I guess that when forming a band, one of the first items on the things to do checklist would be to decide on a name that will be unique and stick in the minds of a potential fan-base. There is of course the risk that having a distinctive name without quality music and stage presence to back it up will only serve to accentuate the negative. So it’s a bold move to give your band a name such as Ming Ming And The Ching Chings. [...]

This was one of these gigs you stumble upon. Apart from a couple of posters in the Doghouse itself, the gig had been hardly promoted at all, low-key to the point of invisibility. To be honest, I hadn’t even heard of It Hugs Backs until I saw their show on the list of gigs circulated by our esteemed editor. All I knew from the list was that they had recently signed to 4AD and that, as someone who, for years, had spent a lot of time listening to great 4AD groups – Throwing Muses, Cocteau Twins, Pixies, Lush, Belly, Ultra Vivid Scene, to name but a few – I thought they might be at least worth hearing. [...]

Whitburn Miners Welfare was an unforeseen perfect venue for a great gig. Not unlike The Phoenix Club in Phoenix Nights, it’s all red velvet, cheap drinks, 60 year old bar staff and hilarious banter. [...]

Flint has the audience well prepared for her by support act Paul Guilbody, whose set is best described as ‘friendly’. Opener ‘Tunnet Man’ nicely sets the tone – haunting, low-key and yet, naggingly addictive. [...]

It seems like a no-brainer to comment on the difference between live gigs and recorded music. One is temporary, communal and fleeting, the other is toiled over, tinkered with and ultimately static. It seems obvious, yet some bands forget that merely replicating their recorded efforts is not enough. [...]