In a coup for the city’s clubbing scene, a huge venue in Manchester has been shortlisted as one of the best of its kind in the UK by this year’s DJ Mag awards.
Depot Mayfield, the home of Manchester’s infamous party series The Warehouse Project, is the only club in the north of England to make the shortlist – sitting alongside London venues Fabric, KOKO and Printworks, and Glasgow nightclub SWG3.
First opened in 2019, the 10,000 capacity venue has been home to some huge events – including MIF and Skepta’s mind-blowing futurist rave DYSTOPIA987 and Manchester Pride’s inaugural music event Pride Live, as well as innumerable shows for WHP over the past few years.
With three separate stages – Depot, Concourse and Archive – it has been home to an eclectic run of Warehouse Project shows, attracting ravers and gig-goers of all musical persuasions.
Image: WHP MCR
Image: WHP MCR
Now it has been recognised as one of the best large venues in the UK as part of the annual DJ Mag awards, widely considered to be one of (if not the) biggest authorities on the UK dance music scene.
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The award ceremony takes place this December 15 in London’s The Steel Yard, in what is the first IRL award show since the Covid-19 pandemic lockdowns of 2020 and 2021.
This year marks the 16th edition of the awards, an annual celebration of UK talent. Positioned as a counter-balance to the global Top 100 DJs poll, DJ Mag’s Best Of British awards are a chance to shine a spotlight on the homegrown talent that continues to place the UK scene at the forefront of electronic music.
The 2022 nominations are split across 22 categories, and the awards show in December will also see the return of three editorial choice categories, Outstanding Contribution, Innovation & Excellence and Game Changer.
Also shortlisted in this year’s awards is Manchester’s ‘Baddest of them all’ producer and DJ Interplanetary Criminal, whose BOTA remix with Eliza Rose went viral this year and hit number one in the UK singles charts this September.
Interplanetary Criminal is up for two awards this year – Best Producer and Best Track – showing that Manchester is still at the forefront of the UK music scene, decades after its Hacienda heydays.
You can see the full list of DJ Mag’s 2022 awards and nominations below.
Best DJ
Anz Djrum Palms Trax Patrick Topping Tiffany Calver
Congo Natty Dance System Interplanetary Criminal Loraine James M1onthebeat
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Breakthrough Producer
Breaka CeeBeaats Meg Ward Nia Archives Soul Mass Transit System
Best MC/Vocalist
Bandokay MC Chickaboo Ivorian Doll Knucks Novelist
Breakthrough MC/Vocalist
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Bemz Chinx (OS) Iceboy Violet Jim Legxacy ShaSimone
Best Label
AD 93 ec2a Phantasy Sound Trick XL Recordings
Breakthrough Label
All Centre Over/Shadow Pretty Weird Sondela Recordings Time Is Now [Shall Not Fade]
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Best Album
DJ Q ‘Est. 2003’ [Local Action] Hagan ‘Textures’ [Python Syndicate] Hudson Mohawke ‘Cry Sugar’ [Warp] Kelly Lee Owens ‘LP.8’ [Smalltown Supersound] TSHA ‘Capricorn Sun’ [Ninja Tune]
Best Compilation
PinkPantheress ‘to hell with it (Remixes)’ [Parlophone] V/A ”Club Entry’ Vol. 1′ [Borne Fruits] V/A ‘Hospital Mixtape: Lens’ [Hospital Records] V/A ‘Luke Una Presents É Soul Cultura’ [Mr Bongo] V/A ‘Touching Bass presents: Soon Come’ [Touching Bass]
Best Track
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Eliza Rose & Interplanetary Criminal ‘B.O.T.A. (Baddest Of Them All)’ [Warner Records x One House] Hamdi ‘Skanka’ [DUPLOC] Joy O ‘pinky ring’ [XL Recordings] LF System ‘Afraid To Feel’ [Warner Music] Nia Archives ‘Baianá’ [HIJINXX / Island]
Best Remix/Edit
KH ‘Looking At Your Pager’ [Ministry of Sound/Three Six Zero] Michael Bibi ‘La Murga (Michael’s Midnight Mix)’ Nick León ‘Xtasis feat. DJ Babatr (Pearson Sound Remix)’ [TraTraTrax] Tessela ‘Hackney Parrot (Bailey’s Techno Tool)’ Tirzah ‘Tectonic (FAUZIA Remix)’ [Domino]
Best Rap Album/Mixtape
CB ‘A Drillers Perspective 2’ [mayowahd] FLOHIO ‘Out Of Heart’ [AWAL] Horrid1 x Sav’O ‘Violent Siblings’ [CGM Records] Jeshi ‘Universal Credit’ [Because Music] Loyle Carner ‘hugo’ [EMI]
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Best Rap Track
Darkoo ‘Always feat. Black Sherif’ (Prod. by Albert kweku Koranteng) [Atlantic Records UK] Giggs x Tiny Boost ‘The Family’ (Prod. by RichMadeRecords) [Self-released] Kojey Radical feat. Lex Amor ‘War Outside’ (Prod. by Swindle & Kztheproducer) [Asylum Records UK] LD x C1 ‘Hillside Demons’ (Prod. by JS OTP & Hilzz) [24 Hour Ent] Nemzzz ‘2MS’ (Prod. by Wydsonni) [Motown Records UK / EMI]
Best Radio Show
Emma Jean Thackray, Worldwide FM Ellie Prohan, KISS FM Felix Joy Breakfast Show, SWU Pure Spice with DJ Manara, BBC Asian Network Soup To Nuts, NTS
Best Large Club
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Depot Mayfield, Manchester fabric, London KOKO, London Printworks, London SWG3, Glasgow
Best Small Club
Colour Factory, London Night Tales, London Strange Brew, Bristol Sub Club, Glasgow Ulster Sports Club, Belfast
Best Club Event
Club Blanco Distant Planet PXSSY PALACE Teletech Small Talk
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Best Festival
Houghton Festival Naked City Festival Otherlands Music & Arts Festival Outlook Festival UK Queen’s Yard Summer Party
Best Boutique Festival
Field Maneuvers Freerotation KALLIDA Festival No Bounds Festival Watching Trees Festival
Underground Hero Recognising the champions of grassroots music communities
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Double O & Mantra Jeremy Sylvester Lo Shea Man Power Sarah McBriar
Feature image – WHP MCR
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A legend in leopard print – Magic Miles Kane at Albert Hall, Manchester | Gig Review
Harry Quick
There’s something poetic about seeing Miles Kane perform in a venue like the Albert Hall.
Beneath the stained glass and towering arches, he felt less like a veteran gigger and more like the high priest of British indie showstoppers – sharp-suited and equipped with what appeared to be custom, heeled adidas three stripes with a fully leopard print set to match. Carpeted floor, drum kit and all.
You can tell from the outset that, city rivalries aside, the scouser is adored by his Mancunian fanbase. His opening track, ‘Electric Flower’ – taken from his latest album, Sunlight in the Shadows – made for the perfect start.
Kane emerged to a roar. The track’s shimmering melodic edge got the two-tiered crowd quickly accustomed to Kane’s newest style of sound, and things kicked on easily from there.
It was a confident opener (not a greatest hit in my humble opinion, but a statement) before snapping straight into ‘Rearrange’: more familiar territory for most, which sent the floor bouncing within minutes.
From there, the set unfolded like a guided tour of Kane’s career, past and present blending seamlessly.
‘Troubled Son’ and ‘The Wonder’ leaned into his grittier side, while ‘Without You’ felt inspired by a similar jangly riff of ‘Long Cool Woman’ by The Hollies, famously setting the rhythm to a particular Britpop classic. If you don’t know already, look it up!
By the time ‘Coming Down the Road’ and ‘Love Is Cruel’ rolled around, Albert Hall was fully warmed up — and personally won me over on the new album with the latter.
It carries a softness that you don’t tend to expect with a Miles Kane track, but maybe that comes with a creative maturity approaching your 40s (sorry, mate).
Regardless, Kane stalked the stage with trademark swagger, feeding off the crowd and grinning like a man who knows he’s exactly where he belongs and continues to do so.
Then came one of the night’s first real eruptions…
Ahead of the show,‘Inhaler’ was one of my most anticipated listens. It hits like a shot of adrenaline from the opening chord, and the crowd sing every word back at him as if it were 2011 all over again. If you’re a Miles Kane fan, my money is on ‘Inhaler’ being high up your list.
‘Blue Skies’ followed, which shone a spotlight on not only the vocals but the complete shredding from the rhythm guitarist in the final breakdown. Having stood in the top tier of the Albert Hall, I got a prime view of the audible freedom he had to play with!
Mid-set, Kane doubled down on newer material with ‘One Man Band’ and ‘I Pray’, both sounding huge live – proof that his recent output more than holds its own alongside the classics.
The emotional heart of the night arrived with my favourite, ‘Colour of the Trap’. This track has been etched onto my playlist for longer than I care to mention. You felt it coming. The room softened, phones lit up, and for a few minutes, Albert Hall felt like a shared memory rather than a venue.
It’s almost as if he didn’t want it to end himself, with an echoing chorus of la la la la going on for a good few minutes after the band’s final instrumental chime. ‘My Love’ and ‘Walk on the Ocean’ kept that reflective mood rolling before ‘Better Than That’ nudged the energy back upwards.
From there, it was full throttle. ‘Coup de Grace’ and ‘Never Taking Me Alive’ were delivered with venom and volume. Straight from his 2018 catalogue felt like one for the dads, or at least it resonated with the 50-year-old bloke pointing his fist in the air with one hand and holding a double pint in the other. Legend.
As the main set drew to a close, ‘Don’t Forget Who You Are’ fittingly carried us into the encore — defiant, anthemic, and shouted back word-for-word by a crowd that had been banging this tune out long before they heard it on FIFA 14 (like me).
It was exactly the type of tune that made me whip my phone out and record it for the boys, saying, ‘remember this one?!’, to a chorus of thumbs up in the group chat. And when I mention the encore, it didn’t mess about.
Kane and the band picked up where they left us with a high intensity ending to ‘Don’t Forget Who You Are’ before the title track, ‘Sunlight in the Shadows’, gave the tour its emotional centrepiece: rich, expansive, and glimmering amongst camera flashes between bums on shoulders.
And then, the inevitable closer. By far his biggest song, if Spotify streaming numbers are anything to go by, ‘Come Closer’ sent Albert Hall into one final frenzy.
We saw bass guitarist Nathan get his special birthday moment when Miles and the band brought on a chocolate cake to celebrate, blowing out the candles – mid belter. Just ending the night on a euphoric high that left smiles plastered across sweaty faces.
Miles Kane at Albert Hall wasn’t just another date on the tour calendar. It was a reminder of just how deep his catalogue runs, how legendary in the indie rock game he is, and how effortlessly he can still command a Manchester crowd despite hailing from Merseyside. We don’t mind them, really!
Interview | Chatting with Tim Burgess before he chats to Mancunians on their doorstep
Danny Jones
In case you hadn’t heard, local music legend Tim Burgess is coming back to the AO Arena right here in Manchester this February for another intimate evening following the success of his last visit.
Set to include not only an interview but live stripped-back performances as well as Q&A, it’s your chance to see one of our region’s most famous musical sons up close and personal.
Returning for a candid and eye-opening sitdown with local DJ and radio host and Northern music champion, Chris Hawkins, it’s sure to be a special night.
Before posting up in The Mezz (which you can still grab tickets for), we had the honour of interviewing Salford’s very own Tim Burgess ourselves. Here’s what he had to say ahead of the event…
So you’ve returned to the AO again for another intimate gig. What do you love most about these smaller, conversational evenings compared to traditional gigs?
“Live events just have a connection with an audience that no remote link, AI or recording could ever match. From arriving and running through a soundcheck, meeting the arena team and catching up with Chris Hawkins, it all builds up to when the audience comes in.
“Chris and I don’t plan what he’s going to ask, so it’s all on the spot – nothing’s recorded, so you never know what might get said.
“Chris is a fantastic interviewer, and I get to meet everyone over the merch table at the end; I don’t get that at a Charlatans show – they are brilliant, and the tour we did in December was a brilliant experience for all of us.
“Maybe I prefer my bandmates being there when it comes to playing the songs, but it’s a chance for an audience to hear them in a way that they probably haven’t heard them before.
For anyone who hasn’t been to a Q&A-Sides show before, how would you describe the experience?
It’s a brilliantly informal night out – the chance to hear some of the stories behind the songs and 35 years’ worth of recording and touring adventures – plus a few songs with me and a guitar, and maybe a harmonica involved too.
“I’ve chatted to lots of people after the shows, and they always say it was a fantastic insight and that they loved the songs – then I realise they’re talking to me and they’d probably just say that anyway.”
Are there any particular songs that really shine in this stripped-back setting?
“You get to hear them as many of them were written. Particularly, the songs that Mark [Collins] and I came up with – it would usually just be me singing and him with an acoustic guitar, so it’s back to how they originally sounded.
“I’ve got quite a back catalogue of songs I’ve learned, so I’ll maybe keep them a bit secret. Suffice to say, there will be a few Charlatans’ classics, absolutely.”
When you look back on your career so far, are there any moments that feel especially meaningful to share in a setting like this?
“Our audience has grown up with us – lots were teenagers when we started, and I was in my early twenties. We’ve shared moments of grief, triumph, elation and tragedy – it’s just that ours were done in the cauldron of touring and recording with sometimes the eyes of the world on us.
“At times, it’s not been easy, but life will have been tough for our fans too. Chris is brilliant at making it seem like it’s just the two of us, and nothing is off limits – then you might say something funny and two hundred people laugh, and you snap back to realising it’s not the two of us talking in a pub.”
You’ve met and worked with so many iconic artists – are there any stories that always get a great reaction when you tell them live?
“I suppose there are some fairly iconic times – lots of people in the audience would have been at Knebworth when we played there with Oasis. Our situation was made all the more poignant as Rob Collins had died shortly before the show, and we weren’t even sure if we would play.
“It was a real existential moment for us – then there are funny stories of doing Top Of The Pops with a dressing room opposite The Smurfs. A lot has happened in those three and a half decades…
Being a Salford lad yourself, what do you think it is that makes a Manchester crowd so special?
I’m biased, but up until the band started, all my greatest moments happened in and around Manchester, and I was part of that crowd, whether watching [Man] United, seeing a band or losing yourself on the dancefloor of a club.
There’s a sense of feeling at home – there’s a BIG, beautiful world out there, and maybe we won’t tell the Midlands contingent in The Charlatans, but Manchester is always a homecoming for us.
Once again, if you fancy grabbing a last-minute ticket for ‘Tim Burgess – Live and In Conversation’ on Sunday, 8 February, there are still a few available.
The show starts from 7pm, and you can secure your seat right HERE.
Georgina Pellant -
30th November 2022 
