We asked, you answered. Check out our round-up of the best local live acts...
A few weeks ago, we were musing over the popularity of the "London Scene". We're all familiar with Lily Allen, Amy Winehouse and Kate Nash. Adele, Jack Penate and Remi Nicole have also started getting plenty of airplay and those of you who have gone beyond the Radio 1 platform will also have come across Remi Nicole, Laura Marling, Noah and the Whale and a host of other bands and singers waiting in the wings for their big break.
We've heard so much of the London scene recently that we started to wonder why no-one's talking about Manchester. We wanted to know which local acts you thought could knock Lily Allen and her crowd of cockney sparrows off their perches, so we asked all our lovely members to drop us a line and tell us who does it for them.
From the response we had, it seems that Manchester's live music scene is more than healthy. It's vibrant, full of variety and very, very cool. Here are five of the best...
THE COURTEENERS
For the last few months, it's been impossible to ignore the rise of The Courteeners. Fronted by Liam Fray, who had already built up a reputation after years as a solo singer on the Manchester circuit, the band inspired hyperbole and venom in equal amounts across both forums and the music press. Outspoken, arrogant and ready to pronounce themselves Manchester's Next Big Thing at any given opportunity, the band aren't short of confidence - and, luckily, they seem to have the goods to back themselves up. Their sound takes Oasis, injects the lightness and mischief of the early Libertines, mixes in the acerbic Northern wit of the Arctic Monkeys and adds a final sprinkling of Morrissey for good measure, and it has earned them sell-out shows around the country, hyperbolic coverage from NME and a recent slot on Zane Lowe's Radio 1 show. Not bad for a group of Northern monkeys.
www.myspace.com/thecourteeners
Next appearance: 13th December, Manchester Ritz, £10
LIZ GREEN
After winning the Emerging Talent competition, Liz Green went on to play sets on both the Pyramid and Acoustic Stages at this year's Glastonbury Festival, recorded at Radio 1's Maida Vale studios and was profiled in the Guardian. The whole shebang was something of a shock to the singer, who had so little expectation of winning that she forgot she'd entered the competition altogether. However, her success comes as no surprise to her Manchester fanbase, who have seen her go from strength to strength throughout her regular appearances at Fuel Cafe in Withington and other venues around the city. She is kooky and charming with a voice made to be heard on an old gramophone and a sound that sits somewhere between jazz, soul and folk.
Next appearance: 23rd November, Red Deer Club, Fuel Cafe, donations otd
THE TING TINGS
We were chatting to Danny McNamara before he launched his club night The Aftershow at Sankeys a few months back and got onto the subject of local bands. He had one big, fat recommendation: The Ting Tings. He was so bowled over by them that he booked them for his opening night before he'd even worked out where he was holding the party. This kind of reaction is par for the course when you're as hot as this duo - their agent sent them on tour six weeks after they first formed, NME have already booked them for this year's NME tour and they've recently supported Reverend and the Makers. The Ting Tings are art-school pop crossed with Le Tigre and Yeah Yeah Yeahs and they're tearing it up across the board.
Next appearance: 11 December, XFM Winter Wonderland at Manchester Apollo, £20
GIDEON CONN
God love Gideon Conn. Blending summer-in-New-York funk with laid back hip hop, a touch of scatting and the off-beat charm of, say, Woody Allen, Gideon Conn is completely unique. His live shows featuring a full band are some of the most joyful sets around and can include anything from slices of stand-up to a surreal cover of Outcast's Miss Jackson, mixed in with some potentially devastatingly cool tunes. He has appeared twice at The Aftershow and created waves at In The City as well as getting XFM onside for their recent round of X-Posure gigs.
Next appearance: 23rd November, XFM X-posure (supporting Operator Please), Night and Day Cafe, £6
WHISKYCATS
Headed up by the charismatic Matthew Whittaker, Whiskycats play an infectious and unique blend of skiffle, swing, Latin grooves and pop which has charmed everyone from the Observer Music Monthly critics to Phil Jupiter. Live shows feature a brass section to keep things up-tempo and, more often than not, a sell-out crowd. Whiskycats fans are as loyal as they come and a steadily growing gang: after selling out Manchester Academy 2 a few months back, they are now set to fill out Manchester Academy when Whiskycats become the first unsigned band to ever headline their own show at the venue at the end of the week.
Next appearance: 23rd November, Manchester Academy, £9
---Have we left anyone out? Don't rate one of the bands? Have we mentioned your favourite? Let us know below...
Comments
25/11/2007 by lal murrain
please, please, dont ever ever use remi nicole in the same sentence as noah and the whale and laura marling. come on? are you serious, she's just real bad. real real bad.
Rated 3 out of 5
25/11/2007 by Annie
Saw Whiskycats gig at Manchester Academy 23rd November and for an headlining unsigned band who well near packed the place to the rafters; one word; Superb!.
They are definately a band to watch out for to make your world brighter.
The sheer quality and performance of their original songs, winding everyone up to a frantic climax, provided us with a sound of Infectious joy.
I defy anyone to listen to Whiskycats for 5 minutes without foot tapping, and after 10, the sound is under your skin and you're hooked.
Whiskycats style ? indie or latino, then jazz or rock , skiffle and...oh well..Try a unique fusion and you'll be halfway there.
Must be 2008's band to hear; only make sure you've room to dance when you do; but what the hell; the person next to you will be feeling just the same!
Rated 5 out of 5
22/11/2007 by Emma
i love liz green! she's brilliant :)
Rated 5 out of 5
22/11/2007 by Lucy
Whiskycats are a mint band. Check them out!
Rated 5 out of 5
Leave a comment
Images
