When: 7.30pm on Sunday 24 May 2020
Where: Gullivers, 109 Oldham Street, Manchester, M4 1LW

We’re delighted to be working with Milky Wimpshake again, this time on Spring Bank Holiday Sunday!

Based around the nucleus of Pete Dale on vocals, guitar and songwriting and Christine Rowe on bass, Milky Wimpshake have been gigging since the mid 1990s. Quite a number of drummers have appeared over the course of seven or eight LPs, including Emma Wigham of Witching Waves on their soon-to-be-released new LP The Wimps are Alright. The band has a small but enthusiastic cult following, numbering the late John Peel and Iggy Pop (who recently professed his enthusiasm for the band on his 6 Music show) among its fans. In 2014, Alexis Petridis compared Milky Wimpshake to Arctic Monkeys in the Guardian on grounds of both bands’ longstanding reputations. The 2015 album Encore, Un Effort!, was awarded 7/10 in both NME and Uncut.

Wimpshake recorded for the Fortuna POP! label for 15 years, gigging regularly with labelmates Spook School, Martha and others from the UK’s current crop of younger DIY punk-related groups. Milky Wimpshake are considered grandees of the UK DIY scene, indeed, having survived as a group from the heyday of Riot Grrrl through to the present with gigs every year and regular record releases over the last 25 years.

The gig at Gullivers in Manchester will be part of a short tour to promote the new album The Wimps are Alright, which will be out in early May.

Main support comes from Poppycock. Poppycock was formed in 2012 by Una Baines (The Fall/The Blue Orchids/The Fates) who has been described as a ‘New Wave pioneer’ and ‘unassuming heroine of the Manchester music scene’. Working from Una’s substantial back-catalogue of songs (both released und unreleased), Poppycock began initially as a floating collective of musicians. Una says: ‘Our first gig was at the beautiful but dilapidated Hippodrome theatre in Hulme. I had worked with two halves of the band separately so the gig was actually the first time we had all played together. A baptism of fire!’ Poppycock sometimes ‘shapeshift’ into The Fates, Baines’ earlier collaboration celebrating an unapologetic feminist gothic/folk catalogue, performing songs from the widely acclaimed 1985 Furia album (which has never been done in its entirety – yet!).

The album was re-released in 2014 by Finders Keepers Records, who showcased The Fates performing the Furia album at Festival No 6 in 2016. Poppycock’s signature sound has been described as ‘cockypop’, featuring quirky lyrics and seasoned musicianship – Lizard Man, for example, was written after a dream Una had about The Fall and is a tribute to Mark E Smith. Poppycock’s ethos of collectivism and creativity often results in a cross over between art and music. The 1985 Fates Furia album cover was co-created with punk artist Linder Sterling , the Poppycock logo was collaboratively designed by Pascal Le Gras, and the iggy pop cover by Mark E Smith’s sister Suzanne Smith. Poppycock are currently recording their debut album, which will be released in 2020.

Opening the show are Oort Clod. Oort Clod are the bar band from the edge of the universe. Featuring members of Unpaid Intern, the Hipshakes, the Early Mornings, Dream Soda and Blanket Fort.

Buy tickets now. Tickets are available from the bar (no booking fee), Vinyl Exchange, WeGotTickets.com, Ticketline.co.uk and on 0871 220 0260.

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