Jon and Libby

PP Roy being announced by host Tom.   It was back to The Lloyds for Totally Wired #4 last Thursday, to do battle with once more with the unquiet ghost of Martin Hannett. Maybe he was bored tormenting the performers, or maybe there was a priest in the audience, but the new PA was superb, and it was good and loud! First to the tables was PP Roy with his unique blend of beats and 60s lounge music. This guy must have one heck of a record collection. I get a chilled St Etienne vibe from his work. See what you think... We were up next and after discovering that we could play for longer than planned, the set list became somewhat casual. Being behind the speakers wasn't the best for recording sound, but it went down OK on the night.   Rollmopski took to the stage next, with their unique blend of Prophet 5, modular, Theremin and slide guitar creating a sound that was in turn bouncy and plaintive.   Next, we were in for an interactive treat courtesy of Thunkist and his special paddles contai

  As I wrote in the last entry about NIAMOS, Hulme, like the rest of Manchester, is in a constant state of renewal. Hulme isn't "Hulme" any more. It is filled with culture, and an involved community. Gone are the dreaded "Crescents", replaced by smart housing association properties with gardens. There's even a bike hire stand! All that SpaceNoodlr needs now is support from the EMOM community to come down and make a night of it, because it really is a good night. The space is BIG, the PA is loud and robust - you literally can't hurt it - and the people are always welcoming and learning as they go. It just needs more people playing in that big space. Last week, we were treated to truly diverse sounds, not least of which was LIEI and her melifluous integration of Theramin and Japanese-inspired music. Great to chill to, with a gorgeous Moog Theramin looking like it was straight out of The Jetsons! Take a listen, and also look at that stage. When else are you