Review
Reviews of Liverpool music, restaurants, bars and more
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Sugarmen’s Debut Album, Local Freaks, is Full of Indie Bliss
Not many new bands can hold the crown of supporting some of Britain’s most prolific artists so early on in their musical career. But, for Liverpudlian four-piece, Sugarmen, their slot supporting Blur at London’s Hyde Park a few summers ago was just the start of something special. Since then, the band have been collecting accolades as easily as picking up bruises in a mosh pit. Since first hitting the music scene back in 2013, the…
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The Jjohns ‘Lucy’ Single Review
Some tracks just sneak up on you, passively, and work their way into your musical memory like a slowly undulating ear-worm. And then, there are tracks like Lucy, which as polar opposite, kick in the door and demand priority access to your own personal musical archive. Lucy is loud, confident, immediate and irresistibly anthemic. It is the resulting acoustic splinter when an aspect of Liverpool musical heritage is accelerated, hadron collider-like, into the legacy of Oasis…
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Things To Do In Liverpool This Halloween
Farmageddon (Now until 31st October) Farmageddon is a Merseyside Halloween staple, with even more scares than ever before. For its eleventh year there’s more happening than ever with 5 unique scare zones to enjoy or not enjoy as the case may be. More info and tickets here Ottersghoul (Otterspool Adventure Centre) 28th – 31st October Ottersghoul will put participants nerves to the test as they embark on a journey around the adventure park undertaking on…
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Siobhan Wilson Live At 81 Renshaw: Review
81 Renshaw is a venue extremely well suited to host a Siobhan Wilson gig, especially when it is to promote her new album, There Are No Saints. The venue is compact and intimate, and works beautifully in portraying works with sparse, intricate arrangements. Hence Siobhan Wilson’s new album, one of haunting beauty, intricate and delicate, is in the perfect environment to allow her compositions to breathe and let her voice – yes that beautiful voice…
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The Jackobins Latest Single Brims With Energy, Proving Summer’s Not Yet Over
It’s been an exciting few months for The Jackobins. After playing a handful of sets at festivals throughout the summer – including Reading and Leeds, Kendal Calling, and Isle of Wight Festival – the four-piece have just this month announced their deal with the UK independent record label, Zy Records. To coincide with this, new single ‘Outside’ is set for official release on 22nd September. The single has already received airtime on BBC Introducing on…
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Festival No.6 Review
Festival No.6 returned for its sixth year last weekend with a packed music, arts and cultural feast in the picturesque Welsh village of Portmeirion. It’s a festival that brings something refreshing to the festival scene with the unique surroundings of the village, Castell Park and Gardens, seafront and woodlands, there’s something to discover around every turn. The Castell Gardens could be described as the most typical part of the festival, home to the main stage…
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THE MUSIC MANUAL PRESENTS…SUMMER SHINDIG FULL LINE UP REVEALED
To celebrate five years of the award shortlisted music blog, The Music Manual will host a Summer Shindig, which will bring together all that is good about Liverpool’s ever growing music industry over the August Bank Holiday Weekend. The Music Manual Presents series over the last few years have featured artists such as Blossoms, Purple Heart Parade and Kashmere. The full line up for the event will feature; Nick Ellis, Edgar Jones, Mike Murphy (The…
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Soulful Barney Goodall Lets His Alt-Pop Sound Shine On ‘Fallen Love’
Barney Goodall is bringing something different to the Liverpool music scene with intelligent, thought-provoking alt-pop. His latest track ‘Fallen Love’ is a testament of that, with a dreamy electronic beat and clever, attention grabbing lyrics. Goodall hints at Radiohead and David Bowie influences whilst telling tales of love, loss and heartache. Following on from his previous track, the atmospheric ‘Golden Age’, the follow up is another slice of tense alt-pop music that features Goodall’s mature…
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Liverpool Comedy Festival 2017 Line Up Revealed
Top comedians from around the UK will be descending on Liverpool for two weeks to turn the funniest city in the UK into the funniest city across the world. This year’s festival will welcome some of the biggest names on the comedy scene including Rob Brydon, Micky Flanagan, Greg Davies and Jerry Sadowitz. They will be complemented by the very best of home-grown Scouse talent including Liverpool legend Stan Boardman, rising star Adam Rowe, Twitter pseudo-celebrity Ant Campbell, and…
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Liverpool’s Indie Rock Quartet DENIO Set To Release Anthemic Track ‘Golden’
Liverpool based band DENIO return with indie anthem ‘Golden’ bolstering the lads’ impressive early career. Although only forming in November 2016, DENIO have gained support from the likes of BBC Merseyside, GetIntoThis and BBC Lancashire. After premiering their debut single ‘Models’ at The Shipping Forecast to a filled room and then releasing ‘Cait’, described as “a clanging post-punk study in a sterilised test tube where Foals are shaken up with The Cure’s DNA’”(GetIntoThis), their third release is another strong track which…
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Hope & Glory Festival Announce Even More Acts Ahead Of This Weekend’s Event
With less than a week to go until Hope & Glory Fest takes over the city centre, organisers have announced even more exciting editions and surprises to an already spectacular array of live music and entertainment taking place across the weekend of the 4th, 5th and 6th of August. Kicking off the festival the ‘not so’ secret free gig will see the previously announced Black Grape joined by Liverpool’s very own Cast on Friday 4th August at St. George’s…
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Liverpool Loves 2017 Full Music Line-Up Announced
Liverpool Loves organisers Orb CIC recently announced the first wave of acts confirmed for this year’s festival, and they are now excited to reveal the full music line-up. The countdown is on to the third annual Liverpool Loves festival next weekend, when fantastic music, family fun and activities take over the city centre on Saturday 5 August and Sunday 6 August. The full weekend music programme now includes a headline performance from Liverpool singer songwriter Robert Vincent, who will appear on the Main Stage in…
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Big Youth & Horace Andy To Play Liverpool In Two Special Shows At District
Following the huge success of this year’s festival, the folks behind Positive Vibration – Festival of Reggae continue on their mission to bring more reggae goodness to Liverpool by hosting two absolute legends – Big Youth and Horace Andy. Big Youth & The Upper Cut Band *Only North West gig* A man with a message, Big Youth arrived on the music scene in the wake of U-Roy, Dennis Alcapone and I-Roy, but quickly established his…
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Wide Eyed Boy ‘Loving You is So Easy’ Review
Riding on the wave of indie-pop fury, Wide Eyed Boy return with latest single ‘Loving You is So Easy’ from their self-titled debut EP. The multi-national four-piece crossed paths at Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts and are rapidly making strides as one of the city’s beguiling new acts. In addition to releasing new material, the band supported Feeder on tour, and added a string of German headline shows and festival slots under their belt over…
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LIV Food & Soul Market Coming To The Baltic Triangle
LIV Organic are relocating to the Baltic Triangle for the day to introduce their fresh organic products in an outdoor farmers market setting. LIV Organic is a modern concept to your regular food shop, offering only the best in organic, natural and free from foods. LIV’s core concept is to provide healthy foods to all its customers to help them lead a longer, healthier life. Their store on Bold Street opened back in April and…
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The Hard Work Is Paying Off For Rapper With Eye On The Prize
In a city like Liverpool you can always expect to hear great guitar bands with electrifying rock/pop sounds and the success story of bands like Clean Cut Kid has been fantastic to see but what about other genres which may not get as much of a look in? That’s where we want to introduce Eyeden. Eyeden is a 21 year old rapper/singer who splits his time between Liverpool and Coventry who has been making accessible…
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Hope & Glory Festival Preview & One’s To Watch
HOPE & GLORY Festival launches this summer boasting an impressive 12,500 capacity event in the heart of Liverpool, with the stunning Victorian backdrop of the World Museum, City Library and St.George’s Hall and St.John’s Gardens. Try to imagine your favourite bands, huge tunes, combined with a decadent Victoriana carnival, wicked fun, with a heavy dose of outrageous sideshows, and you’ll begin to get a picture of what HOPE & GLORY Festival is. A festival of proper…
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Folk On The Dock Festival Announce First Acts
Folk Festival on the Dock will bring together the city’s rich music and maritime heritage in an exuberant celebration of live acoustic folk, sea shanty and folk rock over the August bank holiday weekend. 2016 saw BBC’s Janice Long host the inaugural event, seeing the Dock welcome over 100 folk, roots, acoustic and sea shanty acts and almost 450 performers and she will return this year to host her own segment across the three days…
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Granby Four Streets Market Returns For The Summer
The Granby Four Streets story is an inspiring one, one of community spirit and determination. The incredible work of the residents has bred new life into the area and that hard work continues each and every day with more exciting developments planned. The return of the Granby Street Market only highlights the spirit of the volunteers and allows us all to get involved in supporting the area. The market has become a much loved part…
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Takotsubo Men 3rd of 4 Album Review
The debut album from Takotsubo Men is a piece of post punk joy with breathless energetic and passionate music. The Liverpool band appear to have burst onto the local scene following their album launch show with Yeah Buddy DIY last week. The band made up of lead singer and bassist, Ste Williams, guitarist, Paddy Harrison and drummer Stu Carswell have been delivered an album of real quality and it feels exteremely relevant in the current economic…
