We honestly can’t believe we finally get to say this, but a Heated Rivalry-themed club night – as in the ones we’ve seen going viral all over our TikTok FYPs – is finally coming to Manchester next month, as one popular local venue has decided to jump on the bandwagon and give us all what we deserve… a night at the cottage.
If you’ve been living under a rock and somehow haven’t heard about Heated Rivalry (you don’t have to have watched it, but we’d be shocked if you haven’t at least heard of it), it’s also affectionately nicknamed and known on the internet as ‘the gay hockey show’, which kind of does some it up really.
It’s a story of two elite ice hockey players, Canada’s Shane Hollander (played by Hudson Williams) and Russia’s Ilya Rozanov (played by Connor Storrie).
The two play for rival teams and countries in the MHL and begin a ‘relationship’ over a 10-year period, which they choose to keep a secret due to homophobia in the world of hockey, and also just not fully understanding their connection themselves.
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The six-part Canadian series has gone viral since its initial release back in late November last year, and UK release earlier this month… in fact ‘viral’ is an understatement, it’s been critically and commercially acclaimed like nothing else has in the television space for a while.
Its undeniable success has also spawned club nights across the world, with the soundtrack blasting out of speakers at full volume and fan edits of the show playing on big screens behind the DJ.
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A Heated Rivalry club night is coming to Manchester next month / Credit: Sky / Crave (Press Images)
And now, Manchester’s finally getting a taste of the action.
Popular live music and club venue Gorilla has teamed up with Throwback Events to announced that it’ll be hosting its own Heated Rivalry club night next month, and fans can expect DJs to play music from the show’s soundtrack, before it’s woven into a late-night mix of the greatest 00s and 10s pop/queer club anthems.
Plus, you’ll also see edits on the big screen too, making it like a proper night at The Cottage.
“Join us for a night inspired by the viral hit TV show and book, built around tension, proximity, and the kind of chemistry you can’t ignore,” the event’s description reads.
The Heated Rivalry Club Night is coming to Gorilla in Manchester on Friday 20 February from 11pm, right through to 3am, and tickets are on sale now – with early bird options also available.
And as an extra perk, NHS staff or anyone with a birthday between 13-27 February go free.
Stockport County defender Brad Hills ruled out for the rest of the season
Danny Jones
In a big blow to their promotion push, Stockport County have been hit with a major injury and loss to their first-team squad, as defender Brad Hills has been ruled out for what looks to be the remainder of the season and then some.
Not what Hatters will want to hear with crunch-time in and around the playoffs now well underway.
Having emerged as even more of a starring centre-back this year, following his initial loan spell with the club during the previous campaign, Brad Hills has arguably been one of Stockport’s best and most reliable players in 2025/26 thus far – but not County will have to do without him.
Although the exact severity is yet to be fully revealed, the former Norwich City youth academy graduate is said to have hurt his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL).
Confirming the news on social media, the Greater Manchester side stated: “We regret to inform supporters that Brad Hills sustained an ACL injury in Saturday’s draw at Luton Town that will rule him out for the foreseeable future.
“Our full focus is on supporting Brad throughout his recovery – we know he’ll come back stronger”
For anyone unaware, ACL tears/ruptures are among some of the worst injuries in football, and depending on the extent of the damage, it can take anywhere between six months and a full year to bounce back.
Safe to say, therefore, that supporters have been left gutted by the update, with one commenting, “Awful, awful news”; another simply wrote, “FFS”.
After typing a very long expletive following the show news, fan podcast The Scarf Bergara Wore wrote: “Wishing Bradley Hills a speedy recovery – come back stronger!
Since becoming a permanent signing back in August, he’s earned multiple man-of-the-match awards in blue and white, not to mention contributed to a decent number of clean sheets. He’ll be a big miss in their backline.
While it’s no doubt a big setback as the League One team looks to get promoted into the Championship, the absence could see manager Dave Challinor reshuffle the pack and perhaps even the formation for the remaining fixtures.
One option is Louie Barry, who – depending on the setup – could finally be set for a return to the pitch after he was signed on a third loan deal this past January, but is still continuing his own rehab following a knee operation.
Put it this way, with not many games left, lots of County fans are probably wishing that the pending and potential further changes in the EFL could have come sooner…
Embrace announce intimate live show in beloved Bury music venue
Danny Jones
British alternative veterans Embrace have announced another intimate show here in Greater Manchester, only this time it’s over in Bury at a stunning small-cap arts venue.
It’s not often you get to see such a long-standing band play outside of the city centre so far into their career, especially in gorgeous grassroots spaces like this one.
A fellow Northern outfit, they’ve often been lumped in with that ‘post-Britpop’ era of music, and plenty throw around the so-called ‘dad rock’ label, but honestly, we couldn’t care either way: they remain among the UK’s perennially underappreciated underdogs that never get old, as far as we’re concerned.
Revealing a handful of new live dates for their album launch this summer, they’ll be making just two appearances in the North West on the run.
Writing in the post, the group said: “We’ve lined up a run of exclusive UK dates in venues that are some of the smallest we’ve played in years. It’s going to be special, but capacity is extremely limited.”
As you can see, besides the Jacaranda Baltic in Liverpool, the only other place in this region where they’re set to play for this mini tour is The Met over in Bury.
One of the most beautiful gig spots, not just in the town but in all the 10 boroughs, for our money, the room only holds around 400 standing and roughly 250 seats.
For seasoned artists like this lot, who are more used to playing big festival stages and big domestic headline tours – which they’re also doing later this year – it’s sure to be a special night.
Toasting the release of their ninth studio LP, Avalanche, this spin-off on the tried and tested in-store format wouldn’t be possible without the help of local record store, Wax and Beans, who are promoting and hosting the show.
But we can’t lie, there’s something about the idea of seeing them decades on from when they first tightly-packed out crowds of this size.
If you want to be part of the Embrace album launch tour, you can get ready to grab your tickets at 10am this Friday, 27 March, right HERE. And speaking of great record shops…
Emily Sergeant -
22nd January 2026 
