STONE have been one of the most exciting, visceral acts in the Liverpool scene for a good few years now. They’ve gained a cult following for the intensity of their live shows and last year they finally delivered what the fans had been calling for… their debut album. ‘Fear Life For A Lifetime’ was a poignant culmination of their journey so far and was a fierce Rock record laced with heartfelt undertones. However, there was a rumbling in the background that the album release p

Celebrating the 20 th  anniversary of their debut album in 2025, Kaiser Chiefs’   20 Years of Employment  tour truly took fans back in time. The Indie Rock band hailing from Leeds found success with their debut album, ‘Employment’ , released in 2005 and selling over three million copies. Playing the full album alongside their greatest hits, Kaiser Chiefs rocked their Manchester performance from start to finish on Saturday, 14 th  February 2026. Supported by Corella , O2 Victo

Since we last saw Cardinals back in 2024 when they supported Been Stellar , it’s clear a lot has changed. Gone are the fresh-faced, Fred Perry-clad members of the past. Now they enter the stage – hoodies up and puffer coats still on – as a band who no longer need to question their place in the room. The shift is subtle but clear. Where they once carried themselves as EP-era hopefuls, tonight they stand firm in the identity their debut has carved out. That confidence bleeds i

Given that Ash  burst out of the blocks with their debut album ‘1977’  thirty years ago, the youth of today would be forgiven for not being familiar with the nature of these Northern-Irish alternative rock and rollers. But whilst ignorance may be understood, it is certainly still pitied, because an Ash gig is a palate-cleanser that we could all do with - a night off from reality, on a harsh winter’s evening. Photo Credit: Paul Lang They kick the gig off with the barnstorming

Discover some of the best new music from emerging artists in Liverpool, Manchester and all the beautiful places in between! TERE! You could absolutely lose yourself in a piano, the breadth of chords and dynamics allows you to tumble through the notes forever. This is, however, the problem that Liverpool based artist TERE! grapples with in her latest single ‘Normal Girl’ ; the problem of losing yourself to an artistic career, never quite fitting into the boxes that you’re mean

Ahead of the BRIT Awards coming to Manchester for the first time in its history, The K’s  took to the Gorilla Stage on Friday night in support of War Child as part of the highly-anticipated Brits week lineup. The Merseyside quartet showcased their ever-growing prowess on the concert stage to a sold-out crowd, creating the perfect sense of communal celebration not only for their music, but for an incredible cause.  Photo Credit: Paul Lang / @paullangphotographer On what would

It’s not often you get a line up that demands you arrive the second the doors open but that was the case last Friday night at Manchesters New Century Hall. Headlining the night was the energy-fuelled Indie Pop duo Good Neighbours but first up was FLETCHR FLETCHR , one of the most exciting new live acts in the country.  From start to finish their set was filled with a dramatic tension. A blend of moody synths, dense drum beats and echoed vocals that floated through the venue.

The city’s biggest celebration of the best new and independent film, Manchester Film Festival , returns in 2026. An annual celebration of storytelling through cinema, MFF brings film lovers and filmmakers together for 11 days of screenings, Q&As, red-carpet glamour, and so much more. Now in its twelfth year, Manchester Film Festival has grown year-on-year, and is now one of the biggest celebrations of cinema in the UK, with consistently high reviews from The festival will als

Suede are having fun on this tour. That’s all. They’re in sweaty, beer coated venues playing songs they’ve only just written and bouncing about like lunatics. They have a weird goth-punk band opening for them and a mass of dizzy teenagers lining the barrier; they’re a definitively modern band.  Suede at RFH 14 Sept 2025 credit Paul Khera The strange gothic kids that christen the night are called Bloodworm, a three piece band from Nottingham whose instruments hang lazily from

Entering the stage following a dancey remix of ‘Strawberry Fields’ , Hushtones turn their walk out into a playful mission statement for the night: prepare for something retro, thoroughly Liverpudlian, but with a subtle hint at something fresher. The quintet has spent the past few years becoming a staple of the North-West music scene, known for blending guitar-driven indie with bright male-female vocals and a penchant for 60s and 70s leaning songcraft that nods to Fleetwood M

Punk Rock duo Kid Kapichi  returned to Liverpool last week to give us a laidback, acoustic introduction to their new era. After the departure of guitarist Ben Beetham and drummer George Macdonald last year, the two-piece have released the perfect send off with new album ‘Fearless Nature’. With a sold out crowd at Rough Trade, they embodied the intimacy of the introspective album, telling anecdotes on creating the album together as a final farewell.  The short set gave us ju

The Sunday headliner has been revealed for this June's Africa Oyé Festival in Liverpool. Fifteen years after her first UK festival performance at Africa Oyé, Grammy-nominated guitarist and singer Fatoumata Diawara is set to make a triumphant return to Sefton Park this summer. Photo credit: Epiphone/Gibson The UK's biggest celebration of African and Caribbean music and culture makes its return to Liverpool on 20th and 21st June this summer, with Nigerian Afrobeats star Patro

Playing the final night of their 2025 ‘Songs for the Spine’ tour, The Royston Club took to the stage at Mountford Hall on December 13th. Having sold out every date of their UK tour this year, The Royston Club ended their performances in their home from home, Liverpool. Originally from Wrexham, the Indie band have taken the UK’s music scene by storm, playing festival after festival and heading out on an extensive run of UK and EU tour dates in 2026. Finding huge success fo

Danny’s Always Late  had the whole scene of Artefact  bouncing and anticipating their every note. The four piece drags you into a sphere of Shoegaze, Indie and a fresh new take on Punk, curating a vibrant and luscious new sound. The quartet has such unwavering energy and immersive music that you feel a part of the musical experience they take you for. Photo Credit: Thea Radford They begin their set with ‘Drunk Kisses’, their skilled techniques and textured sound comes across

We caught Delaner at District for a headline show that felt less like another date on the calendar and more like a marker of progression. Busy from the first doors, there was a sense early on that this was a band stepping into their own space. Operating within an Indie Rock framework, Delaner blend loud, rhythm-driven arrangements with emotive songwriting and dynamic shifts, drawing from classic alternative influences while maintaining a distinctly modern edge. The band’s s

Keyside returned to Liverpool last Friday with an exceptional sold-out headline performance at the O2 Academy  as part of their 2025 UK tour. Following a busy summer on the festival circuit, featuring BBC Radio 1’s Big Weekend , and supporting the likes of The Wombats , Keyside  continue to prove themselves as one of the North West’s most exciting rising bands. Photo Credit: Marieke Macklon Supported by The Cases  and The Kowloons , both acts delivered rocking performances th

Over the last two years The Last Dinner Party have sky rocketed from exciting newcomers to one of the most acclaimed bands in the UK. Having broken through with the hit ‘Nothing Matters’ which blew up online, they quickly proved that they’re far more than a one hit wonder. Their debut album ‘Prelude To Ecstasy’ was one of the standout albums of 2024, filled with a shimmering expressionist singles, giving graceful Baroque Pop ballads a maximalist twist to wonderful effect. 

Tucked away on the corner of Hardman Street, one of Liverpool’s most beloved grassroots venues, Quarry , begins to swell with swathes of eager fans of local band Monks , as they prepare for the final show of the year. Photo Credit: Kieran Shayle Stepping down into the newly re-opened venue, the intimate 250 capacity lent an air of exclusivity and mystique to the evening, which was only emphasised by the dimly-lit rooms, draped in veils of smoke and occasionally pierced by sha

Temeraire - an ensemble born from Liverpool’s music course - unveiled their first acoustic set within the warm, rustic embrace of Artefact , a venue that seemed to inhale and exhale with the band’s every note. The evening unfolded like a tapestry of brassy hues, yearning vocals, and a distinctly bohemian aura that lingered in the audience. The night had a gentle, handmade sound, each charming song being another step into their budding music career. Photo Credit: Will Litton

On October 29 th , alright (okay) released their long-anticipated EP ‘ Decent (Fine) ’ ( read our review here ). Then, on November 15 th  we gathered to hear this enticing EP played live at Liverpool’s trendy venue Future Yard. Boasting five support acts, the gig was thrust into life by Grungy, eruptive three-piece colourwash , followed by the Metal-infused Face It Tegan and the haunting intensity of Broadsheet Speak , peaking   with the Punky, radiant energy of Broken Down G