Arts & Entertainment
The latest arts and entertainment highlights, previews, reviews, music and film features and opinion pieces from The Skinny writers.
-
MusicHamell On Trial – The Happiest Man In The World
Difficult to know what to make of Ed Hamell. He’s an intelligent and articulate singer-songwriter, at something of a rarely-considered midpoint between... Read more »| 24 May 2014 -
MusicSwans / Jenny Hval @ Academy 2, Manchester, 22 May
As two musicians with backgrounds in confrontational art, Michael Gira and Jenny Hval aren’t afraid to tackle the grubby desires of the body. Gira&rsqu... Read more »| 23 May 2014 -
FilmX-Men: Days of Future Past
Bryan Singer’s return to the X-Men franchise opens on a familiar movie dystopia: grey skies are patrolled by murderous shape-shifting robots (called se... Read more »| 23 May 2014 -
Music
Trust @ Sneaky Pete's, 18 May
Air, when compressed, gets hotter and harder to contain. The same could be said for Toronto trio TRUST and their Sunday night crowd at Sneaky Pete’s. F... Read more »| 21 May 2014 -
Music
Speedy Ortiz @ The Shipping Forecast, Liverpool, 19 May
Looking for tonight’s watchword? Let’s go with LOUD. Speedy Ortiz are a beautifully complex tangle of interloping guitar freakouts, head-wrecking... Read more »| 21 May 2014 -
Comedy
Knightmare on Memory Lane
Kids' TV curio Knightmare is back in the form of a hilarious stage-show. We consider what other children's telly staples are ripe for a live comeback Read more »| 20 May 2014
-
Music
Return of the Black Sun: Robert Hampson on reprising Loop
After a twenty-four year hiatus, Loop shocked fans with a sudden announcement of a reformation in 2013. About to play these shores on a co-headline tour with Godflesh, frontman Robert Hampson speaks to us about his absence and his return Read more »| 20 May 2014 -
Music
A New Beat: Liverpool's Låpsley in profile
A rising talent on Liverpool’s music scene, last month Låpsley (aka Holly Lapsley Fletcher) became the inaugural winner of the GIT Award’s One to Watch prize. We caught up with her at the ceremony Read more »| 19 May 2014 -
Music
Plaid – Reachy Prints
Returning in 2011 with the somewhat underwhelming Scintilli, Plaid have kept their hand in, but Reachy Prints sees them return with gusto to the ambitious sonic realms of their golden age, and deliver an album that almost ranks with their best Read more »| 19 May 2014 -
Film
The Punk Singer
Kathleen Hanna claims she started a band because no one ever listened to her. It’s safe to say that changed with Bikini Kill. The Punk Singer takes us ... Read more »| 19 May 2014 -
Music
Hauschka @ The International Anthony Burgess Foundation, Manchester, 16 May
With the International Anthony Burgess Foundation intimately curtained off and laid out in the round with a piano in the centre adorned with oddities li... Read more »| 19 May 2014 -
Theatre
(remor) @ St Luke's Church, Liverpool, 27-28 May
Physical Fest’s programme is predictably glimmering with theatrical treasures, and one such jewel is an 11-minute ‘locked room’ production ... Read more »| 19 May 2014 -
Music
Cloud Sounds #17: with Buzz Osborne, Liars, Black Pus, Rose Windows and more
Our Music team's weekly playlist also showcases new tracks from Slugabed, remixing a Goldie classic; metal / rap fusion from Matmos side-project The Soft Pink Truth; esoteric electronica from Nathan Fake, Fis and Slugabed, and much more Read more »| 16 May 2014 -
Music
Tuff Love – Junk EP
Johnny Lynch’s first new signings since he transplanted the bulk of the Fence roster to his new Lost Map label, Glasgow trio Tuff Love are already dab ... Read more »| 15 May 2014 -
Music
Tori Amos @ O2 Academy, 10 May
Tonight we are very much guests in Tori Amos´ house. There is a reassuring assertiveness and sense of purpose in the way the singer, now turned 50, sug... Read more »| 15 May 2014