22 countries. 23 performances. 24 hours.United We Stream’s NYE Hacienda House Party was an online party completely unrivalled in scale or success.
Four million viewers from all over the world tuned in for the occasion on December 31 – as United We Stream briefly brought the famous Mancunian nightclub back to life and beamed live gigs into living rooms right around the clock until 10am on New Year’s Day.
The marathon show – which featured a mixture of DJ sets and live performances – raised an incredible £115,000 during its run; with money split between The Mayor of Greater Manchester’s new campaign oneGM; Save The Children UK; Peace Meal in Hulme and The Frankie Knuckles Foundation.
Legendary acts such as Carl Craig, Moby, DJ Woody, DJ Paulette, Todd Terry, Peter Hook, K-Klass, Norman Jay and Soul Central all raised the roof across the event – bolstered by an astounding set from orchestra Hacienda Classical.
The show also featured a special tribute to legendary DJ Frankie Knuckles: With one of his final sets reproduced through virtual reality in a digital recreation of the Haçienda.
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Former Hac resident Graeme Park stepped up to the decks for the GMT midnight slot – ringing in the New Year with the perfect track: The groovy, upbeat Doorly remix of House of Virus’ ‘Better Days’.
Hacienda House Party trended no.2 in the UK on Twitter on NYE, with views also pouring in from The Balkans, New Zealand, Romania, Poland, Australia, Canada, France, Netherlands, Japan, Hungary, Germany, Singapore, Portugal, Thailand, Norway, USA, Brazil, Switzerland, Italy, Spain and Sweden.
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FAC51 The Haçienda manager Paul Fletcher said: “The idea of these special event streams was to not only raise much needed funds for some good causes but to also to raise people’s spirits during these very testing times.
“To go for 24 hours was certainly a challenge especially with the Haçienda Classical show and the Frankie Knuckles Virtual Haçienda, but as always we wanted to do things differently.”
“I’d like to take this opportunity to thank all the DJ’s, acts, the team at United We Stream GM and everyone behind-the-scenes who came together to make this such a great success.
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“A tremendous amount of work and effort goes into these events and everybody involved deserves great credit! I just hope we can do it all for real soon!”
DJ Paulette added: “What an honour, a thrill and an absolute joy to be a part of the FAC51 The Haçienda show.
“I’ve never played to so many people in an empty room and it is crazy thinking about how many lives, homes, eyes, ears and hearts my messages of love, positivity, support, recognition and music have touched – including mine.
“So much work went into this production before anyone played a record, so big ups to everyone on the team behind the scenes and in front of the camera for creating such a beautiful 24-hours viewing.
United We Stream GM was set up in April in response to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, running more than 30 shows totalling 207 hours before wrapping up in summer.
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The platform rebooted in December for a special programme of festive entertainment, culminating in the NYE Hacienda House Party.
In total, United We Stream has raised an incredible £583,000 in nine months for 30 good causes and supplied ‘United We Stream’ solidarity grants to 130 night time economy and hospitality freelancers and businesses.
Fontaines D.C. announce massive gig at Manchester’s Aviva Studios as part of UK tour
Danny Jones
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.
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.
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.
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.
Masked Manchester rapper Meekz bursts back with surprise gig in Piccadilly Gardens with JD
Charlie Watkinson
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.
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.”