For so many new bands, the musical heritage of a city like Manchester can weigh all too heavily. They will be cast perhaps as indie throwbacks, as The New Happy Mondays or as a band deliberately eschewing the city's cultural gravity in an attempt to avoid being classified as either of the first two.

Every now and then, a band will pop up that resists any pigeonholing and just gets on with things. Bands like the Ting Tings, Delphic or The Whip. Formed in Oldham around five years ago by Bruce Carter and Danny Saville, The Whip's debut album was 2008's 'X Marks Destination'. A minor chart hit, reaching No 40, the record did enough to get The Whip noticed without the NME announcing they were, in fact, the new Durutti Column.

Helped by an eclectic style that was at once dance, punk and electro, The Whip made a name for themselves both as original artists but also as remixers; earning a clutch of prestigious commissions to remix for bands including Editors and east Manchester bedfellows The Courteeners.

The track 'Trash', the album opener, has been a particularly good earner, popping up as it has on a Coors beer ad, on Channel 4 show 'Rude Tube', in American sitcom 'Secret Girlfriend' and in a number of computer games.

After remixing and re-releasing 'X Marks Destination', and releasing the original in the US, The Whip finally got round to producing a second LP. 'Wired Together' was released in September and collected mixed reviews; compared favourably to Manchester forebears Section 25 yet faring less well when set against New Order. All of which seems a bit harsh - few bands bear any comparison with New Order.

The Whip begin a busy late February at the Riverside in Newcastle on Friday 24th, followed by gigs in Leeds and London (XOYO) before the final date at the Manchester Academy on Wednesday 29th (!) February 2012.

We have tickets available now for the Newcastle gig, priced just £10. We will have the remaining dates when they go on sale at 9AM on Friday 4th November, also priced a tenner.