Little do I know as I wander into the always welcoming arms of the Tiv that tonight is going to be a night full of surprises! We start off with Dea Matrona, who are two young lasses from Belfast who came to fame via youtube. Apparently they busk on the streets of their home city, film it, and have amassed over seven million views in the last couple of years. Not bad going! Tonight they also bring a drummer and come on playing bouncy blues. OK, that's not a bad start, accessible and hummable.
Read MoreHe’s rather a nice chap that Kris Barras fella; on the tour to support their latest album “Death Valley Paradise’, he’s been offering an opening slot to local bands as a way of giving promotion and exposure, and tonight Manchester’s very own Ashley Sherlock Band has the unenviable job of opening the show.
Read MoreThere's a real buzz in the air surrounding these guys at the moment. A band fronted by yep, you guessed it Kris Barras, they are literally taking the UK by storm, treading the boards up and down the country in support of their third album; the recently released “Light It Up” and, by the sound of things on social media, they are literally doing just that, playing to near capacity and sell out crowds every night. Tonight sees the 15 date tour rolling into Manchester once again this year. Early in February, I saw Kris and the boys play at the Deaf Institute, but tonight sees them take a step up and play a cracking venue in the Academy 3, a credit indeed to just how their powerful high energy mix of rock, blues and country are turning people's heads and blowing them away wherever they play.
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