After five years or so with French New Wave outfit Nouvelle Vague, Mélanie Pain launched her solo career in 2009 with her debut album My Name. A winsome slice of French indie pop, My Name was sufficiently well received that Mlle Pain, pronounced 'pan' as in pain, French for 'bread' (you knew that), repaired to Manchester to record the follow up.

After two years touring My Name, and perhaps influenced by her new home, Pain emerged with a new sound - still 'indie pop' in the loosest sense but now bursting with a raw energy and, to some extent, forsaking the programmed synths of My Name. Fittingly, the new record has been christened Bye Bye Manchester and Mélanie Pain seems pretty excited about it. As charmingly translated from her 'officiel' website, "Eager, Mélanie is already on the road with Bye Bye Manchester, to be released late 2012."

And where better to begin than back in Manchester with a show at the Deaf Institute on 5th December 2012, followed by dates in Leeds and London before the final gig announced so far at Thekla in Bristol. The London show is at the Union Chapel in Islington on 7th December.

We have tickets available now, priced just £10. Très bien et bonne chance Mélanie.