Live music in Manchester this week: 17-23 Aug
You'd have forgiven this week's gigs to be thin on the ground, being the height of summer 'n' all, but it's far from the case – as proven by promising things to come from Kevin Morby, Julianna Barwick, Miracle Legion, Suuns, Sax Ruins and many, many more.
We dive into the listings to bring you this essential guide to gigs in Manchester this week plus the latest news on festivals, tour announcements and more. Think we've missed something? Hit up jess@theskinny.co.uk with the details.
Wed 17 Aug
Underground Manc band Politburo make a pitstop for a hometown gig at Night & Day Café as part of their Barrington Way tour, celebrating the release of their second album. Expect more of that spellbinding, retro psych-rock that’s kept ‘em going since 1999. Night & Day Café, 7.30pm, £5
Thu 18 Aug
Formed back in 1983, Miracle Legion are an American college rock band that found cult status following critical acclaim from NME and Melody Maker, the release of their debut album on Rough Trade, and from parallels with lead singer Mark Mulcahy’s vocals and those of REM’s Michael Stipe.
Two decades on from their last full-length release in 1996, they’re back this summer to return to UK shores, with support from Manchester’s own modern folk outfit The Awful Truth. Deaf Institute, 7.30pm, £15
Fri 19 Aug
Scruff of the Neck present Bright Young People, Rhyl’s fuzz-rock trio currently signed to pioneering indie label 25th Hour Convenience Store, who released their debut EP, Sunshine Town, last year.
They’ll be joined by special guests Second Hand Guns and garage rockers The Maitlands. Gullivers, 7.30pm, £6
Anchorsong, aka Masaaki Yoshida, creates electronic music using a MPC2500 sampler and keyboard, building the blocks of the piece live in front of the audience. Having supported the likes of Bonobo, Prefuse 73, DJ Krush, Daedelus, Jega Jazzist and Shigeto, skill-wise he’s up there with the world’s best live beatmakers, though thankfully the price doesn’t match yet.
Support comes from Contours (Rhythm Section), Peter Parker (Fingathing) and Sleepdebt (This City is Ours), with DJs playing ‘til late. Islington Mill, 8pm, £7
Sat 20 Aug
New local indie outfit Mad Winter launch their debut EP, Emergence, this weekend – luring you in with entrance to the after party at 42s included in the ticket price (and a free shot!), and support from The Assist and The Ten-Five Sixty. Night & Day Café, 8pm, £6
[The Beat, photo: Charlotte Rodenstedt]
If ska's more your thing, opt instead for the Great Northern Ska Festival, promising 12 hours of live ska, 2-tone and reggae from the likes of The Selecter, The Beat, Neville Staple, Dawn Penn and others, along with food and drink, funfairs, outdoor stage areas, merch stalls and thousands of like-minded ska fans. Bowler's Exhibition Centre, 3pm, £28.50
Sun 21 Aug
Comprising Tatsuya Yoshida on drums and Ono Ryoko on alto sax, Sax Ruins are the brassy alter-ego of Yoshida’s avant-garde Ruins project, a duo of which he is the only member, as he teams up with rotating bassists.
Sax Ruins takes original Ruins songs and restructures the orchestration, to the effect of some seriously compelling progressive jazzcore. Go boggle thy mind. Islington Mill, 5pm, £8
Mon 22 Aug
Now Wave, Hey! Manchester and Comfortable on a Tightrope team up this week to bring American musician, singer and songwriter Kevin Morby to town, as he tours in support of third solo album, Singing Saw. Formerly known as the bassist in Woods and the frontman for The Babies, Morby’s own work channels the nostalgic folk rock of The Band, Dylan and Leonard Cohen along with his own contemplative energy.
He’ll be joined by Austin, Texas-based Jess William in the warm-up slot. The Deaf Institute, 7.30pm, £10
[Suuns, photo: Michael Sheerin]
Meanwhile, Montreal rockers and Secretly Canadian signings Suuns head our way this week for their first Manchester show in five years, this time armed with their third studio album, Hold/Still. Soup Kitchen, 7.30pm, £10
Tue 23 Aug
Louisana-born, Brooklyn-based Julianna Barwick hits us up this week with her looped, layered, minimalist and melodic music, now with new material from her latest album, Will, released earlier this year via Dead Oceans Records. The Deaf Institute, 7.30pm, £12.50
Now Booking:
Hot Chip's Alexis Taylor does the right thing this September with a Prince Tribute night at Gorilla, celebrating the life and legacy of the late legend. Expect two hours of edits, remixes and originals from the Prince back-catalogue. Tickets are on sale now.
Tickets for soul singer Laura Mvula at The Albert Hall go on sale this Friday at 9am, as she heads to Manchester touring her latest album, The Dreaming Room.
Don't forget, we've also got our upcoming Stay Fresh Fest – featuring Cowtown, Catholic Action, Francis Lung and more – in partnership with The Deaf Institute on the way next month. We're excited, and you should be too; find out more about it here.