Audio

Watch live – massive Mad Friday rave-up in Manchester streamed across the globe

StreamGM's MainRoom series is back tonight.

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson - 16th December 2022

An almighty club night taking place in Manchester this Mad Friday is going to be streamed live across the globe again tonight.

The seasonal rave-up comes from the city’s Bombard Groove collective, and will be broadcast live from The Loft with StreamGM.

It’ll be a huge night of Latinx, UK Funky and Garage music, featuring Bombard Groove residents Nimble Lou, Myriad and Vice City Soundtrack.

Shy One, who started her music career DJing on pirate radio as a teenager, will also be headlining.

The north-west-London-raised talent has carved out her own sound, releasing her Decaffeinated Love EP and her debut LP, Bedknobs and Boomkicks.

ADVERTISEMENT

And while tickets for the actual event are still on sale through Skiddle, those of us who aren’t up for venturing out for the Mad Friday madness can watch it from the safety (and warmth) of a location of our choosing.

You can watch the MainRoom stream below here:

This is the third instalment of MainRoom, StreamGM’s online clubbing series which champions grassroots club nights and emerging DJ talent.

ADVERTISEMENT

It promises to ‘shine a spotlight on vibrant and emerging events, to highlight the beautiful diversity of Mancunian nightlife, and ever-evolving styles and scenes, bringing the region’s dancefloors to living rooms across the globe’.

Bombard Groove are a collective of DJs, promoters, and producers from Manchester, providing a safe and inclusive space for people to express themselves and connect.

Dedicated to sounds spanning the world’s genres – from ‘bass driven club heat, to rare oddities and mischievous melodies’.

Featured image: The Loft / Shy One

Audio

Olivia Rodrigo’s two Manchester shows at Co-op Live have been postponed

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson Olivia Rodrigo has announced a Manchester gig at Co-op Live

Olivia Rodrigo’s shows at Co-op Live in Manchester have been postponed after a night of drama for the new arena.

The star was meant to bring her GUTS Tour to the city on Friday and Saturday night.

But the huge 23,500-capacity arena has now confirmed that both of these gigs will be postponed.

New dates will be announced as soon as they’re confirmed.

Co-op Live said in a statement: “Due to an on-going venue-related technical issue, the scheduled performances of Olivia Rodrigo’s GUTS World Tour on 3rd and 4th May are being postponed.

“Ticket holders can either hold onto their tickets or obtain a refund from their point of purchase.

“We deeply apologise for the significant inconvenience this will cause for many.”

The massive arena was supposed to open for the first time to the public tonight with a performance by A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie.

Olivia Rodrigo's gigs in Manchester at Co-op Live have been postponed.
Credit: Nick Walker
Olivia Rodrigo's gigs in Manchester at Co-op Live have been postponed.
Credit: Larissa Hofmann
Olivia Rodrigo’s gigs in Manchester at Co-op Live have been postponed.

But it was called off at the eleventh hour, with fans turned away from the doors just minutes before they were meant to open.

Co-op Live has now confirmed that the reason for the cancellation was that a piece of the HVAC (air conditioning) system had ‘separated from the ductwork’.

Rigorous testing on the rest of the system now needs to take place before fans can safely be welcomed inside.

Olivia Rodrigo has yet to issue a statement about her Manchester shows on 3 and 4 May being postponed.

Read more

Featured image: Publicity picture

Audio

Richard Ashcroft says Robin Park gigs could help make Wigan ‘a focal point in music’

Danny Jones Danny Jones Richard Ashcroft wants Robin Park gigs to make Wigan a focal point for music

Manc music veteran Richard Ashcroft has big hopes for the upcoming season of live music at Wigan’s Robin Park, insisting that gigs like his self-titled double bill could help his hometown become “a focal point music for the first time in years”.

The former Verve frontman turned successful solo artist was speaking to host Anna Jameson on BBC Radio Manchester earlier this week when he explained just how big a deal this series of Wigan concerts could be for the area.

Beyond the likes of himself, his former band, The Lathums and Railway Children, to name just a few, there aren’t too many notable music names to have come out from the WN postcode – but that isn’t to say there isn’t plenty of talent and potential to do so.

Bigging up the borough as an “amazing place” that’s perhaps sometimes overlooked, he’s keeping his fingers crossed that Mancs and people from all over the region, including the local council, can “get right behind” the upcoming calendar of Wigan concerts to shine the spotlight on it once again.

As he goes on to tell Jameson, he envisions this going on to become a platform for new, up-and-coming artists not only from Wigan but across Greater Manchester, insisting that “there’ll be this week where young bands play venues, bigger bands come” and so on, giving grassroots something “to build to”.

Noting that the foundations have already been lain with this first lot of gigs, with the likes of fellow natives The Stanleys and Maxwell Varey named as two of Richard Ashcroft‘s warm-up acts this summer, alongside more well-known outfits like Cast and The Zutons.

In the middle of the pack, you also have rising Scouse stars Red Rum Club and The Royston Club from Wrexham, who are also making plenty of waves, so it looks like the groundwork is very much there.

There are a variety of other gigs at Robin Park as the area looks to emulate the early success seen from similar bookings over in Wythenshawe like Noel Gallagher’s headliner in 2023 and in Wigan later this year, as well as Blossoms’ mini-festival.

Blossoms announce massive Wythenshawe Park gig next summer

Read more:

The 52-year-old believes his shows among the others at Robin Park this summer could leave a “legacy” and give something for people to look back on and remember it as a moment in which, “for the first time in years, Wigan became a focal point for music” in the North and across the country.

Speaking to ITV earlier this week also, the Britpop legend admitted that despite coming up in the same era as the likes of The Stone Roses and Oasis, not to mention in such close proximity, those figures always seemed “larger than life” but that it’s an honour to go back home on such a big scale.

It’s been over two and a half decades since he and The Verve played their iconic Haigh Hall gig to more than 33,000 locals and the two Robin Park gigs on 20-21 July are set to be on an equally massive scale.

You can still try and grab tickets and listen to the rest of his interview on BBC Sounds HERE.

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

Featured Images — BBC Radio Manchester/Ed Webster (via Flickr)

More Audio

Best new Manchester music artists April 2024

Audio

Five Manchester artists we’ve been listening to this month | April 2024

Co-op Live WILL open this week, it has assured fans. Credit: The Manc Group

Audio

Co-op Live assures fans arena WILL open this week in time for Olivia Rodrigo and other gigs

Billie Eilish has announced four Manchester gigs on her upcoming tour. Credit: Publicity picture

Audio

Billie Eilish announces FOUR huge Manchester gigs at new Co-op Live arena

Audio

Clint Boon takes us around Manchester's iconic Deaf Institute

Eats

We go meatballs deep with Mira's traditional Neapolitan sandwiches