When: 7.30pm on Thursday 6 December
Where: Music Box, 65 Oxford Street, Manchester M1 6FQ

A Hawk and a Hacksaw are a band from Albuquerque, New Mexico mainly consisting of percussionist Jeremy Barnes (formerly of Neutral Milk Hotel) and violinist Heather Trost (formerly of foma). They are joined for this rare Manchester date – the only one in northern England – by Hungarian virtuosos Unger Balazs (cimbalom player) and Ferencs Kovacs (violin/trumpet).

AHAAH’s music is mostly instrumental, usually centred around Jeremy’s accordion with occasional vocals, shouts and cheers – although the 2006 album The Way The Wind Blows (The Leaf Label) has more vocal pieces. Zach Condon of Beirut contributed to that album, and he later toured with AHAAH while supporting Calexico.

Live, Jeremy plays several instruments simultaneously, strapping bells and drumsticks to his body to play percussion while playing accordion. The Guardian described a recent performance at London’s Luminaire as ‘surreal, furious and thoroughly invigorating’. Expect a unique mix of chamber music (they performed excerpts of Bela Bartok’s Romanian Dances in London) and frenetic dancefloor Gypsy music.

We’re delighted to announce that this will be an all-North American affair, with Montreal’s shoegazing popsters Miracle Fortress (Rough Trade) and the Dylanesque Donovan Quinn – of Skygreen Leopards fame – completing the lineup.

Music Box is on the Oxford Road corridor, close to both Piccadilly and Oxford Road stations. It is an over-14s venue – so over-18s wishing to buy alcohol drinks should bring ID.

This is a co-promotion with Pineapple Folk.

Tickets £9 adv from WeGotTickets.com, Ticketline.co.uk, Piccadilly Box Office (in easyInternetCafe, St Annes Square) and on 0161 832 1111.