Game-changing gigs

ON the rise . . .OK Broken

THEY'VE recently smashed the prestigious Blackthorn Festival in Stockport, and now it's time for OK Broken's focus to switch to two massive gigs at the end of the summer.

The Oldham indie-rock outfit ­- Gaz Wright, Phil McArdle, Adam Heap and Dave Furnival ­- have enjoyed a hectic 2016 so far, and soon arriving on the agenda is an important and feverishly-anticipated showcase night at Manchester's famous old Ritz venue, where OK Broken will star alongside other highly-rated outfits Educated Risk, The Slumdogs, The Dirty Saints and solo hopeful Liam McClair. The significance of the gig ­- on Friday, September 23 ­- is certainly not lost on bassist McArdle.

He said: "It's a phenomenal sound system there and a gig we couldn't not do.

"We did a massive gig at the O2 Academy earlier this year, but that was in Leeds.

"We still took 100 people to that, so on that basis surely we can sell 100, 150 for even 200 for a Manchester show.

"It could be a game-changer for us, it's kind of the next step.

"It was awesome doing the O2, it was great, but it wasn't in our home town if you like.

"We can show people at The Ritz what we can do.

"I think it'll be an important night for Oldham, too. If we can get a gig there, all of the bands in Oldham can do. In that respect it is a stepping stone for all of us.

"We all can't wait for it ­- we'll put on a show, definitely."

The OK Broken momentum is definitely still on the rise, perhaps highlighted by the fact that they have been asked to feature at a huge Musicians against Homelessness gig on September 24 at The Miners' Club in Moston where they will share top billing with Death to the Strange, The Moods, Tuscan Sun and The Madding Crowd.

Asked about OK Broken's prospects in general, McArdle added: "We're still going up there. It's just where it stops now I guess, you never know do you?

"We're still pushing. We do go quiet for a while, but when we do that we are working on stuff behind the scenes.

"We're working on getting gigs like The Ritz, rather than maybe boring people with the same kind of stuff every week.

"We could put a gig on every week, but people wouldn't want to come to them all.

"We like putting on a couple of big ones, and it's more of an event for everyone then.

"That kind of works for us."