hefirsttimeIheardtheJaniceGrahamBandIwaslyingdownonadeckchairatasmallfestivalatCastlefieldbeachonacoldwinternight,ironicreally.Itwasaprettydulleveningifallistold,I’dpursuedafewfriendstocomedownwithmetothelittlefestival,wegottherelateboughtafewdrinksandmadeourselvescomfortable.Thelineupwasgreat,orsoIwastold,Thiswasalie.Whatweendedupwatchingwasbasicallyabunch

ofbandstryingtobetheGallagherbrothersandoneleadsingerwhowasconvincedhewasMorrissey,swinginghisarmsaround,bunchofflowersinhand,thequiff,thelot.TruthbetoldIwasclosetofallingasleep,thenTheJaniceGrahamBandarrived,andthentheyburstintoasetthatblewmymind.

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Thesongshavetheurgencyofpunkrock,thebounceofskamusicandthebeatofreggae;beautifullycombinedtocreateanadrenalinefuelledmodernsoundIncludingdeeplyricsthatpaintapictureinyourmindofthecharactersandtheirsurroundings,they’reexciting.Anditdidn’ttakelongforthewholebeachtobeupoftheirchairsanddancing.Formed3yearsagoinWythenshawe,they’vebeenperformingever

sinceandhavegainedquitethefollowing.RecentlysignedtorecordlabelAcidJazz,theyreleasedtheirfirstsingle‘NoMoneyHoney’andgotquitearesponse,morerecentlythesingle‘Murder’alongwithB-side‘Assassinator’withtheirdebutalbumtobenamed‘ItsNotMe’tofollowinJanuary2012.It’saconceptalbumwithallofthesongsfollowingasinglecharacterthoughhistrialsandtribulationsthroughlife,adarktaleoffear,sexandeventuallymurder.

ailingfromeastManchesterhe’saworkingclasssinger/songwriteralmostlikeamoderndayBillyBragg,singingsongsaboutlifeandthethingsheseesaroundhim.Withhisbatteredacousticguitar,andalittlehelpfromhisfriends,he’sbecomeoneofManchesterbestlovedlocalacts,andisnowgainingawideaudienceoutsideofManchester,upanddowntheUK,Werecentlycaughtupwithhimtoseewhathe’sbeenupto

supportingBeadyEye.SincethenI’vebeenfinishingupthenextsingle‘fourwalls’whichwe’vealsojustshotthevideofor.

An exciting time for you then, How did the fans react to you?

Italy&Italiansaretoppeopleman.Theyget‘it’whatever‘it’is,ifyouknowwhatImean.

How’s life treating you at the moment Danny? Have you been up to much?

Nottoobadreally.JustbackfromItalywhereIdidacoupleofshowswithTheHacienda

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you always been a solo act or did you start off in bands and decide it wasn’t for you?

Dunnoreally,probablyalmost10yearsorsoalltold.Ididn’tactuallyplayinpublicuntilIwasabout20/21noneofmymateswereintoitsoImainlyjustplayedathome.IstarteddoingafewtunesattheoldAkoustikAnarkhynightthenjoinedaband.Didthatforacoupleofyearsthenforvariousreasonswecalledtimeit&Iactuallystoppedplayingforacoupleofyears.LiterallydidnothinguntilmymateJonnyBrownaskedmetoplayacoupleofshowswithhimabout4yearsago.Beendoingitagaineversince.

I think I know what you mean, that certain something that makes you different, so how did you get started as a musician?

Yeahthat’sit.IwasalwayslisteningtogoodtuneswithoutknowingreallyasmanDadisabigmusicfanwithgoodtastethankfullysoIwasexposedtoallthegoodstuffBeatles/Jam/Pistols/Motownetcetcearly.Amateofminehadanolderbrotherinaband-Iaskedhimtoshowmeacoupleofchordsontheguitar&thatwasit.Iwasaway.Beenplayingeversince.A great set of bands to start you off, so how long have you been performing and doing your solo stuff? Have

Obviously you’re from Manchester, which has a great history of music, what do you think of the current music scene in Manchester? Are there any bands that you’re into at the moment?

Ithinkit’sgood.Ithinkit’salwaysgoodthoughit’sjustatcertaintimesyouhavetolookabitharder.There’salwaysgoingtobeloadsofshitbandsaroundjustbecauseofthesheernumberofactsinthecity.

That’s a fair point, so I take it you’ve been listening to a lot of music, any favourites at the moment? Who do you think has influenced your music the most?

It’sdifficult.Ilikeahellofalot,andmytasteismoreeclecticthanmostwouldthinkreally.Butalltheusualreferencepointswouldbeinthere.Theactsmentionedearlier,alltheManchesteractsthatstillcastawelcomeshadowoverthecity.Thelistwouldbeendless.I’vealsobeenjustasinfluencedbythethingsIseearoundme.Ithinkthathashadthebiggestimpactonmymusic.

Now as you said earlier you’ve been record-ing the video for your next single ‘4 walls’, whens that coming out?

It’souton7thDec.I’vedecidedthatI’mgivingalltheprofitsfromittoFrancisHouse&ClaireHousechildren’shospicesI’mManchester&Merseysiderespectively.

That’s incredibly nice of you Danny, how come you’ve decided to do that?

IhaveafriendwhosedaughterregularlyusesFrancisHouse&anothermatewhoseyoungercousinusesClaireHouse.Ihavealittleboymyselfandcan’timaginehowharditwouldbeifheneededthehelptheseplacesprovide.Itjustseemedlikeanicethingtodo.It’llalsohopefullydispelsomeofthemythsthatIjustwrite‘lad/yob’typetunesyouknow.There’sfarmoretomethanthat.

Sothenewsingle‘4walls’what’sitabout?

Itwaswrittenaboutamatewhowasgoingthroughabadtimewithdepression.Butaf-terwritingitthelyricstheyturnedoutprettyuniversal.Everyonehasashittimeofthingsnow&again&it’saboutrealisingyoucangetthroughit&thingswillgetbetter.

Soyou’verecentlybeenrecordingyourdebutalbum,what’sthatbeenlike?

It’sbeengoodman.Frustratingtoo.95%ofitwasfinishedbackinAprilsoI’lljustbegladwhenit’sout&peoplecanhearit.

How come it’s takenso long to get it allsorted? Is there anyidea of a releasedate yet?

Thereareafewreasons.It’sallbeendoneinshortbusts.I’vegotalotofdifferentmusicianscontributingtoitandit’sbeendifficultgettingeveryonetogetherattimes.Iwanttoaddacoupleofnewertunestoithencemesayingit’s95%done.Sothere’sstillafewlooseendstotieup.AfterthatI’mwaitingtoseethebestwayofputtingitout.Smalllabel/DIYetcetcI’mcurrentlysayingit’llbeoutearliernextyearonewayoranother.

First time I saw you perform you were supporting Twisted Wheel at the academy, and you seem to get a lot of support from Manchester, is that something that’s grown over the past couple of years or did people ‘get you’ right away?

Ithinkit’shappenedoverthepastfewyearstobehonest.DoinggigslikethatwithTwistedWheel&theearlyonesit’sJonnyopenedupalotofdoorsforme.He/theybelievedinmewhenIdidn’treally.Iowethemalot.IloveManchester-Ihopethat’scomesacross.AndManchesterhasstartedtolikeme,whichfeelsamazing.I’mreallyhappywithhowmyhometownhasgotbehindme.

Where do you see yourself in a few years time? Any plans for the future?

Dunnoreally.I’llstillbeplayingonewayoranother.HopefullyI’llhavehadtheopportunitytoputmorealbumsout.

ThethreepieceTwistedWheelstartedin2007inOldhamandhavesincegainedacultfollowing,theyreleasedtheirdebutalbumin2009,tomixedreviewsfromcritics.butcontinuedtogigthorughouttheyearssince,theyhavesupportedmanybignameactssuchasPaulWeller,Oasis,TheEnemyandOceanColourScene.InrecentmonthsthelineuphaschangedwithsongwriterJonnyBrownbeingtheonlyorginalmemberleftinthegroup.Theyhaveanewalbumpennedandareaimingforanearly2012release.Agreatliveact,brilliantcrowdsthatareallwaysupforit.

Abrillaintblendofinfectious,melodicindietunesthatyou’llbesingingfordaysafteryouwatchthemlivewellworthcheckingout.TheyhavetheexplosivenatureofTheClashoftheSexPistolswhilstbeingasemotiveassayTheCureorTheSmiths.Abandthatisgainingareputationforthemselvesinrecentmonths.

TWISTED WHEEL THE TAPESTRY

THE QUANGOS WefirstcameacrossTheQuangosonthesamenightasTheJaniceGrahamBand.TheyhaveaverypoppyinfectioussoundsimilartoTheCoral.Theirfirstsinglewas‘OhDarlin’anditsagreatsongthatwillhaveyouheadboppingandfoottappingallthewaythrough,awonderfullycatchyriffandstrongvocalsmakethemabandtolookoutforinthefuture.

T H E K I N G S A R M S , S A L F O R D

11BloomStreetSalfordM36AN

fantasticoldpubthatstuckedawayintheSalford/Manchestercitycentreborderline,closetoSalfordcentraltrainstation,thisbeautifuloldpubisararegem.Withrealalesonoffer,lotsofspace,highceilingandagigvenueupstairs.Beentoacoupleofgigshereandit’sneverdisappointed,greatsoundandlotsofspacetohaveadrinkanddance,thepubhasrecentlybeenboughtbytheEx-BeautifulSouth/HousemartinsfrontmanPaulHeaton.Wehopehedoesntchanceandthingaboutthisplace.

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