To celebrate the release of the forthcoming debut MInd Exodus records release, our two acts "The Lightshines" and "Kontakte" are providing top draw support for the legendary "Telescopes". Having coming through the other side of the shoegaze movement in the early nineties whilst releasing a damn fine album on Creation Records, their line up continued to fluctuate as did their sound. Their are pioneers of the post rock/pysch/noise/drone scene with a bit of the avant garde in their for good measure. With founder and key songwriter, Stephen Lawrie at the helm, you can gurantee that no show will ever be the same as the last one and the people of Manchester are going to be in for a veritable feast.

the gig takes place on;

Saturday 20th September

Kro Bar, Oxford Road, Manchester 8pm till late

tickets are £5 and available from www.wegottickets.com

Just thought I would pen a few thoughts on Saturdays splendid evening of musical enlightenment, now the proverbial dust has settled.

Well it was another success (albeit not as packed as normal, yet still pretty busy nonetheless)

The bands were all in fine form and they were a delight to work with on the night. Its always a bit of a gamble putting 4 acts on in such a small venue (especially when all the luddites are in the way watching Man U, whilst we are trying to set up !)

Anyway my thanks go to all the acts, who all contributed extensively to the nights proceedings, all were received by a responsive Northwich crowd very appreciably indeed.

The fact that all 4 acts were completly different made for a great night and ensured there was something for everyone. Big shout outs to;

Tim and Kim @ The Green, who continue to put there money where their mouths are, whilst ensuring we have good sound and paid bands !

The Dukes, for just doing what they do, whilst doing it easily better than many of the tripe that gets served up on the old wireless. The new songs really came over great on the night (oh and top cover choice to close the night)

Sex radio, for being their normal charming and patient selves and proving their worth with every passing performance. You forget how young these guys are and just how much potential they have. (oh and cheers for the bass amp usage)

Kontakte for being my current fave band in the world ever (we shall talk some more about future projects) How good is the Pacific Highway/Motorik combination in the set. Awesome

Married To The Sea, cheers to Sam and the boys for their patience and relaxed manner towards an evening that was a little pushed for time to say the least. See you later in the year I hope guys ? Good luck with Glasto and nice choice of cover as well (I love Grandaddy RIP) Great cd as well

As always many thanks to Ben from Profile Communications who provided his normal high leval of expertise and dealt with all the suprises I threw at him (on the day !)

And thanks to all you lot for appreciating good music and drinking lots of Tims beer. If you can keep up that combination, we can have many more nights like that.

peace out

Davy C

Ok back after the xmas break, I am pleased to announce two forthcoming dates at the world famous "Bowling Green" public house in the heart of Northwich, Cheshire.

First up is on 23rd Feb

Its a Buffalo are back by popular demand, fresh from their much talked about 14 date UK tour with The Courteeners, they will be bringing along copies of their sencond 7" single "Divorce Song" so get your cash at the ready

The Lightshines are also back with a new album to boot, (If i get my ass in gear it will be on sale on the night, for a mere few quid) If you like your pysch/drone/sitar you will love this guy. His album is also available to download for 8 dollars on apollo audio if you feel so obliged.

There will be another act on, new to the green, but we are still negotiating at current, so all will be revealed shortly.

After that Sat April 19th

Dukes Of Portland, Kontakte and Sex radio will be in action. More details on these fine acts nearer the time.

as always fun starts at 8pm and admission is a quite outrageous £ zero !

that my friends is good value

peace out

Out of the fifty or so gigs I have been to this year, these are my top 10

Jesus and mary Chain- Brixton Academy

Ryan Adams-Manchester Academy 2

The Warlocks-The Shakespeare Sheffield

Asteroid4- The Shakespeare Sheffield

The Earlies-Blueprint Studios-Manchester

The Green Man Festival

Raveonettes-Manchester Academy 3

The Early Years-Night N Day, Manchester

The Verve- Glasgow (1st night)/Blackpool (2nd Night) cant decide which !

Howling Bells-Whelans, Dublin

but the best gig of the year was

Spiritualized (acoustic mainline)-Leeds City Varitey Halls (spellbinding)

You can stick you download crap where the sun dont shine, at the end of the day its all about the beauty of a physical album release, so here my top whatever long players from this year.

Wooden Shjips- Self title album

The Warlocks- Heavy Deavy Skull Lover

Iron And Wine-The Shepherds Dog

Raveonettes- Lust, Lust, Lust

BRMC-Baby 81

Asteroid4-Amazing Dream

Clinic-Visitations

The Earlies-Enemy Chorus

Low-Guns And Drums

Twelve-03

Ryan Adams-Easy Tiger

Puressence-Dont Forget To Remember

Bored shitless at work, so heres part 2

Television-Marquee Moon

I have never been able to play guitar, and to be honest when i have tried it has not gone so well, I have terrible trouble sending messages from the brain to my fingers in quick time, we would often discuss this at length in our old rehearsal room, but i never thought I would be able to sing at the same time either so promptly knocked it on the head. (never stopped me strapping the guitar on and prancing around a lot though)

If i were to be able to play, I would have loved to have sounded like Tom Verlaine and Richard lloyd. On this album (released in 77 i think) they both play lead guitar throughout and its like a mammoth guitar joust ! Its sounds prog, but I assure you its not, kind of  a post punk thing which for me was the perfect antitdote to the english punk scene. There is not one duff song on the album, all killer no filler. At a push my fave tune is friction (the title track although brilliant, is a fraction too long), closely followed by see no evil. They did a second album, which whilst good was never in the same league. They remind me a bit of early Wire(english post punk outfit, who gave elastica a career), but with far more ability. If you havent heard it seek it out.

The Verve-A Northern Soul

This is pure unadulterated hardcore genius. Ashcroft without McCabe is like Morecambe without Wise, like soccer saturday without Geoff Stelling. Unthinkable. The first album was great (not as good as the first 3 eps, but a fine psychedelic sprawling mess of atmosphere), this was different proposition altogether. There were no gubbins like lucky man, sonnet et all, this was four mates from school who had toured the world, (allegedly)taking lots of drugs, jamming and jamming in the dead of night until they could not stand up. Its has more clarity and focus than its predecessor, but its still sounds completly at odds with itself. Nick`s guitar just reeks carnal havoc on all who stand in its way. the sound is still pretty tripped out but its got more urgency, more storm within the calm. Songs such as New Decade, Stormy clouds, This is Music, No knock On my door, all carried along by the best rhythm section the land has ever seen, whilst out axe hero is making the most beautiful noise you have ever heard. Even when the strings were in evidence on History, it was done in all the right way (unlike some of the third album) The two best songs off the follow up album Urban Hymns were Rolling people and Come On, both of which were written at the same kind of time and both were played on the Northern Soul tour (providing me with two of the best nights of my life)

They were never quite the same after this, Rich went all "Im in love lets tell the world", which had an upshot as Jason Pierce wrote some of his best music after Ashcroft nicked his missus! Urban Hymns has its moments, but never got to the level of Northern Soul and then Nick left and it went belly up.

They are back together and I will be at the first night in glasgow as well as the second night in Blackpool, Im intrigued to see how it will go, but with original line up in tow theres every chance it will another couple of special nights

I am the original "list maker", Im always at it, Sat at work thinking "Spacemen 3 dream set list", top ten songs that begin with the letter R, you get my drift.

I often get asked what my Top ten albums of all time are, now this changes on an almost daily basis, so I have to opt for relatively obvious (in some cases) no point being clever here, we are talking a record that you go back to again and again, come hell or high water it makes sense. So here is a few teasers to give you an insight to what make me tick (compilations are not allowed, so no room for the Brian Jonestown massacre retrospective)

This is in no order whatsoever (and if you dont agree, tough tits)

Spiritualized- Live at the Royal Albert Hall

Although I love the vast majority of their back catalogue, these are a band best served live, wether its full on like this or the recent acoustic shows. They are always truly magical experiences, right from the first time I saw them At Buckley Tivoli before Ladies and Gentlemen came out in 97 with the opening salvo of Cop shoot cop/Shine a Light/Electric mainline you were just transported onto a life changing transcendent trip, you cant help it, it just happens, you play people their stuff on cd or vinyl and they just dont get it, watch em live and you will be taken on a real journey. This album will never leave my side its like one long continious piece of msuic, where you strap youself lie back and let shit happen (you might also want to adopt a doing some shit method as well, but I wont glorify the use of pharmaceuticals !) I could go on, but I wont, just listen to it.

Love- Forever changes

Im a newcomer to Arthur lee and his pysch pop troubadours, but in the two years I have owned this album, it has begun to make more and more sense, as at first i just didnt get it at all. Now its essential listening (althought the more recent live disc is also really good). Alone again or....., Andmoregain, You set The Scene, its just genious. Its hard to pigoen hole the sound, its got Mariachi sounds, Physch pop undertones, theres bits of folk, its even rocks out a wee bit. you probably own it already so im telling you nothing new. The first two albums are good also, but not a patch on this, and to be fair Arthur just couldnt match it again, although he did get upto plenty of mischief !

Primal Scream-Screamadelica

I know this isnt very interesting, but this album for me is just timeless, it has stood up really well, the dancier stuff on is really tastefully done, the more anthemic tunes I never tire of. Even the choice of cover version was inspired as it led me to its original place of birth, 13 floor elevators. The cover is great, the vibe is blissfull its got everything (although I think the single version of Come Together should have made the cut instead of the 8 minute remix)

This band have always kept moving, never resting on their laurels, and they continue to make great cutting edge albums (vanishing point, exterminator), with the exception of the current one. A bit hit or miss live, but they are good when they get it right. I also have to mention Higher than the sun, which for me is one of the best pieces of music they have ever created.

Right there is 3 to start things off, I will blast out another 3 soon(ish)

For the record it will not include Razorlight, The killers, the kooks, et al or any other NME bollocks.Why do unsigned bands try and copy all tis shit ? By the time they do get signed its old hat and no ones interested, get a least abit inventive (you know who you are)

Finally if your in London at The weekend, get over and watch Asteroid#4 they are awesome.

I have arrived in the world of sports journalism !

You may have noticed in my little "about me" write up that i am a keen Yorkshire cricket follower, well last summer i scored the job of writing reports on all their one day games for their yearbook, which is edited by former daily telegraph sports chap Derek Hodgson (I can tell you are thrilled by all this).

Well I can tell you when you see your name in print in this marvellous leather bound book, you cant help be chuffed, got the job this year as well. I have about 12 pages all to my good self.

Mind exodus is ready to go, stuff will be appearing in the local rags, but is anyone anygood at poster art, I want to put some decent ones around town and in the boozer P.D.Q

Forthcoming activities for my good self

20/4/07  The Earlies Liverpool academy 2

24/4/07 Spiritualized (acoustic) Leeds City Variety halls

27/4/07 Low Manchester academy 3

14/5/07 The Engineers/The Lightshines  Night N Day Manchester

24/5/07 Asteroid#4/The lightshines Tiger Lounge Manchester

sometime in the summer(think its June) The New Pornographers at The Borderline in London

plus got tickets for the green man festival as well yay !

Howdy folks

Gotta a quality line up confirmed and ready to do battle at the Bowling green on Saturday may 5th (bank holiday weekend) for the long awaited Mind Exodus 3.

Artists are as follows

Lost City Ramblers (full band acoustic)

Lazy Bones (solo)

Lightshines (solo)

Its a Buffalo (full band)

The Dukes Of Portland (full band)

First band are on at 6pm, so get your drinking heads, theres gonna be some serious consuming done.

Curfew is midnight (that may end up being a little later, but dont quote me on that.

Yours truly will be providing the soundtrack to your evening, mixing my usual musical charms and nuggets for your listening pleasure.

Should be a bloody blinding night if you ask me.

Admission is........get this.....bugger all.

peace out

Hello one and all

My gig diary continues to grow, next up are the following sumptous musical forays;

March 8th-Nigel Clark-Db`s Winsford

March 10th-Kristin Hersh. Academy 3 Manchester

March 13th-Idlewild, Manchester Academy 1

March 17th-The Aliens, Manchester Night N Day

March 20th- Howling bells, Whelans, Dublin

April 24th- Spiritualized (acoustic)- Leeds Varitey halls

April 27th- Low- Manchester Academy 3

I am also hoping to put on a mini festival type thing at The Bowling green i Northwich possibly over either easter weekend or one of the May Bank Holidays, reckon 4 or 5 acts on from 4pm, maybe (weather permitting ) a BBQ.

Plus Djs and the like, reckon it would be a blast, got the all clear of the Landlord, so its all about dates and names, so if your interested, give me a holler.

Finally on April 1st if anyone happens to bump into the talentless fu#k Wit that is Crewe centre half Julien Baudet, please feel free to tw#t him and shout April Fools, As he has been making a fool of himself all year.

P.s went to see the earlies last saturday. Mind blowing. reccomend anyone i the know to get the album and check em live.