Arts, Music & Events Preview, March 2011 (Part Two)

Picking up smoothly where March Part One left off, this evening (Saturday 19th, in case you haven’t checked your calendar and/or have arrived fashionably late to this blog post) sees another instalment of This City Is Ours. It’s in conjunction with the Broken Bubble label launch at the cosy confines of An Outlet.

Sunday 20th sees Arbouretum stride the Deaf Institute stage. They’re often defined as ‘folk-rockers’ but the ‘folk’ tag is presumably a result of the abundance of facial follicles, while their occasional face-melting solos would surely singe your typical folky vibes, so file instead under the Crazy Horse-backed-Neil Young emphasis on ‘-rockers’.

Now Wave + Hoya:Hoya = an intriguing collaboration. Furthermore, when the equation equals a warped evening of Brainfeeder acts you’re onto a winner; in short, Teebs and Jeremiah Jae, Monday 21st, Deaf Institute.

Food Not Bombs is plotting a few events, starting with an open meeting. Head along on Tuesday 22nd if you fancy helping to expand its culinary arsenal. Otherwise on that night, Manchester Salon’s latest discussion focuses on The Future of Journalism and Publishing Online at Blackwell University Bookshop; a hot topic for this blog, needless to say.

Merzweek is ongoing from 21st ‘til 28th and Wednesday 23rd is the day to catch a premiere screening of the documentary focusing on central Merz artist Kurt Schwitters’ life. 7pm start, free entry; beat that, mobile phone Wednesdays.

Mount Fabric launch their new EP at the Castle Hotel the following night, Thursday 24th. And the final weekday, Friday 25th, ends with a win-win techno choice: Content welcome Juan Atkins to Joshua Brooks during the same hours as the finale of the three Übermotion monthlies at Sound Control. The latter drags along recent Kompakt compilation architect Robag Wruhme and Berlin’s deep house merchant Efdemin.

If you’re not exercising your democratic right to wave placards around on the streets of London on Saturday 26th, then there’s a veritable feast of politically apathetic alternatives on or near your Manchester doorstep; hell, you might even be able to make it back up here in time for the evening’s options – provided you haven’t been kettled in Kensington. American-born, now local, folkstress Jesca Hoop has been entrancing Manc audiences for a fair while now; we reviewed her Deaf Institute show last year, which is where she returns after Hey! Manchester’s persuasion. The lazy comparisons range from Bjork to Joni Mitchell, via Kate Bush, and I’m feeling lazy so that’ll have to do. Magic Arm supports.

For those looking to loiter across the Irwell, Islington Mill hosts the aforementioned Merzweek closing party that’ll feature John Maus as the star attraction and Doodlebug on the decks. Another shout is the Kode9 gig at Jabez Clegg. Drum Clinic have organised a 90 minute set to look forward to from a man whose Hyperdub label has helped a genre flourish by providing a platform for early Burial, Darkstar and Zomby releases.

Busy Saturday means chilled Sunday and there are a couple of Now Then Manchester endorsed ways to do just that. Alexandra Park is the place to head for an afternoon lesson in badge making, ‘mind food and acoustic liveliness’. Or if you end up having an extra long lie-in then tune into Northern Groove’s new Sunday night show on Unity Radio; 1-3am for cosmic house, electro-funk and soul.

The month sort of peters out after that as far as I can tell, but check out Bar Centro’s Soul Sessions on Wednesday 30th for a couple of melody-addled solo performances.

Words: Ian Pennington

Arts, Music & Events Preview, January 2011 (Part Two)

Like a bleary eyed mid-morning on a lie-in day, 2011 is creaking into action. If you’ve already broken that New Year’s resolution then here’s another: check out more of the many events in and around the city. Here are some pointers...

There’s a discussion this evening (Wednesday 19th) on the relevance of poetry in our society; covering some recent attempts to rebrand the spoken and written verse as well as its appearances in other aspects of popular culture such as film and music. Manchester Salon host it in the Blackwell University Bookshop, inviting along Angelica Michelis and Anthony Rowland to shape the open conversation. If you can’t make it, then feed your thoughts on the intriguing subject with their selected background readings.

A reminder that Mooch N4 will bite the dust in a couple of weeks, so grab the opportunity to browse while it’s still standing.

Remember Dot Dash? It was a popular alt-indie clubnight in the Scubar (RIP) basement a couple of years ago. The only reason I mention it is that the Big Scary Monsters Records playlist at Trof on Saturday 22nd is shaping up with a similar ring to it.

As mentioned earlier this month, The Castle Hotel has been setting out its gigging stall as its New Year's revolution. They continue on Monday 24th with a night of folky balladeers headed by Dana Falconberry and curated by local folk troupe The Travelling Band.


Fast forward to Thursday 27th and Blank Media Collective open the doors to their new BLANKSPACE venue with an introductory exhibition under the banner of BlankExpression. Situated at the former home of student arts group Easa on Hulme Street, BLANKSPACE’s four walls are to be adorned by work from 27 artists. The doors remain open until 9pm on that launch night, at which point you could venture across to New Wakefield Street's Sound Control with ample time to catch one of the triumphs of 2010 in the form of cosmic disco groover Aeroplane, who tops the Drop The Mustard promotion.


But keep in mind the latest organised cycle with Bike Friday the following day; don’t tyre (geddit?) yourself out by staying out drinking too late. But if you can ‘handle bars’ (too much?) then I’m sure it’ll be fine. More info on the when and where is here. Too cold for a pedal around town? Another option on Friday 28th is to warm your cockles next to the proposed Manchester Artists’ Bonfire at Islington Mill, where submitted pieces will be ritualistically burned as a symbolic response to the swingeing arts cuts. Described as ‘an event for artists, by artists’, you’re asked to write 250 words explaining your reaction to the event and its motives in order to take part, and the deadline to do so is Wednesday 26th.


Doing some more burning – this time of the midnight oil – that night will be the mouth-watering results of a tech house promoter merger. Über Disco and Untold Motion become Über Motion for the purposes of staging Sascha Dive at Sound Control. Mind On Fire will also be DJing in the building.

Saturday 29th is one of those where everything is scheduled to happen all at once. Well, not everything, but there’re a few options. First off, a toss-up between two political avenues. Those favouring direct action, say aye – and head out to the latest anti-cuts march, starting at Manchester Museum at 1pm before cruising down to Platt Fields for a rally. Don’t let a one-off fire extinguisher incident, and the subsequent undergrad degree-length jail sentence, put you off. Those who’re naysayers to the question of a stroll down Oxford Road while the temperature’s still a bit iffy may favour the Manchester Trades Union Council Conference at Friends Meeting House, where there’ll be stalls (including Manchester Friends of the Earth), and aims to assist workplace and community cuts and to mobilise ahead of a demonstration on 26th March.


In music that day there’s a Friends of Mine all-dayer packed with should-see local bands, from Jim Noir to Air Cav, via The Janice Graham Band, Lucy & The Caterpillar and Rook & The Ravens. That one’s shared between Jabez Clegg and Kro Bar, and acts as a warm-up to their field-based Friends of Mine Festival in May. And if your eyes are still open after all that then there’s the first in Hoya:Hoya’s Secret Series. They’re at the Roadhouse, but just who ‘they’ are will remain a mystery until you arrive. Expect a night of off-kilter glitch-tronica.

Call the Sunday a day off after all that, but Monday 31st sees one worth venturing out for. Veí (who appeared at our Now Then Manchester event in October) takes his electronic orchestra to Tiger Lounge for the Big Dig showcase that also features Leonard Rossiter; free entry.

Finally, the 31st is also pencilled in for the release of local Idlewild soundalikes City Reign's sophomore single, 'Out In The Cold', on their own Cat Boot Records label.

Words: Ian Pennington
Image 1: Michael Thorp
Image 2: Rebecca Wild
[Images 1 & 2 appearing as part of BlankExpression 2011]