Jade's Music Blog

Tomorrow sees what promises to be a legendary gig at Zanzibar, with three of Merseyside’s best up-and-coming acts.
The Vagabonds (pictured right), fresh from supporting The Wombats at the Carling Academy, will be sharing the stage with Wirral rising stars The Hot Melts and LIPA protege Eugene McGuinness.

Paul Weller is confirmed as the latest act to be confirmed for the Manchester charity gig Versus Cancer.
He joins a star studded line up for the concert at the Manchester Arena on March 30th which already includes music legends such as Ian Brown, The Charlatans, Echo and the Bunnymen, Andy Rourke, Peter Hook, Bernard Butler, Steve White, David Mcalmont, and Denise Johnson.

Craig Charles presents a documentary looking back at Liverpool’s Mardi Gras Club and the special relationship it had with 1960’s soul music tomorrow night on Radio 2.
The Mardi Gras opened in Liverpool in 1957 and went on to become a gathering place for a post-war generation of young music fans. It pre-empted the Northern Soul movement and the cavernous, former cinema presented a royal rosta of suited greats with the likes of Ben E King, Al Green and Arthur Conley taking to the stage.

We're loving Liverpool quintet The Little Flames, who supported The Arctic
Monkeys at their run of secret gigs last week.
Now, the guys and girl are getting ready to release their new single Isobella and are playing a date at the Barfly on March 30.

How do you fancy following in the footsteps of some of the biggest names in the music world?
Coldplay, Doves, Embrace, Badly Drawn Boy and Sandi Thom have all recorded at the famous Parr Street studios and now we are offering you the chance to join them...and all for free!

Noel Gallagher has been added to the all star line up of acts appearing at this year's Versus Cancer charity event being held at Manchester’s MEN Arena on Friday March 30th.

We've now got a brand new shiny album and single review column on the blog. We've got a team viewing, reviewing and eschewing as I write. Have a look, and leave your comments below...

I'm making a foray into the world of radio, choosing my favourite three tracks on The Pool on Radio Merseyside tonight.

There's a whole host of talent coming up this month at one of our favourite venues, the Barfly. I've posted some of their previews, so have a click below for our pick.
In the meantime I'm ploughing through hundreds of entries for our competition to see Ray Quinn's gig at the Cavern on Sunday. If anyone wants me I'll be somewhere under the pile of envelopes...

We've got reviews of the new albums and singles coming out this week, including the Sugababes and Girls Aloud, Brett Anderson, Pink, Lucie Silvas, Joss Stone and a whole host of schmaltzy compilations put out just for Mothers Day. Click below to see our views, and leave your own reviews in the comments section...

It's another busy week for the north west music scene. We've got a one-night only gig from the iconic Dolly Parton tonight, then the Carling Academy will see a great gig tomorrow from Scott Matthews, and a showstopper with self-confessed hellraisers the Horrors on Friday. It promises to be a busy week...

Here's our pick of the week's albums and singles....

The fabulous parr Street recording competition closes tomorrow (Friday). For information on how to enter, click on the link below...

Thank you so much to everyone who has sent demos in for the Parr street competition - we're absolutely snowed under with hundreds of them! And the best thing is that they're all great!
The not so good thing is that it's going to take us quite a while to listen to every one properly, and repeatedly, so we won't be able to announce a winner straight away. But as soon as we narrow down the winner we'll contact the band/artist and then publish it on the blog and we'll interview them in the paper.

This week we’ve been looking at the new releases from Kings of Leon, Marillion, Hilary Duff, The Bird and The Bee and Laura Veirs. Click below and leave your views...

How do you fancy seeing a great gig on Saturday night, courtesy of the Echo? Click below to find out more about the SixNationState gig featuring the lovely Palominos...