It's been about 15 years since I last saw Stoat playing live. After a lengthy hiatus, and over a decade since their debut album, Future Come And Get Me, the follow-up is released today. Located down a dark and foreboding, rubbish strewn alleyway, Dublin’s newest music venue, the appropriately named Underground, is rammed tight with fans old and new. It's a long, narrow, airless room that exists in its own microclimate; 25 degrees warmer than the February weather outside. In other words, it's exactly the type of venue that would have existed 15 years ago.

Stoat's tall tales and witty lyrics, accompanied by sophisticated mathpunk instrumentation was an inspiration to a generation of underground bands. At a time when guitar music is incredibly unfashionable, Try Not To Think About It is exactly what Irish music needs right now. They introduce themselves with a keyboard and soprano saxophone instrumental before hitting the ground with an oldie in the shape of nonsense poem ‘Acunamanacana’. The kick pedal breaks during comeback single ‘Talk Radio Makes Me Feel Alone’ but is swiftly replaced and take-two passes without a hitch. The intertwining riffs and vocals sound more grungy and scabrous live.

Album opener, ‘Trampolina’, has the room singing along like The Saw Doctors doing a song written for them by Jarvis Cocker. The swagger of ‘Don't Play No Game That I Can Win’ is offset by the punk pathetique of ‘Oh Happy Day’ while ‘Try Not To Think About It’ encapsulates the creeping dread, ennui and rationalisations of midlife. Current single ‘Dog King’ closes the main set with a gypsy punk stomp. It's the quickest hour of 2018 so far and despite vociferous demands, and in proper punk style, the band decline an encore. Welcome back, Stoat, you have been missed.

Arguably a band who need little introduction, Glasgow post-rock monoliths Mogwai have been melting fans’ faces since their inception while simultaneously changing people’s perceptions about what instrumental music should sound like. Now 23 years and nine studio albums in to their career, the four-piece show no sign of slowing down, or indeed, even mellowing out.

With last year’s incendiary album Every Country’s Sun seeing the band’s focus shift from the soundtrack work they’d recently busied themselves with, back to the expansive sprawling post-rock of their best loved records it was clear that the uncompromising Mogwai they fell in love with were back.

It was also obvious that a tour was going to follow, and in a testament to the band’s enduring appeal, many of the shows have sold out in advance, including the first night at Manchester’s iconic Albert Hall; a venue ever bit as imposing as the band it will host this Friday and Sunday evening.

Tickets available here.

Proving that two wrongs do in fact make it right Liverpool's Wrong Festival alldayer returns on the final Saturday of April, for the ridiculously cheap price of £25 (or £20 if you get in early enough). Given that you'd likely normally pay that (or pretty close) to see headliners Future Of The Left alone the fact you're also getting the legendary Damo Suzuki in collaboration with local psych merchants Mugstar, Manchester's psych juggernaut Gnod (much enjoyed by us previously in Liverpool here) as well as the might of Hey Colossus and a plethora of top notch up and coming acts across the event's three North Docks venues then this has to be one of the best value for money musical gatherings in the UK in 2018.

Wrong is the brainchild of Liverpool record label Loner Noise. With a line-up featuring over 30 international acts it will build on the platform created at last year's successful debut outing to further promote the acts of the Freakscene both old and new. Lasting from the early afternoon until the wee hours of the next day it will confirm it's place as a vital addition to the world festival circuit.      

Staged in aid of The Rock Trust, with all profits going towards fighting youth homelessness, Good Grief's all dayer offered up seven bands for a tenner - a bargain & no mistake. Unfortunately for the event it ended up taking place on one of the coldest & dampest days of the winter, in an unheated venue (a recurring issue for the seat-of-the-pants Biscuit Factory).

Sound-wise though all the bands enjoyed good, clear production and the turnaround between acts was achieved with the minimum of fuss so, despite the need for the audience to constantly move one way or another just to maintain circulation & everyone staying fully coated & begloved the lulls between performances were decently short (indeed Breakfast Muff were happy to go on 20 minutes earlier than scheduled, possibly to put everyone out of their misery that bit sooner).

Smooth Dad & The Community were already in full flow when we arrived and their choppy brand of indie, coupled with wry observational quips between the songs, went down well with the audience. Things were musically off to an encouraging start.

A start which, given the aghast looks on the faces of many attendees, faltered somewhat with the next band up, Rainham Sheds. Despite the charm of the improvised stand created for the band's tiny keyboard (a child's high chair comprising the lower part of it) the strident vocal assault unleashed by their wandering singer came as a bit of a shock & was certainly at odds with the previous act's tones. The band's energy & commitment definitely can't be faulted and if they'd been a metal act in the right setting no one would have batted an eyelid. As it was we took the earliest opportunity to brave the cold again and walked to nearby pub The Village to get some heat and save our ears.  

Upon returning to The Biscuit Factory it was possible to buy a pizza from a van outside, thus providing me with some cardboard underfoot to take the edge off the freezing concrete floor. Jack Lee were the day's third band and very good they were too. Unfortunately two of the group have to return to Australia (for reasons not gone into) therefore this was their last gig for the foreseeable future. As they seem to have been Edinburgh-based it was a shame to think we'd not previously managed to hear or see them but they have at least recorded an album so the experience can be had by all.

Fourth up (&, it has to be pointed out, the final act we stuck around for due to the ongoing cold) were Breakfast Muff, a perennial favourite who failed to disappoint. Including a number of new songs in their set the trio were as charming and funny as ever, particularly around the issue of keeping the bass in tune. Always a joy to watch in action they rattled through their set with only one underplayed number being dropped due to it being so fresh as to not have fully bedded into their musical brains. Sure it'll see the light of day soon enough.

All in then this was good value for money, despite us sacking off the final three acts and proof positive that Good Grief know what they're doing when it comes to organising shows. A venue with radiators would though be a better option next time around. 

Find out more about The Rock Trust here.