Arts, Music & Events Preview, April 2011 (Part One)

This latest preview feature again hits after a small bite has already been digested. There’s plenty more to chew on, so without further ado...

Can you believe that it is four years since Prostitutes & Policemen’s first uptempo clubnights raved the Attic’s roof off? Well you can take your nostalgic disbelief with you tonight to Sankeys where they’ve listed the wacky mix-merchants Crookers atop an electro-ridden bill.

Another one for this evening – as well as tomorrow, Thursday 7th – is a film showing screened by Manchester Friends of the Earth. They’ve organised ‘The End of the Line’ in Didsbury to highlight over-fishing, followed by Pete Postlethwaite’s climate change insight ‘Age of Stupid’ on Thursday in Levenshulme. They’re asking a few quid per night.

Thursday 7th is a packed night all around. There’s the monthly An Outlet musical showcase Some Drum I Would Never Hear, which is pitched against a pair of art exhibition launch nights. New collective Underground Separation – art students at Salford Uni – promise a varied Soup Kitchen spread, curated across a broad range of disciplines within visual arts. And to evoke an audio mood Now Then Manchester favourite Paul Green has stepped in to soundtrack the space.

Across town BLANK SPACE has another outsourced exhibition adorning its insides; Perception/Deception is the title that No Such Thing Collective will be wrapping their creative arms around.

For Friday 8th Northern Groove are involved in the staging of Horace Andy, of Massive Attack fame, and his regular backing band Dub Asante at Band On The Wall. That’s not enough reggae? A second dose awaits on Saturday 9th. More for Friday, though, is offered by Micron and their booking of Kiki for funky Finnish frolics. They set up shop at Joshua Brooks, as ever.

In the DJing vibe, Piccadilly Records staff clubnight project Wet Play finds itself again in fresh surrounds, unsurprisingly given its sporadic, nomadic existence thus far. That’s Soup Kitchen on Saturday 9th, where you’ll find John Morales rubbing shoulders with the regular sound providers including Ruf Dug. Around a corner or two This City Is Ours bring the curtain down on their stay at An Outlet, whose neighbours would prefer the bustling clamour of their inner-city living space to be untouched by the relatively chilled-out beats of Blood Boy et al’s combined record collection.

Fast-forward to Monday 11th for some more visual mind food. This one’s Manchester FoE endorsed but run by Man Met Uni in the All Saints Building, who’ve picked out ‘Food Inc’ to tickle your optical taste buds. Back on the aural of the senses, 80s throwback Aussie indie ensemble Architecture In Helsinki’s tour stops off at one of the Academy venues on Wednesday 13th.

Thursday 14th is one of those inexplicably arduous nights in terms of narrowing down what to attend from a long list, as follows... Japanchester, featuring From The Kites Of San Quentin, Day For Airstrikes, Plank[!] and Trojan Horse, is an effort to raise money to help to support post-quake Japan; A Hawk And A Hacksaw at Islington Mill, supported by Dan Haywood and the New Hawks (keep an eye out for an interview to be published here very soon); Saki Bar’s Grand Reopening Weekend misjudges when the weekend is by starting up on a weekday with Reggae Thursdays; finally a factual one in Chorlton for those looking to align their house with a more environmental norm (or just save money through efficiency) – it’s a precursor to Saturday 16th’s Big Green Festival, both taking place at St Clement’s Church on Chorlton’s Edge Lane, where the theme is Bike To The Future (geddit?) and the best all female dance troupe in the UK, Spokes, will perform.

Deep breath. Friday 15th is one I’ll pinpoint a little better. Cutloose present Theo Parrish at the Roadhouse. Cosmic disco grooves aplenty. It’s Record Store Day during the following day, Saturday 16th, so if you’re keen then maybe try an all-nighter to beat the early birds into the inevitable queue outside Piccadilly Records. And ignore this fella (not that anyone’s paid much attention to the NME for a long time anyway).

More for the Saturday, you say? Here’s a couple: Carefully Planned reach ten in their All-Dayer series at Castle Hotel, while Eastern Bloc Records eclipses that milestone with a second instalment of quarter-century back-slapping at Islington Mill.

In other news, Sounds From The Other City tickets are on sale so catch them before the guaranteed sell-out (based on the evidence of all previous years), or get involved with the volunteering team to see the festival from a different angle and make a few new friends. The Imploding Inevitable Festival, a recent regular at the deed poll office, is another with a nod from Now Then Manchester; June 10th & 11th, Fell Foot Wood.

Chorlton Arts Festival has a volunteers open day on Saturday 16th – and make sure you pencil in 29th April as their deadline for The Flash Mob Writing Competition, organised by a group of Manchester bloggers - many of whom can be found on our Manchester Blogs section (left).

And in the immortal words of Columbo, just one more thing: have a little listen to Big Block 454 for some wah-wah funky tones, mellow acoustic oneirism and deadpan lyricism.

Words: Ian Pennington

Arts & Music preview, October 2010 (Part Two)

It barely feels like summer has ended thanks to the unexpected burst of sunshine lately, but here we are with mid-October fast approaching. And, since we left your October event highlights glass half empty a fortnight ago, now seems an apt time to fill the rest of your cup.


It’s a busy weekend, no matter what your niche. It could all start on Friday 15th at the newly refurbished Islington Mill with one of a few of this month’s birthday parties – Mind on Fire’s 6th anniversary on this occasion. They’ve invited along eight of their favourites for MoF musical chairs, including LA77, Neko Neko, Woli Wols and xxxy (below), and will even send you home with a goody bag consisting of Hear No Evil, See No Evil’s audiovisual treats.


If you’re at a loose end this Saturday 16th lunchtime then head to Chorlton Park to don a cow mask with Friends of the Earth for a photo shoot supporting their Food Chain campaign. Later on, Debt Records present their annual knees-up at the Dancehouse with John Fairhurst and Louis Barabbas & The Bedlam Six leading from the front.

London promoters Mie Music have seen the light and now ply their trade up here, inviting along the distorted ambient soundscapists Demons for an Islington Mill show on Tuesday 19th. Elsewhere on the same night you can catch part-time Efterklang multi-instrumentalist Peter Broderick at Academy 3 for some folk-oriented goodness.

Also celebrating a birthday this month are the tech house connoisseurs, Content. Head over to Joshua Brooks on Friday 22nd and you’ll be able to see / hear / dance to headlining DJ Kenny Larkin. Alternatively that night, American wordsmith Saul Williams is scheduled to wax lyrical in poetic verse at Band on the Wall for Manchester Literature Festival.


Now that your ears are ringing with the tinnitus of a near-month-long sound binge, you’ll likely fancy the prospect of something quieter to mellow the soul. Step forward Trof’s Art Corner exhibition. Staged showcases photography that aims to take a storyboard approach by depicting narratives on a variety of subjects from the British class system to the effects of childhood games. You can view the results any time between now and mid-November.

Another option during this hypothetical sonic siesta might be a stroll down to Mooch's new HQ on NQ's Spear Street for Pain(t) and Ink, which opens for public viewing from Saturday 23rd.


Refreshed and ready to rock, next let hotly tipped antipodes Tame Impala guide you on a psychedelic trip, Wednesday 27th at Ruby Lounge.

Chorlton’s premier folk outlet, Dulcimer, has reeled in Bristolian chanteuse Jane Taylor to top a bill on Thursday 28th that also includes Louis Barabbas and Becca Williams. Expect a duet somewhere along the line.


Naive Melody look to be bidding a fond farewell to their regular monthly discos, but conveniently round off at five years old on Friday 29th with the usual cosmic selection. If you don’t want to confront the end of an era there is another option of a similar ilk. The relatively nascent, yet progressive thinking, promoters HearHere are aiming to tempt you to Soup Kitchen with the double lure of Kompakt’s Ewan Pearson and Andrew 'one half of Fuck Buttons' Hung.


The end of the month (28th-31st) signals the rebirth of arts house Antwerp Mansion, who’ve lined up a four-day event. You can pick and choose your own best bits here.

And squeeze in a trip to Withington that weekend if you can (unless you're already there, of course), particularly if you're enamored with the place and would appreciate a festival that states this emotion. Love Withington Festival takes place on Saturday 30th, predominantly on Old Moat Park, with expected presences of Food Not Bombs (who're looking for volunteers to help on the day and in advance) and the Spokes Bicycle Dancers, amongst others. Furthermore, get involved with the Love Withington group's Street Clean Up earlier that day. Egerton Road is the target for planting bulbs and generally tidying students' vomit and half-eaten kebabs.


Our final tip is Envirolution at the Contact Theatre, which promises debates, interactive workshops, arts and more by way of sustainable living solutions. That'll be free entry on Saturday 30th.

Now take a deep breath because there'll be plenty more next month.

Words: Ian Pennington
xxxy image: Ian Pennington
Antwerp Mansion flyer image: Kris Extance