After a dark January with few gigs to look forward to, February sees Manchester's live music scene explode into life.
Not only is the calendar back up to full-listing-status, but Independent Venue Week kicks off the month, and plenty of acts are coming to town to play venues they wouldn't normally. That includes Temples in the Pink Room at YES.
Thankfully, there's now a plethora of talent back on the menu. This month, we've got super-groups, internet mega-stars,, and the genii behind one of 2022's best records all playing Gorilla.
READ MORE: Why this week is 'incredibly important' for the future of Manchester's music scene
It's happening elsewhere, too. Albert Hall is a good bet, as ever, and 33 Oldham Street is hosting the latest 'Rodeo Presents...' evening, which is an initiative from one of the city's DIY magazines.
So, after a quiet January, we're back. We're ready to shake the world again.
The 1975 — Gorilla — February 1
This is the gig that when it was spontaneously announced by Matty Healy sent social media into a frenzy - even the venue didn’t know it was happening.
It may be the smallest place they’ve played in years, but The 1975’s gig at 550-capacity Gorilla in Manchester city centre is arguably the most anticipated show of the year. Fresh from a string of huge Arena dates, including a night at Manchester’s AO Arena in January, The 1975 will take to the stage at Gorilla as part of Brits Week for charity War Child UK.
Tickets were pretty much impossible to get, with thousands of fans crashing the War Child website hours before they went on sale.
If you did manage to get a ticket, enjoy the show - we’re very jealous!
Rebecca Black — Gorilla — February 7
If you had access to the internet in 2011, then chances are you know exactly who Rebecca Black is. At the tender age of 13, she became a viral sensation with her song - and its unforgettable accompanying music video - Friday.
You know the one: it's Friday, Friday, gotta get down on Friday... (and yes, that WILL be stuck in your head for the rest of the day). Twelve years on, the singer is proving she's not a one-hit wonder and has a catalogue of catchy, pop-drenched tunes.
'Worth It For The Feeling' is one of them, which sees Rebecca debate rekindling with an ex, to a hypnotic beat and dreamy instrumental. Meanwhile latest single 'Sick To My Stomach' explores the jealousy of seeing a former partner move on with someone new. Featuring an 80s-esque rhythm, this track really wouldn't sound out of place in a coming-of-age film.
The Californian native drops her debut album Let Her Burn this month. Just days before the release, she'll be playing an intimate show at Manchester's Gorilla on February 7. It's part of a wider UK, including dates in Birmingham, Glasgow and London.
Brian Jonestown Massacre — Ritz — February 4
While I’d love to give you a preview of the mighty Brian Jonestown Massacre, that becomes a bit difficult when erraticism is something of a hallmark for a band. One one hand, this musical collective has an expansive history - 18 albums and a string of compilations since their formation in 1990, taking in everything from 80s shoegaze, dreampop, and heavier 1960s rock influences.
On the other hand, their shows have become notorious for chaos, including on-stage fights, caustic audience interactions, and general omnishambles. Longtime lovers choose to see this coin flip as part of the group’s charm - whichever side of the BJM you get, they are anything but indifferent.
At their best in tracks like Fingertips, Anemone and the more recent Fudge, the BJM creates a swirling soundtrack for you to turn off your mind, relax and float downstream to. The excitement of this gig lies in having next to no idea what to expect - so you'll just have to be there to find out.
Jockstrap — Gorilla— February 17
Jockstrap stormed into many a ‘best album of 2022’ roundup with I Love You Jennifer B. The first album from the two Guildhall music school grads, Georgia Ellery and Taylor Skye, is a wondrous trip round the pair’s curiosity shop.
Jennifer B blinks its eyes open with sparing, dirge-esque synth drones on track 'Neon', working all the way up to an orchestral crescendo on 'Glasgow', thanks to the 18-piece ensemble the duo brought in for the album. The cinematic opening of 'Debra' could easily be shoehorned into the Blade Runner: 2049 soundtrack, while the organ-themed introduction to 'Concrete Over Water' stops suddenly to reveal twinkly pop perfection.
It’s a heady combination of youthful joy, heartache, fear, bravery, peace, drama - and the magic of something brand new and a little bit mad.
If you can find a ticket to their sold-out show at Gorilla, snap it up. If the album is anything to go by, you’ll be on a big dipper rollercoaster of soft, chapel-like melodies, followed by biblically blazing singalongs.
Ezra Collective — Albert Hall— February 23
London-based band Ezra Collective are at the forefront of the new wave of UK jazz. Borrowing from Afrobeat, reggae and Latin music, the quintet are often found collaborating with other stars of the British jazz and hip hop scene.
Their latest album Where I'm Meant To Be features vocal contributions from Sampa the Great, Kojey Radical, and Emeli Sandé. But the rest of the LP released last year showcases what the band do best — jazz-inspired instrumentals travelling through a journey of genres.
The five-piece first came together as teenagers when they took part in a music education initiative at London's South Bank Centre in 2012. But the band has come a long way since then.
Finally releasing their first album You Can't Steal My Joy in 2019, the group gained a greater following with an unforgettable set at Glastonbury later that year at a time when the British jazz scene was beginning to capture the attention of the masses. Rather than riding this wave though, Ezra Collective continue to pioneer it.
Dry Cleaning — Albert Hall — February 24
Dry Cleaning’s second album, Stumpwork, was released last October and built on the brilliant weirdness of their opener, New Long Leg, from a year earlier.
The group are probably the most mellow of the post-Brexit new wave clutch of acts that have emerged at the start of the 2020s — and are certainly the most interesting. One listen of Florence Shaw’s spoken-word lyrics is enough to verify that.
Those lyrics are reportedly devised by Shaw looking around the studio, where she has scattered papers with ‘cue words’. It sounds like a very slow process — but that is sort of the point with Dry Cleaning — because they feel like a reaction against instant gratification, and our world of three-second-video clips.
Their Albert Hall show will be full of intrigue — and maybe just a bit of dancing, too.
Lucy Deakin — 33 Oldham Street — February 24
Lucy Deakin is also playing on February 24 — but she’s radically different from Dry Cleaning. The pop powerstar had a major hit with 2020’s ‘bad in love’, and show no signs of slowing down.
Since that hit, she released the mini-album ‘in your head i’m probably crying’ in 2021, with one single last year. Her music is uncomplicated but powerful, drawing heavily on influences from early-noughties pop.
There’s a touch of Avril Lavigne about Lucy, and that’s very good company to have in this portion of the scene. Her show at 33 Oldham Street shares the bill with Blossom Caldarone, another rising star.
James Marriott — Gorilla — February 27
The multi-talented James Marriott is bringing his alternative tunes to Manchester for the first time this month. Not only does the singer have a good set of lungs on him, but he's also racked up millions of fans on social media, keeping them entertained with hilarious commentary videos and livestreams on Youtube.
The 25-year-old started out by uploading acoustic song covers to the platform in 2012. He refined his craft, releasing singles including fan-favourite Him along the way.
Debut EP Bitter Tongues was released a few months back, tackling heartbreak, love and sexuality in five guitar-driven songs. Lead track Where Has Everyone Gone? is angsty, indie-pop heaven. Its lyrics offer a cathartic experience for anyone who sings along - whether alone in your kitchen, or, as you'll soon be sure to find out, in a crowd of people at a live show.
This UK tour is James' biggest to date - so get yourself down to Gorilla and witness this young star on the rise.
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