Manchester’s iconic 42s nightclub faces permanent closure in light of new lockdown
42s is hanging on in there for now. But without help, it won't survive. Please donate whatever you can to their Crowdfunder and keep a Manchester nightlife institution alive.
42nd Street, one of the most beloved denizens in Manchester’s nightlife neighbourhood, may be moving out.
The indie venue – based just off Deansgate – has been a famous city clubbing fixture for quarter-of-a-century, known colloquially among students and locals alike as “42’s”.
But the legendary night spot – which has history stretching back to the 1970s in old guises such as ‘Slack Alice’ – is facing eviction.
With another lockdown imminent and deep concerns that restrictions on nightlife could last beyond winter, 42’s is at ‘very real risk’ of permanent closure.
Now, owners have launched a Crowdfunder – asking anyone who’s ever set foot in the club over the years to help keep an icon alive.
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42’s was among the first venues to shut and last to reopen in the last UK-wide lockdown – having to turn themselves into a bar whilst the ban on clubbing remained intact.
The guitar-powered club atmosphere has been sorely missed by many – with one fan even turning 42s into a video game during quarantine.
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Despite the difficulties of 2020, 42’s has made it to November by the skin of its teeth (with no food menu meaning they missed out on schemes like ‘Eat Out To Help Out’).
Now, it’s reached a point where the dwindling pot of reserves won’t go much further.
There’s no way for the club to generate any income for the foreseeable future – and owners are asking for donations in return for some wonderful music memorabilia.
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Anyone who contributes to the #Save42s pot will be in with a shot of winning prizes donated to the club by bands and artists over the years – with the likes of Slow Readers Club, DMAs, Fuzzy Sun, Reverend and the Makers already voicing their support.
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An owners’ statement reads: “We have been at the heart of the Manchester Indie club scene for the last twenty years and beyond.
“Its reputation spreads across the country, not bad for a family run business. Not only have we been nominated as a National Cultural Institution, but 42’s is also a video game and a Minecraft creation.
“Now, because of Covid restrictions, our very existence is at stake.”
42s is hanging on in there for now. But without help, it won’t survive.
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“You can be a part of keeping a Manchester Icon alive,” is the owners’ rallying cry.
“The Indie kids of the world need us.”
Please give whatever you can and support a nightclub which has provided so many of us with some of the greatest, funniest and most absurd memories of nights out in Manchester.
Noughties throwback Lemar announces special 20th anniversary gigs in Manchester and London
Danny Jones
The one and only Lemar is back now only with new album but two special shows to mark his 20th anniversary in music.
A chart-topping, BRIT and MOBO award-winning artists who rose to popularity in the early 2000s, Lemar has sold millions of albums worldwide and is now returning with his first new record in nearly eight years.
Having released his latest 80s funk inspired new single, ‘Future Love’, today (7 February) and officially announced his upcoming seventh album, Page In My Heart, the noughties pop and R&B artist is back on the scene and thought it only fit to pay tribute to 20 years in the biz.
Two decades on from his debut album, Dedicated, Lemar is hosting a pair of anniversary shows in London and right here in Manchester. Now this is going to be quite the throwback.
Best know for hit tracks like ‘It’s Not That Easy’, ’50/50′, ‘What About Love?’, ‘Another Day’ and many more, the 44-year-old returns to the stage with a new sound but one that also calls back to his roots and early work.
Speaking in a statement, Lemar says: “With this new album, I wanted to make something for anyone who ever bought Dedicated, as this year is 20 years since its release. I thought I’d like to make something for the people who got behind that album, something that they would appreciate and like.
Descirbing his new single, he went on to say, “it’s more uptempo, it’s got that soulful feel, it’s a bit looser, a bit Chaka Khan. A bit ‘Dance (With U)’… it’s got that kind of energy to it.”
The Tottenham-born singer hasn’t been ‘away’ per se, having continued to perform up and down the country in recent years, but both he and his fans have been waiting “patiently” to get the right collection of songs together to release new material.
His last album, The Letter, released back in 2015 and delighted die-hards but he says this latest project is about reconnecting with his fans, insisting that “it really is a page from my heart.”
Lemar will celebrate two decades of music and the 20th anniversary of Dedicated live with two special nights at O2 Ritz here in Manchester and London indigo at The O2 on the 27 and 28 of April, respectively. You best believe we’ll be getting one.
Tickets go on sale on 10 February at 10am. Tickets will be available HERE and at Ticketmaster.
Neighbourhood Weekender announces massive warm-up show with Ian Brown, Happy Mondays and more
Danny Jones
Neighbourhood Weekender has announced a warm-up show on the Friday before the festival proper kicks off, with the likes of Ian Brown, Happy Mondays and more already confirmed.
With Neighbourhood 2023 set for the weekend of 27-28 May as festival season gets into full swing, the increasingly popular Victoria Park-based crowd-pleaser is effectively starting a day early with their ‘Live At The Big Top’ event.
Although the local favourite has previously put on a number of performances on the Friday before the Warrington Weekender as we know it, this is the first time this event has been held and will serve as a warm-up show for the impending gig-goers.
What better way to get the party going?
We're so excited to announce Neighbourhood Weekender presents ‘Live At The Big Top’ featuring @ianbrown, @Happy_Mondays, @castofficial & @CVCband_ at Victoria Park, Warrington Fri 26th May!😎
Effectively acting as a warm-up party for the main event, the North West crowd will be treated to the likes of 80s and 90s Manc music icons Ian Brown and Happy Mondays, as well Liverpool indie band Cast and up-and-coming Welsh psych-rock band, CVC, a.k.a. Church Village Collective.
The lineup also denotes a landmark occasion, with this being the first time that Brown and Happy Mondays — two of pioneering artists of the ‘Madchester‘ scene — are sharing the same bill in their long and illustrious careers. Well, aren’t you a lucky lot?
While we’d say this is an absolute must if you truly want to make a full go of Neighbourhood Weekender, this is technically a separate event and it’s well worth attending if you can’t make it on the Saturday or Sunday for whatever reason.
Tickets go on sale at 9.30am on Friday, 10 February. You can grab yours HERE.
The Manc -
3rd November 2020 
