Gab’s Guest Blog

This week I have the pleasure to introduce my second ever guest blog from my good pal and committed muso Gab (offer remains open to other readers). For the record this kid has a terrific singing voice herself and I will endeavour to see her live whenever she has the time to return to the stage.

So here we go with Gab’s blog…..

When met with the rare and frankly glorious offer of a child-free night, and as a former gig-enthusiast prior to becoming a mother of two under two (thoughts, prayers, and strong coffee welcomed), I jumped at the chance to revisit an old Liverpool stomping ground of mine: the Kazimier Gardens. There is something brilliantly nostalgic about heading back to a venue you once knew so well, especially when it comes with the promise of live music, a proper atmosphere, and the ability to remember, even briefly, that you were once able to leave the house after 7pm.

Being predominantly outdoor is always something I appreciate about this venue. It manages that perfect balance between feeling like a nighttime haunt while still being relaxed, airy, and oddly welcoming. There is a real charm to the place, and it certainly helps, as an ardent smoker, that you can still feel part of the fold whilst succumbing to those dark urges. But the delights did not stop there. Tucked away in the corner of the venue is the Liverpool Kazimier Stockroom, which on this particular night was host to some fantastic local talent.

Turvey. Image Credit happeningnext.com

The headliners of the evening were a relatively new band on the scene, first formed in late 2025, named Turvey. Their catchy sound was reminiscent of the 1980s glam rock era, complete with melodic riffs, echoing staccato lyricism and thumping drums. I almost started to do a boxing montage as I listened. They brought a fun, confident energy to the room and gave a really great performance to experience. I would definitely be keen to hear more from these lads.

The highlight of the night though, for me, was Gunmen of the Apocalypse (G.O.A). Comprised of powerful drums, smooth bass, energetic and impactful guitar, and masterful rich vocals delivered with an authentic Scouse twang, they had the kind of presence that makes you properly take notice. They performed an all-killer, no-filler line-up of their anthemic rock backlog, which had the crowd on their feet and moving from the minute they hit the stage. A real classic rock delight for the ears, G.O.A were definitely not a one trick pony, showing a strong variety of song styles within a short timeslot.

G.O.A. Image Credit goaofficial.bandcamp.com

Their songs “Home” and “She Said” were the most catchy and commercial for me, the type of songs you could easily imagine on an ad, a trailer, or the intro to a prime-time show. I think most of the crowd will have walked away singing them for a while afterwards. But my favourite was “Web of Lies”, which demonstrated their range with a fusion of funk and classic rock, almost like a beautiful song-child of the Arctic Monkeys and Red Hot Chilli Peppers. Though they did perform a ballad, they did not lose momentum or engagement with the crowd, who were left wanting more. I would be keen to watch this space with Gunmen Of the Apocalypse, and I may well see you at their next gig.

Honourable mention must also go to the support acts: Strike and The Rad Lads, both of whom brought something different and memorable to the night. Firstly, I’ll talk about Strike, whose epic solos really were metal personified. If you’re a metal fan, these are absolutely the guys for you, bringing plenty of grit, energy, and head-banging potential to the line-up.

The Rad Lads. Image Credit facebook.com

Last but by no means least, The Rad Lads. This four-piece ensemble can be seen gigging around Liverpool music joints like the Jacaranda and Shipping Forecast, and they never fail to create a lively, enjoyable atmosphere. Their unique mesh of genres, including folk, country and punk rock, creates a wonderfully weird smorgasbord of sound which sets them apart from your generic local bands. Think Buzzcocks meets Mumford & Sons, and they invite Blues into the party.

Luckily for me, all of the bands performing that night are available to listen to on Spotify — what an age we live in. It feels almost rude to have access to such musical righteousness for free, but if you do have a listen and want to show your support, check out their upcoming gigs. Most of them are local to the Northwest and can be found through their Instagram band accounts. If this night proved anything, it is that Liverpool’s live music scene is still bursting with character, talent, and the kind of unpolished magic that makes a gig feel genuinely worth leaving the house for.

Manchester Venues 223 to 225

Included in one of many tributaries weaving off from Stevenson Square in the Northern Quarter is Lever Street where you would find the Manchester Faraday. Back in 2012, a company called Bakerie opened what was badged as a bread and wine bar in that building. They apparently had a plethora of different vinos available, numbering over ninety, and staged occasional live music and made an instant enough impact on the local scene to be awarded the Manchester Food & Drink Festival best newcomer prize for 2012.

Their cellar bar area contained a novel wine jukebox, now I don’t how that device operated but notwithstanding that it still sounds like an intriguing premise to me! They had a small shop nearby where they sold bread and wine which punters could take away and the owners at the time also owned ran three other NQ sites, namely Dough, Apotheca and Pie & Ale.

That particular venture finally closed its doors in March 2018 and was rapidly taken over by a Scandinavian bar and restaurant called Fika, but they only had a short lived seven month residency. They were then followed for a 6 year period by a games bar called 7 Sins before the current owners moved in there in 2025.

Faraday pub. Image Credit Unknown.

The Faraday has maintained some historical precedent by having an active games presence in the upstairs area with shuffleboard tables, interactive darts and pool tables. I happened to be skulking past one rainy night (not in Soho!), as you do, and I was enticed into the establishment by the sound of live music emanating out from the door. I slid past the bouncers and avoided being allocated to a table and grabbed a perch on the edge of the bar.  

My first impression was favourable as the ground floor area was kitted out in a traditional British pub style with vintage pub mirrors, wonky bar stools, leather seating and the archetypal wood panelled walls. On a small stage at the end of the large room, I saw a local singer called Alvin performing.

A couple of hundred yards away on Hilton Street you will find a bar called Manchester To Be Frank. They opened in October 25 and then subsequently decided to relaunch in April 26 by adopting an Irish slant and the moniker was changed accordingly to ‘To Be Sure’! This revised version of the bar boasts that they apparently have the largest whiskey selection in the Northwest.  

To Be Frank bar. Image Credit www.manchestersfinest.com

The previous tenant there was a Melbourne inspired bar called Another Heart to Feed which was initiated in 2017 becoming the second branch of the chain alongside their original premises in West Didsbury.  

The closing time of ‘To Be Sure’ is 2am every weekday night and 3am on Fridays and Saturdays. Also, on the weekends they stage live music on the ground floor with a DJ spinning vinyl in the basement. My one visit thus far was when returning from another gig and I saw a chap called Dennis playing.

Hilton Street initially commences from Spear Street, which runs through the centre of Stevenson Square, and then it proceeds as one of the three main thoroughfares across the Northern Quarter. You pass the Nancy Spains and the Affleck & Brown hostelries which sit on respective sides of Oldham Street before crossing Tib Street (named after the underground River Tib).

At this stage the name changes to Manchester Thomas Street and on the right is Evuna NQ restaurant, which is in my humble view the finest tapas restaurant in the city centre.  About five doors down from there is the renowned Millstone public house which is always highly busy with a marginal musical angle as there appears to be an all-day karaoke permanently ongoing.

The Millstone. Image Credit manchestersfinest.com

Now, when I say renowned that is patently not a recommendation, as my personal ‘renown’ with this hostelry is that I remain convinced to this day that our gig party had our drinks spiked there prior to my debut Mogwai show at the Roadhouse in 1998. Additionally in a homage to our new prime minister the pub recently changed the sign on the door to say ’10 of the North’!

A few months ago, I happened to be walking by and there was a pop-up stage directly opposite the pub where a combo called The Zumba Band were performing. Further bars are then encountered until the street terminates when it reaches the Shudehill Interchange. In December 2023 in a very unexpected turn of events the street was chosen to be the location for the catwalk for the Metier d’Arts 2023-2024 fashion show, resulting in undoubtedly bemused ‘A-listers’ mulching up and down the road!  

A postscript this week is that within this article I have proceeded to roll past 250k (a quarter of a million) words in total. The actual landmark word this time is ‘party’ which is one I can live with and fight for the right for!