Northwest Gig Highlights – October 2014

September has always been that dreaded transition month in which the Madonna records are shelved, the beige shorts retired and the casual afternoon alcoholism suddenly becomes frowned upon. If the end of summer has you reaching for the Prozac, fear not, as October has got our backs, holding back the gloom and tiding us over ’til we all start wondering just how much Noddy Holder has in the bank.

It’s been a couple of months since FKA twigs dropped LP1, a release that left many of us fumbling around in an attempt to gather our intellectual and well-rounded thoughts on the singer's mystical masterpiece and sharp rise to fame. Following her July performance at the Dancehouse, she’s advancing along Oxford Road to the RNCM on 4 Oct – as far as intimate experiences go this one is going to be difficult to top. Keeping things hypnotic, Lone brings his brand of what some have labelled ‘dream-hop’ to The Kazimier on 9 Oct, blending ambient sounds with his Madlib-influenced hip-hop beats – here’s hoping he’s got some ideas from MadGibbs’ Piñata.

It’s back to the RNCM on 10 Oct for the former Pop Will Eat Itself frontman turned composer Clint Mansell, who’ll be treating fans (not necessarily Def. Con. One fans) to some of his most acclaimed soundtracks from the last 20 years. If this all sounds a bit too subdued for you firestarters out there, you can up the tempo, very slightly, on 16 Oct with Canadian folkies Timber Timbre at Leaf. Their latest album, Hot Dreams, is a mesmerising and epic listen that stands out as one of the records of the year so far.

The Kazimier finds itself feeling ambient again on 21 Oct courtesy of New Jersey jangle merchants Real Estate. It’s hard to believe these guys are related to Titus Andronicus (via Martin Courtney), but for a school night you can’t ask for anything more raucous – or can you? If you find yourself in Manchester on the same night, get down to Gorilla for Death from Above 1979's return to the UK club circuit. Wherever you stand on the Toronto duo's long-incubating sophomore LP The Physical World, you can nevertheless bet that this is going to be one of the most heavy, groove-laden gigs of the year.

St. Vincent, aka guitar virtuoso Annie Clark, is back on 22 Oct playing the mega lush Albert Hall. Her last visit to Manchester, playing the city's cathedral, suffered slightly from architecture-induced sound issues. Thankfully Clark’s meaty guitar sounds compensated for the acoustic misgivings, which we’re not expecting this time around in the lush – did we already say lush? – Albert Hall.

Not that this column encourages competition, but Liverpool really outdoes itself from 23 Oct onwards by playing host to the likes of Caribou, Mogwai, Eagulls, Wild Beasts, The War on Drugs and 200-odd other acts for the brilliant Liverpool Music Week 2014. The calibre of the headliners really does pay testament to how far this festival has come in recent times, and with roughly 50,000 people expected this is going to be ten days of winning if you're quick-sharp about tickets.

An act not featured in the festival lineup, but nevertheless making a Liverpool debut at The Kazimier on 23 Oct are hip-hop veterans Dead Prez. Hard to guess the demographic for this one: it suits the older, less braggadocio fan who can get down with the duo's anti-establishment, social justice stance while also catering for students who’ve spent their weeknights at hip-hop nights for three years.

Finally, we venture into Northern Quarter territory for Strange Days Presents: Nightmare on Oldham Street. This Halloween extravaganza (happening 31 Oct if you hadn’t guessed) will be taking place across the Castle and Gulliver’s, showcasing artists such as Theo Verney, Black Market Karma, Menace Beach and Velvet Morning to name a few. It's a perfectly valid excuse for a fancy dress bash at just £11 at ticket, and if the Castle are stocking their Plum Porter then you really are in for an incredible night – props to the Titanic Brewery for that dangerously rad beverage. If you’re more into the idea of a sombre rather than spooky Halloween, then head down to The Ritz on the same night to hear cuts from The Antlers' new record, Familiars. This latest drop is a solid slab of soulful goodness and the perfect antithesis to middle-aged men doing the Thriller routine. [Thomas Ingham]

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DO NOT MISS:

Syndrome 2.3: TRANSITION 
Leggate Theatre, Victoria Building, University of Liverpool, 22 Oct 

Over the past few months, Liverpool's Syndrome Sessions have brought us Holly Herndon, an 'industrial dystopia' from the a.P.A.t.T orchestra, and a room turned into an instrument through the use of Xbox Kinect. Now, as part of Liverpool Music Week – which to be fair is packed with unmissables, from Evian Christ in support of Caribou to Liars on Halloween – they present a new work, TRANSITION, from Tri Angle Records' Vessel in collaboration with Immix Ensemble. In it, the Bristol producer and forward-thinking Liverpool collective set out to examine the relationship between acoustic and electronic sound and music technology – and with their credentials, we'd reckon they're well-placed to do so (Immix, founded by Daniel Thorne and including members of the Liverpool Philharmonic and other electronic and chamber ensembles, was borne out of a desire to further a dialogue between the city's traditional orchestral scene and its more leftfield composers and producers, while Vessel is one of the much-vaunted Brooklyn label's more punishing acts, all bastardised instruments – many of which were made bespoke for his most recent record – and ritualistic dread). Visuals come from Psych Fest designer Sam Wiehl. 

For most other promoters, that amount of stimulation would probably do the job – but no. The Hive Collective will instal their third 'Engineering Joy' experiment – number two saw those present subjected to a spell of euphoria-inducing sensory experimentation for just six people at a time – while The Aleph (Jon Hering of Ex-Easter Island Head plus Benjamin Fair) will perform The Good Eater, a meeting of music and film featuring imagery by director Craig Sinclair and photographer Simon Gabriel. Things kick off at 8pm, and unbelievably, it's free. For more information check out www.syn-dro.me. [Laura Swift]