ANDY HEDGECOCK is entertained by a playful novel that embeds a fictional game at its heart
THE sprawling Band of Burns collective have a strong affinity with this spectacular venue, having played their first gig here four years ago and recorded their debut album Live at the Union Chapel under its high Victorian Gothic roof.
The chemistry was at play again on this night, as the dozen members ran through a rousing and varied selection of Rabbie Burns-related songs, some written by the great bard himself, others simply inspired by him.
Starting with material from their first studio album The Thread, we were pretty soon into an evening of eclectic fun, interspersed with quieter moments on renditions of Ca’ the Yowes and Ay Waukin O.
BEN COWLES samples the many sonic and social therapies of Manchester Punk Festival 2026, and is ready again to smash capitalism
NEIL GARDNER listens to a refreshingly varied setlist that charts Cabaret Voltaire's voyage from avant-garde experimentalists to techno pioneers
WILL STONE takes a ticket to indie disco heaven, but misses the rarely performed tunes
PETER MASON relishes a legend of Jamaican roots reggae still plying his trade with a large degree of spirit



