MONDAY 17th MAY
NOW WAVE (£10 ADV)
SALFORD TRINITY CHURCH
REAL ESTATE/SPECTRALS/BOY OR BISON
Real Estate and Spectrals teamed up to play the Deaf Institute a few months back to rapturous acclaim – now they’re back to do it again, only in a different city. Taking place in the ornate surroundings of Trinity Church, this is definitely going to be an event to remember. Boy or Bison are a welcome last minute addition, too
£13 ADV.
DEAF INTITUTE
THE BUNDLES/YOUR HEART BREAKS
Kimya Dawson, Jeffrey and Jack Lewis and Anders Griffen are the members of this anti-folk supergroup. Together, they’ve penned been a part of at least half of everything you’ve heard from the genre, and heavily influenced the other half. if you’ve got any interest at all in off kilter, honest songwriting performed with the right attitude, you’ll kick yourself if you miss this.
TUESDAY 18th MAY
http://www.wegottickets.com/event/80727 £6 ADV
TROF NQ
FORMER GHOSTS/PARENTHETICAL GIRLS
PARENTHETICAL GIRLS – EVELYN McHALE [last.fm]
You will not find a more perfect line-up than this. Xiu Xiu, This song is a mess but so am I and Zola Jesus teamed up on last year’s Fleurs to craft one of the most important records of 2009. Somehow being more than the sum of their extraordinary parts, that Former Ghosts are playing a venue as small as this is a travesty – that Parenthetical Girls are a support band is beyond belief. Anyone who saw the band’s last Manchester performance in Kro Bar, November 2008 will recognise that £6 is a bargain price to pay to see one of the best bands of the last decade, nevermind getting the dictionary definition of a ‘supergroup’ as a main course afterwards as well. Unbelievable.
HIGH VOLTAGE (£9 ADV)
DEAF INSTITUTE
HOLY FUCK/SBTRKT/PHANTOM
On any other night, Holy Fuck playing would be a no-brainer. Sometimes the calendar is cruel, this time excruciatingly so.
WEDNESDAY 19th MAY
NOW WAVE (£7 ADV)
THE CORNER, FALLOWFIELD
NEON INDIAN/SLEIGH BELLS/SWANTON BOMBS
Another case of a ridiculous line-up – Swanton Bombs have proved every time they’ve played the city that they’re a supreme band, and always seem to be on amazing line-ups no matter where they’re performing. Following gigs with Los Campesinos! and Girls, now they’re the undercard for two of the most hyped acts on the internet. Sleigh Bells are back by M.I.A., which is still an endorsement that deserves some credence, whilst Neon Indian have been ripping it up for a while now. Guaranteed to be an amazing show.
£10 ADV
ACADEMY 3
JOHNNY FLYNN (& THE SUSSEX WIT)
Probably the most handsome man to have ever lived in the history of the world. A beautiful voice, a fanbase that is utterly in his thrall and reunited with his Sussex Wit to promote their latest album. Last time he was in the city, he had to battle through the loss of his voice to provide one of the best sets of the year – this time there should be no such limitations.
THURSDAY 20th MAY
NOW WAVE (£10)
SAINT PHILLIP’S CHURCH, SALFORD
THE ANTLERS/PORCELAIN RAFT
If there’s an album that could bring you to tears with it’s sheer beauty, it should be Hospice by the Antlers. Afters a couple of years of shuffling about, making great albums, they went and produced a phenomenal one, a concept album about a loved one slowly dying. Inhabiting a soundscape that’s almost entirely their own, there are few bands that would benefit from the superb acoustics that a Church presents quite as much as these.
FRIDAY 21st MAY
SOLD OUT
MANCHESTER RITZ
DELPHIC
After being tipped by all and sundry a couple of months back, they’ve gone and proved everyone right with their towering debut Acolyte. Now being courted by every advertising agency about, it’s a long way from their days playing smaller venues under the ‘Smowfight in the city centre’ moniker, their ascent doesn’t look to have an end in sight just yet.
LOVE & DISASTER: AIRSHIP EP LAUNCH (£5 ADV)
DEAF INSTITUTE
AIRSHIP/YOUNG BRITISH ARTISTS/BOOKS/EVERYTHING EVERYTHING DJs/SAME TEENS DJs
With doors at 9pm and Airship coming on stage at 2 and a half hours later, there’s ample time for those from the Ritz to scoot on down and see Airship promote their EP ‘Algebra’. A strong, local line-up, indicative of the new sounds that the city is creating, shunning the formulaic boredom that Manchester has somehow become synonymous with in emphatic style.
SATURDAY 22nd MAY
Stay at home. Watch Over the Rainbow final.
SUNDAY 23rd MAY
£7 ADV.
DEAF INSTITUTE
A PLACE TO BURY STRANGERS/CROCODILES
One of the loudest bands about, but also one of the nicest, A Place to bury Strangers are firmly rooted in a My Bloody Valentine-esque assault of noise, tempering it with the propensity to actually put out some brilliant songs. Acclaimed by pretty much everyone who’s listened to their first two albums, they’re widely regarded as one of the best live acts about.
£8 ADV.
THE CORNER, FALLOWFIELD
SIAN ALICE GROUP
Classified as post-rock, Sian Alice Group seem to put a lot of focus on the conceptual, with some stunning results. They could loosely be described as art-pop, but a quick dip into either of their longplayers show they’re much, much more than that.
Anything missing? Are you putting anything on and need to get the word out? email me at mbritton2@gmail.com
