When: 7.30pm on Thursday 11 December 2014
Where: Gullivers, 109 Oldham Street, Manchester, M4 1LW

We’re excited to be promoting the Manchester leg of Sweet Baboo and The Pictish Trail’s joint headline tour.

Two sonic stallions from the Moshi Moshi stable canter around the counties, for a seasonal co-headline tour.

Lyrical singer-songshapers Stephen Black and Johnny Lynch (Sweet Baboo and The Pictish Trail, respectively) both know the power of collaboration.

Something of a fixture within the burgeoning Welsh psyche-pop scene, you’ll recognise Black not only from his prolific solo output, but as a frequent musical cohort to Euros Childs, Cate Le Bon and Gruff Rhys among many, many others. Across four albums, and even more EPs, Sweet Baboo’s dry wit and melodic flair have seen him become a firm favourite with BBC’s Marc Riley (who has had him in session more than any other artist), and deservedly recognised as one of the country’s finest performers.

Meanwhile, from a static caravan up on the remote isle of Eigg, tucked away within the inner Hebrides of Scotland, Lynch runs DIY label and collective Lost Map (formerly Fence Records). As well as producing countless mini-albums, EPs and assorted LPs of self-professed ‘wonky-pop’ material under his Pictish Trail moniker, he’s collaborated with a plethora of the greatest songsmiths across these fair lands, including James Yorkston, Malcolm Middleton, King Creosote, KT Tunstall and Adem.  With the latter, he formed electro-pop powerhouse Silver Columns, proving his chops both as a versatile song-writer and as a wet-spandex leotard model.

Lynch invited Black up to the island to help him record his latest Pictish opus, Secret Soundz Vol.2 – which was very recently given a full nationwide release, alongside Vol.1, by London taste-makers Moshi Moshi. For this special advent tour, the pair are reunited for a fortnight of song-swapping, thigh-slapping and local-ale gargling; expect folk-tinged winter hymns, lo-fi audio wizardry and sweet Eigg-nog kisses under the casio.

Local support comes from Mathew Gray, a songwriter from Burnley who is now based in Manchester. Influenced by the most lyrical of songwriters (Leonard Cohen, Tom Waits, Jake Thackray), he writes intelligent, comic and emotive songs. Now joined by The Awful Truth – featuring accomplished percussion, melodeon and double bass players – they create a traditional, yet distinct sound to deliver a wonderful show. Having released two EPs in 2013, which sold out and received good radio play, a debut album is due to follow.

Buy tickets now. Tickets are available from Common (no booking fee), Piccadilly Records, Vinyl Exchange, Seetickets.com, WeGotTickets.com, Ticketline.co.uk and on 0871 220 0260.

Attend on: Facebook | Last.fm