“It seems like everybody’s smiling tonight,” notes frontwoman Ninja after opening with the frenetic T.O.R.N.A.D.O., “is it a Northern thing?” You can’t really blame her for forgetting – after all, it has been a full three years since The Go! Team’s last UK tour and even longer since they last played in Manchester. Judging by the quality of their superb third album, Rolling Blackouts, and the way it translates live tonight, it certainly seems to have been time well spent.

White Lies return to Academy 1 tonight after a near two year absence, suffering from a severe case of ‘second album syndrome’. Their sophomore effort, Ritual, has been in stores roughly a month and was met with decidedly mixed reviews; I certainly wouldn’t recommend picking up a copy if you’re hoping for a major departure from their 2009 debut.

Feeder have had a mixed career, from the low points of the unfortunate suicide of drummer Jon Lee and replacement drummer Mark Richardson leaving to rejoin Skunk Anansie to creating their own label, Big Teeth Music, and over 20 Top 40 singles.

Using a mix of archive news footage, home movies and Sebastian’s own narration, the film was meant to be a humble and personal portrayal of Columbia’s political history.

This film wants to be as deep as each and every character we encounter

“in this film you won’t find a cross-dressing Ken doll, or wise-cracking, leery sidekick”

“I’m not mad on confident people. I can’t imagine myself ever making the Bon Jovi story.”

Told from the fourth-wall-breaking-inner-voice of a 15 year old boy whose optimism and enthusiasm toward our simple world is contagious, Submarine will have you laughing from the opening.

When we think of Paris now, we think of thin women, baguettes and the Eiffel Tower. Rewind several decades to the 1940s and we begin to see it wasn’t all that. From 1946 to 1958, the Fourth Republic of France was in its post-war operation (the Nazis had left and American films were once again allowed to be shown).

“While the film is capable of touching moments and can be very comic at times, what really makes it special is the sense of threat that is carried throughout.”

“They encounter a series of haphazard characters, some friendlier than others, but each with a set of psychological issues that remind the audience of the real plight of our protagonists.”

“Almost everyone (including the men) were wearing corsets or fishnets of some description.”

So, the Narnia saga is set to continue with no particular order, and no-one particularly caring. With the announcement of The Magician’s Nephew, Adam Deane ponders the brief life and extended death of the franchise.

“Snyder’s signature grimy, gothic aesthetic is ever present, as the girls bend time and space to encounter demon samurai, Steampunk-zombie-soldiers, Orcs, dragons, and futuristic alien-robots.”

Interview: “If Kyuss went on any longer, I would have probably imploded” Words by Tom Geddes Having been part of, one of the most influential bands of the ‘90s, Kyuss, singing in scores of other bands and being involved in veterinary diagnostics, you could think John Garcia had accomplished all his goals. But as he […]

Album Review Seun Kuti and Egypt 80 From Africa with Fury: Rise Because Music 4 Stars Nick Renaud-Komiya Having a famous father and living in their shadow is never easy. Just ask Jakob Dylan or Damian Marley. This brings us onto Seun, the son of Nigerian Afrobeat pioneer and famed political activist Fela Kuti. To […]

Title: One Way Ticket To Hell (And Unfortunately Back). PQ: I caught the eye of Justin Hawkins and shook my head. Tom Geddes, Music Editor On Tuesday 15th March, after years of speculation, pleading to the contrary and several sightings of a horseman of the apocalypse, the gates of hell opened and out from the […]