Tag: Manchester Albert Schloss

2025 Gigs – Part 1

After an initially sluggish start to the year the concert attendances began to exponentially increase as the months progressed and by the time Hogmanay arrived, I had created a personal best of 200 gigs and alongside that a total of 95 new venues visited. At the time I thought that would transpire to be an unbeatable gig number; however, the numbers are rattling along in 2026, and I have given myself a chance to surpass it, but time will tell in that regard! As in the previous annual review articles I shall only incorporate venues covered in previous blogs. 

So, let us begin initially in chronological order with a visit back to the God’s country on Preston on the 25th of January. After watching Preston earn a slightly fortuitous 2-1 victory over Middlesbrough, I met up with John Dewhurst and Uncle George for a few scoops. We started in the Eldon pub and then travelled over to my old stamping ground of Ashton Lane Ends.

I lived in that area for nine years and the sole pub during that period was the Lane Ends, but there is now a veritable pub crawl as four new pop-up bars have appeared in that district. We had a skelp around those establishments before grabbing some tea at the Silk Route Indian restaurant. Post-food we walked up to the Preston Wheatsheaf which as ever was well populated, and a band called Groove Thing were performing.  

The Lane Ends pub back in the day. Image Credit www.bing.com

There was another Preston trip in August with Gill added to the crew this time and we were celebrating a more consequential and deserved 2-1 win over Leicester. We encountered local legend Big Steve near the Wallace and Gromit monument whilst we were heading towards Preston Market.  On the stage they have located outside the Orchard Bar that night was a local singer called Phil Ireland.  

The original Wheatsheaf gig inspired me to kick start my year in earnest so four days later I headed into the city on a solo trip to hunt down some gigs in order to boost my numbers. I visited Lost Cat and Affleck and Brown for the first time which have been covered in past articles. I also attended Manchester Matt and Phreds and on stage was a Liverpool band called Sweet Beans whose music has been classed as either riot jazz or daft funk! I returned a month later and at another free show the Jazz Quarter were playing.

The Whiskey Jar. Image Credit www.skiddle.com

Also visited was what I now call Manchester Old Freemount on Oldham Street (renamed since to the Mother of Invention) where a chap called Jeff was playing. I also attended three other times that year with different singers each time. There was the obligatory foray to Manchester Whiskey Jar on the way back to Piccadilly train station where I saw a double act called Steph and Alan. Before the year was out, I saw a couple of further shows at that venue.

The final one to tick off that evening was to the Manchester Copper Bar, which has been another welcome addition to the roster and where they regularly have free gigs. On that particular visit the band on stage was a local act called Windbourne. The Copper Bar is the parallel room to the Manchester Band on the Wall and sometimes they have bands playing as an addendum to gigs in the main room.

Band on the Wall. Image bandonthewallseetickets.com

On one such visit I witnessed a combo named Love Like Me after we were leaving a show next door. The primary reason for our attendance was to see the reformed Pains of Being Pure At Heart for the sixth time in total who were in excellent fettle. They were touring their superb eponymously titled debut album and as soon as the distinctive chords of the opening track ‘Contender’ assailed my ears I knew we were in for a treat. Our small but perfectly formed group also included Gill, Marcus and Anita and we had undertaken pre-gig aperitifs in the nearby Smithfield Market Tavern.   

I have also made a visit to Manchester Nancy Spains (previously known as the Corner Bar) on Hilton Street adjacent to Stevenson Square where I saw a singer called Paddy. Over on Oxford Street I caught my tenth gig at Manchester Albert Schloss where Jasper was performing on the small stage.

There was an isolated trip into Levenshulme to the Manchester Bia Café Bar where I saw the regular chilled house band sounds of Grace Kelley and Debbie Garvey. 

2024 Gigs – Part 4

In March I made another pilgrimage to Manchester Band on the Wall where I went to see BDRMM for the second time. I will cover the band in more detail when I review my first sighting of them on what turned out to be a chaotic night at Manchester White Hotel.

I thoroughly enjoyed their set, but the downside was that it was exceedingly busy with no wriggle room to gravitate from your chosen slot. Uncle George, John Dewhurst and Riggers were in tow, and I recall pre-gig drinks at Northern Monk Refectory MCR and Smithfield Market Tavern and pre-gig tucker at Viet Shack.   

Manchester Northern Monk. Image Credit reeceleung.com

Around the time of the Cheltenham Festival and St Patricks Day I was on the way to another gig, and I happened to catch a portion of the House Band at Manchester Blues Kitchen Bar and a segment of the set of a singer/songwriter named Harriet at Manchester Albert Schloss. Later in the year I saw a couple of other acts at Albert Schloss when they had regular daytime gigs taking place to coincide with the student graduation season.

The gig I was indirectly heading towards was at Manchester Albert Hall and was preceded by imbibing a couple of bevvies in the Sir Ralph Abercromby located in an alley right behind the venue. My Albert Hall attendance was to see the Pixies for the fifth time and my ticket was booked prior to realising that they were playing ‘Trompe Le Monde’ and ‘Bossonova’, my least favourite of their albums as my personal highlight of theirs has always been ‘Surfer Rosa’.

Having said all that, it was beneficial to reappraise these records and there is some belting tunes sporadically dotted about on them including on the night fine versions of ‘Velouria’, ‘Allison’ and ‘Planet of Sound’. I have also just clocked that earlier this year they released a live album of the shows on that tour. They were supported by The Pale White who were a three piece from Newcastle who include in their ranks brothers Adam and Jack Hope. 

A small matter of eight days after I returned to the venue to have my latest sweet fix (Some Candy Talking?) of Jesus and Mary Chain. I have in the last month travelled past the 40th anniversary of my attendance at their legendary gig at Clouds in Preston on the 6th of September 1985.

Preston Clouds attached to Preston Odeon approximately 1981. Image Credit facebook.com.

There was a posse of seven gathered in the afore mentioned Sir Ralph Abercromby prior to the show for beers and badinage. They started with a bang with ‘Jamcod’ and ‘Happy When It Rains’ and completed the main set with a flourish of ‘I Love Rock and Roll’ and ‘Just Like Honey’. I also had the veritable treat of finally catching up with fellow local music aficionado Cath Aubergine at the conclusion of the gig. The night as many before it culminated in the Temple of Convenience bar.    

In October I had my final 2024 visit where I saw Public Service Broadcasting performing. They were as ever at a decent level but was probably my least favourite viewing of them across the four times I have witnessed them so far.

There were two appearances at Manchester Ritz, bringing my total there to 37, which places it in third place on my most attended venue list. The first was the Australian band Jet who formed in 2001 and disbanded in 2012 before two separate reformations, the second one preceding this tour. They were playing their original popular first album ‘Get Born’ and it was around 15 years since I saw them previously in the same venue.   

The other gig was with the stellar company of Rick Clegg and his daughter Charlotte and her pal Laura. We went to the newly reopened and revamped Grosvenor pub on Oxford Road with the obligatory visit to the Umami noodle bar close by. The band playing was English Teacher from Leeds, led by the charismatic singer Lily Fontaine. Their debut album ‘This Could Be Texas’ had recently won the 2024 Mercury Prize, thankfully breaking a nine-year stronghold of London-based musicians winning the award. They were a quirky bunch and very enjoyable.

English Teacher. Image Credit nme.com

The final show of the year to reference was at Manchester Night and Day and came to my attention via some musical gurus on Twitter (now X) before I decided like many others to ditch that poisonous platform. Marcus and I attended, and we watched a portion of that night’s Euros 24 match in the boozer beforehand.

The band was the Reds, Pinks and Purples which is the brainchild of Glenn Donaldson who is also a photographer and record collector. He is a prolific singer/songwriter exemplified by writing 200 songs and releasing seven albums in seven years. When he is playing live, he is part of a five-piece band comprised of musicians from his San Francisco home. He has a soothing evocative voice and was one of my favourite gigs of the year. He was supported by Ryan Davis & The Roadhouse band who hail from Kentucky.