So it's my second multi-band gig thingy at Islington Mill within six days and I'm beginning to wonder if I should set up permanent residence there, as they seem to have some rather nice accommodation as part of the complex, but I guess I would miss the home comforts of sunny Eccles, and the delights of bumping into local musicians and Corrie stars in Morrison's.

Any ways what's this one all about then? Well, it's entitled "Salford Against the Cuts" and it was put together by Stephen North and Tony Thornborough to raise awareness and cash to help battle the impact of the planned reductions in services in the city. As opposed to the Mayfest gig on the previous Saturday things are a little less frantic this time around with only five bands on the roster as opposed the ambitious eleven at the prior event, and I can stand back and absorb the music instead of worrying running out of burgers. What is notable mind you, for the first three turns is the serious lack of bass guitarists, has there been some sort of government clampdown on guitarists of the four string leaning I wonder to myself?

First up are Irma Vep - a three piece of two six string guitars and drums. Starting a sort of backs to the audience trend with a least one of the guitarists they deliver a very loud garage rock set which brought to mind the Velvet Underground and to some degree the Swans, albiet a tad faster and with less bass obviously.

After a quick set we get some DJing from Salford City Radio people - who kept the place moving throughout the evening - to be followed rather swiftly by Horses - a two piece outfit of guitar and drums. The backs to the audience motif was delivered in spades this time with the singer/guitarist spending the entire set facing his percussionist chum and having his vocals seriously filtered through some rather tinny and wobbly reverb.

Short punky vignettes of songs in a Napalm Death length style reminded me of Pere Ubu in respect of delivery and the collection of riffs, chords and structures seemed to mirror the complete history of garage/punk rock. Unique and slightly arty in respect of performance I think I need to see them again in order to try and decode what they are up to.

Class Actions follow - Aslan AK and Mike F demonstrate very effectively why they are such an impressive outfit and they get the Mill moving with blistering polemic and politically charged material. Vituperative attacks on Mrs T, global socialist solidarity via The Internationale, and the street philosophy of Hooligans feature in a vital and varied set of rap. hip-hop and funky punk.

I didn't catch the name of the singer who joined the duo for part of the set and who delivered an interesting counterpoint to AK's energetic performance. I'd guess Class Actions gained a few more followers after this memorable showing.

I told tHE zEEN I would do a review of Death to the Strange for the previous weekend's festival but various matters conspired against me to do this until now so I might as well kill two birds with one stone as it were. This is I think my third and fourth time of seeing the band and I have to say they continue to improve at a pace and deliver with quality.

 There is a lyrical and almost pastoral element to what they do but this is completely transformed with Rob, Adam and Jamie's backing. I think I spotted a couple of new numbers over both gigs but the staples like "Shade of My Mind", "On the Clock" and "Drink and the Devil" were there too - with melodies that you are humming for days afterwards and intricate and beautiful guitar work which sets these lads aside from the mainstream of bands gigging around the conurbation at the moment.

Why these guys aren't playing Glasto or the FOM festival is a complete mystery to me and if all you Radiohead fans out there want some one to follow whilst you heroes are idling along in second gear why not latch onto these guys - and Danny and John sing better as well!

And so to the head-liners - and a set I had been eagerly anticipating since hearing Trojan Horse's debut album around the turn of the year. I had been wondering how they would manage to translate the complexity of the arrangements into a live setting - after all there only seemed to be four of them on the stage so the symphony orchestra, brass section and collection of rough throated mariners clearly could not make it.

How it works in practice is a transformation of the tunes from the album into mammoth slabs of sound with the progressive elements of the music being set within a more aggressive and rock focused schema. I was particularly taken by the reading of Laces and Racists, and Patricroft Way which managed to deliver some of the albums more cinematic elements, albeit within a more confrontational and acerbic context. What impresses is the tightness of the band and the multiple vocal talents of the Duke siblings.

To their credit- the set is extremely varied and there are bits of the show which are a tad more rock than prog-nouveau and sit more firmly in the "Superstar Destroyer"/Amplifier/Oceansize camp. Overall though the band delivered an impressive set with the latter group of tunes building a crescendo to a stunning conclusion. All in all an excellent evenings entertainment and all for a very worthwhile cause.