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New virtual music and mental wellbeing festival Headstock announces bumper lineup

The two-day event is set to be beamed out across the nation via the United We Stream platform - with support from the Hits Radio Network and in aid of charity partners Help Musicians and Manchester Mind.

The Manc The Manc - 29th September 2020

Mental health and music festival Headstock has confirmed a bumper lineup for a full weekend of live performances, talks and experiences in October.

The two-day event is set to be beamed out across the nation via the United We Stream platform – with support from the Hits Radio Network and in aid of charity partners Help Musicians and Manchester Mind.

A virtual festival replaces a week-long event originally scheduled to take place across Manchester during May 2020, postponed due to coronavirus.

Headstock reincarnated will go live on World Mental Health Day – streaming on Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 October.

Anyone can access the event for free, with donations encouraged to raise funds for Headstock’s charity partners Help Musicians and Manchester Mind, raising awareness for text support service Shout 85258. 

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Already confirmed to appear on the bill are UK chart-topping rock band Nothing But Thieves and acclaimed Irish rock band Kodaline, alongside exciting Greater Manchester bands Larkins, The Slow Readers Club, The Lottery Winners and Lucy Deakin.

There’ll be comedy curated by Nodding Dog Comedy (filmed in Escape to Freight Island), a Yoga Rave with Liam Browne, and two-hour set from legendary DJ Paulette.

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Wellbeing sessions are also being hosted across the weekend including Yoga Nidra with DJ and Bestival co-founder Rob Da Bank, a Sound Bath with Morning Gloryville, and Energising Morning Flow and Sound Healing workshops delivered by boutique gym BLOK.

United We Stream executive producer, Sacha Lord commented: “In my role as Night Time Economy Adviser for Greater Manchester, I am fully aware that my sector is more prone to Mental Health, than the majority of other sectors.

“With new measures in place, many venues still closed, there is an underlying amount of fear and anxiety for the future, not just amongst operators, but amongst employees too. The next few months see us venture into the unknown and this reiterates the importance of Headstock.

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“We need to be talking, we need to be looking out for each other. Music brings us together and I’m delighted that United We Stream could again help out Headstock as a platform.”

Closing the weekend is Lord’s seminal night club series The Warehouse Project. 

Known for hosting legendary nights in Manchester since the mid-noughties, WHP will showcase a four-hour party followed by an exclusive performance from House Gospel Choir and back-to-back headline sets from Yousef and Prospa.

Eight artists will then go head-to-head to create an art masterpiece in just 30 minutes – with the final product auctioned off and proceeds split between the artists and Headstock’s charity partners. 

Former World Champion boxer Ricky Hatton, DJ Brandon Block, and BBC Radio 1’s Dr Radha will be logging on to take part in talks.

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Hatton said: “The Headstock Festival is a great idea and it’s so important to be having such a positive event during these difficult times. 

“We all have to manage our mental health, particularly as we deal with lockdown and this can be as simple as going for a walk or run, listening to music or hitting the punchbag.

“You have to try and do something you like everyday and stay connected with the people around you.”

According to Headstock organisers, the event will focus on the positive impact that both music and movement can have when it comes to managing and maintaining good mental health. 

The festival launched in October 2019 as a direct response to the disproportionate level of mental health issues across the North West; founded upon a belief in the power of music to positively impact our emotional and mental wellbeing. 

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Focused on prevention rather than cure, Headstock aims to empower people to take stock of their own mental health. 

Headstock Founder, Atheer Al-Salim said: “Through the power of music and shared experiences, our goal is to create change by changing the conversation around mental health. Music has a huge role to play in our physical, mental and emotional wellbeing and that applies now, more than ever. 

“Like so many live events, our plans for 2020 have had to change, but we’ve adapted to the times, and are delighted to continue our relationship with United We Stream in order to deliver this exciting event. We’ve curated a jam-packed programme across World Mental Health Day weekend that combines music, talks and wellbeing experiences, so we really hope that people are able to take what they need from this very special virtual event.”

Viewers can tune in to the event for free on United We Stream HERE. 

‘Festivalgoers’ are encouraged to buy a virtual ticket for the event or donate an amount they can afford via Justgiving. 

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All proceeds from the event will go to Headstock’s charity partners Help Musicians and Manchester Mind.  Donations will help support vital emotional and practical services for young people and musicians. 

For the full line up, new additions and more information visit the Headstock Justgiving page HERE.

FULL LINE UP – MORE TO BE ADDED

SATURDAY 10 OCTOBER 2020

  • BLOK: Energising Moring Flow – Breath & Move
  • LIIMO 
  • ARTISTS TBA
  • TALK: PROFESSOR TIM SPECTOR 
  • LUCY DEAKIN
  • THE SLOW READERS CLUB 
  • THE LOTTERY WINNERS
  • TALK: DR RADHA x JOSH CONNOLLY
  • KODALINE 
  • LARKINS
  • NOTHING BUT THIEVES
  • EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: RICKY HATTON
  • BLOK: BLOKsound with Koral
  • NODDING DOG COMEDY – At Escape to Freight Island – Brennan Reece /  Freddy Quinne / Lindsey Davies / Bexie Archer / Phil Chapman / Matt Stellingwerf / Mike Newall / Vince Atta / Hayley Ellis / Isma Almas

SUNDAY 11 OCTOBER 2020

  • MORNING GLORYVILLE – DJ Paulette – Yoga Rave with Liam Browne (music by Rae Marie)
  • SOUND BATH  – with Morning Gloryville
  • INTERVIEW: BRANDON BLOCK
  • THE WAREHOUSE PROJECT
  • HOUSE GOSPEL CHOIR
  • HEADLINE DJ SETS – YOUSEF / PROSPA
  • ART BATTLE MANCHESTER

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Posters around Manchester city centre spark serious rumours Charli XCX is set to headline Parklife 2025

Danny Jones Danny Jones Charli XCX headlining Parklife 2025 rumours

Some pretty big, green posters are popping up around town and, not to get ahead of ourselves, but it looks like they’re hinting at Charli XCX headlining Parklife 2025…

Feel free to lose your bratting minds.

A number of tall, let’s call it ‘apple’ green posters have been sighted in various places across Manchester city centre this Friday, 22 November and the last time we saw this slightly low-resolution, plain black Arial font and colour combo we got a reworked version of Charli XCX’s brat album.

Listen, all we can tell you is that this is almost exactly the same marketing and the letters on the poster simply read, “PL25”. Come on… you do the math(s).

@the.manc Posters have appeared all over Manchester and it looks like a @Charli XCX headline slot at @Parklife Festival is coming. SCREAMING. #themanc #manchester #charlixcx #parklife #mcr #brat ♬ original sound – Saturday Night Live – SNL

Spotting at least two of the posters for ourselves around both Newton and Thomas Street in and around the Northern Quarter, plenty of people have been double-taking at the simple but bold and undeniably eye-catching portrait posters.

Trust us, we weren’t the only ones stopping to take a picture and frantically send them to half of our phonebook either.

Charli herself hasn’t given us any other clues on social media thus far – to be fair, this one feels fairly obvious to us – but it’s well worth keeping your eyes peeled on her stories as she did plenty of teasing before dropping Brat and it’s completely different but also still brat.

Still can’t get over that actually being the title, by the way.

It’s also worth noting that Parklife themselves recently confirmed that festival fans can expect to find out their headliners and the full 2025 lineup very soon. Check out that colour…

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Oh, who are we kidding? That’s not apple green it’s straight-up BRAT green, b*tch. We’re fully getting carried away and you’ll just have to deal with it.

Even if it somehow turns out she’s not headlining it’s certainly looking like she’s going to be there and it wouldn’t be the first time.

Better yet, fans of the pop sensation won’t have to wait too long to see her right here in Greater Manchester because Charli is bringing her already smash-hit tour to Co-op Live next Wednesday, 27 November and in case you couldn’t tell by all the shouting in capitals, we’re very excited.

Roll on ‘PL25’. Other than Charli XCX, who else would you like to see as your Parklife headliners next summer?

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images – The Manc Group

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Bez and Shaun Ryder are starring in a new gangster movie – nope, not kidding

Danny Jones Danny Jones Bez and Shaun Ryder acting in new gangster film

No, you didn’t misread the headline and you’re not on acid: Manchester music legends Bez and Shaun Ryder are set to feature in a brand-new gangster film.

Yes, the ones from the Happy Mondays – why are you having such trouble processing this?

Seriously though, we did a little double-take ourselves when we came across this news, but the familiar Manc faces look to be among the ensemble of a brand-new gangster movie by Irish writer, actor, producer and filmmaker, Ciaron Davies.

And this is just a little leak or rumour that may have been blown out of proportion: you can take it from the horse’s mouth as Happy Mondays frontman, Ryder, recently shared the news on social media.

As you can see, the new film is called Geezers and is billed as a “British crime caper” written and directed by Davies, featuring Shaun as hard-man Robbie and Bez as ‘Monk’. If you saw Ryder shaking off that snake biting his hand like it was nothing then you already know he’s hard as nails.

Although it’s not strictly listed as a comedy per se, ‘caper’ would suggest plenty of humour and light-heartedness, so we’re thinking more like The Gentleman, Italian Job, or maybe even Four Lions, rather than a serious crime thriller.

Now, while we’ve seen both of the Salfordians on screen before not only in the likes of music videos, interviews, panel shows and even as two of the funniest guests to ever go on Celebrity Gogglebox, this latest venture will serve as their respective acting debuts.

According to the IMDb page, the synopsis of the film is as follows: “Crime caper about a stolen bag of money. Caught in the crossfire are ‘The Geezers’ a bunch of wannabe criminals who have bitten off more than they can chew. With 24 hours to grab the cash, London may just go up in smoke tonight.”

Shame it’s not set on the mean streets of Manchester, or better yet Salford, but you’ve still very much caught our interest.

You can see the first promotional poster for the film down below.

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As for Davies, he has been involved with a number of small-budget TV film projects, as well as appearing in shorts and even video games, so it’s fair to say that getting 62-year-old Ryder and his ever-energetic hype man, 60, involved is quite the coup for his movie-making career.

We’re still not over Bez rather randomly delivering a curry to our offices, to be honest, so seeing him act is going to feel like one long fever dream.

Although the film has no release date just yet, we know that filming locations having included parts of Warrington and Pinewood Studios, will be produced by Loose Gripp Films and distributed by publishers High Fliers.

Given the high-octane nature of Geezers and its genre, the feature will involve lots of action, stunts, violence and even martial arts – though how much kung-fu these two will have learned for the project remains to be seen…

All we know is that the film is supposedly “coming soon” and if you don’t want to see Bez and Shaun Ryder doing their best impression of a Guy Ritchie gangster movie then you’re lying to yourself. Praying for a Rowetta cameo to put the cherry on top.

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images — Shaun Ryder (via X)/Loose Gripp Films/IMDb

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