Manchester bands Autokat, Carlis Star and Whiskycats are playing tonight (Monday 28th April 2008) at the Manchester235 casino as part of the Manic Monday broadcast live on 96.2FM The Revolution
To gain entry to the casino you have to bring along Photo ID…..it’s £5 entry on the night but if you email Jacquie at The Revolution before or early on Monday you can get on the FREE guestlist. The doors open tonight at 19:30pm, but if you can’t make it then you can still listen to the show online
Meanwhile, Autokat are playing again later this week (Friday 2nd May 2008) at Blowout at the Chorlton Irish Club in Manchester. Also on the bill are Delphic, Mutineers and Autokat’s new drummer Mike Joyce (ex-The Smiths) will be DJing alongside the Blowout residents. Doors at 9.30pm
So this year’s Manchester In The City has been and gone – how was it for you? A fixture pile-up in the days before ITC even started (on Friday last week), meant that I went to gigs five out six nights in the row… and have been paying for it all this week. I took photos at most of the shows I went to, but only on my smaller digital camera – I didn’t trust myself getting pissed whilst trying to look after expensive equipment!
It’s rare that I anticipate or think about a gig months in advance, but for this week’s incredible double header of Midlake and Sufjan Stevens I’ve been counting down the days since I bought my tickets way back in August…
Tonight saw the mighty Midlake play the Manchester Academy 3 (Sufjan plays tomorrow downstairs at the Academy 2). I’ve hammered Midlake’s album – The Trials Of Van Occupanther – to death this year. It’s a definite contender for my album of the year, and one that gets better with each listen. Lush orchestral arrangements and a real pathos about it… it feels like a classic album from the 70s/80s… Fleetwood Mac, The Eagles, (with a bit of Flaming Lips and Grandaddy thrown into the mix)
And talking of the mix, this is perhaps where tonight’s gig was a slight letdown… Before I’d even stepped foot into the venue I’d already given this show 10/10 in my head. I guess it was always going to be hard to reproduce the album live onstage with just 5 band members. The vocals at time seemed buried under the bass heavy sound, and the absense of a live violinist or trombonist, for me, meant the difference between this being a classic show and just a great gig. I’ve probably give it around 7.5/10 but I’d love to see them again
Here’s a couple of wonky photos from the audience:
Loose Canon played Akoustik Anarkhy last night at the Manchester Gardens Hotel. I figured things would be starting around 9pm, so I got there about 8:50pm only to find I’d missed the whole of It’s A Buffalo’s set and half of the Canon. Ah well… at least I managed to get a few snaps:
WOW! Cansei de Ser Sexy were off the scale tonight. What a fucking rickydiculously amazing show! Do not miss this band on their current UK tour. A few quick pics below…