For a city with a cultural footprint as rich, historic and significant as ours, it really is no surprise that Manchester has left its mark and made itself known on the global nightlife scene.
It’s probably why we’re known for being the city of 24-hour party people – and we think that’s something worth celebrating.
Now more than ever.
Over the past 15 months of the COVID-19 pandemic, we’ve watched musicals from our cars, experienced Zoom parties, solo kitchen discos, and seated half-capacity gigs – but nothing beats the buzz of a Greater Manchester night out in person, right?
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To celebrate the long-awaited lifting of restrictions and the reopening of some iconic venues, StreamGM and The Manc teamed up last month to show some serious love and support to the region’s renowned theatres, nightclubs and live music hubs with the launch of SeeGM – a digital campaign to shine a bright spotlight on many of the amazing events, club nights, gigs and shows in our region.
#SeeGM is all about encouraging people to post happy memories of their times spent at gigs, shows and events on their social media platforms.
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https://www.instagram.com/p/CSM7hJyIBKC/
Now that it’s been a good few weeks since venues reopened, we thought we’d get stuck into asking our 700K loyal audience of Mancunians on Facebook the all-important question – ‘Where has your best night out been since restrictions were lifted and clubs reopened?’.
The Crown & Kettle (Instagram – @jahoe22) | History Nightclub (Instagram – @historymcr)
But what’s our take?
The Manc Group put our heads together with the team over at Stream GM to come up with a short list featuring a handful of our favourite venues that have recently reopened doors with a packed schedule of events for the summer, and here’s our recommendations:
‘Funkademia’ is Manchester’s longest-running club night.
Born in 1995 and taking place every Saturday at Mint Lounge in the heart of Manchester’s Northern Quarter to a consistently full house, Funkademia is said to “feed a friendly crowd with a diet of pure unadulterated soul-funk”. Billing the night as a “chronological history of soul”, there is a collective of talented DJs taking you on a journey through four decades of the very best soul, funk, disco and hip-hop, with a touch of smooth R&B and big house classics.
You can find out more about Funkademia and grab tickets here.
Tucked away at DownTex Mill in Cheetham Hill is Manchester’s “award-winning music and arts playground” that’s covered with idiosyncratic graffiti and offers a creative environment like no other. There’s also no shortage of action happening this summer and throughout the year, with regular promoters at Hidden including Homoelectric, Hit & Run, Lo-Fi, You&Me, Zutekh, High Hoops, Cirque Du Soul, Ossia, B.L.O.O.M., Teletech, Pooku, and so many more.
Find out about upcoming events at Hidden Nightclub here.
First opening its doors on Oldham Street all the way back in 1991, Night & Day eventually began morphing from a humble cafe into a dual venue that doubled as a boisterous live music club, and is nowadays known as an important meeting place for all the city’s creatives.
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TOYC, Jesse Malin, Scuttlers, American Aquarium, and Manchester’s-own Tim Burgess from The Charlatans are just some of the acts set to put on a show at the Northern Quarter institution over the coming months.
Lions Den may be slightly off the beaten track at Great Northern’s quirky Deansgate Mews, but it’s the perfect sun trap and one of the best places to head to for a laid-back night out and a laugh this summer.
Known as “a social space for everyone”, Lions Den is known for its large covered outdoor seating area, its real ales and craft beers, and for welcoming DJs, live music, various events, open mic nights, and a popular stand-up comedy night every Thursday courtesy of The Laughięnda Comedy Club.
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It’s also a great place to play some pool, darts, and other retro games.
Gorilla & The Deaf Institute / Credit: Gorilla | The Deaf Institute
Ask any Mancunian music fan about Gorilla and The Deaf Institute, and they’ll only tell you good things.
These city centre stalwarts are two of the most historic and iconic music venues in Manchester, and although they may have gone through a well-documented rocky patch due to the COVID pandemic last year, they are having a new lease of life in 2021 with a packed calendar of events and so much to get stuck into.
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You can find out what’s on a Gorilla this year here, and The Deaf Institute here.
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Not found somewhere that takes your fancy? Still after some more recommendations? Head on over to our post on Facebook to check out more audience suggestions here.
You can also find out more about the #SeeGM campaign here.
Featured Image – Pxfuel
Gigs & Nightlife
Dispute over Manichester now ‘resolved’, say Mounfield family
Danny Jones
The family of the late, great Manchester musician, Gary ‘Mani’ Mounfield, have said that the drama surrounding the highly-anticipated tribute festival in his name, Manichester, has now thankfully been settled.
Now the focus can once again return to remembering him as best as possible.
Following plenty of talk about the project following his passing late last year, a live music festival honouring Mani was finally confirmed in March, and the reaction following the event’s announcement has been unsurprisingly phenomenal.
Well, at least for the most part, as there was also some confusion over whether or not Manichester was still a charitable effort as advertised, with son Gene Mounfield disputing claims online. Fortunately, it all seems to have been put to bed now.
On behalf of the boys, and as their legal guardian, I want to thank everyone for the kind messages and concern for their wellbeing. There was a misunderstanding regarding the upcoming Manichester tribute concert, but we’re pleased to share that everything has now been resolved. pic.twitter.com/j8jEMrFzsD
Being organised by Madchester.com and locally-founded fashion label, GIOGOI, the debut edition was said to have the total blessing of Mani’s family, including his brother, Greg Mounfield.
It was also said that the funds raised by the show would be going to the legendary Stone Roses and Primal Scream bassists’ twins, George and Gene, but the latter recently argued that “nothing” was going to either him or his brother and that the news was “dropped” the plans just a fortnight prior.
Gene also said that “if it was a charity gig it would be at Co-op [Live] or Heaton Park, and it would be done by SJM [Concerts]”: a Manchester-based promoters and events company.
All of this was also wrapped up in ever more paper talk and sensationalism, as some were reporting that Noel and Liam Gallagher, as well as other members of Oasis, would be surprising fans as the still yet to be revealed ‘major headliner’.
These rumours have since been quashed, as has whatever miscommunication caused the misunderstanding between the parties concerned, and we are now back to simply looking forward to seeing an already stacked lineup here in the city centre this May.
Damon Minchella of Ocean Colour Scene (a fellow bassist who also tours with Richard Ashcroft) is helping organise and will also be performing on the night itself. As for the surviving Mounfields, they went on to add in an accompanying Instagram post: “We would also like to express our gratitude to PH.
“It means a great deal to all of us that so many people loved Mani enough to give their time and energy to honour his memory in this way. We are genuinely touched by the support.
“It has been an incredibly difficult few years for the boys and for our whole family. We hope this event will bring some much‑needed joy and create new, positive memories for everyone who cared about him.
“With love and thanks – The Family”
It goes without saying that we can’t wait for this city and Greater Manchester as a whole to honour a Manc icon and are looking forward to another year celebrating the thing that never fails to bring us all together: music.
Featured Images — livepict.com (via Wikimedia Commons)/Publicity pictures (supplied)
Gigs & Nightlife
The Speak In Code team ‘Double Down’ on their cocktail making craft with new basement bar
Danny Jones
Just over on Jackson’s Row, an often overlooked side street in Manchester city centre, cult favourite late-night drinking spot and cocktail connoisseurs, Speak In Code, have just launched a new basement bar called Double Down, and it’s already living up to its title.
Taking that moniker seriously, not just in name but by nature, Double Down is an entirely new concept that is centred around just a few core but simple pillars: really good drinks, great service, and strictly “no gimmicks”; they save all that for behind the curtain.
Oh, and hip-hop – they love great, old school hip-hop, and it really does add to the overall levels of chill.
There’s a lot of focus and decades of expertise that go into this place, but fortunately, they’ve done all the work for you, and far ahead of time, meaning you don’t have to think; you can just drink.
If you’ve been to SiC, it’ll feel familiar, but they’re taking things a step further (Credit: The Manc Group)
In here, cocktails aren’t just treated like part of the menu or even ‘an art’, as so many places claim these days: this is pure science and craftsmanship approached with the utmost calm and precision, and it shows in the whole experience.
From freezing and carefully cutting their own ice with a rather large state-of-the-art machine and batching their own mixes served on tap – you heard us right – to perfecting aromatics and distillates with chemistry set-ups that Heisenberg would be proud of, we were blown away by the attention to detail.
They’re even training up an ex-alum from another award-winning bar in Manchester to specifically become their ice expert, with each different type of cube, ball, oblong, crush, etc. adding its own effect.
Seriously, it’s the real deal in here…
For instance, all of their various and equally delicious mixes are kept at different pressures and temperatures on separate taps. It takes 28 hours in the full cycle, but just six seconds to pour, saving everyone time so they can crack on with the good times.
We’ve seen the ‘pornstar martini on draught’-type approach before, but nothing quite like this.
There’s a whole workshop with chemistry flasks and beakers behind creating these. (Credit: The Manc)
As well as monitoring the gauges on a regular cycle like clockwork and preparing literal gallons’ worth of the stuff in advance, they’ve also got single lines for everything (yes, even the Guinness), so not a drop is anything less than perfection.
They still, of course, have very gifted bartenders making things in front of you for those who love watching magicians at work, but these batched drinks are designed not only to maximise flavour but also the amount of time you spend with your people, sipping your bevs and enjoying the truly charming room.
It’s also more than capable of turning the party levels up when called upon; the hope is that the capacity will soon jump up above 140, plus they’re already gearing up to replace some of the tables and chairs with extra comfy booths, bank seating and other 1970s-influenced flourishes.
Best of all, although this is a super stylish and laid-back, mid-century modern space, with low-lit vibes – not to mention the utmost lo-fi soundtrack you’ll find in town – you’re invited to take as much interest in the full process as you like.
They don’t just love this stuff; they live for it, and to repeat a phrase that the team themselves have taken to using, your job is simple: “Don’t think, just drink.”
You’ll have to visit for yourself and walk over ‘The Well’. (Credit: The Manc)
Emily Sergeant -
13th August 2021 
