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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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
Factory Sounds funding programme returns to help Greater Manchester’s music scene
Danny Jones
Greater Manchester’s vital Factory Sounds programme is back for 2025 and is once again hoping to help platform up-and-coming musicians and more around across the region.
The development scheme created by world-leading arts organisation Factory International, now housed permanently at Aviva Studios, has returned for another year and looks to invest in the Manchester music scene from the ground up.
An annual initiative, Factory Sounds aims to support and raise the profile of musicians and the music industry across the 10 boroughs, with a total of 15 applicants picked to take part and make the next step up in their careers.
With applications now open for the 2025 programme, those who prove successful in the process applicants will be granted a potentially life-changing £1,000 towards their work.
Applications for the next Factory Sounds cohort are now open 🎵
We’re offering financial support of up to £1,000 for anyone based in Greater Manchester involved in music – professional or amateur (including musicians, DJs, producers, promoters, label owners and managers). pic.twitter.com/a0CBWztyPm
Starting back in the pandemic when arts funding was under even more threat than it is today, Factory Sounds has been a crucial lifeline for many artists and creatives looking to get their start in the local industry, as well as providing a key learning outlet.
The money given to each chosen individual goes towards things like the creation of a new project, recording studio access; peer-to-peer support, networking opportunities and a series of regular masterclasses in artist management, promotion, fundraising and more.
Better yet, 2025 promises to be their biggest to date not only in terms of scope but also the size of the cohort itself, with the number of places more than doubling from this past year, when there were just six grants up for grabs.
2024’s intake included the artist and producer RenzNiro, community station STEAM Radio MCR; the soulful R&B performer, Rumbi Tauro, Reggae rap artist and spoken word poet, J.Chambers, electronic producer and vocalist Caitlin LM and many more, with one of our favourite up-and-coming bands, Loose Articles, having also benefited from the scheme in the past.
Applications for the next are now open, as is the Factory International Fellowship, which offers six artists from the North the opportunity to shadow the creation of major new work at Aviva Studios, receiving a financial bursary as well as mentoring tailored to their specialism, needs and goals.
The programme is one of our many artist development programmes, which also include:
👉 Factory International Fellowship 📆 Deadline to apply: Monday 9 December
👉 Artist Takeover 📆 Deadline to apply: Monday 16 December
But it doesn’t stop there either, as Factory International‘s Spring 2025 Artist Takeover is also open, welcoming groups and collectives of South Asian descent from any discipline who are based in the North of England – not just Greater Manchester – to join the programme.
Applicants in this case must have a minimum of five years professional practice but, come May 2025, they will hand over the keys to the vast Warehouse space at Aviva Studios for use by a South Asian artist or group looking to experiment, play and create work on an epic scale that is not possible elsewhere.
Promising even more financial aid through this limited scheme, selected artists will be offered financial support of up to £10k to explore and realise their ideas, as well as receive dedicated guidance from industry experts within the Factory International team.
Again, the prospects that these various schemes are bringing to real people looking to bring their art to life cannot be overstated.
Speaking on the announcement, Factory Sounds 2024 artist and co-creator of queer electronic music night FLUFF, Markus Hetheier,said: “It felt amazing to have the chance to take a risk using the Factory Sounds funding.
“We also had mentorship and advice which helped us grow FLUFF from a small to a bigger, more professional project. It was useful receiving training on different aspects of being an artist and it felt nice to connect with like-minded people.”
Factory International’s Head of Music, Rivca Burns, added: “Supporting the development of musicians based locally – as well as those from across the globe – to grow within our spaces is at the heart of what we do at Factory International…
“We recognise there’s a huge demand for schemes like this to exist and we are really excited to say that this year we have both increased the number of places as well as added industry mentors to give expert guidance and the opportunity for creatives to thrive.”
Applications close at 12 noon on 20 January, so if you or someone you know is looking to break into the Manchester music scene and could benefit from the extraordinary opportunity, send them HERE.
Featured Images — Factory International (supplied)
Audio
Pierce the Veil are bringing their massive world tour to Manchester’s Co-op Live
Danny Jones
Contemporary rock heavyweights Pierce the Veil have just announced a massive world tour and they’re bringing it to Manchester for their Co-op Live debut.
The emo, prog rock, pop-punk, hardcore and all-round heavy hitters last played Manchester this past April, putting on a pretty huge gig at Victoria Warehouse, but now they’re set for their biggest show here to date.
First forming back in 2006 and now five studio albums deep, the new world tour which features nearly 50 dates around North and South America, the UK and Europe, the aim of this new show is to span their whole career thus far.
With a healthy selection of songs from each era, this one will not only as a walk down memory lane for die-hard fans but a pure celebration of Pierce the Veil throughout each evolution of their sound.
Speaking in an official statement after the tour was announced, the band said: “Nearly two decades in the making, this tour is a monument to everything we’ve built with our fans.
“These shows will honour our roots, spanning all five albums and the music that brought us here. We’re bringing to life the songs you’ve been waiting to hear in some of the most iconic venues in the world, including Madison Square Garden, The Forum, Red Rocks, and Wembley Arena.
“This will be our largest, loudest, and most unforgettable tour yet. PTV fans, it’s time to raise our voices like never before. Can you hear us now?”
We’re certainly about to…
JUST ANNOUNCED: PIERCE THE VEIL
PLUS SUPPORT FROM: CAVETOWN, HOT MULLIGAN AND CRAWLERS
Better yet, with a wide breadth of modern rock on show in the support acts too as the San Diego sons will be bringing along Cavetown, Hot Mulligan (a personal favourite of ours) and Crawlers as their UK warm-up acts, these shows are going to be plenty good value for money.
Pierce the Veil’s landmark Manchester gig takes place next autumn on Thursday, 25 September 2025 and, if Sleep Token’s attendance even just a year into their massive boom was anything to go by, this one will sell out pretty quickly.
General admission tickets go live at 10am on Friday, 6 December and official Co-op Members can access exclusive pre-sale from Wednesday (4 Dec).
Emily Johnson -
4th November 2024 
