There’s a lot to be said about those people in your life that show you new music. These are the best kind of people. Cherish them, they’re special. If you don’t know what I mean, now’s the time to look for new friends.
Jokes aside, there are other ways to discover music and club history. For example, through the imaginative new concept of Electronic Echoes.
It all involves the humble QR code. We’re all familiar with these by now (thanks Boris).
Four QR codes have been placed around the city centre, each next to an iconic Manchester club – Sankeys, Music Box, Roadhouse and SoundControl.
These beloved music venues might not exist anymore, but these buildings are steeped in history waiting to be rediscovered.
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“Scanning a QR code will take you to a unique page, which will feature information about the club with pictures and music from some of the artists and club nights,” said James Montrose, Electronic Echoes founder.
“Each page will have an email subscription, where you will receive a track and information about the club.
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“As the project grows, we’ve got people lined up to provide exclusive mixes and interviews that will support this and add different layers to the experience.”
To kick things off, four artists that represent a healthy mix of genres have been lined up to provide tracks and mixes. From the drum and bass of Nian Dub, to the hard techno of Slave to Society, James has got it covered.
The artists featured in Electronic Echoes
As for the clubs, they’ve been selected on a personal basis, in honour of some of James’s most memorable club nights. For instance, the monthly ‘Keep it Unreal’ night at Music Box, where he went spent his early clubbing years.
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But these clubs are held dearly to a lot of Mancunians’ hearts too.
Famed for its industrial warehouse vibe, Sankeys is perhaps the most well-known venue on the list. Countless household names played at this former Ancoats club, including Daft Punk, The Chemical Brothers, Carl Cox and Swedish House Mafia.
Sankeys Manchester closed its doors for good in 2017. But not before taking the franchise all over the world. The most notorious being Sankeys Ibiza, which I hold dearly to my own heart!
Sankeys Manchester
That in mind, the Electronic Echoes project provides us with a nostalgic look back at happier times within the scene. A touch of 2020 escapism is exactly what we need, right? But there is plenty to be learnt about our city’s past at the same time.
James recognises this and wants to “reconnect us to physical space”: A profound request, but what does it mean?
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It’s all about interacting with the city’s rich music history and clubs past and present.
“What we’re really trying to do here is create something that lets you engage with the social history, memories and hopefully encourage people to (safely) venture out and learn a little bit about some of Manchester’s clubs.”
Since the first lockdown in March, James has found his DJing friends out of work. Many have been severely impacted by the lack of government support, as much of the music industry has. With this project, he wants to give back.
Roadhouse Manchester / Wikimedia Commons
“The aim of this project is to not only support musicians but also anyone who has been affiliated with the night-time club scene. Sound engineers, photographers, promoters,” James said.
“Throughout the first lockdown, it really struck me how much we depend on music in our daily lives and how much I missed the community of a night out.
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“This is a way that people can at least learn about the clubs, get some music and feel some connection to the nights that have now all but disappeared.”
From the ashes of a once thriving nightlife scene, Electronic Echoes gives artists some much needed exposure. But it’ll also teach us a thing or two about why Manchester’s music scene is so valued.
So, if you’re able to get out and about safely, head to one of the four QR codes and scan to see what you can find.
The Strokes at Co-op Live, Manchester – actually very hard to explain
Daisy Jackson
Manchester has waited a long, long time for this – The Strokes back on stage in our city.
I’ve been a fan of the band for as long as I can remember, but have never managed to catch them live, partly because they’ve left it TWENTY YEARS between shows here.
But back they are, with an enormous gig at the Co-op Live on their Reality Awaits tour.
The Strokes are known as one of the most solid indie bands of the 2000s, going triple platinum with their debut album Is This It and releasing massive anthems like Last Nite, Reptilia, and Someday.
They’re also known as a bit of an unpredictable live act – some will say they’re one of the best on the circuit, others will say they’re disappointing, and it really can depend on the night.
What they’re not known for is their audience interaction, so when frontman Julian Casablancas tries to have a bit of a chat with the audience, we all sort of stare blankly back at him. He’s speaking to us? What do we do?
“Wow, tough crowd,” he says, which is the first time I’ve ever heard anyone describe a Manchester audience as tough.
Then he turns back to drummer Fabrizio Moretti and says: “This is f*cking hideous, let’s play some songs.”
The setlist seems to get a shake-up every couple of shows, which is a nice surprise for us – and apparently also Julian, who regularly pops over to ask his bandmates what’s up next.
It doesn’t really matter that he’s not done his homework, because the second that drum kicks in, along with the impeccable guitar work of Schiltz, Fraiture and Hammond Jr., he snaps into action.
It’s impressive that their songs still have such singalong quality when Casablancas enunciates like a man with a dislocated jaw. For certain songs he’s so incoherent that if you weren’t a fan you’d walk in this room and wonder what the f*ck was going on.
But then, that’s sort of why us The Strokes fans love them so much. There’s a calamitous beauty to the work they put out and it’s so fun to belt out some words, even if they’re not the right ones.
I was hoping that seeing it live would sell that divisive new album, Reality Awaits, to me, but it didn’t. It’s too autotuney, too languid, and too often the victim of everyone’s toilet breaks.
Their earlier tracks still land best in a live setting, especially Reptilia, an absolute juggernaut in their back catalogue.
Rollercoaster set and tricky crowd interactions aside, we all had a great time – I’m just not sure I could say the same about Julian Casablancas.
Sam Fender describes his own ticket prices as ‘b*llocks’ and demands change for fans
Daisy Jackson
Sam Fender has kicked off about ticket prices for his own tour, ahead of his huge stadium summer next year.
The Geordie star announced his Proper Massive stadium tour last week, which will visit some of the UK’s biggest venues including The O2 in London, Etihad Stadium in Manchester, and St James’ Park in his home city of Newcastle.
But after ticket prices for the tour were announced, Sam Fender surprised us all by joining in with a moan about how expensive they were.
He described the ticketing strategy for his tour as ‘b*llocks’ and said he was ‘not happy’ with ticket prices.
And proving just how much sway an artist can have on ticket prices, Sam Fender then demanded that things be redone.
Sam first appeared in the comments on Gavin Davis’ Instagram account, which frequently shares tour leaks and ticket prices.
There, he wrote: “I’m not happy with these prices, they’re getting changed. It got inflated well more than I’d had in mind, it should only be inflated in relation to the cost of putting the show on.
“The standing will not be split as well, I had no idea about it. I have no idea how this was normalised in gigs.
“It’s bollocks and it won’t be happening on this tour.”
Then later, on his own Instagram stories, Sam Fender posted: “I’ve managed to get Front Standing tickets removed from the UK stadium tour. Whoever buys a standing ticket gets as much chance as anyone to be at the front.
“No more £120 standing tickets either.
“Costs are astronomical compared to two years ago, I can’t control the venue and ticketing fees, that’s a sad reality of today’s industry.
“This is gonna be the biggest and best show we’ve ever put on. Can’t wait to see everyone on the road next summer!”
The ticket prices for the Proper Massive tour are now confirmed by Sam Fender himself as being £85 for GA standing, and £55/£75/£95 for seats.
Hannah Starkie -
4th December 2020 
