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Contents
THE SKINNY
Photo: Olivia Williams
TUE.08.MAR.16
Contents Up Front 06
Chat & Opinion: In which we welcome you to The Skinny with all kinds of random bits. Photos! Comics! Last-minute news! A guide to all the extra, exclusive, exciting stuff you can find on our lovely website, theskinny.co.uk! And more, oh, so much more.
Lifestyle 27
Travel: Think Rio is Brazil’s party capital? ‘Carnaval’ is celebrated all over the country, and São Paulo’s celebration is catching up…
28
Deviance: It's time to stop ignoring online abuse and start questioning the humans behind the trolls, our Deviance editor argues.
29
Fashion: Laces Out! festival brings a gazillion funky trainers to Liverpool this month; if you’ve got a thing for kicks, here’s why you should attend.
08 Heads Up: Bounce like the lambs of
spring through your guide to the month’s best cultural events.
Features 10
12
15
Liverpool’s long-standing Mugstar are finally getting their just rewards. Jason Stoll lets us in on the process behind new, spacious album, Magnetic Seasons. Joe Casey of Detroit post-punkers Protomartyr takes us on a literary walking tour of their new, novelistic album, The Agent Intellect. Chilean filmmaker Pablo Larraín scratches at his nation's dark past with fifth feature The Club. He tells us how this chilling study of guilt and punishment came to be.
16
Rob Auton has won our hearts at the last few Edinburgh Fringe festivals with his unique and emotive shows. As he brings The Water Show to Manchester, he talks to The Skinny about writing, magic, and finding the good in humanity.
18
Lara Williams’ short story collection Treats is one of the best literary debuts we’ve come across in a long time. We meet Manchester’s most exciting new writer.
19
Having triumphantly ridden the comeback trail in recent years, Bob Mould's personal life suddenly cracked open in 2014. He tells us how a traumatic year informed new album Patch the Sky.
21
Corrie’s Chris Gascoyne discusses a new production of Samuel Beckett’s classic piece of absurdist theatre, Endgame, in which he plays Clov.
22
Filmmaker Gavin Scott Whitfield talks to us about his upcoming short film retrospective at HOME: four vivid and humane portraits of outsiders and the vulnerable in today's society.
25
As Threshold Festival of Music & Arts gears up for its sixth year, residents of Liverpool’s Baltic Triangle reflect on the role Threshold has played in the area’s cultural scene.
Showcase: Leeds College of Art gradu-
30 ate Ettie Wyatt Gosebruch plays with
perspective and perception in her composite photography.
32
Review
33
Music: Festival season begins to exert its iron grip – we take a look at a couple of the more interesting new additions to the calendar, Other Worlds and Cosmosis. Plus: gigs and albums in review; film composer Clint Mansell goes Under the Influence, and reight noisy lot TRAAMS are our New Blood.
42
Clubs: Swedish producer Adam Strömstedt offers up a chart of ten personal faves, and we’ve got all your clubbing highlights for March.
43
Art: The key exhibitions to catch this month, plus reviews of Pat Flynn and the Walker’s major pre-Raphaelites show.
44
Film: Be dazzled by Hail, Caesar!, frazzled by High-Rise and scared out of your wits by The Witch.
45
DVD & Tech: We watched Audition, Comfort & Joy and Pigsty. Here’s why you should too. Plus, in Tech, a look at the beauty of data visualisation, a strong component of this year’s FutureEverything festival programme. Books: Wonder Women festival popu-
46 lates the literary calendar with readings and discussions this month; consult our events guide for details. Plus: reviews of Lara Williams’ Treats, a new volume of poetry by Bukowski, and more.
47
Comedy & Theatre: Bolton’s finest satirist Chris Kehoe gets the Spotlight treatment; and the brains behind the brilliant SICK! Festival tell us about their new experiment, the SICK! Lab.
48
Listings: Looking for a gig, club, play, comedy night or art exhibition to attend? WE’VE GOT EIGHT PAGES OF THE THINGS.
55
Competitions: Win passes to this year’s FutureEverything festival. Don’t say we don’t treat you nice.
Sheffield producer Thatmanmonkz
26 offers an insight into his process, his debut LP on the Delusions of Grandeur label, and the importance of crediting your influences.
March 2016
Food & Drink: Our ‘Pioneers’ series continues, profiling the movers and shakers on the Northwest food scene: this month, Blawd Bakehouse.
Contents
5
Illustration: Sean Biggs
Editorial Online Only Eyes to the website
A
t The Skinny we focus a lot on artists at the beginning of their careers, from recent art graduates in our Showcase section to emerging musicians and bands. But a concentration on the nascent can neglect those artists who’ve spent years creating, developing and changing the context for those new voices – which is why we’re pleased this issue to be able to run a cover story on Mugstar, titans of psych-edged, spatially minded, heavy-ass music in Liverpool for many years, now shifting into a new plane with their recent signing to Rock Action for new album, Magnetic Seasons. It’s been a similar innings for musician Bob Mould, who’s now put out some 11 solo albums since the breakup of Hüsker Dü and, after a particularly emotionally challenging period, returns this month with his 12th – the dark, dialogic Patch the Sky. He’s interviewed on p19. Film brings us two directors who fix an unflinching eye on aspects of the human story many of us would rather ignore: in his film The Club, Chilean filmmaker Pablo Larraín scrutinises corruption in the Catholic Church in a manner far removed from recent office-bound journalism drama Spotlight (p15), while in new short film Murderous Injustice, Liverpool-based director Gavin Scott Whitfield tracks the unfolding of a recent and horrific hate crime in one unforgiving, questioning take (p22). Both are strong, urgent challenges to our ideas of society. Two different and distinct approaches to navigating the horrors of reality can be found in the generous, compassionate (and hilarious) comedy of Rob Auton (p16) and the bleak humour of absurdist theatre (as a new production of Samuel Beckett’s Endgame comes to HOME, we speak to star Chris Gascoyne on p21). Books, meanwhile, has an interview with one of the strongest new voices exploring the surreality, melancholy (and stubborn magic despite) of millennial life we’ve recently encountered: Lara Williams, who, as her debut short story collection is published this month, tells us on p18 why the short form suddenly seemed to make sense.
There’s a festival for everything these days – including, apparently, one for trainers (see p29) – but we’re always especially interested in the investigations of tech/art/music conference FutureEverything, which concentrates this year on the beautiful possibilities of data visualisation (find an introduction on p45); Music also gets a couple of corkers in the form of Cosmosis Festival (see our preview and interview with Anton Newcombe of headliners The Brian Jonestown Massacre on p36) and Other Worlds in Blackpool (trailered on p33). Finally, as Liverpool’s multi-venue Threshold Festival of Music & Arts enters its sixth year with the usual bustling programme of emerging acts and visual treats, we consider the part it’s had to play in populating the Baltic Triangle area with creative types over the past few years (p25). Your listening activities this month should be strongly influenced by communityminded Sheffield producer Scott Moncrieff, aka thatmanmonkz, who talks to our Clubs editor on p26 about valuing, celebrating and, importantly, crediting your influencers; as well as track selections from Swedish DJ Adam Strömstedt (p42), film composer Clint Mansell (p37), and many more mixes online at theskinny. co.uk. That said, this edition of The Skinny was brought to you entirely by a round-the-clock playlist of Justin Bieber.
theskinny.co.uk/comedy Stu Goldsmith of the Comedian’s Comedian podcast fills us in on his debut UK tour, handily coinciding with the impending birth of his first child – good luck, Stu – while we’ve put together a guide to some of our favourite comedy podcasts for your listening pleasure. theskinny.co.uk/books Fancy the joy of an in-depth book club discussion without the pesky reading schedule? Our rundown of the best literary YouTubers and podcasts is here to help fill that book-shaped hole in your life. Plus, interviews with Yann Martel and Irvine Welsh (Begbie’s back!) theskinny.co.uk/travel Following on from last month’s travel special, we’ve compiled even more guides to some of the world’s greatest cities, all written by people who actually live there and know where
theskinny.co.uk/film Festival season is now in full swing – get the rundown on a politically charged and action-packed Berlin Film Festival with our festival recap, and catch up all the happenings from last month’s Glasgow Film Festival over at theskinny.co.uk/cineskinny. theskinny.co.uk/clubs We’ve got playlists from Skee Mask and Ryan Martin for your listening pleasure.
ON THE COVER: Mugstar, by Lucy Ridges Lucy Ridges is a portrait photographer and photographic artist based in Manchester, working from Rogue Artists Studios. Primarily shooting analogue, her working style is a cross between storytelling, fine art and surrealism. Focusing on people and portraiture, her time is divided between undertaking commissions and working on her fine art practise. lucyridges.com Instagram: @lucyridgesphoto
Shot of the Month
White Denim at The Deaf Institute, 15 Feb, by Michael Barrow
Chat
theskinny.co.uk/food The Skinny goes on an epic adventure to make our very own beer, featuring mezcal, Vikings, and a large pile of citrus fruit.
Spot the Difference
Feast your eyes, readers: two delicious-looking morsels of tempura prawn, deep-fried to perfection and seemingly identical in every conceivable way. We’re starving just looking at it (when is our lunch break, anyway?).
6
everything is. Read our guides to New York, Kuala Lumpur, Dubai, Madrid and more at theskinny.co.uk/travel
But wait! There’s something fishy here. Our designer has shrimped on his duties and shellfishly edited one of these images. Clawful business, we know, but can you use your powers of deduction to identify the oh-so subtle details that separate the two?
If you think you know the answer, head along to theskinny.co.uk/competitions and tell us your findings. The best or funniest answer will win a copy of Smoke Gets In Your Eyes by Caitlin Doughty, courtesy of the bodacious dudes at Canongate. Competition closes at midnight on Sun 27 Mar. 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 theskinny.co.uk/about/terms
THE SKINNY
Dot to Dot festival headliners announced Mystery Jets are headlining this year’s Dot to Dot, the annual multi-venue festival stopping off in Manchester, Bristol and Nottingham over the weekend of 27-29 May. They’ll be joined by anthemic indie popsters The Temper Trap, brooding Brooklynites Cigarettes After Sex, Denmark’s LISS, singer-songwriter Lauren Aquilina, funkinfused pop duo Ekkah and some ‘very special’ co-headliners yet to be announced, all taking to suitably intimate Northern Quarter venues like Soup Kitchen, Gullivers and the like. More info: dottodotfestival.co.uk. Summer Arts Market: call for applications Creative entrepreneurs! Fancy applying for a stall at 2016’s Summer Arts Market? Taking
Liverpool Art Fair: deadline for submissions Another creative callout to make note of, as the 13 March submission deadline for Liverpool Art Fair draws close. The selling showcase is designed to provide a public platform for talented arty types working or living within a 25-mile radius of Liverpool, while also giving visitors the chance to enjoy high quality yet affordable art with an under-£200 section. Cramming the May Day bank holiday weekend with works by local artists spanning all media and styles, the fair helps build new bridges in the region’s artistic world, connecting artists with new buyers and vice versa. Hit up liverpoolartfair.com for more details on submitting. Deep Hedonia host live coding workshop and performance Part four of the Deep Hedonia residency at Liverpool’s Everyman Bistro takes place on Fri 18 Mar, with Leeds-based live coder and synthesist Joanne giving a lecture and performance. Part of the Yorkshire Sound Women Network, who teach female composers electronic music composition, Joanne will provide an exploration into the burgeoning algo-rave scene, introducing you to the art of musical coding. Also performing will be Liverpool ambient noise act JC, whose music is inspired by minimal techno and industrial tones. Buy a ticket at everymanplayhouse.com. Africa OyÊ festival announces first acts The first wave of acts has been announced for this year’s Africa OyÊ festival, Liverpool’s ambitious, eclectic and – crucially – free festival of music and culture from Africa and its diasporic communities. Once again held at Sefton Park, this 18-19 June you can look forward to the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s genrebending Mbongwana Star, Ghanaian highlife hero Pat Thomas and Kwashibu Area Band, rising Tanzanian street rumba group Ifa Band, plus all the other usual suspects of DJ sessions, food stalls and more. More info at africaoye.com.
www.jockmooney.com
We’re running a photo competition at Sounds from the Other City festival! Sounds from the Other City festival returns to Salford this May bank holiday, filling Chapel Street with its usual madcap mix of music, art and performance. Once again, The Skinny is teaming up with SFTOC to offer you the chance to win a goody bag full of prizes – with our special photo competition. To enter, all you have to do is share your photos of the day – capturing the spirit of the festival – on Instagram or Twitter with the hashtag #SFTOCSkinny. Our favourite shot, as chosen by the SFTOC and Skinny teams, will win a bundle of gifts kindly donated by the festival’s promoters and friends. Last year’s winners won gig and festival tickets, vinyl and more, so you can be sure we’re putting together a great little package of goodies for 2016. While you’re waiting for the big day, find inspiration in last year's winning photo (pictured); and remember to follow us on Instagram (@theskinnymag) and Twitter (@theskinnynw), where we’ll be sharing more of our past SFTOC highlights, revealing the prize, and, of course, sharing photos on the big day itself. Festival details at soundsfromtheothercity.com.
place 25-26 June in Liverpool St George’s Hall and run by local social enterprise Open Culture, the event is open to anyone specialising in handmade, original goods – whether you’re a dab hand at painting, screenprinting, sculpture, textiles, homewares, jewellery, glass, leatherwork, art books, handmade beauty products, accessories or even artisanal and local food and vintage clothing. Basically, anything not mass-produced goes, and you have until midnight on 1 April to apply if you’re interested. More info: summerartsmarket.com.
The April Issue: Out 29 Mar In our April issue, Film does its bit for UKEuropean relations (boy, do we need it!) with a string of interviews with exciting filmmaking talent from across the Channel, including Hungary’s Låszló Nemes (Son of Saul), Norway’s Joachim Trier (Louder than Bombs) and Germany’s
BALLS.
with Mystic Mark
ARIES God made us in his own image, but also in his own flavour. Take a lick of your arm – it tastes just like God’s, but less hairy.
TAURUS After you leave your bomb at the wrong train station you ring lost property to get it back and are shocked to find you are charged a ÂŁ10 administration fee. This only stiffens your resolve to bring down Western civilisation.
GEMINI Lifting weights this month you push your organs out of your bum like a squeezed spot.
CANCER As the last bitter nights of winter draw to their ebb, you get cosy and have some relaxing nights in buttchugging fine whisky by a roaring fire with a smooth cigar.
LEO Your flatmates can always tell you’re masturbating when they hear you shouting “enhance� at your computer through the wall.
The winning photo from last year’s #SFTOCSkinny photo competition, by Matt Hulme
March 2016
Sebastian Schipper (Victoria). Elsewhere, we’ve interviews with Cardiff's agit-rock underdogs Future of the Left and Emma Pollock, and we go behind the scenes with the art directors of Sounds from the Other City festival to find out how the magic happens.
VIRGO The government keeps mistakenly referring to you as a person and trying to make you pay taxes. LIBRA You hear on Richard & Judy that burning calories is the only sure fire way
to lose weight, so you replace the oven in your kitchen with a blast furnace and it works! You simply don’t want to eat any of the food! Each pizza you put in comes out as a much healthier solid scalding black disc, sausages crumble into ash when touched and lasagnes come out piping hot and on fire.
SCORPIO You keep telling yourself that sucking a virtual monster cock online isn’t cheating. SAGITTARIUS You’re ruled by jobless, overweight Jupiter.
CAPRICORN This month you convince the betting shop to take your bet that they will make a net profit from all the other suckers in the betting shop.
AQUARIUS Gardening in the depths of winter you uncover an unusual new root vegetable. Brown, hard and smelling faintly of cat poo, you bring the new discovery inside and boil it up for a taste test. To your amazement a few days later you find some has grown in the litter tray. You must have dropped some seeds when you brought the first batch in.
PISCES You need to learn to let shit go, otherwise you’ll burst.
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With the promise of spring looming, March is all about fresh sounds from DIIV and Palehound, a right ol’ knees-up from Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry and mounting festival fever with Cosmosis and an Audio Farm party.
American singer, harpist and avant-gardess Joanna Newsom takes on the regal setting of the Philharmonic Hall with her magical modern folk and ethereal tones. At the time of going to print, this show – one of just two UK dates – is somehow not sold out, but judging by the success of Newsom's most recent album, Divers, you’d be wise not to hang around. Liverpool Philharmonic Hall, 7pm, £29.50
Written and performed by Young Everyman Playhouse, The Environmentalists might spark your interest as 'the UK’s first carbon-neutral play', where humour is paired with a tug on the heartstrings in an unexpected take on environmental issues. Runs until Sat 5 Mar. Everyman Theatre, Liverpool, until Sat 5 Mar, 7.30pm
The Environmentalists
Joanna Newsom
Tue 8 Mar
Wed 9 Mar
There's lots of buzz doing the rounds for Palehound at the mo, the project of Boston-based singer-songwriter Ellen Kempner. Catch them as they hit the UK in support of debut album, Dry Food. Headrow House, Leeds, 8pm, £7
Watch Walter Ruttmann’s 1927 silent film Berlin: Symphony of a Metropolis with a live score from University of Liverpool students and members of the Liverpool Phil as part of Open Circuit, a festival of new music, sonic arts and audio-visual installations. For full listings, check opencircuitfestival.co.uk. Various venues, Liverpool, until Thu 10 Mar, times and prices vary
Enjoy dark and brooding ambient pop sounds from Cigarettes After Sex, a Brooklyn-based quartet whose drowsy, dreamlike quality will work well for fans of Cocteau Twins, Slowdive or Mazzy Star. Be prepared to be totally hypnotised by Greg Gonzalez’s tender vocals, especially on most popular track, Nothing’s Gonna Hurt You Baby. Fallow Cafe, Manchester, 7pm, £returns only
A collaborative exploration of identity and trauma, SICK! Lab is a four-day programme of performances, presentations and discussions, including performances from Kim Noble and Bryony Kimmings and an ‘On the Couch’ core day with Lemn Sissay, professor Anthony Redmond and others. Contact Theatre, Manchester, until Sat 12 Mar, times and prices vary
Berlin: Symphony of a Metropolis
Cigarettes After Sex
Palehound
Photo: Michael T. Wilcox
Mon 7 Mar
Photo: Chad Kamenshin
Sun 6 Mar
Lemm Sissay
Mon 14 Mar
Tue 15 Mar
Join Gilles Peterson as he introduces a screening of feature-length doc Havana Club Rumba Sessions: La Clave, which sees the respected DJ diving into the world of Cuban rumba, exploring its history and connections with the country's African diaspora. FACT, Liverpool, 3.30pm, £6-£10.50
Enjoy three hours of poetry and spoken word at the Everyman, as alternative open mic night A Lovely Word returns to welcome first-timers and old-timers alike, who’ll perform five-minute slots alongside special guest performance poet, playwright and musician Dave Jarman. Everyman Theatre, Liverpool, 7.30pm, Free
A bit of theatrical flair hits the Band on the Wall stage this month, as dub pioneer and international treasure Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry stops by, armed with colourful costumes, some new material and that unmistakable perennial charm. Band on the Wall, Manchester, 8pm, £28.50
Havana Club Rumba Sessions
A Lovely Word
Photo: John Middleton
Sun 13 Mar
Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry
Sun 20 Mar
Mon 21 Mar
Now in its third year, Liverpool Acoustic Festival makes a return to the Unity Theatre – and also sprawls out across the road to the Philharmonic’s new Music Room venue – to accommodate folk singer-songwriter Scott Matthews, Amsterdam frontman Ian Prowse and others. Various venues, Liverpool, times and prices vary
Use the first day of spring to amble around the second day of the 11th Manchester Print Fair, which promises another eclectic weekend of printed design from Manchester and beyond to help you out of hibernation. People’s History Museum, Manchester, 11am, Free
Montreal’s Half Moon Run head out on tour this month in support of their most recent album, Sun Leads Me On, released at the tail-end of last year. For the uninitiated, it’s fairly straight-up indie rock injected with folk elements like harmonised vocals, violins and the occasional mandolin. That kinda thing. O2 Academy, Liverpool, 7pm, £15
Scott Matthews
Manchester Print Fair
Fri 25 Mar
Sat 26 Mar
Swinging by Liverpool this month is respected Berlin-based house and techno DJ Tama Sumo, who’s celebrated as much for regular sets at Berghain/Panorama Bar as she is for her political engagement and speaking out against homophobia. 24 Kitchen Street, Liverpool, 11pm, £6-£10
For Audio Farm’s only Manchester event of the year, they’re going allout with the Audio Farm Festival Roundup, cramming Antwerp Mansion with Flamingus, Pete Mangalore, Cy Humphreys, Leah Floyeurs, Black Eyes, Moid and many more to soundtrack 12 hours (yup) of dancing, circus performers, fire shows, stalls and art installations. Brace thyselves. Antwerp Mansion, Manchester, 3pm, £10
Tama Sumo
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Photo: Weareinvite
Sat 19 Mar
Half Moon Run
Antwerp Mansion
THE SKINNY
Photo: Pieter Morlion
Compiled by: Jess Hardiman
Wed 2 Mar
Photo: Martin Senyszak
Heads Up
Tue 1 Mar
Having contributed her silky voice to Flying Lotus, Mr Scruff, Bonobo and Mount Kimbie for collabs and remixes aplenty, Ninja Tune’s Andreya Triana has become one of the UK’s most in-demand vocalists. She’s also a belter in her own right, so it's worth catching her for a rare live performance as she tours her latest album. The HiFi Club, Leeds, 10pm, £11-£13
Step back in time to a world of mid-80s eroticism with Hot Sex Time Machine, a day of film screenings and conversation exploring different facets of forbidden sexuality through Daniel Day-Lewis flick My Beautiful Laundrette, lesbian romantic drama Desert Hearts and Nine and a Half Weeks – which puts Fifty Shades to shame. Not that that's hard. 70 Oxford Street, Manchester, 10am, Free
International Womens Day march
Andreya Triana
My Beautiful Laundrette
Fri 11 Mar
Sat 12 Mar
The former lead guitarist of The Coral, Bill Ryder-Jones has been busy making his native Wirral proud, from his early solo conceptual debut, If…, to everything that followed. That’s inclusive of his most recent album, West Kirby County Primary, which heaves with a heartfelt, melancholic folk-rock that’ll surely come into its element live. Arts Club, Liverpool, 7.30pm, £10
Get lost in space with unfold, a sensory, crossdisciplinary exhibition from acclaimed Japanese artist Ryoichi Kurokawa, who uses visual and sonic elements (and real space data!) to depict the birth of stars and the secrets they hold. FACT, Liverpool, until Sun 12 Jun, times vary, Free
You'd be forgiven for being a grown man weeping at the line-up for this year’s Cosmosis Festival, still only three years young but proving its worth with hulking giants from the realm of psychedelia past and present – including The Jesus and Mary Chain and The Brian Jonestown Massacre alongside Allah-Las, K-X-P, Of Montreal and more. Victoria Warehouse, Manchester, 2pm, £67.50
Bill Ryder-Jones
Photo: Andrew Ellis
Thu 10 Mar
Ryoichi Kurokawa - Interstellar medium
The Brian Jonestown Massacre
Thu 17 Mar
Fri 18 Mar
Shake off those midweek cobwebs with a thwack of the operatic, as Opera North bring you a production of Mozart’s Così Fan Tutte, which, translating roughly as ‘All women are like that’, might prove an interesting watch for the socially conscious modern audience. The Lowry, Salford, until Fri 18 Mar, 7pm, prices vary
Take a trip to mid 20th-century Mississippi with Beth Henley’s 1979 play Crimes of the Heart, a comedy about dealing with sisters and, more importantly, loving them no matter what happens. Unity Theatre, Liverpool, until Sat 19 Mar, times vary, £4.50-£9
Known for his masterful fusion of hip-hop, electronica, funk and dub, Nightmares on Wax heads our way to launch new night Reet Petite, joined by locals Peter Parker, Agent J, Stuart Richards and Swindells, plus host Kwasi. Joshua Brooks, Manchester, 10.30pm, £8-£10
Così fan tutte
Photo: Tristram Kenton
Wed 16 Mar
Crimes of the Heart
Nightmares on Wax
Wed 23 Mar
Thu 24 Mar
A quartet of work about our relationship with time, Quarantine theatre company’s Summer. Autumn. Winter. Spring uses everyday people in place of actors for a mass portraiture told through performance and film. You can watch each segment in isolation, but we’d recommend going the whole hog by attending the day-long marathon of all four. Old Granada Studios, Manchester, until Sun 3 Apr, times vary, £5-£25
A mix of music and interactive arts events, A-Bound Festival brings us five days of experimental goodness. We’re looking forward to Belgian duo Lumisokea, a sixhour DJ set from Optimo, a composition workshop with Aliyah Hussain and John Powell-Jones and a free Now Wave gig (for those who bagged tickets). Islington Mill, Salford, until Sun 27 Mar, times and prices vary
Jumping across the Pennines in support of new album Colour Theory, Leeds-based live electronic troupe Submotion Orchestra are back with more bass-heavy infusions of dub, jazz and soul for an evening of spellbinding, atmospheric soundscapes. Gorilla, Manchester, 6.30pm, £13.50
Summer. Autumn. Winter. Spring
Photo: Gavin Parry
Tue 22 Mar
Aliyah Hussain
Sun 27 Mar
Mon 28 Mar
See the week out with DIIV, the Brooklyn shoegaze outfit fronted by Zachary Cole Smith, who you may recognise from his former days with Beach Fossils and psych-rock group Soft Black. DIIV's blissful grunge fusion will make you hopeful for summer days ahead, before rooting you down with the realisation that it’s probably raining outside. Arts Club, Liverpool, 7.30pm, £11.50
Watching the film of a play (or even the DVD of a film of a play) may be de rigeur these days, but when it’s the filmed version of York Theatre Royal’s Olivier Award-winning production of The Railway Children at the National Railway Museum in Yorkshire – with the original locomotive from the 1970 film, no less – you'll find good reason to indulge in the Russian doll approach. FACT, Liverpool, 3pm, £5-£7
March 2016
DIIV
Submotion Orchestra
The Railway Children
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Photo: Sarah Roberts
Wonder Women Festival returns, running until Sun 13 Mar to shine a light on everything that’s brilliant, brave and badass about the feminist journey. Highlights include an evening of talks, workshops and performances at Manchester Jewish Museum, an exhibition at Soup Kitchen and an immersive Mean Girls screening at Hope Mill. Various venues, Manchester, times and prices vary
Photo: Sam Huddleston
Sat 5 Mar
Photo: Dan Medhurst
Fri 4 Mar
Photo: Anthony Robling
Thu 3 Mar
S RE AT U FE
For All Seasons One of Liverpool’s longest-serving bands are finally starting to get their just rewards. Mugstar’s Jason Stoll discusses how the psych community and their own lack of expectations helped Interview: Simon Jay Catling Photography: Lucy Ridges
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on’t be fooled by the fact that it’s the now arena-striding Tame Impala who appear to have emerged at the top of the pile in the wake of the much-debated psychedelic rock revival. The ‘success’ of the movement – depending on how you want to define that – really came for the clutch of veteran UK acts who had long been bowing at the temple of hypnotic repetition in the shadows of the noughties. The critical reverence was given to acts like The Heads, Hey Colossus and Gnod – the latter named The Guardian’s New Band of the Day at the height of psych fever, some seven years into their existence. It’s a phenomenon that bassist Jason Stoll – who makes up the similarly weathered Liverpool kosmiche explorers Mugstar, alongside guitarists Peter Smyth, Neil Murphy and drummer Steve Ashton – knowingly chuckles at when this is posited to him regarding his own group. They’ve been together 14 years, yet the forthcoming release of their new LP, Magnetic Seasons, on the Mogwai-run Rock Action label makes it probably the highest profile of their records to date. Yet Stoll is quick to dispel any cynicism. “I think it’s been great!” he enthuses. “I’ve been into psychedelia since I was quite young, so for it to be in vogue for a few years now has really opened doors for us. We’d played with a lot of indie bands, a lot of metal bands, but the past few years has seen us play with a lot more groups we feel more aligned with.” That’s true enough; a thousand or so were in attendance for their show at the inaugural Liverpool Psych Fest in 2012 and from there they’ve gone on to appear at its Eindhoven counterpoint, Psych Lab, and Austin Psych Fest, the Black Angels-founded mecca for touring guitar bands seeking enrichment of the third eye. The opening up of this community has allowed the band to tour Europe, and for Stoll personally to connect with and release music by the likes of Acid Mothers Temple, Bardo Pond and Teeth of The Sea through his own God Unknown Records. Yet if Mugstar’s frequent presence on the reinvigorated psych rock circuit suggests a sound still indebted to the shared love of Hawkwind that played a part in bringing them together, the reality is somewhat different. “For me a psych band isn’t necessarily just having jangly 60s-sounding guitars; there’s a whole melting pot of different styles of music to be considered psychedelia,” Stoll says. “For me, it has made more extreme or challenging music a bit more palatable for a lot of people.” Stoll is speaking to The Skinny off the back of revisiting Ad Marginem live at a show in Bristol. Originally conceived with filmmaker Liam Yates, the film sought to embed the group right into the creative process of not just the music, but the story itself, as co-creators. First surfacing in 2010, the resultant music was a brooding, minimalist take on motorik, based around a film depicting abstract shadows of Liverpool’s past. In 2014, they created a specially commissioned piece for crossover arts project Kubilai Khan Investigations, which was interpreted by contemporary dancers in Roubaix, France. “We went to northern France and rehearsed in this 150-year-old warehouse for five days working with the dancers,” Stoll explains. “It was a totally different dynamic, a different kind of emotion.
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It really changed our perception on getting into a mindset for playing; seeing all the exercises the dancers would undergo to warm themselves up made us think more about working ourselves into what we were doing.” It’s these more recent experiences, alongside touring with the likes of new labelmates Mogwai and subsequently taking their sound into larger concert halls, that have combined for Magnetic Seasons. In the space of seven intense days last spring, the album’s tracks were recorded often on second or even first takes and then mixed at Liverpool’s Whitewood Studios. The feeling of consideration that permeates the record, then, belies a process that existed very much in the moment. “It’s that thing of feeling the need to be in a mindset,” says Stoll. “I couldn’t record something and then come back six weeks later to look at it again. It’s about where you’re at there and then, but being able to set up and utilise the space and surroundings around that.” As an album, Magnetic Seasons exists on a bedrock of tried and trusted formulas of granite guitars crashing down on the cerebrum – take first track Unearth’s formidable opening salvo, which bristles and flexes under a spiritually evocative vocal hum, while Time Machine’s riffand-repeat space rock is effortlessly exhilarating in its acceleration. Yet from these totems come moments of real atmospheric expanse and intrigue, where space begins to dominate the clutter and breathing becomes easier. It’s simple to point to the album’s sprawling, near-18-minute final track as the clearest example of this, but it’s actually the smaller moments of clarity amidst the surrounding fury that are more effective: the sombreness that underpins the resurgent constancy of Remember the Breathing, or La Vallee’s brief dip into dusty cosmic blues.
“Liverpool’s always been a city that regenerates itself” Jason Stoll
“It’s a bit more freeform in a way,” Stoll agrees. “As a band there’s a definite subconsciousness to what we’re doing now too. Steve can just do something on the drums and the whole band will suddenly come down, or Pete’ll play something and it’ll suddenly become louder. It automatically happens without thinking about it. I’m really happy about it! A lot of musicians obviously say they never listen to their records once they’ve done them but I keep finding new things to draw me in – it’s still exciting to me.” That the record is coming out on Rock Action offers a modicum of stability too for a group whose early period was punctuated by a flurry of albums, split 7”s and limited CD-R releases. Previous full-lengths have appeared on respected but far-flung labels like US indie Important and Agitated (Carlton Melton, Icarus Line). Even having something like a publicist isn’t something the group have particularly been used to. “They’ve been very supportive,” says
Stoll of Rock Action. “They want to encourage and nurture and make their records as significant as possible. It feels like that has taken it a step further for us, having pretty much been self-financed in the past.” Up until this point, the four-piece had largely been slow burners of the most gradually blueing flame. Though always cherished by their native Liverpool, the first eight years or so following their post-Millennium inception saw the thunder and fury of early riff crunchers like their Sea Records-released self-titled LP and its follow-up, Lime, very much a cult concern beyond Merseyside. John Peel fans with good memories remember them as the band who recorded the final Peel Session of the late DJ’s career, while followers of seminal American proto-grunge group Mudhoney might recall their visceral cover of Hawkwind’s Born to Go as part of a split 7” in 2008. To survive 14 years in the underground is no mean feat – to do so with their founding members still intact is even more impressive. “I was
thinking about this the other day and the amount of bands we’ve played with who aren’t around anymore,” muses Stoll. “We’ve never really had a direct goal and that’s allowed us to continue. With each record it still feels like the creative process is developing.” Mugstar’s constant renewal is something Liverpool’s music community is primed for, following the recent demise of institutions like The Kazimier and MelloMello. A lack of suitable venues is the reason given for the group’s album launch taking place down the Ship Canal at Salford’s Islington Mill. Stoll, though is hopeful for the future. “Historically Liverpool’s always been a city that regenerates itself; sure, The Kazimier going is sad, but other things will happen. It’s a thriving, diverse community really.” No better place is that reflected, than in the output of the city’s most evolutionary heads. Magnetic Seasons is released on 4 Mar via Rock Action. Playing Islington Mill, Salford on 3 Mar | mugstar.com
Spotlight over the Mersey Every UK city has its fair share of bands who gave up before the wider world could take notice; we doff our cap to a few of Mugstar’s fallen comrades Words: Will Fitzpatrick KLING KLANG Initially forming as a trio of analogue-synthobsessed misfits in the late 90s, Kling Klang later expanded to a five-piece before hooking with Mogwai’s Rock Action stable to unleash their formidable EP The Superposition in 2002. The record – a unique blend of Kraftwerkian noise, mesmeric repetition and an almost Slintish approach to rhythm and structure – saw them tour with their Glaswegian associates before splitting up the following year. Members subsequently became involved with Mugstar (Peter Smyth) and Part Chimp (Joe McLaughlin) before a new line-up briefly re-emerged to tour their essential discography collection, The Esthetik of Destruction, in 2006. BALLOONS Not the first and certainly not the last band to lean towards the wobblier end of cleverclogs pop, Balloons made an almighty racket from a potent combination of post-punk jerks and off-kilter quirks. Recalling Devo, Clor and even the more outré aspects of Blur’s art-school genre mash-ups (only, you know, sans the smug), Balloons released the excellent single Part Hideout and then promptly split up, with frontman Thomas Gorton and guitarist Benjamin Duvall respectively going on to form Skinny favourites Outfit and Ex-Easter Island Head. Still, during their brief lifetime, Balloons managed to be both utterly tremendous and completely unlike any other band in the city.
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SALEM RAGES Something of a local punk supergroup, Salem Rages drew together ex-members of thrashcrossover types SSS and lunatic hardcore kids Cold Ones, leaning more heavily towards the gothic horror-punk of Danzig-era Misfits. Their darkling noise certainly packed a punch, blending the gleefully twisted fun of The Curtain Fall with more subtle instrumental moments that seemed to take influence from the heady rush of DC’s Revolution Summer bands. After a couple of years’ hard work, they released the EP compilation Splinters and then promptly retreated into the night, never to be seen again. Shame. BIRD A much less visceral affair than the bands previously mentioned, Bird seemed poised to have it all at the end of 2014. Debut album My Fear and Me was a triumphantly received slice of murkily atmospheric pop, drawing from the Cocteau Twins and Warpaint, and the band were also chosen to support cult Detroit singer Rodriguez (of Searching for Sugar Man fame) on his European tour. Suddenly, they announced their split with the cryptic explanation of “reasons beyond our control,” meaning that all we’re left with is one near-perfect collection of eerie, eldritch torch songs and some pretty great memories. Still, nice while it lasted.
THE SKINNY
February 2016
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The No Bummer Zone Protomartyr’s Joe Casey walks us through the literary interests and supernatural curiosities that informed the Detroit band’s third album, The Agent Intellect Interview: Katie Hawthorne
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rotomartyr make music out of curiosity: to ask questions, find connections. The Detroit band took a turn for the literary on their recently released third album, The Agent Intellect, and The Skinny calls frontman Joe Casey to investigate how their bone-rattling post-punk hits some really raw nerves. Using their characteristically bruising, metallic sound to query the relationship between mind and body, and the strange, cyclical nature of human existence, Protomartyr will scratch your deepest anxieties and leave you feeling all the better for it. Some ten years senior to the rest of the band, Casey met guitarist Greg Ahee and drummer Alex Leonard when they were playing local gigs as a two-piece called Butt Babies, and found drummer Scott Davidson by chance, after attending a house show held in his basement. That same basement later became Protomartyr’s rehearsal space and dubbed, not without irony, the No Bummer Zone. The band’s first two full-length records, No Passion All Technique (2012) and Under Color of Official Right (2014) established a formula of sorts: cloudy, gutpunching post-punk spiked with Casey’s slurred, incisive baritone poetry. But it’s in Protomartyr’s most recent release – 2015’s late arrival, The Agent Intellect – that the four-piece tentatively start to trust their muscles with the full weight of their imagination. Casey describes the group’s evolution with dry self-deprecation, taking pains to emphasise a lack of professionalism. “It is all a lot of dumb luck,” he states, matter-of-factly. “You gotta be thankful for it, but don’t think that you’re gonna keep on shitting gold. I still don’t have confidence in it. But it doesn’t bother me that I don’t have confidence, because I’ve never had it… and it’s been going pretty good so far.” He talks, jokingly, of a “quote unquote… artistic routine” which has developed out of necessity. Protomartyr spend a lot of time on the road, so when the band get down to writing and recording, they move fast. “I’m getting better at throwing out ideas. I don’t know if what I pick is good, but I do know that what I discarded was definitely bad,” Casey explains. The ideas he “picked” this time circle around his current curiosities; The Agent Intellect feels like a novel, as scenes and characters float in and out of a nightmarish, familiar landscape. Though quick to stress that “you don’t want it to be a concept album, because that would be terrible,” he admits that “I do look for connections. The songs are about not knowing things, not knowing the answer.” The investigative tone of the record starts with the title: it’s an obtuse Aristotelian concept that Casey discovered in a book called The Classical Tradition. “It’s just a good bathroom read,” he laughs. “And the Agent Intellect was in there. Now, what I like about it is that I don’t know what it is. Aristotle probably did explain it but it got lost in time, or burnt up… and now it’s become the thing that different philosophers throughout history have applied different
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meanings to. The fact that there’s no set meaning? I love that in reference to the mind. It seems the mind is pretty unknowable. And it was a spark that got me reading more, just trying to figure out what the hell it is.” So, with an album title based on a concept they don’t understand, Protomartyr embarked on making a record that asks more questions than it answers, exploring faith and frustration through eerie anecdotes and natural phenomena. For the next stop on our literary tour, Casey explains the spoken word intro/outro to mid-record track The Hermit: “It’s from a book called Of Monsters and Marvels, and he’s a medical doctor, but back in the 1500s. He gives these ‘scientific’ reasons for ‘monsters,’ which I guess just means deformities, and they’re, uh… they’re kind of funny. You know, a monster might be born because God is great, and a monster might be born because God hates you. That’s his scientific reason.
“We think that we’re living in the future and we know what’s going on, but we really don’t” Joe Casey
“When you read the Bible it’s like, ‘Boy, sure was a lot of miracles back in the Bible times, how come there’s not so many nowadays?’ and if you read this book from the 1500s, it’s like, ‘Oh, there sure were a lot of people walking around with heads in their stomachs.’ You know, it’s just the way they perceived reality at the time.” We confesses to not having personally seen many miracles, and Casey laughs. “Yeah, but I don’t know how the internet works, you know? If you explained it to me, it would sound almost as ridiculous as that ‘monster’ did to that author. That’s the thing: we’re just as confused. We think that we’re living in the future and we know what’s going on, but we really don’t.” Another track, Boyce or Boice, tackles head-on this idea of a modern, more technical kind of blind faith. The song’s title refers to a strain of Christianity which believes in a duo of technologically proficient demons capable of corrupting your hardware. Casey suggests exploring a very serious website called Demon Busters, which should be examined with caution: expect sinister music on autoplay and all-caps, end-of-days rhetoric. “And what’s really great about it,” he enthuses, “is that it’s kind of old for the internet – it’s kind of like an old text, an early website. And
it’s interesting that you could believe in demons that are out to corrupt you. If you had a computer and the printer wasn’t working, you could say, ‘Oh, there’s a demon in my computer. Get out, demon.’ People go through life thinking that, and it’s just as valid as ‘Why does my computer not work? Oh I have no idea. I have to take it to the Genius store and have a Genius fix it.’” Through a Protomartyr lens, modern-day mysteries start to feel really unnerving. How does the internet work? No, really? Casey, although “not particularly religious,” spent his childhood working as an altar boy in a monastery next door to his home and finds a certain weight, a specific type of poetry, in quasi-religious language. “When you’re talking about unknown things, if you talk about faith and the fact that we go through life not really knowing a lot, then you kind of have to bring up religion,” he says. Although the band’s moniker refers to the first Christian martyr, St Stephen, and the 26th of December – the Feast of St Stephen – holds a special sway for the band, it’s mainly because “everyone’s home for the holidays, so it’s a big bar night in Detroit,” Casey laughs. More significant is the placement of the apocalyptic Feast of Stephen as the album’s closing track. “We wrote that song very very fast, and I made the lyrics up on the spot. We knew it had to be the last song. “You know, I think the real reason [the record] seems novelistic is more to do with the music [than the lyrics],” he continues. “The music came first. Greg, the guitar player, really wanted the songs to all bleed into each other. I don’t know much about music, but Greg, he’s explained it to me that the… I guess it’s a ‘note’? One of those things. It returns to the beginning of [album opener] The Devil in His Youth at the end of Feast of Stephen. It rises back... The beginning is kind of the end.” That blow-out first/final note of The Agent Intellect echoes like a wheezing organ, a fateful, inevitable acknowledgement of the circle of life. Feast of Stephen prods at a Herod-like distrust of incoming generations, essentially blaming
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newborns for rendering the elderly irrelevant. “Nobody wants to hear an old guy complain about young people. So if you go back further and say, ‘Oh these stupid babies, let’s get rid of them,’ then that’s still the idea. It’s the fear you’re being pushed out, but accepting it.” The Devil in His Youth flips these anxieties of aging, painting Satan himself as a gawky suburban teen driven to evil by the “mundane frustration” that life hasn’t provided everything he feels he deserves. Swapping between bedroom introspection and broad, scenic sketches of modern day Detroit, Protomartyr capture the anxieties of disaffected “youths” in all stages of life – from birth to death, via everything in between. Referencing pizza kings and DUI lawyers, dive bars and Pope visits, Protomartyr thumb through snapshot narratives to prove that fear of the unknown is a universally shared emotion. Punk bands are so easily stereotyped as angry, or inflammatory. Protomartyr aren’t either of those things. In confronting life’s ugliness, from inequality to Alzheimer’s, with a record that lifts you up as much as it pricks at your skin, Protomartyr prove that there’s comfort in admitting that you just don’t know why things happen, or how the world works. Being honest doesn’t have to bum you out. The band are currently back on the road, due to hold these conversations on hundreds of stages over the next few months. Restarting the cyclical process of touring, writing, recording and releasing will see Protomartyr return to Detroit in the summer, ready to shake up their old processes. “We’ll need to find another practice space. Trying something new would be a good thing to do,” Casey affirms. So you’re leaving behind the No Bummer Zone? “Yeah, we’re gonna have to throw ourselves into new stuff… Besides, there are a lot of new bands in Detroit full of babies that we gotta destroy.” Well, that’s the spirit! Playing Magnet, Liverpool on 1 Apr and Picture House Social, Sheffield on 3 Apr protomartyrband.com
THE SKINNY
Tues 8th Mar • £24 adv
The Stranglers Wed 9th Mar • £22 adv
GIGS WED 2 MAR 7pm
HACKTIVIST
Scott Bradlee’s Postmodern Jukebox
MON 7 MAR 7pm
Fri 11th Mar • £20 adv
MON 7 MAR 7pm
+ The Icicle Works
WED 9 MAR 7pm
Sat 12th Mar • £16 adv
THU 10 MAR 7.30pm
The Wonder Stuff Foxes
Mon 21st Mar • £15 adv
Half Moon Run Wed 23rd Mar • £17.50 adv
Battles
Fri 25th Mar • £12 adv
Crossfaith
Sat 26th Mar • £12 adv
The Smyths
The Queen Is Dead 30th Anniversary Tour
Thurs 7th Apr • £15 adv
FEARLESS VAMPIRE KILLERS MATT CORBY WOLF ALICE BILL RYDER-JONES FRI 11 MAR 7pm
TRAGEDY SAT 12 MAR 7.30pm
ROBBIE VALENTINE’S BIZZARO WORLD & A TRIBUTE TO QUEEN SAT 19 MAR 7pm
JOEY CAPE SAT 19 MAR 7pm
WALKING WITH CARS SUN 27 MAR 7pm
DIIV
SUN 3 APR 7pm
Leon Bridges
MIKE DIGNAM
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18/02/2016 19:13
THE SKINNY
Sins of the Fathers Chilean filmmaker Pablo Larraín continues to scratch at his nation’s dark past with fifth feature The Club, a chilling study of guilt and punishment following four defrocked priests exiled to a windswept coastal purgatory
“T
he Church thinks that it can only be judged by the eyes of God, not in a courtroom,” Pablo Larraín says in an even tone as he sips coffee in a London bar. The Chilean filmmaker makes the same point much more forcefully in his extraordinary new film, The Club, a caustic and chilling indictment of the culture of concealment in the Catholic Church. The film’s setup recalls Father Ted: four priests and their stickler housekeeper live out an oddball cohabitation in a canary yellow house in an overcast coastal village. But cosy clergy sitcom this is not. The 39-year-old Larraín, best known for a loose trilogy of films (Tony Manero, Post Mortem and No) that picked at the scab of his country’s military dictatorship, won the Silver Bear award for The Club at last year’s Berlin Film Festival and he’s speaking to us on a warm October morning in Covent Garden ahead of the film’s screening at London Film Festival. It all began, he says, when he came across an incongruous photograph. “I don’t know if it was on the internet or in the newspaper, but it was a picture of a very beautiful house where a German congregation holds priests like these ones. One of the priests there was Chilean, called Cox, and he was accused of child abuse, but before he was grabbed by the
March 2016
Interview: Jamie Dunn
justice he left to live in this house.” Dressed all in black with a neat beard, this is the one moment in the interview where Larraín is compelled to sit bolt upright from the armchair he’s lounging in. “It was incredible! It was all green fields and mountains. It looked like it was a Swiss chocolate commercial or something. I started wondering about this house...” In The Club, Larraín’s protagonists have also been posted to a rural congregation and swept under the rug. But it takes a while for us to understand why these clergymen have ended up in their secluded purgatory. “Cinema is very good at mystery,” he says, “and I think it’s essential to deliver the information in a certain way, to build it so that you want to know what’s going on.” Those unfamiliar with this filmmaker’s penchant for putting grim crimes of the Chilean state under a microscope might initially think they’ve stumbled into a geezer comedy as we see these strange little men take constitutionals on the beach and train their greyhound for local dog races. What are these quaint old fogies doing at a “centre of prayer and penance”? This slow burn adds to Larraín’s themes. “It’s confusing, because you get the impression that these guys don’t even know what they’ve done; they don’t
understand why their behaviour was so harmful; they’re in denial.” The sins of their come into sharp focus when a new priest joins the club, and brings with him some unwanted attention. One of his victims, a weather-beaten fisherman named Sandokan (Roberto Farias), pitches up outside the priests’ neat little home and declares at the top of his lungs and in pornographic detail the various sexual abuses meted out to him as a child by the new arrival. It’s an extraordinary scene, part protest, part confessional.
“The Church have more fear for the media than they do for hell” Pablo Larraín
If you felt that the similarly themed Oscar hopeful Spotlight was too coy in its depiction of institutionalised child molestation, The Club is its antidote, and brings viewers uncomfortably close to these criminals and their crimes. “What’s interesting is that when Sandokan describes what happened to him, the audience has to complete those images in their heads,” says Larraín, “and those images are often way more dangerous or violent than what I could shoot. I try to create a tone and a story that needs an active audience: they have to use their own biography and their own ethical and moral perceptions to represent the movie, and that’s interesting, but you’re creating these horrible images in your own mind and that’s fucking dangerous.” In the last decade or so, the scandal of child abuse inside the Catholic Church has flooded the press and lapped embarrassingly around the feet of the religion’s high command, who in the past have simply denied the charges and paid off the victims. The recent watershed of exposure,
FILM
says Larraín, has been because of a change in our attitude towards victims. “Back in the day, you wouldn’t speak because you didn’t want to be that guy – not just because of the experience but because of the way people would look at you,” he suggests. “Today, there is respect for these people for speaking up and there’s more protection.” The key, however, has been the media’s response. “I think what happens here is that the Church have more fear for the media than they do for hell. It’s a new paradigm.” The central section of The Club concerns an investigation by a Church emissary, Father García (Marcelo Alonso), into the goings-on in the house, and the residents’ resistance to any suggestion of wrongdoing for their crimes, which are revealed to be myriad, from pederasty to selling bastard children on the black market to Larraín’s favourite subject: complicity with Pinochet’s regime. If this all sounds too grim, what makes it palatable is Larraín’s deft marshalling of tone, creating an atmosphere that’s clammy, unnerving, quietly compassionate and darkly funny. The latter is a quality that runs through all of Larraín’s work; his signature touch. “There are some ideas that you can’t say with a straight face because you can sound preachy,” he suggests. “It’s as if you’re trying to make a statement instead of telling a story. Humour is the best tool to hide something that can be interesting and smart and it can maybe be even more sophisticated if you can put it in a joke.” Humour is also another way by which Larraín wakes us from our complacency. “It can be threatening for the audience when they realise they are laughing about something that they shouldn’t be laughing at,” he says. “It’s a moral conflict inside any of us if we laugh at something that maybe we shouldn’t and when that happens, it’s amazing.” For Larraín, this phenomenon is key to cinema’s future: “If you watch the movie alone, maybe you wouldn’t laugh that much, but in a cinema, it’s an electric thing. It’s why cinema will never be replaced.” The Club is released across the UK on 25 Mar by Network Films
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Photo: Molly Naylor
Wet Behind the Ears Tightroping the line between comedy and spoken word, Rob Auton is a unique performer who’s won our hearts with his capacious and emotive shows. As he prepares to tour The Water Show, he talks to The Skinny about writing, and finding the good in humanity
K
nown for intense, non-sequitous, beautiful and almost indescribable Edinburgh Fringe shows, as universal in theme as they could possibly be – The Yellow Show, The Sky Show, The Face Show, The Water Show and, soon forthcoming, The Sleep Show – it’s hard to know what to expect when interviewing Rob Auton. Not on the list was being the subject of the interview myself: “What’s your local supermarket?” “What do you prefer, Co-op or Asda?” “Where’s your accent from?” He asks them all with care and an intrigue that makes me realise I’m pretty bad at my job, and that Rob Auton is an absolute delight. After he’s given me a light grilling (and worried about my past Edinburgh workload – “Flipping heck, that’s a shift isn’t it?”), Auton, like any interviewer worth his salt, turns the conversation to the subject at hand – his new (and first) touring show, The Water Show; a show about water and what we use and/or abuse it for. “I’ve done it quite a lot since the Fringe and I’ve tried to make it a bit more inclusive, so it’s not just me talking,” he says. “You’ve got to leave a few gaps for the magic to happen, haven’t you?” The kind of magic Auton creates comes through his innate sense of wonder. All of his shows concern things we take for granted but which fascinate him, taking us into his world, a world that he sometimes finds overwhelming. “It’s a miracle that people aren’t fainting over the fact that they’ve got a tongue. Do you know what I mean?” And somehow, you do know what he means – although looking at everything with an outsider’s eye isn’t for everyone. On Auton’s website, where you might usually find the critical acclaim there are also a number of criticisms, almost to make you aware this might not be the act for you. For every Cerys Matthews quote (“I could talk to you forever”) there is an equal and opposite force of Vanessa Feltz, remarking,
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“That’s just sad.” Auton also includes bad reviews from publications that weren’t quite buying what he had to sell, though many more are in awe of what he has to offer, including The Guardian and The Independent, and whimsical kingmaker Daniel Kitson. “There’s no point in worrying what people think of [my comedy],” Auton says. “I’m going to do it because this is what my instinct tells me to do and it makes me feel alive. And if it doesn’t make you feel alive then I’m sorry.” Rather than performing at mainstream comedy nights (“They don’t get it. Which is fine. But to them, there’s nothing to get. It’s completely void of all worth”), Auton honed his trade at poetry and spoken word events in and around London while working in advertising as an art director/copywriter – something that didn’t give him quite the creative freedom he was looking for. “Advertising is so nearly a perfect job for someone who likes having ideas but it’s not a place for someone to say how they feel about the world or be an artist or whatever, because it’s a business,” he says. As the poetry nights were more welcoming of his free-flowing, ideas-based comedy, he kept going back and has since inadvertently become known as a poet. “I’d like to think of some of it as being poetic. I did poetry gigs but it’s always been just writing some stuff down, and then saying it so I don’t have to say it anymore.” (Another glance at the criticism on his site shows a review from Poetry Monthly that simply says, ‘I wish there’d been more poetry.’) People not quite knowing where to place Auton suits him just fine. He is his own man creating what he finds interesting; sometimes it’s a poem, sometimes it’s a prop joke. He is also known to be a crafter of some fine oneliners, as evidenced by his award-winning joke from Fringe 2013 about an Oriental chocolate bar (Google it), which won plaudits followed almost
immediately by scorn and caused Vanessa Feltz to say what she said earlier. “People at gigs liked that joke but, once it won… people don’t like being told what’s funny,” Auton says. “People want to make their own minds up. So if it’s in a poll and it’s like, ‘this is what’s funny,’ people will be like ‘no’.”
“It’s a miracle that people aren’t fainting over the fact they’ve got a tongue. Do you know what I mean?” Rob Auton
Unperturbed by such accolades, Auton will continue to be his own performer. “Standing up on stage is such a temperamental thing,” he says. “I don’t know what’s going to happen. People are going to be going there and hoping it’ll be good – ‘I hope it’ll be funny, I hope I have a laugh.’ And that’s exactly how I feel; we’re coming at it from the same angle, it’s just that sometimes that doesn’t match up.” There’s a greater theme at the heart of Auton’s comedy, in which he is basically trying to tell us that we all share so many attributes and even flaws – why can’t we all just get along? “If an alien came down he’d be like, ‘Well, you guys all look like you should all get on because you’ve all got faces and you’ve got so much in
COMEDY
Interview: John Stansfield
common,’ and then he’d see someone shooting someone else and he’d be like, ‘Oh, hold on a minute, what are you doing?’” It’s a lofty premise, and one that he’s aware has not quite managed to fly before. “John Lennon tried to do it with give peace a chance and he was one of the most famous men on the planet and people thought he was stupid. If he can’t do it, what chance has anyone else got?” At a show before Christmas at London’s Union Chapel, Auton read a new piece, a letter to him from Father Christmas telling him not to worry and that it’s OK to be overwhelmed sometimes – essentially playing out what is a constant struggle in his own mind. “The devil makes work for idle hands; I get very, very down if I have too much time to think about stuff… [my comedy is] a distraction, basically,” he says. Auton’s aim is to keep moving and improving; to get better at both being a human and a comedian. “The stuff in the news is just all so hard-hitting and melancholic. It’s difficult to cope, so maybe [my comedy is] a coping mechanism, I don’t know. But I know that I love laughing and people trying to make me think in a different way. And there isn’t much of that on the news.” With all the horrific news and outrages we are inundated with on a daily basis, sometimes having a laugh is all we can hope for – and if it’s through the innocent eyes of a poetic manchild that we remember what’s beautiful about the world, then so be it. “I just want to learn and get better and make the next thing be the best thing. And see how good I can get. You’ve got to keep trying and moving forward,” Auton says. “And yeah, that’s it really... Is that OK?” Rob Auton: The Water Show is at The Lowry Studio, Salford, 23 Mar For full dates and Sleep Show previews, check robauton.co.uk
THE SKINNY
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Tales from the Aftermath In her debut short story collection, Lara Williams finds beauty and poetry among the debris of relationships. The Skinny’s literary discovery of 2016 so far, Treats may well remain so by year’s end. Williams discusses her conversion to the short form Interview: Gary Kaill
“I
’d always thought that I wanted to write but perhaps hadn’t decided what I wanted to write. So I started to do little bits of journalism – you know, all very self-righteous and feminist, but the biggest leap, really, was doing the creative writing MA at MMU, which I did parttime around work.” Lara Williams reflects on her first tentative steps into fiction as we meet up over coffee on a predictably icy Manchester morning. A hugely accomplished debut, her short story collection Treats is slim at just over 200 pages, but its scope and ambition are vast. She had the natural attraction of the long form to swerve first, however. “I was writing this absolutely truly dreadful novel,” Williams recalls, “and I was persevering with it and thought I would finish that off while I was doing the MA, and suddenly I just went back to reading short fiction. I was in my final year a couple of years ago, which coincided with a break-up, leaving PINS [Williams drummed with the band through their initial releases and early, electrifying live shows], switching jobs, moving out of a flat with some friends to moving in on my own. It was a strange upheaval and at the same time I was reading all this short fiction: Lorrie Moore, Amy Hempel, Grace Paley. So I was discovering these female short fiction writers and suddenly I felt like I understood the form. I realised then that that’s what I wanted to write. I wrote most of it in about 12 months.” Williams references the best but, even by those standards, Treats is remarkable. A raw dissection of the maddening complexities of human relationships (romantic, parental, professional), it unpicks its subject via a series of trim, understated narratives. Written in the first person, the third and, in It Begins (among others), an alarmingly vivid second person (‘At some point it occurs to you: you will divorce’), its characters navigate a bewildering and merciless world. In This Small Written Thing, the breathless flush of romance withers and dies (‘She hadn’t yet realised that in a relationship, honesty was just one of many options’) in horrifying fast-forward. A Single Lady’s Manual for Parent/Teacher Evening is a hallucinatory and chilling picture of a mother-son relationship. In Sundaes at the Tipping Yard, the narrator manages the dual disappointments of a self-proclaimed film
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buff live-in landlord whose favourite film is Finding Nemo, and being dumped by her dimwit boyfriend. But, as throughout, it’s the muted aftermath that resonates: ‘You sit and notice the air.’ Williams conjures elegant poetics with a sure-footed command of language. She makes sentences spark and flare; at times, her word play is breathtaking.
“I feel like that is something female writers get asked more: whether something is based on real life” Lara Williams
Allied to that advanced technique is a deep gift for character creation. The characters who inhabit Treats are painstakingly realised and violently alive. (Their various small-scale agonies become, at times, almost too difficult to share, but note: their stories resonate always with a deep-seated humanism. Treats will – be warned – find you out, and if it starts to feel too close to home, alongside that recognition, you’ll find consolation.) It’s tempting to look for them in later stories, catch them tip-toeing across the borders of their own small, defined worlds. “Well, actually, I did initially think about doing that whole inter-textuality thing,” says Williams, “that Bret Easton Ellis thing of pulling characters in from different places. No, they do all exist in the same world. I feel like they all could live in the same town and even though I didn’t expressly set it in Manchester, and I don’t particularly refer to it, that’s where the book takes place.” Treats, refreshingly, dares to confront the often discomfiting physicality of human relationships, depicting those interactions as a distinctly animal act. It is also very, very funny. In A Selfie as Big as the Ritz, Samuel’s flailing attempts to
re-awaken his girlfriend’s ardour with a trip to Paris crumble mid-air: ‘On the flight she listened to country music – a clear indication of melancholy.’ Kitty, the friend of the nameless narrator of One of Those Life Things, provides no-nonsense support at an abortion clinic: ‘She’s here for her rhinoplasty,’ she tells the receptionist. Dotted throughout the book are a multitude of wry observations that demand highlighting, quoting even. “Yeah, it was intentional to have the humour, that sort of humour,” says Williams, “because I often found myself wanting to take the characters down a miserabilist path.” But Treats is never mean. There’s a grounding compassion for the characters. “Well, yes, I do like to show compassion. I like compassionate fiction. I certainly like fiction that has a warmth towards its characters. Sometimes I find myself writing a character who I don’t really like at the beginning but the more I flesh them out, the more I like them.” We touch upon where the stories have come from. The Getting of the Cat first appeared online a couple of years ago. The response on Twitter – that it seemed very autobiographical – had frustrated Williams. “I feel like that is something that female writers get asked about more: whether something is based on real life,” she says. “I don’t know. Take confessional journalism – female confessional journalism. I don’t think it’s a particularly female thing but I feel like maybe it gets commissioned more than confessional male journalism. I think maybe there’s a presumption that women are writing from a place of direct experience rather than fictionalising events. I think you can write an event that is based entirely on your life but it can still be fictional.” Alongside the clear-sighted de-romanticising of boy-meets-girl – such as in the hilarious and absurd Penguins, where an initial encounter (‘She lifts his head and turns it round like the prop skull from Hamlet, kissing him with a straightforward matter-of-factness while he pushes his hand up her skirt’) provides no clue as to the unique preferences of the protagonist’s new lover – there’s a distinct pattern of characters having life happen to them. Rather than dictate events, they often draw around them the various inconveniences and horrors they find themselves saddled with. Williams nods: “Have
BOOKS
you read any Mary Gaitskill? One of the things she writes about is submissive relationships and this feeling of letting things happen to you. ‘I’m going to let you do this to me, you piece of shit, because that’s what your love means to me – it means shit to me.’ I feel like there is this sort of passive-aggression and it’s very extreme. I wanted to write about the idea of letting things happen to you.” On that theme, in the longest story in the collection, Here’s to You, dancer Aahna returns home, post-breakup, to live with her mother, and almost immediately sleepwalks into an unplanned evening at an unremarkable old school-friend’s house (‘…she realised, with a sort of unbiased anthropological curiosity, that the evening was a date’). “That story had quite a few iterations. Originally, I wasn’t going to put it in the collection – it just wasn’t working. But then I re-wrote it, mostly from scratch, over two days and I just liked it. It’s probably the longest story in the collection. It felt like I’d sort of evolved – a lot of my early stories were quite abstract. They were written about quite abstract feelings with no real narrative or plot.” You can’t help but wonder how it pans out, though. Surely she doesn’t just end up with him? “Yeah, I don’t know how I feel about that. I don’t know if they do. With that story, I wanted to write something that had a bit more kindness and, perhaps, sincerity. I think that was just her life, this sad acceptance. I wanted to write about the conflict within this person who wants to live this artistic, creative type of life, but has to deal with the negotiations that life demands.” In Tributaries, the book’s final story, Melody chooses to swim rather than sink. The closing passage, where she alights from a tram in the Manchester snow, is a stirring and life-affirming coda. It’s a sharp reversal of much of what has come before. “Yes, I think so, too,” says Williams. “I did want to end the book on a more positive note. I didn’t want to leave it with an unhappy ending. That story just felt like the last full stop. I felt like it had summarised a lot of what I had wanted to do. It’s a good place to end.” Treats is out 3 Mar, published by Freight Books The Treats book launch takes place at Whitworth Art Gallery, Manchester, 24 Mar, 6pm, with readings, music and more
THE SKINNY
These Important Years Having triumphantly ridden the comeback trail in recent years, Bob Mould’s personal life suddenly cracked open in 2014. He tells us how a traumatic year informed new album Patch the Sky, and why those pesky Hüsker Dü reunion rumours won’t go away Interview: Will Fitzpatrick Photography: Mark Prime
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t’s safe to say Bob Mould has had better days. The punk veteran has just arrived at his hotel when we call via a flaky Skype connection, following several days of press commitments in Berlin and London, and he’s been struggling to sleep. It’s a relief, then, to discover that he’s feeling somewhat chipper in the face of such trying circumstances. “I haven’t had anything to eat in ten hours so I’m heading to the restaurant as soon as we say goodbye,” he laughs, easing into the interview with the comforting air of a natural conversationalist. In any case, hunger seems an apposite place to start: recent years have shown Mould to be an artist with a renewed appetite. Following several coolly received albums between 2005 and 2009, he re-emerged in 2012 with Silver Age, a solid collection recalling the potent noise and melodic magic of his short-lived former outfit Sugar and their mighty Copper Blue opus. Upon its release in 1992, that record signalled something of a second act to an already impressive career, following the dissolution of his seminal college rock outfit Hüsker Dü four years previously. Several years on, a time-out period saw him find refuge in pro-wrestling scriptwriting, the gay club scene and a healthy interest in electronic music – as explored spectacularly with the success of Blowoff, the Washington DC dance night he DJ’d at with Richard Morel. Further solo records in the rock idiom followed, but by this point it’s fair to say no one expected a third act. “Silver Age was just a quick blur of an album that sort of fell out of me,” he says, reflecting on his ongoing purple patch with a reinvigorated Bob Mould Band. “It made for a really nice transition into this stretch of new work. The crowds have been great, the momentum was there… it just kept building on itself, all the way through until November 2014, when I had a pretty lousy personal year and took the first half of 2015 to get away. Now I think we’re back on track and I personally feel really great about where things are at this moment in my life.” The year in question certainly was tough: having lost his father during the lead-up to 2014’s Beauty & Ruin, his mother then passed away too. As if that wasn’t enough, the relative stability of his love life crumbled, and a newly single Mould fell into a darkly pensive period. The specifics of this experience are off the agenda today, as we’re advised in advance; instead, he’s keen to talk about the record they inspired – his 12th solo effort, Patch the Sky. “I think it’s a little bit deeper than the last two records,” he explains. “The stories get rather dark and the melodies get rather bright, and the contrast between the two is turned up pretty high this time. I think there’s maybe an emotional simplicity to this record; I really resisted the urge to get super-wordy. It seems really primal… hopefully people will identify with it at some point.” That darkness becomes apparent on tracks like Voices in My Head (“…that multiply and amplify the fear”) and Pray for Rain, both of which are rather more forthright about this period of depression. “Yeah, that’s the simplicity I was talking about,” he says. “I’m not trying to put lipstick on it, it’s pretty much what it is.”
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At times it sounds like the songs are in dialogue with themselves, we suggest, rather than simply following ideas to linear conclusions. “Middle of the second verse is usually the good spot to do that,” he says, deftly sidestepping our attempts to open up the subject matter a little. “Then you clear it out with a big-ass guitar solo, and then come back, and you’ve got your resolve, right? That’s how the story goes.” In that case, how would Mould summarise the story behind Patch the Sky? “The basic idea to me is: when people leave earth, they tear through the sky, and sometimes they rip a hole in it. People get left to try to fix that – you’re gonna have to try to approach that hole, you can’t do it from the ground. Better to fix the hole and stay on this side than to travel through,” he says. “If that makes any sense.” Just about. It’s the third record in what Bob Mould Band drummer Jon Wurster refers to as a “triptych” of recent offerings; a return to form that followed the release of Mould’s autobiography in 2011. See a Little Light: The Trail of Rage and Melody was an extraordinarily frank piece from an artist who’s always seemed somewhat reluctant to discuss the past. Was the book an attempt to close the door on certain aspects of his career, we ask, in order to focus on looking forward?
“Better to fix the hole and stay on this side than to travel through” Bob Mould
“Well you know, in reference to my memories of Hüsker Dü, I never really talked about it until the book,” he replies. “So I don’t know if ‘closing the door’ is what I would say. I guess if I think about it, I wrote the book to tell my story and, through doing that, to get a little bit of clarity – not only for myself, but for the people who read it. “The book was a very long, measured look at everything: my childhood, my teen years, Hüsker Dü, Sugar, solo records, relationships, Blowoff… After doing that, I think it unknowingly created this opportunity for me. Believe me, in the three years I was putting those stories together, I wasn’t thinking about where I was gonna go next. I’ll take it as a very large accidental victory.” The book was written with the editorial guidance of Michael Azerrad, the American music scribe whose tome Our Band Could Be Your Life documented the evolution of indie rock from its hardcore punk origins through to the rise of Nirvana. There’s also a strong argument that it provided a springboard for the indie rock revivalism that’s made heroes of guitartoting noiseniks from METZ to Parquet Courts to Joanna Gruesome in recent years, as well as paving the way for Mould’s contemporaries such as Kristin Hersh (Throwing Muses), Kim Gordon (Sonic Youth) and Jon Fine (Bitch Magnet) to put pen to paper and compose their own memoirs.
As the last significant development in guitarbased music before the proliferation of the internet, indie rock may well be the last truly mythologised movement in the story of rock music as a whole. “Absolutely,” agrees Mould. “How many memoirs do you think we’re gonna have from here on out? I fear that so many people are burning up their currency on a daily basis through social media. That’s the part that I worry about; when your life is public, there’s not a lot of private stuff to dig into. I guess it’s a new frontier and I’m just guessing as to what might happen. “Our Band... was a great book. And bear in mind that Michael was the first person that I spoke with at any length about my career in the 80s – he went to great lengths to illuminate the 80s American music scene, and he did a really great job, I think his band choices were good, and he’s a very good storyteller. I’m grateful for my relationship with Michael.” With appreciation for the Hüskers output reaching new heights, fans were caught off guard when an official website for the band was launched last year. Rumours picked up pace: had long-running tensions between Mould and drummer/fellow songwriter Grant Hart finally eased off? Would a reunion be on the cards? The answer remains an emphatic no, but that never
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stops the same old questions from being asked. Luckily he doesn’t seem to mind. “People keep holding out on hope,” he says, managing to sound both humble and considered. “That band was very important to a lot of people, and posthumously maybe even more so; the legacy of the band just seems to keep growing. I’m not one to step on that, but nor am I one to encourage any false hope. I guess I have to be the bearer of bad news to say, ‘It’s not happening.’ I’m not the only one in the band that feels that way, so don’t pin it all on me, people!” He laughs, before affirming how happy he is to be playing with Wurster and long-time bass lieutenant Jason Narducy in what amounts to a blistering power trio: “Jason and Jon are very fluent in all of the different languages that I speak, whether it’s hardcore punk, or singersongwriter, or power pop, or whatever. It stuns me that it’s so easy.” In that respect it certainly seems that Bob Mould’s sky has been patched for the time being. He’s a survivor, as grateful for a new lease on life and his career as he’s happy to continue ploughing his own furrow. So how does he feel about where he’s at right now? “I’m just happy to be here. Trust me.” Patch the Sky is released on 25 Mar via Merge bobmould.com
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NEW DAWN FADES A PLAY ABOUT JOY DIVISION & MANCHESTER A N E D G E ST L IVE PRO D U CTIO N B Y A RRA N G E M E N T W ITH A L L RO A D S M E E T
Celebrating 10 years of the MMU Graduate Solo Exhibition Award
Written by Brian Gorman, Directed by James Foster
"A Spellbinding and Brilliant Play" John Robb Louderthanwar.com
7 ~ 9 APRIL LIVERPOOL Photo © Ole Akhøj
THE EPSTEIN
14 ~ 16 APRIL MANCHESTER
THE DANCEHOUSE 25/02/16 – 29/05/16
Manchester Craft & Design Centre
17 Oak Street, Northern Quarter, Manchester, M4 5JD Mon – Sat, 10am-5:30pm Sun 11am- 5pm
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CIRCOLOMBIA ACELERE
Thu 24 - Sun 27 March
18 ~ 19 APRIL LEEDS
CITY VARIETIES
22 ~ 23 APRIL SHEFFIELD
THE LEADMILL @allroadsmeet
FOUR ORDINARY LADS, ONE EXTRAORDINARY CITY, ONE LEGENDARY BAND
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FIRST SHOW ALL SEATS
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CONTEMPORARY CIRCUS WITH GUTS, GUSTO AND GRACE
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‘Just when you may have thought you’d seen it all, these artists push the boundaries of stage acrobatics’ British Theatre Guide
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THE SKINNY
End It Like Beckett According to Samuel Beckett, nothing is funnier than unhappiness. As his existentialist play Endgame opens at HOME, actor Chris Gascoyne talks about working with David Neilson, his role as Clov and the Theatre of the Absurd
Photos: Tim Morozzo
Interview: Jennifer Chamberlain
“H
ello lovely,” says a warm, familiar voice. Chris Gascoyne, known to the nation as Peter Barlow of Coronation Street, is on the other end of the line. He has just half an hour to talk, as he needs to get back to the rehearsal room where he and fellow Corrie star, David Neilson, are putting the finishing touches to a new production of Samuel Beckett’s Endgame. It was during a similar break on the set of the soap that the seed for Endgame was sown. “It was after David had played Lucky in Waiting for Godot, about eight years ago,” Gascoyne recalls. “One day we got talking about Beckett at lunchtime. We just got chatting and decided that it would be a great exercise to read one of his plays together to see what we got out of it.” What began as a lunchtime musing between colleagues developed into six months of evening readings as friends. It turns out the pair have more than cobbles in common, and their shared fascination with Beckett stems from their training at the Central School of Speech and Drama, albeit almost 20 years apart. From a cup of tea
in one hand and a script in the other, the duo’s vision grew into a full-scale production directed by Dominic Hill of Glasgow’s Citizens Theatre.
The sense of an ending
For the average person, the name Samuel Beckett unearths memories of studying Waiting for Godot at school; of hours and hours spent searching for the answers – to no avail. Endgame, in all its existentialist glory, promises more of the same. “In Waiting for Godot, they’re waiting for something to begin, and in Endgame, they’re waiting for something to end,” says Gascoyne, amused. “But it doesn’t end, until it’s ended. And when is the end? Will it never end? We can’t conclusively say it’s ended or if it’s only just the beginning.” It is Theatre of the Absurd, after all. But for Gascoyne and Neilson, Endgame is anything but ridiculous – rather, it’s a painfully beautiful and honest portrayal of the human condition in which we can all find an element
of ourselves. Languishing between life and death, the blind tyrant Hamm and his resentful companion Clov – played by Gascoyne – are irrevocably bound to one another. They pass their days in a filthy, bare room, caught in a loop of futile routines. Sombre as it sounds, Gascoyne admits that it was his fascination with the macabre that drew him to Endgame in the first place. “I like the darkness in the play, and the way things are never as we say they are, but I also love the comedy in it – it has real depth.”
“The characters are in the land of last things, and things that are no more” Chris Gascoyne
Theatre of the Absurd
Nowhere do comedy and tragedy come closer than in the Theatre of Absurd. Where human existence lacks purpose or meaning, we can either weep or howl with laughter. Written after Beckett’s brother passed away, and based on the undertones of his relationship with his wife, Endgame draws upon themes of death but, perhaps more profoundly, on our dependency on other people to take care of us, fuelled by a fear of being alone. “The characters are in the land of last things, and things that are no more,” says Gascoyne. “One can’t leave the other, because one says there’s nobody else and the other replies that there’s nowhere else.” In a play that evokes such a bleak outlook on life and relationships, should we really be laughing? Or is laughing all we can do?
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“It’s an absurd piece of theatre: the comedy is in the situation and the characters,” he says. “But it’s no Ray Cooney farce, let’s put it that way.”
Beckett’s vision
Obscure and open-ended, Endgame is a treat for an actor. But while there’s more than enough food for thought, Gascoyne warns against studying the play too closely: “It’s nothing you can work out with your mind; you can’t play philosophy, you have to play intention and action. Besides, it’s ultimately up to the audience; they make of it what they will depending on what their lives and relationships are like.” In a play so reliant on interpretation, it comes as a surprise to learn of the restrictions imposed by the playwright on productions of Endgame. The play is accompanied by instructions as to what a director can and cannot change about the piece, so that Beckett’s vision of the original 1957 text is honoured. Gascoyne is quick to jump to the playwright’s defence. “That’s not Beckett being awkward,” he says. “People make him sound like he had a terrible arrogance in that his work can’t be messed with, but that’s not the way it is. If you start to mess around with it, and have liberty to do whatever you want, it will no longer be the same piece with the same resonance and the same point. But he’s never saying don’t make the production your own. Just don’t have Hamm hanging from the ceiling and Clov with a pair of angel wings on. It’s not open in that sense, and I don’t think it should be. He’s done all the work already, there’s nothing we can add to make it better.” Our time is up. Gascoyne must return to the rehearsal room and to the mind of Samuel Beckett. A word of advice, perhaps, for an audience looking to make sense of absurdity? “Don’t expect anything. Don’t try and work it out. Just come and let it wash over you.” Endgame is at HOME, Manchester, until 12 Mar homemcr.org/production/endgame
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Voice from the Margins Gavin Scott Whitfield is a vibrant new voice in British independent filmmaking. His shorts are vivid and humane portraits of outsiders and the vulnerable in today’s society. We speak to him ahead of a showcase of his work at HOME in Manchester
Interview: Jamie Dunn
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t’s late September 2015 and The Skinny is on the blower to Liverpudlian filmmaker Gavin Scott Whitfield to discuss his upcoming retrospective at HOME in Manchester. If you’re thinking to yourself, “I don’t remember any such retrospective at HOME last year,” that’s because it never happened. “Haven’t you heard the news?” said Whitfield back in September. “The screening is off.” Postponed, rather, by request of the Crown Prosecution Service. The reason being that Whitfield’s latest short, Murderous Injustice, which would have been making its world premiere, deals with a very sensitive reallife crime, the trial for which was still ongoing. Murderous Injustice’s inspiration was the brutal murder of Bijan Ebrahimi, an Iranian refugee living on a Bristol council estate, by neighbour Lee James, who, on a warm summer’s evening, beat Ebrahimi unconscious, dragged him from his home and set him on fire. The reason for James’ actions: he was stirred up by a cocktail of alcohol, racial prejudice and false accusations that Ebrahimi was a paedophile. (From his front room Ebrahimi had been taking videos of neighbourhood kids, but there was nothing salacious in his intentions: he suspected they had been vandalising his garden and the video was evidence to give to the authorities.) James pleaded guilty to the crime and was jailed for life in 2013, but the question of any negligence on the part of the local police was still in question. “A criminal trial of a number of serving police officers was about to get underway and [the CPS] thought the film might unfairly prejudice the trial if it was shown at that time,” Whitfield explains during our rescheduled interview. “Out of respect for the trial and the family we held the film back.” That trial has now finished – a police officer and PCSO were found guilty of misconduct – and the premiere will go ahead at HOME on 18 March. The film may be rooted in truth but it’s no simple docudrama reenactment. The names are changed (the vigilante in Murderous Injustice is named H; the victim goes unnamed) and the events truncated. This aspect cannot be missed, as the incident escalates in real-time over ten intense minutes, filmed in a thrilling single take that Emmanuel Lubezki would be proud of (the cinematographer here is Ewan Mulligan). For Whitfield, the virtuosic technique is integral to the gut-wrenching storytelling. “Here we are, a moment in time when something changes forever in a community by the awful actions of a popular, socially accepted man,” the filmmaker explains. “The immediacy of a single shot, that you can’t look away as a viewer, and that we are in it until its final, tragic denouement, was entirely conscious and perhaps the only way to tell this story with the truth I think it warrants.” Perhaps most crucially, the setting isn’t
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specific. As the camera swoops in, at the film’s opening, on the heels of a young scally bringing a six-pack of lager to two young men perched on a patch of grass in a lively crescent, surrounded by the laughter of kids at play, this could be any street in the UK. It’s this universal quality that gives the film its power, Whitfield suggests. “That is the point of Murderous Injustice, its warning to us; this could have happened anywhere with these conditions, with the same prevalent underlying social tensions.” These tensions don’t come out of nowhere, and their source becomes explicit in the film when we hear a familiar voice wafting through the air from a TV or radio at several points in the scene. That voice is Nigel Farage’s. “Farage claims to speak for the ordinary bloke in the street, promoting this bogus self-interest of our country by pulling up the drawbridge to Europe, thereby blocking out all those legions of ‘feckless, workshy undesirables’ (mostly EastEuropeans but now any refugee, really) who want to get here,” Whitfield says. “His simple-minded but seductive narrative has created a very toxic atmosphere in this country at the moment.” Whitfield is quick to point out this doesn’t negate James’ culpability. “I’m not for a moment suggesting there is a logical step-by-step relationship between what Farage says and what this man did, but it is undeniably there around us – distrust and fear of the outsider, of those not like us. I don’t think it is any great feat of my imagination to suggest that what we’re witnessing around us, sprung from this commonly accepted perception, is a rise in hate crimes, particularly towards those from ethnic minority and religious backgrounds.” Murderous Injustice headlines a showcase of four of Whitfield’s shorts, called Voices from
the Margins: Four Films about Contemporary Britain. It’s an apt title: these are films concerned with everyday people and the social and institutional pressures they face. Jason Wood, director of film at HOME, has been one of the writer-director’s long-time champions: “I have known Gavin for over 20 years and he has always been passionate about cinema and a talented and committed writer,” Wood told us by email, comparing Whitfield’s writing to that of Jim Allen, the subject of a recent major retrospective at HOME. “Gavin started making films that looked at Britain’s underbelly and its outsiders and misfits, and he did it in a spirit of complete independence. This is in itself admirable.”
“Farage’s simpleminded but seductive narrative has created a very toxic atmosphere in this country at the moment” Gavin Scott Whitfield
Whitfield grew up in Liverpool through a particularly tough time for the city. “I witnessed first-hand the economic decline, social deprivation and high unemployment caused by a heartless Thatcher government unprepared to invest in a place she considered politically hostile to her – the whole shooting match,” he says. From here, Whitfield’s path towards filmmaking was not straightforward. He was almost a professional footballer, but turned to education when he sustained a major knee injury, studying philosophy in London. After graduation he spent years unemployed, although in retrospect he reckons this was beneficial in the long run. “I was pretty much left alone on a bare subsistence from the state (unheard of now!) to read voraciously all I believed were the essential and foundational texts for a creative life,” he recalls. “That was when the thought of becoming a writer started in me. That was when I knew I would have to turn what imagination and
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experiences I possessed into some form of artistic expression.” He plugged away at his craft, writing unpublished stories and unstaged plays, but eventually found an outlet as an investigative reporter. “That was the beginning in a lot of ways of drawing on my own direct experiences to inform my writing,” he says. His first short film, Paraffin, directed by local Liverpool filmmaker Laurence Easeman in 2007, drew directly from this daily life as a journalist. The next short was 2008’s The Last Regal King Size, directed by Simon Hipkins. It’s a lyrical portrait of an impoverished urban childhood set over a day in Glasgow, with an Orange march as the backdrop. It won a BAFTA. “At that point I started to believe rather naïvely that screenwriting could offer me more hope as a potential career than any other form of writing I had practiced until then.” Getting films made didn’t get any easier, though. “I wrote a number of feature scripts, as yet unfilmed, and began the grinding, relentless, miserable at times, joyful at others, journey I am still on today,” he tells us. “But during that journey I knew that I would have to turn to directing at some point if I was to get anywhere in this industry on my own terms. This is what I did, funding the films with my own money. This is where I am at this moment in time, struggling still, but struggling on my own terms, for whatever that’s worth.” The product of this struggle makes up HOME’s retrospective. The other films in the showcase are that BAFTA-winning short, The Last Regal King Size; The Slain, a haunting portrait of five army marines who died in conflicts abroad and find themselves washed up on a British beach trying to get home; and Thomas Hartley, a surreal hybrid of documentary and fiction about a man living on the breadline. “These films deserve to be seen and I think shine a light on a Britain often ignored by British directors,” says Wood, who’s most vociferous when it comes to Whitfield’s latest work: “Murderous Injustice speaks very eloquently of the class and race divide in contemporary Britain. It is also a technical tour de force, unfolding in a single take. I don’t understand why Gavin’s work has been so difficult to see, but I’m delighted that HOME can do something to address that and to give a platform to a Northwestbased talent.” Voices from the Margins: Four Films about Contemporary Britain takes place at HOME, Manchester, 18 Mar Gavin Scott Whitfield will be in attendance and will hold a Q&A following the programme
THE SKINNY
www.angleseyartsforum.org
A CELEBRATiON OF ViSUAL ART, ACROSS THE CiTY IN OVER 70 LOCATIONS. GLASGOWINTERNATiONAL.ORG
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The Imitation Game
13 February – 5 June Free entry manchesterartgallery.org
James Capper TELESTEP 2015, collection of Sebastien and Caroline Mazella Di Bosco, courtesy the artist and Hannah Barry Gallery, London
It’s Baltic Out There Ahead of this year’s Threshold Festival in Liverpool’s Baltic Triangle, we talk to Baltic Creative’s Mark Lawler and former CUC director Ingi Thor Jonsson about changes in the area’s cultural ecology and what happens next
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ow in its sixth year, Threshold Festival – a three-day celebration of music and art – takes over Liverpool’s Baltic Triangle at the beginning of April. Founded by partners Kaya and Chris Herstad Carney, the initial idea, and funding, for the festival came from Ingi Thor Jonsson, former creative director at the Novas Contemporary Urban Centre (now the Liverpool Life Sciences UTC). “I couldn’t have chosen two better people to start a festival like Threshold,” says Jonsson. “The festival is absolutely about grassroots, unique ways of doing things in unique settings. In 2010, when I was at CUC, one of the biggest problems was how to get audiences in. So I had been brainstorming, researching different possibilities, and then I read this article about the biggest one-venue festival in Europe, which I think was in Germany. And I just thought, yeah, we can do that! I had worked previously with Chris and Kaya on projects so I called them in and said ‘OK, I have this idea. Do you think it’s feasible? They really went for it, within ten days they had set up the first meetings with promoters. And of course it’s about people working together across the Baltic Triangle, not just individuals in their own corner. Now it’s hugely successful and they don’t need any help from me. I am just in the audience as the sort of granddad telling them how proud I am.” The focus of Threshold is very much on grassroots practice; on emerging musicians, artists and performers, and on experimental ideas and collaborations. But the festival is just as much about putting the Baltic Triangle area itself in the spotlight. “When [Threshold] first started,” says Jonsson, “the Baltic Triangle was just building itself, and the festival could build itself around that growth and development. It was the perfect time to start something, Liverpool was ready for it. And look at it now – when I came last year for the fifth year of the festival, it was just extraordinary. Although the economy is still struggling, the Baltic manages to build all these sexy places… these are sexy places to go to! It’s so
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different from ten years ago, you wouldn’t recognise it. I think Liverpool does really have the guts to do things like that.” Ten years ago, the Baltic Triangle felt like a bit of a secret. It’s not that far from Liverpool One, yet you would still have to explain to a lot of people where it actually was. The derelict buildings, smattering of leftover industry and general night-time Dickensian feel kept people away. Sometimes happily so. It was a place for creative experiment and possibility, away from the prying eyes and shiny pseudo-professionalisation of Liverpool as a branded arts city. The Baltic Triangle was a little Wild Westy, with a particular energy that produced the best parties and then trashed your bike. Back then, some of the key organisations in the area, such as A Foundation, Novas CUC, Liverpool Biennial and commercial landlord Baltic Creative, were starting to come together to talk about how to steer the redevelopment of the area; how to join up their activities, intentions and programmes into a constellation. But by 2011 it began to feel like the bottom was falling out of the plan. Both A Foundation and the Novas CUC failed to secure funds for their programme (although many would say their problems ran a little deeper than that) and shut their doors for good. Both buildings lay empty, monuments to a failed… something. And for a moment there it felt a little bleak. Yet, in place of larger-scale art organisations, other things were happening within the area and thriving. Artists, designers and smaller start-up businesses continued to be attracted to the cheap rent and availability of space in the area and, which is key, food and drink choices multiplied (does anyone remember when it was just the Jamaica Street Snack Shop?). Camp and Furnace, Leaf (or now Baltic Social), Constellations and Unit 51, to name just a few, provide for the population within the Baltic Triangle but also attract a different audience, who may not spend their work day in the area but are willing to travel there for food, music and a particular ‘experience.’ 2011 was also the first year of Threshold Festival,
Interview: Sacha Waldron
which looked to promote and make visible what was happening and to help the Baltic Triangle move forward, rather than back. Landlords Baltic Creative, who let specifically to creative and digital industries, have been key to this redevelopment and regeneration and are a good case-study of how some of today’s commercial landlords have become place- or community-makers over the last ten years. Their tenant list is diverse: festivals such as Liverpool Biennial and Liverpool Sound City; numerous digital and design companies; some more niche endeavours, such as Be One Percent, a company that invites individuals to donate 1% of their income to charities; and even Jammy Pet, a snack and toy subscription hamper for dogs and cats.
“Regeneration doesn’t stop. There’s no beginning, middle and end to it” Mark Lawler
“Independent businesses and opportunities are growing here,” says Mark Lawler, managing director of Baltic Creative. “This is a place where they can become established and that’s the uniqueness of the area. [Our] ambition is to protect that independent nature of the area for as long as we can. “We’re working with lots of young businesses. Businesses that have incredible talent and ideas for the future. But some of them are young so we need to make sure they are commercially savvy and understand things like cash flow and can manage their operations and their creative and inventive ideas... Over the last two or three years, we’ve seen some of those start-ups really
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begin to find their feet. They are beginning to grow, become established, and create wealth and jobs. That’s great news for the sector. And other commercial landlords from across the Northwest, who you may categorise as more traditional landlords, have recognised that in recent years and are focusing on creative and digital industries because they too recognise the potential... and are acquiring space on the back of it. But it’s not just about space, it’s about environment.” So what is the future of the Baltic Triangle? “The challenge we’re coming up against is obviously that all of this growth and activity is increasing interest in the area,” says Lawler, “so developers are moving in, and whether that’s student accommodation or residential or any other type, values begin to rise and on the back of values rising it becomes a more difficult task. It’s a process, it’s a regenerative process. And regeneration doesn’t stop. There’s no beginning, middle and end to it – it just keeps going really. There’s no finite end.” And for Threshold Festival? “It’s very difficult,” says Jonsson, “to find support for Threshold’s kind of grassroots activity – the money always seems to go to the larger venues... The intention is always to support and highlight grassroots activity, up-and-coming artists, some performers who had never really been on stage. Almost as a showcase for the people in the industry. We need more of that.” Some of the old cowboy vibe of the Baltic Triangle remains – new spaces pop up and then disappear, whole warehouses are taken over for temporary projects and much remains undeveloped. But much has changed. A new stability prevails and, although it sometimes seems like no venue safe from becoming a Waitrose, for now the Baltic Triangle remains Liverpool’s foremost creative district. Long may that continue. Threshold Festival of Music & Arts, Baltic Triangle, Liverpool, 1-3 Apr thresholdfestival.co.uk
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No Delusions Following two strong EPs for the label, Scott ‘Monkz’ Moncrieff has just dropped his debut album, Columbusing, on Delusions of Grandeur – read all about it Interview: Daniel Jones
t only takes a few blinks to realise how heavily indebted modern dance music is to American music of black origin. We’re not just talking house and techno coming out of Chicago, Detroit and New York in the mid-80s; this is a much bigger picture that spans half of the 20th century. Nine times out of ten, when a white producer cuts a sample from an American jazz, funk or soul record for their own work, this is what academics call a ‘reappropriation of black culture.’ If you view music as love then this is all good... but internal conflict arises when that same producer leads their audience to believe they have developed or ‘discovered’ an original sound that has actually existed for years – also known as ‘columbusing’ (as in Christopher). Scott ‘thatmanmonkz’ Moncrieff, boss of Shadeleaf Music, is in the minority of modern producers in that he wears the history of black music on his sleeve for all to see. A resident of Sheffield since the 90s, it’s not hard to hear that Monkz’s major inspiration comes from slightly further afield than South Yorkshire; more specifically, from smooth jazz organs, off-kilter hip-hop and lo-fi house à la Moodymann. That’s why he’s titled his debut album accordingly… “This record is basically a love letter to the American music that’s influenced me for my whole life – most of which happens to be black music,” Moncrieff explains. “That theme had already emerged by the time I came across the term ‘columbusing’ – so it seemed appropriate to go with that as the title. It’s also a way for me to hold my hands up and tell people that I’m well aware of what I’m doing. I’m not trying to hide my method, or the sources of my inspiration, and I feel it would be kind of disrespectful to do otherwise. “My dad was a socialist, so I was always raised to be very aware of social, race and gender issues from an early age. I soon realised when putting this album together that I wasn’t comfortable making a deliberate homage to black music without referencing the dominant forces behind it. It’s easy for me to enjoy the wonderful art borne out of those issues, and I’m really conflicted by that, which plays into the thinking behind Columbusing.” While the cultural context of this album lays a solid foundation, it’s equally vital to shine a light on the sheer quality of the music itself. Way more than a trite throwback, this feels like a pivotal release for thatmanmonkz and sees him setting foot on ground that hasn’t been covered in his 12”s so far. Moncrieff’s approach has always been to combine his ability with the strengths of others. This record is a prime example of that, bringing together a batch of instrumental and vocal talent from all walks of life – Khalil Anthony, Erik Rico, Dave Aju and Malik Ameer (to name a small handful). “I’ve worked with a lot of these guys before,” says Moncrieff. “It just so happens that this time
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Photo: Iain Hodgson
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it’s under my banner. Khalil Anthony had an EP out on Shadeleaf recently, and my next project is to produce an album with Malik Ameer. As for Columbusing, all of the vocal content was sent to me by those guys with very little direction on my part. The last thing I want is to stifle other people’s talent, which is why I don’t spend my energy telling people exactly what to do. “It actually boils down to little semantic nuances, like clearly listing ‘with’ each vocalist on the tracklisting, rather than ‘featuring’. We’re a group of mates, at the end of the day, and I’m the beat programmer. I often rely on other people to add an extra dimension to my work. And I can’t believe I just said ‘semantic nuance,’” he laughs. There’s also the coup of getting Detroit rapper Ta’Raach on board for A Fly New Tune. This guy has been running in the same circles as Erykah Badu and Slum Village for quite some time, and definitely adds weight to proceedings. Moncrieff thanks mutual friend Recloose for hooking him up with the Detroit connection. The vocal contributions work tremendously well here, true, but Moncrieff’s beat-making ability is high class all on its own. The MPC2000 forms the bedrock for nearly all thatmanmonkz productions, and was in fact the first bit of kit Moncrieff laid hands on when he started producing around 2004, inspired by the methodology of A Tribe Called Quest and Masters at Work. “Kenny Dope was a big figure who shed so much light on the fact that hip-hop and house are cut from the same cloth. You soon realise that there’s this unending thread in American black music, and so many dots to connect. Every time I find something new along that thread, it tends to inspire ideas for my own productions. “I still use that same MPC,” he continues. “The beauty with the older models is that the technology inside is the thing that adds the unique feel and sound to the samples. I’m a big
Rhodes fan, as you can probably tell, and love cutting bits from old records. I’m also lucky enough to know mates who own keyboards, and record stuff for me to use. I’m not saying the entire album is live, but it’s barely computerised. I usually end up keeping the imperfect stuff that might be a touch out of time. That’s the groove.” It’s worth noting at this point that Moncrieff wasn’t always making this sort of thing. Back in the mid-00s, he was teaming up with Steel City native Tom Bell – now known as Toddla T – under the alias Small Arms Fiya.
“I’m not trying to hide my method, or the sources of my inspiration” Scott Moncrieff
“God, I’ve known Tom for years,” he remembers. “He actually used to work for me in a skate shop when he was about 14, which is how we met. I was DJing a lot at that point but he was always nudging me to try the production side of things. At the same time I was living with a guy called Ross Orton, who went on to produce the last Arctic Monkeys record, AM. Sheffield’s music scene is really close-knit that way. I learned a lot of chops from those guys in the early days.” By the time Small Arms Fiya fizzled out, making music took a back seat for a few years. “I wanted to try my hand at business for a while, so I started running a bar-club type venue in Sheffield with my best mate from uni, Okie. It
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was my attempt to become normal for a few years; and I failed miserably. The recession was just kicking in and it ate into my time making music. “Not long after we closed the place down, Okie sadly passed away. That was one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to go through, but it was also a massive kick up the backside. It was such a tragic situation that it’s weird to say it ‘inspired’ me; but it’s definitely true. He’s actually the logo for the Shadeleaf label, a small tribute to his spirit.” Moncrieff returned to making music a year or two after that, and was eventually persuaded by close friend and distributor Chris Duckenfield to push the button on his own label. “I guess I would’ve put this album out on Shadeleaf if Jamie [Odell, aka Jimpster] hadn’t mentioned it, but I always intended the label to showcase other artists and their talent. “Jamie’s great to work with though, and so trusting when he A&Rs you. I love to learn as much as possible so it’s also a major benefit to get quality feedback on stuff, and you can’t really ever go wrong with his level of experience.” Here we have yet another instance that goes to show how important collaboration is to Moncrieff. He’s got an easygoing way about him that you can see plays naturally into a group dynamic. And, usually when discussing an artist’s debut album, it’s strange to find somebody with a lens that always seems to be pointing outwards. “The people I’ve worked with on this record are not an afterthought,” Moncrieff says decisively, pressing home the message. “They add shape and colour to my work, and feed me with ideas. In so many ways, this isn’t just my album.” Columbusing is out now via Delusions of Grandeur
THE SKINNY
LI FE
The Birth of Carnaval in São Paulo
ST Y LE Words: Ally Brown
Carnaval used to be uncool in São Paulo, but now that’s changing
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his is a historic moment for São Paulo,” Cleopatra tells me, six-foot high, his beard looming over my head, hairy chest in my face. When not dressed as a sexy drag queen of ancient Egypt, this man is a professional, working for Globo, Brazil’s biggest TV channel. “São Paulo is a city for work and for business. But now we know we can have fun too. We don’t have to go to Rio to have fun, we can do it ourselves.” This is carnaval, but not quite as we know it. To the rest of the world, Brazil’s carnaval is strongly associated with Rio de Janeiro, and especially the Sambadrome parades that involve giant elaborate floats and squadrons of dancing girls in sequinned leotards, nipple tassels and multicoloured feathery headdresses. Rio owes much of its reputation as an exotic party destination to the TV footage of its carnaval. It’s easy to understand why those outrageous images of extravagant sexuality in tropical heat have been so powerful when beamed into TV sets in drab living rooms in the midst of northern hemisphere winters. It’s a bit more exciting than the Edinburgh Military Tattoo. But carnaval is celebrated all over Brazil, not just in Rio: in Recife and neighbouring Olinda, in Salvador, also in the equatorial northeast, in the historic old town of Ouro Preto, and in hundreds of smaller towns too. But up until very recently, very strangely, it was hardly celebrated at all in Brazil’s biggest city, São Paolo. “Four or five years ago, the carnaval here was a bit dead,” says marketing analyst Mariana. “A few years ago our former mayor prohibited the blocos [street parties],” says Raoni, a photographer. São Paulo didn’t share the carnaval tradition of other parts of Brazil because – to simplify hugely – its culture was built by its European and Asian immigrants, not by African slaves and their descendants as elsewhere in the country. “When I was a kid, I remember it was actually cool to hate carnaval because of its non-productive and cathartic image,” Raoni says. Now, everything has changed. São Paulo has loosened up. Over carnaval weekend in 2016 there seemed to be a street parade or party in every barrio. As workers cleared up the mess and we slept off our hangovers, officials announced that the city had hosted 355 blocos, which were attended by an estimated total of two million people. While the parades are the most famous aspect of Brazilian carnaval to foreigners, for the locals, the blocos are the main attraction. They’re typically organised by large groups of 10-30 musicians – a large team of drummers,
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the bateria and a horn section are essential, often accompanied by a few guitarists and singers. They gather on a street corner, sometimes as early as 9am, to play an endless stream of samba, funk and Brazilian carnaval classics as they walk behind a slow-rolling bus or van with a sound system. The people – from just a few hundred to several thousand – walk, shuffle, dance and sing behind them, through the normally quiet residential streets of each neighbourhood, for hours: all morning, all day, and all evening, through all types of weather, and wearing all kinds of crazy outfits.
“During carnaval you can be whatever you want and nobody will judge you” “Too conservative!” I’m scolded by the wagging finger in the crowd. She draws a line across her knee to show that my skirt – in red tartan, like a kilt – is too long. Clearly I should’ve worn
a mini-kilt or a hot-kilt. There are other men around here in thongs, hotpants, sequinned swimwear; a man carrying a shower on his head, complete with shower rail and curtain, like a cloak; a cowboy, lots of ‘Indians’. Cleopatra is a relatively common choice for big, butch men; the idea, I think, is to wear something feminine, or something bizarre, ideally as little as possible. The girls wear the same, though they’re not quite so extreme; at least they’re decorated further with glitter, flowers and elaborate face paint. It is 36 degrees Celsius, the street thermometer says. Nobody is overdressed. Thirty-six degrees! So while the music doesn’t stop, and the dancing can’t stop, there’s plenty in need of refreshment too: at one bloco, a thoughtful local mechanic gets a hosepipe out to spray the whole crowd passing by his workshop; at another, equally hot, an elderly lady on an upper floor kindly waters us with her watering can, our hands and faces reaching up to her like flowers to the sun. “Carnaval is the best and happiest time of the year,” Mariana tells me. “During carnaval you can be and wear whatever you want and nobody will judge you. It’s a party for everybody – old people, young people, kids. It’s just a time to have fun.” At the crowded front of every bloco is the band, their friends and partners, and the biggest partiers; towards the back are mothers pushing
TRAVEL
babies in prams, fathers hand-in-hand with toddlers, grandparents out with the grandkids. One dad I see is wearing a gimp mask, bouncing his little boy up and down on his shoulders in time to the music. Another toddler is helped along on her feet by colourful clown mum and sexy surgeon dad. There’s plenty of alcohol around, but this celebration is open to everyone. Thankfully, it’s not yet been discovered by everyone. “Smaller is definitely better!” Thomaz the trumpter says with a laugh. He and his friends have rejected media requests for interviews ahead of their bloco because they want it to remain a manageable size. “If it’s too big, then you can’t see the band, you can’t hear the music, everybody is crushed, you can’t dance, people are too drunk, it’s chaos,” he says, and I’m sure he’s right. If you’ve ever been to the main stage at a music festival, you’ll know exactly what he means: tens of thousands of people partying together can very easily become too much. Some blocos in Rio attract hundreds of thousands. Rio’s carnaval is so popular that you need to book accommodation months in advance, and the price is often several times the normal high-season rate, because lots of tourists have the same idea. But on carnaval weekend in São Paulo, hostel and hotel accommodation was widely available even at the last minute, at low-season prices. Because if it’s ultra-high season in Rio, it’s low season in São Paulo. “The music here is not quite as good as in Rio,” a local musician tells me. “But who cares, really? Look at this! Everybody is here and having so much fun!” Mariana looks at it differently. “There is more variety here in São Paulo,” she says. “We have blocos playing different kinds of music – the traditional ones playing old carnaval music, some playing axé [a popular music from the north-eastern region around Salvador], and also some playing reggae, pop, electronic, jazz, funk, afro. So, even if you don’t like the music, you can go to another bloco and hear what you like.” But really, it’s silly to compare carnavals. Rio’s carnaval is a wonder of the world, but why compare two fantastic things, when to do so means being negative about one? The spirit of carnaval is priceless, wherever it can be found. And increasingly, São Paulo is finding its own carnaval rhythm. theskinny.co.uk/travel
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Don’t Feed the Trolls, Challenge Them Words: Kate Pasola Illustration: Jacky Sheridan
The tired metaphor of the hungry troll has excused abhorrent online abuse for too long. It’s time to stop starving trolls and start questioning humans
Why were these men so angry? Was their furious, unsolicited advice an earnest design to point me in the direction of romantic success? Were these men devout flautists who felt wronged because I’d joked about their hobby? Well, on the whole, no. The trolls reacted so viscerally because they identified with the men who’d fallen for my maternal madonna. Behind my character’s halo they’d found a regular royal whore. Of course they were angry – there’s a lot at stake for men banking on the domestic and financial benefits of their future mummy-wives. Anyone calling out that romanticism is a threat to a pretty cushy set-up.
“Whorish clown” Their slurs might have hurt my feelings if I wasn’t quite so familiar with the dialect of misogynist trolls. Following the work of writers and activists like Roxane Gay, Anita Sarkeesian and Lindy West and reading their abuse in solidarity means I’m vicariously desensitised to this kind of bollocks. However, when I shared my disgust about the episode with people I knew, a couple of devil’s advocates reared their horns. “Welcome to the internet!” one or two of them told me. “That’s the way it is. Write about anything controversial, the trolls will come regardless of your gender.” I was reminded that being branded a slag is all part and parcel of striking up a debate – the confusing shame of imagining my mother read comments about her ‘slut’ of a daughter the price I pay for talking about feminism. Don’t read the comments! Don’t feed the trolls!
“Skeleton”
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he first time I was ever trolled it was at the age of 14, and by people I knew. It was my punishment for singing a solo in assembly. Internet trolling was in its infancy, and the worst that came of it was a smattering of tossers discussing me on Twitter. Occasionally they’d also tag each other in photographs of me on Facebook (a cleverly constructed method of demonstrating their disapproval in a way cyberbully whip-crackers wouldn’t understand). I never interacted with these subtle digijibes, mostly because 14-year-old me was wary of their nasty wit. This particular congregation of dickheads tended to be boisterous and cruel; they wouldn’t think twice about tearing me apart like laddish lions if I told them to stop. Out of fear, really, I learned not to feed the trolls. But peckish trolls are shrewd. They are opportunists. They find a place to graze. After two years, the same malnourished trolls found their watering hole in my real life. One lunchtime when they were throwing pencils across the room at a nervous, eccentric and intelligent guy in my year, I asked them why they were behaving in the way they were. In what felt like a trollish banquet after two years of fasting, they gorged. I’d been too confidently vocal and they were game for a feast. They yelled my name at me like a football chant until I gave up and moved to sit elsewhere. Then they pulled my chair away from under me. By the sound of their roaring laughter, it was hilarious. It didn’t
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feel hilarious. Successfully silenced, I walked out of school and never again spent lunchtime in that part of the building.
“A vindictive bitch” On another occasion when pretty much my entire year group made a post-GCSEs pilgrimage to T in the Park, the same group of guys inexplicably threw a pie at my tent. Pissed off but slightly amused, I left the soggy mince to fester for a day while I watched Florence and the Machine wail from the main stage. I returned that evening in a rainstorm to find my tent trampled to the ground, belongings strewn across a cider-soaked patch of grass and the same sweaty culprits laughing their eccie-riddled brains out. Lesson one learned before my 16th birthday: ignoring trolls might reduce the incentive but it doesn’t combat the motive. And that lesson still stands today. Last month, as part of an experiment for Deviance, I overhauled my Tinder profile and documented the results. Aiming for the idyll of a woman, I curated an identity in which the new Kate was a virtual madonna. A patriarchal wet dream, primed to bake for, play the flute for and adore my winning suitor into a state of maternal romantic bliss. Flooded with matches and somewhat surprised that I’d been
taken seriously, I wrote an article about the experience and thought no more of it. Shortly after, while sitting in the pub after work with a friend, I noticed a stranger had tweeted me. They wanted to know what sort of ‘sociopathic bitch’ could conduct such an experiment, throwing in an anti-Semitic slur for the ride. After briefly lamenting the condition of a scummy human race, my friend and I grinned gleefully at one another. Ironically, this nugget of hatred also meant good news. For a woman, internet abuse is almost a rite of passage when trying to have your work widely read. A gloriously exciting and deeply depressing realisation in equal parts.
“A butch lesbian” But then it continued. My article had been posted in an area of Reddit called Tumblr in Action, a place where users lift ‘SJW’ (Social Justice Warrior) content from the rest of the internet and, in their words, ‘poke fun’ at it. They swarmed like weepy little locusts onto the comment section of my article, wounded by my words and wanting to fight. Fully grown, adult human men who felt it necessary to call me an ‘attention whoring cunt’ and a ‘vindictive bitch’. A ‘deceitful, raging whore’ with ‘miles of cock through my system’. Butch lesbian. Whorish clown. Skeleton. Slut.
DEVIANCE
But to quote the aforementioned Lindy West, an incredible journalist who suffers horrific, almost hourly abuse: “When I speak my mind and receive a howling hurricane of abuse in return, it doesn’t feel like a plea for my attention – it feels like a demand for my silence.” Ignoring gendered online abuse is as effective as sluicing camomile lotion over a recurring rash. It doesn’t solve the problem and the sting will always return. I don’t see myself refraining from writing about womanhood, feminism and sexuality any time soon, which means I worry about that sting becoming a regular component of my professional life. Yes, perhaps uncomfortable opinions plus anonymity will always result in trolls. Maybe it’s just a crappy part of human nature gone haywire – thriving thanks to the unnatural quirks that technology affords. But if those trolls twig that you’re anything but male, but white, but straight, but cis, but able, but young, but middle class, the hate becomes personal. It’s difficult to remember that trolls are people. They aren’t wind-up merchant automatons but fearful, hateful humans who think they have a point to make. Internet trolling is the cowardly inner core of all types of discrimination. Facilitated by anonymity, it gives oppressors a last-ditch effort to lead half-hidden hate parades. When we try not to feed the trolls, we become complicit in creating echo chambers filled with the sort of hatred that’s taboo in the real world. And those clusters of trolls – devoid of debate in their lonely little comment sections – might just convince one another that their written words are welcome aloud, too.
THE SKINNY
Love Your Trainers? Whether you’re loyal to Air Max or worship at the altar of the Yeezy Boost, trainers have become status symbols, markers of signature styles, emblems of wider cultural trends – and are truly having a moment. Now there’s even a trainer festival: Laces Out! Words: Fern Logue
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here has always been something frustrating about the fashion choices of the Asicswearing commuter. Yes it’s practical, but pairing a beautifully tailored suit with worn-out gym shoes is something that just doesn’t seem right. However, the recent emphasis on the revival of classic styles and the growing prevalence of ‘sneaker culture’ has certainly challenged that! Take a walk through any city in the UK, and it is impossible to miss the fact that the sneaker scene is thriving. Everywhere, people are trading in their Louboutins for Stan Smiths and their Red Wings for Reebok Classics. Forget getting sent to the back of the club queue on a Saturday for your footwear choices; in fact, the fresher your kicks, the better your chances. Our pavements are becoming increasingly trainer-trodden, and our Instagram feeds are filling up with collectors and their dazzlingly fresh new favourites. Avid trainer fans across the country are drawn to unique pieces, vintage classics and staple styles in every colour combination known to man. Who’d have thought Chanel’s girls donning trainers for the 2014 haute couture show would trigger such an enduring trend? But for many people, the trainer phenomenon began long before Karl Lagerfeld and his perfectly pastel-hued interpretation of the footwear staple. And this month, Laces Out! festival returns to Liverpool
March 2016
for its fourth edition, offering a veritable paradise for the trainer-obsessed. A celebration of trainer culture and an appreciation of Britain’s favourite footwear, Laces Out! provides a treat for the eyes (and feet). The ‘market-place’ offers a chance to get your hands on that constantly sold-out pair you’ve been coveting and snap up vintage gems, as well as a choice of thousands of box-fresh and deadstock shoes. There should be something for everyone, from the aficionado to those looking to take a more comfortable first step into the trainer world, with a host of traders providing an array of brands with prices from £30 to £3000. There’s an eclectic bunch presenting their wares this year, including Sole Supplier, with the latest releases; Krate & Co, saviours for those who want a slick way to show off their collection; Fuggit, whose aim is to bring light to, and end, violence related to the sneaker industry; Iamdeadstock, who can help you scout out even the most difficult-to-find Adidas and Nike items, and a load of other trainer-touting brands. Everything from the ultra-rare to the must-have classics will be on offer. Laces Out! is known for its promotion and celebration of sneaker culture and for its forays into the ideas that inform our go-to gear. This year, the team behind the event have upped their game with a carefully curated programme
exploring everything trainer related. So if the prospect of practically every pair of sneaks you could possibly want isn’t quite enough to tempt you, there are treats to satisfy even the biggest sneaker-freak, including industry talks, exclusive product previews and a memorabilia exhibition.
“Everywhere, people are trading in their Louboutins for Stan Smiths and their Red Wings for Reebok Classics” The ‘Laces Out! Lab’ is the festival’s newest addition, aiming to provide the trainer super-fan with an exciting and entertaining programme encapsulating sneaker culture. The lab will play host to a variety of speakers, DJs and industry experts. Bobbito Garcia is definitely one to look
FASHION
forward to. DJ, author and all-round authority on hip-hop and the trainer phenomenon, Garcia penned the trainer-addict’s bible, Where’d You Get Those? New York City’s Sneaker Culture: 1980-1987. So you can enjoy his headline DJ set and get a chance to quiz the sneaker virtuoso in an exclusive Q&A. Garcia will be joined by a line-up of UK hip-hop talent, reiterating the spread of trainer culture and its place in the world of hip-hop. For trainer novices embracing the trend, the panel discussion looking into ‘Sneakerfreak’ culture is one to catch. Educate yourself by hearing from industry names including trainer customiser Benji Blunt, Daily Street editor Alex Synamatix, and Megan Munro, style editor at Complex magazine. With the sportswear trend showing no sign of slowing down, it seems that trainers are quickly becoming everyone’s favourite footwear. With no limits to the brands, styles, colours, custom designs and retro treasures, it really is possible to find a sneaker suited to every situation. So, if you’re ready to step away from your humble Chuck Taylor’s, Laces Out! festival is sure to sort you out. Laces Out!, Camp and Furnace, Liverpool, 5 Mar, 12-9pm, £8/£15 lacesout.co.uk facebook.com/lacesoutfest | @lacesoutfest
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Ettie Wyatt Gosebruch E
ttie Wyatt Gosebruch is a photographer originally from London, currently living and working in Leeds. Her work looks at the role of ambiguity and illusion within photography of the mundane and everyday. Contrast and opposition is often the subject of her work, exploring difference, similarity and compatibility between two or more components of an image. The photographic series Alloy has developed from research around the link between imaging and its perception by the viewer. An alloy is the result of a fusion between two materials, here one of photographic elements. Photographic images can be technically manipulated and distorted, leading to the widely held distrust in their authenticity. And still – photography as truthful depiction of reality is a persuasive concept, and these images play with it. By joining two entirely individual elements a composite is created. The balancing of these previously created components becomes the making of an image. Juxtapositions can create false relationships between the elements, or a quietly different version
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of reality. New associations, connections and meanings are hinted at. A sudden appearance of perspective (or a yellow plastic bucket) within an apparently flat composite plays with the perception of truth. Certain images within the series are not composites, however through similar appearances and compositions these images can be falsely read as composites, further broadening the gap between reality and illusion. The images are taken in today’s urban environment without hint at a specific location. The process of production involves an aspect of trial and error, gradually selecting from large random bodies of images. Decisions are not purely based on aesthetics but upon the active relationship between components. The sequenced components often match in scale and ratio, and so by disguising the seam begin to create an entirely constructed version of reality. ettiewyattgosebruch.format.com
SHOWCASE
THE SKINNY
March 2016
SHOWCASE
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Food News Lemon Bundt
Spring’s on its way! Which means new life for new Manchester cafe Alabama’s All American Eatery, Trove and The Italian Club Bakery, plus the return of Independent Liverpool’s Spring Food and Drink Festival Words: Jess Hardiman Alabama’s All American Eatery opens First up is a new joint in the Northern Quarter, as Alabama’s All American Eatery sets up shop to cater to our relentless brunching needs – we’re talking French toast, steak and homefries and some rather arousing-looking sticky cinnamon buns. Newton Street, Manchester, due to open in early March, alabamas.co.uk
Rhubarb tart
Baked to Last As part of our ongoing ‘Pioneers’ series that looks to champion the do-ers, thinkers and makers behind the Northwest’s burgeoning food and drink scene, we talk to Lucy Jackson, the woman behind Manchester’s Blawd Bakehouse
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ome things should be cherished because we don’t always get to enjoy them: the final weekends before payday when you’re not skint, a glimmer of warm sun piercing the slate-grey March sky, back-to-back screenings of the Lethal Weapon trilogy. In contrast, there are plenty of other aspects to life that are easier to locate. Call it Great British Bandwagon cynicism, but the word ‘baking’ doesn’t always scream ‘scarce.’ Hounded by run-of-the-mill red velvet whatsits and average salted caramel doo-dahs, it’s easy to feel that if the whole dirty-food revolution became a bit much two years ago, sugary treats are now at risk of following suit. There are always exceptions, though, and in this instance it’s usually when that baking is done properly. Enter Lucy Jackson, the 26-yearold photography graduate-cum-entrepreneur behind Blawd Bakehouse, a setup she runs with assistance from boyfriend Iwan Roberts and which currently occupies the basement floor of Common, one of the best places in Manchester’s Northern Quarter. Spurred on to self-employment after leaving academia, Jackson found herself at a loss for what to do next. Then the simple idea came to her: create delectable goodies for the good patrons above to devour with their IPAs and coffees, using traditional recipes while avoiding serving up stale ideas. A far cry from just another cookie pedlar, the proof is quite literally in the puddings. Blawd’s doughnuts are light and fluffy so as to encourage multiple innings, and then some. Why not branch out to sample a fat tart, or a layer cake? Or – what might be the pièce de résistance – a peanut blondie? (We’ll come to these later.) “I was already working in Common, baking things for the bar, and then they gave me the opportunity to take over the space downstairs independently. So I did,” Jackson explains when asked
how the enterprise began. “I’ve always baked things since I was a little kid, and moved up to Manchester to study at university. I didn’t really know what to do after that. I had a load of jobs in cafes and bars, and then thought, ‘You know what, I’d quite like to bake for a living.’”
“What’s most important is that everything that gets made is actually good, rather than simply on trend” Lucy Jackson
This calm and somewhat pragmatic attitude belies the seriousness of setting up shop on your own. Perhaps more importantly, though, it also reveals a confidence that’s understandable once you sample the menu items in question, which now find themselves further afield than the drinking den they call home, with orders coming thick and fast from external businesses and private customers alike. “I basically make what I want for Common, and then what goes out to individual customers and other places is all made to order. The doughnuts are firm favourites, not many people are doing them like this. They’re pretty delicious, even if I do say so myself. It’s a 24-hour process, a really long prove, and that makes them so tasty. All
Interview: Martin Guttridge-Hewitt
the fillings – rhubarb jam to vanilla custard – are homemade too. So it’s a very long job, but definitely well worth it.” Since starting to trade independently at the beginning of December, Blawd has been on the up and up, with sights now set on expanding in the near future. “The hope is to grow things so we can get a premises of our own outside Common. We’re not entirely sure how that would work or whether we’d have people eating in or not.” Anyone responsible for paying their own tax has to be acutely aware of the fickle nature of the industry. Although Britain’s appetite for sponge and sugar is older than the combined ages of everyone in the room, we can’t help but quiz Jackson over concerns about a potential fallout as flavours of the month move on. “I think if you concentrate on quality products, and it’s not all really faddy, then you won’t just get lumped in with what’s popular right now. I’m a big fan of classic flavours, they’re classic for a reason – carrot cakes, brownies, caramel. I do try and experiment with things but what’s most important is that everything that gets made is actually good, rather than simply on trend. “I also think there’s a bit of a gap in the market in Manchester. Lots of people are doing the same stuff, but in, say, Liverpool and Leeds there’s a lot more interesting ideas going on. In Leeds you have Laynes Espresso, and they have products from Noisette Bakehouse, which are amazing. Then there’s Sheaf St Cafeteria, which is also over there, and they do really great baking. They both know what they are doing, and they do that really well, which is what we aim to do, too.” blawd.co | @Blawdco
El Gato Negro gets a thumbs up Manchester’s hearts are all aflutter with the new opening of El Gato Negro, the famed tapas joint formerly housed on Ripponden turf. With Spanish wines and sherries, dishes like baby pork ribs glazed with Pedro Ximénez (!) and a sumptuous interior set across three floors, it now looks set to be the leading light of King Street’s promising rejuvenation, which has been chugging away with recent openings of Quill, King Street Tavern and Burger and Lobster. 52 King Street, Manchester, open now, elgatonegrotapas.com New outlets for Trove and The Italian Club Speaking of old favourites reborn, the folk of Levenshulme’s artisan bakery and cafe Trove are also branching out with a new unit at Altrincham Market, due to open 11 March, while over in Liverpool, we’re excited about The Italian Club Bakery, another off-shoot of the Bold Street staple specialising in indulgent sweet treats of Italy, including millefoglie (custard slice to you and us) and olive ciabatta. 22 Newington, Liverpool, open now, @italianclubnews Mary-Ellen McTague takes on the Real Junk Food Project Mary-Ellen McTague is at it again, having just announced her new role as head chef at the Real Junk Food Project, Manchester’s first pay-whatyou-feel restaurant that uses waste food. Seems like it’s a busy time for Aumbry’s former co-honcho, who is also hosting a Devil’s Supper at the International Anthony Burgess Foundation on 11 March. The Wonder Inn, Manchester, realjunkfoodmanchester.co.uk Upcoming events There are lots of large-scale events popping off this month, most notable of which might be Independent Liverpool’s Spring Food and Drink Festival, held in the Great Baltic Warehouse on 25 March, which will be upping the stakes with its own gin garden. Across the Pennines there’s also worthy competition with BeerX Festival in Sheffield between 16-19 March and the news that Leeds Indie Food Festival will return 12-30 May. Jay Raynor ahoy And if it’s goateed food critics you’re after, you can gorge on double helpings of Jay Rayner as he brings his show, My Dining Hell, to Liverpool St George’s Hall on 9 March, before cropping up at the North’s largest hospitality trade exhibition, Northern Restaurant and Bar, at Manchester Central on 15-16 March, where he’ll be joined by Sticky Walnut boss Gary Usher. theskinny.co.uk/food
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Lifestyle
FOOD AND DRINK
THE SKINNY
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Gig Highlights
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March madness takes hold of the music calendar, with out-there experiments from Ryoichi Kurokawa, A-Bound Festival and FutureEverything all on offer this month
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ars, eyes and brains get a joint workout this month as March brings a load of experimental goodness to Liverpool and Manchester, from award-winning sound artist Ryoichi Kurokawa presenting his large-scale audiovisual work syn_ – based on synaesthetic principles – at the Liverpool Philharmonic Music Room (11 Mar), to the always ambitious sights and sounds of Manchester’s FutureEverything festival (more on that below). A-Bound Festival (23-27 Mar), meanwhile – a new series of interdisciplinary shows at Islington Mill – is a welcome newcomer to this mindbending mêlée. Each night is programmed by resident promoters Fat Out with a different partner, and highlights include a 12-hour chugathon with Ruf Dug and others on Saturday 26 March, and the team-up with Supernormal Festival on Sun 27th, which brings us cult power electronics duo Consumer Electronics and Gum Takes Tooth – as evocative in sound as they are in name – plus workshops and film screenings. You’ll want to spend the whole weekend in the Mill, basically; maybe pace yourself during that all-night Optimo set on the Friday to make it through… Not part of the A-Bound lineup but providing a nice prelude to it, Lydia Lunch brings ‘an all-star cast of sonic brutarians in a no-holds barred survey of her musical output from 1977 to the present’ – because we couldn’t have
said it better ourselves – to the Mill on 7 Mar, and, rounding things off nicely, in Manchester at least, is contemporary composer Anna Meredith, who comes to Soup Kitchen on 24 Mar. She’s written for everything from body percussion to full orchestras, for the vibrant Aurora Orchestra and for sleep-pods in Singapore (seriously). Somehow, she’s found time to make a debut album as herself: Varmints, out on Moshi Moshi in March, which this tour showcases. Offering a thoughtful mix of classical and contemporary composition in Liverpool is Open Circuit festival, running 4-10 Mar and spanning a George Crumb piece played on wine glasses (Gildas String Quartet, Victoria Gallery & Museum, 4 Mar), a screening of Walter Ruttmann’s 1927 film Berlin: Symphony of a Metropolis accompanied by players from the Liverpool Phil (FACT, 7 Mar), and a special appearance from one of our greatest modern composers, Sir Harrison Birtwistle (Leggate Theatre, 5 Mar). Elsewhere, a real highlight will be the only Northwest appearance from poet, beat-thrower and agitator Saul Williams, trailing new multiplatform project MartyrLoserKing: an album, yes, but also a graphic novel, and a film. Take your chance to see a true firebrand in action at 24 Kitchen Street on 5 Mar.
Lydia Lunch
Finally, Liverpool darling Låpsley is out of the studio and presenting the results – the chart-potential ballads and big-boned bigband numbers of debut album Long Way Home – at Manchester Academy 2 on 5 Mar, while for some danceably dark grooves we recommend Brooklyn quartet DIIV; their brand of indie rock is lean, devious and a little bit twisted in all the right places (Manchester Gorilla, 20 Mar; Leeds Belgrave Music Hall, 22 Mar; Liverpool Arts Club, 27 Mar).
Do Not Miss FutureEverything Various venues, 31 Mar-2 Apr
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utureEverything festival doesn’t so much test the boundaries of art/music/tech as believe they don’t exist in the first place. The annual event – founded 20 years ago in Manchester and now an international proposition, with recent excursions to Singapore and Moscow – has for
Photo: Gemma Burke
Words: Laura Swift
the last few editions boasted an especially daring live programme running concurrent to its main tech conference, and this year is no exception. A new commission from sonic artist Gazelle Twin, Kingdom Come, forms the centrepiece of the programme at Manchester Art Gallery (31 Mar), flanked by a series of performances conceived in response to an art installation by Ed Carter and David Cranmer at the International Anthony Burgess Foundation (31 Mar-2 Apr). The installation, Smoke Signals, is a form of data visualisation, taking information from a number of arts organisations and turning it into – yes – dancing smoke rings, which form, interact and cross paths in an audiovisual representation of digital communication. Presenting new work in response to this rather beguiling display are musician and composer Sara Lowes, Jo Dudderidge (of The Travelling Band) with multi-instrumentalist Harry Fausing Smith, and Jon Hering (who you may know as one of Liverpool’s brilliiant Ex-Easter Island Head). There are many other events besides; for full details, go to futureeverything.org.
Festival Watch Interview: Duncan Harman Laura Cannell
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ith all due respect to the good burghers of Blackpool, it isn’t necessarily the first town that comes to mind when adjectives such as cerebral, eclectic or (even) terpsichorean are bandied about; Kiss Me Kwik clichés and the lyrics to Morrissey’s Everyday Is Like Sunday arrive far more fully formed, promenading between the piers on another soggy weekend. Which is quite possibly the point; if lazy perceptions exist to be challenged, then Blackpool’s own Must Die Records – the DIY label responsible for an array of outsider music releases over the past half-decade – might just be the gang to do it. Cue Other Worlds festival, which if last year’s maiden outing is anything to go by, will this April be serving up another unpredictable helping from the sensual delicatessen. Part intimate music festival, part audiovisual experience, 2015 saw the likes of Gnod, Ceramic Hobs and Evil Blizzard sharing a stage with Lithuanian performance art and American instrumental steampunk (to give but a flavour). In an era where festivals have become ubiquitous – the same old acts traipsing from field to field to out-of-season holiday camp – there’s something elementally refreshing in the quest for something different. “Our motivation was to bring something new and exciting to the Northwest,” explains
March 2016
festival co-director Rick Thompson as the team put the finishing touches to this year’s event. “Something that we ourselves would want to attend. “We were overwhelmingly pleased with the response generated by the original festival – the reaction was far more positive than we had ever imagined when we first had the idea.” So no pressure with this year’s shindig? “We’ve got acts we’ve enjoyed seeing live, acts we’ve always wanted to see live, and acts that have got in touch asking to play. We believe that music is universal; our only ethos is to put on artists that we like and want to watch, whether they’re from Dubai or from Bacup.” With acts as diverse as Laura Cannell, The Perverts, Tirikilatops and an opening night curated by Middle Eastern collective Tse Tse Fly on the cards, Other Worlds also prides itself on its accessibility. “Four days of incredible music, and all for £30,” Thompson confirms. “We’re trying to keep the cost as low as we can to make the festival accessible to as many people as possible. With B&Bs in Blackpool as inexpensive as they are, it would be silly to stay at home.” Expect the unexpected with your bacon and eggs, in other words. “Tirikilatops have promised they will be making magic balloon hats on stage,” admits Thompson. But should kimchi beats, offbeat
Nour Sokhon (Tse Tse Fly)
lyrics, hacked keyboards or earworm melodies not be your bag, there’s still plenty at Other Worlds to whet cultural appetites. Highlights will include sets from Newcastle’s lost-at-sea troubadour Richard Dawson, the cartoon textures of Paddy Steer, and the Sound Book Project, an intriguing collaboration between artists and musicians who use books as musical instruments. Bongoleeros will be fusing rockabilly with street performance – hopefully not at the same
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time as Some Some Unicorn’s big-band drone hits the stage. And if the musique concrète trappings of Left Hand Cuts Off the Right don’t float your flotilla, an evening of Tse Tse Fly’s unique brand of Middle Eastern sound art just might; they’ve plans to subvert the hackneyed club-night formula with a barrage of experimental noise and deceptive video art. Other Worlds takes place in Blackpool, 7-11 Apr otherworldsfestival.co.uk
Review
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Photo: Stuart Moulding
Sun, sea and sand? Other Worlds festival, this April’s adventure of the senses, can’t promise all three – but it’ll give it a jolly good try
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THE SKINNY
Eleanor Friedberger Eagle Inn, 4 Feb
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NZCA Lines
Soup Kitchen, 10 Feb
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For second album Infinite Summer, Michael Lovett fleshes out his electro stratagem with creative support way beyond off-the-shelf hiredhand input. To his right: drummer Sarah Jones, formerly of NYPC, Bat for Lashes, Hot Chip and anyone else in need of industrious, creative percussion. To his left is Charlotte Hatherley (credit to the tipsy gobshites stage front left who click part way through: “Hang on! Is that her from Ash?!”), whose forthcoming Sylver Tongue project is finally being readied for release after years of playing with, well, everyone. Both contribute much, but this is Lovett’s show.
Infinite Summer is hungry for the big stage and a packed room confirms we’re all finally starting to get it. From the clipped guitars and vibrant funk of Chemical Is Obvious to a closing Two Hearts, where Hatherley’s extended, squealing solo tops out an enveloping euphoria, NZCA Lines are a deeply convincing live act. Sure, they tip a serious nod to every nerd collective who’s spent the past decade reverse-engineering Discovery, but Lovett’s writing is a league ahead of the much of the current pack. Compass Points and Okinawa Channels are booming reminders that we slept through their under-appreciated debut, but as the trio are pulled back for a single encore of How Long Does It Take, it’s Lovett’s current (and future) fancies that intrigue. If he can keep this terrific line-up in place, the possibilities are endless. [Gary Kaill] Julia Holter
Bob Mould
Academy 2, 7 Feb
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A kind-faced middle-aged man who could have easily just come from the set of a B&Q advert leans over to the microphone and asks “Is it loud enough?” However, this isn’t some burgerflipping barbecue enthusiast but rather the once-frontman of Hüsker Dü – the band that both Pixies and Nirvana cited as a major influence – it’s flippin’ Bob Mould! And yes Bob, it’s extremely loud. The seemingly ‘together’ aesthetic of Mould as a solo artist with his band (comprising Jon Wurster of Mountain Goats and Superchunk fame) is convincing. The media spats with former bandmate Grant Hart have subsided, and the angry young man who penned the antithetical, angry acoustic record Workbook seems to have finally shed some baggage.
Debuting new single Voices in My Head as well as The End of Things from his forthcoming Patch the Sky album, Bob Mould is hardly trouble-free but he is at least able to build on his extolled abilities to create melody within chaos; a skill we’re reminded of tonight with Sugar classic If I Can’t Change Your Mind and 2014’s I Don’t Know You Anymore. Despite dipping into more melodic moments from his back catalogue, his guitar ranges only from a solid brick wall of distortion to angular barks as he thrashes out hook after hook. Inevitably the set is rounded off with a string of Hüsker Dü numbers but more importantly the whirlwind set reinforces Mould’s ability to turn dark subject matter, the sort heard on 2014’s Beauty & Ruin, into a “chemical chorus.” This isn’t necessarily a new Bob Mould, but it’s as visceral, powerful and honest as he’s ever been.[Thomas Ingham]
Julia Holter Gorilla, 16 Feb
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Julia Holter takes a sip from her glass, flashes a knowing smile: “Wine makes me sing better.” She’s not convinced but we’re open to persuasion. Later, she recalls her previous visits to Manchester and pronounces us “good listeners.” Four years since she played to “like, five people” at the International Anthony Burgess Foundation, Holter is suddenly huge: Gorilla is rammed. “I like five people. But I like this, too,” she acknowledges. Holter and her current touring setup (Dina Maccabee on violin, Devin Hoff on double bass and long-term drummer Corey Fogel) perform with an ecstatic freedom. They explore the opening City Appearing, from 2013’s Loud City Song, for an age before Fogel’s snare invigorates
Floating Points The Ritz, 12 Feb
Bob Mould
March 2016
Photo: Mark Prime
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Beneath the truly gorgeous spirograph neon display looming over the packed-out Ritz, a slow exposition of eastern-influenced electric piano and warm, mellifluous synths builds toward the two-note opening bass motif of the Silhouettes trilogy. McCoy Tyner-style piano-harmonic extensions and skittering drum patterns lift the sense of anticipation with the subtlest of drops – it’s clear that this ensemble has been expertly recruited by Sam Shepherd, aka Floating Points, to aid in his transition from erudite DJ and producer of banging 12”s, to the band leader, composer and musical polymath of rabid curiosity, subtlety and skill that he has been hinting at becoming for some time. The serenity of the opening modal jazz section continues as the band moves through
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its closing passages. During set-closer Vasquez – the sprawling centrepiece of last year’s Have You in My Wilderness – Holter leads her troupe down an extended improvisational side road. Part way through, a young woman at the front faints. The sweaty, airless room or simply the music? Either way, the band doesn’t miss a beat. And yet for all of their high-wire playfulness, they tend to the intimate demands of In the Green Wild, a soaring Feel You and an affectionate re-awakening of Dionne Warwick’s Don’t Make Me Over (“I’m gonna sing it heartfelt and bad”) with precision and guile. Every note feels like a great adventure; every song, a challenge overcome. The songs arch and stretch and ascend. Breathless rhapsodies, fuelled by their own fearlessness, they bulge with unruly ambition: beyond words, beyond worlds. [Gary Kaill]
styles reflective of Shepherd’s extensive musical passions – from the kind of proggy interlude that will sound to many like something from a Steely Dan record, to the nods to minimal techno in Shepherd’s drum machine tinkering, building layers of polyrhythms. As the tempo drops for a cinematic, triphop-esque movement, suspicion arises that however tasteful and masterful the performance may be, this feels like a formal exercise in elegance – the desire for hooks, a greater sense of abandon or even just volume only begins to be sated towards the final moments, and the assembled masses rarely like losing themselves in the music. Although this may be the last missing piece in an otherwise immaculately completed puzzle, there is no doubt that Shepherd knows how to blow roofs off; but in forging his own path, he mustn’t forget the simpler pleasures. [Edward Bottomley]
Review
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Photo: Olivia Williams
NZCA Lines
Photo: Wes Foster
“You know, a bad chair can ruin everything.” Eleanor Friedberger shuffles and shifts her position. “I have this perfect little stool at home – maybe I should have just squeezed it into my backpack.” Pause. “As if things weren’t weird enough…” A couple of songs into this mesmerising solo show, Friedberger’s raised eyebrows support a set-long commentary (“There you go – another song ending in G!”) that helps bond audience and performer – there is deep affection from both. She later accepts drinks and the odd lyric prompt with winning good grace. Aces from all three solo albums undergo deft reworking. He Didn’t Mention His Mother and All Known Things showcase excellent new album New View and there’s a rattling When I
Knew from 2013’s Personal Record. Stripped right back, everything blooms unexpectedly. A cover of Smog’s I Was a Stranger is, on reflection, a thematic shoe-in. Throughout, there are so many moments of bewitching, unforced drama. As Friedberger’s own song book deepens and swells, it’s an electric reading of her former band The Fiery Furnaces’ Widow City that elevates a lengthy set. “There’re foxes on the mountain, girls,” she warns, and closes her eyes and takes a breath before continuing. “Wag your head and clean your clocks / Ready for the rendezvous with the sticks and the stocks.” How Friedberger explores these songs anew, re-lives their oblique poetry, is testament to the generosity of her stage craft and the richness of her bustling narratives. As a hushed room pulls her in, it makes for a dizzying, compelling communion. [Gary Kaill]
My Little Underground Beyond Anton’s antics, we cast our gaze over the coming instalment of Cosmosis Festival
Ahead of The Brian Jonestown Massacre’s appearance at Manchester’s Cosmosis Festival later this month, we got to chat with the band’s hyperreal driving force. Well, we think we did...
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here are a few tell-tale signs when an interview starts heading towards a brick wall. Little things: the conspiracy theorising, the stream-of-consciousness responses, ignoring a question should it not fit the monologue… Little things, such as casual admission that our intimate little chat is being broadcast. Live. Over the internet. To hundreds of listeners who – judging from the real-time comment facility – might just be more interested in mischief than any Q&A. Or perhaps it’s as the interview nears its natural conclusion, when the line ‘mysteriously’ drops dead – nothing to do with us, guvnor – and you wonder whether (and how quickly) you should phone back… except by this stage, you’ve already logged on to said internet channel – morbid fascination being a thing – and lo and behold, there’s the conversation, continuing without you. Anton Newcombe is not necessarily an easy interview. Also: the world needs Anton Newcombe. Even as he nears his 50s, he still travels at a thousand miles an hour; it’s a challenge even to think of keeping up. Twenty-six years after the first Brian Jonestown Massacre release, his has been a career trajectory that defies every law of longevity, yet he remains as resolute and idiosyncratic as ever (although plenty of other, less sympathetic adjectives have been flung in his direction over the years). “I never wanted to be commercial,” he tells The Skinny from the Berlin studio complex he’s called base since 2010. “I’ve never changed.” Not even a little? A natural evolution shaped by maturity and experience? “I’ve never changed,” he reiterates, another line of enquiry firmly closed. This isn’t strictly true, of course; cleaned up, happily married and a doting father, it’s a world away from the bitumen of self-destruction smeared liberally across the band’s convoluted history – the smack, the booze, the nuclear option mentality that has worked to cloud an acute and prolific songwriting talent. In sync with the German capital – “Berlin is brilliant,” he announces – and Europe in general, he’s also very much not missing the motherland. “The America that I’m in love with doesn’t exist anymore. I see all these people that have suddenly lost their minds, trying
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Review
Interview: Duncan Harman
to run an economy on easy credit. It’s bullshit.” Cue further minutes of animated pontification on global affairs. Anton Newcombe was born in 1967, growing up in the affluent Californian suburb of Newport Beach, and obsessed with music from an early age. “My mom and my babysitter saw that I loved records so much that they went out and got me a record player.” He was two years old, by all accounts. “Of course I had all the Beatles records, but it never occurred to me that I could play music until I discovered punk and post-punk. When you’re watching somebody like Bowie on TV, there’s nothing that he ever does that could lead you to believe that you could be David Bowie; at the time I was into everything, but the punk thing helped out.
“The America that I’m in love with doesn’t exist anymore. It’s bullshit” Anton Newcombe
“I saw the Mary Chain play,” he adds, remembering that we’re supposed to be talking about the forthcoming Cosmosis Festival (before rattling off a list of pretty much every important UK act from the late 70s). It’s this Anglophilia that’s always flavoured Newcombe’s own particular brand of laconic psychedelia… but growing up in Orange County, did he understand the reference points behind British music of the time? “I certainly did, because when my sister and I started getting into Crass we knew about the economy and Thatcher. CND and all that other stuff – they took being on the front line, whereas America was so aggressive, going ‘Russia, we’re ready. Look at us, we’re John Wayne,’ and people in the UK were like ‘We don’t want all your bases here because we’re targets – it’s pointless.’”
The above is delivered bam-bam-bam, no pause for breath, and it’s this intensity that suggests he’s talking at you, not with. Which is when things start growing a little weird. Tangents, cross-purposes, buried context. A question is asked about Ringo Deathstarr – also playing Cosmosis – whose lysergic shoegaze and punned moniker both owe a debt to the Newcombe aesthetic; instead, he repeats an oft-told story he’s spun to more than one journalist in the past, claiming that “When I started the band we were called Blur. Later, I picked up a Melody Maker and there was a new band called Blur, so I said to myself that I’m going to make up a name that no one has ever thought of.” Which may or may not be true; the point being that you’re never quite sure if he’s being straight-up. Even a cursory chat with the BJM’s only constant member (as with The Fall, the roll call of past and present members would struggle to all fit on a bus – the main difference being that musicians tend to return to the fold in Newcombe’s world) indicates a fierce intelligence, and passion undimmed by middle age. And after flying almost too close to the sun during the last two decades, ridding himself of his distractions has seen the band’s reputation rebooted, the recent albums – 2014’s Revelation; and last year's Musique de Film Imaginé and Mini Album Thingy Wingy – representing fluid additions to the contemporary psych canon (while also echoing the rich, playful, and above all honest textures of the earlier material). Yet wavelengths can be challenging constructs, the frequencies that Newcombe broadcasts on – internet platform aside – far from easy to tune into. We never learn why the phone line failed, or the party responsible (let’s just say we have our suspicions). But later, online, while speaking of his disbelief that we didn’t call back with twinkle very much in eye, he dedicates a song in our direction before heading back to domesticity; it’s a display of warmth betraying an unexpected affection – no wonder he attracts so many complex adjectives. Cosmosis Festival takes place on 12 Mar in Manchester’s Victoria Warehouse cosmosisfestival.com thebrianjonestownmassacre.com
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he jury may still be out on whether Sleaford Mods are the voice of genuine disenfranchisement or The Emperor’s New Clothes, but Anton Newcombe is in little doubt. “Jason and I hit it off when I started to go and see them play,” he says. “Berlin would be a good example; a room full of sweaty Germans, all watching him pull it off with Andrew just standing there with a can of beer and a laptop.” And having released the duo’s Fizzy 12” a few years ago on his A Records label, there’s plenty of synergy in having both Brian Jonestown Massacre and the Mods playing this year’s Cosmosis – in spirit if not in style. Not that the day’s festivities – this year taking place over five stages in Victoria Warehouse – is likely to ever fall prey to predictability; not with the fraternal discourse that is The Jesus and Mary Chain occupying top billing (thus inviting a tasty contrast between the Reids’ instinctive American leanings and the BJM assimilation of UK flavours).
of Montreal
Yet such a headlining triptych only scratches the surface of what the 40-plus bands and DJs will be placing before the masses. Highly influential art-rock veterans Wire will juxtapose the odd crowd-pleaser with tracks from their just-announced new mini-album, while of Montreal will get to tease with their umpteenth new direction. The Raveonettes’ chic noise, NYC spacerock courtesy of White Hills, the cerebral post-metal of Deafheaven, the indie bounce of PINS… and we could go on; with 13 hours of on-stage action there’ll be no rushed sets, and little pause for breath – just manifold opportunity to chance upon the refreshingly new amidst songs lived with and loved to. The heads will be happy, old roasters will be happy, and so will the rest of us.
THE SKINNY
Photo: Sam Huddleston
Communication Breakdown
PINS
Photo: Daniel Harris
Photo: Stuart Moulding
Words: Duncan Harman
Under the Influence: Clint Mansell From Coventry to California, Mr Mansell has steadily emerged from the ashes of Pop Will Eat Itself to become one of the most widely acclaimed film composers of his generation. Here, he offers an insight into ten of the most pivotal records in his stack
1. David Bowie – The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars [1972] It all began with Ziggy Stardust. It was 1972 and I was up at my nan’s house on a Thursday night. Bowie did Starman on TOTP and it just blew my mind. I don’t even recall if it was actually in colour, but looking back it seems like the day where the world turned day-glo. From Ian McCulloch to Pete Wylie to Julian Cope, all the musicians of my generation say the exact same thing about that Top of the Pops moment. We all witnessed it and it’s very difficult to put just what it meant into context for people now. The following Saturday I had to go shopping with my mum and – after throwing a tantrum – I ended up forcing her to buy me the Starman single. The album is full of things a nine-year-old isn’t going to understand, but I was just mesmerised by it. We met when I was working on The Fountain with Darren Aronofsky as we wanted him to do some of the music with me. It didn’t work out in the end, but he was brilliant. Playing my demos to David Bowie is one of the most extreme experiences I’ll ever have. To be in the company of this guy, who was responsible for me doing what I wanted to do was just incredible. The first time I met him I remember he was just so jovial and lighthearted, but also supremely intelligent and well-read too. I was thinking, ‘Hey, I’m talking to David Bowie here as an equal and keeping it together,’ but after the meeting I basically collapsed as it was such an intense experience for me. We had a few meetings after that and every time he was so nice, inquisitive and always open to new ideas. 2. Ennio Morricone – Once Upon a Time in the West [1968] You’re spoiled for choice with Morricone. I could easily have gone for any of the Dollars trilogy, The Mission or the score he did for Carpenter on The Thing. I also like what he did for The Hateful Eight more recently; it really reminded me of a Hammer Horror score. When you hear Morricone’s work in spaghetti westerns it creates a whole different vibe. It’s very accessible music that is unlike other films. The whistling is almost like pop. It opens you up to a new way of thinking and you can go a little further with what else is out there and start developing an understanding of the language. It just becomes part of what excites you.
March 2016
3. The Ramones – Leave Home [1977] The first punk album for me. I missed the first album in ’76, but then heard Sheena Is a Punk Rocker on Radio Luxembourg as it would play stuff that was a little more leftfield than Radio 1. I just thought, ‘Oh my god, this is amazing, what is it?!’ The last record I bought before Sheena Is a Punk Rocker was The Killing of Georgie by Rod Stewart – a great track and one I still love – but in comparison it was just so MOR and pleasant. Looking back you can say it’s not too far removed from bubblegum pop, but for me it had such drive and attitude. Mick Ronson was an amazing guitarist, but Johnny Ramone’s sound was something I’d never heard before. It was the album which led me on to magazines like Sounds, the NME and Melody Maker. I still to this day think it’s a great record – it’s just one tune after the other.
belonged to your dad or granddad and instead felt very much like it was of the moment. It came out in ’76 but I probably wouldn’t have seen it until 1979, 1980. The feeling he creates with his scores is amazing, as is the way he fuses melody with doom.
“Playing my demos to David Bowie is one of the most extreme experiences I’ll ever have” Clint Mansell
4. Siouxsie and the Banshees – The Scream [1978] My first foray with post-punk would have been through Siouxsie and the Banshees. I know they came along with punk but by the time their first album came out and they’d done their John Peel sessions, the scene was moving off from punk culture and going into a sort of bluesy, glam direction. The Banshees leaned more toward the avant-garde. The Scream was a huge record for me. I recently got asked if I’d be interested in working with Siouxsie, which would be a fucking dream come true.
6. Joy Division – Unknown Pleasures [1979] This was another record that was bringing in things for me that I’d been hitherto unexposed to. I knew albums like [Bowie’s] Low, but hadn’t yet heard stuff like [Iggy Pop’s] The Idiot. My main takeaway from Unknown Pleasures was Martin Hannett’s production skills which, to my uninitiated ear, were revolutionary. He was way ahead of his time in his use of dub recording techniques, extreme panning and strange gadgets.
5. John Carpenter – Assault on Precinct 13 [1976] Back in those days there wasn’t a great deal to do apart from watch movies. Stuff like The Parallax View, All the President’s Men and Walkabout stick out. The music in The Parallax View and Klute is great – both by Michael Small. It’s that sound of edginess with the jarring, discordant piano. I also remember the scoring of Picnic at Hanging Rock with the pan pipes, a completely uncool instrument, but they worked so well in creating a dreamlike experience. At the time, I wasn’t even aware I was responding to it and it was only much later I realised it got to me. The first one I really did get would have been Assault on Precinct 13. I hadn’t heard that synthesizer approach before. It wasn’t a film that
7. Public Enemy – It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back [1988] Both License to Ill and Raising Hell were really pivotal. We [Pop Will Eat Itself] saw the Beastie Boys with Run DMC together at Birmingham Odeon in 1987 and it was just fantastic. The record that really sticks out, however, was A Nation of Millions. It was almost like a punk record with the Bomb Squad and the dawn of the sampler. Their use of it is just fantastic. The Beasties’ first record was a brilliant party record with frat boys and all that sort of stuff, but Public Enemy brought something else. It was dangerous and had a point. I’d never heard anything like Rebel Without a Pause with its squealing sax and lyrical delivery. It really influenced the first album we did for RCA.
MUSIC
8. Godspeed You! Black Emperor – Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven [2000] This was the Godspeed album I heard and it’s the one I always go back to. Hearing Storm for the first time was some experience. The way it built was so emotional but also captivating and hard-hitting. To a degree it’s classical music, but it didn’t feel like your music teacher’s type of classical. There was a real honesty and grit to it that spoke to me. It was such a huge influence on my work and the other things I went on to listen to. They were just so uncompromising; their ethos and outlook is not at all dissimilar to Public Enemy’s and the Banshees’. 9. Soap&Skin – Lovetune for Vacuum [2009] Back in the Myspace days somebody sent me a link of Anja performing live. She was doing a cover version of Requiem for a Dream, not the Lux Aeterna part, but the crazy stuff that comes in at the end. She was playing along to it on piano with all these crazy electronics coming out of a laptop and I was just like, ‘Oh man, this is incredible, I’ve never heard anyone cover my music before.’ I then checked out her record which was so strong, deep and emotional. She has this Nico-ish vibe going on, but it’s totally her own thing. 10. Mogwai – Rave Tapes [2014] I think the most impressive thing about Mogwai is the way they’ve moved in and out of the genre without getting stale. The increasing use of electronics in their latter work is just fantastic and makes them every bit as vital as their earlier records. I saw them play out in LA a couple of years ago and to me it was mind-bending. I was so lucky to get to see them up close with the Kronos Quartet while working on The Fountain. The recent work they did for Mark Cousins on his documentary about the atomic bomb was perfect. Uneasy Listening: An Evening with Clint Mansell plays at Gateshead Sage on 26 Mar. His latest score, High-Rise, is available on 18 Mar via Silva Screen clintmansell.com
Review
37
Album of the Month Baauer
Aa [LuckyMe, 18 Mar]
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Since signing to LuckyMe in 2012, prodigal New York producer Baauer has enjoyed criticial acclaim, notably for his Dum Dum and ß EPs, but also for various exciting collaborations and one particularly viral meme. But, where the Harlem Shake fad was global but anonymising, his debut record Aa – a tight half-hour showcase of his considerable production talents – should put Harry Bauer Rodrigues’ name firmly on the map of contemporary electronic music. Whether it’s tribal percussion (Church, the M.I.A.-featuring Temple), hip-hop in the form of UK grime (MC Novelist on the brassy Day Ones) and US rap (Pusha T and Future on Kung Fu),
Eastern cyberfunk à la Daft Punk (Pinku), or Brazilian-pop-sampling (Sow), Aa persists as an agile, flexible beast, and Baauer’s commitment to found sounds and unique samples keeps it bristlingly organic. But perhaps most exciting – and characteristic – is the titular epilogue, Aa. In 75 seconds, it hops distractedly from screamo samples, to Jersey Club, to lurid acid garage, to ambient bird sounds. And that’s it. That’s Aa. It’s confidently compressed, and where this kind of urban dance music can serve as a vehicle for ego, Rodrigues’ deft arrangements and choice guests speak for him – and speak volumes. [George Sully] baauer.com
Matthew Bourne
The Thermals
Moogmemory [The Leaf Label, 4 Mar]
K-X-P
We Disappear [Saddle Creek, 25 Mar]
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The improvisational pianist, composer and winner of 2001’s Perrier Jazz Award takes a step aside from his multiple collaborative projects to immerse himself in Moogmemory. It’s the first album to be recorded entirely on the 1982 classic Moog Memorymoog, the infamously unruly polyphonic synth. Hardcore electro nuts will enthuse at the enterprise and logistics but there is much for the broader audience here. From the unsettling, twitching Sam to the calming, meditative Somewhere I Have Never Travelled, Bourne sculpts a multitude of textures and moods. It’s challenging insomuch as it demands substantial listener input. Brushing in fragments of narrative, finding the album’s emotional centre, defining its understated beauty: all of these things form part of the journey through this curious record’s minimal, analogue artistry and its initially inscrutable soundscapes. That work pays back with interest: Moogmemory is a brave and rewarding left field adventure. [Gary Kaill]
Following the action-packed amorality of 2013’s Desperate Ground, The Thermals’ latest effort finds Hutch Harris aiming the camera squarely at the mirror. We Disappear is ultimately a break-up album – yes, the sap factor is high, but it’s framed by the recurring theme of technology, and the way it allows us to commit to semblances of real-life experience while cutting ourselves off from the real thing – and, indeed, from each other. Weighty subject matter, then, but Harris’ John Darnielle-esque delivery rams the message home amidst their strongest set of tunes since 2006’s The Body, The Blood, The Machine, with Kathy Foster’s on-point harmonies (Thinking Of You) and propulsive bass (Always Never Be) adding purpose to their power-punk arsenal. The album’s rare tempo drops are the real winners, however, with mini-epic The Great Dying questioning the point and the permanence of leaving our mark in a digital era. Intelligent and invigorating. [Will Fitzpatrick]
matthewbourne.com
thethermals.com
III Part II [Sound Svart Records, 11 Mar]
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Formed from the darkest matter, the Finnish trio’s latest completes a cycle that began with last year’s III (Part One). Stark, ominous, unrelenting, it’s a vision of the other side as viewed from the shadows. On a starless night. While wearing shades. The Fast Show’s Johnnny Nice Painter (“Black!”) would invert his world view in an instant were he ever to be confronted by its unremitting bleakness. Hearing the band describe its genesis – Part II was recorded on an island near Helsinki reached only by boat across chill, murky waters – makes the journey across the Styx sound like punting on the Cam. And K-X-P enter their own underworld with nary a nod to the ferry man. There’s a point during Transuranic Heavy Elements where the bludgeoning beats pause and something (Guitars? You? The earth?) begins to howl, and you think: This is probably not for everyone. [Gary Kaill] Playing Cosmosis Festival, Manchester Victoria Warehouse, 12 Mar k-x-p.com
Låpsley
Primal Scream
Prince Rama
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Long Way Home [XL Recordings, 4 Mar] Despite making her name, initially, with spectral, minimalist bedroom productions, Liverpudlian artist Låpsley explores new territory on her debut Long Way Home. The tracks that earned the attention of her home city’s GIT (Get Into This) Award – Station, Painter – are present and correct, nestled in among aspiring pop ballads (Hurt Me, Love Is Blind) and ambient piano soul (Falling Short, Silverlake), all linked by her strong diva vocal and well crafted lyrics. It’s the surprise 60s soul hit, Operator (He Doesn’t Call Me), that stands out as a real graduation of her sound. Though she’s surely too young to have ever needed an operator to connect her calls, there’s a compelling authenticity to the track, and not just vocally. Meanwhile, Cliff knocks politely on deep house’s door, and recalls the pared-down beats of her early Soundcloud offerings. Though she’s on the edge of slipping into Adele-esque poperatics, this is a bold and confident first LP from a producer – and singer – with great potential. [George Sully] Playing Manchester Academy, 5 Mar | musiclapsley.com
Chaosmosis [First International, 18 Mar] With its ersatz zeitgeisty commentary, the mishmash title is, of course, a nightmare. Judge this one not by its cover but by electric lead single Where the Light Gets In: a barrage of neon club pop lit up by the astute addition of Sky Ferreira. At least half of Chaosmosis matches its vitality; the only real stinker is opener Trippin’ On Your Love, a happyclappy rave generation anthem even The Shamen might have passed on. But the highlights here are as good as anything Bobby Gillespie and co-writer Andrew Innes have fashioned since 2000’s touchstone XTRMNTR. The trim beats of (Feeling Like A) Demon Again; 100% Or Nothing with its monster, Motown-aping hook; the whispered devotional I Can Change: all favour songcraft over attitude as the Scream head towards their golden years with their dignity ever intact. Should the live set ever, um, struggle for a couple of roofraising biggies, there are options here. [Gary Kaill] Playing Manchester Albert Hall, 2 Apr primalscream.net
Xtreme Now [Carpark, 4 Mar] How could you not judge this record by its cover? Mona Lisa’s smug little grin is re-formed by disembodied legs dressed in Byzantine-themed leggings, and framed by neon sports-gloved hands, each gently cupping a butt cheek. You’ll be happy to hear that Xtreme Now, the Brooklyn duo Princa Rama’s latest record, is just as joyously naff as any judgey pre-judger could expect. Previously signed to Animal Collective’s label Paw Tracks, at first it feels easy to trace the unabashedly experimental electronic gang’s influences in sisters Taraka and Nimai Larson. But then you realise that Xtreme Now is bizarrely sincere. It’s honestly hard to tell how much of their creepy, rousing glam-pop is tongue in cheek – particularly after browsing their website dedicted to the genre they’ve termed ‘NOW AGE’. Prince Rama’s manifesto handles everything from time travel to energy drink, and claims that modern music is eating itself. A luminous vomit of caffeine, hair-spray and catchy, catchy synth. Best enjoyed now. [Katie Hawthorne] princerama.com
Nada Surf
Lust For Youth
Richard J Birkin
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You Know Who You Are [City Slang, 4 Mar]
Compassion [Sacred Bones, 18 Mar]
Vigils [Reveal Records, 11 Mar]
Clean-cut veterans Nada Surf really should’ve scaled the same commercial heights as Death Cab For Cutie. The melodies behind Matthew Caws’ quasi-philosophical musings certainly draw from a similar R.E.M./Posies nexus (see album highlights Friend Hospital and Victory’s Yours) but as enjoyably winsome as they remain, it’s difficult not to ponder whether this feels a little passé in 2016. To do so, however, is to miss the point. Never alarming, never challenging but always effortlessly attuned to the dusty hum of who they are, Nada Surf are a faded favourite t-shirt; an overnight stay in your childhood bed; a comforting glimpse at your past that throbs with nostalgia while burning brightly with the knowledge of how much you’ve changed and how far you’ve come. That may read like a dismissal of You Know Who You Are, but hey – in the right dosage, a little reminiscence is a mighty powerful tonic for the soul. [Will Fitzpatrick]
Better Looking Brother, Compassion’s marathon lead single and standout moment, represents both the quintessential Lust For Youth track and a first step into new territory. It’s the triumphant realisation of the shadowy, downbeat synthpop Hannes Norrvide has been working towards since his lo-fi bedroom recordings, weaving his trademark one-finger riffs and propulsive drum machine hits into a nuanced and atmospheric number that sounds chilly enough to make your teeth rattle. It’s also something more: stretching beyond the seven-minute mark and punctuated with dramatic breaks and siren noises, it’s a concerted move towards the dance floor. Compassion’s best moments share this kineticism: the chirpy cowbell entry in Sudden Ambition; Tokyo’s driving bass. When the pace slows however, the group’s very affected 80s-evoking style becomes a bit overbearing, so committed to its trendy celestial shtick that it runs the risk of rebounding past retro-chic back into tacky territory again. Careful with that synth. [Andrew Gordon]
Inspired by river mist and Murakami, and carrying echoes of Nils Frahm and Max Richter’s Sleep, sound artist/composer Birkin’s new work is beholden to a naturalism rich in tone and delicate in application; the sparse instrumentation – piano, acoustic guitar, the strings courtesy of the Iskra String Quartet (who’ve added lift and glide to material from the likes of Sufjan Stevens and Vampire Weekend) – representing études in grace and equilibrium. Contemplative, yes, but also reaffirming; ascendant strings will do that to a record, yet the intelligence in Vigils is how it slips away from both classical conventions and expectations, from the drifting arpeggios of Accretions, and A History of Good Ghosts (with its lost beauty amidst intricate guitar), to mid-point Moonbathing – the only piece with a vocal – signifying both natural break and caressing folk lament (“Now I remember why ghosts like the dark and you don’t”). Compositions with a timeless quality – and they improve with every listen. [Duncan Harman]
Playing Manchester Deaf Institute, 9 Apr | nadasurf.com
facebook.com/LustForYouth.Official
rjbirkin.co.uk
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Review
RECORDS
THE SKINNY
Bob Mould
Poliça
Patch the Sky [Merge, 25 Mar]
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Having experienced a late career revival in recent years, Bob Mould returns in more reflective mood. No need to panic, Hüsker Dü fans: he’s not forsaken the pace or volume that made his latest efforts feel so unexpectedly glorious (The End Of Things and Pray For Rain retain the buzzsaw brightness of his very finest moments), nor their magnificently contagious sense of purpose. Instead, solo album #11 digs deep into the darkness, exploring loss of life and love through uncharacteristically frank depictions of depression. Thanks to Mould’s natural gift for songcraft, it all proves much more tenderly palatable than it looks on paper. His sunny melodies and muscular delivery provide a neat contrast to the bleakness, suggesting there’s a light at the end of the tunnel, especially in Hold On’s simple plea for a connection. Direct, honest and powerful, Patch The Sky can only win you over, slowly but surely. [Will Fitzpatrick]
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Nervy percussion, spare arrangements, Channy Leaneagh’s distinctive vocals: Poliça are as easily identifiable as ever, despite not being, three albums in, particularly distinguished. United Crushers drifts as often as it sparks. Wedding is tremendous: a jittery, skipping remove from the chilled template. Melting Block frees itself similarly: when Poliça loosen, flex, abandon the template, they’re a thrilling proposition. When they coast – as on Lime Habit and Berlin – and set trigger beats and snap pulses whirring as Leaneagh sings around the melody, you will them to produce a killer hook, a bruising crescendo, a dramatic peak. CHVRCHES devotees will yearn for a little more bite but fans of London Grammar may find this a serviceable stop-gap. It’s beautifully crafted, but this is not the Poliça album to cement their appeal at a level outside of the devoted hardcore. [Gary Kaill]
Kiran Leonard
Grapefruit [Moshi Moshi, 25 Mar]
Playing Leeds Brudenell Social Club, 24 Mar, and Manchester Soup Kitchen, 30 Mar kiranleonard.bandcamp.com
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On Stiff, White Demin really put their backs in to it – infinite solos, myriad breakdowns, hooks on hooks on power chords and huge, brash intros... but for all that sweat, you’re left cold and a bit clammy. The band are approaching their ten-year anniversary, and recently rearranged their line-up. So perhaps it’s a slight touch of overcompensation that sees White Denim put the pedal to the floor so vigorously, but their thrill-a-second tactics leave nothing to the imagination. The clichéd rhyming couplets arrive thick and fast: “Riddled with desii-yah... my love is pure fiyah,” we hear on ‘Ha Ha Ha Ha (Yeah)’. The record’s less bombastic tracks have the squeaky syrup of early noughties RnB – which may or may not be pleasing. Stiff is better when it’s slower, but it still feels like riding a rollercoaster that’s all climb and no twist. [Katie Hawthorne]
Mugstar
Underworld
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Barbara Barbara we face a shining future [Caroline International / Hyde Smith, 18 Mar]
Heavyweight psychedelic Liverpudlians Mugstar return with a record that takes tripped-out space rock to its disorienting maximum. Exclusively instrumental (aside from a brilliantly chosen spoken word intro to the album’s final track), Magnetic Seasons pushes on and on, manhandling you into a spin-cycle of rattling acid wash. The four-piece are hardened pros at dictating pace. Opening track Unearth carries a weighty, bluesy body and builds to a hefty, meaty pinnacle, offset by the sci-fi exploration exquisitely provided by Flemish Weave and Time Machine. There are moments of truly glamorous rock’n’roll thrown in, too; La Vallee and Regency Blues are slow-burns with confident, heavy footprints. Better still is Sky West & Crooked – a thumbed, twinkling breath of repetitive, comforting respite. Remember that childhood game where you’d cross hands with a pal and spin until someone falls over and smacks their head on the pavement? Magnetic Seasons feels like that; guaranteed to leave you crosseyed. [Katie Hawthorne]
Underworld’s first album in six years starts with what could arguably be described as their biggest banger since Beaucoup Fish’s Kittens from 1999. I Exhale distils all that’s good and deliciously nasty about the veteran duo in an eight-minute slice. Followed by the distinctly downbeat If Rah and marginally more propulsive Low Burn, by the time you hit Santiago Cuatro (Underworld in Jose Feliciano country; you expect it to take an acoustic guitar and explode. It doesn’t), you think: Barbara… is less massive comeback than slight return. And then they smash it; Motorhome might verge on a ballad but it’s a pretty racket with an ecstatic Polyphonic Spree-like break at its core. Ova Nova also uses its simplicity to startling effect; Hyde’s vocals lower in the mix but more messed up than before. They keep the best till last: Nylon Strung might well be their finest moment since ‘93 classic Rez. Some three decades after they first started scheming, this is far from a tired cash-in from a pair of past-theirbest geezers. [Peter Wild]
Playing Islington Mill, Salford on 3 Mar | mugstar.com
underworldlive.com
Wintersleep
The Great Detachment [Dine Alone, 4 Mar]
Aidan Moffat
James
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Where You’re Meant to Be [Kiss My Beard, 25 Mar]
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Now a decade and a half into their career, the typically dependable Canadian rockers return with their first LP since 2012’s Hello Hum. Produced by Tony Doogan (who has worked with two of Scotland’s grandest exports, in Belle & Sebastian and Mogwai), the 11-track record takes a sweeping survey of the five-piece’s usual style of Americana, from the bold, rumbling rock of lead single Amerika and the warbling guitars of Sante Fe, through to the dirge-like Shadowless. It’s a sturdy enough half hour of expansive and often emotive alt-rock, but despite the group’s clear staying power (and figuring in a cameo from Rush legend Geddy Lee on Territory), the overall mood is more perfunctory than profound. There’s nothing essentially off here – if you’re after a solid diet of meat and potatoes indie rock. What may leave other listeners aggrieved is Wintersleep’s reluctance, especially by album number six, to venture beyond their own established boundaries a little more. [Claire Francis]
Stiff [Downtown / Sony Red, 25 Mar]
Magnetic Seasons [Rock Action Records, 4 Mar]
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Kiran Leonard’s clattering songscapes describe a jumbled, dreamy, scatterbrained lack of concentration. But this unfocused direction, for all its confusion, feels exciting in the same way that mis-reading a map can walk you into the unknown. It’s the debut record from the Mancunian and Leonard sounds eager to show off the full scope of his inspirations. Lead ‘single’ Pink Fruit is a whopping 16 minutes long and is more a patchwork of flickering images and half-thunk thoughts than any typically cohesive radio-ready album teaser – but the twists and turns it takes are well worth the view. In contrast, HalfRuined Already is concise but still outlandish; it doesn’t have time to stray too far from the path and benefits from the brevity. Caiphas in Fetters is wildy, enjoyably overdramatic, and shows that Leonard’s best when he cuts straight to the bone. However, a yell of ‘I am not boring’ mid-record feels an accidental insight into his efforts to show all of his working, all of the time. Grapefruit is both excruciating and luxurious in its patchiness. [Katie Hawthorne]
White Denim
United Crushers [Memphis Industries, 4 Mar]
Recorded onstage in the musical hotbed that is Drumnadrochit, the companion piece to Paul Fegan’s new film sees Aidan and band on entertaining form, full of traditional Scottish ballads given a contemporaneous (and typically Moffat-esque) slant. There’s certainly enough sauce in these 12 tracks – some acapella, others accompanied – to keep titter organs occupied (particularly the X-rated reimagining of The Ball of Kirriemuir). Yet this is much more than rude lyrics sung to traditional melodies; songs such as Big Kilmarnock Bunnet or (the untampered-with) MacPherson’s Farewell display Moffat’s sharp ear not only for folk’s cultural significance, but the roles that bursting hypocrisy (on Ode to O’Brien Et Al) or documenting broken evenings on Sauchiehall Street (the title track) play in upholding that tradition. [Duncan Harman] aidanmoffat.co.uk
wintersleep.com
Girl at the End of the World [BMG, 18 Mar] James enter their fourth decade with at least a sliver of their original, dissident character intact. Girl at the End of the World is, on one level, more of the same: bulging arrangements; hefty half-hooks; Tim Booth’s screwy commentary connecting somewhere to the left of immediately comprehensible. But it’s also intelligent, accomplished and likeable. Bitch (fear not – it’s smarter than that) is chugging space-rock with a distinct whiff of Hawkwind. The synthpop diversions of Attention and Dear John are more than mere tinkering. If at times you wish Booth would reel it in a bit with the arch delivery, and that the tunes would more readily find the melodic sweet spot rather than rely so heavily on dynamics and feel, it’s only fair to note that this is album number 14 and that James still pull sizeable crowds and attract an uncommon level of affection from their stout following. Credit for that and credit for, you know, having a go. [Gary Kaill] wearejames.com
Damien Jurado
Visions of Us on the Land [Secretly Canadian, 18 Mar]
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The third entry in his informal Maraqopa trilogy – a string of rustic, lightly psychedelic records themed around an imaginary hippie commune – finds the Americana-peddling Seattleite treading familiar ground and checking in with friendly faces. Loyal fans will catch a clever nod or two – the hook from 2014’s Silver Timothy reappears here – but all listeners should benefit from the alluring sense of history that undergirds Jurado’s well-worn characters. Jurado's existential cowboy persona is an easy favourite, a groovy lost soul who wanders ‘long road[s] to unwind’ amid adventurous productions that bring to mind quirky 60s icon Lee Hazlewood. Other moments are less distinctive: it’s true Jurado’s been around much longer, but these ears can’t help but hear echoes of more contemporary folksy troubadours Fleet Foxes. On the Land Blues is especially reminiscent of the latter, but lacks the pathos and grandeur. Otherwise, there’s plenty to feast on. [Andrew Gordon]
Wussy
Forever Sounds [Damnably, 4 Mar]
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Back in 2012, Robert Christgau, self-proclaimed Dean of American Rock Critics, said Wussy “have been the best band in America since they released the first of their five superb albums in 2005.” If that makes you sit bolt upright and wonder what you’ve been missing, their sixth album Forever Sounds is the perfect entry point. Hailing from Cincinnati, and sharing vocalists like a slightly murkier sounding Of Monsters and Men, Wussy are a game of two halves: former Ass Ponys frontman Chuck Cleaver on one side, singing songs that are perfectly pitched to suit fans of Pixies, Daniel Johnson and Drive By Truckers; Lisa Walker on the other, working like Margo Timmins to make his harder (She’s Killed Hundreds) and funnier (Hello, I’m a Ghost) material more plaintive (Donny’s Death Scene, Hand of God). Are they the best band in America? Maybe not quite, but don’t let that disrupt your investigation. [Peter Wild]
The Top Five 1 2
Baauer Aa
Mugstar
Magnetic Seasons
3
Bob Mould
4
Matthew Bourne
5
Patch the Sky Moogmemory
Låpsley
Long Way Home
Playing Manchester Castle Hotel, 28 Apr | wussy.org
Playing Manchester St. Philips Church on 16 Apr | damienjurado.com
March 2016
RECORDS
Review
39
Photos: Andy Hughes
Right on Track Shouty punk three-piece TRAAMS tell The Skinny about harnessing the power of feedback, and being happy at home
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ands that come from sleepy towns, especially bands as noisy as TRAAMS, are often painted as frustrated, cooped-up, fighting against limited music scenes or conservative noise policies. Not TRAAMS. Or, they shouldn’t be. Although Chichester – a quiet, pretty cathedral city in the south of England – is far from a hotbed of upand-coming music makers, Stu Hopkins, Leigh Padley and Adam Stock feel very much at home. Writing an introductory piece on the band feels awkwardly overdue; the three-piece recently released their second album, Modern Dancing and, as with their debut and the EPs before it, it’s a thrill-a-minute, slacker-indie delight. Tight when it matters but unafraid to play loose with structure, their sophomore record – released in 2015 – is crammed with frustrated, hook-filled party songs that are really, really loud. Before the band squeeze back into the van for their March tour, we caught up with guitarist and vocalist Hopkins to receive a full briefing on TRAAMS’ history of “bumping along,” the places and faces behind their newest record, and how, actually, they’re not at all keen on escaping their hometown. “People keep writing that we’re trying to escape Chichester, and that we hate it. But we really like it here! More so since we started the band, even, because we travel loads… you do get to see quite a lot of the world. And it really makes you appreciate what you’ve got when you get back. Somewhere really quiet, where all my friends are, it’s nice.” A potted history of TRAAMS follows; the three met via a club night that Hopkins started, “because as much as we like it here, it is all pretty boring. I used to put on a club night because there was nothing to do. There’s still nothing to do but there was even less then.” Padley and Stock were then in “this really cool post-punk band” called Dascha, and Hopkins booked them to play his night. “It was one of those places where, very quickly, everybody knew everybody – so I got to know them, but we weren’t really, like, good mates.” After a few years of colliding in the mud at music festivals, Hopkins met Stock “properly” at a friend’s birthday party. “We just got really drunk and started listening to some really good records, getting all excited like, ‘We should do some stuff… We should really do some stuff.’ But then we left, and I didn’t think anything of it. It
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Review
Interview: Katie Hawthorne
was like meeting a girl, and not expecting her to call… and then he called me!” Padley had been living in Leeds – “or was it Huddersfield?” Hopkins half-remembers. “But he kept getting robbed… so he came back [to Chichester] and he phoned Adam. Then we all met up, and a month later we had a record deal.” Aside from picturesque cobbles and myriad options for a nice coffee, the good thing about Chichester is that it’s far from poorly connected. With Brighton barely an hour away, TRAAMS cut their teeth gigging around the city-by-the-sea’s buoyant selection of DIY venues. It was one such night – playing the Green Door for a friend of a friend’s birthday party – that set up their ridiculously speedy transition from brand-new band to signing with beloved Brighton label FatCat (also home to Honeyblood, C Duncan and The Twilight Sad). One birthday party led to another; “Somebody there asked, ‘Can you come play my mate’s birthday too?’ We were like, another birthday? It was a surprise thing, and the guy whose birthday it was, he worked for FatCat! So all of FatCat were there. We met Sam, one of the A&Rs, and she asked us if we’d done any recording… we said yeah, loads.” “Loads” of recordings turned out to be almost enough for a whole album. So, on FatCat’s request, TRAAMS quickly took down the free demos they’d posted to Bandcamp and set to making their debut record, Grin. “It was all done in a weird order, lots of back and forth and roundabouts,” Hopkins laughs. Working with two brilliant producers, Rory Attwell and MJ, the band recorded Grin over multiple sessions – ending up with such an abundance of tracks that they released an EP called Ladders, too. For greater context, Attwell was a founding member of noughties band Test Icicles, and has since been responsible for producing the likes of Palma Violets, Male Bonding and Mazes. MJ runs “DIY-minded” Suburban Home Studios in Leeds. He’s a member of weirdo pysch-rock band Hookworms, and his production credits include Joanna Gruesome, Trust Fund and The Spook School, as well as tons of your other favourites. TRAAMS were eager to make the most of their producers’ infinite wisdom. “We’ve been really lucky, it’s such a nice DIY scene in the UK,” Hopkins enthuses. “Basically, all of these DIY bands in London were working with Rory, and all of the bands up north were working with MJ. And,
well, as soon as we knew Rory, by association you start meeting other people. Then we went to Leeds and met Matt, and obviously you meet Menace Beach, you meet Hookworms, you meet Eagulls. Everyone knows everyone, from bumming it around the UK.”
“This record was about capturing the noise! It’s hard, without just turning the record up...” Stu Hopkins
While Grin reflected their nomadic approach to recording sessions – “We just mashed it all up together, we had loads of stuff but it wasn’t very well thought out” – when it came to recording their second album, Modern Dancing, the band’s attack was much more considered. Choosing to return to MJ’s studio for a solid two weeks of recording, Hopkins says that “we just knew the flow of the record: what tracks we wanted on it, and how they’d work together, the different movements throughout. “We’d been gigging the songs for a while, and we wanted to see if [MJ] wanted to kick them into shape a bit. Let him produce a bit more, re-learn some bits… It was more of a project.” Once the two weeks were up, FatCat offered the band an extra seven days in the studio – “just to see if there was anything else in the pot… and we very quickly wrote three or four more songs. They weren’t meant to be on the album, but then Modern Dancing turned into being the album title… and probably my favourite track, too.” TRAAMS quickly realised that their strategy, second time around, was in trying to sound louder – using sprawling, piercing feedback to dictate the pace and tone of the record. “This record was about capturing the noise. It’s hard, without just turning the record up… it’s hard
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to capture that real live dynamic. So if you start playing around with it sonically… The idea with the feedback was really intentional. And really fun, as well. Matt would have me with all these crazy distortion peddles, moving around the room to make my guitar squeal, making me pull my strings. It was about getting those textures there.” The result is a record that feels like a postcard from the sweaty front row of a live show. Built on fun-filled, iron-clad tension, the band distort any typical verse/chorus structure – throwing it all out there, only to pull back when you expect it the least. From recent single Neckbrace to extroverted thrasher Gimme Gimme Gimme (Love), or the slam-dunk aggression of Succulent Thunder Anthem, TRAAMS have honed the art of a precisely placed breakdown. There’s a pause in Gimme… that exists purely to tease; “Leigh wanted it shorter, but we were like, ‘No, no, no, no. It needs to be much longer. Way longer!’ We do it live, keep it going waaay too long. People are like, is this ever going to end?” But as much as TRAAMS enjoy pissing about on stage, they have a selective approach to touring. Hopkins describes their current, ultra-cosy van situation with a mixed tone of anticipation and dread: “The band supporting us are our friends, called Seize the Chair. They’re very enterprising and own their own tour bus company… well, like, two vans. They’ve offered to split with us, so there’ll be nine of us in a nineseater… We’re going to go mad. Flu, dysentery…” When The Skinny points out that the tour only lasts a couple of weeks, Hopkins bursts out laughing: “Yeah! Can you tell that we don’t actually tour very often? We’re not the heartiest of tourers. Gradually, we’ve sort of… not reined it in, but we only do stuff that we really, really want to do.” So, take assurance that when TRAAMS set their sat-nav to Leeds and Manchester, it’s because they’re dead set on bringing the house down. Leaving behind their current rehearsal space in an old pig-pen in rural Sussex – isolated so that the band “can turn everything up” – TRAAMS are proud of their ability to challenge your eardrums. “We are pretty noisy,” Hopkins says, excitedly. “Have you seen us play?” Playing Headrow House, Leeds on 10 Mar and Gullivers, Manchester on 13 Mar. Modern Dancing is out now via FatCat traams.bandcamp.com
THE SKINNY
RNCM Sat 05 Mar BALLAKÉ SISSOKO AND VINCENT SÉGAL
LIVERPOOL’S INTERNATIONAL ARTS VENUE
WHAT’S ON www.thecapstonetheatre.com Spring Season 2016
Wed 09 – Sat 19 Mar RNCM OPERA W A MOZART’S COSÌ FAN TUTTE Sat 12 Mar RNCM BIG BAND WITH CLARK TRACEY Wed 16 Mar JEFF WILLIAMS GROUP Sun 03 Apr MARCEL KHALIFÉ Wed 20 Apr KATHRYN TICKELL AND THE SIDE
Manic depression stopped me from playing to the point of getting rid of my guitar to pay for somewhere to live.
More Scouse Saddam
Sun 15 May KRONOS QUARTET
Help Musicians UK got me back on my feet. I dread to think where I would be without them. We helped Matt when a crisis stopped him from performing. Can we help you? helpmusicians.org.uk 020 7239 9100
3-5 I March £15 (£12 Con)
Backing musicians throughout their careers. Registered charity 228089.
Sat 28 May TEDDY THOMPSON WITH KELLY JONES + SUNNY OZELL
9 I March
Tue 31 May MARKUS STOCKHAUSEN AND FLORIAN WEBER DUO INSIDE OUT
Joan Laage: Earthtomes
£10
Thu 02 Jun MARTIN AND ELIZA CARTHY Sat 11 Jun JULIAN ARGÜELLES TETRA Fri 24 and Sat 25 Jun RNCM BIG BAND AND SINGERS TOO DARN HOT Fri 01 Jul FRITZ LANG’S METROPOLIS FILM SCREENING WITH LIVE ORGAN SCORE
12 I March
£16.50
Liverpool Mozart Orchestra: Mozart, Dvorák and Elgar
Sat 23 Jul
MANCHESTER JAZZ FESTIVAL
THOMAS DE POURQUERY: SUPERSONIC PLAY SUN RA (UK PREMIÈRE) Tue 26 Jul
MANCHESTER JAZZ FESTIVAL
THE IMPOSSIBLE GENTLEMEN Wed 27 Jul
MANCHESTER JAZZ FESTIVAL
IRWIN MITCHELL MJF ORIGINALS 2016 BEN COTTRELL: NEW SEEING (WORLD PREMIÈRE)
BOX OFFICE 0161 907 5555 www.rncm.ac.uk RNCM, 124 OXFORD RD, MANCHESTER, M13 9RD
15 I March
£11.50
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March 2016
41 RNCM Skinny Ad Mar 16.indd 1
23/02/2016 13:13
Clubbing Highlights Stand to attention for March, featuring Baby Ford, Ge-ology, DJ Sprinkles and Villalobos – now at ease, gentlemen Words: Andrea Brito Illustration: Andrew Denholm
DJ Chart: Adam Strömstedt A key ripple in Stockholm’s latest wave of producers, Strömstedt offers up ten personal faves off the back of his latest release on Banoffee Pies
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arch kicks off with a packed weekend. Hit & Run celebrate their ninth birthday at Hidden, welcoming Kahn, Gantz and Commodo on 4 Mar (10pm, £9.99-12.99). That same night also sees the third instalment of Cult, this time flying in &ME for his Manchester debut at 1 Primrose St (11pm, £9). It’s a busy night, in fact: there’s also another A/V extravaganza laid on at Texture by the Hold Tight clan, who bring in former Dreamworks and Space Jam animator (genuinely) Steven Burch to lead the visual front (10pm, £5); Selective Hearing’s sixth birthday with Oscar Mulero, location TBC (10pm, £12.50), or Funkineven at the freshly formed Mantra Live (10pm, £5 – bargain!). Not to mention the small matter of Ricardo Villalobos at Gorilla, with support from UMHO and the Zutekh jocks (11pm, £25). If you somehow fail to make it on the Friday, why not treat yourself to Paranoid London at Hidden on 5 Mar (10pm, £13.50-£15)? Or, there’s another promising episode of Inside Out with ghostwriter, producer, DJ, visual artist and modern renaissance man Ge-ology turning up at Soup Kitchen (11pm, £10). In Liverpool, Less Effect bring in Kowton, Peverelist and Hodge, each pulling their weight to the Livity Sound Showcase at Constellations on 4 Mar (9pm, £7). Canadian ski enthusiast Eddie C is on at 24 Kitchen St, just £6/£8 for that one (10pm). There’s also Maribou State for a tenner at the Shipping Forecast (10pm), or you can catch Rayko at Buyers Club for £7.50 (10pm) – decisions, decisions. The day after on Merseyside, you can help celebrate Modular’s birthday with the wonderful Baby Ford at Buyers Club (10pm, £15) or Paleman at 24 Kitchen Street. for £7 (11pm). The week after at Soup Kitchen sees cofounder of Sex Tags DJ Fett Burger lead proceedings on 10 Mar (11pm, £5). The following day, 11 Mar, you’ve got Len Faki and Scuba at Hidden (10pm, £10). If you’re in Liverpool for 11 Mar
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then there’s always Rødhåd at The Garage for £10 (10pm), or Abandon Silence’s shindig at Buyers Club for a fiver (10pm). Then on 12 Mar you’ve got Mungo’s Hifi and dBridge at 24 Kitchen Street (10pm, £12) or Detroit favourite DJ Bone at Buyers Club (11pm, £10). Back in Manc, it’s Gerd Janson and Jeremy Underground, again at Hidden (10pm, £12.50); or a four-hour stint from Ostgut Ton signee Boris at Joshua Brooks (11pm, £6-10). Our pick would be the Kelvin Brown and Garth Be tag team at Soup Kitchen, which promises top rope action for as little as £2.50/£4, c’mon (11pm). Big one on St. Paddy’s Day, 17 Mar, from the crew at Percolate – DJ Sprinkles in the Soup Kitchen basement (10pm, £12.50). If you’re saving your green ’til the day after then where better than Nightmares on Wax at Joshua Brooks (10.30pm, £10)? Barely a week goes by these days without Mr. Evelyn getting booked in Manchester – not a bad thing. Sat 19 Mar you’ve got a Dispatch Recordings showcase at Antwerp Mansion, with sound sculptor Icicle on display for £9 (10pm). Potentially decent night at Sankeys too: Soul Capsule for £8 (11pm). Or, catch Big Miz in Liverpool at Buyers Club for just £5 (10pm). Later in the month on 24 Mar, French stalwart Phil Weeks brings the goods to Hidden for £8-15 (10pm). On 25 Mar it’s the turn of Raf Daddy – of The 2 Bears fame – under the Homoelectric banner at Antwerp Mansion (10pm, £12). Same night there’s Amsterdam favourite Young Marco and Fort Romeau at Hidden (10pm, £8-12). Finally, a great lineup for High Hoops’ 12hour slog at Islington Mill on 26 Mar (2pm, £8), with Antal, Daminao Von Erckert and Ruf Dug all on the roster. Or there’s the heavy prospect of Dave Clarke, Luke Slater and Speedy J at Constellations in Liverpool (9pm, £10-£17.50). That’s all folks, have fun. theskinny.co.uk/clubs
n just three white-label EPs – not counting their other fledgling series – Bristol-based label Banoffee Pies Records have plucked a handful of various artists from around the globe, all of whom share an acute sense of groove at various tempos. BP003 sees the return of Stockholm native Adam Strömstedt, also a key player on BP002, who this time teams up with close friend and fellow Swede Art Alfie, for opening track Drum Off. You may be intrigued to hear that the track samples heavily from a solo in last year’s blockbuster movie Whiplash – dare we say they do a good job of it, too. Strömstedt is going from strength to strength with every release, so we’re chuffed that he’s donated a selection of tracks (in no particular order) that have informed his sound over the past six years or so, including more than a few modern classics… 100 Hz – Shoot the Bar [Pacific] I first heard this track years ago in a set recorded by Cobblestone Jazz’s Tyger Dhula. Searched high and wide for it and finally found it but couldn’t buy it off Discogs and no one had it digitally either, until I found 100 Hz himself (Lee Renacre) on Myspace. I asked him nicely if he could send it over, which he did (legend status reached straight away). Years later I managed to grab a copy on vinyl and it still doesn’t leave my bag to this day. Shoot the Bar is wonderful and weird and generally a great damn tune. STL – Silent State [Smallville] The perfect never-ending groove. Need I say more? It has everything you want in a track. It’s the first track of Stephan Laubner’s I ever heard and it’s still my favourite. I have mentioned my affinity for this man’s productions before and I still love the way he produces those airy, fluffy and quirky tracks. Not all of them are dancefloor friendly but Silent State always works. LoSoul – 00000000 [Playhouse] Great piece of house music. The kick sits just perfectly in the mix and really hits you in the right spot – a go-to track for any DJ, I guess. Playhouse put out some great stuff in the midto-late 90s and early 00s and this one is by far my favourite out of all of them. So, so good for the dancefloor. Claro Intelecto – Peace of Mind [Ai] I’m very fond of old school electro beats and this one is right up there. Arp, chords and general
CLUBS
production are all great, as usual when talking about Claro Intelecto. Deep, melancholic and full bodied, like a good red wine. Efdemin – Plenum [Kann] Another one that has never left my bag, from one of Berlin’s best producers and DJs. I love this track, it’s got everything for me. A driving, pulsating and trippy techno journey that leaves no one disappointed. This is wicked and twisted, something out of the ordinary and something you don’t hear every day. Move D – Aspiration 2010 [Soul People Music] Released on Fred P’s Soul People Music in 2010 and an instant classic. Move D has produced so many fine pieces of music, but this is the standout one for me. Beautifully worked 303 and great chords that hit you at just the right moment. Martyn – Miniluv [Ostgut Ton] When this dropped on Ostgut Ton in 2010 I think everyone I know lost their minds – I still think this is one of the best tracks to ever come out on Ostgut Ton. This beat makes my knees weak and the sounds that zip around are so carefully maintained. Instant groove. Cobblestone Jazz – Peace Offering [Wagon Repair] This track is like an old friend, I always find comfort in it. It’s innovative, jazzy and just perfect. I can remember hearing this album for the first time and it blew my mind, I had never heard anything like it before. The way they blend jazz and techno in this way is just phenomenal. Floating Points – Vacuum Boogie [Eglo] The musical visions of the multi-talented Sam Shepherd never cease to amaze me. He controls every aspect of his productions so well. Everything sits nicely in the mix and each sound is so well thought out. This track perfectly epitomises his production style for me. Groovy, funky and soulful with just the right amount of off-kilter love. Smallpeople – Black Ice [Smallville] Smallpeople’s claim to fame. It’s still that good, played it a lot when it came out and I’ve started bringing it with me more and more again. It’s got a vibe that everyone can appreciate, from the heads to the drunks. That bassline melts your brain! Pick up your copy of BP003 at banoffeepies.bigcartel.com
THE SKINNY
Pat Flynn: Half-life of a Miracle
Pre-Raphaelites: Beauty and Rebellion
Manchester Art Gallery
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I’ve been thinking a lot about eggs recently, a result of a week of experimental veganism triggering an obsession (and dream life) revolving around dairy products. Have you ever watched any ‘egg hack’ videos on YouTube? Did you know you can make a hard boiled scrambled egg by whizzing the egg around in a pair of tights, or that you can separate the yolk by squeezing it with a plastic bottle? Brilliant. Unrelatedly, this morning I spilt eggs Benedict over my laptop keyboard so this review is brought to you amid lingerings of hollandaise sauce. Perhaps I can return to it later just as the fellow from The Twits stores food in his beard… Pat Flynn likes eggs too, big red planetary ones. An upside down egg, part of his digital animation Half Life of a Miracle (2015), gets closer and closer on the screen as if approaching from a spaceship. The label tells the viewer that the animation is about consumer culture, the title referring to businessman James Goldsmith’s economic hideaway in the Mexican jungle. It’s sort of reminiscent of a less futuristic Elizabeth Price product porn. Another digital animation, Other Fatherland (2014) tells a simpler story. Playing on a small floor-set monitor, a lemon hanging from a string tries to ask a watermelon out on a date. The watermelon is having none of it and finally sprays the lemon with a Wizard of Oz-like green smoke. Poor lemon. Food is everywhere in this show. A large close-up print of a chocolate bar, portraits of cheese; a sexy full waxed Edam, Black Bomber Cheddar, a wedge of yellow-waxed Gouda. These are not photographic images but digitally created – digi-cheeses. Perfectly smooth and Pixar-y. A lot of Flynn’s work seems to be concerned with empty spaces or lost objects. A walking
Walker Art Gallery
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Pat Flynn, cheeses (2015)
stick abandoned on a community centre floor (Healer, 2015) is filled with suggestion and comic potential; a microphone (Microphone, 2015) hangs in the air, held by a poltergeist, but with a jaunty cheeky energy as if turning up for an X-Factor audition. My favourites are prints of photo-frames (Cold Children, 2015), their stock images of smiling families removed, leaving empty squares and rectangles. The over-explanation of some of the visual references in the work is slightly jarring. Yes the chocolate bar does have a bit of the stacked formalism of Donald Judd and there is a touch of Dan Flavin in a print like Juice (2015). But not quite enough to say so. I was, however, spying inside the notebook of a student during my visit and noticed DONALD JUDD written and twice underlined. So maybe I should just be quiet. It’s great to see a local artist, represented by a local gallery (International 3) in a major institution in Manchester. This show felt like a refreshing surprise and it also left me hungry. On the way out there is a giant pineapple pot made by Kate Malone on display just outside Flynn’s exhibition. It’s not part of the show but it kind of is. It would taste nice with some of that cheese. [Sacha Waldron] Until 17 Apr manchesterartgallery.org
Pre-Raphaelites: Beauty and Rebellion at the Walker Art Gallery brings together 120 works from the pre-Raphaelite movement, a significant number coming from from Liverpool Museums’ own collection and others borrowed from institutions such as Manchester Art Gallery and Tate. The exhibition reveals some of the key art politics from Victorian Liverpool and the role that patronage played in the collecting and exhibiting of artists such as Rossetti, Millais and William Holman Hunt. These may be the images of women with flowing hair that adorn birthday cards to your auntie, but they also tell the story of a new way of painting that was seen as problematic and subversive, and was publically attacked by art critics at the time. Just to give a (very) potted history. The Royal Academy, in the early- to mid-19th century, were promoting the work of Renaissance artist Raphael – all ideal forms and an academic classical approach. Rossetti and pals were more interested in John Ruskin’s theories that artists needed to turn back to the natural world. They were committed to ideas of realism, not idealism, in their painting and often depicted the social issues of the day, sexual politics, gender equality, poverty, immigration. The group of artists that formed under the title The Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood mounted their own shows, used fancy colours and generally drew attention to themselves. The establishment weren’t happy. Public figures, such as Charles Dickens, spoke out in opposition to the new style. In Liverpool, however, there was an appetite for pre-Raphaelitism. The Liverpool Academy consistently exhibited work from the Brotherhood and wealthy industrial and shipping magnates, such as ship owner Frederick
Leyland and Birkenhead stockbroker George Rae, became key patrons. The exhibition at the Walker looks at the work produced by the preRaphaelites, therefore, through the exploration of how and why Liverpool acted as one of the art capitals of the pre-Raphaelite movement in the 19th century. It’s interesting to see the breadth of work brought together for the exhibition and see some key works in context alongside those artists who went on to influence art in Liverpool. Turn away from the exhibition’s overarching narrative for a moment, however, and spend some time concentrating on the individual works and their stories. One of the most striking was Ford Madox Brown’s The English Boy (1860), a portrait of his son Oliver, aged five. The Holbeinesque painting depicts the boy as a little king with whip and top. The top actually looks a little like a chocolate cupcake which makes this portrait oddly contemporary. Oliver would go on to die of blood poisoning aged 19, and with that the painting becomes a kind of portent that the son will never reach manhood. In another Madox Brown, a family (probably his own) dry themselves after a swim at Waltonon-the-Naze. Almost like a painted holiday postcard, it references the blossoming tourism industry but also daily life for the family. The sky and the rainbow glow; you feel you can smell the mossy grass and feel the chilly breeze from the sea. [Sacha Waldron] Until 5 Jun liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/walker/exhibitions/ preraphaelites
Art Highlights From oysters to an art ‘gym’, here’s our Art editor’s guide to the key exhibitions opening in the region over the next few weeks Words: Sacha Waldron
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t already feels like this year is moving too quickly. And there is just so much… stuff… happening. Is it crazy to suggest every festival should go quadrennial and every gallery commit to just two (OK, max three) shows a year? Might need some campaign funds and Trumpian crack-pot-o-quotes to swing that bit of legislation. PayPal me. Anyway.
New exhibitions in Manchester If you’re interested in art and food (who isn’t?), book now for FEAST’s upcoming event The Devil’s Supper – Anthony Burgess, autobiography and food at the International Anthony Burgess Foundation on 11 March (6-9pm). Expect a curated meal (created in collaboration with chef Mary Ellen McTague) including – though subject to change – hotpot with oysters and fermented pickled cabbage, and a drink favoured by Burgess called ‘Hangman’s Blood’, the recipe for which reads something like a rugby initiation ceremony. As well as the feed, there will be artistic interventions, readings and music exploring cooking and eating in the work of Burgess. Book early for this one as McTague’s recent event at Manchester
March 2016
International Festival 2015, a dining experience based on Alice in Wonderland, sold out very quickly. An exhibition on the same themes will run at the Burgess Foundation from 23 March. Interested in black squares? Again, who isn’t? OBJECT / A gallery in the Friends’ Meeting House is running a new solo show from Deb Covell until 2 April. All about the relationship between painting and sculpture, the process is super important in Covell’s work so you will get a lot of theory along with your black square. But there will be a black square. In fact there may only be a black square. I feel like I might have seen this show without seeing it. Maybe that’s the point. Crikey. Until 19 June at Oriel Wrecsam, catch the fourth and final show in their PERICLO programme. This group exhibition, titled Harness Your Hiraeth, features work from Graham Bowers, Sean Edwards, Przemek Pyszczek and Colin Thomas and explores ideas of the welsh word ‘hiraeth,’ which sort of loosely translates as ‘nostalgia’ but more directly translates as ‘longing for a home to which you cannot return.’ It will be interesting to see what happens at Oriel after this current programme; it feels very much more like a gallery to watch compared to this time 12 months ago.
Colin Thomas at Oriel Wrecsam
New exhibitions in Liverpool Tate Collective and recent Turner Prize winners Assemble present Art Gym at Tate Liverpool, 7-31 March. There will be three weeks of free drop-in activities, a kind of skills exchange, where you can design your own personal ‘workout’. I’m still hoping that there will be some kind of physical element, something like high-intensity circuit training around the Matisse show, but it seems to be based on creative skill-sharing. The full schedule will be up on the Tate website soon (tate.org.uk). At the end of March look out for a series of artworks/lightboxes around Liverpool, one part of a group show called Fruits of the Lûm including Mike Aitken and Holly Hendry and organised by new curatorial duo Tžužjj. I would like to say that this is some kind of protest about France recently getting rid of their diacritical
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marks but the name actually means ‘a small movement or change,’ apparently. The locations of the lightboxes will be announced at the exhibition preview night on 26 March at Crown Building Studios. The show then has funny opening times: 26 March, 2 April and 9 April, 12-4pm or by appointment. Lastly, you might want to check out new film company Every Picture’s series of video profiles of artists working out of Rogue Studios in Manchester. They currently have profiles up online of Darren Nixon, Hilary Jack and Brian Mountford, with Chris Paul Daniels, Robin Megannity and Cherry Tenneson coming up sometime over the next month. Go to everypicturefilms.com. Find more previews and exhibition reviews at theskinny.co.uk/art
Review
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Film Event Highlights This month brings film seasons dedicated to JG Ballard and Chris Petit, and Manchester Film Festival returns with a bursting programme Words: Simon Bland Anomalisa
High-Rise
The Witch
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Director: Ben Wheatley Starring: Tom Hiddleston, Jeremy Irons, Luke Evans Released: 18 Mar Certificate: 15
Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior
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top scoffing your face, there’s more to March than chocolate eggs, you know. Head into HOME and you’ll find a selection of cinema treats that beat any religious-themed confection. The Manchester moviehouse is celebrating the May release of Ben Wheatley’s claustrophobic HighRise by scheduling a series of films celebrating the work of acclaimed author JG Ballard. Always (Crashing) (18-31 Mar) inspects the cinematic chaos of environments on the verge of collapse and resurrects Jean-Luc Godard’s Alphaville (20 Mar), the unconventional The Atrocity Exhibition (25 Mar), Spielberg’s Empire of the Sun (27 Mar) and George Miller’s Mad Max sequel The Road Warrior (31 Mar). The same venue also explores the vulnerable and powerless with Voices from the Margins: Four Films about Contemporary Britain (18 Mar). Here you’ll find extraordinary shorts The Last Regal King Size, Thomas Hartley, The Slain and Murderous Injustice alongside an introduction from writer-director Gavin Scott Whitfield. Meanwhile, HOME’s Chris Petit season comes to a close with a handful of films from this unsung voice of contemporary British cinema. Expect Flight to Berlin (5 Mar), Unrequited Love (10 Mar), a London Labyrinth and Negative Space double-bill (11 Mar), Chinese Boxes (14 Feb) and Content (17 Mar). Outside of HOME, Manchester’s Hold Fast bar is screening a schlocky double bill of Frankenstein Conquers the World and Blood Devils (1 Mar), and the Humanities in Public festival explores gay culture with its Queer Story Showcase – ‘Let’s Talk about Sex’ screening event at 70 Oxford St (3 Mar). What’s more, the city’s central AMC, Odeon and HOME cinemas all play host to the Manchester Film Festival (3-6 Mar), where you’ll find a selection of feature film premieres, documentaries, short film showcases and film events all packed into one long weekend. Feature football doc Dennis Viollet – A United Man will kick things off, while among the short film highlights are Strange Weather with Maxine Peake (5 Mar), local filmmaker-actor Ben Price’s I’m Sorry to Tell You (5 Mar) and the world premiere of Break (5 Mar), starring Sir John Hurt. The festival is chock-a-block and bound to please cinephiles of any taste. FACT in Liverpool bring a few cinema greats back to the big screen. Disney’s soon-to-be-liveactioned animation The Jungle Book (5 Mar) is joined by the likes of Alfred Hitchcock’s nailbiting classic Psycho (6 Mar), François Truffaut’s seminal, stylish and highly influential Jules et Jim (13 Mar) and the tense Hitchcock thriller Rear Window (20 Mar). On second thoughts, there’s so much cinema fun this month, you could probably do with a little extra chocolate to nibble on. Enjoy!
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Director: Robert Eggers Starring: Anya Taylor-Joy, Ralph Ineson, Kate Dickie Released: 11 Mar Certificate: 15
It’s the near future, though it (deliberately) seems to be the near future as imagined in the 1970s. Dr Robert Laing (Hiddleston) has set up home in a lavish high-rise designed by a grand architect (Irons). Presiding on the 25th floor, he develops trysts with the higher classes and friendships with those relegated below, including a documentarian (Evans) keen to provoke the dangerous social situation between levels. Violence and disarray are but a ticking time bomb away. A go-for-broke adaptation of JG Ballard’s beloved novel, Ben Wheatley’s High-Rise is a vigorous and ferocious blast through a dark, dystopian labyrinth that only lets up in a third act that starts to lag – mainly because its pummelling nature can’t help but eventually exhaust. The novel’s slower, icy detachment and alienation are reimagined by Wheatley and writer Amy Jump as a hedonistic whirlwind; imagine a lone location Mad Max film with less motors and more upper-class twits, as filtered through a cocktail of the creative sensibilities of Kubrick, Fritz Lang, Joseph Losey and Ken Russell. [Josh Slater-Williams]
The Witch has the onscreen subtitle A New England Folktale, and its end credits posit that it’s inspired by folklore, fairytales and journals from the time of its 1630s setting. First-time feature director Robert Eggers and his crew take a practically fetishistic route to evoking that time, incorporating period-accurate language, detail-perfect sets, hand-stitched costumes, and striking compositions heavily dependent on natural light. It’s ostensibly the scary tale of a banished, isolated family torn apart by the forces of darkness, but running concurrently at all times with the black magic and shady goats is an affecting moral drama regarding the devastating consequences that result from seeds of distrust. Visible witchcraft could plausibly have been left out of the film and you’d still have a portrait of mass psychological breakdown that disturbs in its own right. That The Witch’s events are set just a couple of decades before the Salem witch trials lends a delicious subtext to proceedings, making it as akin to the cinematic territory of The White Ribbon as it is to The Shining. [Josh Slater-Williams]
Time Out of Mind
Goodnight Mommy
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Director: Oren Moverman Starring: Richard Gere, Ben Vereen, Jena Malone Released: 4 Mar Certificate: 15
Director: Veronika Franz, Severin Fiala Starring: Elias Schwarz, Lukas Schwarz, Susanne Wuest Released: 4 Mar Certificate: 15
Homeless on the streets of Manhattan, George (Gere) lives in the same city as everyone else and in an entirely different world from them. Like another dimension overlaying the one occupied by those who walk the sidewalks on their way to homes and jobs and coffee shops, George wanders the same physical space while remaining separated from the crowd. Conversations happen all around him but always pushed off to the edge of the frame, the speakers half-obscured or altogether invisible. He’s there but noone sees him because noone wants to; even when they are forced to interact with him the disconnect remains. Without a home or a job, he doesn’t fit into the city’s machinery and spends most of the movie looking for quiet, in-between places where he can rest undisturbed. The film captures this alienated state so completely that by the end the average citizens strolling by seem foreign – Moverman draws the viewer into George’s world so effectively that the one they really live in becomes uncanny. [Ross McIndoe]
In a chic lakeside Waldviertel mansion, identical twins Lukas and Elias play with pet cockroaches and amble among their mother’s modernist furniture and creepy, blurry portraits of herself. She returns from hospital, bandaged á la Eyes Without a Face, and cruelly snaps that she needs quiet rest. Where has good old mummy gone? Gradually the boys suspect she’s not who she says she is – so naturally they have to restrain and torture her until they get some answers. The feature directorial debut of Severin Fiala and Veronika Franz, Goodnight Mommy makes skilful use of mystery, shifting points of identification and slow pacing to create creepy tension. It’s an elegantly mounted film, ‘shot on glorious 35mm’ as an end credit boasts, with extraordinary bursts of violence. But while its Austrian morbidity and Shyamalan narrative-twist-among-the-cornfields grasp at deep thoughts about grief and perversion, the film feels a specious ruse to show extreme cruelty. If Problem Child filtered gorily through The White Ribbon sounds good to you, maybe this is your thing. [Ian Mantgani]
Hail, Caesar!
Anomalisa
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Director: Joel Coen, Ethan Coen Starring: Josh Brolin, George Clooney, Alden Ehrenreich Released: 4 Mar Certificate: 12A A film about the artifice of filmmaking, Hail, Caesar! is deeply and refreshingly self-referential. The protagonists of the Coen brothers’ films are often tormented by bad choices, and desperately trying to avoid the inevitability of their downfall. By contrast, our main man here is Eddie Mannix (Brolin), a studio ‘fixer’ whose job it is to make these types of problems disappear. So when the star of the studio’s major prestige picture (Clooney) is kidnapped by a group of communist screenwriters, it falls to Eddie to keep the film from going under. The rest of the movie consists of a tapestry of interlocking vignettes littered with big-name cameos, each a loving parody of popular 50s cinema styles. The tone is light and breezy (this is the Coens’ funniest film in over a decade), but there remains a sinister undercurrent behind the glamorous artifice. In the end, this rip-roaring comedy with a moral conscience may fail to expose the veiled intentions of the major studios, but it does a damn good job of showing Hollywood’s potential for high-minded entertainment. [Patrick Gamble]
FILM
Director: Charlie Kaufman, Duke Johnson Starring: David Thewlis, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Tom Noonan Released: 11 Mar Certificate: 15 Over the course of Charlie Kaufman’s cinematic career, he’s been fascinated with the complexities of the human mind and the vehicles – whether they be flesh or not – that carry them around. His new film (codirected with Duke Johnson) is a typically existential, but deeply affecting, foray into a world populated by stop-motion puppets who all share the same eerie expression and Tom Noonan’s monotone voice. That is save for the protagonist Michael (Thewlis), who struggles through this homogenised world until he hears another voice standing out from the drone (Jason Leigh as the eponymous Lisa). Brimming with wit, Kaufman and Johnson craft a tender and moving account of a man struggling with depression and crying out for any kind of connection. The animated puppets are wonderfully lifelike (reminiscent of Being John Malkovich’s stringed lovers) and conjure an uncanny sense of isolation and the joy of a bright spark in the darkness. Perhaps not as mind-bending as it might have been, Anomalisa is possibly more accessible for it – and certainly all the more profound. [Ben Nicholson]
THE SKINNY
Comfort and Joy
Hawks & Sparrows / Pigsty
Audition
Director: Bill Forsyth Starring: Bill Paterson, Claire Grogan, Eleanor David, Alex Norton, Patrick Malahide Released: Out now Certificate: PG
Director: Takashi Miike Starring: Ryo Ishibashi, Eihi Shiina Released: Out now Certificate: 18
Director: Pier Paolo Pasolini Starring: Ninetto Davoli, Totò, Femi Benussi / Franco Citti, Jean-Pierre Léaud, Pierre Clémenti Released: Out now Certificate: 15
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Bill Forsyth’s Comfort and Joy underwhelmed at the box-office on its release in 1984 and has subsequently been out of circulation for many years, which partly explains why it has never achieved the acclaim and cult status enjoyed by his other early ’80s crowdpleasers Gregory’s Girl and Local Hero. Another reason, however, might be because this comedy-drama doesn’t feel as fully formed as those previous efforts, and it suffers from an underpowered narrative engine. Much of the charm and lightness of touch that defines Forsyth’s work is still evident, though. One of Comfort and Joy ’s best features is the opportunity it gives Bill Paterson to shine in an all-too-rare leading role. He plays popular radio DJ Alan ‘Dicky’ Bird, who suffers a crisis when his kleptomaniac wife abruptly leaves him just before Christmas. As he searches for some sense of meaning in life and yearns to take his career in a more challenging and serious direction, Alan stumbles into a turf war between two Italian-run ice cream vendors. Both the pathos of Alan’s crumbling relationship and the goofy comedy of the battle between Mr. Bunny and McCool are right up Forsyth’s street, and even if they never quite click together satisfyingly, there are cherishable moments throughout. Paterson nails the persona of the genial but frustrated radio host whose celebrity status seems largely confined to children, the elderly and ice cream salesmen. Forsyth’s ear for dialogue, meanwhile, is as finely tuned as ever, and his elegant direction gives the film a real cinematic sheen, with the scenes shot at night being particularly striking.
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Audition’s rise to infamy in 1999 was swift, meteoric and, like any game-changing horror film worth its salt, shrouded in tales of hysterical receptions at film festivals worldwide. In Rotterdam, audiences walked out in record numbers; viewers in Switzerland fainted, requiring paramedics, and director Takashi Miike was verbally attacked at showings. “You’re evil!” they screamed. Both a commercial and critical success, Miike hit a cultural nerve with his ingenious deadly twist on Japanese femininity and self-aware Orientalism bound within a typically Japanese aesthetic, a theatre of cruelty and stillness. Released a year after Hideo Nakata’s Ring, Audition hailed an unprecedented era of J-horror dominance. Its success made unlikely allies of horror/gore fans and avant-garde cineastes, both finding something appealing in its visceral resistance to mainstream Hollywood cinema. To give away the plot to those lucky enough to experience Audition for the first time would be criminal (akin to revealing the twist in The Sixth Sense). In short: widower Aoyama holds bogus film auditions looking for the perfect replacement wife. Miike cleverly builds the film slowly and quietly, with the first two thirds playing like a prestige indie drama – only the odd schism of horror is briefly visible. With escalating unease and a switch and bait that Hitchcock would be proud of, Audition culminates in its infamously disturbing dénouement.
Extras Arrow’s new Blu-ray/DVD may be worth it alone for the newly commissioned, suitably creepy artwork by Matthew Griffin, though oddly the iconic image of Asami with needle has been flipped. As Extras attached as fans maybe to the now defunct Tartan Asia Extreme Three engaging 15-20 minute interviews with Forsyth, Paterson Blu-ray, Arrow’s 2k restoration is desperately needed, as Tartan and Claire Grogan, with Forsyth and Paterson offering an honest did little to improve the grainy picture of its original VHS release. appraisal of the film’s virtues and flaws, and insightful recollecMultiple extras abound: new interviews and commentary with the tions of the Glasgow production. As Paterson notes, the film may now be as much of an evocative time capsule for Glasgow residents main cast, Miike and Japanese cinephile Tony Rayns. [Rachel Bowles] as The Long Good Friday is for Londoners. [Philip Concannon]
One is a surreal, picaresque comedy co-starring a talking Marxist raven (Hawks and Sparrows), while the other concerns itself with cannibalism and postwar Nazi ideology (Pigsty). The features’ difference in tone is marked, but by packaging both together for this limited edition release, Masters of Cinema ingeniously demonstrate Pier Paolo Pasolini’s flair for invention. Preoccupied with thoughts of the natural world and the social structures man imposes upon it, the iconoclastic director would address the same themes throughout his career, yet rarely come close to repeating himself. Of the two films, Hawks and Sparrows stands out for its accessibility. A light mood is maintained throughout, from the wonderfully post-modern title music to the slapstick cruelty of the film’s conclusion. It’s as much the work of a nihilist as the notorious Salo, though is wholly lacking in the harrowing bitterness of his later work. Made just three years later, Pigsty is a different matter entirely. Like Hawks and Sparrows, it mocks 1960s youth culture. However, while the earlier work does this by sardonically embracing the era’s aesthetics, here Pasolini employs wordy, cryptic dialogues within the austere setting of a country mansion. These scenes, involving the son of a prominent German politician and his radicalised girlfriend, are intercut with a seperate narrative showing cannibals atop a volcanic landscape. Both stories tie together nicely, but demand high levels of patience from the viewer. These films could only have been made by the one visionary, yet viewing them back-to-back suggests he was at his best when creating subversive, rather than enigmatic, art. Extras This single Blu-ray disc presents the movies in high definition transfers, and is accompanied by a booklet featuring discussion of the works from both film scholars and Pasolini himself. The set is limited to 1500 copies. [Lewis Porteous]
Visualising the Future The programme of this year’s FutureEverything festival is strong on the subject of data visualisation. We find out more about its beautiful, useful – and thought-provoking – possibilites
Interview: Stewart McIver
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his month the streets of Manchester will host FutureEverything festival, with the hope of collaborating on tackling the biggest challenges we face over the coming decades. Workshops, music and art installations will stand alongside the conference itself to promote the convergence of art and science. Drew Hemment, founder and creative director of FutureEverything explains: “We see our festival as a lab, a place to try out new ideas for size, to experiment with new ideas and art forms. It’s a place to experience art at the bleeding edge of the possible, discover game-changing ideas, meet the people creating them, and get involved in shaping the future.” Among the installations is The Corridor, an audiovisual experience created by Andrew Hodson in collaboration with local artists, inspired by (and located in) various sites around Manchester. The design is simultaneously intimate and invasive, with participants interacting with sound poems on their phones. It uses found data, recently collected from the different sites, immersing the listener in sights and sounds. Effectively, when at your most private, Hodson reminds you of how much your data is freely available to others, from simple eavesdropping to hacking, to sprawling user agreements that grant advertisers free access to your information. Those with tickets for the accompanying
March 2016
Smoke Signals
workshop can engage with its ‘sonic playground’ to create and remix their own sound poems. Compare this with Ed Carter and David Cranmer’s Smoke Signals spectacle, which uses 12 smoke generators to propel seemingly random smoke rings across the room to the accompaniment of haunting audio. Actually, the timing is defined using abstracted emails analysed with permission from various ArtsAPI organisations to ‘encrypt’ the information via the creation and interaction of colliding smoke rings. The concept of generating convincing randomisation through obscure data sources is nearly as old as computers themselves, but this source was chosen very carefully. It represents the value of information amassed by art foundations and the relationships they cultivate, which often passes unnoticed by the public and potential supporters. What better way to catch their attention than blowing smoke rings in their faces? However, it’s the collaboration between the Met Office and FutureEverything that proves the highlight of this focus on coalescing art and science. Hemment explains: “Project Ukko is named after the Finnish god of thunder and wind. It visualises cutting-edge climate predictions, and lets us look far into the future, to see which way the wind blows, and predict future extreme weather events.” This is possible thanks to the
wealth of climate data amassed worldwide over 50 years. Trends obscured by time or distance can be identified and used to make more accurate predictions in seemingly distinct regions. More than that, the design is stunning. By using different opacities, colours and angles of the icons, Project Ukko provides extra dimensions of data at a glance, and extrapolates even further by tapping into individual nodes. That such a complex mix of information is comprehensible by non-scientists is largely thanks to the design ethos of Moritz Stefaner, the data visualisation artist commissioned by FutureEverything to design Project Ukko. “Generally, I don’t see function and form as competitors in any way; rather, a good visual communicates the essence of an idea, and an approach, in a succinct and elegant way. I am often guided by a certain intuition of what types of images are dense and chaotic enough to be interesting, but also structured and multi-layered enough in order to be comprehensible. The goal is to clarify, not simplify, and carve out as much of the ‘inner beauty’ of the data set as possible.” As a tool for analysing climate, though, it manages something truly exciting: accessibility. “Many scientific tools do indeed have interfaces that are not immediately self-explanatory, and often packed with information. The visualisation
DVD / TECH
we developed strikes a balance between being an exploratory tool, allowing us to browse the whole world in the search for interesting patterns, and also being explanatory, in the sense that we try to introduce non-scientists to the big picture of uncertainty in future wind predictions.” That means weighing up the efficacy of wind energy in a particular location can be quicker, more reliable, and therefore more likely too. More importantly, it means small communities can be better informed on the viability of wind energy for supplying their homes. If this sounds farfetched, it’s possible to give Project Ukko a try online at project-ukko.net. The program, if it can be repurposed for other fields, would be revolutionary for analysing demographics or financial markets, or even for the tracking of epidemics. When asked about its potential, Stefaner replied, “We are only scratching the surface of what we can do with all the new types of data sources on a global level.” In other words, expect to see much more from FutureEverything over the coming years. FutureEverything takes place across Manchester 30 Mar-2 Apr futureeverything.org @FuturEverything
Review
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Book Highlights Taking a road trip is high up the literary to-do list this month, as poetry takes centre stage across the Northwest
Words: Holly Rimmer-Tagoe After four years at the helm, Tales of Whatever remains an essential part of Manchester’s eclectic and ever-growing poetry scene. And as if by design, road tripping seems to be the flavour of the month, with ToW taking on the road trip theme for their night at Gullivers on 9 March, promising tales of ‘travel, wanderlust, escape and arrival.’ The subject isn’t prescriptive, though, so if you have a true story to share that stretches the theme to Plastic Man levels, why not give it a go?
Events in Liverpool
Holly Bourne
Events in Manchester
The People’s History Museum and the folks over at Creative Tourist bring us Wonder Women festival (3-13 Mar) this month. The festival celebrates the creative success of women through a series of workshops, discussions and events, including everything from coding to the women of DH Lawrence. Popular Young Adult fiction writers Eve Ainsworth (Crush) and Holly Bourne (How Hard Can Love Be?) will be discussing female friendships in books at HOME on 6 Mar. Highlighting the female bonds that inspired them to write their own, Ainsworth and Bourne will talk about the importance of positive depictions of female friendships – beyond the catfight clichés – for young readers. You can also catch a post-discussion screening of Claudia Weill’s film Girlfriends (1978) later in the afternoon.
Over at The Portico, the library will be opening up some of its fascinating volumes about 19th-century women to visitors on 12 March. There will be written records from fearless explorers and biographies of interesting characters, and you can join in by tweeting @ThePortico and @WonderWomenMcr with your favourite quotes and book covers from the collection. Meanwhile, FLIM NITE has been on our radar for a while and on 7 March at 3MT (3 Minute Theatre) the team will be deconstructing the subversive buddy movie Thelma and Louise. The group take a hammer to well-known films and smash them into something completely different – think a smorgasbord of musical interludes, a dab of poetry and an added bit of standup comedy. Trust us; it’s unlike any other night around!
BOOK OF THE MONTH
On Love
Treats
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By Lara Williams
Head over to the Everyman on 14 March for A Lovely Word, an evening of poetry and spoken word from veteran poets and people reading their work aloud for the first time. March’s special guest will be Dave Jarman (jarmanpoetry.com), a performer and playwright from York. Founded by Patrick Hughes of local band A Lovely War, A Lovely Word has latterly been attracting big crowds, so be sure to get down early and grab a seat. Writer and comedian Bridget Christie – winner of the Foster’s Edinburgh Comedy Award for Best Show 2013 and Best Radio at the Chortle Awards 2014 – will also be performing at the Everyman, on 21 March. After an acclaimed run at the Edinburgh Festival, Christie brings her new show A Book for Her (based on her book of the same name) to Liverpool. Expect to hear anecdotes about Christie realising that the feminist section of the bookshop is the place that people go to secretly
The Hormone Factory
By Charles Bukowski
By Saskia Goldschmidt
Out 3 Mar, published by Freight Books, RRP £8.99
Just in time to miss Valentine’s Day, as the supermarket flowers begin to droop and only the terrible chocolates remain, arrives a new collection all about love. America’s premier bar-room poet sets the record straight. Bukowski writes his love for the many women who came into his life, those who left and those who stayed. He writes his love for friends he had and poets he respected; his love for the race track and beat-up old cars. He’s most sweet when writing about his love for his daughter and how his mind is blown by the fact that she requites it. But always he writes with an unembellished, inglorious but unbroken honesty. It’s poetry that goes down like a quiet beer at the end of a long day – the world is still raging outside and life is still mad, but for a moment, everything is almost understandable and pretty much OK. On Love reaffirms in concrete Bukowski’s status as the master poet of the American gutter, a counter-cultural icon for anyone sceptical of the modern uniform picture of the successful and their madness for money and materialism. He looked in darker, danker places and found something much more beautiful. There are bigger and possibly better Bukowski collections but On Love is an excellent selection of a master’s work. It is both a worthy addition to the bookshelf of any fan and an ideal starting point for any newcomer. [Ross McIndoe] Out now, published by Canongate, RRP £11.99
Further afield
Elsewhere, Huddersfield Literature Festival delivers a schedule packed with literary delights from 3-13 March. Polari Up North present an LGBT literary salon where a range of talented writers from the community will perform their work (5 Mar). Joanne Harris, bestselling author of Chocolat and The Gospel of Loki, brings a collection of unpublished stories, written live on Twitter as part of #storytime, and performs them to music (4 Mar). Also on offer, master of the vernacular novel Irvine Welsh kicks off his UK tour in conversation with Nick Ahad (3 Apr). Find out about Welsh’s latest novel, The Blade Artist, in our interview with him at theskinny. co.uk/books. [Holly Rimmer-Tagoe] The Passion and Power of Female Friendship, HOME, Manchester, 6 Mar, 2pm, £3, homemcr.org Women’s Literature at The Portico, The Portico Library, Manchester, 12 Mar, 12-2pm, free (drop in), theportico.org.uk FLIM NITE presents Thelma and Louise, 3MT, Manchester, 7 Mar, 7.30pm, suggested donation £2, @flimnite Tales of Whatever, Gullivers, Manchester, 9 Mar, 7pm, free, talesofwhatever.com A Lovely Word, Everyman Bistro, Liverpool, 14 Mar, 7.30pm, free, @LovelyWordLpool Bridget Christie: A Book for Her, Everyman Theatre, Liverpool, 21 Mar, 7.30pm, £16 (£14), everymanplayhouse.com Huddersfield Literature Festival, 3 Mar-13 Mar, times and locations vary, litfest.org.uk
Martin John
By Anakana Schofield
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‘They go back to hers. She has an HDMI cable and Netflix and two thirds of a bottle of wine.’ It’s 2016 and love is still a battlefield, but its ordnance is strictly standard-issue. In her remarkable debut collection, Lara Williams unpicks the grave – and ludicrous – complexities of relationships as her characters navigate the romance-free frontline of the workaday routine. The backdrop: unrequited lust, the debris of depression, the conveyor efficiency of abortion. The blackest comedy salves the overarching bleakness. The protagonist of Penguins soon discovers her HDMI cable is not quite distraction enough for a lover with an unexpected fetish. ‘Do you want me to be the male penguin or the female one?’ she asks. In Here’s to You, a dancing cat with an inappropriate name accompanies a hellish dinner date. Treats takes place in disquieting closeup: in bedrooms, offices, hospital wards. Williams’ eye for the dramatic undertow energises these deftly drawn scenes, and the pages crackle. The treachery of the human body is a recurring theme and she finds poetry amid the flesh and bone. ‘Her body felt… defiant in its rigidity. He suddenly saw its capacity for secrets,’ muses Samuel in A Selfie as Big as the Ritz. Treats is a dark and bitter joy, and how Williams documents ‘the performance of love and the fire of it’ confirms her as an authoritative and essential new voice. [Gary Kaill]
fart because it’s empty. There will be a postshow book signing and copies available to buy.
This novel, newly translated from German, weaves a narrative of sibling rivalry, discovery and power. The Hormone Factory tells the story of two brothers, Motke and Aron, and a scientist who sets up a pharmaceutical factory in the years leading up to World War II. Aptly narrated from his death bed, the main character, Motke – a former conman and womaniser – reflects on the rise of his pharmaceutical empire. From sexual exploitation to sexual emancipation, The Hormone Factory examines the problem of human participation in machine society. Posing an insight into man’s nature through the scientific exploration of the female contraceptive pill and treatment, this book provides a harrowing insight into the man/woman/machine phenomenon that drove the 20th century. With the body viewed as a machine to be moulded, bent and fixed to suit, what happens when money and power blur the lines between pain and gain? Although a fictitious account, this book is populated by truths and secrets that haunt and astound. Exposing the intense dynamic that lies beneath sex, power and money, The Hormone Factory details the transformation of something so human into something inhumane, through ruthless capitalistic pursuit. The candid tongue of Motke’s narration fires up this fast-paced novel, making him a character who won’t soon be forgotten. [Rosie Barron] Out 24 Mar, published by Saraband, RRP £8.99
‘Caitlin might call him MJ if they were ever on speaking terms. He doesn’t think much of her harping on about her boyfriend trouble and her wine glasses and her dining-room table. But he has a file on her.’ Martin John regards the broadsheet lifestyle columnists with a sharp disdain. It is unlikely Martin John would ever speak to a female journalist, though, or any woman; Martin John prefers human contact of the more criminal kind. He is, as is gradually revealed in Schofield’s deeply unsettling – and unspeakably comic – second novel, the worst kind of sexual predator. Sent to London by his ‘Mam’ (a presence of Norman Bates grotesquerie), Martin John spends his routine-driven days adapting to the city and plodding through his miserable job. He outwits the Meddlers, navigates the troublesome Baldy Conscience (his shadowy flatmate) and plots strategies for disguising his very public molestation endeavours. As his paranoia increases and Schofield reveals the true horrors of his depravity, our innate repulsion for her protagonist slowly turns a mirror on us all. While the authorities continue to allow Martin John to slip his leash, his eventual downfall is less a celebration and more an inarguable indicator of the deeper malaise. Narrated from an ingeniously skewed point of view – a blurry, abstract third person – that disorients and disturbs, Martin John is a work as easy to devour as it is difficult to stomach. [Gary Kaill] Out now, published by & Other Stories, RRP £10.00
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Review
BOOKS
THE SKINNY
Spotlight: Chris Kehoe The Boltonian satirist may have entered the comedy circuit later in life than some, but that just means he has a whole lot more to say about the state of the world Interview: John Stansfield
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n times of austerity and political unrest it is said that the arts thrive. Finding something to fight for and against through periods of adversity makes the philosopher’s voice louder. Though we’re in no mood to state that times are tough, at present throughout the UK there is a definite rebellious and almost anarchic rippling that might be caused by the systematic crushing of the NHS, education and the welfare state. But then, we’re not satirists. Chris Kehoe is, and he’s a damn fine one at that. First gig: “Like many it was in the (occasional) bear pit that is King Gong at the Comedy Store in Manchester, in November 2013. It went pretty well, I got to 4 minutes 55 seconds despite not really having any material. I remember thinking, ‘This is easy,’ so I went back the following month having done nothing in between and did about 30 seconds of laboured improvised rubbish before being gonged off to a chorus of boos and jeers. I remember thinking, ‘This isn’t very easy at all,’ and started actually writing stuff.” Best gig: “I remember quite early on doing a spot at the Frog and Bucket which was largely unmemorable
but for the fact that I did a joke that involved me talking to a taxi driver about different theories of time. It was a slow burner of a punchline and the feeling as a wave of laughter went around the room has stuck with me. I love the delayedresponse laugh when the audience have to think about it for a couple of seconds. I also did a 40-minute set at the Bolton Octagon in November 2014 which was great in that it was my first hometown gig – it was the first time any of my family had seen me and the first time I had done anything on that scale. They’re all good, though. Even the bad ones.” Worst gig: “I say they’re all good; there was an after-dinner gig at a Christmas lunch for an organisation who shall remain nameless that was a complete trainwreck. It wasn’t my scene and was all very Laura Ashley print dresses and, ‘Ah, Major Worthing, I haven’t seen you since the fall of Tunis.’ About ten (laugh-free) minutes into my set a man, effectively dressed as a circus ringmaster, stood up and told me to stop what I was doing. He was clearly a figure of influence as everybody agreed with him that I was a bad person. Then, when I tried to defuse the situation by ‘bantering’ with him, he just held his hand up, turned his back on
me and sat down. When the hecklers refuse to engage with you, you have irrevocably lost the room. I still got paid, though.” If you were on death row, what would your last meal be? And why are you on death row? “I would carb load with a vat of potato hash, like a boxer after the weigh-in, in the hope that I might break the rope and make good my escape. Although I probably wouldn’t be very good at running due to all the food I had eaten. If I do end up on death row then I hope it’s for piracy.” Favourite venue: “I am going to say the Comedy Balloon [at the Ape & Apple]. What’s not to like? It’s free, the beer’s good, and for a new comedian you get the chance to do ten minutes without the spectre of a gong casting its shadow across the stage. There’s also a brilliant unpredictability about it; you can see established acts, first-timers, new acts with promise, new acts with no self-awareness. Some
nights it feels like you’re all castaways taking it in turns to entertain one another with your dehydration-addled ramblings, and then someone really good will get up and tell you why it’s not a good idea to give a giraffe laudanum. It’s a jewel in the Mancunian crown.” What’s the largest animal you think you could beat in a fight? No weapons. “I would fight a deer because I knocked down and killed one in my car last year (by accident), which seems unfair, so I would like to give the deer the chance to redress the balance.” Question from past Spotlighters Foxdog Studios: What’s your favourite chore and how have you optimised its execution? “Ironing. I have optimised its execution by outsourcing it following a full tender process.” Chris Kehoe plays The Coach & Four, Wilmslow on 3 Mar; Sale Waterside Theatre on 5 Mar; Comedy Balloon, Ape & Apple, Manchester on 9 Mar; and Miners Club, Moston on 12 Mar
Under the Microscope As we wait for the biennial SICK! Festival in 2017, a collaborative symposium from the same team – exploring ideas of identity and trauma – is planned for this month. Ahead of the first SICK! Lab, creative director Tim Harrison talks to The Skinny Interview: Jamie Otsa
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hy do we find it so hard to be alone with our minds? What do we gain from and lose to our social groups? How much are we still defined by traditional categories: religion, ethnicity, nationality, gender, sexuality? SICK! Lab is a focused, four-day programme of performances, presentations and discussions that aims to examine these fundamental questions about the human experience. Creative director Tim Harrison has been working with Helen Medland, SICK! Festival’s artistic director, for nearly seven years now, previously running a contemporary performance venue in Brighton called The Basement. Collaborating with a wide range of people, including academics, doctors, charities, healthcare services and the public, their aim is to explore the questions connecting identity and trauma. “Working with these people, I try to get under the skin of the questions at the heart of our thematic explorations,” explains Harrison of his role. “It’s about placing the artistic programme
March 2016
Kim Noble
within a wider programme of discussions, conversations and interactions with our audiences. “This will be the very first SICK! Lab to take place,” he continues, “so it’s a bit of an experiment that we’ll use to generate discussions that will shape the development of the next SICK! Festival in March 2017. This year, we’re just testing the idea out. We want people to come along, get involved in the conversation and bring their own experiences.” The programme is packed with interesting events including performances by award-winning artist and comedian Kim Noble and live artist Bryony Kimmings, with the On the Couch series promising thought-provoking presentations from artists, poets, philosophers, activists and a host of other perspectives. There’s also a slot from Manchester’s very own celebrated author Lemn Sissay, with Harrison “really looking forward to his reflections on the changing nature of identity in the 21st century.”
On Friday 11 March, the Lab Test section of SICK! Lab 2016 is all about testing out ideas; a way of generating conversation between artists and audiences. The artists are asked to lay bare their unfinished work to a sympathetic live audience, who will provide critical feedback – a nerve-wracking prospect for any creative. “Yes, it could seem daunting,” Harrison says. “We always make it very clear that these are works in progress. It’s important that the audience doesn’t come along expecting perfectly finished pieces of work. We encourage the audiences to be questioning but supportive. It’s also really helpful for artists to get feedback from audiences in this way. It’s great to get people outside of their comfort zones. I think it’s easy for all of us to spend lots of time talking with people who share our opinions and perspectives; we try to break that habit.” With our lives becoming increasingly less about interpersonal interaction and more about our portrayal of a self-curated online
COMEDY / THEATRE
identity, could events like this be important in learning to relate both to ourselves and each other again? Harrison is hopeful: “In a way, we are always curating our own identities in ‘real life’ as well as online, through the clothes we wear, the way we talk, what we do and who we choose to do it with. But I do think that the arts have a particular role to play in bringing people together to talk about things. There is something about a performance, film or exhibition that can place complex ideas on a very human level that we can all recognise. “We don’t get too many opportunities to reflect on who we are in public and in a situation that is both provocative and supportive. I guess that’s what SICK! Lab is for.” SICK! Lab, Contact, Manchester, 9-12 Mar, £20 for a SICK! Lab pass sickfestival.com/sicklab2016
Review
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Manchester Music Tue 01 Mar BLUES JAM
MATT AND PHRED’S JAZZ CLUB, 21:00–00:30, FREE
Monthly night of blues, led by Franny Eubanks with Matt and Phred’s resident band. ROO PANES
BAND ON THE WALL, 19:00–22:30, £15
Classical folk/pop outfit hailing from that there London town.
SCUZZ PRESENTS: UK THROWDOWN TOUR (ALLUSONDRUGS + PRESS TO MECO + MAX RAPTOR)
THE DEAF INSTITUTE, 19:00–23:00, £7
The Gibson Epiphone / Blackstar sponsored metal tour makes a pit-stop in Manchester. BRAND NEW ORCHESTRA
ROYAL NORTHERN COLLEGE OF MUSIC RNCM, 19:30–22:00, FREE
RNCM composers perform their latest work. PALEHOUND
GULLIVERS, 20:00–23:00, £6
The project of Boston singer-songwriter Ellen Kempner, nowadays joined by a band as she tours her most recent album, Dry Food.
NIGHT & DAY’S LOCAL SHOWCASE (CHINA TANKS + SOAKED + LUKE SLATER) NIGHT AND DAY CAFE, 20:00–23:00, £6
Live music showcase, giving a stage to local up-and-coming performers.
Wed 02 Mar SUN CLUB
THE CASTLE HOTEL, 19:30–22:30, £5
Up-and-coming Baltimore popsters of the melodic indie-rock variety. EMILIE AND OGDEN
THE CASTLE HOTEL, 19:30–23:00, £6
Montreal folk duo fronted by Emilie Kahn, alongside Ogden - who, in a twee twist of events, is the harp. ROOTS MANUVA
GORILLA, 19:00–22:30, £SOLD OUT
The prolific rapper and producer (aka Rodney Hylton Smith) does his thing, with rhymes, soul and a hefty dose of bass all presentand-correct.
REFUGEE RHYTHMS (MAN MADE + GORGEOUS BULLY + BATHYMETRY)
NIGHT AND DAY CAFE, 20:00–23:00, £4
Non-profit showcase of rising talent from the Manchester scene.
Thu 03 Mar JAMIE WOON
GORILLA, 18:30–22:00, £SOLD OUT
The singer, songwriter and producer returns with much-anticipated new material, four years on from the success of his debut album, Mirrorwriting. RNCM PERCUSSION ENSEMBLE
ROYAL NORTHERN COLLEGE OF MUSIC RNCM, 13:15–14:00, FREE
13 percussionists perform Varese’s Ionisation among other choices by Cage and Hesketh. ROBERT FRANCIS
NIGHT AND DAY CAFE, 19:30–23:00, £10
LA-based Americana singersongwriter, who started out at just 19 and now has several albums to his name. VONNEGUT COLLECTIVE
MARTIN HARRIS CENTRE FOR MUSIC AND DRAMA, 13:00–14:00, FREE
A performance inspired by Kurt Vonnegut’s aim to make art that helps the soul grow, with Manchester musicians, Manchester University masters students and sonic artist Norman Skipp. ELEANOR MCEVOY
GULLIVERS, 19:30–22:30, £15
Stripped-down acoustic loveliness from the contemporary Irish singer/songwriter. SCOTT BRADLEE’S POSTMODERN JUKEBOX
ALBERT HALL, 19:00–23:00, £22
The American jazz musician and co. embark on their biggest UK tour to date, playing a mixed batch of reworked 21st century pop.
IRISH FOLK AND KLEZMER (MICHAEL MCGOLDRICK + DEZI DONNELLY + ANGELA DURCAN + L’CHAIM KAPELYE) MANCHESTER JEWISH MUSEUM, 19:30–22:00, £10
Irish meets Jewish in this newlydevised show exploring the music of Jewish and Irish communities here in Manchester. LEVERET
BURY MET THEATRE, 20:00–22:30, £16
A folk trio, nominated as Best Group at this year’s Folk Awards. PHAROAHE MONCH
BAND ON THE WALL, 19:30–23:00, £16
The New York-residing hip hop artist tours the UK as a solo artist, promising intricate wordplay touching upon politics and social justice with an intelligent and critical eye. THE HALLÉ CLASSICAL GREATS
BRIDGEWATER HALL, 19:30–22:30, £20 - £42
Elgar’s Cello Concerto, Prokofiev’s Lieutenant Kijé and others
Fri 04 Mar
SLEEPING WITH SIRENS
O2 APOLLO MANCHESTER, 18:00–22:00, £18.50
The Florida post-hardcore fiends bring their latest studio album, Madness, to a live setting. THERAPY?
MANCHESTER ACADEMY 2, 19:00–22:30, £17.50
The Northern Irish alternative metalheads do their thing. SOUND OF THE SIRENS
SOUP KITCHEN, 19:00–22:30, £8
Folk-rock Devonshire duo, aka Abbe and Hannah. LADY LESHURR
MANCHESTER ACADEMY 3, 19:30–22:30, £11
Rapper/singer/producer from Kingshurst, aka Melesha O’Garro. RNCM CHAMBER MUSIC FESTIVAL: STRAUSS AND MENDELSSOHN
ROYAL NORTHERN COLLEGE OF MUSIC RNCM, 11:30–12:30, £9
Strauss' Metamorphosen is played alongside Mendelssohn's Octet in E flat major Op 20. RNCM CHAMBER MUSIC FESTIVAL: MENDELSSOHN, SCHUMANN AND REGER
ROYAL NORTHERN COLLEGE OF MUSIC RNCM, 14:00–15:30, £12
A concert of the sounds of Mendelssohn, Schumann and Reger.
RNCM CHAMBER MUSIC FESTIVAL: MENDELSSOHN, SCHUMANN AND REINECKE
ROYAL NORTHERN COLLEGE OF MUSIC RNCM, 16:15–17:45, £12
Works by three well-known composers, as part of the RNCM Chamber Music Festival.
RNCM CHAMBER MUSIC FESTIVAL: MICHELANGELO QUARTET WITH PETR PRAUSE
ROYAL NORTHERN COLLEGE OF MUSIC RNCM, 19:30–22:00, £17
Playing the sounds of Beethoven and Schubert. RNCM CHAMBER MUSIC FESTIVAL: AGBEKO DANCE BAND
ROYAL NORTHERN COLLEGE OF MUSIC RNCM, 21:45–23:00, FREE
11-piece afrobeat and Ethiojazz collective, performing original music and instrumental arrangements of Ethiopian and Ghanaian hits. SUNDARA KARMA
GORILLA, 19:00–22:30, £SOLD OUT
Sundara means 'beautiful' in Sanskrit, and this quartet live up to their blissful name with some epic and anthemic indie rock, gaining comparisons from Arcade Fire to Bruce Springsteen. THE BROS. LANDRETH
GULLIVERS, 19:30–23:00, £8.50
Alt-country from Winnipeg, featuring brothers Joey and David alongside Ariel Posen and Ryan Voth.
ROCKY VOTOLATO (CHANTAL ACDA)
THE CASTLE HOTEL, 19:30–22:30, £7
Hey! Manchester presents Rocky Votolato, the singing, songwriting Texan who’s spent the last 20 years touring - either alone or with former cult-punk band Waxwing. AIDAN KNIGHT
GULLIVERS, 19:30–22:30, £6
The Canadian troubadour tours in the wake of releasing his UK debut, Each Other.
48
Listings
MANTIS FESTIVAL MARTIN HARRIS CENTRE FOR MUSIC AND DRAMA, 18:00–19:30, £3 - £8.50
BILL RYDER-JONES
Manchester Theatre in Sound Festival is a celebration of new electroacoustic music, featuring guest performer Terri Hron.
THE DEAF INSTITUTE, 19:30–23:00, £SOLD OUT
GULLIVERS, 19:30–22:30, £5
BONE SHAKE (94 GUNSHIPS + GUTS)
The masterful Wirral songwriter heads our way.
Gritty blues-rock three-piece from Manchester, now signed to Abattoir Blues Records.
NIGHT AND DAY CAFE, 19:30–22:30, £7
EAGLE INN, 20:00–23:00, £5
LOUIE LOUIE (THE SO AND SOS + SIGMUND VOID + BROTHERS WATER)
SHANTY (MY IGLOO)
Half-British/half-Portuguese rock ‘n’ roll band.
British reggae collective, who come stamped with David Rodigan’s seal of approval.
AATMA, 20:00–02:00, £3
MANCHESTER ACADEMY 2, 19:30–23:00, £10
ASK MY BULL (APES GRAPES + SAINT ELIZABETH + CERVO)
M20 Collective kick off their arts events calendar with a celebration of local music cultivation, as headliners, flamboyant jazz-punk outfit Ask My Bull, launch their 2016 EP. SCOTT BRADLEE’S POSTMODERN JUKEBOX
ALBERT HALL, 19:00–23:00, £22
The American jazz musician and co. embark on their biggest UK tour to date, playing a mixed batch of reworked 21st century pop. ANDY FAIRWEATHER LOW AND THE LOW RIDERS
BURY MET THEATRE, 20:00–22:30, £18
The vocalist of Amen Corner and Eric Clapton and George Harrison collaborator takes his current band on tour.
FUNK ‘N’ SOUL WEEKENDER (TRIBUTE TO OTIS REDDING WITH MUDIBU & THE JEZEBEL SEXTET) BAND ON THE WALL, 19:00–23:00, £12
Mudibu and The Jezebel Sextet present the world’s funkiest Otis Redding tribute, originally commissioned by France’s Saint Paul Soul Jazz Festival.
Sat 05 Mar THEORY OF A DEADMAN
O2 RITZ MANCHESTER, 18:30–22:30, £15
The Canadian rockers make a headline return to the UK and are anticipating, in their own words, “a crackin’ good time”. We’ll take their word for it too, thank you very much. JAMES MORRISON
O2 APOLLO MANCHESTER, 19:00–22:30, £19.50 - £29.50
Solo singer/songwriter who started his days as a busker in Cornwall, before being propelled into the spotlight with his twomillion selling debut LP. WET WET WET
MANCHESTER ARENA, 19:30–22:00, £42.50 - £48
Scotland’s soft-rock favourites, famous for their connections with Hugh Grant’s particularly floppyhaired era, take to the road with The Big Picture Tour.
LAPSLEY
The Liverpool electronic pop starlet – recently signed to XL Recordings – heads out on her biggest tour to date. HAELOS
NIGHT AND DAY CAFE, 20:00–23:00, £8.50
Cinematic rock three-piece from London making music for a “world that’s forgotten the chillout room”. CHRISTINA MARTIN
FUEL, 19:30–22:30, £TBC
Award-winning Canadian pop-rock singer and musician, who tours following the release of her fifth album, It’ll Be Alright, last year. DMAS
THE RUBY LOUNGE, 19:00–23:00, £SOLD OUT
Nostalgic garage pop from Johnny Took, Matt Mason and Tommy O’Dell, whose debut album, Hills End, is out in February. BLUE ROSE CODE (PAPER BEAT SCISSORS)
BURY MET THEATRE, 20:00–22:30, £10
London-based folk group, fronted by Dan Heptinstall and Lorna Thomas, delivering a reliably foot stomping show. DECAPITATED (SYLOSIS)
MANCHESTER CLUB ACADEMY, 19:30–22:30, £14
Progressive death metal from Krosno, Poland. DE’NOVA (CITY OF LIGHTS + KOMSONAUTS)
SOUP KITCHEN, 19:00–22:00, £7
Mancunian indie trio launching their new EP, Young Hearts. BLAZE BAYLEY (AMETHYST + TWISTED ILLUSION)
SOUND CONTROL, 19:00–22:00, £10
Former lead vocalist of Wolfsbane and Bruce Dickinson’s replacement in Iron Maiden after he departed in 1993.
RNCM CHAMBER MUSIC FESTIVAL: MENDELSSOHN, SCHUMANN AND KAHN ROYAL NORTHERN COLLEGE OF MUSIC RNCM, 14:00–15:30, £12
A concert of music by three celebrated names.
RNCM CHAMBER MUSIC FESTIVAL: RNCM SONGSTERS, RNCM CELLO ENSEMBLE
ROYAL NORTHERN COLLEGE OF MUSIC RNCM, 16:15–17:45, £12
Playing works by Schumann, Liszt and Wagner. RNCM CHAMBER MUSIC FESTIVAL: ELIAS QUARTET WITH JEREMY YOUNG
ROYAL NORTHERN COLLEGE OF MUSIC RNCM, 19:30–22:00, £17
Performing works by Mendelssohn and Schumann. JOSEF SALVAT
GORILLA, 19:00–22:30, £9.50
Breezy popster from London, drawing comparisons to Gotye and Morrissey.
MOOGMEMORY (MATTHEW BOURNE + MICHAEL ENGLAND + VIDEOJAM)
ISLINGTON MILL, 19:30–23:00, £10
Genre-bending pianist Matthew Bourne teams up with graphic whizz Michael England to perform a project combining analogue electronics, minimalism and video sythesis.
IRISH FOLK AND KLEZMER (MICHAEL MCGOLDRICK + DEZI DONNELLY + ANGELA DURCAN + L’CHAIM KAPELYE) MANCHESTER JEWISH MUSEUM, 14:30–17:00, AND 19:30-22:00, £10
Irish meets Jewish in this newlydevised show exploring the music of Jewish and Irish communities here in Manchester.
HERE COME THE GRRRLS (NATALIE MCCOOL + BECCA WILLIAMS + ELIZABETH VINCE + AVITAL RAZ + IONE MAI + GINA TRATT + FIONA SOE PAING + KAYLA PAINTER + SONIA ALLORI + VANESSA JAMES)
BAND ON THE WALL, 19:00–23:00, FREE
As part of the programming for the annual Wonder Women festival, Brighter Sound celebrates International Women’s Day with a showcase of musicians they’ve been working with over the last year. HAZEL O’CONNOR
WATERSIDE ARTS CENTRE, 19:30–22:30, £17.50-£19.50
Cult movie star turned singer/ songwriter returns to the touring circuit with a full band to deliver a live show crammed with all the Breaking Glass hits.
Buy your tickets here: bit.ly/dot-to-dot-manc
RNCM CHAMBER MUSIC FESTIVAL: MENDELSSOHN AND SCHUMANN
Dot to Dot festival
RNCM CHAMBER MUSIC FESTIVAL: BRUCH, MENDELSSOHN AND SPOHR
Manchester, Fri 27 May, £25
Music by the three composers, including Louis Spohr’s Septet in A minor Op 147.
ROYAL NORTHERN COLLEGE OF MUSIC RNCM, 21:45–23:00, FREE
The Christopher Rowland RNCM Chamber Ensemble of the Year from 2012, playing a programme of transcriptions of vocal works and original works. MATT CORBY
ALBERT HALL, 19:00–22:30, £14
Aussie singer/songwriter known for his captivating live performances. WEDNESDAY 13
SATAN’S HOLLOW, 19:30–23:00, £11
Murderdolls frontman Wednesday 13 is off on a new project, still heavily into the horror punk.
LYDIA LUNCH’S RETROVIRUS
ISLINGTON MILL, 19:00–23:00, £8
Another evening with Islington Mill regular, Lydia Lunch, including music from Teenage Jesus and The Jerks, 8 Eyed Spy, Queen of Siam, 1313 and Shotgun Wedding. ADELE
MANCHESTER ARENA, 19:30–22:30, £83.75
Multiple Grammy-winning cockney gal, returning with another album of tear-jerkers and empowering ballads. JAKE ISAAC (JOSH KUMRA + LIAM MCCLAIR)
SOUND CONTROL, 19:00–22:00, £7
Ascendant South London singersongwriter. OSLO PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA
BRIDGEWATER HALL, 19:30–22:30, £14 - £40
With conductor (and Principal Conductor of the Liverpool Phil), Vasily Petrenko.
Tue 08 Mar
AN EVENING WITH MACHINE HEAD
MANCHESTER ACADEMY, 19:00–22:30, £26
Hairy heavy metal group from the States, known as trailblazers of the scene after forming in the early 90s. RUDIMENTAL
O2 APOLLO MANCHESTER, 19:00–22:30, £29.50
The Hackney-based quartet hit the road armed with their newest LP, blending drum and bass with souldrenched lyrics along the way. OH WONDER
MANCHESTER ACADEMY 2, 19:30–22:30, £10
London-based pop duo, consisting of Josephine Vander Gucht and Anthony West. ADY SULEIMAN
THE DEAF INSTITUTE, 19:00–22:30, £7
The solo songwriter heads out on his first solo tour of the UK. DECONTAMINATION 6 (PHILIP THOMAS + DISTRACTFOLD)
ROYAL NORTHERN COLLEGE OF MUSIC RNCM, 20:00–22:30, £8
The next in RNCM’s Decontamination series, featuring extracts from Tom Johnson’s Music for 88 and Chord Catalogue alongside recent music by James Saunders. CIGARETTES AFTER SEX
FALLOW CAFE, 19:30–23:00, £SOLD OUT
Ambient pop from one of Brooklyn’s hottest exports, stopping off in Manchester as part of their European tour.
Kentucky singer/songwriter using modest observations as the basis for big and bold arrangements.
ROYAL NORTHERN COLLEGE OF MUSIC RNCM, 16:15–17:45, £12
RNCM CHAMBER MUSIC FESTIVAL: BOREALIS SAXOPHONE QUARTET
Michael Grubbs’ alt-pop band returns with a European tour.
JOAN SHELLEY
The RNCM Concert Hall plays host works by two musical greats.
The Talich Quartet play pieces by Mendelssohn.
Wed 09 Mar
WAKEY WAKEY
THE CASTLE HOTEL, 19:30–22:30, £7
ROYAL NORTHERN COLLEGE OF MUSIC RNCM, 10:45–12:15, £12
ROYAL NORTHERN COLLEGE OF MUSIC RNCM, 19:30–22:00, £17
GULLIVERS, 19:30–23:00, £10
Sunderland-based indie rockers touring their latest LP, produced by Mr Ryan Jarman of The Cribs, no less.
A concert of the sounds of Mendelssohn, Schumann and Reger.
DAVID BIRCHALL + ROGIER SMAL + COLIN WEBSTER ISLINGTON MILL, 19:00–23:00, £5
An evening of free jazz improvisation and experimentation.
NIGHT & DAY’S LOCAL SHOWCASE (AFFAIRS + SEPRONA + BOBODDY)
Sun 06 Mar PETER ANDRE
O2 APOLLO MANCHESTER, 19:00–22:30, £27.50 - £80
The one-hit-wonder, formerly bound by the shackles of Katie Price, hits the road with his 2016 Come Swing with Me tour. We would say we hope it’s in reference to the music style, but we don’t want that either. CROOKS
THE DEAF INSTITUTE, 19:00–22:30, £11
The Cheltenham five-piece hit the road with their 2016 Are we all the Same Distance Apart UK tour. RNCM CHAMBER MUSIC FESTIVAL: MENDELSSOHN AND SCHUMANN
ROYAL NORTHERN COLLEGE OF MUSIC RNCM, 10:45–12:15, £12
The RNCM Concert Hall plays host works by two musical greats.
MIKEY BROMLEY (DYLAN EVANS + SAMANTHA HARVEY) MANCHESTER ACADEMY 3, 19:00–22:00, £14.50
Who? Oh. He of X Factor fame, apparently. As you were. RYAN HAMILTON
SOUND CONTROL, 19:00–22:00, £8
Texan alternative singer-songwriter, formerly of indie folk band Smile Smile, now also a member of People on Vacation.
Mon 07 Mar BLUES JAM
MATT AND PHRED’S JAZZ CLUB, 21:00–00:30, FREE
Monthly night of blues, led by Franny Eubanks with Matt and Phred’s resident band.
ADELE MANCHESTER ARENA, 19:30–22:30, £83.75
Multiple Grammy-winning cockney gal, returning with another album of tear-jerkers and empowering ballads.
GULLIVERS, 19:30–23:00, £9
ROYAL NORTHERN COLLEGE OF MUSIC RNCM, 20:00–22:30, £15
ADELE MANCHESTER ARENA, 19:30–22:30, £83.75
Playing works by Haydn, Vasks and Brahms.
ROYAL NORTHERN COLLEGE OF MUSIC RNCM, 19:30–22:00, £25
FRANKIE AND THE HEARTSTRINGS
RNCM CHAMBER MUSIC FESTIVAL: STRAUSS AND MENDELSSOHN
RNCM CHAMBER MUSIC FESTIVAL: TALICH QUARTET
NAVARRA QUARTET AND ALEKSANDAR MADŽAR
NIGHT AND DAY CAFE, 20:00–23:00, £6
Live music showcase, giving a stage to local up-and-coming performers. PROMISE AND THE MONSTER
SOUP KITCHEN, 19:00–22:15, £7
Debut Manchester show for Swedish songwriter Billie Lindahl in support of new album, Feed the Fire, which is released via Bella Union. BILL LAURANCE GROUP
BAND ON THE WALL, 19:30–22:30, £15
The original member of Brooklynbased fusion group Snarky Puppy returns with a brand new album, packed with deep world grooves and his signature genre-straddling sounds. SOFAR MANCHESTER
TBC, 18:30–21:00, £PAY WHAT YOU FEEL
You know the drill: an intimate gig pops up in a secret Manchester location - this time, it’s in celebration of International Women’s Day.
THE PUPPINI SISTERS
WATERSIDE ARTS CENTRE, 19:00–22:30, £24
Vintage swing pop trio, formed around Marcella Puppini in 2004. BARRY ADAMSON
THE DEAF INSTITUTE, 19:00–22:30, £15
The former Bad Seed and member of Magazine and Buzzcocks plays an intimate show. YONAKA
GULLIVERS, 19:30–23:00, £6
Brighton quartet championing dark pop and heavy riffs. ADELE
MANCHESTER ARENA, 19:30–22:30, £83.75
Multiple Grammy-winning cockney gal, returning with another album of tear-jerkers and empowering ballads. CLEAN CUT KID
SOUND CONTROL, 19:00–22:00, £7
New Liverpool band making waves after the follow-up to their debut single, Pick Me Up. THE HALLÉ
BRIDGEWATER HALL, 19:30–22:30, £13 - £40
Another great concert with Manchester’s inimitable symphony orchestra, The Hallé.
Thu 10 Mar WOLF ALICE
MANCHESTER ACADEMY, 19:00–22:30, £17.50
London four-piece fronted by Ellie Rowsell, making un-pigeonholeable folky rock with a distinctly poppy vibe. RECKLESS LOVE
GORILLA, 19:00–23:00, £12
Merry metal outfit hailing from Finland, touring with their latest album, Spirit. NATTY
NIGHT AND DAY CAFE, 20:00–23:00, £12.50
Singer-songwriter and producer Natty, and his band The Rebelship, headline a very special Black Sound Series as part of WHY? Festival. ANGELA HEWITT
ROYAL NORTHERN COLLEGE OF MUSIC RNCM, 19:30–22:00, £7 - £17
The pre-eminent Bach pianist brings together a programme of some favourite Bach transcriptions. NATHANIEL RATELIFF AND THE NIGHT SWEATS
O2 RITZ MANCHESTER, 19:00–22:30, £SOLD OUT
Indie folk rock hard-knock from Denver, Colorado, touring with his band of spirited musicians. TURIN BRAKES
THE RUBY LOUNGE, 19:00–22:30, £10
The London folk rock ensemble hit the road again with their sleepy laidback sound. CC SMUGGLERS
GULLIVERS, 19:30–22:30, £8
The roots-styled busker band tour their latest LP Write What You Know.
WONDER WOMEN: WRITTEN IN THE MARGINS (STUART MACONIE + CLARE POLLARD + SERAFINA STEER + CHERRY STYLES) MANCHESTER JEWISH MUSEUM, 18:30–21:30, £3
An evening of live music, hands-on workshops, performance and discussion as part of the annual feminist festival, Wonder Women. RED BULL CULTURE CLASH (A GUY CALLED GERALD PRESENTS BASSTRONIC + DUB SMUGGLERS + LEVELZ + MADE IN MANCHESTER + MC DYNAMITE)
OLD GRANADA STUDIOS, 20:00–00:00, £12
The huge music battle event returns after its 2015 hiatus, with four top crews battling it out to br crowned champions of the bass music realm. MARC O’REILLY
BURY MET THEATRE, 20:00–22:30, £10
Multiple Grammy-winning cockney gal, returning with another album of tear-jerkers and empowering ballads. THE HALLÉ
BRIDGEWATER HALL, 19:30–22:30, £13 - £40
Another great concert with Manchester’s inimitable symphony orchestra, The Hallé.
Fri 11 Mar THE INTERNET
MANCHESTER ACADEMY 2, 19:30–22:30, £15
Trip-hop duo, made up of DJ, singer and producer Syd tha Kyd and producer Matt Martians (of OFWGKTA). STRINGBOXES
ROYAL NORTHERN COLLEGE OF MUSIC RNCM, 19:30–22:00, £12
Kora/voice and double bass duo, aka Holly Marland and Michael Cretu, returning with new compositions combining West African, gypsy, folk, contemporary, classical and jazz styles. QUATUOR DANEL WITH DAVID FANNING
MARTIN HARRIS CENTRE FOR MUSIC AND DRAMA, 19:30–21:30, £3 - £14
The Belgian string quartet, based in Brussels, are joined by pianist David Fanning.
MANCHESTER UNIVERSITY BAROQUE ORCHESTRA
MARTIN HARRIS CENTRE FOR MUSIC AND DRAMA, 15:00–16:00, FREE
An eclectic programme of baroque concerti grossi, including concert by Vivaldi, Handel and others. JAMES AND THE ULTRASOUNDS
GULLIVERS, 19:30–22:30, £7
Manchester’s folk and americana promoter Hey! Manchester presents the rock ‘n’ roll quartet from Memphis. EAGULLS
ISLINGTON MILL, 20:00–23:00, £9
The anarchic Leeds-based fivepiece man the next instalment in Summerhall’s Nothing Ever Happens Here gig series. FIELD MUSIC
BAND ON THE WALL, 19:30–23:00, £SOLD OUT
Original and undiluted, North-East siblings Field Music are back and arrive on their first UK tour since 2012 promoting new release Commontime, with a full five piece live band. THE DEAR HUNTER
THE DEAF INSTITUTE, 19:00–23:00, £11
Prog rock lot hailing from Rhode Island, US, formed in 2005 as a side project by Casey Crescenzo, ex-The Receiving End of Sirens member. ARTHUR BROWN
THE RUBY LOUNGE, 19:00–23:00, £18
An evening of rock ‘n’ roll theatrics with Arthur Brown, who first rose to prominence in the late 60s with number one hit, Fire. LIINES (DARMA + SPARES + PSYBLINGS )
SOUP KITCHEN, 18:30–22:00, £7
Scruff of the Neck Records presents an evening with grungy post-punk three-piece and others. SLOWCOACHES (RADICAL BOY + DENIM AND LEATHER + MORE)
THE CASTLE HOTEL, 19:30–23:00, £5
After a rather gratefully received set at the H&P in 2015, Slowcoaches return with support from Smack Wizards and Chump. ADELE
MANCHESTER ARENA, 19:30–22:30, £83.75
Multiple Grammy-winning cockney gal, returning with another album of tear-jerkers and empowering ballads.
COSMOSIS FESTIVAL PRE-PARTY (THE VACANT LOTS + BLACK MARKET KARMA + HELICON + ASTRAL LYNX) SOUND CONTROL, 18:00–22:00, £5
Gear up for 2016’s Cosmosis with an evening of live music.
Sat 12 Mar
THE X FACTOR LIVE TOUR
Irish singer/songwriter whose unique sound encompasses folk and blues with African percussive rhythms.
MANCHESTER ARENA, 13:00–17:00, £19.50 - £55
BAND ON THE WALL, 19:30–23:00, £15
MANCHESTER ARENA, 18:00–22:00, £19.50 - £55
THE WATCH PLAYS GENESIS
The Watch return for a show based on the first two Genesis albums, Trespass and Nursery Cryme from the early 70s.
Catch a bunch of singers who didn’t win a singing contest. THE X FACTOR LIVE TOUR
Catch a bunch of singers who didn’t win a singing contest.
THE SKINNY
GRIMES
THE 1975
MANCHESTER ACADEMY, 19:00–22:30, £18.50
O2 APOLLO MANCHESTER, 19:00–22:00, £25
Canadian musician Claire Boucher does her much-lauded electro-pop thing, deftly balancing dance beats and a supersaturation of vocal hooks against imperious bass synthesis.
Local indie rockers done “good”, depending on what you measure that by. LIGHTS
Wed 16 Mar
HARD ROCK HELL: AOR ON THE ROAD (THE QUIREBOYS + HARDCORE SUPERSTAR + BONAFIDE + SKAM)
O2 RITZ MANCHESTER, 18:00–22:30, £18
THE RIFLES
Canadian electro-pop songstress dirtying up her melodies with analog synths and retro electronics.
MANCHESTER ACADEMY 2, 19:30–23:00, £16
Celebration of hard rock from HRH - nope, not Liz, but Welsh music festival Hard Rock Hell, who take their brand on the road for its inaugural tour.
GULLIVERS, 19:30–23:00, £7
SOUP KITCHEN, 19:00–22:30, £7
London landfill indie types do a solo show. THE CORAL
ALBERT HALL, 18:00–22:00, £SOLD OUT
The Wirral five-piece make a comeback, now on their eighth album, The Distance Inbetween, which was recorded at Parr Street Studio in Liverpool. MODEL AEROPLANES
NIGHT AND DAY CAFE, 20:00–23:00, £7
Young Dundee band who were recently signed to Island Records - the home of legends like Bob Marley and Amy Winehouse.
THE MOZART SEASON (MANCHESTER CAMERATA + JEAN-EFFLAM BAVOUZET)
ROYAL NORTHERN COLLEGE OF MUSIC RNCM, 19:30–22:00, £14
An all-Mozart programme promising to redefine the classics of the great composer. RNCM BIG BAND WITH CLARK TRACEY
ROYAL NORTHERN COLLEGE OF MUSIC RNCM, 19:30–22:00, £7 - £18
The RNCM Big Band is joined by drummer, band leader, educator and composer Dick Tracey, for an evening celebrating the music of his father. SKINNY LIVING
THE CASTLE HOTEL, 19:30–23:00, £5
The Wakefield pop act play Manchester as part of their European tour.
MUMS CHAMBER ORCHESTRA
MARTIN HARRIS CENTRE FOR MUSIC AND DRAMA, 19:30–21:30, £3 - £10.50
Manchester University Music Society perform, featuring a specially commissioned double concerto for sheng and clarinet. JASON DONOVAN
THE LOWRY: LYRIC THEATRE, 20:00–22:30, £28.50 - £32.50
The cult Aussie star (so cult he has a kebab van in Bristol named after him - we’ll let you work out the pun) embarks on a solo tour, playing his 1989 album, Ten Good Reasons, in its entirety alongside other hits. HOUSEWIVES + TOMAGA + GNOD
ISLINGTON MILL, 20:00–02:00, £8
The London four-piece are joined by experimental sounds from duo Tomaga and Salford krautrock group Gnod. COSMOSIS (THE JESUS AND MARY CHAIN + THE BRIAN JONESTOWN MASSACRE + SLEAFORD MODS + THE RAVEONETTES + ALLAH-LAS)
VICTORIA WAREHOUSE, 14:00–03:00, £67.50
A one day festival of psychedelia, taking over Antwerp Mansion with a stellar line-up of live music, DJ sets, mind-bending visuals, clothing stalls, food, arts and crafts, and even a deep space observatory. THE SEX PISSED DOLLS
THE RUBY LOUNGE, 19:00–23:00, £12
All-female five-piece playing punk, ska and dirty rock music. PUPPET REBELLION (CIRCUS WOLVES + THE SISTERS + THE SUSPECTS)
MANCHESTER ACADEMY 3, 19:30–22:30, £8
Scruff of the Neck Records bring you an evening of sounds headlined by local indie outfit Puppet Rebellion. LAKE KOMO (NATALIE MCCOOL + DEMONS OF RUBY MAE)
SOUP KITCHEN, 19:00–22:00, £7
Northwest favourites peddling epic alternative folk tunes. DUB PISTOLS
SOUND CONTROL, 19:00–22:00, £10
London-based dub ensemble chewing up hip-hop, dub, techno and ska-punk and spitting it out in a renegade futuristic skank.
Sun 13 Mar BOYCE AVENUE
MANCHESTER ACADEMY, 19:00–22:00, £25
Floridian acoustic pop-meets-rock band of brothers Alejandro, Fabian and Daniel Manzano.
March 2016
SOUND CONTROL, 18:00–22:00, £13.50
TRAAMS
Krautrock trio hailing from Chichester, currently signed to Fat Cat Records. DAN REED NETWORK + TYKETTO (ESTRELLA)
MANCHESTER CLUB ACADEMY, 19:00–22:00, £20
Co-headline tour featuring the 80s funk rock group fronted by Dan Reed and NYC’s Tyketto. LIGHTS
SOUND CONTROL, 19:00–22:00, £13.50
Electro-pop artist returning to UK shores. THE HALLÉ
BRIDGEWATER HALL, 19:30–22:30, £13 - £40
Another great concert with Manchester’s inimitable symphony orchestra, The Hallé.
HAYDEN JAMES
One of just three UK dates for Sydney singer-songwriter, as part of his European spring tour. JEFF WILLIAMS GROUP
ROYAL NORTHERN COLLEGE OF MUSIC RNCM, 19:30–22:00, £15
London-based American drummer, who performs at the RNCM with his quintet in support of their new album. CHOPIN PRIZE
ROYAL NORTHERN COLLEGE OF MUSIC RNCM, 19:30–22:00, £7
RNCM pianists and students from Chetham’s School of Music compete for this prestigious annual prize, adjudicated this year by Martin Roscoe. LEE PARRY AND BAND
THE CASTLE HOTEL, 19:30–22:30, £4
Mon 14 Mar
Lee Parry launches his new, crowdfunded EP, This Young Heart.
OPERA HOUSE, 19:00–22:30, £34.50
Country singer, songwriter and guitarist from the States, now signed to Warner.
80S INVASION TOUR (BIG COUNTRY + CURIOSITY KILLED THE CAT + MIDGE URE + NICK HEYWARD)
Four of the 1980s’ most memorable acts come together for an evening of classic sounds. THE 1975
O2 APOLLO MANCHESTER, 19:00–22:00, £25
Local indie rockers done “good”, depending on what you measure that by. PARIS-MANCHESTER
ROYAL NORTHERN COLLEGE OF MUSIC RNCM, 19:30–22:00, £7
Musicians from the Paris Conservatoir join RNCM students for an evening of French and English contemporary music, along with new work by composers from both institutions. THE FEELING
THE RUBY LOUNGE, 19:00–23:00, £18.50
Harmless BRIT-nominated indiepopsters led by Dan Gillespie Sells’ wishy-washy vocals. LUDOVICO EINAUDI
BRIDGEWATER HALL, 19:30–22:30, £SOLD OUT
One of today’s most popular classical musicians, known for his BAFTA-nominated work on the This is England ‘86 score.
Tue 15 Mar THE 1975
O2 APOLLO MANCHESTER, 19:00–22:00, £25
Local indie rockers done “good”, depending on what you measure that by. RNCM COMPOSERS CONCERT
ROYAL NORTHERN COLLEGE OF MUSIC RNCM, 19:30–22:00, FREE
Adam Gorb, RNCM Head of Composition, introduces this concert of new and recently premièred works, written by RNCM composers and performed by their fellow students. NIGHT & DAY’S LOCAL SHOWCASE (PEUR + HALF DAY HERO + KELLY’S HEROES + SPIRALS) NIGHT AND DAY CAFE, 20:00–23:00, £6
Live music showcase, giving a stage to local up-and-coming performers. STRIKING MATCHES
THE DEAF INSTITUTE, 19:00–23:00, £15
Country rock duo who’ve been featured on the NBC hit drama series Nashville. LEE ‘SCRATCH’ PERRY + MAD PROFESSOR
BAND ON THE WALL, 20:00–23:00, £25.50
Hugely influential reggae and dub producer who was behind Bob Marley’s early studio output. FLESHGOD APOCALYPSE (XERATH)
SOUND CONTROL, 18:30–22:00, £13
Italian death metal group. LUDOVICO EINAUDI
BRIDGEWATER HALL, 19:30–22:30, £SOLD OUT
One of today’s most popular classical musicians, known for his BAFTA-nominated work on the This is England ‘86 score.
FRANKIE BALLARD
THE DEAF INSTITUTE, 19:00–23:00, £13.50
TOSELAND (COLOUR OF NOISE + DEJA VEGA)
SOUND CONTROL, 19:00–19:00, £8
The Ex-superbike champion continues to go it solo after parting with his band, Crash.
Thu 17 Mar REEF
MANCHESTER ACADEMY 2, 18:30–22:00, £18.50
The Gary Stringer-led 90s rockers return to a live setting. RNCM HARP ENSEMBLE
ROYAL NORTHERN COLLEGE OF MUSIC RNCM, 13:15–14:00, FREE
A 13 piece harp ensemble of RNCM students and alumni performs Bill Connor’s Songs of Love and Remembering.
MANCHESTER UNIVERSITY BIG BAND
MARTIN HARRIS CENTRE FOR MUSIC AND DRAMA, 19:30–21:30, £3 - £10.50
The University Big Band return with what’s sure to be a high energy show. THE MICHAEL KAHAN KAPELYE
MARTIN HARRIS CENTRE FOR MUSIC AND DRAMA, 13:10–14:00, FREE
Musicians from Manchester University Music Department’s klezmer ensemble perform their own arrangements of pieces originating in wedding music of Eastern European Jews.
FLIIIS (COLOURS + VIENNA DITTO + SHADOW PALACE)
THE CASTLE HOTEL, 19:30–22:30, £6
The Manchester duo headline the stage at The Castle, joined by fellow Mancs Shadow Palace, and others. NIGHT & DAY’S LOCAL SHOWCASE (COLOUR + CLEARGREEN + THE VISITORS + THE LOVE) NIGHT AND DAY CAFE, 20:00–23:00, £6
Live music showcase, giving a stage to local up-and-coming performers.
AMERICAN YOUNG (SASHA MCVEIGH +LOVELESS EFFECT) THE RUBY LOUNGE, 19:00–23:00, £12
Country duo of artists, songsmiths, producers and entertainers, Jon Stone and Kristy Osmunson, who are busy exploring how music can inherently affect emotion and even culture. DEAD PREZ ( J CHAMBERS)
BAND ON THE WALL, 19:30–23:00, £18
The politically-charged hip-hop duo, formed in New York City in 1996, bring their confrontational stance to the fore as they embark on a Europe-wide tour.
VIRGIN KIDS (DUDS + FRUIT TONES + FAMILY TREE DJS)
FALLOW CAFE, 20:00–23:00, £4
Family Tree presents Virgin Kids, a London garage outfit touring in support of their new album, released via Burger records and Fluffer Records.
STEVEN JAMES ADAMS
VIDEO GAMES LIVE
EAGLE INN, 19:30–22:30, £8
ALBERT HALL, 18:00–22:00, £30 - £40
The former singer, songwriter and guitarist from the Broken Family Band continues his solo journey with new record, Old Magick. THE HALLÉ
BRIDGEWATER HALL, 19:30–22:30, £13 - £41
Another great concert with Manchester’s inimitable symphony orchestra, The Hallé.
Fri 18 Mar MARIAH CAREY
MANCHESTER ARENA, 18:30–22:30, £45 - £70
The inimitable pop shriekster heads across the pond with her Sweet Sweet Fantasy tour. Expect high notes to be hit. LAMB
O2 RITZ MANCHESTER, 19:00–22:30, £25
The Mancunian duo who, along with Massive Attack, were among the forebearers of the trip-hop scene. PETER LAWSON
ROYAL NORTHERN COLLEGE OF MUSIC RNCM, 13:15–14:00, FREE
An RNCM staff recital with pianist Peter Lawson. RNCM CHAMBER ORCHESTRA
ROYAL NORTHERN COLLEGE OF MUSIC RNCM, 19:30–22:00, £15
The in-house chamber orchestra perform some classical selections. LUKE DANIELS: REVOLVE AND ROTATE
ROYAL NORTHERN COLLEGE OF MUSIC RNCM, 19:30–22:00, £12
A visually exciting concert with celebrated folk musician and composer. HALF MOON RUN
ALBERT HALL, 19:00–22:30, £15
Talented young trio from Ottawa, Ontario and Comox, British Columbia, working their magic across elements of indie, pop and folk. ROBYN SHERWELL
THE CASTLE HOTEL, 19:30–23:00, £7
After the release of My Hand on 11 March, produced by David Kosten (Everything Everything / Bat for Lashes), Robyn Sherwell brings her soulful vocals set amidst pounding drums to Glasgow. VUKOVI
SOUND CONTROL, 19:00–22:30, £6
Kilwinning experimental rockers headed by the rather magnificent (at screaming) Janine Shilstone. CONTEMPORARY STUDENT WORKS CONCERT
MARTIN HARRIS CENTRE FOR MUSIC AND DRAMA, 13:10–14:00, FREE
Video game touring concert created by composer Tommy Tallarico in 2002, taking in a series of video game music performed by a live orchestra and choir. ELLIE GOULDING
MANCHESTER ARENA, 18:00–22:00, £35
The Grammy Award-nominated singer returns, now climbing the ranks with her third record. SHANE THOMAS
ROYAL NORTHERN COLLEGE OF MUSIC RNCM, 19:30–22:00, £10
16-year-old British pianist, who’s no doubt achieved more than many of us that are almost twice his age. Grrr. PLASTIKES KAREKLES
ROYAL NORTHERN COLLEGE OF MUSIC RNCM, 19:30–22:00, £15
A group of musicians who hail from classical, jazz and traditional Greek backgrounds, led by the young and hugely talented Pavlos Carvalho playing bouzouki. MAN AND THE ECHO
AATMA, 19:00–22:30, £8
Warrington pop outfit fronted by Gaz Roberts. THE BLACK SOUND SERIES
CONTACT THEATRE, 20:00–22:00, £6 - £11
A night of big beats and rhythms celebrating Black music and culture and its influence on the UK. LUCIGENIC (SAISADAI)
THE RUBY LOUNGE, 19:00–23:00, £5
Manchester-based Lucigenic return with original members Stewart Burnett, Mark Woolfenden, Gary Wyatt and Lucy Davies to promote their new album, featuring an eclectic mix of old and new powerful melodies with tinges of Blondie, Pixies and Echobelly. LIFE OF AGONY
MANCHESTER CLUB ACADEMY, 19:00–22:00, £20
The Brooklyn heavy metal outfit tour their most recent release, A Place Where There’s No More Pain. AMORPHIS
SOUND CONTROL, 18:00–22:00, £20
Finnish heavy metal outfit founded back in 1990. THE HALLÉ (LOUISE DEARMAN)
BRIDGEWATER HALL, 19:30–22:30, £20 - £42
Another great concert with Manchester’s inimitable symphony orchestra, The Hallé.
Sun 20 Mar THE NEIGHBORHOOD
O2 RITZ MANCHESTER, 19:00–22:00, £14.50
Lunchtime concert of new music by emerging composers and artists.
Californian alt-rock fronted by Jesse Rutherford.
GULLIVERS, 19:30–22:30, £3
BRIDGEWATER HALL, 15:00–18:00, £39.50 - £44.50
OLI NG (CHLOE HAWES + MADDY STORM + ARMS AND HEARTS)
Crewe singer-songwriter Oli Ng bring his Into the Dark solo UK tour to Manchester. NIGHT & DAY’S LOCAL SHOWCASE (MOSLEY BAR + MARCADIA + ESCAPE ARTISTS) NIGHT AND DAY CAFE, 20:00–23:00, £6
Live music showcase, giving a stage to local up-and-coming performers. JAKE EVANS (MELT)
THE DEAF INSTITUTE, 19:00–22:15, £8
The Bad Lieutenant guitartist/ singer tours his first LP as a solo singer/songwriter.
MUSHROOMHEAD + AMERICAN HEAD CHARGE
MANCHESTER CLUB ACADEMY, 18:30–22:00, £17.50
Co-headline slots filled by two equally-bizarre names on the heavy metal circuit. ROACHFORD
MANCHESTER ACADEMY 3, 19:30–22:30, £16
Columbia Records’ biggest-selling domestic artist for over 10 years. THOM BELLINI (ALDOUS RH)
SOUP KITCHEN, 19:00–22:00, £5
ANTON AND ERIN
A night of spangle, forced smiles and ballroom dancing from the well-known duo. ANTON AND ERIN
BRIDGEWATER HALL, 19:30–22:30, £39.50 - £44.50
A night of spangle, forced smiles and ballroom dancing from the well-known duo. EMMY THE GREAT
BAND ON THE WALL, 19:00–22:30, £14
More kitchen sink-style melodic storytelling from the Londonbased singer/songwriter, out celebrating the release of her new EP. ELEMENTS + THEY SAY FALL + AS DECEMBER FALLS
AATMA, 19:00–23:00, £5
Bedlam Bookings presents a rotating headline tour of alt-rock sounds. DIIV
GORILLA, 19:30–23:00, £11.50
O2 RITZ MANCHESTER, 18:30–22:30, £18.50
70s punk-pop foursome par excellence, on the go now for a ridiculous amount of years.
NOA + GIL DOR
MANCHESTER ACADEMY 2, 19:30–22:30, £24.50 - £38.50
The Israeli guitarist pairs up with long-term collaborator Achinoam Nini (aka Noa) for a live show in Manchester. LARRY CARLTON QUARTET
BAND ON THE WALL, 19:30–23:00, £25
Four-time Grammy winner and legendary guitarist.
Tue 22 Mar SHANE FILAN
BRIDGEWATER HALL, 19:00–22:30, £32.50
Him from Westlife. You’re busy that night. WET
THE DEAF INSTITUTE, 19:00–22:30, £8.50
Brooklyn electro-pop trio currently signed to Columbia Records, who recently released their latest album, Don’t You.
VON HERTZEN BROTHERS
Finnish rock band composed of three brothers, Kie, Mikko and Jonne and their pals.
ALESSIA CARA
LULU
SOUND CONTROL, 18:30–22:00, £10
MANCHESTER ACADEMY, 19:00–22:00, £28.50
Canadian singer-songwriter, residing in the pop-r’n’b crossover zone with debut album, Know-it-All. CULTURES (JUST FRANCIS + KOLO TAMAM + TOWNS AND CITIES)
GULLIVERS, 19:30–22:30, £6
A three strong line-up presented by the Thinking Wishful lot.
A-BOUND FESTIVAL: CACOPHONUS SARCOPHAGUS (LUMISOKEA + KINK GONG + H.U.M + CONOR THOMAS + WERK + KURO)
Electronicore from Osaka, Japan. ANTIMATTER (SPIRES)
THE CASTLE HOTEL, 19:30–22:30, £10
MAN MADE
THE DEAF INSTITUTE, 19:00–22:15, £8
Sounds from all over the joint, including Belgian-Italian pairing Lumisokea and France-via-Bristol electric strings duo Kuro. AATMA, 19:00–23:00, £3 - £5
Alternative Manc trio layering spacious vocals over solid drums and jangling guitars, with Nile Marr (son of Johnny) at the helm. THE TAPESTRY
THE DEAF INSTITUTE, 19:30–23:00, £6
The local indie rockers play their final gig of 2015. SUBMOTION ORCHESTRA
GORILLA, 18:30–22:00, £13.50
BAND ON THE WALL, 19:30–23:00, £20
MANCHESTER ACADEMY 3, 19:30–22:30, £10
CHRISTIAN MCBRIDE & EDGAR MEYER
CROSSFAITH
MANCHESTER ACADEMY 2, 19:00–22:00, £12
Dark alt-rockers, marking what is only their 8th UK appearance in 15 years with a gig at The Castle.
Pere Ubu launch a concert of songs from 1975-1982, with an evening that also features frontman David Thomas in conversation with journalist and punk pundit John Robb.
THE RUBY LOUNGE, 19:00–23:00, £15-£20
Scottish singer with a whole load of gusto down in her lungs, known for her 1960s heyday and for representing us in the Eurovision Song Contest.
ISLINGTON MILL, 19:30–02:00, £5
Formed after the Arts Council commissioned Dom Howard, aka Ruckspin, and Ranking Records to write and perform a live dubstep piece in York Minster – now out and touring their new album, Colour Theory.
PERE UBU
ROOM 94 (AUTUMN RUIN)
THE REVEURS (OCTOBER DRIFT + LARKINS + FLIGHT OF ARROWS)
Swooning anthemic indie rock from the heart of Manchester. BLANCMANGE
MANCHESTER CLUB ACADEMY, 19:30–22:30, £16
Synth-pop group fronted by Neil Arthur, whose late 70s and early 80s success is stirred up once again with a new album this year, Commuter 23. PROSE (TOM WALKER)
SOUND CONTROL, 19:00–22:00, £6
Manchester-based rock-rap trio, out airing their debut EP, What If.
Sun 27 Mar MOMUS
GULLIVERS, 19:30–22:30, £8
The mighty Momus (aka the alter ego of artist, musician and writer Nick Currie) rips through every musical style imaginable with lethal lyrical ease, as is his merry way.
Two of world’s greatest jazz musicians and double bass maestros team up for a special collaboration.
Rising pop/rock outfit from Hertfordshire for fans of the Busted and McFly era.
SOUND CONTROL, 19:00–22:00, £5
SOUP KITCHEN, 19:30–22:30, £8
A-BOUND FESTIVAL: SUPERNORMAL (CONSUMER ELECTRONICS + BAS JAN + GUM TAKES TOOTH + FITH + CIRCUIT BENDER)
SMIF-N-WESSUN (MORE BOUNCE DJS)
A collaboration between A-Bound and Supernormal festivals, spanning music, workshops, film and more.
WILL JOSEPH COOK
Fresh-faced Tunbridge Wells singer-songwriter, out touring his new EP.
Wed 23 Mar NATALIE MERCHANT
BRIDGEWATER HALL, 19:30–22:30, £25 - £35
American singer-songwriter, who left alt-rock group 10,000 Maniacs to forge a successful solo career throughout the 1990s. SIMPLE PLAN
O2 RITZ MANCHESTER, 19:00–23:00, £17.50
Pop-punk offerings from the Canadian quartet led by Pierre Bouvier. REFUSED
MANCHESTER ACADEMY 2, 19:30–22:30, £20
Sweden’s hardcore punk band return with new album, Freedom, following their long-awaited reunion in 2012. THE DUKE SPIRIT
THE DEAF INSTITUTE, 19:00–22:30, £12.50
Punchy London ensemble noted for the authentic twenty-a-day vocals of irrepressible frontwoman Leila Moss, channeling the muscular spirit of classic rock with hella energy. A-BOUND FESTIVAL: NOW WAVE (DUTCH UNCLES + BERNARD AND EDITH) ISLINGTON MILL, 19:30–23:30, FREE
ANNA MEREDITH
Contemporary classical meets electronic and avant-pop styles with this composer and producer signed to Moshi Moshi. BAND ON THE WALL, 19:30–23:00, £14
The long-reigning Brooklyn hip hop duo (aka Tek and Steele) head to the UK.
Fri 25 Mar A-HA
MANCHESTER ARENA, 18:00–22:00, £29.50 - £75
One of Norway’s most well-known musical exports, known for riding the synth-pop of the 80s with aplomb. KANO
MANCHESTER ACADEMY 2, 19:30–22:30, £15
One of the original UK grime dons makes a welcome return to live venues across the country. DISCIPLES
SOUP KITCHEN, 19:30–22:30, £8
LITTLE MIX
MANCHESTER ARENA, 18:00–22:00, £25 - £35
X-Factor 2011 winners, known for having the lowest-selling winner’s single since 2004. PAUL HEATON AND JACQUI ABBOTT
O2 APOLLO MANCHESTER, 19:00–22:30, £24
The collaborative duo return with the follow-up to 2014’s What Have We Become - the first record they’d made together since The Beautiful South - as they tour in support of new album, Wisdom, Laughter and Lines.
Mon 28 Mar DEXETER
THE CASTLE HOTEL, 19:30–22:30, £7
Country rock, straight outta the Midlands.
GORGUTS (PSYCROPTIC + DYSRHYTHMIA + NERO DI MARTE)
SOUND CONTROL, 18:00–22:00, £16
Canadian underground technical death metal group continuing to ride their comeback wave.
FASCINATING AIDA’S DILLIE KEANE
SOUP KITCHEN, 19:30–22:30, £7.50
JOE GIDEON
The icon of the Jamaican reggae scene and the prototypical dancehall singer of his day is joined by his backing band here in the UK.
ROYAL NORTHERN COLLEGE OF MUSIC RNCM, 19:30–22:00, £21
NIGHT AND DAY CAFE, 20:00–23:00, £9
Manchester-born guitarist, who’s worked alongside the likes of Gorillaz, Damon Albarn and Brian Eno.
JOHNNY CLARKE & THE DUB ASANTE BAND (BLOOD AND FIRE SELECTORS)
BAND ON THE WALL, 20:00–23:00, £20
GORILLA, 18:30–22:00, £SOLD OUT
Dillie Keane, of 80s comedy cabaret trio Fascinating Aida, plays a solo show of new songs and old favourites.
JEFF WOOTTON
ISLINGTON MILL, 19:30–04:00, £6
Trio of Londoners Disciples step from behind the scenes of the likes of Afrojack and Ms Dynamite and bring the fruits of their debut EP to SWG3’s Warehouse.
Free Now Wave gig featuring two of Manchester’s finest, both premiering new material alongside old faves from their back cataglogue.
Thu 24 Mar
THE NEIGHBOURHOOD
MANCHESTER ACADEMY 3, 19:00–22:00, £14
STIFF LITTLE FINGERS
The Israeli guitarist pairs up with long-term collaborator Achinoam Nini (aka Noa) for a live show in Manchester.
O2 RITZ MANCHESTER, 19:00–23:00, £14.50
BAND ON THE WALL, 20:00–23:00, £15
Sat 19 Mar
MANCHESTER ACADEMY 2, 19:30–22:30, £24.50
Beachy pop project of Brooklyn’s Zachary Cole Smith, also a member of the like-minded Beach Fossils. Alternative Californian quintet led by heavily-tattooed frontman Jesse Rutherford.
Godfather of the electronic beats scene.
NOA + GIL DOR
London singer-songwriter, who often takes to the stage alongside his sister as duo Joe Gideon and The Shark.
Egyptian Hip Hop’s Thom Bellini launches new single, Mystic. Expect a stirring combo of ambient-pop and hypnotic riffs. DJ KRUSH (DJ DAN BLACKLODGE)
Mon 21 Mar
THE ORIELLES
Two sisters and their friend Henry, riding a sweet wave of 60s surfpop and murky garage sounds. MARTIN HARLEY & DANIEL KIMBRO
BAND ON THE WALL, 19:00–23:00, £12.50
The acoustic guitar singer/songwriter taking in ageless blues and roots soundscapes is joined by bassist Kimbro.
Sat 26 Mar SUNSET SONS
O2 RITZ MANCHESTER, 18:30–22:00, £12
Aussie shaggy-haired indie outfit based in French surf hotspot, Hossegor. THE STRANGLERS
O2 APOLLO MANCHESTER, 19:00–22:30, £24
The long-standing punk-rockers take to the road once more, marking some 40+ years and still standing.
Listings
49
Liverpool Music Tue 01 Mar
ST MARY’S COLLEGE
JOANNA NEWSOM
LIVERPOOL PHILHARMONIC HALL, 19:30–22:30, £29.50
The avant-garde harpist and vocalist returns to the UK, following the success of what became lauded one of 2015’s best albums, Divers.
Wed 02 Mar
NATHALIE STUTZMANN AND INGER SÖDERGREN: WINTERREISE
ST GEORGE’S HALL, 19:30–22:30, £25
The singer, conductor and artist in residence is joined by pianist Inger Södergren to perform Schubert’s Winterreise. HACKTIVIST (COUNTING DAYS + ANTI HERO)
ARTS CLUB, 19:00–23:00, £9
The Milton Keynes-based fivepiece grime outfit embark on a UK headline tour.
LIVERPOOL PHILHARMONIC HALL, 19:30–22:30, £5 - £10
Over 250 musicians come together to take the audience through everything from Corelli and Chabrier to Von Suppe and Vangellis
SHIIINE ON NEW BANDS (DEJA VEGA + THE WINACHI TRIBE + SEPRONA + THE BLACK JACKALS + UKE2) THE MAGNET , 20:00–23:00, £6
The folk behind the Shiiine on Weekender present an evening of live music. OPEN CIRCUIT: GILDAS STRING QUARTET
VICTORIA GALLERY AND MUSEUM, 19:00–20:00, £SOLD OUT
A set of American music, which sees the string players also branch out to wine glasses and tam-tams to create haunting music inspired by the Vietnam War.
Buy your tickets here: bit.ly/bill-bailey
Sun 06 Mar
80S INVASION TOUR (BIG COUNTRY + CURIOSITY KILLED THE CAT + MIDGE URE + NICK HEYWARD) LIVERPOOL PHILHARMONIC HALL, 19:00–22:30, £34.50
Four of the 1980s’ most memorable acts come together for an evening of classic sounds.
80S INVASION (BIG COUNTRY + CURIOSITY KILLED THE CAT + MIDGE URE + NICK HEYWARD) LIVERPOOL PHILHARMONIC HALL, 19:30–22:30, £29.50 - £34.50
Four of the 1980s’ most memorable acts come together for an evening at the Phil.
Mon 07 Mar
FEARLESS VAMPIRE KILLERS
ARTS CLUB, 19:00–22:00, £10
London-based rockers who describe their sound as ‘death pop’, taking their name from the 1967 comedy horror film they grew up watching. MATT CORBY
ARTS CLUB, 19:00–23:00, £14
Aussie singer/songwriter known for his captivating live performances. MUSIC OF THE TRAVELLERS
THE ATKINSON, 13:00–14:00, £11
A new world/classical fusion quartet from the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, drawing on LatinAmerican tango, gypsy jazz, Jewish Kleztmer and Celtic music styles.
Bill Bailey: Limboland Philharmonic Hall, Liverpool Fri 27 May, 8pm, £25
OPEN CIRCUIT: BERLIN - SYMPHONY OF A METROPOLIS (ROYAL LIVERPOOL PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA)
FACT, 19:30–22:00, £SOLD OUT
A live score for Walter Ruttman’s 1927 film, Berlin, by the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra and University of Liverpool students.
Tue 08 Mar PETER ANDRE
WOODY PINES THE ATKINSON, 19:30–22:30, £9 - £11
North Carolina trio playing Americana tunes. EXODUS (DEIFIED)
O2 ACADEMY, 19:00–22:00, £15
Thrash metal group celebrating over 30 years since the release of first album, Bonded by Blood.
Thu 03 Mar C DUNCAN
LEAF, 20:00–22:30, £9
Glasgow-based muso, composing e’er beautiful choral harmonies and acoustic instrumentation in his bedroom-studio set-up. FASCINATING AIDA’S DILLIE KEANE
ST GEORGE’S HALL, 19:30–22:30, £21
Dillie Keane, of 80s comedy cabaret trio Fascinating Aida, plays a solo show of new songs and old favourites.
LINDBERG CONDUCTS NIELSEN (ROYAL LIVERPOOL PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA) LIVERPOOL PHILHARMONIC HALL, 19:30–22:30, £14 - £40
Join conductor Christian Lindberg for a evening featuring Nielsen’s Symphony No. 5 and more. THE POWER OF MUSIC
BUMPER, 19:00–00:00, £3 - £5
Somewhere Else Events team up with Liverpool music therapy charity Music Place for an evening of live music, with all proceeds donated to charity.
OCEAN WAVES LAUNCH PARTY (SPACE + STEPHEN LANGSTAFF + THE LEVONS) CAMP AND FURNACE, 19:30–23:00, £7 - £10
Zig Zag Promotions throw a label launch party for new kids on the block, Ocean Waves.
Fri 04 Mar
FAINTEST IDEA (NO MARKS + ANDREW CREAM + A FISH CALLED BASTARD + DON BLAKE)
MAGUIRE’S PIZZA BAR, 19:00–23:00, £TBC
Some of the best bands on the DIY punk-rock circuit hit Liverpool’s most fitting venue, in a showcase from Antipop Records and Dead Sound.
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Listings
OPEN CIRCUIT: JOANNA MACGREGOR AND ANDY SHEPPARD UNIVERSITY OF LIVERPOOL, 20:00–22:00, FREE
The two musicians pair up to create a new live score for 1927 silent film, Sunrise.
Sat 05 Mar
JACQUI DANKWORTH AND CHARLIE WOOD
ST GEORGE’S HALL, 19:30–22:30, £20
The British jazz singer pairs up with a vocalist and pianist from across the pond to play classics by history’s greatest duos, including Ray Charles and Betty Carter, Ella and Louis and George and Ira Gershwin. ANDREW CURPHEY
THE BRINDLEY, 19:30–21:30, £12
ECHO ARENA, 18:30–22:30, £27.50 - £80
The one-hit-wonder, formerly bound by the shackles of Katie Price, hits the road with his 2016 Come Swing with Me tour. We would say we hope it’s in reference to the music style, but we don’t want that either. THE STRANGLERS
O2 ACADEMY, 19:00–22:30, £24
The long-standing punk-rockers take to the road once more, marking some 40+ years and still standing. THE PUPPINI SISTERS
EPSTEIN THEATRE, 19:00–22:30, £25.50
Vintage swing pop trio, formed around Marcella Puppini in 2004. YOLANDA BROWN (SHINGAI SHONIWA)
ST GEORGE’S HALL, 19:30–22:30, £19
An evening of song, entertainment and chat with singer, performer and all round entertainer Andrew Curphey, who’ll traverse the worlds of Hollywood, pop and Broadway musicals.
The double MOBO award-winning saxophonist leads an evening of reggae love songs.
24 KITCHEN STREET, 19:30–23:30, £14
COLLABRO
SAUL WILLIAMS
The incomparable poet, musician, actor and MC brings his multifaceted performance style to 24 Kitchen Street for what is unbelievably his debut Liverpool headline show. MERCHANT TAYLOR’S COMPANY ASSOCIATED SCHOOLS’ CONCERT
LIVERPOOL PHILHARMONIC HALL, 19:30–22:30, £10
A spring concert culminating with a mass orchestral and choral piece.
THE ZANZIBAR CLUB PRESENTS... (THE STAMP + THE DRIFTING CLASSROOM + CAIMMOKEE + THE BOHOS + THE KULAKS + JUNCTION 4) THE ZANZIBAR CLUB, 19:15–23:30, £TBC
An evening of live music from Liverpool and beyond.
OPEN CIRCUIT: AN EVENING WITH SIR HARRISON BIRTWHISTLE
UNIVERSITY OF LIVERPOOL, 19:00–22:00, FREE
An evening of music and conversation with one of Britain’s leading composers.
YONAKA (MOATS)
THE SHIPPING FORECAST, 19:00–22:30, £6
Brighton quartet championing dark pop and heavy riffs. LIVERPOOL PHILHARMONIC HALL, 19:30–22:30, £19.50 - £99
The 2014 Britain’s Got Talent winners descend. Best look busy. OPEN CIRCUIT: IAN BUCKLE TRIO
UNIVERSITY OF LIVERPOOL, 19:30–21:30, FREE
An evening of British and American contemporary music, from the 1950s right up until the present day.
Wed 09 Mar
THE FUREYS
EZIO
ST HELENS THEATRE ROYAL, 19:30–22:30, £18.50
LIVERPOOL PHILHARMONIC MUSIC ROOM, 20:00–23:00, £12.50
The longstanding folk-based outfit play a selection of classics spanning their 35+ year career. SCOTT BRADLEE’S POSTMODERN JUKEBOX
O2 ACADEMY, 19:00–22:00, £22
The American jazz musician and co. embark on their biggest UK tour to date, playing a mixed batch of reworked 21st century pop. THE MANFREDS
FLORAL PAVILION, 19:30–22:30, £21
Playing with both lead singers from the 1960s group, the band play through their old hits. OPEN CIRCUIT: JOHN KENNY
UNIVERSITY OF LIVERPOOL, 13:00–14:00, FREE
Lunchtime concert with the acclaimed trombonist.
OPEN CIRCUIT: ELECTRONIC MUSIC AND VIDEO ART SHOWCASE
UNIVERSITY OF LIVERPOOL, 19:30–21:15, FREE
An immersive evening of acousmatic sonic explorations and sound images, audio-visual art and more, as part of this year’s Open Circuit festival.
Thu 10 Mar ELLIE GOULDING
ECHO ARENA, 18:30–22:00, £35
The Grammy Award-nominated singer returns, now climbing the ranks with her third record. CHRISTINA MARTIN
BUMPER, 19:30–22:30, £TBC
Award-winning Canadian pop-rock singer and musician, who tours following the release of her fifth album, It’ll Be Alright, last year. BILL RYDER-JONES
ARTS CLUB, 19:30–23:00, £10
The masterful Wirral songwriter heads our way.
EINAUDI WORLD PREMIERE (ROYAL LIVERPOOL PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA)
LIVERPOOL PHILHARMONIC HALL, 19:30–22:30, £14 - £40
Pianist, composer and musical poet Ludovico Einaudi presents his debut performance of his first full-scale piano concerto, Domino.
Fri 11 Mar TRAGEDY
ARTS CLUB, 19:00–22:00, £10
KING KING
EPSTEIN THEATRE, 19:30–22:30, £20.50
British bluesbreakers and multiaward winners at the British Blues Awards.
Sun 13 Mar
SHOSTAKOVICH AND BIZET
LIVERPOOL PHILHARMONIC HALL, 19:30–22:30, £6 - £9
The Liverpool Philharmonic Youth Ensembles perform movements from Bizet’s Carmen Suites and Shostakovich’s Fifth Symphony.
Mon 14 Mar MICK FLANNERY
LEAF, 20:00–22:30, £12
Irish singer/songwriter who honed his craft in Boston and Nashville, lending a stateside twang to his latest album, Red to Blue.
Tue 15 Mar
PIONEERS OF PERCUSSION (JOBY BURGESS)
THE CAPSTONE, 19:30–22:30, £11.50
Bringing together solo works from modern composers, including three world premieres. MAYOR OF SEFTON’S CHARITY CONCERT
THE ATKINSON, 19:00–22:00, £3 - £6
An evening of wholesomeness as Sefton Young Musicians perform in their annual charity concert.
Wed 16 Mar
THE LIVERPOOL STRING QUARTET
ST GEORGE’S HALL, 19:30–22:30, £15
The Quartet play a chronological programme of music through the medieval, renaissance, baroque, classical, romantic, modern and contemporary periods.
FREE WEDNESDAYS (BAD MOOD + MORE)
THE ZANZIBAR CLUB, 19:15–23:00, FREE
A regular dose of free music from Greedy Jesus. CHLOE ELLEN JONES
UNIVERSITY OF LIVERPOOL, 13:00–14:00, FREE
Young Liverpudlian flautist, playing Debussy, Roussel and others.
LIVERPOOL PHILHARMONIC MUSIC ROOM, 20:00–22:30, £15
CLEAN CUT KID
New Liverpool band making waves after the follow-up to their debut single, Pick Me Up. EINAUDI WORLD PREMIERE (ROYAL LIVERPOOL PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA)
LIVERPOOL PHILHARMONIC HALL, 14:30–17:00, £14 - £40
Pianist, composer and musical poet Ludovico Einaudi presents his debut performance of his first full-scale piano concerto, Domino. RYOICHI KUROKAWA
LIVERPOOL PHILHARMONIC MUSIC ROOM, 20:00–23:00, £15
Japanese artist specialising in audio-visual performances that act as symphonies of sounds, taking to the Phil’s Music Room space as part of his upcoming exhibition, Unfold, at FACT. THE WONDER STUFF (THE ICICLE WORKS + THE LOTTERY WINNERS)
O2 ACADEMY, 19:00–22:00, £20
Alt-rock outfit originally from 80s/90s Black Country, touring in celebration of their 30th anniversary.
Sat 12 Mar FOXES
O2 ACADEMY, 19:00–22:30, £16
ARTS CLUB, 19:00–22:00, £15
London four-piece fronted by Ellie Rowsell, making un-pigeonholeable folky rock with a distinctly poppy vibe.
The LMO plays tunes by Mozart and pals.
THE MAGNET , 19:30–23:00, £8
ARTS CLUB, 19:00–22:00, £17.50
WOLF ALICE
THE CAPSTONE, 19:30–22:30, £0 - £16.50
Thu 17 Mar
Catch a bunch of singers who didn’t win a singing contest.
ECHO ARENA, 18:00–22:00, £19.50 - £55
MOZART, DVORAK AND ELGAR (LIVERPOOL MOZART ORCHESTRA)
A metal tribute to the Bee Gees – what could be better?
One-woman band riding along on Louisa Rose Allen’s resplendent synths, industrial percussion and by-turns-searing-and-soaring vocals.
THE X FACTOR LIVE TOUR
Folk outfit hailing from Cambridge, led by singer and composer Ezio Lunedei – deft at crafting deeply honest and emotional music.
ROBBY VALENTINE
The Dutch phenomenon tours his 10th studio album, Bizzaro World, with a gig that also features a second set featuring Queen hits. Naturally. UNA VOCE OPERA COMPANY
ST GEORGE’S HALL, 19:30–22:30, £12 - £25
A special anniversary gala concert, marking 20 years of Una Voce with performances of past productions, as well as classic opera favourites.
BLAZIN’ FIDDLES
Contemporary fiddle troupe hailing from the Highlands and Islands, mixing it up with sympathetic keyboard and guitar arrangements. THE WOODLAND SOCIAL (IDLE FRETS + THE PYNES + KRISTINE HUMERFELT + IAN JANCO)
THE BALTIC SOCIAL, 21:00–01:00, FREE
An evening of free live music, every month at The Baltic Social.
Fri 18 Mar BARB JUNGR
ST GEORGE’S HALL, 19:30–22:30, £20
The queen of cabaret does her unique take on Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen, Jacques Brel, Nina Simone and Jimmy Webb, joined by Simon Wallace on piano.
LIVERPOOL ACOUSTIC FESTIVAL (IAN MCNABB + SCOTT MATTHEWS + TOMMY SCOTT + SOPHIA BEN YOUSEF + ROB VINCENT + IAN PROWSE + MARCUS BONFANTI + LIZZIE NUNNERY + MARK GRIST + ELLIE SMITH + MARK POUTNEY) VARIOUS VENUES, 18:00–23:30, VARIOUS PRICES
A two day festival celebrating acoustic music from Liverpool and further afield, with workshops, seminars, keynote speakers, stalls, Q&A sessions, a record fair, and of course, live music. C2J
THE CAPSTONE, 19:30–22:30, £11.50
A musical project between pianist and singer Olivia Trummer and jazz improv vibraphonist Jean-Lou Treboux. FAY HIELD AND THE HURRICANE PARTY
THE ATKINSON, 19:30–22:30, £12 - £14
The folk singer and her longstanding band hits the stage as she releases new album, Old Adam.
Sat 19 Mar
A SYMPHONIC ADVENTURE WITH THE UNTHANKS
LIVERPOOL PHILHARMONIC HALL, 19:30–22:00, £14 - £40
A world premiere of new arrangements as part of Liverpool Philharmonic 175th Anniversary Commissions, while also being a Liverpool Acoustic Festival event. JOEY CAPE (YOTAM + LAURA MARDON + WALT HAMBURGER)
MAYOR’S CIVIC VARIETY NIGHT THE BRINDLEY, 19:00–22:00, £5 - £8
An evening of variety entertainment in aid of the Mayor’s Charities: Victoria Music Ltd, The Fellowship Centre, Widnesand The HCPT, The Pilgrimage Trust, Widnes. JOHN O’CONNELL
LIVERPOOL PHILHARMONIC MUSIC ROOM, 20:00–23:00, £12.50
Lagwagon’s frontman continues his solo amble into acoustic indie stuff.
Liverpudlian folk musician, once part of the bluegrass and folk band, Groundpig, and now stepping out solo.
STUDIO 2, 19:30–23:00, £7
Fri 25 Mar
ARTS CLUB, 19:00–22:00, £15
ROBYN SHERWELL
After the release of My Hand on 11 March, produced by David Kosten (Everything Everything / Bat for Lashes), Robyn Sherwell brings her soulful vocals set amidst pounding drums to Glasgow. SAWANI MUDGAL
THE CAPSTONE, 13:00–14:00, FREE
Milapfest presents singer Sawani Mudgal, who is joined by Kousic Sen on tabla and Rekesh Chauhan on harmonium. MARCUS MALONE BAND
THE ATKINSON, 20:00–23:00, £12.50
Detroit’s Marcus Malone and his band tour in support of a seventh album. THE SONIC REVOLVERS
O2 ACADEMY, 19:00–22:00, £7
Runcorn rockers, celebrated for matching the melody and emotion of their music with a big stage presence.
Sun 20 Mar
OCTOBER DRIFT (JOE SYMES AND THE LOVING KIND + MARSICANS + TUSK) MAGUIRE’S PIZZA BAR, 20:00–23:00, £5
Riding the wave of a frequently sold out string of gigs, these dark indie alt-rockers are onto great things. BLOSSOMS (THE VRYLL SOCIETY)
O2 ACADEMY, 19:00–22:00, £SOLD OUT
Psyche-pop riffs, vocal melodies, a film noir meets 60s aesthetic, a range of audible references from Arctic Monkeys via Abba to The Doors CROSSFAITH (THE QEMISTS + THE ONE HUNDRED)
O2 ACADEMY, 19:00–22:00, £12
Electronicore from Osaka, Japan. THE BUZ LIVE
FLORAL PAVILION, 19:30–22:30, £16.50
The Buz Magazine presents an evening of live music spanning blues, rock, country, vintage jazz and gospel.
NIGHTINGALE QUARTET WITH MATHIAS KJØLLER
Sat 26 Mar
ST GEORGE’S HALL, 19:30–22:30, £25
LIVERPOOL PHILHARMONIC HALL, 19:00–22:30, £25
Debut Liverpool recital from the Danish award-winning classical string quartet, playing early Beethoven, the repertoire of their native Scandinavia and more. LIVERPOOL PHILHARMONIC YOUTH AND CHILDREN’S CHOIRS
LIVERPOOL PHILHARMONIC HALL, 18:00–22:00, £6 - £9
A culmination of the work done by Liverpool Philharmonic Youth Choir, Training Choir and Melody Makers over the last year. NATHAN CARTER
FLORAL PAVILION, 19:30–22:30, £23
The Liverpool-born Irish singer tours with his band.
LAZY SUNDAY AFTERNOON (JOHN REILLY + LEWIS NITIKMAN + HENRY PRIESTMAN + LOVED UP LES)
THE LANTERN THEATRE, 16:00–19:00, £12.50
An afternoon of live music with local John Reilly, Canadian songwriter and pianist Lewis Nitikman and others.
Mon 21 Mar HALF MOON RUN
O2 ACADEMY, 19:00–22:00, £15
Talented young trio from Ottawa, Ontario and Comox, British Columbia, working their magic across elements of indie, pop and folk.
Tue 22 Mar LITTLE MIX
ECHO ARENA, 18:30–22:00, £25 - £35
X-Factor 2011 winners, known for having the lowest-selling winner’s single since 2004. TIGERCUB
THE CAVERN CLUB, 19:30–22:30, £6
Brighton-based abrasive pop outfit.
Wed 23 Mar
BACH’S ST MATTHEW PASSION
LIVERPOOL PHILHARMONIC HALL, 19:00–22:30, £14 - £40
Nathalie Stutzmann returns to lead a world-class group of soloists in an Easter-tide performance. BATTLES
O2 ACADEMY, 19:00–22:00, £17.50
Experimental rock group from the Big Apple, returning with new album, La Di Da Di.
Thu 24 Mar
TOYAH: ACOUSTIC, UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL
ST GEORGE’S HALL, 19:30–22:30, £22.50
The presenter, pop icon and actress plays an unplugged set of her hits, while also sharing anecdotes from her 35-year career.
PAUL HEATON & JACQUI ABBOTT
The collaborative duo return with the follow-up to 2014’s What Have We Become - the first record they’d made together since The Beautiful South - as they tour in support of new album, Wisdom, Laughter and Lines.
Manchester Clubs Tue 01 Mar GOLD TEETH
THE DEAF INSTITUTE, 22:00–03:00, £4.50 - £5
Legendary weekly mixed-bag night, often invites use of the term ‘carnage’.
Thu 03 Mar F//CK
FACTORY 251, 22:30–05:00, 99P - £5
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. STUART RICHARDS
BLACK DOG BALLROOM NWS, 22:00–04:00, FREE BEFORE 11PM
High Jinx resident Stuart Richards brings his trademark style to the bar, offering a night of disco, funk and house. JACOB COID
BLACK DOG BALLROOM NQ, 22:00–04:00, FREE BEFORE 11PM
Everything from Dylan to Dre, the Strokes to Snoop, Bowie to the Beastie Boys - and everything in between.
Fri 04 Mar
A LOVE FROM OUTER SPACE
ISLINGTON MILL, 22:30–05:00, £12
Andrew Weatherall and Sean Johnston’s rather ace London night takes a trip north. DROP THE MUSTARD (B.TRAITS)
SOUP KITCHEN, 23:00–04:00, £12.50
The UK-based Canadian DJ, producer and radio presenter makes her way to Soup Kitchen for an intimate party in the basement.
ZUTEKH (RICARDO VILLALOBOS + UMHO) GORILLA, 23:00–05:00, £19.50 - £25
The Farnworth comedian hosts a touring three-hour charity dance-a-thon.
The Soup Kitchen favourites have announced a doozy of a headliner for tonight, with Night Moves’ Jane Fitz dropping by, now 20 years in the game.
ST GEORGE’S HALL, 19:30–22:30, £20
MINT LOUNGE, 22:30–04:00, £3 - £4
PETER KAY’S DANCE FOR LIFE
ECHO ARENA, 18:30–21:30, £25
IAN SHAW
The jazz singer and two-time winner of the BBC Jazz Award tours his new album, The Theory of Joy. ODYSSEY (WINK + COL)
LIVERPOOL PHILHARMONIC HALL, 19:30–22:30, £20
Late 70s and early 80s group reviving the D-I-S-C-O vibes. RAG MAMA RAG
THE ATKINSON, 19:30–22:30, £0 - £12
Engliush blues duo, with a repertoire that’s rooted in 20s and 30s blues music.
Sun 27 Mar DIIV
ARTS CLUB, 19:00–23:00, £11.50
Beachy pop project of Brooklyn’s Zachary Cole Smith, also a member of the like-minded Beach Fossils. MARTIN HARLEY AND DANIEL KIMBRO
LIVERPOOL PHILHARMONIC MUSIC ROOM, 20:00–23:00, £12.50
The acoustic guitar singer/songwriter taking in ageless blues and roots soundscapes is joined by bassist Kimbro.
Mon 28 Mar SHANE FILAN
LIVERPOOL PHILHARMONIC HALL, 19:00–22:30, £32.50
Him from Westlife. You’re busy that night.
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. #FRI251
FACTORY 251, 22:30–05:00, 99P BEFORE MIDNIGHT
Student Friday-nighter, with mashups in room one, indie, funk and Motown in room two, and electro house in room three. 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, offering a night of disco, funk and house. THE DOG HOUSE
THE RUBY LOUNGE, 23:00–04:00, £3-£4
Alternative rock and metal night.
HOLD TIGHT (STEVEN BURCH + EBH LUMINAIRE)
TEXTURE, 22:00–03:00, £1 - £5
Hold Tight return for another audio-visual extravaganza, following their sold-out event in November. JACOB COID
BLACK DOG BALLROOM NWS, 23:00–03:00, FREE BEFORE 11PM
Everything from Dylan to Dre, the Strokes to Snoop, Bowie to the Beastie Boys - and everything in between. BPM RELAUNCH
BAND ON THE WALL, 23:00–03:00, £7.50
Coinciding with their 6th birthday celebrations, BPM (Big People Music) relaunch with a night of everything from grime and garage to funk and disco. HIT & RUN BIRTHDAY PT 2
HIDDEN, 22:00–04:00, £0.99 - £12.99
Hit & Run milk their birthday with the second part of celebrations at Hidden, featuring a three-hour set with Kahn vs Commodo vs Gantz. DEADBOLT 5TH BIRTHDAY
SOUND CONTROL, 19:00–04:00, £5
Sound Control’s fortnightly alternative party celebrates a milestone with live music and DJs.
THE SKINNY
Manchester Clubs SWAMP 81 (LOEFAH + BENTON + MICKEY PEARCE + KLOSE ONE + SAYAH + DAN DOWKER + REG NAYLOR) SANKEYS, 23:00–05:00, £8 - £10
A night of house, garage, tech and grime led by Loefah, Micky Pearce, Klose One and others.
Sat 05 Mar
MODA BLACK (WAZE AND ODYSSEY + HUXLEY + JAYMO AND ANDY GEORGE) SANKEYS, 23:00–05:00, £8 - £10
London’s Jaymo and Andy George are joined by their Moda Black pals. REMAKE REMODEL
THE RUBY LOUNGE, 23:00–03:00, £5
A night of alternative rock’n’roll shenanigans. GIRLS ON FILM
THE DEAF INSTITUTE, 22:00–03:00, £4.50 - £6
Pink lady cocktails, disco balls, glitz and glamour – a club night where you’re free to let your inner 80s child loose. FUNKADEMIA
MINT LOUNGE, 22:30–04:00, £5 - £6
Mancunian nightclub institution – delivering a chronological history of soul on a weekly basis, courtesy of their DJ collective. RELAPSE (5TH BIRTHDAY SPECIAL WITH GRIDLOK + THE MOUSE OUTFIT)
SOUND CONTROL, 23:00–04:00, £7
Relapse present another typically colossal night of drum & bass, jungle, breakcore and more. MR SCRUFF KEEP IT UNREAL
BAND ON THE WALL, 22:00–03:00, £12
Keep it Unreal with Mr Scruff at the controls all night long.
FLASHMOB (CLASS ENEMY + JOSH MURPHY + STEPHEN CORRIE)
GORILLA, 23:00–04:00, £8 - £12
A night of house music at the hands of the Flashmob DJ collective. FACTORY SATURDAYS
FACTORY 251, 22:30–05:00, £2 BEFORE MIDNIGHT
Three rooms of commercial dance, indie and deep house, powered by Funktion One Sound. STUART RICHARDS
BLACK DOG BALLROOM NWS, 22:00–04:00, FREE BEFORE 11PM
High Jinx resident Stuart Richards brings his trademark style to the bar, offering a night of disco, funk and house. LIGHT BOXX
O2 RITZ MANCHESTER, 22:30–03:30, £5
New residency from the people behind Rehab, Pout and Dyslexic. TIM WRIGHT
BLACK DOG BALLROOM NQ, 22:00–04:00, FREE BEFORE 11PM
Feel-good music via the avenues of house, garage, hip-hop, R ‘n’ B, funk, disco, soul and pop. REGRESSION SESSIONS: HIPPY TRIPPY SHAKEDOWN
ANTWERP MANSION, 22:00–03:00, £5 - £15
A night protesting against The Man, where free-spirited fancy dress is encouraged and the air is filled with psychedelic sounds and loving vibes. HOUSE OF SUAREZ VOGUE BALL
GORILLA, 19:00–22:00, £12 - £18
Gorilla is transformed into a catwalk reminiscent of 70s and 80s New York, as club culture and high fashion go head to head. INSIDE OUT PRESENTS GE-OLOGY
SOUP KITCHEN, 23:00–04:00, £10
Inside Out bring the Baltimoreborn, 80s NYC-bred Renaissance man to the Soup Kitchen basement. HIDDENEVENTS: PARANOID LONDON
HIDDEN, 22:00–04:00, £10 - £15
Live set from the British duo, plus special guest Blawan. INTERSTELLAR OVERDRIVE RECORDS LAUNCH PARTY
SOUND CONTROL, 21:00–03:00, £6
The Interstellar Overdrive crew branch out with a new label for Manchester-based artists, celebrating the launch with a big old party.
Mon 07 Mar
THE PSYCHEDELIC DISCOTECH (DENNIS BOVELL)
FACTORY 251, 23:00–04:00, £1 - £2
A night of psychedelic dub at the Carlton Club.
QUIDS IN
Cheap as chips Monday student night, where the price of various drinks match the alluring entry fee (which rises to £2 after midnight, btw.)
HIDDENEVENTS X LO-FI
HIDDEN, 22:00–04:00, £10 - £16.50
Tue 08 Mar GOLD TEETH
Another party at Hidden, thsi time with German producer Len Faki and Hotflush Recordings founder Scuba.
THE DEAF INSTITUTE, 22:00–03:00, £4.50 - £5
SANKEYS, 23:00–05:00, £8 - £10
Legendary weekly mixed-bag night, often invites use of the term ‘carnage’. FELLA CUTIE
SOUP KITCHEN, 23:00–04:00, £TBC
Worth it for the name alone, this one’s a zesty night of afrobeat and salsa. HANDSOME ROB’S CHAMPAGNE RECEPTION: LADIES NIGHT
MINT LOUNGE, 22:30–04:00, £5 - £6
Celebrate International Women’s Day with a night of r’n’b bootyshakers, where women get half price entry and free champers. Because nothing says International Women’s Day like a guy called Handsome Rob dishing out free bubbles to all da ladies.
Thu 10 Mar F//CK
FACTORY 251, 22:30–05:00, 99P - £5
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. STUART RICHARDS
BLACK DOG BALLROOM NWS, 22:00–04:00, FREE BEFORE 11PM
High Jinx resident Stuart Richards brings his trademark style to the bar, offering a night of disco, funk and house. SOULJAM
MINT LOUNGE, 23:00–04:00, £TBC
The best in soul, funk and boogie. JACOB COID
BLACK DOG BALLROOM NQ, 22:00–04:00, FREE BEFORE 11PM
Everything from Dylan to Dre, the Strokes to Snoop, Bowie to the Beastie Boys - and everything in between.
Fri 11 Mar JUICY
GORILLA, 23:00–04:00, £3 - £5
All party, no bullshit night of everything from classic hip-hop to disco and funk. 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.
CHOW DOWN (MR MITCH + GRIZZLE + FALLOW + CRAIG AD) SOUP KITCHEN, 23:00–04:00, £4 - £5
Chow Down party into spring with South London’s Gobstopper Records bossman Mr Mitch. TOP OF THE POPS
MINT LOUNGE, 22:30–04:00, £3 - £4
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, 22:30–05:00, 99P BEFORE MIDNIGHT
Student Friday-nighter, with mashups in room one, indie, funk and Motown in room two, and electro house in room three. ANTICS (BLOSSOMS)
NIGHT AND DAY CAFE, 20:00–03:00, £5
Cult indie, electronica, psychedelia, retro anthems and more from the Antics residents and guest DJs. 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, offering a night of disco, funk and house. JACOB COID
BLACK DOG BALLROOM NWS, 23:00–03:00, FREE BEFORE 11PM
Everything from Dylan to Dre, the Strokes to Snoop, Bowie to the Beastie Boys - and everything in between.
March 2016
CARLTON CLUB, 20:00–01:30, £8
APPLEBUM (TWOGOOD)
With headliner, hip hop adonis Grandmaster Flash.
Sat 12 Mar GIRLS ON FILM
THE DEAF INSTITUTE, 22:00–03:00, £4.50 - £6
Pink lady cocktails, disco balls, glitz and glamour – a club night where you’re free to let your inner 80s child loose. FUNKADEMIA
MINT LOUNGE, 22:30–04:00, £5 - £6
Mancunian nightclub institution – delivering a chronological history of soul on a weekly basis, courtesy of their DJ collective. FACTORY SATURDAYS
FACTORY 251, 22:30–05:00, £2 BEFORE MIDNIGHT
Three rooms of commercial dance, indie and deep house, powered by Funktion One Sound. STUART RICHARDS
BLACK DOG BALLROOM NWS, 22:00–04:00, FREE BEFORE 11PM
High Jinx resident Stuart Richards brings his trademark style to the bar, offering a night of disco, funk and house. LIGHT BOXX
O2 RITZ MANCHESTER, 22:30–03:30, £5
New residency from the people behind Rehab, Pout and Dyslexic.
AUDIO REHAB (SIRUS HOOD + MARK RADFORD + CARNAO BEATS + OLLIE JULIEN)
GORILLA, 23:00–04:00, £10 - £15
Kooky present the popular London underground house based label. SANKEYS SATURDAYS (SECOND CITY + BONTAN + SOLARIS + FINN LURCOTT)
SANKEYS, 23:00–05:00, £8 - £12
Saturdays at Sankeys always means some of the biggest DJs around dropping to the longrunning club for a spin. LOST IN SPACE
HIDDEN, 22:00–04:00, £12.50 - £15
Easter party in collaboration with Stevie Wonderland, which sees Robert Johnson legend Gerd Janson join My Love Is Underground boss Jeremy Underground in b2b fashion. TIM WRIGHT
BLACK DOG BALLROOM NQ, 22:00–04:00, FREE BEFORE 11PM
Feel-good music via the avenues of house, garage, hip-hop, R ‘n’ B, funk, disco, soul and pop.
Mon 14 Mar QUIDS IN
FACTORY 251, 23:00–04:00, £1 - £2
Cheap as chips Monday student night, where the price of various drinks match the alluring entry fee (which rises to £2 after midnight, btw.)
STUART RICHARDS
STUART RICHARDS
JACOB COID
GIRLS ON FILM
BLACK DOG BALLROOM NWS, 22:00–04:00, FREE BEFORE 11PM
BLACK DOG BALLROOM NWS, 22:00–04:00, FREE BEFORE 11PM
BLACK DOG BALLROOM NQ, 22:00–04:00, FREE BEFORE 11PM
THE DEAF INSTITUTE, 22:00–03:00, £4.50 - £6
High Jinx resident Stuart Richards brings his trademark style to the bar, offering a night of disco, funk and house. P.A.R.T.Y
SANKEYS, 22:00–03:00, £4 - £6
Funky house, grime, R’n’B, UK Garage and more at the veteran club. JACOB COID
BLACK DOG BALLROOM NQ, 22:00–04:00, FREE BEFORE 11PM
Everything from Dylan to Dre, the Strokes to Snoop, Bowie to the Beastie Boys - and everything in between. PERCOLATE (DJ SPRINKLES)
SOUP KITCHEN, 22:00–03:00, £5 - £12.50
Percolate’s spring series welcomes Terre Thaemlitz (aka DJ Sprinkles) into the fold.
Fri 18 Mar GOO
THE DEAF INSTITUTE, 22:00–03:00, £0 - £5
Monthly club night tribute to 90s indie – expect Pulp, Nirvana, Suede, Smashing Pumpkins, Pixies and more. TOP OF THE POPS
MINT LOUNGE, 22:30–04:00, £3 - £4
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, 22:30–05:00, 99P BEFORE MIDNIGHT
Student Friday-nighter, with mashups in room one, indie, funk and Motown in room two, and electro house in room three. 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, offering a night of disco, funk and house. SHELTER (DIMITRI FROM PARIS + DOORLY + TEN STORY)
SANKEYS, 23:00–05:00, £8 - £12
Shelter returns for the third of their Sankeys residencies. JACOB COID
BLACK DOG BALLROOM NWS, 23:00–03:00, FREE BEFORE 11PM
Everything from Dylan to Dre, the Strokes to Snoop, Bowie to the Beastie Boys - and everything in between. GOING OUT (DJ DAVE BOOTH)
CARLTON CLUB, 21:00–01:00, £6
A night of classic sounds, with everything from Stone Roses and Happy Mondays to Beastie Boys and Marvin Gaye. OBSCURE (TYREE COOPER)
SOUP KITCHEN, 23:00–04:00, £5
Chicago-bred Tyree Cooper headlines with an old school house set.
TRANSMISSION FUNK X FLOW MOTION (ARTWORK + FELIX DICKINSON + TRISTAN DA CUNHA + DJ STEAW)
HIDDEN, 22:00–04:00, £6 - £10
House, techno and bass from the Transmission Funk residents and a host of special guests. HOUSEWRK (LAUREN LO SUNG + N.A.N.C.Y + CY HUMPHREYS)
High Jinx resident Stuart Richards brings his trademark style to the bar, offering a night of disco, funk and house. LIGHT BOXX
O2 RITZ MANCHESTER, 22:30–03:30, £5
New residency from the people behind Rehab, Pout and Dyslexic. TIM WRIGHT
BLACK DOG BALLROOM NQ, 22:00–04:00, FREE BEFORE 11PM
Feel-good music via the avenues of house, garage, hip-hop, R ‘n’ B, funk, disco, soul and pop.
15 YEARS OF DISPATCH RECORDINGS (ICICLE + SKEPTICAL + DLR + ANT TC1 + MAKO + ONSET) ANTWERP MANSION, 22:00–03:00, £7 - £15
Worried About Henry, Sessions Faction and Sleep Less Records team up to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the drum ‘n’ bass label. ETON MESSY
VARIOUS VENUES, 22:00–04:00, £TBC
The Eton Messy crew embark on a headline UK tour, culminating with an off-the-map warehouse rave in Manchester, which comes complete with its very own laser showcase.
KING OF KINGS PT. 2: THE KING OF THE BEATS (MIKE SHAFT + GORDON WEST + SAM BROWN + HEWAN CLARKE)
BAND ON THE WALL, 21:00–00:00, £10
The Northwest’s biggest old skool event returns with The Kings of the Beats, which sees four Manchester DJs take to the stage for 80s soul classics. FREERANGE (SPOOKY + KILLJOY + PAVV + LZ ILLIDGE)
JOSHUA BROOKS, 23:00–04:00, £3
A night showcasing the best in UKG, grime and bassline launching with a headline 90-minute set from Spooky. LOVE DOSE X HIDDENEVENTS
HIDDEN, 22:00–04:00, £5 - £12
Love Dose’s first event of 2016 bringing together house music, culture and love from three continents.
TEMPO 5TH BIRTHDAY (NEIL PIERCE + SIMON SCHOOLY PHILLIPS + STEVE HARRINGTON + DEANJAY + DAVE LAW) TEXTURE, 21:00–04:00, £10
An evening of dancing to celebrate five years of Tempo.
Mon 21 Mar QUIDS IN
FACTORY 251, 23:00–04:00, £1 - £2
Cheap as chips Monday student night, where the price of various drinks match the alluring entry fee (which rises to £2 after midnight, btw.)
Legendary weekly mixed-bag night, often invites use of the term ‘carnage’.
Thu 24 Mar F//CK
FACTORY 251, 22:30–05:00, 99P - £5
Sat 19 Mar
BLACK DOG BALLROOM NWS, 22:00–04:00, FREE BEFORE 11PM
TRIPLE COOKED: EASTER ENCHANTMENT (JAMIE THOMSON + WILL HANCOCK + K1R3Y)
ANTWERP MANSION, 22:00–03:00, £4 - £8
A night of disco, garage and grime complete with live art, installations, performers, stalls, food and more.
Thu 17 Mar F//CK
FACTORY 251, 22:30–05:00, 99P - £5
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.
GIRLS ON FILM
Pink lady cocktails, disco balls, glitz and glamour – a club night where you’re free to let your inner 80s child loose. FUNKADEMIA
MINT LOUNGE, 22:30–04:00, £5 - £6
STUART RICHARDS
High Jinx resident Stuart Richards brings his trademark style to the bar, offering a night of disco, funk and house. TRIBAL SESSIONS (MIGUEL CAMPBELL + MANU GONZALEZ + MATT HUGHES)
SANKEYS, 23:00–05:00, £5 - £20
Mancunian nightclub institution – delivering a chronological history of soul on a weekly basis, courtesy of their DJ collective.
The legendary Tribal Sessions return for another season of internationally acclaimed DJs and late night parties.
SOUP KITCHEN, 23:00–04:00, £5
SOUP KITCHEN, 23:00–04:00, £TBC
SWING TING
The Swing Ting soundboys push their street and soundsystem music into spring. FACTORY SATURDAYS
FACTORY 251, 22:30–05:00, £2 BEFORE MIDNIGHT
Three rooms of commercial dance, indie and deep house, powered by Funktion One Sound.
Fri 25 Mar 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. RETRO (JULIE MCKNIGHT + TALL PAUL + PAUL TAYLOR + SHADES OF RHYTHM + RICKY ISTED + BIG KENNY)
GORILLA, 23:00–04:00, £10 - £20
Boxing Day special for the 26 year-old house night. UPTOWN
THE DEAF INSTITUTE, 23:00–03:00, £3 - £5
The best in disco, funk, boogie and party classics. TOP OF THE POPS
MINT LOUNGE, 22:30–04:00, £3 - £4
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, 22:30–05:00, 99P BEFORE MIDNIGHT
Student Friday-nighter, with mashups in room one, indie, funk and Motown in room two, and electro house in room three. 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, offering a night of disco, funk and house. JACOB COID
BLACK DOG BALLROOM NWS, 23:00–03:00, FREE BEFORE 11PM
Everything from Dylan to Dre, the Strokes to Snoop, Bowie to the Beastie Boys - and everything in between.
A showcase from Glasgow-based label Optimo Music.
GOLD TEETH
THE DEAF INSTITUTE, 22:00–03:00, £4.50 - £5
THE DEAF INSTITUTE, 22:00–03:00, £4.50 - £6
HIDDEN, 22:00–04:00, £8 - £15
The latest event from the You&Me stable, who present headliners Phil Weeks and The Mekanism to help you start the Easter bank holiday weekend as you mean to go on.
THE DEAF INSTITUTE, 22:00–03:00, £4.50 - £5
Tue 15 Mar Legendary weekly mixed-bag night, often invites use of the term ‘carnage’.
YOU&ME (PHIL WEEKS + THE MEKANISM + JOSH BAKER + JACK BETTINSON + MCMAHON + RYAN MURRAY + JACK LAW + BRANDON DARBY + SEB DUFFY + KURT HURST + DAN MOURINO )
A-BOUND FESTIVAL: OPTIMO MUSIC (OPTIMO + MR TC + SPARKY)
The first Housewrk party of the year, representing labels such as Deep Tech Records and Ben Pearce’s Purp & Soul.
GOLD TEETH
THE STROKES DISCO
NIGHT AND DAY CAFE, 23:00–02:00, £3
A club night dedicated to The Strokes, spanning their back catalogue, influences and other NYC tunes.
Tue 22 Mar
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.
SOUND CONTROL, 23:00–04:00, £5
Everything from Dylan to Dre, the Strokes to Snoop, Bowie to the Beastie Boys - and everything in between.
PARIAHS (TOM BOOGIZM)
Club favourite Tom Boogizm brings the party in his second home of the Soup Kitchen basement.
ISLINGTON MILL, 22:00–06:00, £8
HOMOELECTRIC EASTER SPECIAL (WILL TRAMP + JAMIE BULL)
ANTWERP MANSION, 22:00–04:00, £12
Offering up a melting pot of disco, house, techno, garage with a sprinkling of rock’n’roll attitude and a dash of glamour. DIXON AND AME
ALBERT HALL, 21:00–04:00, £19.50
Dixon teams up withis Innervisions counterpart to soundtrack Good Friday with an all-night b2b set. ADAPT (REEKO)
SOUP KITCHEN, 23:00–04:00, £8 - £10
For their first event of the year, Adapt bring Spain’s Reeko to the Soup basement. HIDDENEVENTS X HOUSE OF WAX
HIDDEN, 22:00–04:00, £8 - £12
Three-hour set from Dutch staple Young Marco, plus South London’s Fort Romeau and local favourites including Ruf Dug and Disco Mums. ALAN FITZPATRICK + STACEY PULLEN (LUKE WELSH + RUDOSA + JOSH NEWSHAM + PLAYGROUND)
SANKEYS, 23:00–05:00, £5 - £12
A Good Friday bash that sees Stacey Pullen make his Sankeys debut.
Sat 26 Mar THIS FEELING
NIGHT AND DAY CAFE, 20:00–03:00, £4
The indie club night returns.
Pink lady cocktails, disco balls, glitz and glamour – a club night where you’re free to let your inner 80s child loose. FUNKADEMIA
MINT LOUNGE, 22:30–04:00, £5 - £6
Mancunian nightclub institution – delivering a chronological history of soul on a weekly basis, courtesy of their DJ collective. YOU DIG?
SOUP KITCHEN, 23:00–04:00, £3
Funky music for funky people. FACTORY SATURDAYS
FACTORY 251, 22:30–05:00, £2 BEFORE MIDNIGHT
Three rooms of commercial dance, indie and deep house, powered by Funktion One Sound.
BEYOND WONDERLAND (TONY ENGLISH + NIK DENTON + LEE HARRIS + HEROIN AMOR) O2 RITZ MANCHESTER, 22:30–05:00, £10
Hedonistic club night founded almost 15 years ago by London’s gay promotions company, Orange Nation, stopping off in Manchester for a huge fairytale-themed Easter party.
Mon 28 Mar QUIDS IN
FACTORY 251, 23:00–04:00, £1 - £2
Cheap as chips Monday student night, where the price of various drinks match the alluring entry fee (which rises to £2 after midnight, btw.)
STUART RICHARDS
BLACK DOG BALLROOM NWS, 22:00–04:00, FREE BEFORE 11PM
High Jinx resident Stuart Richards brings his trademark style to the bar, offering a night of disco, funk and house.
CRAIG CHARLES FUNK N SOUL CLUB (JENNA AND THE GS) BAND ON THE WALL, 21:00–03:00, £16
DJ and actor Craig Charles will be manning the decks until 3am, playing his picks of funk and soul. LIGHT BOXX
Liverpool Clubs Tue 01 Mar DIRTY ANTICS
BUMPER, 22:00–04:00, £0 - £3
O2 RITZ MANCHESTER, 22:30–03:30, £5
Messy Tuesday-nighter, bring your dirty shoes.
CARL COX AND FRIENDS
Wed 02 Mar
New residency from the people behind Rehab, Pout and Dyslexic. ALBERT HALL, 21:00–04:00, £25
The acid house and techno veteran drops in with a load of pals (we presume they’re going to be fairly famous ones.) TIM WRIGHT
BLACK DOG BALLROOM NQ, 22:00–04:00, FREE BEFORE 11PM
ROLL OVER BEETHOVEN
24 KITCHEN STREET, 22:00–03:00, £3 - £5
A night dedicated to the old school sounds of rock and roll, r’n’b, jazz, funk, soul, swing and ska.
Feel-good music via the avenues of house, garage, hip-hop, R ‘n’ B, funk, disco, soul and pop.
Thu 03 Mar
SANKEYS, 23:00–05:00, £5 - £12
24 KITCHEN STREET, 22:00–03:00, £3
THE REDLIGHT (RITON + MATT JAM LAMONT + SAM HOLT)
The Redlight Manchester residency continues.
A-BOUND FESTIVAL: HIGH HOOPS (ANTAL + DAMIANO VON ERCKERT + RUF DUG + JOY SOCIAL) ISLINGTON MILL, 14:00–02:00, £8
A 12-hour party (yikes) from Manchester/London-based promoters, High Hoops, featuring all the right names from Manchester and beyond.
GRIME OF THE EARTH (LING + KEPLA + HORZA + LONGY + RUGZ_DELETE + RONNIE BIGGS + BEYOND AVERAGE)
Grime of the Earth returns for more grime and urban tunes, topping their lineup with free fried chicken for (brace yourselves) the earlybirds.
Fri 04 Mar EDDIE C
24 KITCHEN STREET, 22:00–04:00, £4 - £8
AUDIO FARM FESTIVAL ROUNDUP (FLAMINGUS + BRADFORD DAVE AND ASHER JONES + NATHAN LANDRY + PETE MANGALORE + CY HUMPHREYS + RICK NICHOLLS + LEAH FLOYEURS + BLACK EYES + MOID)
Ontario-raised DJ and producer with a raw and sophisticated approach, who recently relocated and reconnected with the electronic music community in Berlin.
ANTWERP MANSION, 15:00–03:00, £10
ARTS CLUB, 23:00–04:00, £6
Audio Farm’s only Manchester event this year, promising 12 hours of urban festivalism with music, an outdoor party dome, circus performers, fire shows, stalls, food and art installations. THE HIDDEN HIP HOP 90S PARTY
HIDDEN, 22:00–04:00, £7.50 - £10
Exactly what it says on the tin, we’re guessing.
THE SOUL MAN FUNDRAISER (UNABOMBERS + IRFAN RAINY + GROOVE ASSASSIN + THATMANMONKS + COLIN CURTIS) TEXTURE, 21:00–03:30, £10
A lineup of favourite names from Manchester and Sheffield, coming together for a fundraiser in aid of singer-songwriter Pete Simpson, who is currently undergoing chemotheraphy.
Sun 27 Mar ARMIN VAN BUUREN
ALBERT HALL, 21:00–04:00, £35
The Dutch trance producer and DJ does his progressive and uplifting take on the genre. TRIBAL SESSIONS (THE MARTINEZ BROTHERS)
SANKEYS, 22:00–05:00, £5 - £20
The legendary Tribal Sessions return for another season of internationally acclaimed DJs and late night parties. KALUKI PRESENTS PATRICK TOPPING
GORILLA, 23:00–04:00, £15 - £20
Kaluki continues its Gorilla residency with fast-rising Hot Creations star Patrick Topping in the headline slot.
MEDICATION
MED settles in to its new home on Seel Street. CATFACE
BUMPER, 22:00–05:00, FREE
Playful, feline night at the notorious Bumper, where drawing whiskers on your face gets you free entry. LIVITY SOUND SHOWCASE
CONSTELLATIONS, 21:00–04:00, £5 - £9
Less Effect presents a Livity Sound showcase featuring Kowton, Peverelist, Hodge and others. PEOPLE’S BALEARIC DISCO (RAYKO)
BUYERS CLUB, 22:00–03:00, £5 - £7.50
People’s Balearic Disco presents Rayko, whose sets cover everything from old school disco and modern house to 70s funk and 80s electro. DAMA DAMA (MARIBOU STATE + PEDEDTRIAN+ HACKETT)
THE SHIPPING FORECAST, 22:00–03:00, £10 - £15
Drop the Mustard presents the Dama Dama tour, with English electronica duo Maribou State joined by Pedestrian all night long. RORY TAYLOR
THE JACARANDA, 21:00–23:00, FREE
Hot Wax launches a monthly series of DJ sessions with some of the finest selectors in the Northwest, which will also be broadcast live.
Sat 05 Mar
RUBIX (STACEY PULLEN + YOUCEF ELAID)
DISTRICT, 21:00–04:00, £12.50 - £18
A showcase of Stacey Pullen’s label, Blackflag Recordings.
Listings
51
Liverpool Clubs CHIBUKU SHAKE SHAKE (CHASE AND STATUS + DIMENSION + BONKAZ + RUDE KID + YUNGEN + CULTURE SHOCK + RICH REASON + SESSIONS FACTION) ARTS CLUB, 22:00–04:00, £TBC
Chibuku returns with a program of internationally renowned guests. BEDLAM
GARLANDS, 22:00–04:00, £15
Extravagant and flamboyant club night complete with resident entertainers, including Foxy Grunt and Barbie. PALEMAN
24 KITCHEN STREET, 23:00–04:00, £5 - £7
SATURDAYS AT GARLANDS GARLANDS, 23:00–06:00, £5 - £10
Weekly party of vocal house and classics.
THE LAST EVER DROME REUNION (RAMIREZ + JOE INFERNO) O2 ACADEMY, 21:00–03:00, £20
90s old-school techno and hardcore classics.
Tue 15 Mar DIRTY ANTICS
BUMPER, 22:00–04:00, £0 - £3
Messy Tuesday-nighter, bring your dirty shoes.
Thu 17 Mar UPSTAIRS WITH
BUYERS CLUB, 23:00–04:00, £3 - £5
MODU:LAR BIRTHDAY (BABY FORD + BARAC + GREG BROCKMANN)
MED settles in to its new home on Seel Street.
SATURDAYS AT GARLANDS
GARLANDS, 23:00–06:00, £5 - £10
Weekly party of vocal house and classics.
Mon 07 Mar
REFLECT (GERRA AND STONE + VISIONOBI + DALEMA + FOCUS + MC METIS)
CONSTELLATIONS, 22:00–03:00, £3 - £6
A new night representing underground music.
MEDICATION
ARTS CLUB, 23:00–04:00, £6
CATFACE
BUMPER, 22:00–05:00, FREE
Playful, feline night at the notorious Bumper, where drawing whiskers on your face gets you free entry.
GARLANDS, 23:00–06:00, £5 - £10
Messy Tuesday-nighter, bring your dirty shoes.
Thu 10 Mar
BONGO’S BINGO (THE VENGABOYS)
CAMP AND FURNACE, 18:00–01:00, £SOLD OUT
Yep, you heard right: a special edition of Liverpool’s favourite bingo/clubbing mashup, with a performance from The Vengaboys.
Fri 11 Mar MEDICATION
ARTS CLUB, 23:00–04:00, £6
MED settles in to its new home on Seel Street. FIESTA BOMBARDA (NEW YORK BRASS BAND, ASBO DISCO, EUPHONY & MUCH MORE)
WILLIAMSON TUNNELS, 19:00–03:00, £SOLD OUT
The everisland bunch return with their latest carnival event, this time taking it to the Williamson Tunnels with the usual cacophony of music, visuals and performances. CATFACE
BUMPER, 22:00–05:00, FREE
Playful, feline night at the notorious Bumper, where drawing whiskers on your face gets you free entry. RODHAD (DRUMCELL + REBEKAH + RACHEL LYN)
THE GARAGE, 22:00–06:00, £10 - £15
German techno producer headliners Mixmag Live.
Sat 12 Mar
VINTAGE (ABIGAIL BAILEY + AYAK + ANTON POWERS + DAVE PETHARD + CARLTON HUDSON + DAVE BENNETT + ROB CAIN) THE GARAGE, 22:00–04:00, £20
A night of house classics, themed on the funky house era in Liverpool. MIKE VATH
CONSTELLATIONS, 21:00–05:00, £10 - £12
Sven’s brother, celebrated for assembling sets from electro, techno and hypnotic drums.
WORRIED ABOUT HENRY: PART TWO (DBRIDGE + MUNGO’S HIFI)
24 KITCHEN STREET, 22:00–04:00, £6 - £12
Worried About Henry’s second Liverpool event of the year, featuring two respected names of the UK bass and reggae scenes. PULL UP TO THE BUMPER
BUMPER, 23:00–05:00, £TBC
Weekly Saturday party packed with pop and synth classics.
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Listings
SATURDAYS AT GARLANDS
Weekly party of vocal house and classics.
Tue 22 Mar DIRTY ANTICS
BUMPER, 22:00–04:00, £0 - £3
Messy Tuesday-nighter, bring your dirty shoes.
Thu 24 Mar DETLEF + JACKY
BUYERS CLUB, 21:00–04:00, £10
Motion brings Detlef (Viva Music/ Defected) and Jacky (Viva Music/ Elrow) to Buyers Club for a party that helps you capitalise on no work the next day. God bless bank holidays.
Fri 25 Mar MEDICATION
ARTS CLUB, 23:00–04:00, £6
MED settles in to its new home on Seel Street. CATFACE
BUMPER, 22:00–05:00, FREE
Playful, feline night at the notorious Bumper, where drawing whiskers on your face gets you free entry. TAMA SUMO
24 KITCHEN STREET, 23:00–04:00, £6 - £10
Berlin DJ, signed to Ostgut Ton and a celebrated Berghain regular. SPICE WORLD
GARLANDS, 22:00–03:00, £6 - £8
A club night dedicated to the Spice Girls, girl power and hyperactive 90s nostalgia. 4MATION
THE ATTIC, 22:00–03:00, FREE
4Mation returns with a night of underground house and tech house after a six-month hiatus. TODD TERJE AND FRIENDS
THE GARAGE, 22:00–04:00, £15 - £18
Norwegian DJ pioneer and one of modern disco’s brightest stars, Todd Terje makes his way to Liverpool.
Sat 26 Mar
PULL UP TO THE BUMPER
BUMPER, 23:00–05:00, £TBC
Weekly Saturday party packed with pop and synth classics.
GENERATE REUNION (CHRIS COX + DANNY ELLIS + DANNY MAC + SAM COOKSON + CARL-O + DEADBEAT)
ARTS CLUB, 22:00–04:00, £10
The monthly trance and techno night, which originally ran between 2002-2006, returns for a reunion party.
A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM
12–19 MAR, NOT SUNDAYS, 7:30PM – 9:30PM, £8 - £9.50
BACK TO THE ANTHEMS
25 FEB – 12 MAR, NOT 28 FEB, 29 FEB, 6 MAR, 7 MAR, 7:30PM, £15 - £26.50
A night of dance and house anthems from the 90s and early 00s.
HUSTLE X SUNCEBEAT BOAT PARTY (ANDREW ASHONG + OPOLOPO) VARIOUS VENUES, 14:00–04:00, £10
Make the most of the Mersey with this floating party - like those ones in Ibiza. Kiiinda.
ENDGAME
Corrie’s Roy Cropper and Peter Barlow (aka David Neilson and Chris Gascoyne) star in Samuel Beckett’s absurd, macabre play about death and morality that seeks to find laughter in the darkness of life. Matinee performances also available. THE ENCOUNTER
16–19 MAR, 7:30PM – 10:30PM, £5 - £29
Manchester Theatre
Sat 19 Mar
BUMPER, 22:00–04:00, £0 - £3
Garrick Theatre Stockport
HOME
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. Matinee performances also available.
Weekly Saturday party packed with pop and synth classics.
Manchester
20 FEB – 19 MAR, NOT SUNDAYS, TIMES VARY, £8.50 - £29
CONSTELLATIONS, 21:00–06:00, £10 - £15
DAVE CLARKE + LUKE SLATER + SPEEDY J
Bury Met Theatre
PULL UP TO THE BUMPER
Royal Exchange Theatre
Sun 27 Mar
Unhinged presents Harvey McKay, known for his soulful techno and sets at Space Ibiza, Awakenings, Ultra Music Festival, Fabric, Space Miami and others.
BUMPER, 23:00–05:00, £TBC
Theatre An inviting riot of mischief and wonder among the darkness of the Bard’s classic take on the delirium of love.
HARVEY MCKAY
THE GARAGE, 22:00–06:00, £10 - £12
Tue 08 Mar DIRTY ANTICS
GARLANDS, 23:00–06:00, £5 - £10
Weekly party of vocal house and classics.
THE GARAGE, 21:00–06:00, £15 - £25
ST. PATRICK’S DAY BAR CRAWL
Fri 18 Mar
BUYERS CLUB, 22:00–08:00, £8 - £15
SATURDAYS AT GARLANDS
VARIOUS VENUES, 19:00–04:00, £5 - £9
BUMPER, 23:00–05:00, £TBC
The Modu:lar team celebrate another year at the top with a huge party at Buyers Club and The Magnet.
Yousef presents Circus, where your bank holiday weekend partying can kick off at 2pm.
303 presents an Easter special at Constellations.
Irish-themed bar crawl along Seel Street. Suddenly a night in with a plate of stew and colcannon seems pretty appealing.
Weekly Saturday party packed with pop and synth classics.
CAMP AND FURNACE, 14:00–23:00, £28.50 - £32.50
A St. Patrick’s Day special of Upstairs With.
Manchester-raised, Londonbased former Chetham’s student, drawing on jazz influences and sounds both old and current for his bass sets. PULL UP TO THE BUMPER
CIRCUS DAYTIME BANK HOLIDAY SPECIAL (MARCO CAROLA + YOUSEF + LEON + THE MARTINEZ BROTHERS + PACO OSUNA + GUY GERBER + DJ TENNIS + MORE)
LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS
VARIOUS DATES BETWEEN 1 DEC AND 12 MAR, 7:30PM – 10:00PM, £10 - £12
Contact Theatre RECKLESS SLEEPERS: NEGATIVE SPACE
1–3 MAR, 8:00PM – 11:00PM, £7 - £13
Contemporary theatre/art company Reckless Sleepers built a room-sized wooden frame, before smashing it up and piecing the fragments back together to result in this, their new show combining love, slapstick, slasher, action, melodrama... and no dialogue. SICK! LAB: YOU’RE NOT ALONE
12 MAR, 8:00PM – 10:00PM, £7 - £13
A show by Kim Noble, renowned performance and video artist, and one half of Perrier Award-winning, BAFTA-nominated comedy duo Noble and Silver. PALAVER FESTIVAL: MUSICAL CHITCHAT
15 MAR, 7:30PM – 9:30PM, £5 - £9
A fusion of electroacoustic, instrumental and choral works themed around the human voice, where some parts require the audience to wear a blindfold so as to become fully immersed in the sound world. PALAVER FESTIVAL: KABALE UND LIEBE
15–16 MAR, TIMES VARY, £5 - £9
Schiller’s classic drama about intrigue and love, modernised to reflect issues of today. Performed in German with English subtitles. PALAVER FESTIVAL: CHINESE WEDDING EXPERIENCE
16 MAR, 7:00PM – 9:00PM, £5 - £9
Experience the traditions, customs and rituals of a Chinese wedding by becoming one of the guests, complete with live traditional Guzheng music and C-pop music and dance. PALAVER FESTIVAL: HUIS CLOS
17 MAR, TIMES VARY, £5 - £9
Three characters, imprisoned in a deceptively luxurious area of Hell, confront their past deeds in Sartre’s existentialist masterpiece. PALAVER FESTIVAL: BUS STOP
17–18 MAR, 7:30PM – 9:30PM, £5 - £9
A modern play inspired by Waiting for Godot, raising philosophical questions about the Cultural Revolution and how it has affected China.
A solo show directed and performed by Simon McBurney, who uses 3D audio technology to trace the journey of a National Geographic photographer into the depths of the Amazon rainforest. Matinee performances also available. WHAT’S DONE, IS DONE
19 MAR, 7:00PM – 10:00PM, £3 - £5
A brand new piece of theatre created by young people from across Manchester, who take inspiration from Shakespeare’s Macbeth to explore the play’s themes through dance, music, movement and drama. Matinee performances also available.
HUSBANDS & SONS
Oldham Coliseum Theatre COAL GIRLS
3–5 MAR, 7:30PM – 9:30PM, £6
Play by Ashleigh Sinclair and Rachel Stockdale, providing an amusing, fictional insight to the wives and girlfriends of Northumberland miners, complete with original Geordie folk songs. OUR GRACIE
VARIOUS DATES BETWEEN 4 MAR AND 26 MAR, 7:30PM – 9:30PM, £6 - £22
A new play by Philip Goulding, using music and humour to honour the life of singer and actress Gracie Fields, whose working class beginnings above a chippy in Rochdale made way for her to become one of the nation’s greatest entertainers. WHEN I GROW TOO OLD TO DREAM
14 MAR, 7:30PM – 9:30PM, £3
A collection of tales inspired by the life of Rochdale-born actress and comedian Gracie Fields, written by Rob Johnston. THE BROKE ‘N’ BEAT COLLECTIVE
22- 23 MAR, TIMES VARY, PRICES VARY
20 Stories High and Theatre Rites combine forces for a night of hip hop, theatre and puppetry featuring beat-boxer Hobbit, B-boy Ryan Logistic Harston, singer and poet Elektric and puppeteer Mohsen Nouri. Matinee performances also available.
A major new play starring the brilliant Anne-Marie Duff and Joe Armstrong, interweaving three of DH Lawrence’s greatest dramas to introduce us to his world of manual labour and working class pride. Matinee performances also available. AN INVITATION...
10–12 MAR, 7:00PM – 8:00PM, £10 - £34
Join director, choreographer and performer Jo Fong for an evolving piece of theatre, where each show is different depending on who’s in the room.
Tea Hive Alexandra Park LEGACY FATALE
12–13 MAR, 6:00PM – 12:00AM, FREE
Performance art collective Legacy Fatale fly in from the States to kick off Alexandra Park’s Pankhurst in the Park programme with a celebration of the ancient, nomadic warrior women of the Amazon. I am woman, hear me roar - with added animal print.
The Dancehouse Theatre BEAUTY AND THE BEAST
26 MAR, 6:30PM – 9:00PM, £12.50 - £15
The traditional fairytale, this time starring Keith Chegwin and Basil Brush. Seems they’re really trying to push the look-beyond-thegrotesque lark.
Buy theatre tickets here:
Hope Mill Theatre
theskinny.co.uk/whats-on
SOMETHING WONDERFUL
25–26 MAR, TIMES VARY, PRICES VARY
A brand new cabaret revue by Multitude of Drops Theatricals Ltd. celebrating Rodgers and Hammerstein. SHIRLEY
TheSkinnyMag
LION MAN
4–6 MAR, 7:30PM – 9:30PM, £4 - £6
MARTHA, JOSIE AND THE CHINESE ELVIS
11 MAR – 2 APR, NOT SUNDAYS, TIMES VARY, £10.50 - £27
Join a forty-year-old dominatrix called Josie, her daughter BrendaMarie, her devout Irish cleaner, her most loyal client and Elvis impersonator Timothy Wong, as a landmark birthday is upstaged by a very unexpected guest. Matinee performances available.
Old Granada Studios QUARANTINE: SUMMER
22 MAR, 8:00PM – 10:00PM, £8 - £14
The first of four performances from Quarantine theatre company, set to take place over the next three years and taking us through the seasons as they go. QUARANTINE: WINTER
24 MAR, 8:00PM – 10:00PM, £5 - £8
A delicate filmed portrait of an individual at the end of a life. QUARANTINE: SPRING
25 MAR, 8:00PM – 10:00PM, £8 - £14
Spring closes the Quarantine series, as a group of pregnant women ask hundreds of questions about the future. QUARANTINE: SUMMER. AUTUMN. WINTER. SPRING
26 MAR, 2 APR, 3 APR, 2:00PM – 12:00AM, £15 - £25
The full quartet of Quarantine’s work, exploring our relationship with time with performances from 60 real people in place of actors.
DIRTY PAKISTANI LAUNDRY
3 MAR, 8:00PM – 10:30PM, £10 - £12
An award-winning production set in post-9/11 America, interweaving the stories of six Pakistani women to shatter preconceptions about culture, sex and politics.
The Lowry: Lyric Theatre L’ELISIR D’AMORE
17 MAR, 7:30PM – 10:30PM, £17.50 - £58
A sun-drenched, 1950s-style production of Donizetti’s charming comedy, telling the story of goodhearted Nemorino and his love for self-assured Adina. Means ‘The Elixir of Love’, btw. ANDREA CHENIER
19 MAR, 7:30PM – 10:30PM, £17.50 - £58
Annabel Arden’s new production for Opera North, this one’s a rollercoaster of love rivalry and political turmoil set during the French Revolution. ACELERE
24–27 MAR, 7:00PM – 10:00PM, £11 - £23
12 performers from across Colombia show off their best circus tricks and dance moves. Matinee performances also available.
The Lowry: Quays Theatre THE WITCHES
15–26 MAR, NOT SUNDAYS, TIMES VARY, PRICES VARY
Stage adaptation of the Roald Dahl classic, the surprisingly scary factor of which you might be able to hack nowadays. Maybe. Matinee performances also available. I AM THOMAS
1-5 MAR, TIMES VARY, PRICES VARY
A comedy that’s seeping with black humour and songs, flitting between 17th-century Edinburgh and the present day to tell the tale of a man in the wrong place at the wrong time. Matinee and earlier performances available. 15–19 MAR, 7:30PM – 10:30PM, £18 - £22
The third play by playwright Andrea Dunbar - known for writing The Arbor as a schoolgirl and Rita, Sue and Bob Too not long after - Shirley balances comedy with drama for a snapshot of working class life in 1980s Bradford.
Octagon Theatre
An original play inspired by the real experiences shared by women across the UK, like moving in with Mum in your 30s and advice from Grandma. Matinee performances also available.
THE MERRY WIVES
16–19 MAR, 7:30PM – 9:30PM, £10 - £12
A new play by Tom Roberts about boys, girls and lions, and what it means to be each.
THREE GENERATIONS OF WOMEN 25–26 MAR, 7:00PM – 9:30PM, £10 - £12
Opera House CHICAGO
21 MAR–2 APR, 7:30PM – 10:00PM, £15 - £42.50
Award-winning musical set in the 1920s, based around the tale of a nightclub singer, a double-murderess and a smooth-talking lawyer. CARMEN
12 MAR, 13 MAR, 19 MAR, 23 MAR, TIMES VARY, PRICES VARY
An Ellen Kent production of one of the most famous operas of all time, channeling Spain’s Andalucian heat through its seductive storyline. KING CHARLES III
UNTIL 7 MAR, 7:30PM – 10:00PM, £16.9 - £39.4
Mike Bartlett’s critically acclaimed new future history play, starring Robert Powell as King Charles III. Matinee performances also available.
Palace Theatre FOOTLOOSE
14–19 MAR, 7:30PM – 10:00PM, £17.90 - £46.40
Crowd-pleaser of a musical, complete with singalong pop-rock score and nifty dance moves a-plenty. MARY POPPINS
UNTIL 5 MAR, 7:30PM – 10:00PM, FROM £22.50
The magical story of the world’s favourite Nanny arriving on Cherry Tree Lane brought to the stage. NATIONAL TREASURES
11 MAR, 7:30PM – 10:00PM, £41.25 £51.25
An evening of all-singing, alldancing drag fun with insult comedian and Ru Paul’s Drag Race winner Bianca Del Rio, singer-songwriter Jackie Beat and others.
AMERICAN MUSICAL MASTERS 17–19 MAR, 7:30PM – 10:30PM, PRICES VARY
Northern Broadsides presents a light-hearted, comedic take on the Shakespearean world, following one of his recurring characters, old-timer Sir John Falstaff, as his attemps to seduce backfire. Matinee performances also available.
The Plaza Stockport
RETURN TO THE FORBIDDEN PLANET
Northern Ballet School’s musical theatre company Jazzgalore performs a selection of Broadway classics and other favourites from the ‘Great American Songbook.’
15-19 MAR, 7:15PM – 10:00PM, £12.25 - £17.60
The King’s Arms
4–5 MAR, 7:30PM – 10:30PM, £7.50 - £11.25
SCRIPTS ALOUD
28 SEP, 22 FEB, 28 MAR, TIMES VARY, £5
An evening of new short plays performed with script in hand. ONE FLESH
UNTIL 1 MAR, 7:30PM – 9:30PM, £9
A play by Naomi Sumner exploring what it means to love, honour and obey as Esther and Natalie try and win the approval of those they care about for their relationship.
The Lowry Studio PUNCHING THE SKY
5 MAR, 8:00PM – 10:30PM, £10 - £12
An intimate response to the media backlash that followed a mother, after she blogged about her 11-year-old son stumbling across hardcore porn online. BUCKET LIST
11 MAR, 8:00PM – 10:30PM, £5
The story of a Mexican orphan and her journey from the sweatshops of Ciudad Acuna to Harvard University, combining the rags-to-riches narrative with a darker story of revenge. DICK TRACY
24 MAR, 8:00PM – 10:30PM, £10 - £12
The award-winning Le Navet Bete present a physical comedy influenced by the world-famous detective, with mystery, malice, mischief and (prepare thyselves) audience interaction.
The Olivier Award-winning rock spectacular returns! Matinees also available. LEGALLY BLONDE: THE MUSICAL
All-singing, all-dancing musical adaptation of the hit movie featuring teen queen Elle and her trusty chihuahua, Bruiser. Matinee performances also available.
Three Minute Theatre THE CURSE
10–12 MAR, 7:00PM – 10:00PM, £6 - £7.95
A new play (originally a short, before encouraging feedback led to funding from Arts Council England) about menstruation, mental health, sexuality and women as monsters featuring an emerging young cast from Manchester.
Upper Campfield Market Hall THE PASSION
25–26 MAR, TIMES VARY, £15 - £22
A world premiere of an abridged version of Bach’s oratorio St Matthew Passion, brought to life as a site-specific Easter production in the beautiful Campfield Market, taking audiences around the Victorian hall through contemporary promenade performance.
Waterside Arts Centre DRACULA
UNTIL 3 MAR, 7:30PM – 10:30PM, FREE
The Liverpool Network Theatre present their take on the Bram Stoker classic.
Whitworth Art Gallery
THURSDAY LATES: WONDER WOMEN TAKEOVER
10 MAR, 6:00PM – 9:00PM, FREE
The Whitworth’s famed Thursday Lates series gets the Wonder Women festival treatment with an evening of performance, conversation and even an art pub quiz, combining to provoke, subvert and satire identity, gender and sexuality.
Liverpool Theatre Epstein Theatre SNOW WHITE
24 MAR, 10:00AM – 10:00PM, £14.50 - £16.50
Following on from Cinderella and Jack and the Beanstalk, ThomsonLeng Musical Society returns to the Gardyne Theatre for a third year of pantomime fun – this time with the Wicked Witch et al. THE GONDOLIERS
2–5 MAR, 7:30PM – 10:30PM, £8 - £16
A tale of bigamy, secret love and politics from the Crosby Gilbert and Sullivan Society. THE DREAMBOYS
11 MAR, 7:00PM – 10:30PM, £24
Glamour show courtesy of loads of oiled-up blokes possessing the most chiselled abs since we last looked round The Skinny office. Ahem. MOVE ON UP
18 MAR, 7:30PM – 10:30PM, £5 - £7.50
An evening of dance celebrating wellbeing, bringing together community groups and professional dancers. WEST END STORY
19 MAR, 7:00PM – 10:00PM, £10 - £15
Broadway tale of New York City gang rivalry and star-crossed lovers, told largely through clicking.
Everyman Theatre THE WITCHES
15–26 MAR, NOT SUNDAYS, TIMES VARY, PRICES VARY
Stage adaptation of the Roald Dahl classic, the surprisingly scary factor of which you might be able to hack nowadays. Maybe. Matinee performances also available. THE ENVIRONMENTALISTS
2 MAR, 7:30PM – 10:00PM, £5 - £7
Tasked with an aim to make others care about the environment, this play uses confronting humour to provide an unexpected take on the global issues that we all keep sweeping under the carpet.
Floral Pavilion THE CIRCUS OF HORRORS
24 MAR, 7:30PM – 10:30PM, £18 - £25
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.
Gladstone Theatre OLIVER
UNTIL 19 MAR, 7:30PM – 10:00PM, £10 - £12
Port Sunlight Players present their take on the classical musical. Matinee performances also available. ALL MY SONS
2–5 MAR, 7:30PM – 9:30PM, £8
Arthur Miller’s first commercial and critical success, based on a true story about a successful self-made businessman whose factory supplied the US military during the war.
Liverpool Empire Theatre TOSCA
22 MAR, TIMES VARY, PRICES VARY
Anthony Besch’s treasured production of Tosca, which transports Puccini’s drama to Fascist Italy in the early 1940s.
THE SKINNY
CARMEN
CATS
12 MAR, 13 MAR, 19 MAR, 23 MAR, TIMES VARY, PRICES VARY
UNTIL 2 MAR, 7:30PM – 10:00PM, £13 - £15
An Ellen Kent production of one of the most famous operas of all time, channeling Spain’s Andalucian heat through its seductive storyline. GUYS AND DOLLS
16–19 MAR, 7:30PM – 10:00PM, £10 - £62.50
Big production version of the music theatre favourite of gamblers and dancers, missionaries and sinners. Matinees also available. THE GLENN MILLER STORY
UNTIL 5 MAR, 7:30PM, £14.9 - £48.9
Tommy Steele leads a 16-piece orchestral cast to tell the story of Glenn Miller, who vanished over the English Channel as he flew to Paris to entertain the troops during the Second World War. Matinee performances also available. ANNIE
UNTIL 12 MAR, 7:30PM – 10:00PM, £10 - £57.50
Contemporary musical favourite telling the tale of little orphan Annie. Matinee performances also available.
Liverpool Playhouse THE HERBAL BED
VARIOUS DATES BETWEEN 8 MAR AND 30 MAR, TIMES VARY, PRICES VARY
Peter Whelan’s emotional thriller evoking life in Shakespeare’s England, focusing on conlict between public and private morality. Matinee performances also available. LAND OF OUR FATHERS
1–5 MAR, 7:45PM – 10:30PM, £12 - £14
Award-winning play by Chris Urch, set in South Wales in 1979 as Thatcher counts her votes and six Welsh miners find themselves trapped down a coal mine. Matinee performances also available. A RAISIN IN THE SUN
2–5 MAR, 7:30PM – 10:00PM, £10 - £22
Lorraine Hansberry’s landmark portrayal of working class life on the cusp of the cival rights era. Matinee performances also available.
Royal Court Theatre
BRICK UP THE MERSEY TUNNELS
UNTIL 5 MAR, NOT SUNDAYS, 8:00PM – 10:30PM, £13
Ten years after Ann Twacky first met Dickie Lewis, the Liverpool comedy returns for a 2016 run. Matinees also available. DOWN THE DOCK ROAD
VARIOUS DATES BETWEEN 11 MAR AND 9 APR, 8:00PM – 10:30PM, £13
One of many musical sensations from Andrew Lloyd-Webber comes to the Opera House. Matinee performances also available. TINNED GOODS
11 MAR, 7:30PM – 9:30PM, £10 - £12
A play by Fiona Whitelaw about UK women in the miners’ strikes of the 1980s. LES SYLPHIDES AND SUITE FRANCAIS
18 MAR, 7:30PM – 9:30PM, £11 - £13
Kate Simmons Productions 2016 presents a double bill of one-act romantic ballet, Les Sylphides, and a new comedic ballet, Suite Française, depicting life in a rural French village.
The Capstone MORE SCOUSE SADDAM
UNTIL 5 MAR, 7:30PM – 10:00PM, £12 - £15
Six decorators go to Baghdad to paint Saddam Hussain’s palace. what could go wrong? Matinee available. JOAN LAAGE: EARTHTOMES
9 MAR, 7:30PM – 10:00PM, £10
Butoh-based installative performance, exploring how the body can be understood as an archiving device for memory.
The Lantern Theatre BROWNIE PATROL + KIMSTARDASHIUM
3 MAR, 8:30PM – 11:00PM, £8
A double feature following detectives Blunt and Hash and the crew aboard the SS Kimstardasium, respectively. QUEENS OF THE UNDERWORLD
4 MAR, 7:45PM – 10:30PM, £8 - £10
A trance-tastic drag cabaret from Club Orientation, a loose collective of artists who believe in expression, audience participation and ditching the establishmentenforced ideas of the norm.
PETER PAN
Easter panto based on JM Barrie’s perennial classic set in the magical Neverland. With added Towie star, even though you didn’t ask for it. Matinee performances also available.
The Atkinson STRONGHOLD
3 MAR, 7:30PM – 10:30PM, £13 - £15
Now approaching their 30th decade of action, the Richard Alston Dance Company present their latest show, set to an intense score by Julia Wolfe. MURDER AT MULDOON MANOR
12 MAR, 7:30PM – 10:30PM, £17.50
A murder mystery set in 1920s Hertfordshire, with a two course buffet and a drink included in the price.
The Brindley BOOGIE NIGHTS
8 MAR, 7:30PM – 9:30PM, £11 - £15
Fun-styled night of retro classics for your general dancing pleasure. Matinees available.
March 2016
PUB/ZOO, 19:00–22:00, £3 - £5
The rather ace comedy night continues with the usual Tuesday night shenanigans.
Thu 03 Mar
STAND UP THURSDAY (JARRED CHRISTMAS + MIKE GUNN + MC TOM WRIGGLESWORTH)
THE COMEDY STORE, 20:00–22:00, £6 - £12
Cheat life and get that Friday feeling one day early with a night of comedic delight from some circuit funny folk. PEN:CHANT (JASON SINGH + BEN MELLOR)
CONTACT THEATRE, 19:30–21:30, £4 - £7
Ben Mellor hosts the very best local, national and international acts from the worlds of spoken word, live music, comedy, cabaret and performance.
THURSDAY NIGHT LIVE (DAVE WARD + RAY MEARNS + ROB COLEMAN + SCOTT WALKER + JONNY AWSUM) THE FROG AND BUCKET COMEDY CLUB, 19:00–23:00, £7 - £13
Watch four top class comics, sat comfortably at a table while enjoying your comedy with food and drinks.
FIRST THURSDAY COMEDY CLUB (SULLY O’SULLIVAN + EL BALDINIHO + JOHN SCOTT + JIM BAYES) BURY MET THEATRE, 20:30–23:00, £8 - £10
A four-strong comedy line-up ready to test your funny bone in the first week of every month. JACK JONES TV
SOUND CONTROL, 19:00–22:00, £11
Fri 04 Mar
OUR KYLIE’S HAVIN’ A BAB
Comedic insight to everything from the night of conception and scan appointments to expensive gadgets and buggies that never work properly. SOMETHING WONDERFUL
25–26 MAR, TIMES VARY, PRICES VARY
A brand new cabaret revue by Multitude of Drops Theatricals Ltd. celebrating Rodgers and Hammerstein.
17–19 MAR, 7:30PM – 9:30PM, £4.50 - £9
VARIOUS DATES BETWEEN 26 MAR AND 17 APR, 5:00PM – 8:00PM, £11.50 - £12.50
XS MALARKEY (TANYALEE DAVIS + HARRIET KEMSLEY + ALISON SPITTLE + TOM LUCY + CHRIS CHOPPING)
19 MAR, 7:30PM – 10:30PM, £8 - £10
St Helens Theatre Royal The Russian State Ballet of Siberia and The Orchestra of the Russian State Ballet come together to perform Swan Lake. Matinees also available.
Tue 01 Mar
A gripping story of live lived at the edge, performed as a one-man show by Mark Lockyer.
10–11 MAR, 7:45PM – 10:30PM, £10 - £12
The Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts
SWAN LAKE
Manchester
YouTube comedy sensation who’s gained more than 500 million views on his videos worldwide. NB: We’re only filing him under comedy because we have to.
LIVING WITH THE LIGHTS ON
Alan Bleasdale’s classic play set in the 1970s, looking back on the characters of the Liverpool dockyards. Matinee performances also available.
UNTIL 6 MAR, 5:00PM – 8:00PM, £13 - £19
Comedy
CRIMES OF THE HEART
THE BEST IN STAND UP (JARRED CHRISTMAS + MIKE GUNN + ALEX BOARDMAN + STEVE GRIBBIN + MC TOM WRIGGLESWORTH)
THE COMEDY STORE, 20:00–22:00, £12 - £18
Regular night of stand up with a line-up of five top circuit comedians.
BARREL OF LAUGHS (DAVE WARD + RAY MEARNS + SPENCER JONES AS THE HERBERT + JONNY AWSUM)
THE FROG AND BUCKET COMEDY CLUB, 19:00–23:00, £7 - £19
Watch four top class comics, sat comfortably at a table while enjoying your comedy with food and drinks, followed by Frog and Bucket’s classic cheesy disco until late.
A comedy by Beth Henley following three sisters who’ve had their fair share of heartbreak, exploring the idea of dealing with siblings and loving them no matter what happens. Matinee performances also available.
THE DANCEHOUSE THEATRE, 20:00–23:00, £10 - £12
The Royal Standard
COMEDY AT CHORLTON IRISH CLUB (NICK REVELL + JASON COOK + JACK CAMPBELL + MC DANNY MCLOUGHLIN)
VARIOUS DATES BETWEEN 12 MAR AND 27 MAR, 12:00PM – 5:00PM, FREE
CHORLTON IRISH CLUB, 19:30–22:30, £10 - £12
PLAYING BY THE RULES
An exhibition that shines a light on the role that rules play in our society, featuring newly commissioned pieces by Carly Bainbridge, Simeon Barclay and Peter Sweetman alongside work by Ane Hjort Guttu and Andy Holden.
Unity Theatre KITE
15–16 MAR, 7:00PM – 8:00PM, PAY WHAT YOU WANT
A poignant love-song to the wind, freedom and play from acclaimed theatre company The Wrong Crowd, known for their inventive, playful and compelling new theatre. Matinee performances available.
PATRICK MONAHAN
High-energy gags of the funnyman’s Irish/Iranian/Teeside heritage.
Bringing great acts from the UK and International circuit to the suburbs on the first Friday of every month.
Sat 05 Mar
THE BEST IN STAND UP (JARRED CHRISTMAS + MIKE GUNN + ALEX BOARDMAN + STEVE GRIBBIN + MC TOM WRIGGLESWORTH)
THE COMEDY STORE, 19:00–22:00, £16 - £22
Regular night of stand up with a line-up of five top circuit comedians.
BARREL OF LAUGHS (DAVE WARD + RAY MEARNS + SPENCER JONES AS THE HERBERT + JONNY AWSUM)
THE FROG AND BUCKET COMEDY CLUB, 19:00–23:00, £15 - £22
Watch four top class comics, sat comfortably at a table while enjoying your comedy with food and drinks, followed by Frog and Bucket’s classic cheesy disco until late.
LET’S SEE WHAT HAPPENS THE KING’S ARMS, 19:30–22:00, £3
Improv from the members of CszUK – using audience suggestions a comedian will tell a story based on this, followed by improvised sketches from a troupe of actors. BEST OF BUZZ COMEDY (JULIAN DEANE + ED BALDINIHO + KIERAN LAWLESS)
WATERSIDE ARTS CENTRE, 20:00–23:00, £10-£12
The Waterside’s regular comedy night, featuring one of the UK comedy circuit’s up and coming stars.
Sun 06 Mar
KING GONG (MC JARRED CHRISTMAS)
THE COMEDY STORE, 19:30–22:30, £4 - £6
A night of stand-up from some fresh-faced comics trying to break on to the circuit – be nice. BRIAN CONLEY
THE LOWRY: QUAYS THEATRE, 20:00–22:00, £23.50
The multi-talented entertainer returns to the stage with his latest touring show. THE NOISE NEXT DOOR
GARY DELANEY WATERSIDE ARTS CENTRE, 19:30–22:30, £12-£14
Circuit regular and master of the one-liner. ED BYRNE
THE LOWRY: LYRIC THEATRE, 20:00–22:00, £17
The self-confessed miserable git takes his mid-life crisis of sorts on the road as he embraces middle age with open arms. THURSDAY NIGHT LIVE (DAVE WILLIAMS + ROB ROUSE + ELEANOR TIERNAN + SEAN PATRICK + STEPHEN CARLIN)
THE FROG AND BUCKET COMEDY CLUB, 19:00–23:00, £7 - £13
Watch four top class comics, sat comfortably at a table while enjoying your comedy with food and drinks.
SICK! LAB: FAKE IT ‘TIL YOU MAKE IT
CONTACT THEATRE, 20:00–22:00, £10 - £15
Edinburgh Fringe First-winning new work about clinical depression and men, from two people who know all about it. FRED’S COMEDY CLUB (KEVIN GILDEA + AIDEEN MCQUEEN + MC ANDY KIND)
FRED’S ALE HOUSE, 19:30–23:00, £5
A Manchester Irish Festival special, with Father Ted star and pioneer of the Irish alternative circuit, Kevin Gildea.
Sat 12 Mar
THE BEST IN STAND UP (IAN MOORE + JOHN MOLONEY + MICHAEL FABBRI + DANNY MCLOUGHLIN + MC GEOFF NORCOTT)
THE COMEDY STORE, 19:00–22:00, £16 - £22
THE COMEDY STORE, 20:00–22:00, £12 - £18
BARREL OF LAUGHS (DAVE WILLIAMS + STEPHEN CARLIN + JONNY PELHAM + JUNIOR SIMPSON)
BARREL OF LAUGHS (ANDREW RYAN + DOMINIC WOODWARD + DAMIAN CLARK + JOHN LYNN)
Regular night of stand up with a line-up of five top circuit comedians.
THE FROG AND BUCKET COMEDY CLUB, 19:00–23:00, £15 - £22
Watch four top class comics, sat comfortably at a table while enjoying your comedy with food and drinks, followed by Frog and Bucket’s classic cheesy disco until late.
Sun 13 Mar
NEW STUFF (MC TOBY HADOKE)
THE COMEDY STORE, 19:30–22:30, £2 - £4
Stand-up from fresh-faced comics trying to break on to the circuit – play nice. OLIVER’S COMEDY ARMY (BARBARA NICE + SCOTT BENNETT + ADAM STAUNTON + MC HAYLEY ELLIS)
THE FROG AND BUCKET COMEDY CLUB, 20:00–23:00, £8
Charity comedy night raising funds for Birmingham Children’s hospital in memory of Oliver Nuttal.
THE LOWRY STUDIO, 20:00–22:00, £14
Explosive doses of The Noise Next Door’s trademark off-the-cuff comedy. ISLE OF WOMAN
Buy your tickets here: bit.ly/katherine-ryan-liv
THE PLAZA STOCKPORT, 19:00–22:00, £22
Three women and a piano meet comedy, wisdom and music in this show of witty anthems and honest chat exploring the lives of women of a certain age - expect every topic from Boris Johnson to the fate of pubic hair.
Katherine Ryan: Kathbum
THE FROG AND BUCKET COMEDY CLUB, 19:00–23:00, £0 - £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!
Philharmonic Hall, Liverpool Sat 16 Apr, 8pm, £18.50
CHRIS RAMSEY
Tue 08 Mar
XS MALARKEY (JOHN KEARNS + TEZ ILYAS + JACK BARRY + BEN POPE + GOOSE + NIG LOVELL)
PUB/ZOO, 19:00–22:00, £3 - £5
The rather ace comedy night continues with the usual Tuesday night shenanigans. ROB DELANEY
THE LOWRY: QUAYS THEATRE, 20:00–22:00, £21
The Catastrophe star goes out on tour around the UK, already dubbed the ‘Funniest Person on Twitter’ by Comedy Central.
Wed 09 Mar BRIDGET CHRISTIE
THE LOWRY: QUAYS THEATRE, 20:00–22:00, £16
SHAM BODIE (FERN BRADY + GOOSE + EDY HURST + MC BEN TONGUE + O>L>A) SOUP KITCHEN, 19:30–22:00, £5
The Sham Bodie crew return for your next fix of A-grade gags, bound together by music from Manchester dreampop outfit O>L>A and a game of Snare the Hare. And half-time hot dogs, obvs.
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. STAND UP THURSDAY (JUSTIN MOORHOUSE + PHIL NICHOL + ADAM BLOOM)
THE COMEDY STORE, 20:00–22:00, £6 - £12
Cheat life and get that Friday feeling one day early with a night of comedic delight from some circuit funny folk.
THE COMEDY STORE, 19:00–22:00, £16 - £22
Regular night of stand up with a line-up of five top circuit comedians.
BARREL OF LAUGHS (ANDREW RYAN + DOMINIC WOODWARD + DAMIAN CLARK + JOHN LYNN)
THE FROG AND BUCKET COMEDY CLUB, 19:00–23:00, £15 - £22
Watch four top class comics, sat comfortably at a table while enjoying your comedy with food and drinks, followed by Frog and Bucket’s classic cheesy disco until late.
An exploration into the nature of offence and the dangers of politically correct liberalism versus the sinister intrusion of ISIS into the lives of young British Asian women, with Shazia Mirza’s new show, The Kardashians Made Me Do It. SABAN AND SARAH DO STAND-UP
SOUND CONTROL, 19:30–22:30, £8
Fundraiser for Manchester Mind with comedians Saban Kazim and Sarah Sheldon.
Sun 20 Mar THE COMEDY STORE, 19:30–22:30, £10 - £14
Mon 14 Mar BEAT THE FROG
THE FROG AND BUCKET COMEDY CLUB, 19:00–23:00, £0 - £3
The Manc stand-up comic and radio DJ takes his romp of a new show on tour. ANTWERP MANSION COMEDY NIGHT (RACHEL FAIRBURN + BEN LAWES )
A surreal comedy transporting the audience to a world that explores what would happen if Mary and Jesus were born again today, and they had lost themselves in consumerism.
THE COMEDY STORE, 19:30–22:30, £12 - £15
Old grumps is back with another round of sometimes-brilliant, sometimes-controversial black comedy, with his new show, Hurt Like You’ve Never Been Loved.
Fri 11 Mar
Tue 15 Mar
THE COMEDY STORE, 20:00–22:00, £12 - £18
The rather ace comedy night continues with the usual Tuesday night shenanigans.
RESURRECTION HALF PRICE
THE KING’S ARMS, 19:30–22:00, £10
THE BEST IN STAND UP (PHIL NICHOL + ADAM BLOOM + ANDREW RYAN + LARRY DEAN + MC JUSTIN MOORHOUSE)
CONTACT THEATRE, 20:00–22:00, £10 - £15
MARK THOMAS
THE BEST IN STAND UP (IAN MOORE + JOHN MOLONEY + MICHAEL FABBRI + DANNY MCLOUGHLIN + MC GEOFF NORCOTT)
An evening of comedy headlined by the Irish-Iranian stand-up.
THE FROG AND BUCKET COMEDY CLUB, 19:00–23:00, £7 - £19
Thu 10 Mar
Sat 19 Mar
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!
Regular night of stand up with a line-up of five top circuit comedians.
Edinburgh Fringe First-winning new work about clinical depression and men, from two people who know all about it.
Watch four top class comics, sat comfortably at a table while enjoying your comedy with food and drinks, followed by Frog and Bucket’s classic cheesy disco until late.
JUSTIN MOORHOUSE
The self-aware British comic riffs on why Bic think women need special biros to write with, amongst other things. SICK! LAB: FAKE IT ‘TIL YOU MAKE IT (BRYONY KIMMINGS + TIM GRAYBURN)
THE FROG AND BUCKET COMEDY CLUB, 19:00–23:00, £7 - £19
THE LOWRY STUDIO, 20:00–22:00, £10 - £12
BEAT THE FROG
After being booted off the Soccer AM sofa, Chris Ramsay takes his musings on saying the wrong thing at the wrong time on the road.
Regular night of stand up with a line-up of five top circuit comedians.
SHAZIA MIRZA
Mon 07 Mar
THE LOWRY: LYRIC THEATRE, 20:00–22:00, £16.50
Fri 18 Mar
THE BEST IN STAND UP (PHIL NICHOL + ADAM BLOOM + ANDREW RYAN + LARRY DEAN + MC JUSTIN MOORHOUSE)
BARREL OF LAUGHS (DAVE WILLIAMS + STEPHEN CARLIN + JONNY PELHAM + JUNIOR SIMPSON)
Watch four top class comics, sat comfortably at a table while enjoying your comedy with food and drinks, followed by Frog and Bucket’s classic cheesy disco until late. KATHERINE RYAN
THE LOWRY: LYRIC THEATRE, 20:00–22:00, £20.50
The star of Channel 4’s Campus does her solo thing, deft at taking the things in life that make us bitter and turning them into humourous skits. CHRIS RAMSEY
MANCHESTER ACADEMY, 19:00–22:30, £17.50
The stand-up comedian, Celebrity Juice regular and the man who once got pizza delivered to a moving train returns with a new solo show.
SHAKE WITH LAUGHTER (MICK FERRY)
A night of laughs in aid of Parkinson’s UK, previously headlined by the likes of Johnny Vegas and Sarah Millican. XS MALARKEY (TIM FITZHIGHAM + KATE LUCAS + AHIR SHAH + KHALID WINTER)
PUB/ZOO, 19:00–22:00, £3 - £5
Wed 16 Mar STEPHEN BAILEY
THE LOWRY STUDIO, 20:00–22:00, £10 - £12
The man from Celebrity Big Brother’s Bit On The Side (nah, us either) heads out on a stand-up tour.
Thu 17 Mar
STAND UP THURSDAY (JOHN MOLONEY + DANNY MCLOUGHLIN)
THE COMEDY STORE, 20:00–22:00, £6 - £12
Cheat life and get that Friday feeling one day early with a night of comedic delight from some circuit funny folk. THURSDAY NIGHT LIVE (ANDREW RYAN + DAMIAN CLARK + TOM LITTLE + COKEY FALKOW + JOHN LYNN)
THE FROG AND BUCKET COMEDY CLUB, 19:00–23:00, £7 - £13
Watch four top class comics, sat comfortably at a table while enjoying your comedy with food and drinks.
ANTWERP MANSION, 19:30–22:30, FREE
FRANKIE BOYLE
THE PLAZA STOCKPORT, 19:30–22:30, £25
BANG BANG
GULLIVERS, 19:30–22:30, £5
Adults-only improv night where a team of five improvisers create sketches, scenes and songs using whatever suggestions are thrown their way.
Mon 21 Mar BEAT THE FROG
THE FROG AND BUCKET COMEDY CLUB, 19:00–23:00, £0 - £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! NEW COMEDIANS
THE COMEDY STORE, 19:30–22:30, £14
Regular night of stand up with five world-class comedians.
Tue 22 Mar
XS MALARKEY (ROBIN INCE + THE STORY BEAST + MATT WINNING + FRANK FOUCAULT)
PUB/ZOO, 19:00–22:00, £3 - £5
The rather ace comedy night continues with the usual Tuesday night shenanigans.
Wed 23 Mar
XS MALARKEY (STUART GOLDSMITH)
PUB/ZOO, 19:00–22:00, £7 - £8
The rather ace comedy night continues with the usual Tuesday night shenanigans.
ROB AUTON THE LOWRY STUDIO, 20:00–22:00, £12
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.
THE DELIGHTFUL SAUSAGE (MC CHRIS CANTRILL + SEAN MORLEY + AMY GLEDHILL + EDY HURST + JACK EVANS + JAYNE EDWARDS + NICOLA REDMAN + STEPHANIE LAING)
THE CASTLE HOTEL, 19:45–22:00, £0 - £3
A surreal evening of free biscuits, alternative comedy, musical interludes, adventure and illustration at The Castle. You had us at free biscuits, let’s face it.
Thu 24 Mar
STAND UP THURSDAY (ZOE LYONS + DAVE FULTON + MC TOBY HADOKE)
THE COMEDY STORE, 20:00–22:00, £6 - £12
Cheat life and get that Friday feeling one day early with a night of comedic delight from some circuit funny folk.
THURSDAY NIGHT LIVE (MICK FERRY + TUDUR OWEN + KHALID WINTER + DAVID ALFIE WARD + ANDY ASKINS) THE FROG AND BUCKET COMEDY CLUB, 19:00–23:00, £7 - £13
Watch four top class comics, sat comfortably at a table while enjoying your comedy with food and drinks. RACHEL FAIRBURN AND HAYLEY ELLIS
THE KING’S ARMS, 20:00–22:30, £TBC
Work in progress shows from two of the local circuit’s favourite comedians.
JEWISH COMEDY NIGHT (GARETH BERLINER + JOSH HOWIE + BENNET ARRON)
MANCHESTER JEWISH MUSEUM, 20:00–22:00, £11
An evening of top UK Jewish comedians, taking to the Jewish Museum’s SynaGig stage.
Fri 25 Mar
THE BEST IN STAND UP (ZOE LYONS + DAVE FULTON + ALUN COCHRANE + THE NOISE NEXT DOOR + MC TOBY HADOKE) THE COMEDY STORE, 20:00–22:00, £12 - £18
Regular night of stand up with a line-up of five top circuit comedians.
BARREL OF LAUGHS (MICK FERRY + TUDUR OWEN + BETHANY BLACK + ANDY ASKINS)
THE FROG AND BUCKET COMEDY CLUB, 19:00–23:00, £7 - £19
Watch four top class comics, sat comfortably at a table while enjoying your comedy with food and drinks, followed by Frog and Bucket’s classic cheesy disco until late.
Sat 26 Mar
THE BEST IN STAND UP (IAN MOORE + JOHN MOLONEY + MICHAEL FABBRI + DANNY MCLOUGHLIN + MC GEOFF NORCOTT) THE COMEDY STORE, 19:00–22:00, £16 - £22
Regular night of stand up with a line-up of five top circuit comedians.
BARREL OF LAUGHS (MICK FERRY + TUDUR OWEN + BETHANY BLACK + ANDY ASKINS)
THE FROG AND BUCKET COMEDY CLUB, 19:00–23:00, £15 - £22
Watch four top class comics, sat comfortably at a table while enjoying your comedy with food and drinks, followed by Frog and Bucket’s classic cheesy disco until late.
Sun 27 Mar
LAUGHING COWS (BETHANY BLACK + KIRI PRITCHARD MCLEAN + MC KERRY LEIGH) THE FROG AND BUCKET COMEDY CLUB, 19:00–23:00, £7 - £10
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. DANIEL KITSON
GORILLA, 19:00–22:00, £SOLD OUT
A yet to be written, and named, show by Daniel Kitson – details are scarce, but likely to be highly intelligent and thought provoking event.
Listings
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Manchester Comedy Mon 28 Mar BEAT THE FROG
THE FROG AND BUCKET COMEDY CLUB, 19:00–23:00, £0 - £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! AURIE STYLA
THE COMEDY STORE, 19:00–22:00, £10 - £15
The stand-up comedian and presenter tours his Working... Hardly show.
Liverpool Comedy Tue 01 Mar
ANDY ROBINSON (MARK OLIVER + TOM ALLEN + MARLON DAVIS))
LIVERPOOL GUILD OF STUDENTS, 19:30–22:30, £4
Comedy Central welcomes headliner and former musician, Andy Robinson.
Wed 02 Mar
THE LAUGHTER FACTOR (PHIL CHAPMAN)
THE SLAUGHTERHOUSE, 20:00–22:00, £3 - £5
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. NEW MATERIAL (PETER OTWAY + FRED FERENCZI + MC PAUL SMITH)
THE JACARANDA, 19:00–22:00, FREE
Comedians test new stuff out in the Jacaranda basement, from anything that’s crossed their mind that day to the new shows they’ll be showcasing at Edinburgh. Free, too.
Thu 03 Mar DAVE SPIKEY
FLORAL PAVILION, 19:30–22:30, £16.50
Multi award-winning comic and 8 out of 10 Cats team captain serves up a night of observational comedy.
LIVERPOOL COMEDY CENTRAL (DALISO CHAPONDA + JONNY AWSUM + JAY HAMPSON + MC JAMIE SUTHERLAND) 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 04 Mar
BOILING POINT (PAUL MCCAFFREY + JAY HAMPSON + JOE ROWNTREE + MC PAUL SMITH) HOT WATER COMEDY CLUB, 19:00–22:00, £10 - £15
New and established comics take to the stage, for an evening of chuckles with their resident compere leading the way. JOE LONGTHORNE
ST HELENS THEATRE ROYAL, 19:30–22:30, £22
The singer, impressionist and regular Royal Variety performer returns to the stage.
LAUGHTERHOUSE (ANDY ASKINS + CHRIS MCCAUSLAND + MARKUS BIRDMAN + CHRIS CAIRNS) THE SLAUGHTERHOUSE, 20:00–22:00, £10 - £15
Triple headline show with a delightfully hilarious line-up of circuit funny-folk. LAUGHTERHOUSE (MARKUS BIRDMAN + ANDY ASKINS + CHRIS MCCAUSLAND + JONATHAN MAJOR)
MATHEW STREET, 20:30–22:30, £10 - £15
Triple headline show with a delightfully hilarious line-up of circuit funny-folk.
LIVERPOOL COMEDY CENTRAL (DALISO CHAPONDA + VIKKI STONE + CHRIS WASHINGTON + MC TOM TOAL) COMEDY CENTRAL AT BABY BLUE, 18:00–22:00, £15
Regular triple headline show, with three comics lined up to tickle your funny bone.
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Listings
Sat 05 Mar
BOILING POINT (PAUL MCCAFFREY + JAY HAMPSON + JOE ROWNTREE + MC PAUL SMITH)
HOT WATER COMEDY CLUB, 19:00–22:00, £10 - £15
New and established comics take to the stage, for an evening of chuckles with their resident compere leading the way.
LIVERPOOL COMEDY CELLAR (STEVE HARRIS + JONNY AWSUM + MC BRENDAN RILEY)
LIVERPOOL COMEDY CELLAR, 19:30–22:30, £13.50
The Liverpool Comedy Cellar features the cream of the International Comedy Circuit “up close and personal” every Saturday and this week is no different.
LAUGH OUT LOUD COMEDY CLUB (ANDY ASKINS + STEVE BUGEJA + MARK SAMMONS)
THE ATKINSON, 20:00–23:00, £15 - £17.50
A triple-header of comedy descends on the Laugh Out Loud Comedy Club.
LAUGHTERHOUSE (CHRIS MCCAUSLAND + ANDY ASKINS + MARKUS BIRDMAN + CHRIS CAIRNS)
THE SLAUGHTERHOUSE, 20:00–22:00, £17.50
Triple headline show with a delightfully hilarious line-up of circuit funny-folk.
LAUGHTERHOUSE (ANDY ASKINS + CHRIS MCCAUSLAND + MARKUS BIRDMAN + JONATHAN MAJOR) MATHEW STREET, 20:30–22:30, £17.50
Triple headline show with a delightfully hilarious line-up of circuit funny-folk.
LIVERPOOL COMEDY CENTRAL (DALISO CHAPONDA + VIKKI STONE + CHRIS WASHINGTON + MC JAMIE SUTHERLAND) COMEDY CENTRAL AT BABY BLUE, 18:00–22:00, £18
Regular triple headline show, with three comics lined up to tickle your funny bone.
Sun 06 Mar
TESTING THE WATER (JOHN MCCREADIE + LUKE STEPHEN + DAI WILLIAMS + ANDREW PHILIPS + FREDDY QUINNE + ANDREW MARSH + JACK GLEADOW + MC PAUL SMITH ) HOT WATER COMEDY CLUB, 19:00–22:00, £1.50 - £3
Showcase night for up-andcomers and undiscovered stars, offering a great value night out if you don’t mind being a comedy guinea pig.
Wed 09 Mar
NEW MATERIAL (SULLY O’SULLIVAN + EDDIE FORTUNE + TOM SULLIVAN + LAUREN PATTISON + PAUL SMITH) THE JACARANDA, 19:00–22:00, FREE
Comedians test new stuff out in the Jacaranda basement, from anything that’s crossed their mind that day to the new shows they’ll be showcasing at Edinburgh. Free, too. CHRIS RAMSEY
THE ATKINSON, 20:00–23:00, £17.50
The stand-up comedian, Celebrity Juice regular and the man who once got pizza delivered to a moving train returns with a new solo show.
Thu 10 Mar
LIVERPOOL COMEDY CENTRAL (STEVE SHANYASKI + SCOTT BENNETT + CLARENCE FRANK + MC DAVID LONGLEY) COMEDY CENTRAL AT BABY BLUE, 18:00–22:00, £15
Regular triple headline show, with three comics lined up to tickle your funny bone. MANFORD’S COMEDY CLUB
THE BRINDLEY, 20:00–22:00, £15
Jason Manford has carefully select some of his favourite comedians to give you the best night out you’ve had for a long time! ROMESH RANGANATHAN
ST GEORGE’S HALL, 19:30–22:30, £SOLD OUT
The maths-teacher-turnedcomedian (and 2013 Edinburgh Festival Best Newcomer) tours his new show, Irrational, which explores the rationality of his world view. Or perhaps lack thereof… BLOFELD AND BAXTER
EPSTEIN THEATRE, 19:30–22:30, £19
The Test Match Special commentators return with new show, Rogues on the Road, detailing the amusing highlghts of world travels from the last 50 years.
Fri 11 Mar
Thu 17 Mar
HOT WATER COMEDY CLUB, 19:00–22:00, £10 - £15
Alun Cochrane does his thinking aloud, chatty style of stand-up. You do the laughing.
BOILING POINT (SAM AVERY + DUNCAN OAKLEY + MC PAUL SMITH)
ALUN COCHRANE
THE ATKINSON, 20:00–23:00, £12.50
New and established comics take to the stage, for an evening of chuckles with their resident compere leading the way.
LIVERPOOL COMEDY CENTRAL (PAUL PIRIE + ALEX BOARDMAN + MC JIM SMALLMAN)
THE SLAUGHTERHOUSE, 20:00–22:00, £10 - £15
Regular triple headline show, with three comics lined up to tickle your funny bone.
LAUGHTERHOUSE (LUKE TOULSON + JOHN FOTHERGILL + JOHN WARBURTON + NEIL FITZMAURICE)
Triple headline show with a delightfully hilarious line-up of circuit funny-folk.
LAUGHTERHOUSE (JOHN FOTHERGILL + JOHN WARBURTON + LUKE TOULSON + CHRIS CAIRNS)
MATHEW STREET, 20:30–22:30, £10 - £15
Triple headline show with a delightfully hilarious line-up of circuit funny-folk.
LIVERPOOL COMEDY CENTRAL (STEVE SHANYASKI + JUNIOR SIMPSON + IVO GRAHAM + MC DAVID LONGLEY)
COMEDY CENTRAL AT BABY BLUE, 18:00–22:00, £15
Fri 18 Mar
BOILING POINT (JACK CAMPBELL + ALLYSON SMITH + STEFFAN PEDDIE + MC PAUL SMITH) HOT WATER COMEDY CLUB, 19:00–22:00, £10 - £15
New and established comics take to the stage, for an evening of chuckles with their resident compere leading the way.
LAUGHTERHOUSE (ROB ROUSE + CHRISTIAN SCHULTE-LOH + DANNY MCLOUGHLIN + CHRIS CAIRNS)
COMEDY CENTRAL AT BABY BLUE, 18:00–22:00, £15
THE SLAUGHTERHOUSE, 20:00–22:00, £10 - £15
Sat 12 Mar
LAUGHTERHOUSE (CHRISTIAN SCHULTE-LOH + GERRY K + ROB ROUSE + STE PORTER)
Regular triple headline show, with three comics lined up to tickle your funny bone. ED BYRNE
ECHO ARENA, 20:00–23:00, £19
The self-confessed miserable git takes his mid-life crisis of sorts on the road as he embraces middle age with open arms.
BOILING POINT (SAM AVERY + DUNCAN OAKLEY + MC PAUL SMITH)
HOT WATER COMEDY CLUB, 19:00–22:00, £10 - £15
New and established comics take to the stage, for an evening of chuckles with their resident compere leading the way.
LIVERPOOL COMEDY CELLAR (JAMIE SUTHERLAND + ANDREW RYAN + MC BRENDAN RILEY)
COMEDY CENTRAL AT BABY BLUE, 19:30–22:30, £13.50
The Liverpool Comedy Cellar features the cream of the International Comedy Circuit “up close and personal” every Saturday and this week is no different.
LAUGHTERHOUSE (JOHN FOTHERGILL + JOHN WARBURTON + LUKE TOULSON + NEIL FITZMAURICE) THE SLAUGHTERHOUSE, 20:00–22:00, £17.50
Triple headline show with a delightfully hilarious line-up of circuit funny-folk.
LAUGHTERHOUSE (LUKE TOULSON + JOHN FOTHERGILL + JOHN WARBURTON + CHRIS CAIRNS) MATHEW STREET, 20:30–22:30, £17.50
Triple headline show with a delightfully hilarious line-up of circuit funny-folk.
LIVERPOOL COMEDY CENTRAL (STEVE SHANYASKI + JUNIOR SIMPSON + IVO GRAHAM + MC DAVID LONGLEY) COMEDY CENTRAL AT BABY BLUE, 18:00–22:00, £18
Regular triple headline show, with three comics lined up to tickle your funny bone. PAUL MCCAFFREY (FIN TAYLOR + HARRIET KEMSLEY)
LIVERPOOL GUILD OF STUDENTS, 19:30–22:30, £4
Comedy Central welcomes standup comedian and comic actor, Paul McCaffrey.
Sun 13 Mar
TESTING THE WATER (CHRIS CANTRILL + TOM LAWRINSON + JAKE DONADSON + JOSH DEERING + LEE GROUNDS + MC PAUL SMITH)
HOT WATER COMEDY CLUB, 19:00–22:00, £1.50 - £3
Showcase night for up-andcomers and undiscovered stars, offering a great value night out if you don’t mind being a comedy guinea pig.
Wed 16 Mar
NEW MATERIAL (JO D’ARCY + SCOTT BENNETT)
THE JACARANDA, 19:00–22:00, FREE
Comedians test new stuff out in the Jacaranda basement, from anything that’s crossed their mind that day to the new shows they’ll be showcasing at Edinburgh. Free, too.
Triple headline show with a delightfully hilarious line-up of circuit funny-folk.
MATHEW STREET, 20:00–22:00, £10 - £15
Triple headline show with a delightfully hilarious line-up of circuit funny-folk.
LIVERPOOL COMEDY CENTRAL (PAUL PIRIE + ALEX BOARDMAN + ANTHONY J. BROWN + MC JIM SMALLMAN) COMEDY CENTRAL AT BABY BLUE, 18:00–22:00, £15
Regular triple headline show, with three comics lined up to tickle your funny bone.
Sat 19 Mar
BOILING POINT (HAYLEY ELLIS + GARETH BERLINER + STEFFAN PEDDIE + MC PAUL SMITH) HOT WATER COMEDY CLUB, 19:00–22:00, £10 - £15
New and established comics take to the stage, for an evening of chuckles with their resident compere leading the way.
LIVERPOOL COMEDY CELLAR (DUNCAN OAKLEY + SAM AVERY + MC BRENDAN RILEY) COMEDY CENTRAL AT BABY BLUE, 19:30–22:30, £13.50
The Liverpool Comedy Cellar features the cream of the International Comedy Circuit “up close and personal” every Saturday and this week is no different. LAUGHTERHOUSE (CHRISTIAN SCHULTE-LOH + GERRY K + ROB ROUSE + CHRIS CAIRNS)
THE SLAUGHTERHOUSE, 20:00–22:00, £17.50
Triple headline show with a delightfully hilarious line-up of circuit funny-folk.
LAUGHTERHOUSE (ROB ROUSE + CHRISTIAN SCHULTE-LOH + GERRY K + STE PORTER)
MATHEW STREET, 20:30–22:30, £17.50
Triple headline show with a delightfully hilarious line-up of circuit funny-folk.
LIVERPOOL COMEDY CENTRAL (PAUL PIRIE + ALEX BOARDMAN + ANTHONY J. BROWN + MC JIM SMALLMAN) COMEDY CENTRAL AT BABY BLUE, 18:00–22:00, £18
Regular triple headline show, with three comics lined up to tickle your funny bone.
Sun 20 Mar
TESTING THE WATER (ADAM ROWE + IAN DUNN-BIRCH + CHARLI DICKINSON + ERIC RUSTHON + BRADLEY KINSELLA + TOM KEEGAN + MC PAUL SMITH) HOT WATER COMEDY CLUB, 19:00–22:00, £1.50 - £3
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 21 Mar BRIDGET CHRISTIE
EVERYMAN THEATRE, 19:30–22:00, £14 - £16
The self-aware British comic riffs on why Bic think women need special biros to write with, amongst other things.
Wed 23 Mar
NEW MATERIAL (HAYLEY ELLIS + ADAM ROWE + CHE BURNLEY + MAFF BROWN + PIERRE HOLLINS + JIMMY JAMES JONES) THE JACARANDA, 19:00–22:00, FREE
Comedians test new stuff out in the Jacaranda basement, from anything that’s crossed their mind that day to the new shows they’ll be showcasing at Edinburgh. Free, too.
Thu 24 Mar
LIVERPOOL COMEDY CENTRAL (KEITH CARTER PRESENTS NIGE + PIERRE HOLLINS + LEE PEART + MC LOU CONRAN) 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 25 Mar
BOILING POINT (TEZ ILYAS + MC PAUL SMITH)
HOT WATER COMEDY CLUB, 19:00–22:00, £10 - £15
New and established comics take to the stage, for an evening of chuckles with their resident compere leading the way. LAUGHTERHOUSE (MATT RICHARDSON + PAUL F TAYLOR + STEVE HARRIS + NEIL FITZMAURICE)
THE SLAUGHTERHOUSE, 20:00–22:00, £10 - £15
Triple headline show with a delightfully hilarious line-up of circuit funny-folk.
LAUGHTERHOUSE (STEVE HARRIS + MATT RICHARDSON + CHRIS CAIRNS) MATHEW STREET, 20:30–22:30, £10 - £15
Triple headline show with a delightfully hilarious line-up of circuit funny-folk.
LIVERPOOL COMEDY CENTRAL (KEITH CARTER PRESENTS NIGE + PIERRE HOLLINS + BARRY DODDS + MC LOU CONRAN) COMEDY CENTRAL AT BABY BLUE, 18:00–22:00, £15
Regular triple headline show, with three comics lined up to tickle your funny bone.
Sat 26 Mar
BOILING POINT (TEZ ILYAS + MC PAUL SMITH)
HOT WATER COMEDY CLUB, 19:00–22:00, £10 - £15
New and established comics take to the stage, for an evening of chuckles with their resident compere leading the way.
LIVERPOOL COMEDY CELLAR (STEVE ROYLE + ANDY ASKINS + BRENDAN RILEY)
COMEDY CENTRAL AT BABY BLUE, 19:30–22:00, £13.50
The Liverpool Comedy Cellar features the cream of the International Comedy Circuit “up close and personal” every Saturday and this week is no different. LAUGHTERHOUSE (STEVE HARRIS + MATT RICHARDSON + PAUL F TAYLOR + NEIL FITZMAURICE) THE SLAUGHTERHOUSE, 20:00–22:00, £17.50
Triple headline show with a delightfully hilarious line-up of circuit funny-folk. LAUGHTERHOUSE (MATT RICHARDSON + STEVE HARRIS + CHRIS CAIRNS)
MATHEW STREET, 20:30–22:30, £17.50
Triple headline show with a delightfully hilarious line-up of circuit funny-folk.
LIVERPOOL COMEDY CENTRAL (KEITH CARTER PRESENTS NIGE + PIERRE HOLLINS + BARRY DODDS + MC LOU CONRAN) COMEDY CENTRAL AT BABY BLUE, 18:00–22:00, £18
Regular triple headline show, with three comics lined up to tickle your funny bone.
Sun 27 Mar
COMEDIAN OF THE YEAR 2016 (SIMON WOZNIAK + CALLUM OAKLEY + STEVEN SKILLING + PAUL SMITH) HOT WATER COMEDY CLUB, 19:00–22:00, £1.50 - £3
First heat of the competition, featuring 6 comedians whittled down from the hundreds of applicants - two of which will qualify for November’s final.
Art Manchester Castlefield Gallery INSIDE OUT
VARIOUS DATES BETWEEN 4 MAR AND 24 APR, 1:00PM – 6:00PM, FREE
A group show by artists from the UK, South Africa, France, Iran and the USA, who are either thought to be ‘outsider’ artists or are seen to share methods of approaching their subject matter with this part of artistic study.
Centre for Chinese Contemporary Art
Islington Mill
WOMEN’S VOICES: CHANGING MANCHESTER
2 MAR, 12:00PM – 11:00PM, FREE
5–11 MAR, NOT SUNDAYS, 10:00AM – 5:30PM, FREE
ONE OF ONE
An occasional pop-up shop and exhibition of original products and artwork, run by Manchester faves Aliyah Hussain, Mariel Osborn, Stina Puotinen and Caroline Dowsett.
MMU Special Collections
WE BUILT THIS CITY: MANCHESTER ARCHITECTS AT 150, CELEBRATING GENERATIONS OF INNOVATION
UNTIL 18 MAR, NOT SUNDAYS, TIMES VARY, FREE
We Built this City profiles architectural drawings of key members of the Manchester Society of Architects alongside the historic Library collection, promoting the rich architectural history of Manchester.
Marking International Women’s Day, and as part of the annual Wonder Women Festival, Manchester collective Crafters Inc. unveil an exhibition that celebrates the diverse and distinct voices of female artists based in Manchester.
Manchester Town Hall BIG-UP FEMALE BOFFINS
1–31 MAR, NOT SUNDAYS, 10:00AM – 6:00PM, FREE
Warp and Weft use yarn-bombing to re-work four of the male statues on the ground floor of the Town Hall, using masks to represent female Mancunian heroes including Dr Catherine Chisholm and Kathleen Ollerenshaw. Part of Wonder Women Festival.
30 YEARS OF CFCCA
UNTIL 30 JUN, 10:00AM – 5:00PM, FREE
The CFCCA celebrates a landmark of three decades going strong with a six-month programme of exhibitions and events from the likes of Stanley Chow, Xu Bing, Cao Fei, Lee Mingwei, Tsang Kin-wah and Susan Pui San Lok.
Find full listings & buy tickets on our site
30 YEARS OF CFCCA: CAO FEI
4–27 MAR, NOT 7, 14, 21, 10:00AM – 5:00PM, FREE
A key figure within Chinese art, Cao Fei helps the Centre for Contemporary Chinese Arts continue its 30th anniversary series with an exhibition of video and digital media, exploring the daily life of Chinese citizens born after the Cultural Revolution.
theskinny.co.uk/whats-on TheSkinnyMag
Contact Theatre QUEER CONTACT FESTIVAL: #MANCHESTERQUEENS
UNTIL 16 APR, NOT SUNDAYS, TIMES VARY, FREE
A selection of portraits and posters from artist Glenn Jones (aka the Wretched Ginger Boy), inspired by the creativity and imagination of Manchester’s eclectic drag community.
QUEER CONTACT FESTIVAL: I AM FOR YOU CAN ENJOY
UNTIL 16 APR, NOT SUNDAYS, TIMES VARY, FREE
Using the outlets of photography, testimony and video, this exhibition is an exploration into the backgrounds, perspectives and experiences of queer black male sex workers and their clients by Khalil West and Ajamu. QUEER CONTACT FESTIVAL: GEORGE TURNS 30
UNTIL 16 APR, NOT SUNDAYS, TIMES VARY, FREE
An exhibition of works by Manchester photographer Lee Baxter, who uses stunning imagery to tell and honour the story of HIV charity, George House Trust, now three decades into its life.
HOME
BROUGHT TO LIGHT
UNTIL 6 MAR, TIMES VARY, FREE
An exhibition for Broughton House, a care home for ex-servicemen and women, celebrating its centenary year through portraits of the residents by local photographer Daniel Walmsley, in turn preserving the legacies of those that served from Manchester. AL AND AL: INCIDENTS OF TRAVEL IN THE MULTIVERSE
UNTIL 10 APR, TIMES VARY, FREE
An exhibition from British artists and filmmakers AL and AL, investigating a new era of scientific exploration through CGI film commissions, drawing and illustrations. DESIGNS FOR LIVING
VARIOUS DATES BETWEEN 11 MAR AND 12 JUN, TIMES VARY, FREE
Claire Dorsett and Cherry Tenneson team up for an exhibition of new commissions, which poke at the structures, designs and information that we’re used to navigating daily.
Manchester Art Gallery THE SEA FULL STOP
UNTIL 25 SEP, TIMES VARY, FREE
Hondartza Fraga’s imaginary seascapes explore our understanding of the sea, and give the focus of a seascape back to the sea. HALF-LIFE OF A MIRACLE
UNTIL 17 APR, TIMES VARY, FREE
Half-life of a Miracle presents a decade of photography and film by British contemporary artist Pat Flynn from 2005 to 2015 for the most comprehensive survey of his art to date. HOUSE PROUD
UNTIL 1 APR, TIMES VARY, FREE
Exhibition of glass, metalwork and furniture inspired by the Gallery’s pioneering Industrial Art Collection. SCHIAPARELLI AND THIRTIES FASHION
UNTIL 9 OCT, TIMES VARY, FREE
One of the most celebrated fashion designers of the middle twentieth century. MODERN JAPANESE DESIGN
UNTIL 15 JAN, TIMES VARY, FREE
Thirty two designers display over one hundred pieces in a dynamic display conveying the essence of the unique Japanese design ethos. THE IMITATION GAME
UNTIL 5 JUN, TIMES VARY, FREE
Eight international artists come together to explore machines and the imitation of life, inspired by Alan Turing’s Turing Test (refer to the Cumberbatch film for an easy way in), devised to test a computer’s ability to imitate human thought. TO BE HUMAN
UNTIL 26 JUN, TIMES VARY, FREE
A selection of mid-20th-century portraits from Manchester Art Gallery’s permanent collection, exploring what it is to be human.
National Football Museum
PITCH TO PIXEL: THE WORLD OF FOOTBALL GAMING
UNTIL 5 JUN, TIMES VARY, FREE
What happens when computer games, meet the beautiful game.
Paper Gallery LORDS OF THE FOREST
UNTIL 2 APR, 11:00AM – 5:00PM, FREE
Bringing together two artists, Madrid’s José Luis Serzo and Liverpool-based Richard Meaghan, whose work creates surrealist dystopian fantasties through beautifully rendered paintings and drawings.
People’s History Museum MANCHESTER PRINT FAIR
19–20 MAR, 11:00AM – 4:30PM, FREE
The Manchester Print Fair returns to the People’s History Museum, with dozens of stalls from local and national print artists, as well as workshops in origami and letterpress, among others. FEMINISM IS DEAD
3–31 MAR, 10:00AM – 5:00PM, FREE
Exploring what it means to be a feminist today, this exhibition seeks to disprove ideas that feminism is no longer necessary in modern society and push beyond its stereotypes. Part of the programming for Wonder Woman Festival.
GRAFTERS: INDUSTRIAL SOCIETY IN IMAGE AND WORD
UNTIL 14 AUG, 10:00AM – 5:00PM, FREE
Photography exhibition curated by leading documentary photographer, Ian Beesley, delving into how the working classes became heroic symbols of industry, before also being able to photograph themselves.
Manchester Salford Museum Craft and Design and Art Gallery Centre SALFORD ART CLUB ANNUAL BEHIND CLOSED DOORS
25 FEB – 28 MAY, NOT SUNDAYS, 10:00AM – 5:30PM, FREE
An exhibition of ceramics by Verity Howard, whose slab-built ceramic forms are inspired by everyday life and feature monoprinted or stamped glimpses through a window.
EXHIBITION
UNTIL 17 APR, TIMES VARY, FREE
An annual exhibition presenting work by the Salford Art Club, spanning a variety of media.
THE SKINNY
TURN SIDEWAYS IN THE WIND UNTIL 24 APR, TIMES VARY, FREE
An exhibiton by documentary photographer Ciara Leeming, exploring the stories of young Roma adults who have made their lives in Salford and Manchester. 100 YEARS AGO: SALFORD AT WAR 13 FEB – 6 MAR, NOT 15 FEB, 22 FEB, 29 FEB, TIMES VARY, FREE
Unique stories from WWI, honing in on local characters including the Broughton poet, Winifred Mabel Letts, a soldier from Ordsall called Billy Unsworth and others.
Soup Kitchen WONDER WOMEN
3–13 MAR, TIMES VARY, FREE
A group exhibition of Manchester’s emerging women artists, illustrators and photographers, adorning Soup Kitchen throughout the annual Wonder Women Festival.
The Deaf Institute
ART BATTLE MANCHESTER VI
25 MAR, 7:00PM – 10:15PM, £10
Turning art into a live spectator sport, painting gets all competitive as some of the city’s most talented artists create a masterpiece in only 30 minutes – and you decide who stays for the grand final.
The Holden Gallery UP/DOWN
UNTIL 4 MAR, WEEKDAYS ONLY, TIMES VARY, FREE
A group exhibition from Andreas Gefeller, Dryden Goodwin, Noemie Goudal, Fiona Tan, Katja Strunz and Yang Zhenzhong exploring the polar perspectives of feeling up and down.
The Koffee Pot SUBLIMINAL MESSAGE
UNTIL 16 MAR, TIMES VARY, FREE
A selection of recent drawings by Manchester-based artist Camille Smithwick.
The Portico Library
ALBIN AND LAURA TROWSKI: RETROSPECTIVE
1–31 MAR, NOT SUNDAYS, TIMES VARY, FREE
Retrospective exhibition charting the development of two artists from Greater Manchester - and founding curators of The Portico’s gallery programme - with neverseen-before pieces including paintings and textile designs.
Various venues FREE ART FRIDAY
4 MAR, 10:00AM – 5:00PM, FREE
As part of Manchester’s annual Wonder Women festival, 16 Days of Street Art Action team up with 16 local female artists to share original art in hidden Northern Quarter locations - where each is inspired by a Wonder(ful) Woman and is free to the finder.
Whitworth Art Gallery TIBOR REICH
UNTIL 1 AUG, TIMES VARY, FREE
Retrospective celebrating the centenary of Tibor Reich, a pioneering post-war textile designer, who brought modernity into British textiles in the early-to-mid 20th century. THE TWO EYES ARE NOT BROTHERS
UNTIL 22 MAY, TIMES VARY, FREE
Ben Rivers unveils his most ambitious work to date, merging the stories of Paul Bowles and Mohammad Mrabet through film and video works. NICO VASCELLARI
UNTIL 18 SEP, TIMES VARY, FREE
An exhibition by Italian artist Nico Vascellari, who takes over the Whitworth’s Landscape Gallery with haunting installations, Bus de la Lum (hole of light) and Darvaza (door to hell), which interconnecto through light, shadow and soundtrack.
TEXTILES UNTIL 6 MAR, TIMES VARY, FREE
A collection of historic and contemporary textiles with an environmental edge, featuring pieces by William Morris, Lucienne Day, CFA. Voysey, Keith Vaughan, Michele Walker and Susie MacMurray. BERLIN
UNTIL 3 JUN, TIMES VARY, FREE
The result of artist and musician Chris Butler and photographer Will Grundy’s four years spent flitting between Berlin and the UK, this exhibition uses musical and visual-based means to reflect on their experiences in the the vibrant German city.
Liverpool Art A Small View OB_JECT AND OB_SERVE
UNTIL 5 MAR, 1:00PM – 5:00PM, FREE
Group show by Radamés Ajna, Thiago Hersan, Alex Pearl and Sam Skinner, working under the loose moniker of Object Liberation Front to create conceptual and practical frameworks for revealing the desires, memories and inner conversations of objects.
dot-art Gallery DEAR LIVERPOOL
UNTIL 23 APR, NOT SUNDAYS, 10:00AM – 6:00PM, FREE
Liverpool’s newest gallery takes flight with a group exhibition from 18 local artists, each exploring how the city’s architecture, culture and people affect its creativity and vibrancy.
FACT UNFOLD
11 MAR – 12 JUN, TIMES VARY, FREE
A stunning sensory exhibition by acclaimed Japanese artist Ryoichi Kurokawa, taking visitors on a journey through space using visual and sonic environments to showcase the birth of stars. TRACE ELEMENTS
4 MAR – 3 APR, TIMES VARY, FREE
Delve into the world of 3D projection mapping through the work of artist and tech expert Simon McKeown, in this exhibition documenting the creative processes behind his recent work for Cork Ignite, which used six of Europe’s largest outdoor projectors. NETWORKED NARRATIVE: NORTHERN POWERHOUSE 2065
1 MAR – 2 APR, TIMES VARY, FREE
A touring exhibition, in which a future alternative reality is explored through real world ‘artefakes’, bringing the online world into the physical via items that have been carefully selected by curators from the future.
Huyton Central Library FACES AND PLACES
UNTIL 14 MAY, TIMES VARY, FREE
A solo exhibition of work by local, self-taught artist Leslie Briggs, who has lived in Kirkby for all of his life, and whose paintings feature a range of the faces and places that are around him.
International Slavery Museum BROKEN LIVES
UNTIL 24 APR, 10:00AM – 5:00PM, FREE
Photographs depicting the slavery that continues to exist in modern day India.
Kirkby Gallery NEW WORLDS
UNTIL 7 MAY, NOT SUNDAYS, TIMES VARY, FREE
A collection of works made during the 60s and 70s, drawing on the era in which Kirkby as a new town was built. Featuring pieces by Frank Auerbach, Barbara Hepworth, Henry Moore, David Hockney, Mary Martin, Peter Blake, Gillian Ayres and others.
Merseyside Maritime Museum ON THE WATERFRONT
UNTIL 19 JUN, 10:00AM – 5:00PM, FREE
Exhibition exploring the rich history of the Albert Dock and the changing fortunes of the waterfront, the city and port of Liverpool.
Museum of Liverpool
POPPIES: WOMEN AND WAR
UNTIL 5 JUN, 10:00AM – 5:00PM, FREE
Exhibition featuring striking portraits of women whose lives have been affected by conflict, from the First World War to present day. GROWING UP IN THE CITY
UNTIL 25 SEP, 10:00AM – 5:00PM, FREE
Photographs of Liverpool childhood over time. ROMAN TREASURES OF CHESHIRE
UNTIL 19 JUN, 10:00AM – 5:00PM, FREE
The debut exhibition of two recently-discovered RomanoBritish Cheshire hoards - one, a group of Iron Age and Roman coins buried in mid-1st century AD, the other, Roman coins and jewellery buried in late-2nd century AD. REEL STORIES
11 MAR – 1 JAN, 10:00AM – 5:00PM, FREE
As the UK’s most-filmed city outside of London, this exhibition shines the light on Liverpool’s cinematic history through around 40 original film posters from the 1950s and beyond.
Open Eye Gallery FLAT DEATH
UNTIL 3 APR, 10:30AM – 5:30PM, FREE
Edgar Martins presents an entirely new body of work, which presents a challenging and difficult survey into photography, records and suicide. Produced through investigation with the Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences in Portugal.
Tate Liverpool ART GYM
7–31 MAR, 10:00AM – 5:00PM, FREE
A free three-week programme of drop-in classes, lectures and workshops embracing the worlds of art, design, music and film, so that you can master everything from traditional bookmaking to digital art production. WE HAVE YOUR ART GALLERY
7–31 MAR, 10:00AM – 5:00PM, FREE
Following a ‘kidnapping’ of the gallery by Turner Prize winners, Assemble, We Have Your Art Gallery is a unique experiment that sees Tate Liverpool’s main exhibition space taken over by a collaborative project, transforming it into a temporary art school.
The Atkinson VICTORIAN DREAMERS
UNTIL 13 NOV, TIMES VARY, FREE
Drawn from The Atkinson’s own collection of Victorian art, this exhibition looks at the themes of travel, storytelling, the antique past and nature. LORD STREET: PAST, PRESENT & FUTURE
UNTIL 31 JUL, TIMES VARY, FREE
Exhibition bringing together a wide range of material including archive photographs, architectural plans as well as costume and film, to explore the heritage of the water features, gardens, glass-topped verandas and architectural buildings.
ONE DAY, SOMETHING HAPPENS: PAINTINGS OF PEOPLE UNTIL 22 MAY, TIMES VARY, FREE
Exhibition from co-editor of frieze magazine, Jennifer Higgie, whose personal view of radical change in art looks at the everyday theatricality of the body, and includes a selection of paintings by the likes of Walter Sickert, David Hockney and others. THE LANDING: DEREK CULLEY PAINTINGS
UNTIL 15 MAY, TIMES VARY, FREE
The Atkinson christens its new commercial gallery with a vibrant exhibition by Dublin-born, Birkdale-based Derek Culley.
The Bluecoat
LEFT HAND TO BACK OF HEAD, OBJECT HELD AGAINST RIGHT THIGH
UNTIL 28 MAR, TIMES VARY, FREE
Group exhibition exploring how we can experience art beyond what we are able to say about it. The exhibition presents a collection of works that set out to affect the audience on a physical level, through sensations and emotions. FALLIBLE SPACE
UNTIL 13 MAR, TIMES VARY, FREE
Solo exhibition from London-based painter, printmaker and editor Melissa Gordon, who builds the concept of an exhibition as theatre in the round by using Collision, the 1916 play by Mina Loy, as a starting point.
The Royal Standard
Victoria Gallery and Museum EMMA GREGORY
UNTIL 2 APR, 10:00AM – 5:00PM, FREE
The former Sir John Cass, Central School of Art and UCLan presents work from her wider collection. CUNARD 175
UNTIL 26 MAR, 10:00AM – 5:00PM, FREE
Collection of brochures, films and articles from the launch of the Cunard ship. KNOWLEDGE IS POWER
UNTIL 18 JUN, 10:00AM – 5:00PM, FREE
Exhibition containing works from the Liverpool Medical Library and the Liverpool Athenaeum.
Walker Art Gallery
INSPIRED BY LIVERPOOL’S PAST
UNTIL 28 MAR, 10:00AM – 5:00PM, FREE
Small display showing a new commission by Paul Scott, together with a selection of Liverpool ceramics from our historic collections that inspired him. PRE-RAPHAELITES: BEAUTY AND REBELLION
UNTIL 5 JUN, 10:00AM – 5:00PM, £5 - £7
A collection of over 120 paintings highlight Liverpool’s huge role in the Pre-Raphaelite movement, which helped establish the city’s reputation as Victorian art capital of the North. Expect works from Dante Gabriel Rossetti, Ford Madox Brown and more.
NOT AS WE KNOW IT
UNTIL 6 MAR, 12:00PM – 5:00PM, FREE
Curated by Stoke Newington arts collective 12ø, Not as We Know it is a project that intends to exploit the premise of the art fair model, featuring artists including Eve Duerden, Sam Hewland, Joe Moss, Joshua Parker, Hannah Taylor and Jacob Watmore.
Win a pair of tickets to Gazelle Twin at FutureEverything!
Making its debut this March at FutureEverything Festival 2016, British artist Gazelle Twin presents Kingdom Come, a new audio visual performance in collaboration with Chris Turner and Tash Tung, premiering at Manchester Art Gallery. We have a pair of tickets to give away to this exclusive event which is a new commission by FutureEverything. With the piece set on treadmills against a manic, illusory landscape, Kingdom Come places heightening physical demands on the performers, resulting in an exhausting, otherworldly climax.
To be in with a chance of winning, simply head to theskinny.co.uk/competitions and correctly answer this question: The title of the piece, Kingdom Come, takes inspiration from a novel of the same name. Who is the author? a) Anthony Burgess b) Aldous Huxley c) JG Ballard Competition closes midnight Sun 27 Mar. Winners will be notified via email within two working days of closing and will be required to respond within 24 hours or the prize will be offered to another entrant. Our Ts&Cs can be found at theskinny.co.uk/terms futureeverything.org/events/gazelle-twin-kingdom-come
March 2016
Listings
55