Maximo Park have been around for a few years now, and have released three studio albums during that time. The band are currently on a UK tour to support their new album, Quicken The Heart, and I went to see them live at the Manchester Academy on May 23.

I’ve seen Maximo Park play live on three different occasions, once after they’ve just released each album. It’s very interesting, to me at least, to chart their progress in that time. A lot has changed in the space of four years.

The first was in Leeds on an NME tour after A Certain …read more

Art Brut are one of those bands that remain an obscure secret to many people. When I told friends I was going to the band’s gig at Manchester Academy 3 tonight (April 27) I was mostly met with shrugs of the shoulders and the arching of eyebrows.
Once you hear of Art Brut and listen to a few of their tunes, they then become one of those bands you either love or hate – there’s no middle-ground whatsoever. Luckily, for someone who paid to go and see them play live, I’m in the former camp.

I first heard of Art Brut way …read more

The Feeling are a band who are never going to be cool, never going to get on the cover of NME, and never going to be the next big thing.
But you know what? None of that matters, as they put out some incredibly well written, and well composed pop songs, and after seeing them live, I know they’re fantastic in the flesh too. I’d even go as far to say they push Muse for title of Best Live Band in the UK right now.
This is actually the second time I’ve seen The Feeling live, the first being in the …read more