Description

We're delighted to be promoting the Manchester leg of Skating Polly and She Makes War's co-headline tour!

Skating Polly, the multi-instrumentalist duo of Kelli Mayo and Peyton Bighorse, started their band in Oklahoma in 2009. Admittedly the female-driven alternative acts that inspired the band such as Veruca Salt, X, The Breeders, L7 and Babes In Toyland (the later of whom Skating Polly toured with in Europe) aren't typical reference points for most of today's up-and-coming bands, but maybe they should be. 'The thing that we identify with in a lot of those bands is that they can be really aggressive and loud while also being super melodic,' Kelli explains, adding that the new dynamic in the band helped them be more expansive when it came to their sound and arrangements. 'Everything happened very smoothly when Kurtis became part of the band. It just felt natural having him there and writing with him.' In typical Skating Polly fashion, the trio will still be switching instruments live, something that's become a hallmark of their performances and one that opens up more possibilities with the additional instrumentation on their latest long-player The Make It All Show.

Speaking of live shows, Skating Polly really need to be seen in a club to fully grasp what makes them so special. That's probably why Kate Nash took them out on her European tour. 'It can get pretty chaotic when we're playing. People have said it feels like it could fall apart at any moment but in a good way,' Bighorse says with a laugh. 'We try to make our music honest and engaging and I think that's what drew us to people like Nina and Louise or Exene; you can probably guess a lot of the acts that we love, but we're able to keep making music that always sounds like us,' Mayo explains. 'We really try to make the songs the focus instead of trying to flaunt technical musical abilities,' adds Bighorse and that honesty and optimism is why everyone from legendary musical figures as well as hardcore fans have gravitated toward Skating Polly's music. The Make It All Show is the most fully realised work by Skating Polly yet and hints at an even brighter future for one of rock's most promising acts.

She Makes War is the solo project of Bristol-based multi-instrumentalist producer and visual artist Laura Kidd. Blending urgent indie rock with melancholy torch songs, her latest album Brace For Impact was released in October 2018 via My Big Sister Recordings and reached #15 in the Official Independent Album Chart.

'Reminding us of Medúlla-era Björk she's ace' Lauren Laverne, BBC 6 Music

'A triumph of gorgeous melodies, slashy guitars and processed beats' Rock Sound

Description

Located on Oldham Street in Manchester’s Northern Quarter, Gullivers is an iconic, lively and bustling bar with a long history dating all the way back to 1865.
Gullivers has had many different guises over the years. It was originally a Wilson’s house called The Albert Hotel, then The Grenadier before J.W. Lees brewery bought the pub in the 1970s. They renamed it Gullivers and it has existed in its current form to this day.
But there’s much more to Gullivers than just the busy bar; it also houses two distinct yet complementary live music and performance spaces; the upstairs Ballroom – a 100 capacity gig venue with a raised stage and the downstairs Lounge – an intimate, 40 capacity space ideal for acoustic or low-key performances.
As well as working with established and longstanding promoters from Manchester and beyond, Gullivers prides itself on being a welcoming, supportive space and a creative hub for the city’s grassroots artistic communities; with many now successful bands, artists, performers and promoters cutting their teeth within its walls.
This rare combination of space, location and ethos allows Gullivers to boast a busy calendar of live music, spoken word, comedy, theatre, film screenings, exhibitions and much more on almost every night of the week.

109 Oldham Street,

Manchester,

Greater Manchester,

England,

M4 1LW.

0161 839 4064