City Centre

Shocking footage shows damage left by New Year’s Eve blaze as One Eight Six rebuild begins

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson - 14th February 2022

New videos from inside Manchester bar One Eight Six show the devastation left behind by its fire earlier this year.

A blaze ripped through the popular Deansgate bar just after midnight on New Year’s Eve.

Balloons and decorations caught alight as people celebrated the arrival of the new year.

The bar has been closed ever since.

One Eight Six on Deansgate has been closed since New Year’s Eve.

One Eight Six co-founder Dean Mac has today posted new videos of the interior of the cocktail bar.

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The footage shows the space littered with debris and blackened with soot.

Its refurbishment is now officially underway as the venue works to reopen again later in the year.

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Inside One Eight Six. Credit: Dean Mac

It’s understood that the space will have to be stripped back to its foundations for the rebuild.

Back in January, shortly after the fire, Dean wrote: “We cannot put into words how deeply excruciatingly painful this is to be writing, but the fire that broke out just after midnight on NYE has completely destroyed the main room and the majority of the contents within.

Read more: Manchester Pride to axe live music festival as it ‘refocuses its efforts’

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“We will be forever grateful to all our brave staff and the emergency services that saved peoples lives that night, and no matter what material items are gone, everyone is safe.

“If any of you have any doubts, we WILL come back from this and we WILL be re-opening again as soon as we possibly can.

“From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for your constant support.”

Featured image: No Chintz / Dean Mac

City Centre

A queer comedy night is coming to Manchester next month

Thomas Melia Thomas Melia

A comedy night packed with raunch and hilarious storytelling is heading to Manchester and its fronted by one of comedy’s leading queer comedians.

Titled ‘Queer as F*ck’ (we love a good pun), this night is devoted especially to queer comedy and sees Welsh comedian Morgan Rees taking the wheel with a wonderful roster of acts set to play too.

Taking inspiration from the cult-favourite queer comedy, this leading comedian is no stranger to seeing his work in the limelight as he has written for some of the funniest flagship shows like Mock The Week and The Great American Joke-Off.

Rees also doubles as the co-writer for smash internet hit The Uncle Roger Show, starring fellow comic Nigel Ng, and will definitely be bringing some of his razor-sharp one-liners on the night.

Ben Hodge, the MC for the queer comedy night in Manchester.
Ben Hodge, the MC for the queer comedy night in Manchester.
Morgan Rees, the comedian headlining 'Queer as F*ck'.
Morgan Rees, the comedian headlining ‘Queer as F*ck’.
Jenny Hart, one of the acts lined up for the queer comedy night in Manchester.
Jenny Hart, one of the acts lined up for the queer comedy night in Manchester.
Credit: Press Images (supplied)

The event, which has the full title of ‘brew. haha: Queer as F*ck comedy night’ will be MC’d by trans-male stand-up Ben Hodge and lesbian comedian Louise Young.

The latter may be a familiar name as she is currently supporting Alan Carr and Tom Allen on their latest tour while also stopping off in Manchester for this very special occasion.

Along with Rees and co., finishing the line-up are two impressive performers ready to raise the roof at this comedy night in Manchester: gay author Martin Dixon and trans comedian Jenny Hart.

Obviously, Rees doesn’t want to give everything away, but he has revealed an insight into what guests can expect to be chuckling away at in their seats.

Morgan Rees is excited to talk about “bad one night stands, growing up queer in a Welsh working class town, coming out late, and starting my first relationship in my 30s – it’s all in there.”

Taking place at Contact Theatre, this much-loved arts space is tucked away just behind the University of Manchester and another impressive city centre venue, Manchester Academy.

And if all this comedy talk wasn’t enough to get you down there, brew will be serving up Detroit-style pizzas with a range of draft beers and ciders – what a night you’re in for.

‘brew. haha: Queer as F*ck’ is coming to the Contact in Manchester on Wednesday, 9 April and ttickets are already on sale.

You can grab yours HERE.

Read more:

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

Featured Images — Rachel Sherlock/Press Shots (supplied)

City Centre

Lady Gaga announces MASSIVE gig at Co-op Live this year

Thomas Melia Thomas Melia

American pop icon Lady Gaga is returning to the UK and is making a special stop in Manchester to celebrate her latest album, MAYHEM.

‘Mother Monster’ is returning to our lovely city for one night only ahead of her ‘The MAYHEM Ball Tour’, which is reaching the UK in October.

Gaga last visited Manchester over a decade ago when she brought ‘artRAVE: The Artpop Ball’ to AO Arena back in 2014.

The past few months have been mega for the 14-time Grammy-winning artist who has seen her Bruno Mars link-up ‘Die With A Smile’ catapult her career to new audiences and even further heights.

This single alone holds the record for the longest-running daily #1 hit on Spotify’s global chart, dethroning ‘Dance Monkey’ by Tones and I, which spent 121 days atop the chart.

Whether you’re showing up and showing out for classics such as ‘Poker Face’ and ‘Bad Romance’, or rocking up to hear new favourites like ‘Rain On Me’ and ‘Garden Of Eden’, this night will be a spectacle, that’s for sure.

This unmatched performer has chosen none other than Co-op Live as the destination for her newest tour, and we’re sure the arena will be packed with 23,500 of Gaga’s devoted ‘Little Monsters’.

Lady Gaga’s newest album, MAYHEM, is an ode to her discography and legacy as an artist with tracks like drawing from almost 20 year career: ‘Disease’, ‘Perfect Celebrity’, ‘Don’t Call Tonight’ and more.

Her latest single, ‘Abracadabra’, is already becoming a modern-day pop phenomenon too, as she evokes her familiar but ever-enigmatic pop star persona – we just wish we could magic ourselves some of those precious tickets.

The US performer took to social media to express her excitement, stating: “This show is designed to be the kind of theatrical and electrifying experience that brings MAYHEM to life exactly how I envision it.”

Gaga’s UK tour run is limited with a three-show residency at The O2 in London confirmed and this one-off Manchester gig announced so far.

With Gaga’s last visit being over 10 years ago, anyone looking to get their hands on any tickets will have to act fast.

She sure knows how to raise a roof, and when you have a single titled ‘Applause’ all about her adoration of playing to live crowds, we have no doubt this will be a night the die-hard fans will never forget.

Read more:

Lady Gaga is bringing her ‘MAYHEM Ball Tour’ to Co-op Live on 7 October, with pre-sale tickets available from Monday 31 March onwards with general admission tickets going up from Thursday, 3 April at 12pm.

You can get ready to grab yours HERE.

See you there, Mon-stars.

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

Featured Image: Publicity Picture (via Supplied)

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