Cool Manchester

By Christopher Brunner

David Yow has been entertaining crowds of maniacal rock fans for decades as well as being a fine painter and digital artist. David can also really act too, with several indie movies under his belt David Yow is hungry for more.

Christopher Brunner spoke to David Yow a few weeks ago .....

Chris "Is re-invention a term that crosses your mind either consciously or sub-consciously?"

David Yow "I've been working on reinventing myself a lot lately because I've been dissatisfied with the previously invented version of me and erm so I've been taking these classes mostly for acting, and ah they’ve been really cool, sorted of erm, not exactly renaissance but you know newer better version"

Chris "Have any roles in particular taken you more out of your comfort zone than usual?"

David Yow "well it’s never comfortable that’s one of the really cool things about it is that it’s a real challenge to sorta try and step out of yourself to try and let what ever character it is that you’re playing take over"

Chris "Is it easier playing a role you can relate with?"

David Yow "I'm generally a very nice and easy going fella, and there’s a couple roles Id played, there was one in particular in a movie called ‘Al’s Beef’ where I played a con man who tortures a women’s fiancée in front of her and then shoots her in the back and that one was a lotta fun because it was really, really different than what I'm like... and so to try and sorta slip into that place
where its someone other than me is this kinda weird and magical thing, it’s never easy, and doesn’t happen that often.
I think that’s one of the main reasons that motivates me to wanna do this acting bullshit"

Chris "Are there other roles you like to branch off into?"

David Yow "Erm I used to think I wanted to play just pretty much just villains and y’know, bad guys and shit like that, but since then I've kind of realised id like to do everything. Id like to play a fairy in a Disney move, y’know anything and everything.
Do you know who Michael Shannon is?"

Chris "No"

David Yow "Have you ever watched Boardwalk Empire"?

Chris "Yeah a few times. I dug what I saw."

David Yow "He’s the weird guy what’s his name Nelson Van Alden, I think is his name (Shannon’s Character name in BoardWalk Empire),
and we’ve become friends, and he was doing this movie last year called The Ice Man which was based on a hit man named Richard Kuklinski, and Michael played Kuklinski , and he told the Director that he wanted me to be in the movie, and so the Director and I had a meeting, and there was a particular role that he thought id be perfect for he told me he couldn’t imagine anybody else playing the role better than I would.
So I was really excited, I thought this is very cool feature length movie, and all of a sudden at the last minute the producers took the role away from me and gave it to James Franco, and I just saw a screening of the movie, and I had done a video tape for the director of the movie role that I was gonna be in, and its funny, when you see the movie and you see James Franco do his part, he did it exactly like I did, and I could be wrong y’know, but I think the director showed him the tape and said ‘ok do it like this’, so I think that’s kinda funny.
So when I meet James Franco I'm gonna beat him up (laughs)"

Chris "How are your future plans looking at this point?"

David Yow "oh yeah, there’s a bunch of stuff around the corner, I'm eager, its all good. Its all very exciting, I think it’s a slow grow y’know, you can’t expect it to happen quickly, but I need, I've had a hard time trying to find some kind of representation or manager, and so I'm looking for that to happen. Its been weird because a lot of directors sought me out because of the music I did,
and I just kinda wonder well okay there’s gotta be agents who would think id be cool"

Chris "Have you worked on any exotic set locations?"

David Yow "Urm as for acting, I don’t think I've done any acting outside of the US. Done a lot of travelling, I think the coolest set I've ever been on is, a friend if mine worked on Deadwood...
and he took me along to the set there, it was amazing, the attention to detail, and just everything was really really cool"

Chris "Who were some of your early acting inspirations?"

David Yow "oh wow, er, I've been impressed with the work of Dennis Hopper, Jack Nicholson and hmm Steve Buscemi, erm, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, god I guess the list could go on and on, Robert De Niro. I think often times I'm more impressed with Directors . I'm a huge fan of ‘ol Stanley Kubrick and when he died I was crushed. One of the only times a famous persons died and I cared about it, it really, really bummed me out when Stanley Kubrick died
I think he’s one of the greatest artists of our time"

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Fundraising charity Manchester Pride has announced there will be no more booking fees as they work with Quaytickets as agent for the 2013 festival.  Big Weekend e-tickets will be available for the first time in a package that sees booking fees abolished and Monday day ticket prices reduced.

Early Bird tickets for the award-winning Big Weekend will go on sale on Friday 26 April and will cost just £16 for the whole four-day weekend. With no booking fee charged, most people will pay the same, or less, for their ticket than in 2012.  Only a limited number of Early Bird tickets are available and festival goers are encouraged to act quickly to avoid missing out.

Now in its 23rd year, the Manchester Pride Festival consists of four elements: Pride Fringe; The Big Weekend; The Manchester Pride Parade; and The George House Trust Candlelit Vigil, and has raised over £1 million for LGBT community groups and those living with, or affected by, HIV.

Running throughout August, the Pride Fringe will present a colourful programme of arts, music, heritage, culture and debate, with around 40 events taking place, the majority of which are free to attend.

The August Bank Holiday sees the return of The Big Weekend; a four-day celebration in the heart of Manchester’s Gay Village. From 23 – 26 August, visitors will be treated to a programme of live entertainment across three stages, along with community exhibition areas and village markets. Early Bird weekend tickets start at £16.00 with day tickets priced at £13.50 and Monday day tickets only £10, with the promise of some great live acts to make this a day worth spending here. 

The vibrant Manchester Pride Parade will again weave its way through the city centre on Saturday 24 August from 1pm. The festival closes with the George House Trust HIV Candlelit Vigil in Sackville Gardens on Monday 26 August at 9:15pm.

Chief Executive for Manchester Pride, John Stewart said:

We are pleased to be working with Quaytickets, the trading arm of The Lowry, this year.  By scrapping booking fees, we have put together a package that will see the final online purchase price cut compared to last year, while we have also reduced the price of Monday day tickets.  With e-tickets available for the first time, further savings will be available to anyone choosing to have their ticket delivered electronically.

We are looking forward to the first official announcement of exciting artists on Thursday 25 April, ahead of tickets going on sale the following day.  This year, only a limited number of Early Bird tickets are available so we urge people to act fast and take advantage of the reduced rate.

To find out more about Manchester Pride and this year’s festival you can follow the charity on Twitter @manchesterpride or visit the website at manchesterpride.com

Eurovision is just around the corner. Me and Matthew are already starting to plan our Eurovision Party.

This year, with the semis on the 14th and 16th, the final falls on May 18th, which is the birthday of one of our friends.

I thought it would be fun to take a look at the last 10 years (including this one), and pick my favourite from each year. I'm not the greatest lover of music, so this will be difficult, but, it will be a little fun.

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Gabrielles Wish

I've Always Believed – Single Review

By Daniel O’Sullivan

This long awaited offering from cult band Gabrielles Wish has all the hallmarks of a classic Mancunian anthem. "I've Always Believed" is an incredibly catchy indie tune with melodic vocals, a crisp and choppy guitar riff and an accomplished yet simple sound that you might expect from a band that has plied its trade for over twenty years.

Think Stone Roses meets The Kinks and you wont be too far away.

The flip side "Be Patient My Son" couldn’t be more different and opens with a haunting piano solo. Its a dark and broody number with a sweeping cinematic style and the use of the vocal sample "I only want to be good" is nothing short of a masterstroke.

I've always felt Gabrielles Wish were a highly underrated band but i feel certain that with quality material such as this surely its only a matter of time before people recognize just how important Gabrielles Wish are to the diverse Manchester music scene.

To buy the new Gabrielles Wish single go to their iTunes page at

https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/ive-always-believed-single/id630226133

Gabrielles Wish website – www.gabrielleswish.net

Some info on Guest reviewer Daniel O’Sullivan

I'm 53, a father of five amazing and talented children, I worked for Factory Records from 1977 as a DJ and I still occasionally promote the odd gig. A great lover of all things Mancunian and a die hard old school socialist

April 1999, what was happening? According to Wikipedia, it was some very dark times and not much fun to be had:

Two Libyans suspected of bringing down Pan Am flight 103 in 1988 are handed over to Scottish authorities for eventual trial in the Netherlands. The United Nations suspends sanctions against Libya

In Laramie, Wyoming, Russell Henderson pleads guilty to kidnapping and felony murder in order to avoid a possible death penalty conviction for the apparent hate crime killing of Matthew Shepard
 
 
Bomb explodes in the Valley of the Fallen church in Spain - GRAPO claims responsibility

The first DIY SOS episode is aired on BBC One.
 
 
Ibrahim Baré Maînassara, president of Niger, is assassinated
 
 
A nail bomb explodes in the middle of a busy market in Brixton, South London

Depressing times it seems?  You wouldn't think it though looking at the UK Top 40. Cheese was easily the flavour of the month!

 1 Mr Oizo Flat Beat
 2 The Cartoons Witch Doctor
 3 Britney Spears Baby One More Time
 4 Billie Honey To The Bee
 5 The New Radicals You Get What You Give
 6 Eminem My Name Is
 7 Boyzone When The Going Gets Tough
 8 The Vengaboys We Like To Party! (The Vengabus)
 9 TLC No Scrubs
 10 Phats & Small Turn Around
 11 B*Witched Blame It On The Weatherman
 12 Steps, Tina Cousins, Cleopatra, B*Witched & Billie Thank Abba For The Music
 13 Steps Better Best Forgotten
 14 Des'ree You Gotta Be
 15 Whitney Houston It's Not Right But It's Okay
 16 Robbie Williams Strong
 17 System F Out Of The Blue
 18 Catatonia Dead From The Waist Down
 19 Kele Le Roc My Love
 20 Sash! Colour The World
 21 Cher Strong Enough
 22 Andy Williams Music To Watch Girls By
 23 Blur Tender
 24 The Aphex Twin Windowlicker
 25 The Corrs Runaway
 26 2Pac Changes
 27 Another Level featuring Jay-Z Be Alone No More
 28 George Michael & Mary J Blige As
 29 Steps Heartbeat / Tragedy
 30 Manic Street Preachers You Stole The Sun From My Heart
 31 Tina Cousins Killin' Time
 32 Shawn Mullins Lullaby
 33 Reef I've Got Something To Say
 34 Mariah Carey I Still Believe
 35 Roxette Wish I Could Fly
 36 Blondie Maria
 37 Underworld Push Upstairs
 38 Lenny Kravitz Fly Away
 39 The Beautiful South How Long's A Tear Take To Dry?
 40 Beverley Knight Made It Back '99

Having said that, there really is nothing wrong witha bit of Cheddar! Ok some of it was very stinky [The Cartoons] and some of it was like Marmite [Mr Oizo], but there was also that of the tastier variety [B*witched, Cher. Etc].

One thing that does jump out though is the huge popularity if pop music, Britney was selling songs by the bucketload and Steps had THREE entries in the chart.

The power of advertising was in full swing at the time too, with Des'ree and Andy Williams enjoying chart re-entries.

When it comes to absolute classics though, three songs in the top ten have "timeless" written all over them...