Northwest Gig Highlights – October 2013

Anybody lucky or wealthy enough to have a ticket for Fleetwood Mac’s return to Manchester on 1 Oct (they play the Phones4u Arena) will be buoyed by recent speculation that Christine McVie may well turn up for a few songs. Stevie Nicks stated back in December that there was more chance of an asteroid colliding with the earth than that happening, but then we’ve never had Stevie down as much of an astronomer. No surprise that ticket prices are already skyrocketing online.

Over in Liverpool on 2 Oct, the O2 Academy hosts Bonobo, continuing a ridiculous live schedule off the back of The North Borders. Dates have been pretty much non-stop since April, so hats off to Simon Green and co for putting in some serious hours – there’s support from Dauwd too. Two days later on 4 Oct, heavyweight dub providers Fat Freddy’s Drop bring their soulful blend of roots music to Manchester Academy. The New Zealand troupe are internationally recognised for their improvisatory abilities and tremendous stage presence – a class brass act if ever there was one.

In terms of inspired bookings, Now Wave exert their prowess once more by getting Willis Earl Beal in to play Salford's Sacred Trinity Church on 4 Oct. A new age bluesman and army veteran, Beal spent a large chunk of his twenties drifting around Albuquerque, leaving demos and self-illustrated flyers in public places in the hope of gaining attention. His efforts paid off last year when he signed to Hot Charity – a sister imprint of XL – as their flagship artist. Fair play, Willis. Elsewhere, one of the better examples of Brit School alumni, King Krule, takes to Manchester's Ruby Lounge stage on 5 Oct. The lad has only just turned 19, so if you’re up for feeling old and talentless then this is the gig for you. He is very pasty and ginger though, so it kind of equals out.

One for all the mums out there, 10 Oct sees M People performing at the Phones4u Arena (they also play Liverpool Empire Theatre on 20 Oct). This much anticipated tour marks the 20th anniversary of Mercury Prize-winning LP Elegant Slumming and is unofficially billed by us as Ten Nights in Heaven. If you’re up for something a tad more humble then head down to Fossil Collective at Leaf, Liverpool, a day later on 11 Oct for some tunes to drink tea to. The folky elements of recent LP Tell Where I Lie are sure to captivate anybody wearing a cardigan within a 400-yard radius.

Dreamy vibes are the order of the day at Manchester's Gullivers when Chilean psych-pop duo The Holydrug Couple bring their spaced-out sophomore album Noctuary to Oldham Street on 7 Oct. The record – their first full-length on Sacred Bones – is the brainchild of Ives Sepúlveda, who wrote, recorded and engineered all the tracks from his self-built home studio over in Santiago. Ives must have the patience of a saint. There’s another twosome on offer in Manchester at The Deaf Institute on 10 Oct as effervescent indie punkers No Age make their overdue return to the Northwest (they play Liverpool's Korova on 4 Oct). Expect high volume and heaps of static; theirs is a lo-fi rage that leans toward the finer side of grittiness. 

Back across the M62 and in the slightly more dignified surroundings of Liverpool Philharmonic Hall, Bright Phoebus Revisited sees, on 14 Oct, the late Lal and Mike Waterson's Bright Phoebus album – regarded as a pivotal piece in the British folk revival – performed live for the first time since its release back in 1972. The record will be covered by Richard Hawley, John Smith and Kami Thompson, among other special guests. Elsewhere, folktronic experimentalists Tunng are due down Seel Street at East Village Arts Club the following Friday (20 Oct), with potentially raucous support from Pinkunoizu (the two also play Manchester's Band on the Wall on the 15th).

Finishing up the month, Arctic Monkeys bring acclaimed album AM to the Phones4u Arena and Echo Arena on the 23 Oct and 28 Oct respectively. With their new record, Turner, Helders, Cook and O’Malley have hit an undeniable return to form, and it will be interesting to see how the dark, portentous feel of the LP manifests itself as a live spectacle. Either that, or witness the hypnotic Portico Quartet at Liverpool's Kazimier on 28 Oct (they're at Manchester's Gorilla on the 27th) for a fraction of the price; they’re a percussive post-jazz ensemble well worth spending a tenner on.

Last but not least, Ozric Tentacles celebrate 30 years in the prog-psych game at Band on the Wall, Manchester, on 29 Oct (or, at Liverpool's O2 Academy the night before). Word is that you get in free if you dress up like a giant squid.

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DO NOT MISS:

Parquet Courts + Mazes + Hookworms, Gorilla, Manchester, 29 Oct

Based in Brooklyn, raised in Texas, Parquet Courts are a four-piece garage band with DIY sensibilities. They’re also funny as fuck. Lyrically, songwriter Andrew Savage taps into commonplace occurrences and skunk-inspired observations with refreshing syllabic nonchalance and a delivery reminiscent of Daydream-era Sonic Youth.

But it’s the tighter tracks on last year’s full-length debut Light Up Gold that catapult the group away from potential comparison. Stoned and Starving, N Dakota, Master of My Craft and big single Borrowed Time bring humour to the fore while perfectly exhibiting the no-frill-all-thrill unit of Austin Brown on lead, Sean Yeaton on bass and Andrew’s brother Max Savage behind the drums. Their performance on KEXP in a random bike shop earlier this year reeks of energy, oozes momentum and is reason enough not to miss out when the boys turn up at Gorilla this month.

Support comes from Mazes and Hookworms, the latter an entrancing, fuzz-driven live act and arguably one of the greatest things to come out of Leeds since Delta 5 and Tetley’s. That’s if you don’t count The Pigeon Detectives of course, and we’re not doing. Recently signed to big boy imprint Domino, Hookworms – in true rock'n'roll pretension – prefer to go by their initials rather than their full names, which is OK with us. Saves money on ink.