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Iconic Manchester gig venue shortlisted as one of the best in the country

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson - 16th March 2022

One of Manchester’s most legendary gig venues has been shortlisted in the prestigious Music Week Awards.

The Northern Quarter’s Night & Day Cafe is up against big names from across the UK.

The intimate venue on Oldham Street is hoping to cinch the title of Grassroots Venue 2022.

It’s up against the likes of Omeara in London, the Rescue Rooms in Nottingham, and the Trinity Centre in Bristol, to name a few.

Supported by the Music Venue Trust, the awards celebrate and recognise the achievements of the entire music industry across 25 different categories.

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Night & Day Cafe has been named one of the best grassroots venues. Credit: Google Maps

The awards will champion the country’s best marketing teams, retailers, promoters, record labels, venues, radio shows, ticketing companies and more.

Night & Day Cafe wrote: “We’re honoured to have been nominated as ‘Grassroots Venue 2022’ at this years Music Week Awards, and we need your vote!

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“A huge thank you to Music Venue Trust and everyone who has supported the venue so far at such an important time for us.”

The Music Week Awards said: “The popular Grassroots Venue: Spirit Of The Scene award will be handed out in acknowledgement of the key community role many grassroots venues have played both during the pandemic, and in helping spawn the superstars of tomorrow.”

Night & Day Cafe, which turned 30 this year, has hosted the likes of The Courteeners, Slow Readers Club, Elbow, Kasabian, Paolo Nutini, Arctic Monkeys, Manic Street Preachers, The Enemy, Blossoms and many, many more. 

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The venue had a rough ride last year when it became embroiled in a noise complaints row with a ‘new resident’ in the area.

Read more: The legacy of Night & Day Cafe as it turns 30

The winner of the Grassroots Venue award will be chosen by members of the public, with voting open until 5pm on Friday 18 March.

The winners will be revealed in a glittering ceremony at Battersea Evolution in London on Thursday 26 May.

You can place your vote here.

Featured image: Facebook – Night & Day Cafe

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Neighbourhood Weekender returns after hiatus with incredible first wave lineup for 2025

Danny Jones Danny Jones Neighbourhood Weekender back with 2025 lineup

After a year out to help fine-tweak what is already one of the best festivals in the North West, Neighbourhood Weekender returns for 2025 with a simply incredible first-wave lineup.

The Warrington-based music festival spread across two fantastic days and jam-packed with some of the best talent from all over the UK is officially back after its short hiatus and buzzing is an understatement.

Neighbourhood will no doubt be a familiar name to many of you who have attended the city centre day festival that first started back in 2016, but the full weekender which began a couple of years later has become a giant in its own right, welcoming some huge acts to the stage in the past.

Spoiler alert: there are some pretty bloody big ones this year too.

Credit: Tom Martin (supplied)

With the likes of Pulp, James, Shed Seven, Catfish and the Bottlemen, Blossoms, Sam Fender, Lewis Capaldi, Inhaler and countless other big names having come through taken the NBHD rite of passage in previous editions, it’s fair to say the lineup also sees both established and up-and-coming names.

Another thing it can take as a compliment is that many of these bands are artists keeping coming back every year or two – in fact, there are a fair few returning customers in 2025 and we’re sure that same goes for the crowd too.

Boasting a daily capacity of around 25,000, make no mistake, this thing is massive and if you’ve never been before, we can’t think of a better time than next summer for their comeback festival now that we’ve seen who’ll be playing.

NBHD Weekender 2025 will not only see headline performances from Manc rock and indie legends, James, as well as fellow veterans and the veritable pride of Wales, Stereophonics, but other huge names include The Wombats, Inhaler, The Lathums, Dizzee Rascal, Ocean Colour Scene and SO many more.

Drum roll, please…

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The names we’re excited to see a virtually endless and this is just the first wave, mind you.

We’re especially excited to see the likes of Wunderhorse, CMAT, overpass, Sigrid, as well as returning favourites The Lathums, The Reytons, The Snuts, The Lottery Winners, The K’s and we simply must stop there otherwise we’ll just end up listing the whole lineup.

Set to take place on the bank holiday weekend of 24-25 May, tickets for Neighbourhood Weekender go live at 9:30am on Friday, 22 November via www.gigsandtours.com, Ticketmaster and the NBHD website.

Residents in postcodes WA1 – WA5 will have access to a local presale, which also opens from 9:30am on Wednesday, 20 November.

See you at the park!

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images — Press Images (supplied)

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Doves announce first hometown gig for 15 years in Manchester on UK tour

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson Doves have announced a Manchester gig on a new UK tour. Credit: Publicity picture

Doves have announced a massive homecoming show – their first Manchester gig in 15 years – on their upcoming tour, but without frontman Jimi Goodwin.

The Manchester-founded band are heading out on a full UK tour in support of their sixth studio album Constellations for the Lonely.

Doves will be heading to Aviva Studios for a huge show, along with dates in Leeds, Sheffield, Liverpool and London, to name a few.

The new tour dates are in addition to the already sold-out intimate dates in Stoke, Birkenhead and Hebden Bridge.

Lead singer Jimi Goodwin will sit out the live tour to focus on his health – the band had previously cancelled their 2021 tour to protect his wellbeing.

He has said that his current circumstances are ‘not compatible with a mad, city-to-city schedule’.

Instead, Andy and Jez Williams will alternate on vocals and are promising a ‘one-of-a-kind experience’.

In a heartwarming statement about their Doves bandmate, they said: “This tour is incredibly special as Jimi is stepping back from live to focus on his well being.

“Mental health has always been central to Doves, and we fully support him in his decision.”

Doves announced their new album Constellations For The Lonely last week, shortly before confirming their UK tour and Manchester homecoming gig.

The band have recorded tracks, including recent Goodwin-fronted single Renegade, through a patchwork of in-person and remote recording sessions.

Doves UK tour dates in full

  • Tue 25 Feb – Glasgow, SWG3
  • Wed 26 Feb – Edinburgh, La Belle Angele
  • Thu 27 Feb – Newcastle, Boiler Shop
  • Sat 1 Mar – Leeds, Beckett SU
  • Sun 2 Mar – Sheffield, Leadmill
  • Tue 4 Mar – Liverpool, O2 Academy
  • Fri 7 Mar – Manchester, Aviva Studios, home of Factory International
  • Sun 8 Mar – Birmingham, O2 Institute
  • Mon 10 Mar – Nottingham, Rock City
  • Tue 11 Mar – Norwich, Waterfront
  • Thu 13 Mar – London, O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire
  • Fri 14 Mar – Bristol, SWX
  • Sat 15 Mar – Southampton, Engine Rooms
  • Mon 17 Mar – Brighton, Chalk
  • Tue 18 Mar – Oxford, O2 Academy

Tickets for all dates go on general sale on Thursday 21 November at 9.30am HERE.

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Featured image: Publicity picture

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