Music

Mayfield Depot to host Hacienda Classical show in 2021 tour

The acclaimed orchestral clubbing series with DJ Graeme Park, Manchester Camerata and special guests will host two hometown gigs in 2021.

The Manc The Manc - 29th March 2021

Hacienda Classical has confirmed another hometown show for 2021 – bringing the orchestral clubbing series back to its Madchester roots at Mayfield Depot in November.

Originally launched in 2016 as a joint project between Manchester Camerata, DJ Graeme Park and musical director Tim Crooks, Hacienda Classical reimagines the soundtrack of world’s most famous nightclub with a live orchestra and choir.

The unique show is embarking on a fresh tour this year – having played to millions of viewers through online platform United We Stream on New Year’s Eve.

Two dates have been scheduled for Manchester – with the already-sold-out Castlefield Bowl show being moved to September 25.

A second performance has been confirmed for Mayfield Depot on November 12 – which will take place as part of a huge event with The Warehouse Project.

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The full lineup will be announced over the coming days.

Hacienda legend and Classical showrunner Graeme Park commented: “After a year of frustration, I’m excited that Hacienda Classical is back to thrill the nation with positivity and love.

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“I’ve never been more ready to return to the stage with the whole crew to share the joy with some big new songs as well as some massive favourites too. I’m pretty sure the country is ready to share the love too.” 

Musical director Tim Crooks added: “I’ve spent the past year thinking how incredible the post-lockdown gigs will feel, and the long wait is finally over.

“I can’t wait to feel the noise and see that pent-up energy explode. It’s going to be something very, very special…”

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Tickets for the Depot Mayfield Hacienda Classical show go on general sale 8 April 2021 at 10am.

Those who register can claim tickets in the pre-sale on April 7 (sales go live at 10am).

Register online here.

Featured image: Hannah Metcalfe

Music

Posters around Manchester city centre spark serious rumours Charli XCX is set to headline Parklife 2025

Danny Jones Danny Jones Charli XCX headlining Parklife 2025 rumours

Some pretty big, green posters are popping up around town and, not to get ahead of ourselves, but it looks like they’re hinting at Charli XCX headlining Parklife 2025…

Feel free to lose your bratting minds.

A number of tall, let’s call it ‘apple’ green posters have been sighted in various places across Manchester city centre this Friday, 22 November and the last time we saw this slightly low-resolution, plain black Arial font and colour combo we got a reworked version of Charli XCX’s brat album.

Listen, all we can tell you is that this is almost exactly the same marketing and the letters on the poster simply read, “PL25”. Come on… you do the math(s).

@the.manc Posters have appeared all over Manchester and it looks like a @Charli XCX headline slot at @Parklife Festival is coming. SCREAMING. #themanc #manchester #charlixcx #parklife #mcr #brat ♬ original sound – Saturday Night Live – SNL

Spotting at least two of the posters for ourselves around both Newton and Thomas Street in and around the Northern Quarter, plenty of people have been double-taking at the simple but bold and undeniably eye-catching portrait posters.

Trust us, we weren’t the only ones stopping to take a picture and frantically send them to half of our phonebook either.

Charli herself hasn’t given us any other clues on social media thus far – to be fair, this one feels fairly obvious to us – but it’s well worth keeping your eyes peeled on her stories as she did plenty of teasing before dropping Brat and it’s completely different but also still brat.

Still can’t get over that actually being the title, by the way.

It’s also worth noting that Parklife themselves recently confirmed that festival fans can expect to find out their headliners and the full 2025 lineup very soon. Check out that colour…

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Oh, who are we kidding? That’s not apple green it’s straight-up BRAT green, b*tch. We’re fully getting carried away and you’ll just have to deal with it.

Even if it somehow turns out she’s not headlining it’s certainly looking like she’s going to be there and it wouldn’t be the first time.

Better yet, fans of the pop sensation won’t have to wait too long to see her right here in Greater Manchester because Charli is bringing her already smash-hit tour to Co-op Live next Wednesday, 27 November and in case you couldn’t tell by all the shouting in capitals, we’re very excited.

Roll on ‘PL25’. Other than Charli XCX, who else would you like to see as your Parklife headliners next summer?

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

Featured Images – The Manc Group

Music

Bez and Shaun Ryder are starring in a new gangster movie – nope, not kidding

Danny Jones Danny Jones Bez and Shaun Ryder acting in new gangster film

No, you didn’t misread the headline and you’re not on acid: Manchester music legends Bez and Shaun Ryder are set to feature in a brand-new gangster film.

Yes, the ones from the Happy Mondays – why are you having such trouble processing this?

Seriously though, we did a little double-take ourselves when we came across this news, but the familiar Manc faces look to be among the ensemble of a brand-new gangster movie by Irish writer, actor, producer and filmmaker, Ciaron Davies.

And this is just a little leak or rumour that may have been blown out of proportion: you can take it from the horse’s mouth as Happy Mondays frontman, Ryder, recently shared the news on social media.

As you can see, the new film is called Geezers and is billed as a “British crime caper” written and directed by Davies, featuring Shaun as hard-man Robbie and Bez as ‘Monk’. If you saw Ryder shaking off that snake biting his hand like it was nothing then you already know he’s hard as nails.

Although it’s not strictly listed as a comedy per se, ‘caper’ would suggest plenty of humour and light-heartedness, so we’re thinking more like The Gentleman, Italian Job, or maybe even Four Lions, rather than a serious crime thriller.

Now, while we’ve seen both of the Salfordians on screen before not only in the likes of music videos, interviews, panel shows and even as two of the funniest guests to ever go on Celebrity Gogglebox, this latest venture will serve as their respective acting debuts.

According to the IMDb page, the synopsis of the film is as follows: “Crime caper about a stolen bag of money. Caught in the crossfire are ‘The Geezers’ a bunch of wannabe criminals who have bitten off more than they can chew. With 24 hours to grab the cash, London may just go up in smoke tonight.”

Shame it’s not set on the mean streets of Manchester, or better yet Salford, but you’ve still very much caught our interest.

You can see the first promotional poster for the film down below.

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As for Davies, he has been involved with a number of small-budget TV film projects, as well as appearing in shorts and even video games, so it’s fair to say that getting 62-year-old Ryder and his ever-energetic hype man, 60, involved is quite the coup for his movie-making career.

We’re still not over Bez rather randomly delivering a curry to our offices, to be honest, so seeing him act is going to feel like one long fever dream.

Although the film has no release date just yet, we know that filming locations having included parts of Warrington and Pinewood Studios, will be produced by Loose Gripp Films and distributed by publishers High Fliers.

Given the high-octane nature of Geezers and its genre, the feature will involve lots of action, stunts, violence and even martial arts – though how much kung-fu these two will have learned for the project remains to be seen…

All we know is that the film is supposedly “coming soon” and if you don’t want to see Bez and Shaun Ryder doing their best impression of a Guy Ritchie gangster movie then you’re lying to yourself. Praying for a Rowetta cameo to put the cherry on top.

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

Featured Images — Shaun Ryder (via X)/Loose Gripp Films/IMDb

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