Video exclusive: Gideon Conn's 'I Just Don't Know You Very Well'

Manchester's twee-hop wordsmith Gideon Conn has followed up his announcement of a new album, Hip Hop Originals, via the London-based label Wah Wah 45s, with a new video to accompany its first single. 'I Just Don't Know You Very Well' is an ode to the tribulations of attempted romance at the whim of fast-paced and impersonal city living and sees the multi-instrumentalist weaving his colourful lyrical tapestries once more.



Wheeled in front of the camera and taken through a series of costume changes, Gideon spins the threads of his offbeat wordplay to complement Bunty's choral refrain, keeping things sparse and simple yet effective, similar to the tune itself. He could be the third Conchord, teaming seamlessly with Bret and Jemaine's whimsical musings and social commentary.

Infectious in both smile and style, there's a lingering temptation to hit repeat, so for plenty more of the same head to Wonder Inn on 21 November to get to know the full album at his Hip Hop Originals launch show.

Words: Ian Pennington

Hip Hop Originals is released via Wah Wah 45s on 27 November.

Stockport Old Town Fringe Festival 2014

The revitalisation of Stockport's Old Town continues apace, with more independent traders opening up all the time and the Fringe Festival scheduled for the end of August.

The festival, taking place across the final weekend of August ( Friday 29 to Sunday 31), stands as a benchmark of the new cultural life being breathed into the area, following a successful Portas Pilot bid in May 2012. The schedule includes artisan food and drink, comedy, live music, art installations and workshops.

The focal point of the festival will be the market hall, affectionately known as the 'glass umbrella', whose outdoor courtyard will host Foodie Friday from 6pm on 29 August, featuring a range of culinary stalls and live music.

Nearby, the popular new arts venue Seven Miles Out is taking centre stage for a range of events and activities, including the last of Mojo Bravo Comedy Club's series of Edinburgh Fringe preview shows featuring Vikki Stone.

Other highlights include a music performance by the lively Gideon Conn, whose upbeat and quirky crossover of hip hop and folk never fails to raise a smile, and there are family activities across the whole weekend, such as Pif Paf's magical tours around the Old Town on their Flycycle and Submercycle inventions.



In February 2012, Stockport gained the unwelcome accolade of being the large town centre with the highest shop vacancy rate in England and Wales. Since then, locals have secured Portas Pilot funding which has been ring-fenced to invest in plans to add life to its neglected and waning independent trade in the town. Among its programme of events, the Fringe Festival will display the new vibrant spirit instilled in Stockport and in particular the Old Town.

Ian Pennington

For more information about the event and Stockport Old Town, visit their new website.

Gideon Conn @ Kings Arms, Tuesday 2nd October 2012

Part Two of our series of ‘self-reviews’ is courtesy of Gideon Conn, who looks back at his gig at the start of October.

I don't normally write my own gig reviews but a man called Ian asked me to and I said yes. Perhaps a little hastily because I don't love writing, but hey ho. The gig in question happened a fortnight ago so I've had time to reflect. The venue was the Kings Arms in Salford, an excellent room where I had played happily before although not for several years. The turnout was low, partly due to torrential rain at 7pm and perhaps also because Man United were on ITV in Europe. John and Andrew (from Dr Butler's Hatstand Medicine Band) thought it judicious to put seats out, which was a good choice because around 45 people would have looked sparse if standing.

Heidi Browne opened the show very well. Her singing and guitar playing are pleasant and easy to listen to. She decorated the mic with felt flowers. I rarely book a support act that I haven't seen live but, as I said to Heidi, she messaged me at just the right time and I felt she would be good. I think the audience took to her.

My own performance was good, not as electric as on some of the other tour dates and I didn't think that I reached the peak of my powers. Perhaps the room was a little dark for close eye contact and the concert atmosphere a touch formal but I was happy overall and I'm confident that the guests really enjoyed their evening. John and Andrew accompanied me beautifully for the majority of the set on mandolin and banjo percussion. Andrew brushes the banjo head like a snare. Particularly enjoyable was the cover of Gil Scott-Heron's ‘Lady Day and John Coltrane', which they didn't know was in the set - we do our rehearsing on stage.

I didn't get a fee for the show, which was a slight downer, but that's my own fault for arranging a venue hire through a promoter instead going to the venue directly and asking them to book me for a show. On the upside, CDs sold fairly well so I didn't leave totally empty handed.

Words: Gideon Conn
Image: tour poster

Arts, Music & Events Preview, November 2010 (Part One)

Welcome to November; home of charitable moustache movements, money up in smoke and the onset of that one-hour shift in your daylight allocation. We’re now into ‘the darker half’ of the year, if you follow your Celtic tradition, and so malevolent spirits have moved on by; fooled by your Scream or Jigsaw masks.

Which conveniently (ish) leads me onto the beginnings of this month and the benevolence that remains. Today (Monday 1st), if you read this in time, there’s a forum in Hulme to discuss climate change solutions. Starting at 5pm, the Community Engagement and Climate Change forum is staged by Manchester Friends of the Earth and will feature proactive discussion and global case studies within the confines of St Wilfrid’s Enterprise Centre. Another from Manchester FoE the following day is Moving Manchester at Friends Meeting House, 7pm. Amongst others you’ll potentially hear from local public transport monopolists, Stagecoach, and the City Council about transport policy in the area.


If you’re after some intriguing music this evening and still have demons to exorcise then head to Islington Mill for a post-All Hallows Eve Zombie Zombie performance of John Carpenter’s enviable compositions.

Onto a theatrical slant, Contact Theatre has a new production under the moniker A Night on the Tiles. One for the board-game wordsmiths, it hinges on a high-stakes game of Scrabble and runs from Tuesday 2nd until the middle of the month. Also on the Tuesday, Ruby Lounge hosts James Yuill for an evening on poppy electronica.

For those who’re still living off Frank Zappa’s world-wise pearls of wisdom (eg “don’t eat the yellow snow”) and jazz-infused psyche weirdness, a sometime incarnation of his former backing band, The Grande Mothers Re Invented, promise a rehash of Zappa’s extensive back catalogue mixed in with blues numbers and their own ditties. Wednesday 3rd at Deaf Institute.

Thursday 4th sees a folky highlight at Silver Apples in West Didsbury. Folk Lore has lined up The Winter Journey and The Acoustic Conquistador for this month. Both are worth your time and free entry is always a bargain.

Steer clear of pyromania and the homage to Guy Fawkes by instead catching Casiotone for the Painfully Alone’s farewell tour. The lo-fi twee maestro is another stopping at Deaf Institute, with Hey! Manchester providing directions this time on Friday 5th.

Dieter Moebius is an incredible coup for Mie Music. They’ve booked the cosmic synth operator and Cluster co-founder in for Sunday 7th at the ever-creative Islington Mill. Synonymous with Krautrock’s golden era in the 70s, Moebius also has past collaborations with Brian Eno and Neu!’s Michael Rother on his CV.

Visit the Anthony Burgess Foundation HQ on Thursday 11th and you’ll be treated to sets by local songwriters Gideon Conn & Josephine Oniyama in a special seated show.


There’s another birthday for a long-running Manchester clubnight this month. This time it’s Micron who’re celebrating and in doing so they’re planning to share a present of Danny Howells for a six-hour stint on the decks, stretching through the early hours from Friday 12th.

Blank Media Collective have set aside that whole weekend, from Friday 12th until Sunday 14th for their wide-reaching takeover of artistic attentions. Alongside some of their ongoing exhibitions, BlankWeekend promises poetry, arts workshops, music (courtesy of Day For Airstrikes, Go Lebanon and others) and general mischief. Best to visit the links for a detailed breakdown of events.

That’ll do for now, but there’s plenty to look forward to beyond the mid-month mark.

Words: Ian Pennington