LTW Newsletter 83

As I look out of my windows across the concrete vistas of Manchester city centre, I see Joy Division bridge where that classic photo was taken all those years ago, surrounded by trees with a psychedelic full colour palette of a myriad of oranges and browns as nature tumbles into the autumn with a riot of colour.

In the distance, I see another forest of huge skyscrapers and the ever changing Manchester skyline - a skyline whose ever changing moods were sparked by pop culture and maybe even and arguably by that Sex Pistols gig all those decades ago - of course that sparked the post-punk Manchester scene and then the Hacienda and then the skyline which is a concrete and glass version of the new stark linear lines of Martin Hannet’s production of Joy Division.

It must be the fastest changing city in the UK and when I come back after two weeks another building seems to have appeared, and instead of Tuesday nights of a cold and empty city centre of the old days it’s full of people walking dogs -  mainly corgis now which seem to have become the dog of fashion.

Of course, it’s also hectic gig season and with a couple of new venues opening - the city must be up to its most venues ever and across the country, there is also so much going on - this is an exciting month for the lovers of the high decibel as we run around the towns and cities getting our fix.

One great recent show was from St Vincent whose stunning set of very modern twisted pop was mesmerising as she unzipped the art of song into new shapes from plaintive ballads to Prince style funk to noisenik guitar gunk - it was a stunning set that we would have had photos from but the contracts that we were asked to sign for our photographers were insane and would have meant the photographers giving the photos away to the management! It’s all part of the new land grab for rights, which is making it increasingly tricky to navigate, especially as websites, no matter how well read don’t really make any money and that’s why we thank you for your subscriptions…

Glam Shocker Alice Cooper came back through town with the nosiest xmas panto of them all. It's hard to remember how much of a shock troop he was back in the seventies, with questions in Parliament and society shuddering to a halt because of his shenanigans. If only they had known then what they know now - Alice was pure showbiz…

‘Oh no, he isn't’ ‘Oh yes, he is!’

He also had a clutch of great songs to soundtrack his shenanigans which helped…

The Libertines have been back out and about playing shows and legendary music writer Simon Spence was there to report on the gig. A few years ago, I doubt anyone would have thought that the influential band would have reached veteran status, but here they are in weirdly, very rude health.

We were excited to announce the new album from Amyl and the Sniffers - the riotous Australian band have been saving the sorry ass of rock n roll and punk rock for a few years now and seem positioned to go supernova. It makes you think that sometimes forms of music sag not because they are tired and dated as a musical thing but maybe because the main groups in the scene just don't have that zip of excitement and that sparkle of charisma - Amyl and the Sniffers have it in droves and Amy is a brilliant singer who owns the stage and every photo session with her effervescent self is a no holds barred lust for life. The new Amyl & The Sniffers video Jerkin' is utter filth and fury…

Perhaps one of the albums of the year, the new one from The Cure is out in a couple of weeks and it is as dark and yet enticing as we hoped it would be - a mixture of great melodies and intricate yet pounding songs bring on the melancholy as Robert Smith deals with deaths of close family with an album that looks back at life and tries to come to terms with the sadness of ageing.

It’s a truly wonderful album.

Manchester cult band from the eighties, Man From Delmonte, have returned from the ether. It must be about 30 years since we last heard from them. The whole city is a totally different place and the world have changed about ten times since their sharp witty and breezy skiffle indie sold out venues in the city but here they are - I wonder if Roger the dog will still be with them - a blind dog that was impossibly ancient at the time and turned up for every gig and sat on stage whilst they did their thing.

HUNGRY are the latest new band from Manchester and their new single somehow combines the angular post hardcore of the Fugazi with a whiff of the Smiths melodic intelligence and charisma…there is something really interesting about this band and well worth checking out.

The legendary Salford lads club is struggling for finances and needs money before the end of November - they have set up a crowd fund and hope to clear the amount or close down which would be a tragic loss to the city’s cultural heritage. This not just because of the Smiths photo which put it on the map but the deeper musical history of the Hollies forming there and for all its local work in the community, which it still does - an amazing building and space and one of the few rare glimmers of what Salford used to look like.

Ist Ist played a big sold-out show at the wonderful New Century Hall in Manchester and our reviewer was ecstatic…’With their dark energy pop/noise, Ist Ist have quietly become a very big deal. They celebrated their recent  Top 30 album Light A Bigger Fire with a sold out tour'

George Bernard Shaw once said that the USA and the UK are ‘two nations divided by a common language”.

It now seems that they are also divided by a sense of humour.

The British sense of humour often doesn't make sense to the Americans - many of our exports have to be rewritten with different actors and ruined and yet we have to watch all of their programmes without any change. Last week there was an Oasis skit on Saturday Night Live which was a total misfire. It’s painful to watch whatever you think of the band!

Meryl Streek is our album of the week with  Wayne Carey reckoning that ‘The Dublin firecracker has more targets in his sight on this second album, ‘Songs For The Deceased’’  which is filled with heartfelt truthful anger as before. Welcome to his anti church.’