Much-loved Manc artist Stanley Chow is hosting an exclusive exhibition of his iconic portraits and illustrations of famous faces at a Greater Manchester arts institution.
Stanley Chow, best known for his geometric art that has become a contemporary and instantly recognisable style all of its own, is probably one of the most notable British artists around right now and it goes without saying that he’s a favourite of ours too.
So when we heard that he was displaying an exhibition of some of his most famous works — quite literally, in this case — over in Chorlton, we didn’t hesitate to share the news.
Showcasing illustrations and his trademark minimalist, vector-based portraits at none other than The Edge Theatre and Arts Centre on Manchester Road, some of Stan’s most notable designs will be on show, spotlighting familiar faces and household names from the stage and screen.
The special exhibition in Chorlton will run from Thursday, 15 February to Thursday, 30 May and is built around Chow’s personally curated collection of actors from the stage, film and television.
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Including takes on several BAFTA, Emmy, Olivier and Oscar winners, the exhibit will also feature the three patrons of The Edge: Sir Mark Rylance, Julie Hesmondhalgh and John Thomson.
Having been in the business for more than 30 years now, Stan has been involved in many areas within design and illustration, even being
” target=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener nofollow”>involved with Manchester United’s latest kit launch and player unveilings, but he is undoubtedly best known for his distinctive portraiture of pop stars, actors, sports personalities and more celebrities.
So it’s a good job that’s what’ll be on show at The Edge, isn’t it?
KesX-FilesDorothy in The Wizard of the OzStanley Chow has a permanent exhibition at Hotel Football but this is the first (Credit: Stanley Chow/supplied)
This will be the first time Stan has focused his attention specifically on a collection round stage and screen, stating: “I had a lot of fun looking through my back catalogue to find the images that would work in the lovely space offered to me at The Edge Theatre & Arts Centre and it’ll be the first time my design of Sir Mark Rylance will be shown in public.”
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As for the theatre itself, Artistic Director Janine Waters said, “We are thrilled to have such a local legend bringing his work to The Edge, and this exhibition promises to be a very special one.
“We are particularly excited to see Stan’s unique take on our patrons, alongside some other familiar faces. It is a privilege to have his work on show in our building in the heart of Chorlton.”
While tickets for the exclusive opening night preview have now sold out, you can go along to see tickets to see the exhibition from mid-March until the end of May. To hear more about why The Edge has become such a cultural site over the past decade, you can hear Rylance waxing lyrical about it here:
Featured Images — Supplied/Stanley Chow (via Instagram)
Art & Culture
Five Greater Manchester-based artists we’ve been listening to this month | October 2025
Danny Jones
Surprise, surprise, it’s that time again: we’re rounding up the best music from in and around Greater Manchester that we’ve been listening to over the past few weeks, and this month’s been a belter.
In fact, we actually got a lot of our favourite stuff of late all in one day, and that just so happened to be Halloween 2025, a.k.a. one of the best new music Fridays we’ve had in ages.
We had a few new releases on our radar come 31 October, and they didn’t disappoint, with regional artists both new and old dropping some tasty new material.
So, without further ado, here is the Greater Manchester-based music we’ve been enjoying recently.
Music from in and around Manchester we’re listening to lately
1. Richard Ashcroft
Where else to start than with the man of the moment, in our opinion: the almighty Richard Ashcroft, who recently came back to not only the live circuit in the biggest way as the main support act on the Oasis Live ’25 reunion tour, but who finally returned with new music since 2018.
Releasing his seventh studio album, ‘Lovin You, this October, we’ll admit that we much prefer his classic Britpop style to the few attempts at more modern poppy rock on the record, but the second you get onto the second track ‘Out Of These Blues’, you know that his timeless sound hasn’t depreciated one bit.
Now 54 and a music industry veteran, we still firmly believe he’s one of our greatest artists and songwriters. We’d recommend ‘Find Another Reason’ and ‘Heavy News’ off the new LP, as well as ‘All My Dream’ for old time’s sake. All hail “King Richard” and here’s to more long-overdue recognition for Wigan‘s finest.
We never tire of ‘They Don’t Own Me’, nor listening to the Oasis that pays tribute to him, either.
2. The Charlatans
From one local icon to another legendary British band with deep roots here in Manchester. This year’s big music story may have been the Oasis reunion, but there’s another band of Britpop/Madchester survivors that recently reared their heads again, too, and that’s The Charlatans.
Led by frontman Tim Burgess, the veteran alternative band always had one foot in the indie side of the Manc music scene, meanwhile keeping the other in the more psychedelic sub-section of UK rock, and nothing has changed with this satisfying return.
Even from the instantly recognisable and heavily processed keys in lead single ‘Deeper Deeper’, you’re immediately reminded of ‘The Only One I Know’, and the title track of their first new album since 2017, ‘We Are Love’, is one of the best in years; ‘You Can’t Push The River’ is also a quiet delight.
It’s good to have you back, lads. (Credit: Cat Stevens)
3. The Maple State
Now, this is a band that we always felt never really got the recognition back in the day, but since they’ve also been on an understated comeback trail of their own, we’d like to think they’ve picked up a few new fans – and that’s part of the reason they’re included this month, because they deserve it.
We’d argue that The Maple State never quite fully took off because the emo/American-influenced scene here in Greater Manchester didn’t either; back in 2004, when the band was formed by two brothers and some school friends who started playing regularly in college, it was still mostly a transatlantic export.
Either way, we always had a soft spot for this unsung act that tried appealing to fans of that style over here, and their debut album, At Least Until We’ve Settled In, became a cult favourite of some famous names. ‘Temperate Lives’ is a timeless track for us, and we love ‘Canonball’ from their long-overdue 2018 follow-up, but we couldn’t be happier to hear them back in the studio again. Hear more below.
4. Westside Cowboy
Speaking of US influences, one group that has arguably benefitted from that same climate shifting over the years is the hugely exciting Westside Cowboy. As a kid who grew up somewhat awkwardly straddling a love for the big bands in the States and our domestic rock artists, the ‘Britainicana’ movement is right up my street.
Delivering the exact kind of sound you’d expect with a name like that – blending those more American, perhaps even ‘Midwest emo’ sounds with more familiar UK vibe and context – this isn’t a culture clash: it’s a contrast that really works and we’re hoping to see more of, with the guys at the forefront.
Expect twangy, metallic guitar riffs, staccato snares mixed in with marching drum patterns that steadily build behind the joint vocals of their different vocalists and more. Our favourite songs so far include ‘Don’t Throw Rocks’, ‘Drunk Surfer’, and ‘I’ve Never Met Anyone I Thought I Could Love (Until I Met You)’. How very 1975 of you, WC.
Last but not least, this one is almost more of a special mention as they’re more North West than Manc per se, but they’re only based down the road in neighbouring Warrington; plus, since we’ve already written about other bands from Cheshire and other nearby outposts, we’re making an exception.
‘Why so keen to include them…’, you ask? Well, for one, they’re so bloody brilliant we couldn’t not talk about them, and two, they already have strong roots here in Manchester. Besides, regularly visiting and performing here, they recorded their first-ever EP in our city and even feature a tram on their single art.
Speaking of their material, Gustaffson‘s debut album, Black & White Movie, was even produced by Elbow’s very own Craig Potter, which only reinforces that local connection further. The LP itself has soulful notes similar to The Teskey Brothers and St Paul and the Broken Bones, and really is a joy from start to finish – get a load of their latest track, which was also recorded and visualised in Manchester:
A soulful, funk throwback with contemporary blues and a dancey feel. What a vibe.
We hope you give this October’s round-up of new Greater Manchester music a go and find these names in your rotation for months to come.
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As always, the best part about doing this is sharing artists people may not have heard yet, so please feel free to ping your own suggestions our way.
You’ll find us here again the same time next month, but until then, why not check out September’s picks?
Featured Images — Press shot/Cat Stevens (supplied)/Gustaffson (screenshot via YouTube)
Art & Culture
Bloc Party and Interpol announce exclusive co-headline tour and a pair of Manchester gigs
Danny Jones
In an increasingly rare kind of announcement, Bloc Party and Interpol have announced a co-headline tour across the UK and Europe, and Manchester is lucky enough to be getting two dates.
How the pair of shows may differ from night to night remains to be seen, but it feels like it’s been a good long while since we last heard about two acts doubling on gigs in this kind of way.
Officially confirmed on Halloween, both Bloc Party and Interpol revealed the plans for the collaborative shows on each of their social media channels, leaving most fans delighted and plenty crying out for dates in their own cities.
It might be only a small thing, but we really enjoyed how they announced the joint performances with two different twists on the same tour poster.
It might be more of just a colour variation than two different bits of artwork, but little stuff like this is always cool. (Credit: Supplied)
As two groups that soundtracked a very distinct period and era for alternative and indie rock, some would argue that you couldn’t find a more suitable fit of contemporaries.
Having both carved out their own corner of the music industry 2000s, Bloc Party‘s breakout debut, Silent Alarm, and Interpol’s seminal sophomore album, Antics, were two of the most seminal and definitive records in the scene at the time.
With that in mind, getting the pair not only back on the road to play the hits and more but doing it together at some of the most exciting venues in the country and on the continent is quite the coup.
Props to whoever came up with the idea, seriously.
Speaking of that landmark second LP from Interpol, the New York-formed indie and post-punk revivalists last played Manchester back in November as part of the release’s 20th anniversary at the O2 Apollo.
Danny Jones -
31st January 2024 
