If like me, you had resided in the fact that you’d never see the day that you’d be dancing with your pals and enjoying live music again, then you’re probably breathing a sigh of relief seeing the mass of gig and event announcements that are flooding your timelines.
But one person even more excited than us is Tom Kingham, co-founder of Open Beat, whose inaugural music event has been nearly two years in the making now.
Back in April last year, Open Beat were forced to wait it out like the rest of the music industry, after their launch night at Hatch was of course cancelled. Now, they’re full steam ahead with organising monthly live showcases of some of Manchester’s best unsigned talent.
And we’re finally allowing ourselves to get excited over the prospect.
But lockdown wasn’t all bad for Open Beat – as Tom recalls it was almost a blessing in disguise. It gave them the unique chance to refine their idea and widen their circle of contacts. “We’d kind of planned [the first event] pretty quick last year and didn’t think long term,” he said. “But now we’ve had a good year to plan it, it’s kind of worked in our favour because we’ve managed to get so many more acts on the cards.
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“That’s how big the expansion has gone now and we’re not just looking at the indie bands now, we’re also looking at the Manchester grime and hip-hop artists, too.”
In the beginning, Tom admits there were worries over the longevity of Open Beat, wondering, “are we going to be able to keep it up? Are we going to be able to find more and more acts to bring through? Or is it just going to be the same people?” In the end, lockdown forced the guys to take it slow and make careful decisions – and the result is more focused and determined.
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One thing at the forefront of Open Beat’s ethos is promoting the city’s up-and-coming musicians. The idea for the event first came about in the summer of 2019, when Tom and fellow co-founder, Miftah Ali, realised there was little in the way of a big platform for up-and-coming artists to play live.
With a history in organising music events, Tom has experience with some of the biggest events in Manchester like Warehouse Project and Parklife. But he shares humble beginnings putting on student nights at the old Tiger Tiger in the Printworks back in the day. So, he understands how these things work on multiple levels.
But even after working with such big events, Tom likes to go back to his roots with intimate open mic nights and showcases every now and again. Simply because of the connection you get with a smaller audience. “It’s the intimacy – you get emotionally connected to it because it’s just you and them,” said Tom.
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“Of course, there’re other people around you. But it’s not another 60,000 people – it’s just you, them, their guitar and the same appreciation of that act as you in the same room.
“These [acts] are really, really good – they’re good enough to make it and sign a deal. It’s just them not being in the right place at the right time – and we want to get them in the right place at the right time.”
So this ended up being the driving force behind Open Beat – to give these amazing artists the large platform they deserve, whilst bringing likeminded music lovers together at the same time.
Tom believes these kinds of opportunities are limited for unsigned artists. “[Music] is sort of like a pyramid system, like there would be in football. There’s a lot of money at the top but the further and further you go down, there is less and we kind of want to even the odds as much as we can.”
Tom and Miftah have already managed to grow the Open Beat team. Joining them are two members of the music scene. The first being DJ and Unity Radio presenter, Jermaine Lee, who has made appearances at Parklife, Warehouse Project and Victoria Warehouse. The second being singer Joe McAdam, who has also ran the legendary open mic night at The Whisky Jar for seven years. Together, they make up a solid team with tons of industry knowledge.
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With this growing team, expansion is more likely. So, aside from soon becoming a recognised and well-respected Manchester promoter, naturally there are plans take the concept to other cities. In doing this, the guys hope to jump into the festival scene and host their own small stage as a platform to do what they do on an even bigger scale. Still using the same local and unsigned talent, but giving them opportunities that really don’t come along all too often.
Now that we’re allowed to play out again soon, the thought of hearing live music again makes us want to burst. To get ourselves prepared, The Manc Audio will be partnering with Open Beat over the next few months to bring you even more of Manchester’s unsigned music. So, you’ll be hearing plenty from them in the near future as they finally get to live out their summer 2019 masterplan.
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.”