Manchester

The Michelin-trained chef running Manchester’s one-man pizza pop-up

Georgina Pellant Georgina Pellant - 30th June 2022

Track brewery’s taproom has just welcomed the return of Rise pizza pop-up – a one-man flatbread operation that’s got us all excited again about (probably) one of the most over-saturated areas of the takeaway market.

Sam Astley-Dean is a Michelin-trained chef. He’s worked at top London restaurants Chez Bruce and Elystan Street and 5-star luxury hotels Claridge’s and The Chester Grosvenor, and now he’s here to cure our pizza fatigue.

Image: The Manc Eats

After years spent cooking in high-end kitchens, he’s switched his chef whites for jeans and a tshirt as he applies his skills to his new project, Rise – the one-man pizza pop-up that’s been quietly blowing the minds of beer lovers at taprooms and pubs across Greater Manchester.

Founded on the principles of natural, organic and ethical produce, Rise has only been going for a year – but Sam’s already making his mark on local foodies with various pop-ups in Salford Quays, Stockport, Levenshulme and more.

This month, he’s back at Track every Friday and Saturday between the hours of 3-9pm (or from 12pm on Saturdays) slinging out a choice of six different sourdough pizzas – or Pi’s, as he likes to call them.

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Image: The Manc Eats
Image: The Manc Eats
Image: The Manc Eats

Read more: A new monthly travelling food festival is coming to Greater Manchester

Choices include the Cacio e Pepe, taking the classic cheese and pepper pasta dish and popping it on a pi with an added dash of fresh lemon, and the bright green OGB (Organic Garlic Butter) topped with slow-roasted garlic, parsley, lemon, mozzarella, parmesan and lemon.

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Elsewhere, you’ll find The Rebel, combining organic tomatoes with pepperoni, fior di latte and parmesan, and the Do Ya?, a simple and delicious combination of just four ingredients – tomatoes, spicy Calabrian sausage paste, mascarpone and parmesan.

Feature image: A new Japanese street food stall has opened in the Arndale Market

Sam also does a classic margarita, which is made with burrata, and a vegan version with organic tomato, plant-based mozzarisella and prosociano.

Feature image – The Manc Group

Manchester

Charli XCX at Co-op Live, Manchester – tickets, times, setlist and more for BRAT tour

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson Charli XCX kicks off her BRAT tour in Manchester

Charli XCX is touching down in Manchester this week for the first night of her long-awaited BRAT tour.

The massive tour follows a huge summer for the British artist, where tracks from her sixth studio album – including Apple, Guess, and 360 – dominated festival circuits and dancefloors across the globe.

The 32-year-old star then took things a step further with her remix album, Brat and It’s Completely Different but Also Still Brat.

Her latest album was shortlisted for the Mercury Music Prize, and it’s up for seven Grammy Awards early next year.

Charli XCX has even performed a huge surprise free gig at Times Square in New York City, no less, just last week.

And just today she was announced as a headliner for Parklife 2025.

This massive new tour will bring her back to the UK for just a handful of arena shows, including a gig at the Co-op Live in Manchester.

Here’s everything you need to know.

Charli XCX 2024 UK tour dates

  • Wed 27 November – Manchester, UK – Co-op Live Arena
  • Thu 28 November – London, UK – The O2
  • Fri 29 November – Birmingham, UK – Resorts World Arena
  • Mon 02 December – Glasgow, UK – OVO Hydro Arena
Charli XCX has announced details of a huge UK tour. Credit: Hayley Weir
Charli XCX has announced details of a huge UK tour. Credit: Hayley Weir

Charli XCX tickets for Manchester Co-op Live gig

No, you’re too late.

After such a hugely popular summer, Charli XCX has driven HUGE demand and her massive arena shows are totally sold out.

Your only chance of getting tickets now is to check fan-to-fan resale sites like Twickets.

Who’s supporting Charli XCX?

Charli XCX is being supported by singer and DJ Shygirl on all her UK dates.

The British singer, rapper, songwriter and DJ, who also founded record label Nuxxe, is famed for her blend of dance, hip-hop, experimental pop, grime and deconstructed club music.

Her big hits include Cleo, encore, Mr useless, Nasty and BB.

What are the stage times for Charli XCX in Manchester?

These haven’t been announced yet by Co-op Live but we do know that doors to the venue will open at 6.30pm.

The venue has said that there’ll be an 8pm start, which will presumably be when Shygirl takes to the stage.

Then Charli XCX herself should be on somewhere between 9pm and 9.30pm before a gig curfew of 11pm.

Once the venue shares official stage times we’ll be sure to update this article.

Expected setlist

Well, this is an unusual one – as Manchester gets the BRAT tour before anyone else, we actually have no clue what the setlist will look like.

There are sure to be plenty of club bangers and dance floor fillers from Charli XCX’s latest album as well as her earlier work.

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She recently held a joint tour with Troye Sivan in the states, so we’ve picked out her parts of the setlist there below to give you a rough idea.

365
360
Von dutch
Club classics
Unlock It
Sympathy is a knife
Guess
Spring breakers
Girl, so confusing
Everything is romantic
Speed Drive
Apple
Vroom Vroom
1999
Track 10
I Love It
Talk talk

Read more

Featured image: Harley Weir

Manchester

‘Selling pics of my arse is fun’ – Kate Nash defends using OnlyFans to pay for her UK tour

Thomas Melia Thomas Melia

London-born singer Kate Nash has released a statement addressing those who have been commenting on her selling photos of her bum online to fund her new live shows.

Nash, who’s certified her position in UK pop culture with her timeless hit ‘Foundations’, has taken to social media to explain her situation in more detail.

“Don’t be ‘sad’ I started OnlyFans to fund my tours”, the 37-year-old opens in her statement before following up with, “It’s very empowering”.

2008’s winner of Best Female Artist at the BRITs has never been shy of speaking up about issues while in the limelight. Recently, she let her drummer Maxie reveal their top surgery in front of thousands of people onstage at Glastonbury.

In 2013, Kate Nash became the global ambassador for the ‘Because I Am A Girl’ movement which is set up to address the issue of gender discrimination across the world.

She has also been open about her mental health struggles and doesn’t hide the fact she struggles with anxiety and mild OCD, the latter initiated by her extensive touring schedule in 2008.

Her current live shows, which she is currently in the middle of, even reinforce her current OnlyFans jolt titled the ‘Butts For Buses Tour’ – cheeky!

The star isn’t taking herself too seriously either, posting to social media in a neon pink lingerie, writing ‘Bum’s gone viral lol, goin on stage now bit busy soz xoxo’.

Many artists have spoken out about this issue including indie pop-rocker Rachel Chinouriri and breakthrough rapper Little Simz, who both cancelled their US string of live shows due to the overwhelming costs of touring.

Nash, who is performing in Manchester tonight (Tuesday, 26 November), also wrote: “My arse is shining a light on the problem”, as tour expenses are growing more and more every day.

Fair play. Anyone who sees their arse – pun very much intended – over this clearly eats too many lemons because they’re just so bitter.

Ok, we’ll stop now…

Read more:

The UK singer’s latest album 9 Sad Symphonies released this summer and marks the fifth studio album for the indie-pop staple, fans and concertgoers alike can expect to hear these songs among all the hits on her current setlist.

Kate Nash is performing at New Century Hall in Manchester tonight and if you’re a fan of the British noughties favourites, there are still a few tickets.

You can grab yours HERE.

Featured Image – Chloe Chaplin (via Flickr)

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