VNV Nation is a European based alternative electronic project led by Ronan Harris in
the roles of singer, songwriter and producer.
Never content with fitting in a category, VNV Nation’s sound blends poetic and
thought provoking lyrics with a sound that ranges from melodic dance beats and
indie-electronic anthems, to haunting ballads and post-classical soundtrack pieces.
The live shows are legendary for their energy and positive emotion, drawing a
devoted fanbase from across the musical spectrum to sold out tours and headline
appearances at festivals in Europe and America.
Over the course of the project’s career, VNV Nation has continued to reach new
heights, with its last 3 albums charting top 10 in Germany, as well as top 5 Billboard
Chart positions in the US.
Ronan Harris was born in Dublin, Ireland and lives in Hamburg, Germany

Steve Mason announces details of the release of his new album, ‘Meet The Humans’

Listen to new single ‘Planet Sizes’ HERE

Steve Mason has announced details of the release of his new album, Meet The Humans, which is out on Double Six on Friday 26^th February 2016. 

Meet the Humans is his third solo album following Boys Outside (2010) and Monkey Minds In The Devil’s Time (2013).

The track listing of the 11-track album is as follows:

1.   Water Bored

2.   Alive

3.   Alright

4.   Another Day

5.   Run Away

6.   To A Door

7.   Hardly Go Through

8.  Through My Window

9.   Planet Sizes

10.  Like Water

11. Words In My Head

Planet Sizes, the first track to be revealed from the album, is accompanied by an animated video directed by Anna Ginsburg (http://www.annaginsburg.co.uk) which can be viewed HERE.

Written at home by Mason, the tracks were then rehearsed in Brighton with touring band mates Steve Duffield and Greg Nielson, before being recorded with Elbow keyboardist and producer Craig Potter at Blueprint Studios in Salford.  Recorded in the studios ‘big room’, an ex-factory space with floor to ceiling windows, the album took shape during a smooth and enjoyable six weeks in the early summer of 2015.

Following from his ‘double political concept album’ ‘Monkey Minds In The Devil’s Time’ this album is a move towards a more simple ethic; ‘an album where each song is a separate entity, where there is no great narrative running through it.’

‘Meet The Humans’ is shot through with a sense of renewal following Steve’s recent move to Brighton, swinging musically across dance, pop, folk, dub, and deep house influences.  It’s a record which repeatedly returns to core themes, the possibility of others to redeem the self, the opportunity of change for the better in the individual, the joy of life and the world we inhabit, it’s arguably the most complete and direct of Steve’s long discography - eleven personal stories combined into one positive and proper whole, the sweep of the human condition written large and full of love and hope and joy.

‘Meet The Humans’ will be available on CD (DS107CD), vinyl (DS107LP) and digitally (DS107D).  You can pre-order the album via Dom Mart and iTunes.

Hot off the heels of winning Best Album at the Kerrang! Awards for Top 5 album ‘The Spark’, the soaring career of alt rock band Enter Shikari continues to rise as they announce their longest UK tour to date beginning on 1^st December 2018. Tickets go on sale at 9am on Wednesday 11^th September at  https://www.entershikari.com/shows

The extensive ‘Stop The Clocks’ tour which takes in London’s Brixton Academy, The Welly in Hull, the Cheese & Grain in Frome, Cymru in Llandudno and Glasgow Barrowlands is an opportunity to see the band up close on their longest ever UK tour.

Rou Reynolds says:

“Our most recent UK tours have been of the “eight or nine shows in arenas / big sheds” variety, so we consciously wanted to switch it up a bit going into 2019. Enter Shikari have always kept dipping back into more intimate venues over the years, no matter how big our headline shows have become. That’s where we cut our teeth. The heat-sweat-and-visceral-human-connection of smaller gigs is every bit the equal of the impressive-scale-and-expensive-production of arena shows. We’ve never seen the latter as an evolution away from the former. They exist on opposite sides of the same coin for us. 

It's also no secret that austerity and the looming potential disaster of Brexit have seen people having to be a lot more careful with how they spend their money. With things being what they are right now, it doesn’t seem fair for only those who can afford the travel to a major city for a night out (plus the inevitable other costs that go along with it) to be able to see a show. Playing 28 dates across the UK is our way of taking what we do back to as many people as possible, in the most intimate and direct way”.

 Support bands to be announced.

Enter Shikari are currently in the midst of festival season which has seen them play to huge crowds at Germany’s Rock Am Ring / Rock Im Park and Vainstream festivals, Austria’s Novarock and Czech Republic’s Rock For People. The band has headline sets at the UK’s 2000 Trees festival (Main Stage) in Gloucestershire in July and BoomTown Fair (Town Centre Stage) in August, both of which come accompanied by intimate warm-up shows which sold out in minutes. 

Hayley Kiyoko has been taking #20GAYTEEN by storm with her debut album EXPECTATIONS, which has propelled her into one of the most celebrated new artists in the pop landscape. According to Rolling Stone, “her latest singles – ‘Curious’ and ‘What I Need’ (featuring Kehlani) – have placed her at the forefront of the queer pop movement, and she turned 2018 into "#20GayTeen" with the release of her long-awaited debut LP.” The Observer went on to say that, “Her airy, LA-dreamy debut album sounds sparkling & refreshing”. Perhaps GQ sums it up best, calling Kiyoko “a major pop force to be reckoned with, all labels aside”. Also known for self-directing her music videos, Kiyoko received two nominations at the 2018 MTV VMA's for Push Artist of the Year and Best New Artist, winning her first VMA trophy in the Push Artist category.  Hayley Kiyoko’s debut album, EXPECTATIONS, is out now on Atlantic Records.

Seventh Avenue Arts present 
Jagged Little Pill Live

Manchester Club Academy
Thursday 30th November 2017 
Doors 7.30pm | Curfew 11pm

Tickets 14.00 advance STBF // £16.00 OTD 
All ages welcome, U14s to be accompanied by an adult at all times

Experience a night of pure nostalgia, as one of the greatest albums in music history is recreated live. Jagged Little Pill (Live On Stage) is the ultimate tribute to Alanis Morisette’s unforgettable award winning LP. ’Jagged Little Pill’ swept across the world in 1995 selling 33 million copies, going 10x platinum in the UK staying in the charts for 145 weeks and winning 5 Grammy Awards.

Featuring a full live band and charismatic lead singer, the evening celebrates the critically acclaimed success of Jagged Little Pill, delivering songs such as ‘Hand In My Pocket’, ’You Learn’, ‘You Oughta Know’ and the powerful ‘Ironic’ with uplifting energy and passion. Don’t miss your chance to see Jagged Little Pill (Live On Stage) on its UK wide tour!

HAKEN, one of progressive music’s most exciting bands, recently announced details of their much-anticipated fifth studio album titled ‘Vector’, due for release on the 26^th October 2018. The album was produced by the band themselves, and recorded & mixed by Adam ‘Nolly’ Getgood (Periphery, Devin Townsend Project), with the artwork once again being handled by Blacklake.

Following the announcement of North American tour dates this Autumn, the band are pleased to reveal European & Latin American live dates in support of the new album for 2019. The band comments: “We’re thrilled to be bringing our ‘Vector Studies’ tour to Europe. We had immense fun celebrating our 10 year anniversary across Europe in 2017 with incredible turnouts and warm receptions. This time around we will be focusing on performing tracks from our new album ‘Vector’ along with some live favourites of ours. For your health and wellbeing, the good doctor prescribes you some live Haken. ”

The band add on the Latin America shows: "A visit to South America has been long overdue. Many of our dedicated South American fans have made epic trips around the world to experience our shows in Europe and North America and now we're ecstatic to reveal we will finally be returning the favour! See you in January! As for Mexico City and Cruise To The Edge, well... we cannot wait to return!"

Bursting from the streets to the radio one playlist, picking up plaudits from Clashmusic, Billboard and a number of international music blogs along the way Glass Caves have built a following across the North of England busking from city to city.

Glass Caves fuse agitated rhythms and yo-yoing guitars with vocal harmonies that splinter then soar through their songs. The band draw from a number of classic international influences and put them through a very British filter resulting in a perfectly formed morsels of ballsy alt-rock.

SJM Concerts and Live Nation Presents:

Amine

Plus Special Guests

Manchester Academy 3

Wednesday 6^th December 2017

Doors 7:30pm | Curfew 11.00pm

Tickets £15.00 advance STBF 

All ages welcome, U14s to be accompanied by an adult at all times.

SJM Concerts and Live Nation Presents:

Amine

Plus Special Guests

Manchester Academy 3

Wednesday 6^th December 2017

Doors 7:30pm | Curfew 11.00pm

Tickets £15.00 advance STBF 

All ages welcome, U14s to be accompanied by an adult at all times.

Hailing from South London, K- Trap is the emerging voice of UK Drill Rap. He's fast becoming one of the most talked about UK rappers based on his honest and complex lyricism and incognito visual appearance, coining himself as the ‘ Saucy Driller ’. The faceless yet magnetising rapper is best known for his hard hitting punch lines over powerful drill/rap beats taking listeners through a journey of self-reflection and chilling truths.

His first official solo release David Blane just under a year ago surfaced this underground ‘road’ rapper to the masses quickly garnering him over 1.6M Views and 3M streams . Followed quickly by his first complete body of work The Last Whip . The Last Whip cemented K-Trap as the one to watch in UK rap game, exhibiting the drillers dynamic rap style and ability to tell his personal story without glamourizing but in fact processing and acknowledging an ill-favoured reality. From this came instant bangers like Paper Plans and title track Last
Whip and follow up records including Wild Thoughts and Diamonds with Yxng Bane -cumulatively amassing over 10M Youtube views and 50M streams worldwide in only 10 months earning him recognition at this years GRM Rated Awards where he was nominated for best mixtape.

King of the Slums are probably the most ‘under the radar’ and

     important band to come from Manchester. They started up around 1985 in

     the Hulme, area of Manchester but never considered themselves a

     'Manchester' band - just a band with an arty background, a little

     self-indulgent and gritty, story-type songs. A distorted electric

     violin was used throughout early recordings, along with guitar, bass

     and drums and they continued developing this sound throughout their

     initial singles and classic first album Barbarous English Fayre which

     received widespread acclaim. Following a switch to Midnight Music

     their second album ‘Dandelions’ also received favourable reviews in

     the music press. In 1991, following their 3rd studio album‘ Blowzy

     Weirdos’, they fell out with record companies, management and each

     other and disbanded – despite being considered as a vital live act and

     on the brink of a US tour.

     Following a lengthy hiatus in 2009 the band embarked on a new album,

     but again due to personal differences everyone fell out again and only

     a handful of new songs developed. The resulting album, “The Orphaned

     Files” combined these with a mixture of rarities and live tracks and

     was sold out many times. The band however did not pursue things

     further.

     Enduring adoration from critics and fans worldwide combined with a

     number of enquiries culminated in the band getting back together once

     more in 2016. A full brand new album ‘Manco Diablo’ was released on

     June 8th 2017. The date occurred on the same day as a UK general

     election with the band stating that they wished to ‘bury bad

     politics’. The new offering was lauded by critics and received

     widespread airplay. The clamour to hear more and see the band perform

     live again increased.

     One year to the day the follow up album ‘Artgod Dogs’ was released. A

     stunning collection of tracks featuring the familiar ferocious violin

     sound combined with observational kitchen-sink narrative vignettes

     which has led many to proclaim it as one of their finest works to

     date. Standout tracks include ‘Goya, Pinter, Honey, Bed’, ‘Cut-Throat

     Living’ and ‘The Broken English’ a biting social indictment of the

     authorities reaction following the Grenfell Tower fire disaster

     The album was accompanied by their first live performance since 1991.

     A low-key event aimed as a thank you to longstanding fans of the band

     King of the Slums are elusive and kind of like it that way. Interviews

     are rarely given with public performances even rarer. Songwriter and

     singer Charlie Keigher states “I have always found talking about the

     music, an irrelevant after event, which has nothing to do with the

     music. Everyone in the band does it for the music. The music is too

     important to us to undermine it with post rationalism. It is our art.

     We cannot change that art with more words. We paint our musical

     pictures, anything else after that is not really a relevant issue. We

     are all too busy to indulge in after the event conversations.”

     This scheduled performance will encompass tracks covering all of their

     wide back catalogue. Grab it with both hands – it’s a rare chance to

     see them before they flee back into the Mancunian shadows once more