The Pretty Reckless- Manchester Academy- 18/12/10

As I stand waiting, with the most photographers I have ever seen at the Manchester Academy, I can't help but think I am about to witness the perfect example of 'its not what you know, but who you know.'




This is mainly due to the fact that tonight's band, The Pretty Reckless, is fronted by a young lady called, Taylor Momsen, who made a name for herself acting in TV's Gossip Girl, before deciding that an Alt. Rock band is they way she'd like to earn a crust. She also happens to be incredibly attractive, slightly contraversial, and 17 years old. All of these things combined to reinforce my cynicism as to why this band have managed to sell out the Manchester Academy on their debut UK tour.


Turns out I was rather wrong.

The bands main material is, to be honest, not much to write home about. I haven't been into that kind of stuff for many years now- having got over the various injustices, problems and emotional trauma in the world. However, the band rock out, audience love it and Taylor keeps everyone suitably excited. Taylor turns out to actually be a very competent vocalist, at times sounding remarkably like Karen-O of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs (cue the refutations from hardcore YYY fans, but she bloody does!).


Interspersed into their own material, The Pretty Reckless also squeeze in a few covers. The first is introduced as "a song we wanted to play on French TV, but they wouldn't let us because they didn't think enough people would know it. I hope more of you know it." This put me on edge, 'how bad could it be!?' i'm thinking.


Not bad at all, as it turns out. The cover is of Audioslave's 'Like a Stone', a very good song that I've not heard in quite a while. I think the only people in the building who know it are me and the band- most 15 year old girls yet to acquaint themselves with Chris Cornell's back catalogue- confirming the French media's suspicions. But full credit to them for having the balls to play a song they wanted to, despite not fitting into the 'target demographic'.

The final cover, during the encore, was a medley of Oasis' 'Supersonic' and Muse's 'Time is Running Out'. Again both of these aren't the immediately obvious tracks you'd expect someone to cover, and again, most of the audience don't have a clue about them, but they're both very well executed and keep me suitably entertained!

So all in all, a show with a few surprises, and a lot of my cynicism dashed. The Pretty Reckless, it turns out, are a real, decent band, who all know what they're doing. Theres a lot of mediocre rock in the music industry nowadays and, as far as mediocre goes, I'll but them towards the top end of that scale.

Mak Promo Shoot

Last month before my monthly trip to Leeds for Metropolis, they got in touch to ask if I could do a short promo shoot for one of their residents. Mak is a Dubstep DJ from Leeds who has been gigging at Metropolis & elsewhere in Leeds for quite some time. He is also a producer of some fine music and well worth checking out!

Citizen Promo Shoot

I had another band promo shoot last week with Citizen in Manchester's Northern Quarter.



Citizen are a new band which transcend the house/dubstep/drum & bass genres with ease- leaving my ownly available description of them as Electronica. Although you may not have heard of them, give it a year and that should change. The guys (and girl) have been busy in the studio preparing material of the highest quality, which is to be kept under wraps for the time being, until what could be an explosive emergence in 2011. I was lucky enough to get a preview and can safely say you WILL want to hear it... and then hear it again.



Back to the shoot and its a brisk night in the City Centre, we congregate at the bands rehearsal space in the Northern Quarter. Have a little chat and listen to their material before starting. The rehearsal studios had a nice vibe about them and we get some good shots in the corridors & stairwells before venturing outside. The lovely Mancunian weather means nobody is too keen to stay out that long, and the wind gives its best attempts to destroy my flash & light stand but we end up with some killer shots. Theres something about cities at night which really gets me going so to combine this with some band shots is an absolute joy- and something I'll definitely be doing again!!



Watch out for Citizen in 2011- don't say I didn't warn you!

Del, Possibly the Funkiest Homosapien

A 200 capacity basement on a rainy november evening in Manchester. Not where you may expect to see a once-in-a-lifetime Hip Hop event but thats what this capacity crowd will get.

Thanks to the 'Taste the Difference' Crew and one promotors insistence on booking his favourite MC for his birthday, we get a truly unique spectacle, for a fiver! Tonight, Teren Delvon Jones, a man you may know better as Del The Funky Homosapien, Del tha Funkee Homosapien, Deltron, Deltron Zero, Sir Dzl, Del Diablo Diabolique or 'That rapper from that 'Clint Eastwood' tune', makes an appearance at the Manchester Roadhouse. Venues of this size are usually suited to amateur and up and coming bands and low key club nights, not Hip Hop royalty such as Del. The crowd all seem to know how special an event this is. I've tried to find a record of any previous UK appearance from Del and couldn't find anything. If he has ever played a UK show I'll bet it wasn't half as intimate.



Support for the show is provided by Californian compatriot Bukue One and DJ Zac Hendrix. Bukue One bucks the crowd up well. An MC who is clearly not afraid to show that he's having fun- a welcome change from the 'badboy MC' image! Once a suitable amount of hype has been imbued to the crowd, Del appears without further ado.



Arms fly up into the air and the crowd goes wild. Del launches into a set comprising of a huge mixture of material, old and new. We get hits from his early days, when he turned up on the scene as 'Ice Cube's Cousin', new material from last year's free download release 'Funk Man' and a host of the inbetween. A pleasant amount of 'Heiroglyphics' material and some impromptu freestyling prove a welcome treat, and the while thing is topped off with a re-worked version of his Gorillaz collaboration 'Clint Eastwood'. This truly was a show that won't be repeated and unlike anything Manchester is likely to see again.

Glad to be a part of it!

Metropolis 8th Brithday - Warehouse Project - 6/11/10

When Metropolis first started up 8 years ago, I'm sure the promoters could only have dreamt of filling a venue the size of the Warehouse Project- with a gargantuan line up to boot.

Since its conception, the Metropolis brand has gone from strength to strength, and progressively bigger events, to become a heavyweight on the promotions scene- now heard uttered in the same breath as Chibuku, Minus & Bedrock as a 'buy on sight' night, regardless of line up, which will never disappoint. Earlier this year, their acquisition of the Leeds Refectory, added to the already massive Student Union meant they can now boast curation of the largest dance music event in the North of the UK, pleasing the 4000 ravers they pack in each month.

Tonight, however, is not about Leeds or the epic events there. Metropolis has come home to Manchester for a big birthday bash at the Warehouse Project, its Mancunian winter home for the past 5 years. A line up including heavyweights Sub Focus, DJ Yoda and Friction is sure to keep the best part of 2000 excited fans up dancing until the wee hours.

Yoda kicks things off with his trademark AV performance. Combining scrathching and manipulation of both visuals and music, he keeps the crowd excited throughout with retro-pop culture visuals referencing TV & film of yesteryear, along with heavyweight dancefloor hits from a multitude of genres- pleasing for both the eyes and ears. He is followed by a set from N-Type, a dubstep don with the dirtiest wobbliest cuts around. The crowd is hit with a relentless wall of bass and loves every minute.

With the crowd suitably pumped, it's now time the tempo was increased to the other side of 170bpm. In Metropolis' rise to the top, their line ups have moved from pure Drum & Bass to a more eclectic mix of underground bass music, reflecting the 'scene's' evolution as a whole and the emergence of Dubstep towards a more mainstream audience. Tonight however, Yoda aside, the main room of the Warehouse Project feels the full force of the best Drum & Bass has to offer right through until 5am.

Sub Focus kicks things off with the Mancunian debut of his new live show. An impressive performance of his biggest hits with some 'live remixing' to boot, all with Nick squirrelled away behind a huge circular bank of lights which wouldn't look out of place on a festival main stage. MC ID keeps things pumped in front of the illuminations and proves a more than capable host throughout.

Following on from the headliners, the crowd are treated to sets from Roni Size, Friction and DJ Hype. All the absolute cream of the Drum & Bass crop and every set is pretty much untouchable in terms of quality and energy. If I had to pick, I'll give the 'Best Set' award to Friction, combining fresh dubplates with stonewall classics in the tightest possible way, never disappointing anda true lesson in DJing.

While all this is happening, Room 2 of the venue is hosting some heavyweight Dubstep from Breakage and residents The Steppahs, UK Funky from Roska and more D&B stylings from Xample & Lomax (as Loadstar) and local legend DJ Silver. Proving conclusively that, if you like bass, Metropolis never fails to deliver and they truly deserve their place at the top. There's something for everyone here and I am more than OK with another 8 years of it!

Chromeo- Manchester Academy- 13/11/10

With the tragic passing of James Brown a few years ago, the world lost a significant proportion of its funk, but it would seem that part of the Godfathers mojo has been reincarnated in the guise of Chromeo. The duo, from Montreal, Canada, have ventured to the UK to promote their second Album release. They have developed quite the following on these shores through a combination of underground and mainstream exposure (their tune Fancy Footwork featured in a big hair product commercial) and we are informed that Manchester was their first sell-out date on this tour- to a rapturous reception.

The performance is nothing short of astounding and I would challenge anyone to watch them without bopping about. From start to finish the audience sings along to every word with adulation and the band clearly appreciates their efforts, encouraging sing- and clap-alongs throughout. P-Thugg gives us a lesson in how to rock out a vocoder (none af that lame T-Pain style business here!) and Dave 1 keeps the crowd interaction to a maximum as the band cruise through hits, old and new. The well publicised 'Fancy Footwork' gets the largest reaction, although the eclectic audience are clearly into them way beyond one 'commercial' hit, and the dancing doesn't stop until the lights come on...

James Brown would be proud.

Magnetic Man & Katy B - Live in Leeds

Magnetic Man performed the Leeds leg of their UK tour at The Cockpit- A semi-intimate venue and a fairly modest choice from a band which are making massive overtones with their debut album. The crowd was a fairly young one, but my ears were deaf to any complainers. After all, anyone under 18 is going to have some difficulty in seeing any dubstep (or any music traditionally reserved for nightclubs), so why not give them a chance too. And anyway, they were as up for it as any crowd I've witnessed!

Support was from their friend & collaborator, Katy B, who got everyone pumped with an all too short performance of just 4 songs. New single 'Lights On' went down very well but the highlight was, of course, her smash hit, produced by Benga, 'Katy on a Mission'. Although I did find the live band performing with her, while producing a tight and interesting performance, lacking in weight compared to her studio productions.

Magnetic Man however, were anything but lacking in weight! Clearly able to get as much as possible out of the Cockpits soundsystem, Skream, Benga and Artwork must've been rocking nuclear powered laptops. The trio churned through their entire LP with full force, promoting an excited reaction from the crowd, which resembled a full on moshpit at times. The highlight for me, was the end of their perfomance. Welcoming Katy B back to the stage, she performed album filler 'Crossover' before the obvious finale of 'Perfect Stranger', an incredible piece of work and one of my favourite tracks for many years and an opportunity for myself to put the camera down for a minute and truly rock out! All in all a great gig, my only disappointment was their lack of further material to perform an extended set.

KT Tunstall - Ritz, Manchester - 21/10/10

Occasionally I arrive at a gig in good time, get to meet my fellow photographers who are there, find out who's shooting for what publications/agencies. I can guage the lighting during the support acts and get a feel for what settings I may have to use.

I wasn't able to do any of these for KT Tunstall's gig in Manchester last week. Some city centre roadworks and a lack of nearby parking meant I arrived at the Ritz with about 4 seconds to spare before KT took to the stage. Ms Tunstall has had a bit of a sabbatical recently. After releasing two acclaimed albums, she literally took the money and ran, taking a trip round the world and generally enjoying the life that fame and fortune grants. In fact, her third song was one written while travelling on a boat in the Arctic with "a load of scientists and a load of musicians" (sounds like a cool trip!), showing that her time away wasn't totally squandered.

Luckily for me following my late arrival, the lighting was excellent and I didn't have to worry too much. The main problem was the 3 other photographers in the pit, getting in each others way- all part of the job though! And once again my photo-pass got me thrown out of the building after the allocated first 3 songs- I'm none to happy about the frequency of this happening!

Plan B - Manchester Academy - 15/10/10

Its when I get to shoot the biggest selling UK artist of 2010 that I know I must be doing something right. Plan B's 'The Defamation of Strickland Banks' has received great reviews from all quarters and he's sold out the Manchester Academy tonight on the back of it. The crowd is quite the mix of demographics and a suitable demonstration of his new material's mainstream appeal, and why some of my friends now hate him. Either way its a far cry from the first time I saw him perform; in this very building supporting Roots Manuva, just one young man and an acoustic guitar on stage.

As far as the performance goes, it's flawless. The stage is mocked up to the theme of the album and the star and his band are suited and booted. Plan B rattles through his new album, the audience loving every minute and the excellent decor and lighting means I got some excellent shots. Shame I had to leave before the end to get to another gig.

Professor Green - Manchester Academy 2 - 14/10/10

Like the Example concert I covered a couple of weeks ago, I thought this was probably too small a venue for Professor Green. 2010 has been quite a year for the artist, his INXS sampling 'Need You Tonight' propelled him into the limelight and follow up singles have gained him further success and mainstream appeal. He's rightfully sold out this venue with ease and the crowd are rightfully excited in anticipation of the show.

A warm-up DJ takes to the stage before the band and starts spinning some big tunes to get the crowd excited. 'Katy on a Mission', 'Pon De Floor' and 'One' are well received and set the mood so that, as Professor Green finally takes the stage, he gets a rapturous reception. The crowd sing along to every song and appreciate every hit. He closes a great performance with 'Need You Tonight', which everybody has been waiting for, a flawless crescendo which means everyone leaves happy.