Well hello there, you fine music-loving folks. If you’re here it’s because you love good tunes and are always on the lookout for new local artists and, lucky for you, Manchester is always full to bursting with ’em.
All that being said, it’s a good job you’ve just stumbled across a new regular series from The Manc Audio, where we’ll be spotlighting all the best Manc music we’ve been listening to over the course of each month throughout 2024.
We’re in the privileged position of being able to keep in the loop when it comes to the sheer wealth of 0161’s up-and-coming bands, solo artists, DJs and more, and we’re all about sharing the wealth as the saying goes.
So, let’s not faff about any further, here are five Manchester artists we’ve been listening to this January and we hope you’ll like them too. Let’s ‘av it, shall we?
Manc bands we’ve been listening to over the past month
1. Sugarstone
First up on the list is Sugarstone, an alternative rock band originally from Preston but now based in Manchester who are spearheading the synth-punk movement here in 0161.
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They’ve gone through a bit of a makeover and sound change recently, moving away from the glam approach over the last 18 months or so and opting for a slightly heavier but still with lots of distorted sounds and plenty of electronics remaining in the mix.
Each month we’re going to pick out three tracks we reckon you should start with and for this first entry, we’re spotlighting ‘Hostile’ and ‘Tender Hook’ off their latest EP for that more in-your-face approach they’re leaning towards lately, as well as ‘Can’t Help My Machine’ for keeping the digital presence alive.
Alternative electronic at its finest as we see it. Porij are pretty popular in The Manc office and for good reason: they sprawl in their variety of sounds, can somehow suit almost every mood imaginable and seem to draw influence from almost every genre and culture you can think of.
Some call it art pop but all we know is it’s dancey and we LOVE it. And we’re not the only ones: they’ve collaborated with the likes of Metronomy, as well as Greater Manchester locals Interplanetary Criminal and rising spoken word artist Antony Szmierek, not to mention being ripe for remixers.
We’re slightly obsessed with their current single ‘My Only Love’ released earlier this month but ‘Nobody Scared’ is undoubtedly their biggest track and it’s not hard to see why (the chillest of bops) and so many could come in the third but we’ll settle on ‘Lose Our Minds’ for now. Ask us again later and it’ll change.
In at number three is Balancing Act. They’ve got everything from third and fourth record Arctic Monkeys, and frontman Kai Jon Roberts certainly exerts plenty of that Alex Turner swag here and there, to moments of Cage The Elephant or maybe even Radiohead in parts.
There isn’t any other place to start with these lads than their most popular track, ‘A Little More Time’ — the kind of tune that feels like you’re sat smoking a cigar and sipping a drink in a cabaret bar — ‘Cheshire Smile’ it’s probably our second favourite and more of indicative of their indie roots and then the beautiful ‘Rabbit Hole’. That should you a little taste of everything.
Like any band with the potential to go far, these guys still feel like they’re doing plenty of experimenting when it comes to their sound and, if anything, we’d say it’s in those moments when they shine the most.
Now these lot just make us so happy. Well, sad-happy to be more specific. The indie girl band have absolutely nailed those often upbeat and catchy melodies with slightly less jolly lyrics that always make for a great song.
If you’re looking for comparisons, you’ll get a bit of HAIM in the all-girl and often bass-driven funk but with the harmonies almost closer to something like The Staves. You get more of the latter the further you go back, having first started out in 2021, but they quickly draw other parallels with The xx and The Corrs.
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Having not long finished up a short run of shows with the lovable Leigh local, The Lottery Winners, they’ve got a lot of love among other Manchester artists. As for the songs we’re picking out, you can’t argue against arguably the best known ‘Bad Tattoo’ with Alex Amor, ‘Yellow and Gold’ was one of their first tracks we ever heard so it’s going in there, and the immensely catchy ‘How About It?’.
Last but not least, we’re finishing with a bunch of absolute ragers in the form of Witch Fever, who never fail to deliver that more aggressive brand of post-punk, grunge and all-around reliable rock. Lead singer Amy Walpole has labelled everyone from the Cancer Bats to Sugarstone themselves as influencing the band’s sound and there’s plenty more in there too, believe us.
We don’t think it’s getting too far ahead of ourselves to tip this furious four-piece for big things, having toured with fellow hardcore lovers Hot Milk and scored some decent festival slots over the past couple of years. Walpole’s voice alone is almost as if Dolores from The Cranberries loved screaming her head off even more over even heftier guitar riffs and had the added attitude of early Wolf Alice.
If that doesn’t sell you, these aren’t for you. The title track from their debut album Congregation is just immense; ‘In Birth’ is a perfect slope towards their heaviest stuff, and we have a real soft spot for 2019’s ‘Bezerk(h)er’, which incidentally happens to be one of our favourite track titles for a long time — and we usually hate it when artists mess with punctuation.
And that’s it for your first edition of our new monthly look at the best up-and-coming Manchester artists that are getting us very excited.
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2023 was an absolute belter for new music in our region and across the North West in general, for that matter, and we can’t wait to see what this year has in store for us.
Finally, the best part about this series is that we want you to let us know about all the best new tunes you come across too; this is a collective effort, guys — don’t let us down.
See you in Feb and be sure to keep tuned into our Audio page this year if you know what’s good for ya’.
Manchester’s beautiful winter Teepee is back, with free pints this weekend and live music every day
Daisy Jackson
Nothing heralds the arrival of the autumn/winter seasons quite like the appearance of The Oast House’s beautiful winter Teepee.
The popular seasonal space is officially reopening its doors this weekend, and inside you’ll find roaring fires, a giant disco ball, live music, and plenty of pints to keep the colder months feeling a little less grim.
After giving its beer garden a major glow-up this spring and hosting a summer packed with live music, The Oast House is bringing back one of Manchester’s favourite winter hangouts – and it’s kicking things off with a proper belter of an opening weekend.
We’re talking twinkling fairy lights, faux fur throws, and a dedicated bar pouring Staropramen fresh from the tank, all inside its massive winter Teepee.
And there’s even better news for the first few through the door.
To celebrate the Teepee’s return, The Oast House team will be cracking open a full tank of fresh Staropramen on Saturday 10 October, with free pints up for grabs for the first 440 guests.
There’ll be live music every night in the winter TeepeeManchester’s cosiest venue is back
The Teepee will be keeping things lively seven nights a week throughout autumn and winter, with The Oast House’s much-loved Open House programme moving indoors for the season.
Expect everything from Bandeoke and Musical Bingo to Retro Sounds and Oast Acoustic sessions, meaning there’ll be something different on the cards every night of the week.
The venue’s free monthly live music festival, Oast House Live, isn’t going anywhere either. It’ll continue inside the Teepee on the last Saturday of every month, bringing even more live music to the heart of Spinningfields.
Of course, it wouldn’t be The Oast House without a menu worth getting stuck into.
The kitchen will be serving up its 12-hour-brined rotisserie chicken, alongside a line-up of tempting sides like Ziggy Fries tossed in chicken salt and chicken butter, cheddar and onion slaw, and charred corn on the cob drenched in house-made Scotch bonnet butter.
Food in The Oast House Winter TeepeeThere’ll be 450 free pints given away on SaturdayRotisserie chicken
And if you’re after something a bit different, the house-special ‘addictive’ Chicken (T)oastie is one you won’t want to miss.
Sundays are all about the roast, too, with the kitchen dishing up its signature rotisserie chicken alongside chicken-butter roasties tossed in chicken salt, all the trimmings and bottomless house chicken gravy.
Basically, if you’re after somewhere to escape the cold without sacrificing a good night out, you know where to head.
The Oast House and its Winter Teepee are open daily from 11am until late throughout the season.
The Oast House Winter Teepee opens Saturday 10 October, with free Staropramen pints for the first 440 guests.
For more information and to book your table, head HERE.
Pussycat Dolls at Co-op Live – tickets, times and more for UK tour
Thomas Melia
American girl group Pussycat Dolls have reunited for a UK tour, stopping off at Co-op Live in Manchester with their powerhouse pop anthems.
Releasing their first LP in 2005, this pop girl group have a variety of radio hits to their name like ‘Don’t Cha’, ‘When I Grow Up’ and ‘Buttons’.
Over the years, the Pussycat Dolls lineup has gone through significant changes with this latest reunion comprised of Nicole Scherzinger, Kimberley Wyatt and Ashley Roberts.
The trio even released some brand-new material to coincide with the announcement of their UK and EU tour titled ‘Club Song’.
Now the girls are about to put their Doll Domination to the test as they bring their PCD Forever Tour in arenas across the nation.
Gig guide – Pussycat Dolls at Co-op Live, Manchester
Doors for Pussycat Dolls at Co-op Live open from 6pm with a start time listed of 7pm with Lil’ Kim and rising girl group Deja Vu kicking things off.
Co-op Live has a strict curfew of 11pm, meaning you can get home and loosen your ‘Buttons’, hopefully before the clock strikes twelve.
How to get to Co-op Live
Tram
For those of you heading to Co-op Live, you’ll be glad to know it’s right next door to a rather famous big blue stadium and its integrated Metrolink stop.
Head along the light blue or orange lines directly to the Etihad Campus or Ashton-under-Lyne, and you can get off the tram literally spitting distance from the arena. You can find the full map HERE.
Trams run frequently on the Ashton-Eccles line to the Etihad stop, with services leaving every six minutes from the city centre and until 1am on Fridays and Saturdays.
Bus
You can find the full list of bus routes HERE, with the one in closest proximity to the venue being the 53 bus, which runs from Cheetham Hill through to Higher Crumpsall, Old Trafford and Pendleton, leaving just a two-minute walk to Co-op Live.
Getting there by car and parking
If you’re driving, there is limited parking available at the venue, but this must be pre-booked ahead of time, and there are designated drop-off areas.
The postcode is M11 3DU, and you can follow the signs towards the wider Etihad Campus as you get closer; directions to the adjacent drop-off points will also be signposted.
Keep in mind that congestion on the roads close to the stadium is expected to gather around two hours prior to any event, so if you are travelling on the road, these are the suggested times they provide on event day, though estimates will obviously vary:
Alan Turing Way (both directions): plan an additional 20 minutes into any journey by road.
Hyde Road (eastbound): expect an additional 15 minutes to be added to your journey.
Mancunian Way (westbound): plan for an extra 10 minutes of travel time.
There are also three park-and-ride facilities near Co-op Live, but be advised that the Velopark and Holt Town stops will be closed post-event to help safely manage crowds:
Ashton West (Ashton line) – 184 spaces and 11 disabled spaces
Ladywell (Ashton-Eccles line) – 332 spaces and 22 disabled spaces
Walk/cycle
Lastly, Co-op Live is only a half-hour stroll from Manchester Piccadilly, and you could even walk along the canal all the way to the front door if you fancy taking the scenic route.
Greater Manchester now also offers the option to hire bikes on the Beryl app, with riders able to locate, unlock, get to their destination and then safely lock up the bike all through an easy-to-use app. There are hire points just near the south-west corner of the Etihad Stadium on Ashton New Road.
For more information on all travel options, you can check out the enhanced journey planner.
Danny Jones -
31st January 2024 
