Black Honey
In another busy month for live gigs in Manchester, Getintothis’ James Sullivan has the highlights as Manchester heroes rub shoulders with the best of American rock and roll and eclectic festivals.
Another month has flown by, another nail in the coffin of 2015. You’ve got no chance, 2015; your number is up.
If you’re lucky enough to live in or close to the marvellous city of Manchester, then there’s really only one thing for it: mourn the unrelenting passing of time by throwing on your glad rags, grabbing your wallet, phone and house keys, and heading out the best gigs the city can offer.
But if that all seems a little overwhelming (Who is ‘Manchester’? What are ‘glad rags’? Where are my keys?) then here’s a handy guide to lead you through your musical wanderings.
Biters
1. Biters: The Ruby Lounge, October 8
Biters have been the best glam-rock bands in America ever since they started releasing records in 2010, formed from the ashes of Atlanta powerpop heroes The Heart Attacks and Poison Arrows.
Now they’re finally on these shores for a full UK tour, in support of new record Electric Nights. They take from the best: Cheap Trick, Kiss, Slade, Tom Petty.
It’s perfect pop music: loud, anthemic, beating-heart, snotty, leather-clad, Converse-wearing pop music. How they’re not huge over here yet is a mystery.
For more information, click here.
Black Honey
2. Black Honey: Soup Kitchen, October 13
Brighton’s Black Honey initially kept things so hush-hush that they would only reveal their plans to fans via Whatsapp. None of that any more: they played a bunch of festivals over the summer (Reading and Leeds, Great Escape, Secret Garden Party) and supported Superfood on tour.
Now they’re off on their own tour, spitting out their Britpop-flecked, Nuggets-inspired garage pop tunes in the cosy confines of The Soup Kitchen.
Tickets are available here.
A Carefully Planned Festival #5
3. A Carefully Planned Festival #5: Various locations, October 17 and 18
For the fifth year, A Carefully Planned Festival takes over the city’s cultural hub the Northern Quarter, with more than 150 acts in nine different venues.
Like Dot to Dot Festival, you can hop around from place to place – The Castle, Gullivers, Soup Kitchen, Mint Lounge, Aatma, Night and Day, Texture, Takk and Cord. But the festival’s strength is probably its eclecticism. There’s Krautrock from TVAM, indie-shimmer from Lazy Day, turbo-prog from Cleft, and just about everything in between.
For more information, click here.
Liam Frost
4. Liam Frost: Ruby Lounge, October 30
Manchester’s own Liam Frost doesn’t exactly come with a lack of acclaim. Elbow’s Guy Garvey has compared him to Bright Eyes; others have name-checked Springsteen.
Regardless, he’s been ploughing his own furrow for about ten years now and this rearranged gig at the Ruby Lounge sees him playing with his full band.
His songs are full of country chords, pedal steel and choruses that stretch from Mancunian Way all the way across the Atlantic. If you have any inkling towards My Morning Jacket, Stephen Fretwell and, yes, The Boss, then it’s right up your alley.
More information can be found here.
SLUG
5. SLUG: The Deaf Institute, October 31
Marc Riley’s fave band of the moment play the Deaf Institute for a Halloween treat.
SLUG is the brainchild of Sunderland stalwart Ian Black, who creates twisting, proggy, wiry, Sparks-inflected, Field Music-affiliated guitar music, played by five guys dressed up like a barbershop quintet.
The Sunderland band released their debut record Ripe at the start of the year, and have just been on tour with FFS.
After nearly frothing at the mouth for their show at Psych Fest, we can’t wait for October 31. They’re promising two sets: the first showcasing the record, and the second covering a selection of songs from 1970s horror movies. We at Getintothis are not sure if they’re joking. Only one way to find out…
More information can be found here.
