Starting this Friday, 8 November, StreamGM and Audio North are bringing the next big names in dance music directly to fans through ‘Room Two‘ – a weekly DJ series broadcasting from StreamGM HQ, The Yard, over in Cheetham Hill.
This new initiative champions the freshest talents from Greater Manchester’s dynamic underground dance scene, giving viewers worldwide a chance to experience exclusive, high-energy sets across house, garage, jungle, techno, dubstep, bassline and more.
Every Friday at 7pm for the next six weeks, you can tune in for an hour-long, genre-defying mix featuring six standout artists and collectives — all handpicked for their unique takes on the UK dance scene.
Here’s their debut lineup:
StreamGM x Audio North + The Yard = ‘Room Two’, a.k.a. the Manc music scene’s best-kept new secret.
For fans of raw talent and boundary-pushing beats, Room Two promises a weekly showcase of Manchester’s most exciting rising stars — completely free to watch on StreamGM’s website and social channels.
Let’s get to know the talent.
Meet the artists taking over Room Two
Credit: Press Images (supplied)
Shimrise
Kicking off the series, Shimrise is the female duo who’ve made waves in Manchester’s house music scene, known for their fearless high-energy performances and risk-taking setlists.
Recently featured at Parklife and supporting the likes of Tarsza (NTS, 6 Music), Vanessa Maria (Foundation FM), and Kennedy Taylor (Capital Xtra), Shimrise’s sets blend dance classics with unexpected twists, creating a nostalgic yet electrifying vibe.
Prepare for a captivating opener as they set the tone for Room Two. You can watch our interview with the impressive pair of DJs down below:
Renowned for his mastery of grime, garage, bassline and house, Oldboy merges authentic UK sounds with modern twists, capturing the gritty energy of pirate radio and evolving it for today’s club scene.
His sets, steeped in UK bass culture, showcase explosive productions on labels like Untitled Dist. and his own Front Toward Enemy, making him a perfect choice to bring the classic Manchester rave vibe to Room Two.
A top talent well worth keeping your eyes on.
One of the most exciting names coming to the new StreamGM event at The Yard. (Credit: Press Images/The Manc Group)
Lapalace
With dreamy synths and classic drum breaks, Lapalace’s ambient dance project combines nostalgia with cutting-edge soundscapes.
Since launching in 2020, this Manchester-based artist has built a loyal following, recently crafting a new EP that expands her sonic palette beyond breaks, ambient, and jungle, creating an introspective yet powerful listening experience.
Genre-bending and certainly one to watch.
Credit: Supplied
Ghoulish
Speaking of which, as one of UKF and Mixmag’s ‘Ones to Watch’, Ghoulish is also setting the UK club scene alight with genre-blurring productions and intense DJ sets.
From euphoric dance to core-rattling dubstep, he blends a broad spectrum of sounds, recently earning a release on Skream’s label I FEEL and a spot on Warehouse ProjectRecords.
Expect a high-octane set that defies genres and pushes boundaries.
Credit: Press Images (supplied)
Me Gusta Collective
Taking fans on a global musical journey, Me Gusta Collective brings a rhythmic mix of Latin house, reggaeton, broken Beat, Gqom, afro-techno and house.
Known for uniting diverse sounds and creating an inclusive dance floor atmosphere, Me Gusta Collective’s sets resonate with anyone looking for beats that transcend borders.
Also, goes without saying but… great f***ing name, isn’t it?
Credit: Press Images (supplied)
Finn
Inspired by both Manchester’s electric dance scene and US West Coast influences, Finn has cultivated a reputation for soulful, high-energy tracks.
With hits like ‘Keep Calling’ and ‘Do What You Want Forever’, his releases have become dancefloor staples.
A regular on NTS and a curator at SOUP and A Party Called, Finn’s sets are a celebration of Manchester’s underground energy with global appeal.
Finn rounds out the first wave of Room 2 acts set to play for StreamGM at The Yard (Credit: Supplied)
Join the launch this Friday, 8 November, at 7 pm with Shimrise, and catch all upcoming sets on StreamGM’s website and the Facebook pages of The Manc and StreamGM.
With an exhilarating line-up set to redefine Manchester’s underground scene, Room Two is where the future of dance music begins.
Featured Images — Press Images (supplied)/The Manc Group
Audio
Rising pop favourite CMAT announces huge headline show in Manchester
Danny Jones
Fast-rising alt-pop favourite CMAT has announced a new show here in Manchester, and as she’s pretty much an honorary Manc at this point, you can expect the tickets to be snapped up in no time.
The Irish singer – real name Ciara Mary-Alice Thompson (erm, duh?) – relocated to 0161 as a 17-year-old back in 2013 to pursue her career in music, and it’s fair to say the move turned out to be a positive one.
First arriving with her old duo Bad Sea, it didn’t take the teenager too long to find a following among her Manchester cousins, and soon, CMAT was considered among the best and up-and-coming artists our city had to offer.
In fact, little else has changed in that respect besides the fact that more and more of the country and, indeed, the world knows about her now, so you can guarantee there’ll be plenty of demand for this new headline concert.
Announcing the big gig at O2 Victoria Warehouse on social media this Friday, 22 August, the Dublin-born ‘Dunboyne Diana’ from County Meath by way of Manchester, CMAT is set for multiple Northern shows over the next six or seven months alone.
The show over in Trafford is one of just half a dozen new shows confirmed in support of her upcoming new LP, Euro-Country, which debuts at the end of the month.
Dropping on Friday, 29 August, her third album follows undoubtedly the biggest year of her career yet, having supported the likes of Sam Fender and having played massive festival slots like Glastonbury this summer.
Other gigs include nights at ‘Ally Pally’ in London, Cork, Edinburgh and more. Commenting on social media amid the new additions, CMAT simply wrote: “Come and see me, CMAT, and The Very Sexy CMAT Band, play our BIGGEST SHOWS EVER next year!”
She actually has a healthy run of live performances coming up this autumn, including one at Manchester Academy One on 4 October – though, as we’ve already warned with this latest date, tickets disappeared faster than you could say, ‘I wanna be a cowboy, baby’.
Admittedly, more than half of those shows have already sold out, but that’s why we’re getting an extra show for our trouble.
If you pre-order my new album from my official store between now and 10pm next Wednesday, you’ll get a code for the artist pre-sale, which opens at 10am on Tuesday August 26.
With new singles ‘Running/Planning’, ‘Take A Sexy Picture Of Me’, ‘The Jamie Oliver Petrol Station’ and even the title track, ‘Euro-Country’, all having already been released since this past March, we’ve already got a decent taste of what’s to come next from Ireland’s finest.
Speaking as long-time listeners ourselves, we can assure you that these songs have gone down as instant hits among the fan base.
Arriving on Thursday, 12 March 2026, you can enjoy the pre-sale window via O2 Priority Access or by pre-ordering her new record, and general admission goes live at 10am next Thursday, 28 August.
Featured Images — Raph_PH (via Flickr)/Press shots (supplied)
Audio
Olivia Dean announces HUGE Manchester gig at Co-op Live as part of UK tour
Emily Sergeant
Olivia Dean has announced she’s set to head out on the biggest UK and Europe headline tour of her career next year.
Fresh off-the-back of supporting the North East’s finest, Sam Fender, on his run of big outdoor gigs this summer – including a massive one at Wythenshawe Park this past weekend – Olivia Dean has now announced her very-own headline tour.
And of course she’ll be making a stop off here in Manchester as she heads around the UK.
The tour announcement comes ahead of the release of her sophmore album, The Art of Loving, which is out next month on 26 September, and follows the release of a collection of singles, including the already high-charting ‘Nice To Each Other’.
The 26-year-old singer-songwriter will first head out on a tour of some of the UK’s major cities, before taking on the rest of the continent and visiting cities like Berlin, Paris, and Amsterdam along the way.
From her earliest show in 2017 with a crowd of just 70 people, on to three triumphant sold-out nights at the Hammersmith Apollo, Olivia has been firmly building herself powerful live legacy and is already on her way to carving out a legendary path.
On release, the multi BRIT Award nominee’s debut album Messy received widespread critical acclaim and cemented her status as one of the most compelling voices across neo-soul and pop.
Olivia Dean announces HUGE Manchester gig at Co-op Live as part of UK tour / Credit: Jack Davison (Publicity Picture) | The Manc Group
While still relatively early on in her career, Olivia has already earned comparisons to the greats, and 2025 sees her ready to ‘scale up’ and ‘conquer’.
Olivia will kick off her tour next year in April, and will be taking to the stage of Manchester’s newest live entertainment arena, Co-op Live, on Saturday 25 April 2026, following a trip to Glasgow and before two huge gigs at London’s OVO Hydro Arena.
Tickets go on pre-sale at 10am next Wednesday 27 August for Co-op Members, and the general sale will follow on Friday 29 August, again at 10am – with tickets available here.
You can also re-order the album for early access to tickets here.
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Feeling a little fancier? You can treat yourself to VIP tickets to Olivia’s Co-op Live show via SeatUnique, with a range of different packages available here.
Featured Image – Gwen Trannoy (Publicity Pictures)
Emily Johnson -
4th November 2024 
