ROCK music is cyclical according to Graham Thomas. So it follows that a couple of years ago Manchester was turning out in droves to clubs to see the superstar DJ strut their stuff so now people want to get on down with the energy of live bands once again.

City Life thinks he's underestimating his own contribution somewhat.

'There's really exciting new bands coming through at the moment almost every week,' says the promoter one afternoon from the basement of The Bierkeller where most of his gigs take place.

'I get sent about twenty demos a week. My lounge is overflowing with plastic boxes full of them. But we do listen to them all; after all we've been caught out in the past a couple of times.'

How so exactly?

'Well we got sent a Kasabian demo a long while back,' laughs Graham. 'We dismissed them as just a baggy rip off.'

And?

'Actually yeah, I still stand by that.'

Look back to the start of Blowout and you'll see an amazing array of the great, the loud and the good have played Manchester under its ray gun banner. Bloc Party, The Longcut, Black Wire, Nine Black Alps, The Futureheads, Micah P Hinson and many others have all had early exposure because of the night.

As a result certain gigs, such as one particular Nine Black Alps show, have seen the London A&R crowd move north in droves for one night.

'But we are really choosy,' comments Graham of his selection process. 'Keeping the standard high is the only way we have of keeping the night good so that people will trust us. This is a hobby that's taking up all my time,' he continues.

'And I know it's a hobby because at the moment there's no one that enjoys putting the bands on and listening to them play more than us!'

TO read the rest of this interview buy this week's City Life (issue 580). Out now priced '1.50.

You can find out more about Blowout, the label and the club by visiting www.blowout.org.uk . Working for a Nuclear Free City, The VCs and The Harrisons play Blowout at the Bierkeller on Friday, April 15.

Tweet