DZ Deathrays @ Factory 251, Manchester, 18/11/2012

Ears ringing, hearts pumping and smiles plastered to a widened grin as Australian natives DZ Deathrays leave the stage of Manchester's Factory on their last British date until festival season 2013. If tonight’s performance was anything to go by I'm sure they will be booking a fuller tour after the hype machine gets its rusty claws into the boys . But if we were to rewind the clocks back half an hour to before the shockingly undersold show, the thought that Shane Parsons and Simon Ridley could reproduce the urgency and power behind their critically acclaimed debut album Bloodstreams was questionable. However, as soon as the duo take to stage and the opening notes of Bloodchills is blasted around the venue all doubts have been quashed and the doubters are left feeling foolish. The duo are completely in sync and their self proclaimed party/thrash fills every crevice of the venue reverberating in the rib-cages of all in attendance. The pinnacle for me is the performance of Gebbie Street, which came to the attention of many after a superb fan made video featuring black and white clips of acting A-Lister's in their glad rags acting very naughty indeed. The gig seems to escalate in energy with every passing moment and the heavy guitar lines and deep thumping and crashing of the drums penetrates the room leaving the audience somewhat awestruck as DZ Deathrays leave the stage after a Ramones length performance filled with the same intensity. DZ Deathrays are definitely ones not to miss and a must see at any festival that has been wise and quick enough to book them.

Mystery Jets @ HMV Ritz, Manchester, 17/11/2012

The Mystery Jets seem to have an air of potency and clearly have something to prove as they take to the stage at Manchester's HMV Ritz. This may be because of the still recent departure of original bass player Kai Fish and the introduction of a new rhythm section consistent of Peter Cochrane and Matt Park. The Jets set draws heavily on newest album Radlands and their ability to transport the audience to the recording studios of Austin, Texas is palpable not only because of the intricate light show of bird shadows across the backdrop or the tastled leather jackets and American flag shirts, but because of the beautiful, multiple harmonies of the vocals and the subtle slide guitar emerging on several tracks adding in masses to the atmosphere and space of songs such as The Ballad of Emmerson Lonestar where the amalgamation of acoustic guitars and subtle drums allows the voices to shine through and allows universes of space for the newer songs to really grow when performed live. The Mystery Jets have definitely shown that they have nothing left to prove as they truly shone tonight and demonstrated just why they are held so fondly in the hearts of many music fans across the globe.

Little Barrie @ Factory 251 Manchester, 17/11/2012

The excitement and exhilaration in every rock 'n' roll fan stems from a thrill and love of discovery, discovery of something new, this does not have to be discovery of a new band but of a band that is new to you. Tonight I discovered the whirlwind sound of Little Barrie. Little Barrie are a traditional power trio in every sense of the word, a tight well rehearsed rhythm section fronted by a virtuoso guitar player. With a sound rooted in as many genres as one can think of, parallels can be drawn with the groove of early Stone Roses with bluesy lead guitar over the top. The groove is provided by Lewis Wharton on bass and with Virgil Howe keeping a flamboyant sound and a rock n roll visual at the back of the stage on drums, what's not to love? The outfit are named after and formed by part time Primal Scream guitarist Barrie Cadogon who has the tone and dexterity heard in Cream era Clapton with a voice to match. The trio are at there best and most engaging when spurring crowd participation on a flurry of sing and clap along tracks that would lend themselves to a wider popier audience if it wasn't for the solid credibility evident in the scuzzy rock/blues tones emerging from the guitar and the tendency of drummer Virgil Howe to throw in a fill or two. It is a wonder that little has been heard from this band in the wake of the mainstream music holy grails of Q and NME but it is as reassuring as ever that great music is out there if we will ourselves to just scratch the surface.

Bat For Lashes @ Manchester Cathedral, 23/10/2012

To use the term "spiritual" when describing a Bat For Lashes performance would be like calling the sea a tad bit wet. So when the opportunity arises to see the London born Natasha Khan at the grandiose setting of Manchester Cathedral they very naturally seem a match made in heaven. Riding on the wave of rave reviews garnered from her most recent release The Haunted Man, the nights event promised to be a spectacle worthy of the second date added due to demand. The album has refined that which makes Bat For Lashes so special, this being a blend of organic, natural, acoustic sounds, mixed with a profound interest in electronic sounds such as heavy synthesiser sounds and scattered drum patterns, all of which is evident on set and album opener Lilies. With a powerful sound reverberating around the fabulous building it is easy to forget the surrounding and just focus purely on Natasha's engaging stage presence, reminiscent of Stevie Nicks at her most ethereal, but gone are the drapes of cloth and eccentric headgear and what remains is the character and beauty of Natasha's voice and her unprecedented control over stage and audience. The highlight of the evening is the performance of lead single Laura, with all but pianist leaving the stage allowing Natasha to truly demonstrate her siren in the night voice. Come the end of the show as people spill onto the street, the residing thought of the night is a general consensus that something spectacular and completely uncommon has just happened.