End Of The RoadIndietracksManchester International FestivalThe Great EscapeCamera Obscura

PULL YOURSELF TOGETHER

June - July 2009

*FREE*

FESTIVAL SPECIAL

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The PYT Radio is Playing...

The Housemartins, Silence at Sea, Errors, DEVO, Them Squirrels, Deastro, Dirty Projectors,

The Duckworth Lewis Method

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pullyourselftogethermanchester@gmail.com

So it’s officially summer. We know this, because we’ve just got back from a music festival, and they happen in summer, right? Well ATP is a fantastic way to kick off the season; the combination of Butlins holiday fun (we did go bowling, yes, and we went on the water slides, and ate fish & chips on the beach) and some of the best music, much of which you didn’t know existed, is second to none and has us on a high looking forward to the months ahead! 3. Mike WOXY has taken a break, but this page has been left in the more than capable hands of Manchester’s most well known blogger and gig-goer Cath Aubergine, who lets us know her thoughts on this year’s Great Escape festival! 4. There’s festivals a-plenty to be blathering on about at this time of year, but in keeping with last issue’s Importance of Being Indie we’ve got a IOBI festival special with thoughts from the folk behind Indietracks and End of the Road.

6. Having seen their full to the rafters Club Academy show, we caught up with Camera Obscura to chat about new album My Maudlin Career and festival fun! 8. The Manchester International Festival is looming, and it boasts a highly impressive array of premieres and exclusives.

This month we have a new special guest for you as Manchester Music writer and all-round music obsessive Cath Aubergine gives a quick rundown of her thoughts on this year’s Great Escape festival. Bring on the madness!

Brighton, Friday afternoon, minding our own business in the pub at the end of the pier wondering how a 20-year-old from Mumbai, India (Raxit Tiwari, singer with electro-indie band MEDUSA) can sound so much like the young Ian McCulloch, when a sensibly-dressed woman wanders over; her first words are “I’ve laminated my map!” exclaimed with the sort of pride that, to look at her, you’d have maybe expected she was talking about a new kitchen. “So when I get really drunk later it doesn’t matter if I spill beer on it!” Yes, it’s Great Escape time again, basically a three day pub crawl around Brighton with some music thrown in.

Music and maps. And indeed music by MAPS (Honey Club, Thursday), the greatest thing to come out of Northampton since, er, shoes, probably. This is James Chapman’s first UK gig with his new live line-up, the mysteriously named August and Sefa, and anything could happen. What does happen is half an hour of powerful triple-engined electro heaven that could have most guitar bands for breakfast; a radical reworking of “It Will Find You” (slower, heavier, darker, deeper than before) and a preview of how the next album might sound: clue, do not expect “We Can Create” part 2.

He’s not the first musician to completely change his live band between albums; a couple of years ago THE VEILS’ Finn Andrews did likewise and some rather cathartic live appearances had fans worrying for his health. He seems happier these days; most of the band’s short set at the Rough Trade night (Sallis Benney Theatre, Fri) is drawn from his third album “Sun Gangs” - calmer, quieter, if no less emotionally raw than its predecessors.

Also on this bill are the utterly ridiculous MICACHU AND THE SHAPES who basically sound like a party in Toys’R’Us, and BRITISH SEA POWER, also debuting new material. “Glitter” does indeed sound a bit like The Glitter Band (we hear reports that some of the band were playing Gary Glitter tunes at the wrong speed during their DJ set the previous night) and a bit like Spacemen 3 - whilst “Once More Now” is a lovely thing fronted by bassist Hamilton. They play a completely different set at Digital on Saturday too - no new songs, but new fashion boundaries are crossed by frontman Yan’s red high-leg shorts over grey pantaloons with long orange socks look. Not many people could carry that off. Not many would want to.

Don’t you love it when you discover an unexpected rhyme? Like that sign on the motorway in the Midlands directing you to “Historic Warwick”? Friday I find myself writing “Waily Israeli”, the reason being one ASAF AVIDAN (Arc, Fri) who also soars, flies and indeed swoops while his backing band The Mojos veer from poignant strings to full-on blues-rock. So there’s more to Israeli pop than Eurovision-winning transsexuals? Apparently Norway won this year, meanwhile their most deranged pop export DATAROCK (Concorde 2, Fri) finally come on stage at 2.24am, which is possibly the only time at which it is at all reasonable to be watching masked, hooded Norwegians doing, well, anything really. Especially slightly dodgy electro.

In the closing stages THOMAS TRUAX (Sallis Benney, Sat) attempts a set of songs from David Lynch films only to have the plug pulled after late running pits him up against the curfew - but not before he’s unveiled his newest home-made instrument: a piece of air-conditioning tube with a plastic flute stuck on the end which he plays like a concertina. Next year I’m definitely laminating my map.

Find Cath officially at manchestermusic.co.uk as well as myspace.com/upthedownescalator for blogging galore

THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING INDIE

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The chances are if you’ve picked up this zine, you’re heading to at least one festival over the next few months. PYT’s festival experiences have been many and varied over the years, and the more we attend the more we feel that whilst Glasto’s great, it’s the smaller festivals that really have soul. Putting an event like this on is a real labour of love - not to mention a massive risk - and we’re mighty glad these folk put their necks on the line year in, year out to provide us with our summer’s entertainment. Festivals like Truck, Bestival and Green Man work so well because they are put on by people who care about the music, but also care about everything else to do with the weekend experience. This, we believe, is exactly why independent festivals are so important, and indeed successful. With that, it’s over to the festival founders!

Simon on End of the Road

Hi Simon. First things first. What role do you feel an independent festival plays in the current UK market? They give bands a chance to reach people who like their music as well as make new fans. Especially with smaller festivals like End of the Road as we are slightly niche - where if you were playing a major festival, it can be bit pot luck to reach the audience that you want. We book bands that the audience might not know, but they trust us to put something on that will interest them. I have seen small bands at End of the Road that we have booked through previous unsigned schemes, that have gone through and been signed to major independent labels, so it also works on an industry level - not just a fan level.

Emma on Indietracks

What role do you feel an independent festival plays in the current UK market? When we were younger there were just a few festivals to choose from: you knew you were either going to Reading or Glastonbury. Nowadays there are so many big festivals with corporate sponsorship and the same major bands. You can’t get close to the bands and the whole thing can be a bit of a mission, not to mention an expensive experience. I think the independent festivals are a bit of a reaction to that. They offer an opportunity to get closer to the music, get involved in the organisation and running, and eat and drink local produce. It’s more of a community feel, a place to make new friends and relax, and of course to discover and listen to new or less widely heard music.

Do you think it is easier or harder for a festival doing something a little bit out of the ordinary, such as Indietracks? We’ve had to work hard to persuade people to choose our festival over the bigger ones, but the same people keep coming back, and bringing their friends, and then they bring their friends. We do all we can to promote the event, but in the end word of mouth is more valuable than that. I think it’s the uniqueness that brings people to Indietracks. Where else can you listen to bands while riding on steam trains, or pet a lovely llama?

Who are you thinking about when you put the festival together? Is it the fans who don’t get to see a lot of these bands, or the bands who don’t usually get to reach that many people? Both! Initially it was just an experiment – Stuart worked on the railway and had a wacky idea of putting bands on there (luckily he said it out loud one night and it was promptly pounced upon). The first event was a great success and got loads of support in the indiepop community, and it snowballed beyond that. We listen to what people are saying about who they’d like to see on the bill, and try to strike a balance between new bands, and some old favourites who influenced the new ones. Three years later we are working on persuading people who wouldn’t normally come to festivals like ours that they don’t have to stand in a crowded muddy field three miles away from the stage there are alternatives!

What are your thoughts on the urban festivals which seem to be springing up? There seems to be an indie sub-current to this movement too, as Swn,

Sounds From The Other City and Stag + Dagger offer something completely different to Hyde Park Calling or Lovebox.Where these one day events not once the sole reserve of T4 and Radio 1? Having not really been to any of the urban festivals I can’t really comment, but any festivals that are showcasing new music or providing a stage for those bands who would not normally get a look in at the bigger festivals are OK by us, be it in the countryside or the towns. I imagine the urban festivals get a lot more people just walking in who might not normally make the effort to travel out to the countryside with their tents, so they are probably reaching more people and allowing them to discover more music.

Finally, what do you think is the importance of being indie to you/your festival? The fact that anyone can chip in and help out – and they do. We love anything DIY, things that genuinely come from the love of the music. We get people turning up with stacks of fanzines that they’ve put together just for Indietracks, which they’re welcome to add to the merch stand. We get offers of help from all over the place, from photographers to amateur film-makers, to people wanting to run a workshop to share their knowledge with others. It’s important to encourage people to do these things as they make the festival what it is. Everyone involved is a volunteer and does this in their spare time. It’s an opportunity for everyone to learn something, discover new music, and help each other out.

Indietracks takes place at the Midland Railway Centre, Derbyshire from 24th-26th July. The £55 tickets can be found at ticketweb.co.uk

Do you think it is easier or harder for a festival doing something a little bit out of the ordinary, such as End Of The Road? Definitely harder... you really have to build it on word of mouth and providing an atmosphere that will make the audience want to come back again and again. And especially as we (like most other small festivals) don’t have the budget to spend on huge bands and huge advertising campaigns. Who are you thinking about when you put the festival together? Is it the fans who don’t get to see a lot of these bands, or the bands who don’t usually get to reach that many people? Both - I just love showing people music that they have not heard and that they may like! As well as giving bands that I admire a chance to reach the right audience, who will buy their records. We have a Rough Trade stall on site who we convinced to come along in the first year of the festival, and they try and bring albums of every artist who is playing and I know that they sell a lot of records... most sell out.

What are your thoughts on the urban festivals which seem to be springing up? There seems to be an indie sub-current to this movement too, as Swn, Sounds From The Other City and Stag + Dagger offer something completely different to Hyde Park Calling or Lovebox. Were these one day events not once the sole reserve of T4 and Radio 1? To me they are not really festivals - they are more music events! I think they are good when they have a purpose to show people good music and give bands a platform. When it comes to pushing brands in people’s faces... then it becomes nothing to do with the music, and I don’t care too much for those kinds of things. I know sometimes events need the sponsorship to make the event work, but there has to be a balance and not just any type of brands/products.

Finally, what do you think is the importance of being indie to you/your festival? It gives you a sense of freedom! You can book what bands you like, and run the show the way you want to, and run it without seeking approval of anyone.

End of the Road runs from 11th-13th September at the Larmer Tree Gardens, Dorset. Tickets cost £115 from endoftheroadfestival.com

Here be my amends:

P4 + P5:

The urban festivals question is still bolded wrong. So, lets go with it this way:

P4 - What are your thoughts on the urban festivals which seem to be springing up? There seems to be an indie sub-current to this movement too, as Swn, Sounds From The Other City and Stag + Dagger offer some-thing completely different to Hyde Park Calling or Lovebox.

P5 - What are your thoughts on the urban festivals which seem to be springing up? Were these one day events not once the sole reserve of T4 and Radio 1?

P8 - Remove the 'www' from 'mif.co.uk'

P10 - 'PYT presents... downdime' The main body of the text also needs to drop down a line, it is currently leading on from the venue.

P11 - 'thank you's' should read 'thank yous'

Indietracks - Needs a full stop at the end of the last sentence.

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IN WHICH PULL YOURSELF TOGETHER INTERROGATE CAMERA OBSCURASince 1996 Camera Obscura have been slowly but surely writing records which simultaneously tug on heartstrings, send distinct instructions to your dancing feet and leave you wondering what solace there is at the end of the bottle. Pull Yourself Together are big fans of the Glasgow 7-ish piece, and were delighted to catch up with keyboard player Carey Lander for a natter about new LP My Maudlin Career, Glasgow, America and the importance of dancing.

It seems to have been a while since Let’s Get Out of This Country. Other than putting together My Maudlin Career, what have you been up to? We were touring Let’s Get Out of This Country for quite a while because the album just kept gaining momentum and we wanted to tour as much as possible. Until recently the band also had day jobs so we had to put in an appearance at those for a bit.

Is it a conscious decision to leave gaps between releases? It is very easy to forget that although you’ve been part of our musical lives for a good while now this is only LP #4.No I wouldn’t say it is a conscious decision, we’re not deliberately keeping people waiting. The first few albums took a while to emerge because, to our regret, the band were not full time. It’s always been frustratingly difficult for the band to manage to meet up to rehearse because of the awkwardness of trying to align 5 or 6 different schedules. I think it’s been beneficial and important for Camera Obscura to have time to develop. We could never have made an album like My Maudlin Career 5 years ago.

The new record seems to have a fairly downbeat feel to it, sandwiched in between French Navy/The Sweetest Thing and Honey In The Sun. So is it a case of the title fitting the record, or the record fitting the title? I think making any album we would hope to create some kind of emotional journey with songs of different moods and sentiments that should fit together to create

a cohesive whole. Obviously the title is there to summarise the feeling of the album, but in this case the title is partially a joke about how Tracyanne writing sad songs has become our job, although the song is more serious; about striving to be happy. I think the melancholy aspect has always been there especially in the lyrics, but also, though we’ve been able to develop the instrumentation and arrangements, we’ve always found it important to leave a lot of space in the music and we’re not afraid to have songs like Other Towns and Cities that are basically just Tracyanne’s voice and a guitar.

How has the songwriting process changed since you started working together as a band? Is it still mainly Tracyanne, or is everyone involved now?Tracyanne has always been the principle songwriter though there are others who contribute from time to time. Tracyanne tends to write when she’s alone and that hasn’t really changed over the years. She brings the basic outline of a song to the group and we decide how we want it to sound and try things out together.

Who would you say are the major musical influences on the band? Obviously the sonical richness of Dusty Springfield, France Gall, Francoise Hardy and Lloyd Cole shine through, but are there other elements? I’m a little hesitant to give specific examples because when we’re in a rehearsal room working out new stuff everything else seems pretty irrelevant. However there are loads of songwriters and records from the past that we love and whose influence is probably tangible in our music. I love a lot of country music from the 50s and 60s and we really like elements of those like the way the drums are played, for example on stuff like Skeeter Davis and Sandy Posey. The records we listen to as individuals are much more varied than our own music might suggest but ultimately you just make the music that feels right and natural.

The video which accompanies new single French Navy seems to be very evocative of Jean Luc Goddard, and has that feel of warmth almost coming off the screen. How much control do you have as a band on your non-musical output? To what extent do you like to retain an influence?The band always have an input into videos and artwork. The imagery that accompanies the music has got to be something that reflects the band’s aesthetics even if it isn’t our idea. We considered several different treatments for the French Navy video and ended up choosing the one by Blair at Forest of Black who has made most of our videos in the past. He really understands the band. I loved the video, I thought it was great that it managed not to be overly sentimental despite the theme.

We are very excited to see that you are playing Indietracks, which was one of the highlights of our summer in 2008. Is it a festival you know much about before being asked to play? Gav has told us about it before. The band are largely playing it because of the connection with Elefant records this year, who were our main label for years. It’s going to be lovely to see them again and catch up with loads of bands we’ve played shows with before.

With festivals like Indietracks gaining a following, it seems like there is a slow-burning resurgence of interest in all things indiepop. What kind of part do you think Camera Obscura play in this? I don’t think we see ourselves as Indiepop in the way that others might. We’ve never really felt part of any scene which is no bad thing. I guess our ambitions lie beyond being regarded as a good indie band but I don’t mean to be negative about the genre. There are plenty of bands within it that I love.

Your track Knee Deep at the NPL was inspired by the ace (and sadly now defunct) National Pop League. More recently it has itself been referenced in the Los Campesinos! song Knee Deep at ATP, whilst there is an excellent night here in Manchester named after your album Underachievers Please Try Harder. How important do you think this kind of indie self referential geekery is to the whole community feel which seems to drive pop music forwards?I think it’s important. People want to feel part of something and more importantly they want somewhere they can dance to music they love. I can find the scene a bit claustrophobic and limited these days but I think any kind of subculture is a good thing. There’s definitely a point in making the music where you fantasise about people dancing to your new single at the Pop League or whatever.

Sticking with community, how important is the creative community in Glasgow? What is it like as an environment to work in? I think it’s easy to take for granted but we’re really lucky to be surrounded by so many great bands. I’ve gone to people from the last generation of bands like The Pastels, Teenage Fanclub, Belle & Sebastian for advice in the past. It’s notable when someone organises a charity gig or something that you can put together a really great line up by pulling in a few favours and that reflects a degree of community. A lot of bands rehearse in the same rehearsal studios in Glasgow and there is sometimes a vague sense of community when you bump into folk by the tea machine.

To what extent do you feel that Camera Obscura have achieved that peculiar prize of ‘breaking’ America? It seems that you have been picked up from a publishing point of view out there, which must make a big difference. Is there a marked difference in reception?

I’m never entirely sure what people mean by ‘breaking America’. We certainly feel lucky that we’ve always been able to play our own shows over there. I think there’s a good scene over there with the wealth of college radio stations and independent magazines like Under the Radar. Generally they seem to have a less cynical attitude than the UK, people are less eager to shoot you down. It’s been quite funny in the past when we’ve been playing venues and seen that bands like Snow Patrol are playing there a few weeks later and in the press it’s being reported that Snow Patrol are breaking America. I’m not sure if it’s that we have too or they actually haven’t…

Last year we saw you playing the ABC as part of the Celtic Connections festival. What did playing a show that big in your home town mean to you? We felt really lucky to be part of that experience as out of towners. It was great playing the ABC and the week My Maudlin Career came out we played the Glasgow Barrowlands which was really special for us as it’s a really old iconic venue. Everyone has a story about seeing some amazing show there. I saw Lloyd Cole and the Commotions doing their 20 year anniversary Rattlesnakes show there a few years ago. I guess every town and city has a venue like that that every performer dreams of playing. It’s always scary playing in your hometown because people tend to be a wee bit extra cynical about you unless you can win them over. We’re such pessimists that we never believe anyone’s going to come to the shows in spite of evidence to the contrary.

Who are you guys listening to at the moment? Are there any new bands you are championing right now? I’m just getting into Grizzly Bear who are amazing. Also enjoying Marissa Nadler, Richard Swift and Adventures in Stereo who are not new but should not be forgotten. You should check out Sparrow and the Workshop who are a newish partly Glasgow band and seem to be pretty good.

My Maudlin Career is available from all good record shops now. Camera Obscura play at T in the Park, Indietracks, Ben and Jerry’s Sundae on the Common, Cardiff Big Weekend, Green Man and Southend Village Green festivals over the summer. Head over to cameraobscura.net or myspace.com/cameraobscuraband for more info.

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Back in 2007 the Manchester International Festival launched with a fair old fanfare, with the major commission of Damon Albarn’s Monkey Journey To The West eventually coming to dominate not just the eyes and ears of the experimental opera goers, but ending up as the backdrop to each British success at the Olympics. In that sense you could really say that this biennial festival of original, new work has set its standards high. Well, if the line-up for 2009 is the next step up, then this festival is going to be inspiring some incredible art, music and theatre for years to come.

For a kick off the festival opens with two amazing original pieces by groundbreaking musicians, in a venue which can only be in Manchester. Steve Reich is a Pulitzer Prize winning minimal classical composer, who experimented massively in mixing elements of traditional orchestration with tape looping and layered repetitions of theme. The Guardian once claimed that Reich ‘changed the direction of musical history’ which is probably not all that far from the truth. MIF has commission a new composition, 2x5, which Reich will conduct himself.

Alongside one minimalist visionary are possibly the most important band in the last 40 years. Kraftwerk all but invented ‘electronic’ music, and thus pretty much every band you have listened to recently are directly influenced by them. Playing in the Velodrome obviously has a massive amount of poignancy for a band best known for their Tour De France soundtrack, and it is fairly apt that a venue at the forefront of sports technology is playing host to such a groundbreaking band.

Another act playing in a venue which will mean to world to them are local boys come massively successful, Elbow. Anyone who has seen the band’s triumphant performance with the BBC Concert Orchestra at Abbey Road knows just how phenomenal The Seldom Seen Kid can sound when it is fully realised, and MIF have

teamed them with The Hallé Orchestra to take this on to the next level. The band will be performing tracks from across their career in the emphatic surroundings of The Bridgewater Hall, and there will definitely not be a dry eye in the house.

One of the most interesting commissions for the International Festival isn’t an opera, or an exhibition, it is in fact a Chamber Music Hall. Zaha Hadid is one of the most forward thinking architects around and will be producing a uniquely intimate space within the Manchester Art Gallery for nine performances of JS Bach’s solo instrumental works. This could well prove to be the hidden highlight, away from the big name mainstream musicians, standing out as testament of what a truly innovative festival this is growing to be.

With such a wide variety of performances to choose from, there really should be something for everyone during MIF; it’s a festival which the city can truly be proud of for its diversity and sheer quality. Head on over to the website to find the event that’s right for you!

mif.co.uk for more info and tickets.

Manchester International Festival

Malcolm Middleton + The Pictish Trail 29th June | Night + Day The 1st of June heralds the new album from Malcolm Middleton, Waxing Gibbous (which, incidentally is a new contender for album title of the year), and if the single’s anything to go by it’s going to be another great slice of self-deprecating anti-pop. To hear for yourself, pop down to the Night + Day. Rumours abound that this album is going to be Middleton’s last for a while, so we recommend taking this opportunity to hear some of the finest solo work this decade has seen.

Underachievers Pull Together /Underachievers Please Try Asparagus11th/29th July | Saki BarThe folk at Underachievers Please Try Harder continue to lead the indiepop revolution with some collaborative work. 11th July sees PYT joining forces with them for some tip-top tunes and live music from The Lovely Eggs, whilst Asparagus Next Left are helping take over the reins along with Panda Panda on the 29th. What more could you want?!

WOTGOTFORGOT & MIND ON FIRE presents PREFUSE 73 & guests DIAMOND WATCH WRISTS / DIMLITE15th July | Ruby LoungeGuillermo Scott Herren, aka Prefuse 73 is fast becoming one of the most respected producer / re-mixers around, working with the likes of TV On The Radio, Pelican, Battles, BLK JKS and School Of Seven Bells over the past 12 months. Part hiphop, part prog-rock psycadelia Prefuse 73’s music exists as a tapestry of tracks of varying lengths and moods, albeit with a remarkable linear flow and, of course, unmatched rhythmic bump. This one is not to be missed.

Indietracks25th-26th July | Midland Railway Centre, DerbyshireCHOO CHOOOO! As you can see from page 4, the people behind Indietracks really care about their festival. It’s a laid-back love-in where you can walk up to anyone and strike up a conversation whilst drinking local ale and listening to the likes of Camera Obscura, Emmy the Great, Au Revoir Simone, The School, Tender Trap and MJ Hibbett. The very thought is making us swoon a little. Oh, and make sure to visit the animals we made friends with the Llamas last year.

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THE LISTINGS JUN / JUL 09Dan Deacon Ensemble with Future Islands 2nd June | Club Academy Dan Deacon’s upbeat yet dark electronica has been fast becoming the stuff of hype dynamite. The music is cool, Deacon likes to wear big thick jumpers, Pitchfork love him and most importantly new LP Bromst is a brilliant record. A massive part of Deacon’s appeal is his live show, which often involves the audience ending up putting just as much energy in as the man himself. Expect to get involved in some en masse dancing and your ears to hurt like hell afterwards.

POI: Moving, Mapping, Memory 5th June – 28th June | Cornerhouse Cornerhouse’s latest project considers the relationship of surroundings in the physical and digital environments. POI explores the exchanging of points in time, or places in space, giving us the chance to review the world around us through innovative media art works. Eight international artists approach the subject with interactive interfaces, video installations, sound sculptures, textile media and custom built immersive environments.

2 Many Djs 6th June | Academy 1 It is probably fair to say that there are few more important acts to come out of Belgium in recent times. 2 Many Djs, possibly better known as Soulwax, are one of the most innovative acts around, and manage to fuse indie rock, house, jazz, reggae and classic dance with real ease. This set promises to be an intense evening of dancing and beats, and most importantly a chance to see two of the best DJs around.

Oberhausen Film Festival9th - 25th June | CornerhouseHere at PYT we love a good short film, so are really quite excited about the prospect of on of Europe’s best film festivals rolling into town. The Oberhausen Film Festival showcases five new programmes, with award-winners and outstanding works from the international and German competitions waiting to be discovered, as well as a selection of the best German music videos. A collection of short films from the arts scene, Best of Artist Film and Video, is also a notable programme highlight. All of the works on tour come from the festival’s last ‘two years’ entries.

Fly Away Promotions presents We Were Promised Jetpacks 16th June | Night + Day We Were Promised Jetpacks are the latest band to be launched by the excellent Fat Cat Records, already home to the Twilight Sad and Frightened Rabbit. In fact, last time they played in this venue was in support of said Rabbits, where they made one hell of an impression. They combine the epic tendencies of their label mates with a more direct post-punk feel, all wrapped up in some great popsongs. Make sure to get down early as local support Fox Club are well worth checking out.

Asparagus Next Left19th June | Star + GarterHurrah! The inappropriately acronymed ANL have a regular slot at the Star! David and Aziza are kicking off the first of their monthly nights with a guest DJ slot from Cherryade Records, whose eclectic tastes are bound to make this a night not to miss. The Star is now the place to be on the third Friday of every month for indie/pop/alternative/shoegaze/post-punk and all that’s in between.

Videogame Nation Until 20th September | Urbis Here at PYT we have no problem with admitting that we a big fans of video games, especially good old ones. Not all that long ago we lost the best part of a weekend playing Bomberman on the SNES, great times. As such, we are really excited about Urbis’ study on the rise and rise of gaming, going from a geeky outpost of society to now representing a massive multi-million pound industry. Alongside the main exhibition there are some great looking talks, including one by Jon Hare who created Sensible Soccer!

PYT presents downdime26th June | FuelIt’s the second PYT outing at Fuel and we’re very happy to be bringing you the rather excellent downdime. Frontman Gerard used to be on Sarah Records, which obviously bodes well, and their cheery tones breezy melodies backed with fuzzy guitars and just a hint of melancholy are just perfect for this

Haunted Manchester Until 2nd August | Urbis Everyone loves a good ghost story, and Manchester hides plenty of skeletons in its closets. Find out more about them with this collection of 80 photographs delving into Manchester’s darkest secrets. We particularly like the sound of Manchester’s most haunted bus and the Cathedral’s headless hound. Chances are you won’t view our streets in the same way again...

Chris Gray presents ‘A Wave Called Panic’Until Late August | CommonBy his own admission, the biggest inspiration for Chris Gray’s illustrations are the general public - “the majority of them are absolutely bonkers.” With that it comes as no surprise then that he has taken some of the more original content from the graffitied toilet walls in Common as the starting point for latest work ‘A Wave Called Panic.’ His simple shapes, bright colours and strong visual sense of humour should work well with the random gibberish that’s been scribbled over the years, and we’re sure he’ll be keeping the profanity to a respectable level!

Stop Making SenseEvery Thursday | CommonOne of our favourite nights in Manchester, with our good pals Mr Seb Valentine, Benatronic and Disco Joe. Be ready for a brief history of time and space extrapolated through the mediums of alternative indie, cosmic/italo, punkfunk, techno, krautrock, nu-disco, electro & post punk.

Thank yous

Massive PYT thank you’s go out to Cath Aubergine who stepped in last minute with her ace piece on The Great Escape, and the ever lovely Tom Campion for hooking us up with Carey for our Camera Obscura interview.

PYT

ATP Reflections

Team PYT (AKA Young Marble Chalet) are, at the time of writing, completely knackered. We blame a holiday camp in Minehead, 4 pint pitchers and some of the best bloomin’ bands in the world. Yup, ATP vs the Fans II: The Fans Strike Back was a blast, as these photographic experiments should show.