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This Manchester club has been shortlisted as one of the best in the UK

DJ Mag has shortlisted Depot Mayfield as one of the UK's best nightclubs for its 2022 list

Georgina Pellant Georgina Pellant - 30th November 2022

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.

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Image: @anthonymooney via WHP MCR
Image: @anthonymooney via WHP MCR

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.

Read more: Hot Chip announce huge live Manchester show at The Warehouse Project

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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

Breakthrough DJ

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Fleur Shore
Girls Don’t Sync
KILIMANJARO
Mozey
TAAHLIAH

Best Live Act

aya
Bonobo
Fred again..
Krust
The Comet Is Coming

Best Producer

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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Fontaines D.C. announce massive gig at Manchester’s Aviva Studios as part of UK tour

Danny Jones Danny Jones Fontaines D.C Manchester tickets Aviva Studios

Irish post-punk pioneers Fontaines D.C. have just announced a brand new UK and Ireland tour ahead of their new album later this year and leading new arts and live entertainment venue, Aviva Studios, has been selected for their massive Manchester date.

The Dublin powerhouses have emerged as one of the most exciting acts on the planet for our money, combining everything from new wave, alternative and often grungey guitars, to more classic rock and even indie sounds, making them one of the most instantly recognisable sounds on the modern scene.

With all that being said, we cannot wait for their return to Manchester and what will no doubt be one of the biggest and best gigs Aviva Studios has seen yet.

Fontaines D.C. roll up to 0161 in Fall 2024 and they’ll have a brand new album under their belt to boot.

Fontaines D.C. return to Manchester for the first time since 2022.

Home to Factory International, which kicked off an incredible debut calendar of cultural events last year, Aviva Studios is already proving to be an impressive addition to the Manc skyline, especially now it’s coaxing names like Fontaines D.C. to come and perform there over other gig spaces.

Tipped to generate over a £1 billion in revenue for the local economy over the next decade, the importance of this new state-of-the-art venue is hard to overstate.

As for the band themselves, they dropped the lead single entitled ‘Starburster’ this week and it proved to be quite the sea change for often fast, frantic and no-nonsense five-piece. If you haven’t heard it yet, strap in and get ready to be over-exhaling out loud non-stop for the next hour – you’ll see what we mean.

With their fourth record Romance set to release on 23 August, we think it’s fair to say this new record – the first with new producer James Ford (Blur, Arctic Monkeys) – is off to a much more experimental start than their heavily acclaimed 2019 debut, Dogrel.

Read more:

Set to take the stage in Aviva Studios’ Warehouse space on Friday, 29 November, Fontaines’ Manchester date is part of a new run of shows announced as part of their full European which kicks off in June.

Heading back from the continent in August and starting off the UK leg in Wolverhampton on 20 November, it’ll be a fast and furious nine-show run culminating with a homecoming concert in Dublin.

Tickets for all headline dates go on general sale at 10am next Friday, 26 April and for first access to presale, fans can pre-order the album by 3pm on 23 April.

You can grab your tickets HERE.

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

Featured Images — Press Images/Aviva Studios

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Masked Manchester rapper Meekz bursts back with surprise gig in Piccadilly Gardens with JD

Charlie Watkinson Charlie Watkinson Masked Manchester rapper Meeks performed a surprise gig in Piccadilly Gardens

Local rap sensation Meekz is back, if you hadn’t noticed – he burst back onto the scene last week with a surprise gig with JD in Piccadilly Gardens.

The masked Manchester rapper is celebrating the release of his latest single Mini Me’s – and a handful of Mini Meekz posters appeared around town, pasted there by artist collective Pattern Up (then swiftly removed) last week.

Meekz continues to impress with his latest release, a track that’s quickly gaining popularity.

True to form, Meekz delivers not only sonically but visually, teaming up once again with KC Locke to create a stunning music video.

Their collaboration underscores the significance of music videos, reaffirming their lasting impact in the industry.

The video pays homage to their previous work, particularly ‘Like Me’, while also pushing boundaries with a post-apocalyptic CGI rendition of Manchester, reminiscent of scenes from GTA and Marvel movies.

This innovative approach demonstrates the remarkable synergy between Meekz and KC Locke, marking a new pinnacle in their collaborative efforts.

Following the premiere, Meekz treated fans to a memorable performance in Piccadilly Gardens, organised with JD, where he made a grand entrance by gifting miniature Air Max 95’s to his fans before taking the stage atop a large storage container.

Meekz's 'Mini Me's' posters popped up around Manchester last week. Credit: Supplied, patternup.pu
Meekz's 'Mini Me's' posters popped up around Manchester last week. Credit: Supplied, patternup.pu
Meekz's 'Mini Me's' posters popped up around Manchester last week. Credit: Supplied, patternup.pu
Meekz's 'Mini Me's' posters popped up around Manchester last week. Credit: Supplied, patternup.pu
Mini Meekz posters briefly popped up around Manchester last week. Credit: Supplied, patternup.pu

I had the opportunity to speak with Meekz after the premiere, where he shared insights into his upcoming tape, ‘Tru’, slated for release on 24 May.

Additionally, he hinted at exclusive news related to GTA/GTA 6, leaving fans eagerly anticipating his future endeavours.

It’s clear that Meekz continues to innovate and redefine the game with each new project, and we’re excited to see what he has in store next.

KC Locke said: “In the time that the mainstream media is writing articles about the decline of the music video industry, swords and eagles are here to make a stand and show not only are music videos here to stay but they are more important than ever.

“This is a testament to community, bound by a shared vision, we rise and rise again, together, for the culture.”

Read more

Featured image: The Manc Group

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