Following the whopping success of the United We Stream GM throughout the pandemic, the team behind it are launching a new streaming platform next week, dedicated to showcasing Manchester’s very own talent to the masses.
Since launching in April last year, United We Stream (UWS) became part of so many people’s lives. It provides us with some much-needed respite and entertainment when times were dark, all whilst raising money for people in need.
After clocking up more than 20 million streams worldwide, nobody can deny the impact of the platform and the legacy it’s created for itself.
But new for 2021, is a fresh approach to streaming from the UWS team: StreamGM.
The platform is designed to move away from the fundraising element of UWS and towards producing original shows and performances, specially curated to shine a spotlight on Manchester’s creatives.
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They’ll broadcast the shows from their new state-of-the-art Media City studio – which will be the new broadcasting hub for StreamGM. And with the same founding team as UWS, we can be sure that StreamGM will follow in its mighty footsteps.
We chatted to Laura Graham, head of comms for both StreamGM and UWS, who told us what to expect from the new platform.
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“StreamGM will be showcasing the vibrant music, culture, arts and live events scene in Greater Manchester, as we slowly move into re-opening and recovery in the UK.
“There are loads of people, who through various circumstances won’t be able to go to all the events they’d like to and have really enjoyed being able to access brilliant live-streamed content from home.
“We learned so much from the last year, it was an absolute beast of a project and StreamGM is basically the best bits from the UWS legacy.”
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On the importance of a platform like StreamGM, Laura says it’s the ideal way to reach wider audiences that an artist wouldn’t have had the opportunity to reach before. The global reach of the platform means people from every corner of the world can tune into and watch an artist all the way in Manchester. This is massive for our city’s talent.
“There’s so much talent in Greater Manchester, whether that’s music or dance or theatre or art. And we reckon that anything that can amplify that is a good thing,” Laura says. “Ten or twenty years ago things were so different. We had more local press outlets, more national press with regional reporters and the whole scout, label, promoter and producer system was different.
“In some ways, the industry is better than it was before, artists speak directly to their audiences, can put their own work out there and it doesn’t have to be polished or given the stamp of approval.”
The new platform will launch through the Digital City Festival on April 12. This is the perfect place to showcase what the platform is all about. The festival aims bring together the people who are shaping the future of the digital world in the city – StreamGM being one of them.
To celebrate the launch, StreamGM have put together a whole programme of entertainment to accompany the two-week festival.
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From live music and DJ sets to spoken word poets and panel discussions with industry top dogs, there’ll be a real taster of Manchester’s vibrant and varied culture. You can read our overview of the schedule here.
But the one responsible for kicking the festival off and launching the platform next Monday is DJ Woody.
We nipped down to catch the end of Woody’s rehearsal session at the studio and he filled us in on the intriguing concept behind his opening set.
Originally a Burnley lad, Woody made a name for himself after winning multiple DJ competitions around the world. Soon enough, he was on stage much bigger than the Northern Quarter bars he’d started out playing.
With a full-time job working at Granada, Woody had a big career decision to make.
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“I got forced into a situation where I didn’t have many holidays left at Granada and I got offered all this touring work and it was one of those – early twenties, not too many commitments, just go for it. Twenty years later and I’m still doing it.”
A self-proclaimed “old-school” type of DJ, Woody is famous for his iconic scratching style. He prides himself on his the signature techniques that he’s crafted throughout his career. “At the time I was doing competitions, the culture was always become an original – you stand out by doing something original.
“I always thought my peers were practising more than me because I was working in that little office at Granada. So, I used to sketch ideas down on paper and look at it a bit more scientifically.
“So, when I did go to the competitions, my [sets] were a little bit more out of the box perhaps than some other people that were from for example London. The scene has always been very London-centric. So, when you’re slightly out of it you can take a different perspective on things.”
Woody plans to bring his old-school mixing techniques into the digital world for his StreamGM set, by incorporating a full series of visuals on the LED screens behind him.
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Using specially selected videos, pictures and graphics sent in by videographers, photographers and artists, the visuals will tell the story of Manchester’s culture and music.
“I wanted to include Manchester music that everyone does know and highlight a lot of the contemporary music scene and show a few modern-day classics – as well as celebrate Manchester visually,” he explains. “I think it really works for a streaming platform, more so than a club environment to an extent.”
When the full thing is brought together, the elements will encompass a unique and never seen before audio-visual celebration of the city, where old meets new in every sense of the word. And we can expect to see some very familiar faces and tracks in the mix.
Woody is no stranger to the StreamGM team after wowing the world with his set at the Hacienda House Party on UWS on New Year’s Eve – a set he says was his biggest ever audience. He’s certain he’ll be back for another show with the them very soon.
In lockdown one (and two and three for that matter), livestreams not only kept artists and musicians in work, but were also a lifeline for the majority of us.
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So, now it’s looking more and more likely that life will resume in many ways by June, you might wonder if such a platform is still necessary. But the team believe they’ve got a firm place within post-pandemic because of the way we have come to engage with music and art over the past year.
So as well as putting on their own showcases and events, they’ll be working with venues and artists to stream live events direct from the venue.
Laura says there’ll still be people unable to attend gigs and events after June – especially where travelling overseas is involved – and StreamGM will provide a means to enjoy the shows they can’t make.
“You’ll get gigs or theatre performances or shows where you can buy a physical or virtual ticket and that people who can’t get to shows on the night will enjoy them at home or at a later stage,” she says. “We are working in partnership with the United We Stream association based in Berlin, to develop ethical streaming strategies and curate global live streamed events.
“A year in, where no one really knows for sure how the culture and creative industries are going to be like in six months, we want to keep going. StreamGM is a small team, we all love with working with each other and also the amazing artists, promoters and businesses we’ve had the honour of working with over the past 12 months. So, we’re going to keep going and see where it takes us.”
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Catch the launch of StreamGM with DJ Woody’s set starting 11:30am on April 12 and check out their full Digital City Festival schedule here.
For more information on StreamGM visit their website.
Music
Co-op Live boss resigns just days before venue’s official opening
Daisy Jackson
The boss of Co-op Live, Manchester’s enormous, ground-breaking new arena, has resigned from his position just days before the venue is set to open.
The enormous music-first arena has been taking shape beside the Etihad Stadium for several years, and was due to welcome its first official audiences this week, but has been hit with last-minute challenges.
And now Co-op Live‘s boss Gary Roden has quit the mammoth project, with the news of his resignation announced late Thursday evening.
Oak View Group, which Co-op Live is part of, said in a statement that they would like to ‘thank Gary for his help bringing the UK’s newest arena to live entertainment fans’.
Stepping into his shoes as interim general manager will be Rebecca Kane Burton, who previously ran the U.K.’s highest-grossing venue, London’s The O2 arena.
Gary has previously come under fire for saying that some grassroots music venues ‘poorly run’ – a statement that OVG has now distanced itself from.
A separate statement said that ‘neither Co-op Live nor Oak View Group share the sentiment expressed by former Co-op Live General Manager Gary Roden regarding the grassroots industry’.
It continued: “As OVG Chairman and CEO Tim Leiweke has repeatedly stated, Co-op Live remains committed to grassroots music in Manchester and beyond, including teaming up with Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham on the Artist of the Month campaign, and as a founding partner of Beyond The Music.
“Co-op Live also donates over £1m a year to the Co-op Foundation to support communities and empower young people to take social action through its new Young Gamechangers fund.
“Oak View Group and Co-op Live remain happy to meet with grassroots organisations once the venue is fully operational.”
The news of the venue’s boss stepping down comes at a time when all eyes are on Co-op Live, the opening of which has been delayed.
The venue did host a test event with Rick Astley last weekend, but even that faced difficulties, with thousands of tickets cancelled to reduce capacity just hours before showtime.
It’s now set to officially open this Saturday 27 April with a performance by rock group The Black Keys.
The full statement from OVG about Gary’s resignation said: “Gary Roden has decided to resign. We’d like to thank Gary for his help bringing the UK’s newest arena to live entertainment fans and wish him the best for the future.
“Rebecca Kane Burton has been named Interim GM, effective today. Rebecca is a seasoned veteran of venue management and live entertainment in the UK having served as VP/GM of The O2 from 2012-2016 and CEO of LW Theatres from 2016-2021.
You can ‘run and rave’ as part of this new charity-driven social in Manchester city centre
Danny Jones
If you’re looking for a fun new way to spend a night out or thinking about getting into running but maybe haven’t quite found the right way in for you just yet, this new Manchester run socialthat starts and ends with a good old-fashioned party might be right up your street.
Run The Streets MCR is a community-led and charity-driven fitness and social event that recently launched in Manchester and has already developed a bit of a cult following in the space of only a couple of months.
The concept is simple: it’s a running social where you can meet new people whilst getting your yards in, just not quite as you know it. Instead of people turning up for a 5k and then heading home, the fun carries on at a host venue where people can keep chatting and mingling whilst having a boogie.
And the best part is that not only is it more of a causally paced, low-pressure jog and crucially social-first, but it’s all for a good cause too.
Started out by East Manchester locals and lifelong mates, Liam Parker-Worsley and Sarah Edwards, (‘Sezzle’ to those who know her among the Manc running circles), Run The Streets started out as a running social concept at its very core but has now become truly bigger than the sum of its parts.
While the ‘run and rave’ idea has been done before, this particular event is the first of its kind in Greater Manchester and after facing some serious obstacles to get it off the ground and plenty of adversity at the very first hurdle – for lack of a less punny phrase – they’ve managed to turn it into a force for good.
After pivoting the model at the start of 2024 to be completely non-profit, the monthly event is now helping bring people together for a good time, from the tarmac to the tiles, all whilst raising money for the likes of The Running Charity (TRC).
Not only do all the proceeds from the super affordable tickets – we’re talking the same price you’d pay for a decent pint in town these days – go straight back into running the next social, but they also help fund the chosen charity for that month.
Be it national causes like TRC, which recently received huge support from the incredible ‘Hardest Geezer‘s run across Africa, or charities strictly local to Manchester, everyone involved is striding towards a goal – quite literally.
Meet the team behind the new non-profit run social in Manchester.
Offering a different kind of night out
Speaking to The Manc, co-creator Sezzle says the mission statement is simple: “Everyone’s welcome and you can meet new people whilst running but at the same time we’re giving back to the community.
“We’re supporting local charities, artists and DJs, as well as local running clubs who want to get involved. Essentially, it’s just about bringing people together, which is what run clubs do, but we’re also in a big city and not everyone wants to go out and just drink at a bar all night.
“You want to keep fit, it’s good for your mental health, but you also still want to be social and enjoy yourself. Run The Streets is that Mancunian through and through but everyone’s invited.”
Sober for five months now, she acknowledged that outlets like this are crucial, insisting: “I don’t want to stop going out and having a good time or meeting new people, so this is a way that you can still go out on a Friday night and enjoy a party atmosphere with no pressure to drink”.
This is what the start of a night in trainers, hi-vis and glow sticks looks like. (Credit: Supplied)
The ‘by Manchester for Manchester’ ethos
Her partner in crime Liam echoed that party-run description, reiterating that whilst people can still get a bit boozy if they like, it’s all about “providing an alternative for anyone who doesn’t want to drink and want to be included but might have felt a little alienated otherwise”.
A fellow Tameside native, he explained how Run The Streets has already partnered with zero-alcohol brands like Clean Break for their inaugural event back in March and now alcohol-free favourite Lucky Saint for their sophomore social this month.
“It’s not about the financial aspect for us”, says Liam, “we only charge for tickets to sustain the event and pay for the talent, hiring spaces and so on… It might be different venues, different charities etc., but as long as we focus on core issues to Manchester with a cultural element that’s important to us, we’re happy with that”.
Sez couldn’t agree more, adding: “At the end of the day, we’re Mancs, we’ve watched the city grow into what it is today. When it comes down to it everyone knows about the Manchester spirit, it’s a hard-working area and there’s such a community to this place – we want to make sure everyone feels welcome.
“We look out for each other. That’s how it’s always been.”
Their recent running event with Matchroom ahead of the Gill vs Barrett fight at AO Arena. (Credit: Run The Streets MCR)
Roots in the running and wider Greater Manchester community
Chatting with Tom Lewis, founder of Manchester’s annual 24 Hour Run Against Homelessness and Chairman for the Run The Street’s official host club, Manchester Road Runners, he said that they became interested because they “really liked the idea of sponsoring different charities every month”.
Confessing that it felt like “a natural crossover” given MRR’s size and ethos, as well as their own non-profit work with the British Heart Foundation and Greater Manchester Mayor’s Charity, he said the “overall response from the first event was incredible – everyone just loved it”.
“There were people dancing on the streets as they saw us come past and there were so many videos on social media. That sort of stuff can really help get people into running who wouldn’t necessarily consider it in the first place.”
“I think it’s going to grow really quickly; the first event sold out and I think the next ones will too, definitely. It’s great to see what just a random group of friends can accomplish when we come together.”
Manchester Road Runners is helping bring huge numbers to the event already.
Liam himself couldn’t speak highly enough of the Castlefield-based group, insisting that “me and Sez find a lot of happiness and solace” at MRR.
While they are affiliated with others like KOKO (Keep On Keeping On’s Manchester arm) and Stretford Run Club that they want to help promote, the hope is that events like this might help people who run but don’t attend a club might give them a try in the future.
Regular ambassador and volunteer at both organisations, Natasha Barclay – who herself is over a year into her own sobriety journey – described the flagship event as “such good fun, really welcoming” and filled with plenty of people who had never even run before.
Nat also urged people not to be scared if they’re first-timers to run socials or running full stop, reassuring that “no one gets left behind; even if you can’t really run, you’ll always make it back, have a good time and meet others in the same boat”.
She went on to add: “Run The Streets MCR is all about giving back to the running community which I think can often get overshadowed by social media and certain brands. The spirit can sometimes get taken out of it but this run social puts its straight back in whilst helping Manchester business and DJs.”
When we asked the guys to sum this whole experience up in three words or less that weren’t ‘rave and run’, they came up with some pretty telling answers too. “Community, soul and fun”, “alternative Friday fun” and our personal favourite: “Simply for Manchester”.
It’s also worth reiterating that these guys have done it completely off their own backs and are doing so on an entirely voluntary basis on top of their full-time jobs, sometimes juggling two or three different roles. It’s been built over countless late nights and dinner hours, all for the love of running and the city.
The second ever Run The Streets MCR running social and party kicks off this Friday, 26 April from 7pm at Joshua Brooks, with a light 5k around our lovely city centre starting at 7:30pm before heading back to the venue for more tunes, dancing, glowsticks and general good vibes from 8pm onwards.
You can grab the last few remaining tickets HERE and we hope to see a few of you there on the night.
Come rain or shine, there’s always tunes to keep you going.The turnout at the last Run The Streets Manchester social at The Deaf Institute.Credit: Supplied/The Manc Group