in the city

Crash Convention at Po Na Na's

In The City - Sunday

Maria Solheim – Life Café, 12.30pm
Perfectly suited to a recovering Sunday lunchtime, Solheim’s sound is one of fragile folk acoustica that drifts into your ears as gentle Scandanavian snow. Half Natalie Merchant, half Stina Nordenstam, this is one sweet Norwegian to look out for in the future.
Reviewer: Chris Long
                                                _______________________________________

The Subways at Satan's Hollow

Sondre Lerche – Life Café, 1pm
Lerche has already proved what a talent he is with his two albums, but it is live where he truly shines. His deliciously off kilter set featured a stunning voice, some fine tunes and probably the most beautiful Gretsch guitar anyone is likely to bring to Manchester this year.
Reviewer: Chris Long
                                                _______________________________________

Poor Old Ben – Life Café, 1.30pm
Poor Old Ben deal in delicately crafted indie that has drifted all the way down from the native Isle of Lewis. They have tunes that appeal to both your aching heart and your rocking head, and manage to incorporate traditional Scottish sounds, including the Eiliann pipes, without any hint of cliché. Look out for them, they’ll be coming your way soon.
Reviewer: Chris Long
                                                _______________________________________

We Rock Like Girls Don't at One Central

Idols Are Higher – Late Room, 3pm
Big power rock from the North East that splashes liberal amounts of Oasis over rolling riffs. With a stackful of attitude and plenty of guitar, they have the confidence to push themselves on, though they need to look at matching their image with their smouldering wall of energy.
Reviewer: Chris Long
                                                _______________________________________

Elaine Palmer – Bar 38, 4.45pm
Elaine Palmer is a swooning folk beauty as touching, gorgeous and bleak as her native northern Moors. Her voice is a sheer cut that plunges straight into your soul and the lilt and turn of tunes are slow-burning fires that will eventually explode in your heart.
Reviewer: Chris Long
                                                _______________________________________

Mercedes – Bar 38, 5.15pm
Stripped down to suit the tight surroundings of the mezzanine at Bar 38, Mercedes pushed as much of their emotion and soaring vocals into their acoustic sound as they could, but the bare sound exposed occasionally mediocre tunes. Maybe they need to be seen plugged in to be truly understood.
Reviewer: Chris Long
                                                _______________________________________

The Beans at Night and Day

Sam Hammond - Night and Day, 7pm
Silhouetted against a starry backdrop, Sam Hammond made a typically stylish entrance for his early evening set decked in a wide cowboy hat and white jacket. Carrying the style into his music, his sleek country set was effortlessly pitch perfect throughout.  From Happy Mondays’ covers to sliding blues, Hammond is simply leaps ahead of many of his contemporaries in style, skill and unassuming presence.
Reviewer: Zannah Ingraham
                                                _______________________________________

Nick Barker and Tim Rogers – Walkabout, 7.15pm
Barker and Rogers are allegedly two of Australia’s best loved singer songwriters and there is sparkles of emotion in their acoustic led sound, but thanks to an edge of worthiness and Rogers’ voice being too weak for the stark setting, there was little to show why the Aussies like them so much.
Reviewer: Chris Long
                                                _______________________________________

We Rock Like Girls Don't - One Central, 7.30pm
As their name suggests, this all-girl trio deal in raucous, angst driven slices of pure adrenalin. All the obvious influences are in there as well as the onstage attitude and numerous pouts, but it's delivered in a highly enjoyable, highly feminine way. All WRLGD lacked was a truly killer song, though what they were missing as songwriters, they certainly made up for in ability and style.
Reviewer: CN
                                                _______________________________________

The Panics – Walkabout, 8pm
Typically Antipodean, The Panics are a band that come from the same strand of jangling pop rock that gave the world Crowded House. Catchy in the safest of ways, they are unchallenging and unsurprising, and as a result, ultimately a little dull. Not that such a definition harmed the careers of the Finn boys.
Reviewer: Chris Long
                                                _______________________________________

Sam Hammond at Night and Day

Poor Old Ben - 42nd Street, 8.15pm
High quality gaelic based indie rock from Poor Old Ben, the highlight of which was a wonderful bagpipe interlude and flute solo. Great musicianship and impressive melodies soared around the bunker-like nightclub venue. If you like a bit of edge to your music then POB are probably not your thing but their worth could be clearly seen.
Reviewer: CN

                                                _______________________________________

Stolen Peace – Late Room, 8.20pm
It’s a brave band that ends with a version of Led Zeppelin’s Immigrant Song, but everything in Stolen Peace’s show made it the obvious finale. With chaotic rock cuts, urgent rhythms, loaded guitars and a singer that has enough power to pull off a credible Robert Plant, this is a band worth seeing.
Reviewer: Chris Long
                                                _______________________________________

Meadow - Night and Day, 8.20pm
Despite supporting Elbow in the past few weeks, acoustic duo Meadow failed to make much of an impression with the regular Night and Day crowd. Their rolling vocals and perfectly pitched harmonies came off without a hitch, but it seemed their mid evening set was lined up just that bit too late for the lively crowd who were already gearing up for the late night entertainment.
Reviewer: Zannah Ingraham

                                                _______________________________________

Behind Green Lights - Night and Day, 8.50pm
Behind Green Lights ensured the crowd listened up and paid attention to their set, with their catchy bass riffs and whispery edged vocals. The set was marked by a distinctive sound which fits in neatly with the current trend to look back to the 80s
for inspiration and is bound to increase their reputation.
Reviewer: Zannah Ingraham

Rob McCulloch at the Late Room

                                                _______________________________________

Rob McCulloch – Late Room, 9pm
McCulloch had worked hard to get a crowd to his show at the Late Room, with heavy self-promotion throughout the previous evening. Those that took the bait saw a man capable of taking the typical Manc sound to the next level. With a touch of Gallagher and a dash of Ashcroft, McCulloch is worth watching, providing he sticks to his acoustic driven songs and leaves the Oasis-derived electric tracks in his notebooks.
Reviewer: Chris Long
                                                _______________________________________

Ian Britt – Matt and Phred’s, 9.30pm
Britt deals in cracked emotion and aching vocals, delivered with a strand of deserved confidence. Sharp tailored in his white shirt and white tie, his tender and rolling tunes nodded to Americana but stayed firmly grounded in the North.
Reviewer: Chris Long
                                                _______________________________________

Ian Britt at Matt and Phreds

The Paddingtons – Cellar Vie, 9.30pm
Riding on the wave of being mates with Pete Doherty, the Paddingtons arrived at ITC with a bit of a buzz around them. Unfortunately within the space of two songs it became clear that you can have the best hair and jackets in the world, but if you can’t play or write a good tune then you aren’t going to get that far.
Reviewer: CN
                                                _______________________________________

Jack Cooper – Matt and Phreds, 10.15pm
There’s a slow ground swell forming behind Cooper’s talent and rightly so. His catchy little toe-tappers are songs of subtlety, emotion and humour, and his charming stage presence, coupled with a backing of simple piano hooks, make him an exciting prospect.
Reviewer: Chris Long
                                                _______________________________________
More reviews will be added when they are available. If you went to one of these shows or saw something else, we'd love to hear from you. Add your comments and reviews below.