SceneThe

An essential guide to the Music of Manchester

PLAN B • EXAMPLE • CITY STEREO • THE STREETS

Liam Bailey ‘Comparing

me to Amy Winehouse

is just lazy and

annoying.’

On the Road Again Touring with Two Door Cinema Club

Vinyl Spotlight Oldham Street

£2.30

You’ve Come a Long Way Baby

Adele Rules the Academy

All Hail The NorthWhy Manchester Rules the

Radio Waves

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Welcomewww.the scene.co.uk

First up, I met with the gorgeous Liam Bailey, and inbetween a massive flirting session managed to probe him about his mentor Amy Winhouse as well as knocking back a few tequilla’s! As usual, the city never sleeps, and we were spoiled for choice with live music. Adele owned the Academy, letting everyone know the diva is back in business, whilst Mike Skinner waved an emotional farewell to the previous decade of his life with The Streets last ever tour. And opening for McFly in front of 9000 fans is a pretty good way to begin your career, as unsigned independent act City Stereo found out. We’ve long been sneaking off to Oldham Street on our lunch breaks to browse the fabulous boutique shopping, and our spotlight feature is on the renowned record shops gracing the curbside, brilliant for picking up special edition items and trying something new. With their debut album racing through the charts, Two Door Cinema Club are fast becoming Britain’s best export, and we catch up with their guitar tech and our old friend Adam Carr to take a sneak peak at their first international tour. Phew! There was a bum note though this week, as The Scene favourite Lykke Li had to cancel her UK tour after hurting her back at Coachella Festival. Get Well Soon Lykke!

Another hectic week ! Even though the sun has been making a steady appearance across the UK, The Scene crew didn’t get much opportunity to make the most of it, spending the week running around the great city of of Manchester to entertain you fine folks

Jenny

Contents Regulars

2Welcome

3This Week on The Scene’s iPod

4Letters

This Day In Music5

Editors Thoughts 12

A-LiveThis week Adele, City Stereo, Plan B, Example, Mc-

Fly, The Streets15

The Week in Music There’s no excuse to stay in!

Features 6

Soul ManThe Scene chats to Liam Bailey on the

verge of chart dominance

8A Life in Pictures

Photo Diary of Two Door Cinema Club’s First International Tour

10Retro Revival

Oldham Road : An Undiscovered LP Heaven

Editor

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This Week On

Scene’s iPod...The

After seeing Adam’s amazing pictures from their recent tour, it’s hard not to indulge in a bit of Two Door Cinema Club. With their smooth vocals, carefree lyrics and waterfall guitar sound the Irish band are summer personified. Check out the album ‘Tourist History’ now .

Following the huge

success of their debut

album, french

dance duo Justice return

with this corker of a track ‘Civilization’.

Forget that it was used for a car advert and embrace the urge to

move your feet. Another slice of dancefloor perfection, expect to hear it EVERYWHERE over the

summer.

Whilst their somewhat bratty attitudes may not be endearing, the lo-fi

sound East London’s Yuck create together is infectious.

The leftover parts of teen outfit Cajun Dance Party, the latest

single ‘Get Away’ evokes a snapshot of hazy sunsets and

burnt shoulders.

After watching what we can only describe as a mesmerising show by Adele, both her albums, ‘19’ and ‘21’ have been played to death in the office. Favourite tracks include ‘Hometown Glory’ and ‘Turning Tables’. An amazing lady with more than enough talent

to back up the hype, her star show’s no sign of waning.

Proof that garage rock will always be popular, the Foo Fighters return this spring with their highly anticpated seventh album ‘Wasting Light’. Sticking to their popular heavy rock formula, it’s hard not to be seduced by Dave Grohl’s enimatic stage presence and earnest lyrics. Headlining at every festival going this season, they kick things off with Radio 1’s Big Weekend in Carlisle, 14-15 May.

It’s our belief that there will always be space in the world for really good pop music, and this remix of Rihanna’s suggestive track ‘S&M’ is just such an exception. With the addition of Britney Spears’ simple vocals, the tune goes from teeny bopper ditty to dancefloor anthem3

LettersYour Views

I really love your magazine, but just wondered whether it would be possible to include some mention of Justin Bieber? I know he’s not the coolest or most forward thinking artist but his songs make me laugh, and sometimes you need a bit of humour in life! Caitlin, 18, Chester.

The Scene: We hope this is a joke. Either that, or someone needs to have a word with you Caitlin. Funny or not, Biebes is the devil.

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The Scene Suite 5 ,Cheatham House

Piccadilly, ManchesterM1 4FR

letters@thescenemag.co.uk

The superband feature was funny as! If I was going to put together a group, I’d have the ultimate frontman Alex from the Arctic Monkeys on lead, Josh from Paramore on drums as he kills it ev-erytime, Jonny Marr on lead guitar (it’d be rude not to with us sharing heritage),and Jared from Kings of Leon on bass as I saw them at Reading and he totally shredded it! Jake, 15, Manchester

The Scene: We agree with some of your choices Jake, but Alex Turner?! REALLY?!

In reference to last week’s issue, could you tell me whether Glasvegas’ James overdosed after the Brighton show? Because I was there, and the support act, who shall remain nameless, were easily one of the worst line-up’s I’ve ever seen. Nothing about them was original down to their Stones replica polyblend flares, and had I been James I would also have been left feeling hopeless after hearing the worst 20 minutes of my

The Scene: It wasn’t Brighton, but we were also at that gig, and share your pain.

I know Joy Division are close to The Scene’s heart, so what are your thoughts on the film biopic of Ian Curtis, ‘Control’? I really liked it! Lucy, 31, Salford

The Scene: A woman after our own hearts! We loved ‘Control’ especially its star Sam Riley! The drama was really well played against the strength of the music, and whilst obviously a few areas of Curtis’ life was dramatised for effect, it was largely true to the man himself. R.I.P.

If you could be at one particular mo-ment in music, when would it be? Haz, Stockport.

The Scene: Ooo good question Haz! It would have to be Woodstock, 1969, as Hendrix walked out onto the stage and played his version of star-spangled banner. WOW.

In issue 68 (April 01) you printed that P!nk had stated she was retiring from music to prepare for the birth of her first baby, but she isn’t actually retir-ing. A new tour is sched-uled for the middle of 2012 after she as spent some time with her daughter. Lauren, 23, Levenshulme.

The Scene: Right.

I took your advice last week and went to see Mr Scruff at Band on the Wall and have to say, you were spot on! I loved all the different influences he incorporates into his set, it felt really multicultural. Great venue as well, will be visiting again! Thanks!Jemma, 29, Warrington

The Scene: Your very welcome Jemma, he is the voice of Manchester!

Where did Tyler The Creator come from?! He is literally AMAZING!Aaisha, Manchester

The Scene: Isn’t he?! He’s part of the Odd Future crew, check out out interview with him next week.

If the last decade was any-thing to go by, do you reckon guitar based music will be extinct by 2020? Darren, 18, Liverpool

The Scene: No way, it always rears its beautiful head up again!

What’s happened to Lady Gaga?!! We always knew she was a gay icon, but she seems to have forgotten about everyone else! Tora, Kendal

The Scene: Don’t worry, she’ll be back, she’s just paying her dues, they do buy all her records!

Manchester : Music Capital of the UK

‘I can see your point’, I patiently tell my dad. We’re having our weekly debate on the influence of Manchester on the music scene of the last 40 years. He is loyal to his belief that London can’t be beat in terms of artists, talent and quality of material. Whilst I agree to some extent, take a trip back through time and prepared to be impressed by the meoldic notches on Manchester’s bedpost. It’s the mid 1970’s and disco has gripped the entire world in its glittery palm. Hotpants, big hair and polyblend rule the dancefloors, and those in the know are exchanging whispers about a band called The BeeGee’s. Whilst they may not have been to everyone’s taste, their falsetto tones and wide legged jeans carried them all the way to Hollywood, providing the soundtrack to ‘Saturday Night Fever’, the ultimate snapshot of the era. Even though they called Australia home, their early days were spent in Chorlton. Fast forward a few years, and whilst our official capital had the likes of The Sex Pistols tearing through its streets promoting anarchy, Salford was busy grooming a new breed of genre, complete with restrained tales of heartache and rejection. Post-punk was formed, and the pin-

up’s a small collective called Joy Division (left).Sadly, the suicide of Ian Curtis prevented the band reaching the dizzying heights imminent, but the two albums in existence have provided fuel for countless groups on their journey to success, most noticably masters of Indie Noir, Interpol and Editors. You can’t mention Manchester without bringing

Morrisey into the equation. The Smiths (top right) quickly pushed their way to cult status, and whilst they may not have achieved a great deal of

commerical success circa 1982, the echo of their work is still felt in modern music, playing a starring role in soundtracks and sample pieces. Brandon Flowers, frontman of The Killers. said of Morrisey : ‘He’s someone I’ve always looked up to. He came to watch us soundcheck during one of our showcase performances, and it was incredibly nerve-wracking.’Acid House was impossible to avoid

and the movement was launched by the pill popping, heavy partying

Mancunions The Happy Mondays. Anyone looking to lose a weekend or two would head to The Hacienda on Whitworth Street, which survived 15 years despite weathering financial difficulties, and at the height of its popularity was

labelled ‘Most Famous Club in the World’ by Newsweek magazine. Finally, there is Oasis (bottom left) The mouthy, warring siblings were at one time the biggest band on the globe, and sparked the launch of Britpop alongside bitter rivals Blur. Mimicking the likes of The Beatles and Rolling Stones, their look and sound may not have been totally unique, but the anthems they created during the golden years have stood the test of time and remain popular with all walks of life. So, with all respects dad, it’s time

to accept defeat and admit that Manchester is the brightest star in the UK ‘s musical sky, producing world class talent and timeless tunes. Recent

addtions to the city’s alumni include The Ting Ting’s and the mighty Chemical Brothers, proving the North West still has the goods to support the hype.

Editors Thoughts

Scene The

With backing from Amy Winehouse and a smash hit collaboration with Chase & Status under his belt, Nottingham singer/songwriter joins Plan B and Jessie J over the next month to tour the UK and bring his variety of acoustic soul to the masses. The Scene chats to him on the eve of his Manchester Apollo gig. Soul Man

audiences?

The folk audiences are al-ways really cool and open to my music, but sometimes Ifind that indie scene a little bit intimidating because a lot of the kids seem a bit too cool for school, like they don’t like to dance. But in general, yeah, there’s an energy up here I enjoy. If I was going to move anywhere outside of London, it would be Manchester.

Are you excited to be supporting Plan B and Jessie J?

I am, but at the same time I like to get the first gig out the way because I feel like a dog searching for a lamp-post. Finishing the first show is like a relief, after that i can be excited but until i step off the stage, I’m just a bit rest-less and on edge. Both art-ists are really cool though, and Jessie J is the

By Jenny Quinn

opposite of what you’d expect, really down to earth and easy to talk to. It’ll be interesting to see the type of crowd Plan B at-tracts though with his new stuff, as it’s such a change from his debut. Fans from the early work can turn a bit nuts when success comes, claiming you’ve sold out or whatever.

Since the release of first two EP’s 2am Rough Tracks and So Down, Cold last year, you’ve garnered a lot of attention- has it all been good?

You’re in Manchester over the next month on tour. Do you know the city well?

Yeah I’ve spent quite a lot of time up here, so know the place and people. I played Night and Day Cafe last year, and a night my friend runs at Band on the Wall called Hedge which I played in Jan-uary, plus I already knew mates living up here, so I’m no stranger.

How do you find Manchester

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No matter what you do, along the way you’re always going to get haters who judge every-thing you say or do, so I don’t pay much attention to be honest. It’s nice to not be the black sheep of the family anymore. There are certain things in life you have to to prove you’re not a failure, like paying rent on time and not having any debt,

and being a musician it was pretty hard to achieve them, but my mum’s happy now. I always said i was going to make it, i’d get a record deal, and just proves i was right! and just proves i was right!

The upcoming album, due for release in May, was produced Salaam Remi, who has worked with Nas and The Fugees. That must have been an experience.

Yeah it was amazing. I went

to Miami to record with him, and the journey there was a bit nerve wracking because obvi-ously he’s worked with these big names, and is a total pro. All the way there songs of his kept coming into my mind and I was getting more intimidated. But I got there and he was just incred-ible. I’m going back out to see him in April to jam for a bit, so he’s become a mate.

Not many people know you were the vocalist on Chase & Status’s Blind Faith single, released last month. How did that partnership come about?

Well they’d put the record out to a few vocalists, but noth-ing was working, and through mutual contacts they ap-proached me It came at the perfect time, as i received a copy after I’d just come back from the LED Festival in Lon-don, which is a dance music focused event, and on first listen i loved it, it made sense with all the stuff I’d been listening to the previous few days. At the time it was just the ‘sweet sensation’ chorus vocal, which took me back to hearing the original when i

was about 12, hanging around Nottingham getting into trou-ble. We eventually added more lyrics, and here we are today.

Sam Cooke and Bob Marley are just two of the comparisons which have been made to you music, are there any that you’ve heard and disagreed with?

Not really disagreed, but the Amy Winehouse link comes up time and time again, which frankly is a bit lazy. For one, her music has jazz roots, a genre totally different to what I play. She didn’t discover me, I was already signed to Polydor and in the process of recording my stuff, and she heard a few tracks which were just spon-taneously put together. I put the first EP out on her Lioness label, and we just decided to make a second. Don’t get me wrong, she’s great, but being asked about this one detail re-peatedly gets a bit annoying.

Liam Bailey’s Self Titled Debut Album is Released This Summer.

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A Life in

LEFT “The Japanese fans were a bit crazy but totally amazing. A girl came up to us as we were leaving through the back door of the venue, Womb in Tokyo, and presented us with these! She couldn’t speak a

word of English, but we were hugely grateful as we were starving and hungover.”

ABOVE “This was when we played Terminal 5 in New York with our friends Tokyo Police Club, and ‘WOW’ is the first word that comes to mind! We were all a bit humbled that we were part of such a fantastic experi-ence. Growing up, it never even entered my mind that I would end up doing this as my job. The crowd were great, and even though many hadn’t heard of the band, everyone was very receptive to the music.”

BELOW“This is in Tennesse. Coffee is my ultimate poison! Sam (L) is the band’s rhythm guitarist, and we all became good mates. Alex the tour manager is with us (R).”

LEFT “This is Jonny (L) and Finn (R), the percussion guys. You have to be able to sleep anywhere to survive tour as by the time we’ve all wound down after a show, the sun is already up.”

RIGHT “This is playing the Byron show. I

have to hover by the stage for the show in case any-thing goes wrong with the instru-ments. The worst thing to happen was when one of Sam’s strings snapped off and cut his hand. That was in the UK, and luckily it wasn’t too bad.”

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PicturesThis Week’s Photo StoryComes From Adam Carr, Guitar Technician with Two Door Cinema Club During Their First Worldwide Tour

A Life in

RIGHT “This is playing the Byron show. I

have to hover by the stage for the show in case any-thing goes wrong with the instru-ments. The worst thing to happen was when one of Sam’s strings snapped off and cut his hand. That was in the UK, and luckily it wasn’t too bad.”

Scene The

PicturesThis Week’s Photo StoryComes From Adam Carr, Guitar Technician with Two Door Cinema Club During Their First Worldwide Tour

Adam is o r i g i n a l l y from Greater Manchester, and got his break into the industry by spending his teens performing and acting as a roadie for local bands. Other acts he’s worked with include Jack Penate, Adele and Florence and the Machine. He says the best thing about his job is travelling

the world and meeting like-minded music fantatics, and the worse is his friends

constantly bothering him for gig tickets!

LEFT “Not a bad view eh! This was overlooking Byron Bay in Australia, and could be seen from all angles in our suite. I never get fed up of hotels, I love exploring all their little quirks. This one had a jacuzzi bath!”

ABOVE : “Brazil was incredible. The crowd never stopped dancing, and after the gig we ended up in a dive of a bar with some fans doing shots and talking until the owner finally kicked us out at 7am. It’s times like that I’ll always remember.” 9

Oldham Street has always had it ear to the ground with what’s hot. The gateway to Manchester’s fashionable Northern Quarter, the half mile, city centre location can be credited with helping to re-launch the vintage trend, bringing jazz into the mainstream domain and establishing the day-to-

Once the domain of golden oldies unable to make the switch the digital music, Vinyl is having a monent. Record shops are popping up in town centres, HMV have recorded a rise in LP sales, and most artists now release their work on the format as well as the more contemporary routes. It’s official : Vinyl is here to stay. Amen!

Retro

Revival

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night gig venues. It’s also where any scenester worth his Tom’s pumps heads to for a quick injection of the underground into their record collection. Ska, punk, reggae: anything goes. We’ve picked our three favourite haunts, all conviently situated within a few steps of one another, and insist you dive headfirst into this retro revival.

Despite being the oldest of the three after opening in 1988, Vinyl Exchange continues to draw in a loyal following, popular for its large collection of rare dance LP’s . Spread across two floors, the shop is light and airy, keeping the indoors white and the soundtrack relatively mainstream. Like all vinyl stores, the staff are male, but go above and beyond to find your request, even suggesting other items relevant . Whilst this isn’t the best value for your purchases , the extra money is worth the enjoyment of shopping here, and Vinyl Exchange is the epitome of customer satisfaction.

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that just happens to sell LP’s. A heavy beat is constantly disturbing the pavement around the outlet, and regular customers are greeted like old friends. Staff are experienced, if a little snobby if your tastes don’t match theirs, but always assist where they can. A great shout is the ‘Recommended’ section, a section of the shop with a focus on lesser known artists or genres. Local bands have graced these shelves, and the whole process of buying music feels very organic. Eastern Bloc is the antidote to faceless chains like HMV, and is more interactive experience

With in-store decks encouraging c u s t o m e r s to try out p o t e n t i a l p u r c h a s e s , Eastern Bloc is aware of its clientele. A steady influx of young men pass through this no-frills store, making

the pilgrimage to the gods of melody via hours spent silently flicking through countless releases. Rather than presenting itself as a music retailer, Easten Bloc has the feel of a club

Piccadilly is very surgical and precise; only the knowledgeable may enter. An obscure Swedish band play out over the PA system, and the solo staff member gives me a look on contempt when I ask about the release date of my swag, and answers ‘1982,’ as though I was enquiring about his entire life story. Whilst friendliness may not be the order of the day here, Piccadilly Records is the best place to head when seeking out obscure one-off ’s and limited editions. It’s also a good outlet to pick up local magazines and band merchandise. Our advice is to go in with a fixed list, otherwise u may end up leaving with more than you can afford .

A chic outfit, Piccadilly Records is the moody, middle class cousin of Eastern Bloc. A dim pallette of dark, inky hues line the walls of this collectors emporium. The window display showcases the range of stock

a v a i l a b l e . No genre is n eg lec t ed , and hip-hop sits comfortably next to jazz in the c a r e f u l l y a r r a n g e d s t a n d s . With green tinged lights, the tone of

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12

It’s fair to say those on the Brit Award Critic’s Choice judging panel know their music. The past few years the accolade has been awarded to such success stories as folk songstress Ellie Goulding and newcomer Jessie J. The first artist to recieve the award though was Adele in 2008. Following a brief period away from the stage after the release of her debut chart-topping album, the Tottenham native made her return last month in the form of a stripped back performance of ‘Someone Like You’ at the origin of her success; The Brits. It would seem Adele really does have it all now. Her second record has topped the charts across the globe, including both here and in the US, and her entire homecoming tour sold out within a matter of hours. She counts Beyonce as a fan, and yet manages to

Headlining our reviews section this week is Adele. The London girl heads North on the Manchester leg of her ‘21’ tour, bringing the city and its residents to a standstill with her sweet odes to love, loss and everything inbetween. A- L ive

Reviews....Scene The

keep her private life out of the tabloids (mostly). The one area she seems to struggle in, however, is love. The trials and errors of her romantic endeavours are weavedthroughout the latest album, and the emotion and passion she pours into each song surely would be impossible to communicate amongst 2000 people, right? Wrong. The stage is dark when her unmistakable voice falls straight into ‘Hometown Glory’, her debut single, and the crowd goes mad, a mix of crazed anticipation

and relief to finally be addressed by the lady herself. Uncharacteristicly, the diva has her hair down, and her inital words to her rapt audience are ‘I’m bleedin’ hot under all this sh*t!’With the assistance of her five piece band, Adele begins to power through her new material and it’s clear everyone in attendance is a fan, echoing her every word perfectly even on the less-heard songs. A vintage but mostly unknown country jam is thrown into the mix, but this is likewise recieved well, and

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the collective thud from a thousand toes tapping can be felt as far back as the external bar area. We all thought it would be saved for the encore, but as the first few notes of ‘Someone Like You’ play out across the venue, the only word applicable is ‘magi-cal’. Phone screens illuminate the dark-ness, as though offering praise to a new messiah, the goddess of soul, who sings lyrics every punter believes apply to them. There is no pretence here, the pain she unmasks with her voice is real and

fresh, which only entices her audience more, who act as her back-up singers, even taking the lead at one point when it all becomes too much for Adele herself. It’s hard to believe this talented girl is only 22.As with all live shows, the encore is expected, but with the Motown influenced ‘Rolling in the Deep’ and popular ballad ‘Feel My Love’ part of the finale, nobody wants to go home, and as the lights come up, every female exiting the Academy has mascara streaks, proof that the chance to expose raw emotion is better than any merch stand tee.

keep her private life out of the tabloids (mostly). The one area she seems to struggle in, however, is love. The trials and errors of her romantic endeavours are weavedthroughout the latest album, and the emotion and passion she pours into each song surely would be impossible to communicate amongst 2000 people, right? Wrong. The stage is dark when her unmistakable voice falls straight into ‘Hometown Glory’, her debut single, and the crowd goes mad, a mix of crazed anticipation

and relief to finally be addressed by the lady herself. Uncharacteristicly, the diva has her hair down, and her inital words to her rapt audience are ‘I’m bleedin’ hot under all this sh*t!’With the assistance of her five piece band, Adele begins to power through her new material and it’s clear everyone in attendance is a fan, echoing her every word perfectly even on the less-heard songs. A vintage but mostly unknown country jam is thrown into the mix, but this is likewise recieved well, and

A-Live www.the scene.co.uk

Reviews....Scene The

Who: Plan BWhere: The Apollo, City Centre.Plan B is a talented man. Not only has he become a recognised musician, he’s also established himself as a film star. He came to Manchester to showcase his second album, ‘The Defamation of Strick-land Banks’, a ficticious saga about a soul singer who loses everything after a stint in prison. A mixed audience waited for his arrival, made up of mature soul fans and a younger crowd following him after his hip-hop based first record. Aside from limited crowd interaction, the show was amazing, and the setlist perfectly demonstrated his expansive vocal range. A few covers were incorporated, such as ‘My Girl’, but towards the end the tone became very dark and twisted as he reflected upon his gritty East London upbringing which many found uncomfortable, but overall the gig was well received, and cemented the 27year old as a true star in the

making. 8/10

Who: Example Where: The Academy, Oxford RdExample knows his audience. “All of you kids need to jump!’ he commands those gazing up at him from the dance pit. It was hard to spot anyone under 18 in the building for the show, which made this reviewer feel closer to an O.A.P than my actual age of 23. Midriffs bare, girls were painted with neon patterns and happy to dive into the surging collective as the rapper launched into favourites like ‘Won’t Go Quietly’ and ‘Kickstarts’. Whilst a few notes were off and a couple of lines discarded, the order of the day here was fun, and Example pumped enough energy into his audience to keep

them bouncing until the lights came on.

7/10

Who: City Stereo Where : MEN Arena, City CentreIt’s rare for a support act to outshine the main attraction, but that was nearly the case for City Stereo, who opened for McFly at their recent MEN performance. The unsigned act from Wiltshire took to the stage in front of their biggest audience yet, a staggering 9000 people, and played for their lives. The decade of combined gig experience between the 5-piece was s evident as they launched into a well constructed, guitar heavy number listing the diary scribblings of every emo kid in attendance, no doubt gaining new fans in the process. The only snag of the set was the length. Three songs wasn’t really an adequate amount to gage the possible potential of City Stereo, although

what was showcased was definitely promising.

7/10

Who: The Streets Where: The Academy, Oxford Road Since their breakthrough with tracks such as ‘Lets Push Things Forward’ and Artful Dodger collaboration ‘Has It Come To This’ over a decade ago, the Streets have gained a loyal following, many of whom were out in force to support frontman Mike Skinner on this farewell tour at the Academy. Showcasing a wealth of talent, Skinner performed consistently throughout the gig, with a high calibre set list darting from the garage beginnings, to seminal album

‘Computers and Blues’, and current offerings, such as new single ‘OMG’. The Brummie star was noticably choked up during the show, as he bid farewell to the last 10 years of a successful career. R.I.P

The Streets 6/10

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The Week in

Music

VenuesThe Academy, Manchester, Greater Manchester M13 9PR 0161 275 2930The Ruby Lounge34 High Street Manchester M4 1QB - 0161 834 1392Night and Day Cafe 26 Oldham StreetManchester M1 1JN 0161 236 459Matt and Phred’s Jazz Bar85 Oldham Street Manchester M4 1LW 0161 831 7002Deaf Institute135 Grosvenor Street Manchester M1 7HE 0161 276 9350The Roadhouse8 Newton Street Manchester M1 2AN 0161 237 9789Sound Control 1 New Wakefield Street Manchester, M1 5NP0161 236 0340

Lacking the ego of current outfits (Brother, we’re looking at you), Post War Years perfect understated electro rock to a T. Complete with atmospheric synth backing, PWY would hold their own against genre leaders Bowie and Numan. See them at the Deaf Institute on Grosvenor St tonight.

5 May

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7 May6 May

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Essentially Biffy Clyro before Biffy Clyro were Biffy Clyro, Twin Atlantic are the pioneers of jock rock, bringing the Celtic

tongue to the mainstream. Catch them at the Academy on Oxford Rd

tonight for their unique Scottish take on American Indie.

Labelling themselves as ‘Indie with brains, brawn and ambition’, All The Young seem to be on a mission to reshape the face of British music. Fronted by the Dooley brothers, the hype around this Stoke group is deafening. See them at the Night and Day Cafe on Oldham St and decide for yourself.

Starting your music career off playing drums for the likes of Girls Aloud and The Pet Shop Boys has obviously stood 23 year old Florrie in good stead. Her pop sound is authentic and races ahead against her competitors. Playing at Sound Control on Wakefield St, she’s bound to gain new fans.

Proof that social networking is still

one of the most effective ways to get your music heard, Gabriella Alpin comes to The Roadhouse on Newtown Road after conquering the realms

of Myspace and Youtube. At 17, her talent for songwriting shows maturity above her

With naive sloping choruses and lovesick

lyrics, Taken by Trees, aka Victoria Bergsman, picks up where her previous project The Concretes left off. TbT looks like the human prototype of Bambi,

long lashes fluttering over her tales of evil boyfriends. Featuring at The Ruby Lounge on High St.

Roll Up! Roll Up! The circus is town! Carnival Divine returns to Matt and Phred’s Jazz Bar on Oldham Street with an array of cabaret singers, burlesque performers and circus acts. Guaranteed to spice up your Sunday nights, this is the ultimate in entertainment.

There’s no excuse to stay in!

30 Portland Street, Manchester, M1 4GSTel: 0161 237 1770 Fax: 0161 234 6757

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