Mick Birchall Reviews

You know sometimes you just need to get to a punk show. I’d recommend it even if you’re not super into punk. The aggression, the energy, the passion and the vibe can infect the venue and get even the most uptight and stick-in-the-mud person moving, shouting and screaming. Once again, I found myself at Tank Bar. I love seeing great live music right on my doorstep. I love venues that champion the local scene and try to introduce the local crowds to new music. In fact, this is the second time I have reviewed, Last Reserves in this venue, the last time being in 2019, click here . So it was a treat to see them again. This time though they brought two up-and-coming bands and, you know me, I’ll take any opportunity to listen to a band I’ve never seen before. So with that and drinks in hand, I was ready for the night ahead. Kicking off the evening was the Liverpool-based rock band, Bleach Brain . Honestly, they were a whole lot of fun. They were very much the kind of band you’d find on those...

  Manchester is my second home—the amount of time I have spent there for concerts and nights out. I’ll never be able to thank the city enough. I think that’s quite the same for underground rock legend, Jesse Malin . Every time Jesse plays Manchester people turn out in droves to see him. The native New Yorker is always treated like a rock god when playing clubs in Manchester. This was my fourth time checking him out live. The first time I ever saw him he was opening for The Replacements in London. I knew I was going to like his music from that moment on. I picked up a copy of his album New York, Before The War , and it blew me away. I would continue to listen to him and I think I have a good handle on his style. It’s that college rock/adult alternative sound that got really big in the 90s with bands like Soul Asylum and Bob Mould . Why is that important? Well, that’s kind of the crux of this tour. It’s been 20 years since the release of his debut solo record The Fine Art of Self D...

In October I went to see Beyond The Black in concert. They had an arduous task ahead of them. With Amaranthe having to pull out of the show at the last minute, it was up to them to step up as the main headliner and send the crowd home happy. Let me say this, they managed it and then some. They came off as true superstars and impressed me beyond comparison. I was already aware of them, but that show proved to me that they were the real deal. It was one of the best shows I saw last year. They played a few new songs that caught my ear and they announced that they would be releasing their fifth, self-titled, album in January. I have had a chance to listen to this album in full ahead of its release and I have to say that it’s pretty damn solid. I’m sure if you’re already a fan you’ve already pre-saved or pre-ordered it. However, if you’ve never heard of them or sitting on the fence, then I hope this puts some things in perspective for you. The album opens with the single “Is There Anybody ...

  Oh, 2022. What can I say about you? The year I turned 30. The year I went to my perfect holiday destination (don’t worry we’ll get to that). However, the most important to me that was the year I returned to going to gigs. Being a part of a live crowd again has meant the world to me and I have seen some pretty epic gigs this year. There’s also been a tonne of albums to boot. Like, I think there has been a little something for everyone this year. There’s been a tonne of great rock, metal, and country music this year to get my ears to. I didn’t know how to approach this year. Usually, I make a top-something album of the year list. Last year I shook things up with an album award blog. However, in all honesty, I didn’t like how that turned out. How about we reinvent the wheel again for 2022? Let’s summarise some of my favourite moments in music this year: my favourite albums, my favourite gig memories and other things. I was getting a bit bored of these blogs going amiss. Sometimes, a...