tickle your funny bone. BOILING POINT (ADAM ROWE + JAMES BRAN + BOBBY MAIR + MC PAUL SMITH)

HOLIDAY INN, 19:00–22:00, £10 (£5)

New and established comics take to the stage (found upstairs at Holiday Inn, Lime Street), for an evening of chuckles with their resident compere leading the way.

Sun 01 Mar

TESTING THE WATER (HOWARD WALKER + AARON MORRIS + SIMON WOZNIAK + KATE TRACEY + MORE)

HOLIDAY INN, 19:00–22:00, £3 (£1.50)

Showcase night for up-andcomers and undiscovered stars, offering a great value night out if you don’t mind being a comedy guinea pig.

Mon 02 Mar JOSIE LONG

UNITY THEATRE, 20:00–22:00, £16

The triple Edinburgh Comedy Award nominee and cult optimist is back with a new show about love and being outdoorsy as a bear.

Art Manchester Art with a Heart Centre DRAW YOUR OWN CONCLUSIONS

VARIOUS DATES BETWEEN 15 JAN AND 1 MAR, 10:00AM – 5:00PM, FREE

Draw your Own Conclusions is exploring the medium of drawing, from sketches to intricate technical drawings across a range of mediums. GO FIGURE

VARIOUS DATES BETWEEN 15 JAN AND 1 MAR, 10:00AM – 5:00PM, FREE

Go Figure explores the changing face of portraiture and interpretations of figurative work, embracing and celebrating the human form as an object of bea

Bureau

STILL FURTHER

VARIOUS DATES BETWEEN 1 DEC AND 13 FEB, 8:00AM – 6:00PM, FREE

New exhibition from Mary Griffiths, known for making black drawings: abstract architectural notations and spatialities inscribed (scratched singly and uniquely over many weeks, using basic hand tools) upon dense, burnished layers of graphite.

Centre for Chinese Contemporary Art

SUN XUN: UNDEFINED REVOLUTION

VARIOUS DATES BETWEEN 18 DEC AND 21 MAR, 10:00AM – 5:00PM, FREE

The Hangzhou-based printmaking graduate showcases a UK premiere of his animation What Happened in the Year of the Dragon, along with some of previous animation and video works. CHRIS PAUL DANIELS: A TIGER’S SKIN

VARIOUS DATES BETWEEN 18 DEC AND 21 MAR, 10:00AM – 5:00PM, FREE

Using the 1972 Mao-commissioned (and subsequently banned) documentary Chung Kuo, Cina, by Michelangelo Antonioni as inspiration, Daniels explores how the image of China has changed in the eyes of the Western world and the notion of truth in documentary.

Contact

THE SPILL TAROT

29 JAN – 17 APR, WEEKDAYS ONLY, 10:00AM – 11:00PM, FREE

Inspired by the imagery of the tarot, The Spill Tarot is a vividly staged series of collaborations between photographer Manuel Vason and artists working in radical performance. Feat. Ron Athey, Harminder Singh Judge, Marisa Carnesky, Franko B and more.

PACITTI COMPANY: THE SPILL TAROT

29 JAN – 17 APR, WEEKDAYS ONLY, 10:00AM – 11:00PM, FREE

Inspired by the imagery of the tarot, this vividly staged series of collaborations sees photographer Manuel Vason work this radical performance artists including Ron Athey, Harminder Singh Judge, Marisa Carnesky and more. QUEER MEDIA FESTIVAL

7 FEB, 11:00AM – 6:00PM, £15 (£10)

A full day of conversation, art and music in celebration of LGBT storytelling. Your hosts are director Mike Buonaiuto, Aashi Gahlot and playwright Cheryl Martin.

Cornerhouse PLAYTIME

VARIOUS DATES BETWEEN 22 NOV AND 15 MAR, TIMES VARY, FREE

Nine artists come together using comedy, space and sound to encourage exploration and play in the Cornerhouse for the final time before its 2015 move to HOME. Lawrence Abu Hamdan, Naomi Kashiwagi, Gabriel Lester and Jan St. Werner present new work.

CORNERHOUSE PROJECTS: THE SOCIETY OF THE SPECTACLES VARIOUS DATES BETWEEN 8 JAN AND 17 FEB, TIMES VARY, FREE

Robert Hamilton, Hilary Judd and Susan Platt present a collaborative photography project looking into the design and meaning behind modern eyewear as part of an on-going exploration into the way spectacles impose on our features. CORNERHOUSE PROJECTS: FULL STOP

VARIOUS DATES BETWEEN 19 FEB AND 2 APR, TIMES VARY, FREE

The final Cornerhouse Projects display sees the walls of the cafe handed over to the building’s invigalotors, a series of artists and creative who will presents a mixed medium interpretation of the building and its 30 year history.

Gallery of Costume SOMETHING BLUE

1 AUG – 15 MAR, TIMES VARY, FREE

Eighteen wedding dresses, worn by mill workers to woman serving in the air force as well as art world figures Kathleen Soriano and Maria Balshaw, are exhibited in a celebration of bridal fashion over the past 100 years.

Imperial War Museum North

FROM STREET TO TRENCH: A WORLD WAR THAT SHAPED A REGION

27 AUG – 1 MAY, 10:00AM – 5:00PM, FREE

An exhibition of over 200 objects, photographs, diaries, letters and artworks from the First World War, revealing the lives shaped by the conflict. Marking the centenary of WWI. WITHDRAW

21 FEB – 6 SEP, 10:00AM – 5:00PM, FREE

New works by leading reportage illustrator George Butler explore the impact of British and US armed forces leaving Afghanistan. Butler’s past work has featured in media outlets across the world.

MMU Special Collections

IMAGE AND WORD: THE JULIAN FRANCIS COLLECTION OF PRINTS AND ILLUSTRATED BOOKS

27 JAN – 27 MAR, NOT SUNDAYS, TIMES VARY, FREE

Prints, illustrated books and archive material by key figures in British art of the last 100 years including Edward Ardizzone, John Farleigh, Barnett Freedman, Lucian Freud, Eric Gill, Enid Marx, Agnes Miller Parker, John and Paul Nash and more.

Manchester Art Gallery COTTON COUTURE

19–14 JUN, TIMES VARY, FREE

A collection of designer dresses and suits donated by the Cotton Board, a Manchester-based organisation tasked with increasing the use of cotton in couture to bump up cotton exports.

NATURAL FORCES: ROMANTICISM & NATURE 12–12 JUL, TIMES VARY, FREE

A collection of early 1800s Romantic works focused on the idea of nature as a force. HEAVEN IN A HELL OF WAR

VARIOUS DATES BETWEEN 29 NOV AND 1 MAR, TIMES VARY, FREE

An exhibition of work by acclaimed British painter, Stanley Spencer, featuring a series of large-scale arched canvases and side panels detailing scenes of the artist’s own wartime experiences.

Manchester Jewish Museum MADE IN MANCHESTER

VARIOUS DATES BETWEEN 24 OCT AND 29 MAY, TIMES VARY, £4.50 (£3.50)

The first retrospective on Manchester-based artist, teacher and writer Emmanuel Levy for 30 years, highlighting his Northern heritage.

Listings

Art

Manchester PS Mirabel

CAN I USE GLUE INSTEAD?

7 FEB, 14 FEB, 11:00AM – 5:00PM, FREE

A group exhibition celebrating stitching in all its glory.

Paper Gallery FRANCES DISLEY

VARIOUS DATES BETWEEN 10 JAN AND 21 FEB, 11:00AM – 5:00PM, FREE

The some-time Paper artist in-residence presents a solo exhibition.

Rogue Artists Studios ELOÏSE BONNEVIOT

12 FEB, 6:00PM – 9:00PM, FREE

Bonneviot is the first artist to be commissioned by Caustic Coastal as part of their digital commission series which, through 2015, will see each artist produce a new body of digital work alongside research that influences their practice. ALWAYS BETTER TO BE HARD

6–8 FEB, TIMES VARY, FREE

A new show between up and coming artists Adam Murray and Oscar Godfrey as part of the Caustic Coastal collective.

Salford Museum and Art Gallery SELECTION FROM THE COLLECTION

18 OCT – 15 FEB, TIMES VARY, FREE

To celebrate Chinese New Year, the gallery delve into their catalogue to present depictions of the horse (2014) and the sheep (2015). IMMORTAL LOVE FROM SHANGHAI

15 NOV – 15 MAR, TIMES VARY, FREE

A traditionally-slanted Chinese art exhibition, depicting the history and development of the Chinese Dragon, paintings showing symbols of wealth, love and friendship and traditional Chinese watercolour paintings. SALFORD ARTS CLUB ANNUAL EXHIBITION 2015

24 JAN – 26 APR, TIMES VARY, FREE

The annual Salford Art Club exhibition returns, presenting a mixture of landscapes, portrait and still life paintings from its members.

The Lowry

Tate Liverpool

24 JAN – 26 APR, TIMES VARY, FREE

7 NOV – 8 FEB, 10:00AM – 5:00PM, £8 (£6)

CASA TOMADA

A swarm of giant ants invade the gallery walls in this extraordinary installation by Colombian artist Rafael Gómezbarros from the Saatchi Gallery, London.

Whitworth Art Gallery RE-OPENING

14-15 FEB, TIMES VARY, FREE

The Whitworth finally re-opens! Featuring a two-day programme involving Video Jam, Chinese artist Cai Guo-Qiang and much more.

Liverpool Art FACT

TYPE MOTION

13 NOV – 8 FEB, TIMES VARY, FREE

Co-produced with ZKM and Media Karlsruhe, Types Motion features an archive of clips from over twenty countries, dating back to 1897, alongside over 200 examples of text and typography that explore our relationship with writing and moving image. UNDER BLACK CARPETS

22 JAN – 8 FEB, TIMES VARY, FREE

An exhibition exploring forensic study of a meticulously designed heist simultaneously involving five banks in Los Angeles. An intricate plot, subject to multiple interpretations, is articulated through a collection of different ‘evidence’ pieces. THE QUIET

12–22 FEB, TIMES VARY, FREE

An immersive installation that recreates the atmospheric conditions of a calm before a storm. A pre-storm environment will be constructed in a closed space to generate a subconscious, intangible experience.

International Slavery Museum LIBERTY BOUND

29 OCT – 5 APR, 10:00AM – 5:00PM, FREE

Photography students from Eccles Sixth Form Centre muse on the theme A Sense of Place.

An exhibition of artifacts from one of the most important archaeological finds of recent years, unveiling a recently discovered burial ground fro ‘liberated’ African’s in Rupert’s Valley, St Helena.

The Holden Gallery

Open Eye Gallery

MADE IN ECCLES

14 FEB – 19 APR, TIMES VARY, FREE

NOT: THE ART OF RESISTANCE

19 JAN – 27 FEB, WEEKDAYS ONLY, 10:00AM – 4:00PM, FREE

A group show exploring the relationship between the art museum and art created as a form of resistance, looking at how both sides reconcile and whether they do it satisfactorily.

METAMORPHOSIS OF JAPAN AFTER THE WAR

VARIOUS DATES BETWEEN 22 JAN AND 26 APR, 10:30AM – 5:30PM, FREE

An exhibition focusing on the creative resurgence of Japan in the wake of the second World War, featuring over 100 photographs 11 post-war photographers including Yasuhiro Ishimoto, Shomei Tomatsu, Eikoh Hosoe and Ken Domon.

TRANSMITTING ANDY WARHOL

The first exhibition of the famous pop artist’s work in the North of England includes major Warhol works including Marilyn Diptych, Dance Diagram and Do-itYourself, as well as an evocation of the artist’s Exploding Plastic Inevitable. GRETCHEN BENDER

7 NOV – 8 FEB, 10:00AM – 5:00PM, £8 (£6)

The first solo exhibition of the late multimedia artist’s work in the UK showcases a selection of her immersive pioneering multimedia installations, including a reconstruction of 1987’s Total Recall across a 24-monitor multi-projection screen. THE SERVING LIBRARY

7 NOV – 8 FEB, 10:00AM – 5:00PM, FREE

Including a collection of art works, artefacts, books and other materials, The Serving Library asks visitors to reconsider the traditional role of the library. Featuring around 100 objects, including work from Chris Evans and Muriel Cooper.

The Atkinson

LS LOWRY AND THEODORE MAJOR: TWO LANCASHIRE PAINTERS

17 JAN – 29 MAR, TIMES VARY, FREE

An exhibition showcasing two very different Lancastrian artists, one eventually becoming a household name, the other lapsing into near-obscurity. THE EYE OF THE BEHOLDER

24 JAN – 26 APR, TIMES VARY, FREE

An exhibition that explores every age and culture’s perceptions of beauty through history.

The Bluecoat

CARMEL COLLEGE EXHIBITION

3–15 FEB, 10:00AM – 6:00PM, FREE

An exhibition of work curated in response to the Bluecoat’s main Listening showcase, created by students from Carmel College.

The Royal Standard BAMBAMBAM

VARIOUS DATES BETWEEN 7 FEB AND 22 FEB, 12:00PM – 5:00PM, FREE

29 of the Royal Standard’s studio members take over the gallery space, with a revolving line-up over three weeks following their own briefs and ideas.

Victoria Gallery and Museum

NORTH WEST AND BEYOND: JAMES HAMILTON HAY

VARIOUS DATES BETWEEN 22 APR AND 29 AUG, 10:00AM – 5:00PM, FREE

An exhibition of drypoint prints by 19th century Merseyside etcher and painter, James Hamilton Hay, documenting his travels throughout the UK with his striking landscape prints. THE AUDOBON GALLERY

VARIOUS DATES BETWEEN 11 OCT AND 19 DEC, 10:00AM – 5:00PM, FREE

Permanent gallery of wildlife artist and naturalist John James Audubon. BRITISH ART

VARIOUS DATES BETWEEN 5 JAN AND 30 JUN, 10:00AM – 5:00PM, FREE

Permanent collection including work by Joseph Wright of Derby.

Walker Art Gallery THE GANG

4 OCT – 15 FEB, 10:00AM – 5:00PM, FREE

Photography exhibition from US photographer Catherine Opie, whose portraits of her friends from the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered and queer community aim to subvert American archetypes. ONLY IN ENGLAND

13 FEB – 7 JUN, 10:00AM – 5:00PM, FREE

An exhibition exploring the lasting influence of the British photographer Tony Ray-Jones on the development of British photography from the 1970s to the present day.

LISTENING

24 JAN – 29 MAR, 10:00AM – 6:00PM, FREE

A Hayward touring exhibition curated by Sam Belinfante and examining the crossover between the visual and the sonic, with many of the selected artists in this group show working in the fields of both contemporary music and art.

The Brindley LIVING DATA

28 FEB – 18 APR, NOT SUNDAYS, TIMES VARY, FREE

A new solo exhibition by the visual artist Michael Takeo Magruder that explores the creation of evolving virtual/physical artworks which are generated from the ubiquitous artefacts of the digital domain.

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Illustration: Jonathan Summers Muir

THE SKINNY

The Last Word: John Carpenter The Master of Horror meditates on recording Lost Themes, going digital, and who should be the next Snake Plissken (spoiler: nobody)

Interview: Dave Kerr

Whereas later contemporaries would blaze their way through ostentatious scores, with a maximalist approach that seemed to operate in tandem with the escalating ambitions of the era's blockbusters, Carpenter skulked in the shadows. The icy chill of his barren, repetitive motifs and eerie codas kept more in common with the earliest of Kraftwerk's analogue experiments – which had developed almost concurrently.

“This is music for the movies in your head”

Credit: Gen Use

John Carpenter

“T

his is Hollywood, California…” John Carpenter whispers down the phone line with a sarcastic lilt – a certain mistrust of Tinseltown dripping off his tongue. But he's still living there. Burned out by the film industry after 40-odd years of redefining cinematic suspense with genre-blurring thrillers like Assault on Precinct 13, Halloween and The Thing, somewhere in the Hollywood Hills the cult composer-director enjoys all the NBA playoffs and Xbox binges that semi-retirement has to offer. “They're just for fun,” Carpenter chuckles. “I play the shooters…” he tumbles off into a roll call of his favourites. “Borderlands 2, The Last of Us, the Far Cry series – you name it, I got it.” It was here – in the pursuit of a simpler life – that Carpenter struck upon an unforeseen new work ethic. “My son and I would play videogames for two hours, and then improvise music for two hours at our home studio, then return to the videogame, and so forth,” the straighttalking Kentuckian explains in that familiar rasp. “This just went on and on over a period of around six months.” Serendipitously, Brooklyn label Sacred Bones – already a haven for the esoteric likes of David Lynch and Zola Jesus – contacted Carpenter's lawyer with a request for any un-used score work he might be willing to release. It just so happened that the record button was pressed during those months of jamming. “A delightful accident,” he affirms. “This was all improvised stuff, so nothing was planned out ahead of time. Man, it's all based on instinct; you just dig down and see what's there… see what feels right. That's the way to intellectualise it. There was no image to play to… it was just playing for joy. Absolute joy.” ‘Joyous’ might not necessarily describe

February 2015

the dark matter that the pair produced, which ultimately provided the basis for Lost Themes – a record that comprehensively spins through Carpenter's visionary wheelhouse of tension and terror with reassuring aplomb. Without the old familiar purpose of writing for a particular scene, did his gaming habit provide a certain stimulus? “No. Hell no!” he laughs. “This is music for the movies in your head; every track has its own imaginary narrative that plays out differently every time you hear it.” Yet music-making is not a heady process for John Carpenter; there's a temptation to paint the 67-year-old as a carefree tinkerer, but to do so is a disservice to his legacy as an understated visionary, responsible for unlocking many of the emotive possibilities to be found in synthesised music. “I'm not a hobbyist,” he says, before modestly snatching that remark back. “I'm just a musician with minimal chops.” Although minimalism is certainly an enduring feature throughout these nine compositions, with his son Cody and godson Daniel (Davies, whose father happens to be The Kinks’ Dave) on board, there's more flesh on the bones of Lost Themes than fans of those earlier stark instrumentals may be prepared for. Just as it was when he began, music making is no longer a solitary pursuit for Carpenter. “It's a team effort now – and a family team effort, which is the greatest,” he enthuses. “Y'know, when I was scoring for movies I had to team with an engineer – often that was Alan Howarth – because I didn't understand the synthesiser in those days. I didn't know how to get sounds up; I didn't know anything. So I would just do the playing and the composing and somebody would have to turn the buttons.” That less-is-more technique has endured.

Advancements in audio technology over the intervening decades – specifically in digital sequencer Logic Pro – have side-lined much of the knob twiddling that characterised some of Carpenter's most notable work. Despite this transition to the digital realm, he makes a pretty convincing fist of emulating those old modular synths on Lost Themes. “We use a lot of plug-ins,” he says. “There are these amazing libraries of effects you can get now and we've downloaded a hell of a lot. We never had anything like this in those old days – never.” Innumerable groups and producers have professed respect for Carpenter's unique feel over the years – from Boards of Canada's ambient passages to Portishead lynchpin Geoff Barrow, whose DROKK project in 2012 played out like an open letter of appreciation. Carpenter is quick to play down any aesthetic similarities. “Occasionally, people will tell me ‘so and so is inspired by you’ and I think ‘very nice.’ But it seems to me that they don't play what I do. It's all different.” It's not just Carpenter's way with a synth that's been propagated. Over the last decade, some of his most celebrated moments on celluloid have been circled for another round at the till. From a so-so re-tread of Assault on Precinct 13 and Rob Zombie's surrealist stab at the Halloween franchise, to a belated prequel for nihilistic sci-fi masterpiece The Thing, it seems no Carpenter flick is safe from the jaws of Hollywood's bankers. Just days before our conversation, he's announced as an executive

producer for a proposed Escape from New York remake. Who could he accept inheriting the eyepatch from Kurt Russell's wisecracking anti-hero? “I don't know,” he shrugs. “I don't care. It's just a way for the studios to make money. I hope it's a good movie – that's all I hope. But there's only one Snake Plissken.” Although certain moments of his career have at times offered a challenging counter to the zeitgeist (The Thing infamously emerged at cinemas a fortnight after the infinitely cuddlier E.T.), many have come in for retrospective praise. “Am I surprised by how the meaning in They Live has endured?” Carpenter scoffs. “No. To me, it was a documentary of the time.” You suspect that although his last shot behind the camera – 2010's The Ward – was met with ambivalence, there are a few future classics left in the auteur yet. He has openly expressed a desire to work in television, direct a gothic western and tackle an adaptation of the Dead Space series in recent years, but today he remains tight-lipped about his dealings in film. “I'm developing a couple of things, so we'll see. It's nothing I'm ready to go into production over though.” Could this second wind for his musical career be the jumping off point for similar projects? If he has his way, we're about to run out of dry ice. “I'm working on a bunch of different things right now – sort of a follow-up to Lost Themes, and then there's another album, Dark Blues. But we'll see – maybe nothin’ will come out, maybe something will.” With his old collaborator Howarth out dusting down some of their old compositions in concert from time to time, has he given any consideration to following suit? “Sure, for a million dollars I'll play live,” he deadpans. “If I play live… it wouldn't be easy to replicate this record. There's still a lot of gear, which would be complicated. It wouldn't be a simple thing.” The Skinny wonders, despite all contrary evidence that he enjoys a cheeky game of Sonic and a good pop tune as much as the next horror director (“Well, I like Taylor Swift for instance. She's really talented”), is John Carpenter most naturally inclined towards a dark path? “I don't know so much about that…” he lingers. “Do you want my music to be happier? I promise you, I will make a happy album!” Lost Themes is released via Sacred Bones on 2 Feb www.theofficialjohncarpenter.com

Ask Carpenter Geoff Barrow

Clint Mansell The Thing score is very Carpenter, even though it’s Ennio Morricone at work and credited. Did you also work on it? If so, how did the two of you get on in the studio? “Me? Most of that score in The Thing is a lush orchestrational score. People have misunderstood it. There’s one piece of music that was synthesised, which was the opening theme. There’s nothing else really like that in the whole movie. That’s all Morricone; I just suggested he play a piece with fewer notes. We met in his apartment in Rome, he had a translator with him as he doesn’t speak English and I don’t speak Italian. He played some things for me and I said ‘that’s beautiful, but try something with fewer notes.’”

MUSIC

You have massively influenced my musical career so the question is: Who influenced yours, musically speaking?

“Musically speaking, it would be my father. He was a music professor so he introduced me to classical music at a young age. From there, I came to appreciate some of the great scores of the 50s, from Bernard Herrmann and Dimitri Tiomkin, but I also found influence in The Beatles and Rolling Stones. Both classical music and rock’n’roll are part of my musical language, which is riff-driven.”

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