Vinny Peculiar at the Castle Hotel Manchester

Vinny Peculiar [aka Alan Wilkes] grew up in Worcestershire and trained as a nurse before signing to Manchester cult label Ugly Man records [former home to Elbow]. He’s since put out thirteen albums of literate autobiographical pop music over a twenty-year career and has regularly toured band, solo and duo shows.

Variously described as – ‘an under sung national treasure’ [UNCUT] – ‘a warm-hearted Morrissey’ [Q Magazine] and ‘the missing link between Jarvis Cocker and Roger McGough’ [Irish Times] previous work associations include Bill Drummond [KLF] and his various bands have included ex members of The Smiths, OASIS, Aztec Camera & The Fall. He’s also written toured and recorded as Parlour Flames, the band he formed in 2013 with ex OASIS rhythm guitarist Bonehead.

New album How I Learned to Love the Freaks drops Sept 2023

Press notes n quotes….

‘Wilkes is also one of those few songwriters that can wring genuine smiles and pathos out of ordinary memories’ IRISH TIMES

Part Pulp, part Kinks, and very much part Peculiar, this is observational, punk-tinged songwriting at its best. HOT PRESS

Wildly witty with abject sadness and pathos in swathes, like a warm-hearted Morrissey no less’ INDEPENDENT

‘The missing link between Jarvis Cocker and poet Roger McGough and some of the wittiest lyrics this side of Wreckless Eric’ WORD MAGAZINE

COMMON HALL

Common Hall is the new project of songwriter Robert Williams. Expect a song about a whole town pretending a grandma has died to trick a grandson into coming home, a protest song about protest songs, a song about a cat lying in the sun and lots of songs about panic attacks. In his previous incarnation as The Library Trust, Robert released music through Static Caravan Recordings and received radio play on Radio 2 and 6. Robert has also written three novels. His books have been translated into ten language and he has spoken at the Edinburgh International Book Festival, the Berlin International Book Festival and every library in the north of England.

John Denton

John Denton is a thirteen year old singer songwriter from Salford and recent recipient of the inagrual Johnny Marr Community Music Award. Talent and charisma in abundance, he has a great future ahead of him. John opens the night on stage 8.20