Featured image and gallery: Georgina Hurdsfield
The crowd plunges into darkness as bdrmm take to the stage of a packed out New Century Hall. Opening with tracks from latest album I Don’t Know, ‘It’s Just A Bit Of Blood’ showcases Ryan Smith’s haunting vocals as their ethereal guitar sounds kicks in. Meanwhile ‘Be Careful’ highlights their jazz and ambient influences.
‘Is That What You Wanted to Hear?’ and ‘Push/Pull’ reach into their back catalogue, before closing with 2021’s ‘Port’ and its haunting outro, as the memorable line, “I don’t know about you, I’m sure you know about me,” rings out into the audience.
A video projects onto the curtain prior to DIIV’s appearance, promising the audience a night of unimagined wonder and a transformative, pivotal journey for those in attendance. Perhaps they’re going to indoctrinate us into a sci-fi cult?
Following this the members of DIIV make a casual entrance. Opening with a pair of tracks from their previous two albums, ‘Like Before You Were Born’ from Deceiver and ‘Under the Sun’ from Is the is Are, before showcasing ‘Brown Paper Bag’ from upcoming LP Frog in Boiling Water, set for release on May 24th.
‘Take Your Time’ transports the crowd back to 2016, the swells of the guitar forcing the fans into a head-bopping trance. It’s evident DIIV are exceptionally well-drilled, delivering each song with military precision. The band entwine songs past and present with ‘Soul-net’, ‘Air Conditioning’ and ‘Incarnate Devil’, captivating the crowd with every strum of the guitar.
The encore features ‘Horsehead’, ‘Doused’, and unreleased track ‘Raining on Your Pillow’, which is just as well received as the older tracks. ‘Doused’ is a magnetic way to end their performance, proving once again why each time they return, Manchester welcomes DIIV with open arms.
Featured image and photography: Aaron Parsons / Press Haiden Henderson isn’t a name known to many in Manchester, but the Californian rockstar certainly made sure to leave a lasting impression. With sensual and sexy songs, Henderson really knows how to heat up a crowd in more ways than one. Unreleased track ‘Freak For You’ sets a…
Feature image: Press The Manchester Film Festival has wrapped its 12th edition, running over 11 days and showcasing a strong line-up of local and international talent from across the independent film industry. Festival director Neil Jeram-Croft reflected on this year’s programme, filled with a mix of features, shorts and documentaries spanning the cities’ cinema hotspots:…
Featured image: Press Toots and the Maytals return to Manchester for their ‘Reggae Got Soul’ 50th anniversary tour. Following their hugely successful 2025 tour, Toots and the Maytals return to Manchester to celebrate the 50th anniversary of their landmark album, Reggae Got Soul. Fronted for decades by Frederick ‘Toots’ Hibbert – named by Rolling Stone…
Featured image: Press Manchester Film Festival returned to Aviva Studios for its 12th edition, opening to a full house and setting the tone for an 11-day programme of screenings, premieres and industry events. The festival launched with a double-bill: Psychopomp, the directorial debut of Game of Thrones star Kit Harington, followed by Jan Komasa’s latest feature Good…
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