
IN
THE CITY 2005 PREVIEW
The Best Unsigned Gigs Of The Weekend!!!!
Designer
Magazine's coverage of ITC has always taken us equal parts off
the beaten track as it has covering the main ITC Unsigned bands.
That's why when you look through our selections of the best bands
of ITC you'll see a number of gigs you may not have considered
just yet rather than a who's who list of the bands with the most
influential PR companies
PIC: Exorsisters
FRIDAY
THE EXORSISTERS - Satans Hollow - 7.20pm
You wouldn't know it to look at any mainstream rock publication,
but there is a world that exists outside emo and punk pop. The
Exorsisters have faced the wrath of OAP's, chav's and emo fashionistas
as they've set on a path of rock'n'roll destruction that's taken
them from their hometown of Blackburn around the provinces of
the Northwest. In their brief carnage laden career they've attracted
fans in the likes of The Buzzcocks, Captain Sensible, Acey Slade
(The Murderdolls) and Gidget Gein (The Spooky Kids / Marilyn Manson)
and won over a legion of backstage bitches - www.theexorsisters.tk
LEAVE
THE CAPITAL - Dry Bar - 10.40pm
If Doves debut album would have had a few more radio hits they'd
have sounded Leave The Capital
. atmospheric melancholic
rock - www.leavethecapital.com

PIC: Supersonic Winds Of Neptune
SUPERSONIC WINDS OF NEPTUNE - Charlies (Off Princess Street)
- 11.30
The Supersonic Winds of Neptune are a rabid collection of gypsies
and gangsters from the bad side of town, foraging what they can
from post-nuclear fallout interplanetary mining systems to create
their unique and sometimes frightening blend of hard rock.80s-infected
pop/ambient beautifications/funk/Las Vegas swing metal and tea-influenced
Britishness. - www.swon.co.uk

PIC: Ometa
CLUB FANDANGO IN THE CITY - Night & Day - 8pm onwards
Omerta. In their brief career they've already notched up support
slots with the likes of Hard-Fi, received copious radio play on
XFM and Radio 1 and sold out their debut EP in a matter of hours.
What makes Omerta so special is the fact that they take from the
same influences as the Killers and The Bravery and then infuse
it with a gritty Northern realism with lyrics that can be as cutting
as anything Morrissey ever put to paper. Vocalist Aaron Starkie
shares some of his mannerisms with the bequiffed one, but he has
his own signature move of the ski-bob down to a T. The singles
"Everyone Is Frozen" and One Chance" are played
to an enraptured audience as the machines turn against them as
they deliver what they call an acoustic set. Definitely one's
to look out for at this years In The City!!!
..also playing
this show are t Vincent and The Villains, 3rd Dan, The Children,
Tricky Nixon - www.nightnday.org

PIC: British Beef
SATURDAY
Sam & Me -Pitcher & Piano - 2pm
They played last year on the Akoustik Anarkhy night and this year
they're back for a re-run at Warchild Acoustic bash. "Sonic
Boomerang" and "The Path" show potential for a
great debut album - www.samandme.com
Free
Repeater - Late Room - 7pm
Designer Magazine first heard of Free Repeater 12 months ago when
they're original demo landed in the Designer Magazine offices
for coverage during In The City 2004. At the time they didn't
make the cut in the ITC Unsigned List, so they went away and built
on the bones of the original demos and have recorded their debut
EP. What's changed? The likes of "Columbia Bills", "Sucker
Punch" and "Count To 10" have a human edge and
knack for songwriting which takes them above and beyond the current
80s posturing - www.freerepeater.com
NEW
SHAPES - 14 Lloyd Street (Upstairs) - 7.30pm
The New Shapes will never win awards for originality as they could
have just fallen off the production line after The Strokes and
Razorlight. Where they will win awards in is songwriting as the
2 track single You've Got Me Running Round" and "A Song
About A Girl" are the finest songs we've heard all year.
As we write this we've played about 20 CDs since we last heard
it and we're still humming along to New Shapes. A must see band
of ITC!!! - www.thenewshapes.com
BRITISH
BEEF - 14 Lloyd Street (Upstairs) - 9.15pm
The ban on British Beef is lifted if it tastes as ripe, succulent
and downright meaty as this. We were under the impression the
band had been signed up to Sony about a year ago following a competition
on Radio 1 which saw them named Britains Best Unsigned Rock Band.
Ploughing a similar path to Simple Plan and early Green Day their
first single "Without Me" was a high-gloss romp through
punk pop heaven. Expect them to do a Bush on us and break America
first!!! www.britishbeefonline.com
SUNDAY

PIC: Orphan Boy
ORPHAN BOY - Dry Bar - 3pm
Just as people are about to ready to write off Pete Doherty &
The Babyshambles as man who squandered his talent away in the
smack dens of London along come a band that remind us of everything
the Libertines used to be. Orphan Boy sound like Joe Strummer
and Jam-era Paul Weller jamming on a tip with a battered guitar
that they lifted from a porn shop. The fact that the look like
Gonch and Tucker Jenkins from old skool Grange Hill only adds
to the fact that Orphan Boy are the only band you should be watching
right now. - www.orphanboy.co.uk

PIC: Dear Eskiimo
DEAR ESKIIMO - Islington Mill - 3-6pm (INVITE ONLY)
Dear Eskiimo are the bastard offspring of Outkast, The Sound Of
Music, Space, Alisha's Attic and Goldfrapp. The sort of band you'd
imagine if Richard X and Brian Higgins got together with Andre
3000 whilst creating a frankensteins monster out of every member
of Girls Aloud, who had in turn been fed on a diet of Broadway
Musicals. The fact that they actually look as good as they sound
makes the whole spectacle even more alluring. Katie, an irresistible
lolita straight from the pages of FHM and dressed in a baby doll
dress and pink knee high boots. It's the sort of outfit Simon
Fuller is preparing for the girls of S Club 8 as soon as they
hit 16, but on Katie it's fitting in with the music - the nursery
rhyme melodies counteract the darker lyrical twists. Jules, a
cheeky chappy cockney who looks like he's straight out of a cheap
cable remake of early 80s Jackanory plays guitar and adds a bit
of grit to the band. Standing at the back is Sy on decks and samplers,
a man who wouldn't be out of place as a extra from a Junior Senior
video.
THE TIDES - Walkabout - 4.40pm
The Tides started off as a sensitive acoustic duo whose early
gigs got compared to the likes of Turin Brakes and David Gray,
by the time they'd expanded into a full band they'd started to
have scraps with Mark E Smith of the Fall. The last few months
in Manchester have seen them as one of the hottest tickets in
town playing with the likes of Puressence, The Chameleon's Mark
Burgess and the Inspiral Carpets Tom Hingley. With a set of songs
that don't so much drag you by the neck, but slowly lure you in
until you can't leave, this years ITC could be the making of them
- www.thetides.co.uk
PIC: Azure Glow
AZURE GLOW - Satans Hollow - 8pm
Even now when you mention the name Kid Conspiracy it's talked
about in hushed tones. They were the band that could and should
have made it, but just as the record labels started to catch on
you couldn't walk for the plethora of emo bands at the time. It
prompted the band to make a re-think and out of the ashes of Kid
Conspiracy came a new sound and a new name, Azure Glow.
Their first show, part of Designer Magazine's 6th Birthday celebrations
in June, had everything - the tunes, the look, the potential.
The one thing they were lacking was the confidence that comes
with the experience of knowing your set and pushing the sonics
to the limit. This might only be their 2nd gig, but even now Azure
Glow are potentially the most perfect rock band this city, nee
country, has had in years. - www.myspace.com/azureglow
THE
RANDOMS - Walkabout - 8pm
There's something almost comforting about the recognizably sound
of just vocals, bass, guitar and drums. This is real urban music
made by kids from the streets, venting all of their frustrations
into their lyrics and their turbulent adventures into songs that
people can acknowledge. A soundtrack to their lives that caters
for periods of time when a song you can connect with can make
you feel so much better and that you're not the only person in
the world feeling lost and alone. All this and more applies to
the Randoms whose debut album is produced by Johnny Kettle. www.myspace.com/thisistherandoms

DEAR SUPERSTAR - Jillys Rockworld - 9pm
Within 12 months Dear Superstar will have it all. Their show at
In The City in October will see them sign a major label deal,
a top 10 single will set it up for the album...oh, and the accusations
of selling out that Lostprophets and Funeral For A Friend received
after a modicum of success will follow them around everywhere
they go. Even here in a half full venue with the staff pouring
themselves lethal cocktails of 5 double vodka's and special brew,
Dear Superstar look like a band destined for pullout posters in
Kerrang and Metal Hammer. Taking emo and post-hardcore as a raw
blueprint and then writing songs that can compete with the aforementioned
FFAF and My Chemical Romance. "Sunset Suicide" sits
between the hedonism of Motley Crue and the nihilism of MCR, "Break
Up" recalls Infest era Papa Roach and "Falling Apart"
could have easily been off any of Hoobastank's albums. While it's
far from original, what sets Dear Superstar apart from the hundreds
of bands you'll see up and down the country is the fact that their
songs and stage presence dwarf that of most signed bands. www.myspace.com/dearsuperstar
VANLUSTBADER
- Walkabout - 9.15pm
Much derided as a Aussie band who make Jet look positively groundbreaking,
Vanlustbader take from the Stones, Beatles and every classic rock'n'roll
record ever made. Inbetween the unashamed reference points there's
a love of 80's breakbeats that sneak through on snippets of "All
You People" and "War Of TheWorlds". Give it 12
months and these guys will be huge despite a few anal critics
- www.vanlustbader.com

PIC: Lucky Soul
MONDAY
THE GHEARS - Bar 38 -7pm
They've supported Snow Patrol, but don't let that put you off,
the band have also toured with the much better Brigade and Mooney
Suzuki. Taking influences from The Velvet Underground, Spiritualised
and My Bloody Valentine they manage to still make life-affirming
guitar pop such as "Arrest And Development" and "Easy
Flow". www.theghears.co.uk
LUCKY SOUL - Squares - 7.30pm
Like Dear Eskiimo last year, Lucky Soul come into ITC with a totally
unique sound that can't be stifled by indie elitism or pops bland
palette. The Greenwich 5 piece remind us of classic lost Manchester
band Snowblind, St Etienne and Sophie Ellis-Bextor's old band
The Audience, but most of all they indulge in widescreen Spector
sized Motown pop. Their website mentions Dusty Springfield and
The Smiths which is just about as heavenly as it gets - www.luckysoul.co.uk
LOOKIN
- Bar 38 - 7.45pm
Lookin have been honing their sound for the past few years and
support slots with the likes of Icarus Line and No Hope In New
Jersey have seen them grow in stature to the point where each
show is treated like their own personal playground where they're
headlining to eternity. Fronted by the splendidly named Christian
D'Acuna and Theo Bowers (no relation to Dane presumably) the band
have little in common with fellow Macclesfield bands Marion, The
Macc Lads or Joy Division's Ian Curtis. Veering between Muse-esque
pomp rock on "Time To Change", commercial pop-punk ala
Green Day on "Maybe Tomorrow" and nihilistic anger on
"Here We Go Again" the band have recently gained national
airplay on Steve Lamacq's 6 Music show, but live shows like this
is where they really excel. D'Acuna snarls at one moment and then
disarms you with a fragile smile - it's the same schizophrenic
twitches that tormented geniuses like Cobain always exhibited.
Lookin have got a bright future ahead of them!! www.lookinonline.com
THE
CAZALS - Walkabout - 9.15pm
The Cazals fly the flag for the new wave of post-punk. They sing
of innocent boys, but have a wicked glint in their eyes which
suggest they're far for innocent -
www.cazals.co.uk

IVORY - 14 Lloyd Street - 10.15pm
Coming on stage dressed in low hung jeans and a harlequin waistcoat
that makes him look the camp hip hop version of Jake Scissor Sisters
or a white Andre 3000. You can call it indie flavoured rap if
you want, but at the end of the day it's just feel good hip hop.
"Blaze A Trail" has a riff that sounds like a lo-fi
version of Rage's "Killing In The Name Of" complete
with female backing vocals that could come straight out of a Misteeq
track. Add in the funniest guy in UK hip-hop right now and you
got an infectious combination. www.ivoryonline.net
.....Manchester So
Much To Answer For....
Part of the fun of ITC is checking out the fringe gigs that Manchester's
finest promoters are putting on throughout the weekend. Here we
recommend the best ITC gigs from TCBLive, High Voltage and V:Man
Events
TCBLIVE / CLUB FANDANGO IN THE CITY - Night & Day Cafe - All
weekend
Designer Magazine recommends: Omerta, The Children, The Deadbeats,
Vib Gyor, Kill The Young, Fear Of Music, The Automatic, Hot Puppies
Also appearing: Keith, Sunshine Underground, Art Brut, Liam Frost,
Kokokamino plus much more!!!
Web: www.nightnday.org
/ www.tcblive.co.uk
HIGH VOLTAGE - Music Box - Monday 3rd Oct (Doors 7.30pm)
Designer Magazine recommends: The KBC,redcarsgofaster, Lisa Brown,Former
Bullies,Good Shoes,
Dirty Circus
Also appearing: That's your lot....a great bill.High Voltage also
team up with Fantastic Plastic on the Sunday night for a gig at
the Roadhouse
Web: www.highvoltage.org.uk
VMAN IN THE CITY with GLASSWERK
Designer Magazine recommends: Misty's Big Adventure, New Grafitti,
Trap 2, Young Offenders Institute, The White Rose Movement, Protocol
Also appearing: Laruso, Star Fighter Pilot, The Second Floor,
Hanky Park,Lyca Sleep
Web: www.vmanevents.co.uk

Designer Magazine teamed up with Break In The City this year as
one of it's sponsors so most of the Manchester bands you see on
these events have been recommended by Designer Magazine. Sadly
Designer Magazine favourites the Cardinals have had to pull out
of one of the nights cos their drummers broke his arm, but we've
still got Manchester action from The Tides, Exoristers, Sam &
Me, Former Bullies, Shinobi, Azure Glow, Isobel Heyworth, The
Randoms, Twenty Twenty Vision, Sonic Audio (The new Happy Mondays
band), Silent Partners and Lookin amongst others!!!
The main Break ITC events are listed below, but for full listings
check out their site here
Stylish Riots I
Date: Sun 2nd Oct
Venue: M2
M-Two, Peter Street,
Manchester. M2 3NQ [ map ]
Tel: 0161 839 1112
Price: £5, or delegates are FREE
Running times: 2pm doors, till late
Event: Break ITC: Stylish Riots in association with Filter Mini
Artists:
2.30 Whiskey Cats, 3.15, The Others 4.00 The Chalets, 4.45 Young
Offenders Institute, 5.30 The Long Blondes 6.30 Apartment, 7.15
Special Guests, 8.15 5 Oclock Heroes, 9.00 The Noisettes, 9.45
Moco, 10.30 Mystery Jets
DJs: Stylish Riots, Acoustic Anarky, Fear of Music and special
guests
www.stylishriots.co.uk
Break ITC + Designer Magazine
Sun 2nd, 7pm, £3
Break ITC
Satans Hollow
101 Princess St, Manchester,
M1 6DD [ map ] 0161 236 1213
delegates free
8 Azure Glow
8.4 Raising Sand
9.2 The Visions
10 Zombina & the skeletones
10.4 Lord Mongo
Stlyish Riots II
Date: Mon 3rd Oct
Venue: M2
M-Two, Peter Street,
Manchester. M2 3NQ [ map ]
Tel: 0161 839 1112
Price: £5, or delegates are FREE
Running times: 6pm doors, till late
Event: Break ITC: Stylish Riots in association with Filter Mini
Artists:
(6.45 Piney Gir 7.30 The Exports 8.15 The Pedestrians)
(9.00 Louie, 9.45 Maupa, 11.00 Oceansize)
DJs: Stylish Riots, Sean Mclusky and special guests
Artist Rising-Play Music-Designer Magazine
Date: Mon 3rd Oct
Venue: Walkabout
13 Quay st, Manchester
M3 3HN [ map ] 0161 817 4800
www.walkabout.eu.com
Price: FREE
Running times: 6pm doors, till late
Event: Break ITC: Artist Rising in association with Designer Magazine
(8.00 Thai Bride 8.30 Make Good Your Escape, 9.15 Cazals, 10.00
Action Plan,
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