Oh what a great night!

MUSIC EXTRA:

AS soon as I walked through the battered doors at central Manchester venue Aatma, I knew Emerging North’s first live unsigned band showcase was going to be a massive success.

The place was buzzing for the event, the brainchild of Chadderton’s Dan Seal. Emerging North is a promotional website aimed at giving North West unsigned artists exposure.

The Visitors opened and smashed it in their own inimitably raucous style, while ex-Bottleman Billy Bibby’s solo acoustic set was clinical and crisp as he warmed up for a headline spot with his new band at the Night and Day Cafe next month.

Larkins were breathtaking closers, belting out their poppy, U2/Simple Minds-type tunes as the crowd roared their approval.

After a brilliant night of high-energy emotion, a relieved Dan later Tweeted on the Emerging North page: “Words can honestly not describe how I feel right now. What a night.”

Roll on Emerging North Live 2, hopefully in March.



OLDHAM stars Cupids, who are already gearing up for an eagerly-anticipated gig at Manchester’s Night and Day Cafe on January 30, have announced a headline date at the Nambucca venue in London on February 13.



A GUARANTEED terrific night is in prospect on Saturday at the Lees Live Lounge at the Swan in Lees, as radio star Mike Sweeney, Paddy O’Hare and the Collective have been booked to put on a show of superb music and memories. The excellent Smudge get the Live Lounge weekend under way on Friday night.



FRESH from a successful capital gig at the Dublin Castle in Dublin, anglo-Portuguese rockers Louie Louie play at the University of Huddersfield this Thursday night.



SADLY it wasn’t to be for Oldham favourites Ok Broken as they featured in the final of the prestigious ‘Soundwaves’ talent competition. A dozen artists and bands went head-to-head at a packed-out 02 Academy in Leeds. Read next week for my review.