Gomez still bring it on

Mercury Music Prize winners Gomez — who play Academy 2 in Manchester tonight — have been unassumingly plying their trade for 15 years now.

The indie quintet managed to make new album Whatever’s On Your Mind despite the members being split between LA and Brighton.

Gomez — Ian Ball, Paul Blackburn, Tom Gray, Ben Ottewell and Olly Peacock — shot to fame in 1998 with their award-winning debut Bring It On, which beat Massive Attack, The Verve and Pulp to win the coveted prize.

They ultimately failed to emulate that success, but critics have steadfastly refused to write off the band and fans can expect to hear tracks old and new tonight.




chart-topping Tennessee quartet Kings of Leon will belt out their best-loved hits at Lancashire County Cricket Ground this Sunday.



The Followill brothers — Caleb, Nathan and Jared — plus cousin Matthew started out in 1999 and their sound has morphed over the years from Southern blues to full on arena rock.

They achieved success in the UK before the US and are now critically acclaimed across the globe.

Fourth album Only By the Night spawned the massive hit Sex On Fire, their most successful single to date, and last year they released Come Around Sundown, which was more laidback than their previous albums and gave them another number one.




Rainband: Ready to reign?



MANCHESTER’S hotly-tipped four-piece The Rainband are on the cusp of something major according to the town’s music legends.



And they agree that the refreshing debut single, She’s A Rainbow, is the song that will take The Rainband places.

Having successfully completed a UK promo tour in March, including support slots for the Charlatans and Ocean Colour Scene, The Rainband have built their fan base traditionally by putting in the hard yards of touring.

Lead singer Martin Finnigan said: “Playing live is what we live for.

“I see prefabricated music going straight to the radio but we’ve never been about that.”

She’s A Rainbow is a memorable guitar-driven sound. Johnny Marr is a fan and Peter Hook, of New Order, said he was “proud The Rainband are carrying the torch for Manchester”.

She’s a Rainbow is available from record stores and on iTunes on June 27.