Following the whopping success of the United We Stream GM throughout the pandemic, the team behind it are launching a new streaming platform next week, dedicated to showcasing Manchester’s very own talent to the masses.
Since launching in April last year, United We Stream (UWS) became part of so many people’s lives. It provides us with some much-needed respite and entertainment when times were dark, all whilst raising money for people in need.
After clocking up more than 20 million streams worldwide, nobody can deny the impact of the platform and the legacy it’s created for itself.
But new for 2021, is a fresh approach to streaming from the UWS team: StreamGM.
The platform is designed to move away from the fundraising element of UWS and towards producing original shows and performances, specially curated to shine a spotlight on Manchester’s creatives.
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They’ll broadcast the shows from their new state-of-the-art Media City studio – which will be the new broadcasting hub for StreamGM. And with the same founding team as UWS, we can be sure that StreamGM will follow in its mighty footsteps.
UWS fundraiser in 2020
We chatted to Laura Graham, head of comms for both StreamGM and UWS, who told us what to expect from the new platform.
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“StreamGM will be showcasing the vibrant music, culture, arts and live events scene in Greater Manchester, as we slowly move into re-opening and recovery in the UK.
“There are loads of people, who through various circumstances won’t be able to go to all the events they’d like to and have really enjoyed being able to access brilliant live-streamed content from home.
“We learned so much from the last year, it was an absolute beast of a project and StreamGM is basically the best bits from the UWS legacy.”
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On the importance of a platform like StreamGM, Laura says it’s the ideal way to reach wider audiences that an artist wouldn’t have had the opportunity to reach before. The global reach of the platform means people from every corner of the world can tune into and watch an artist all the way in Manchester. This is massive for our city’s talent.
“There’s so much talent in Greater Manchester, whether that’s music or dance or theatre or art. And we reckon that anything that can amplify that is a good thing,” Laura says. “Ten or twenty years ago things were so different. We had more local press outlets, more national press with regional reporters and the whole scout, label, promoter and producer system was different.
“In some ways, the industry is better than it was before, artists speak directly to their audiences, can put their own work out there and it doesn’t have to be polished or given the stamp of approval.”
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The new platform will launch through the Digital City Festival on April 12. This is the perfect place to showcase what the platform is all about. The festival aims bring together the people who are shaping the future of the digital world in the city – StreamGM being one of them.
To celebrate the launch, StreamGM have put together a whole programme of entertainment to accompany the two-week festival.
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From live music and DJ sets to spoken word poets and panel discussions with industry top dogs, there’ll be a real taster of Manchester’s vibrant and varied culture. You can read our overview of the schedule here.
But the one responsible for kicking the festival off and launching the platform next Monday is DJ Woody.
We nipped down to catch the end of Woody’s rehearsal session at the studio and he filled us in on the intriguing concept behind his opening set.
Originally a Burnley lad, Woody made a name for himself after winning multiple DJ competitions around the world. Soon enough, he was on stage much bigger than the Northern Quarter bars he’d started out playing.
With a full-time job working at Granada, Woody had a big career decision to make.
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“I got forced into a situation where I didn’t have many holidays left at Granada and I got offered all this touring work and it was one of those – early twenties, not too many commitments, just go for it. Twenty years later and I’m still doing it.”
A self-proclaimed “old-school” type of DJ, Woody is famous for his iconic scratching style. He prides himself on his the signature techniques that he’s crafted throughout his career. “At the time I was doing competitions, the culture was always become an original – you stand out by doing something original.
“I always thought my peers were practising more than me because I was working in that little office at Granada. So, I used to sketch ideas down on paper and look at it a bit more scientifically.
“So, when I did go to the competitions, my [sets] were a little bit more out of the box perhaps than some other people that were from for example London. The scene has always been very London-centric. So, when you’re slightly out of it you can take a different perspective on things.”
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Woody plans to bring his old-school mixing techniques into the digital world for his StreamGM set, by incorporating a full series of visuals on the LED screens behind him.
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Using specially selected videos, pictures and graphics sent in by videographers, photographers and artists, the visuals will tell the story of Manchester’s culture and music.
“I wanted to include Manchester music that everyone does know and highlight a lot of the contemporary music scene and show a few modern-day classics – as well as celebrate Manchester visually,” he explains. “I think it really works for a streaming platform, more so than a club environment to an extent.”
When the full thing is brought together, the elements will encompass a unique and never seen before audio-visual celebration of the city, where old meets new in every sense of the word. And we can expect to see some very familiar faces and tracks in the mix.
Woody is no stranger to the StreamGM team after wowing the world with his set at the Hacienda House Party on UWS on New Year’s Eve – a set he says was his biggest ever audience. He’s certain he’ll be back for another show with the them very soon.
DJ Woody playing The Hacienda NYE House Party
In lockdown one (and two and three for that matter), livestreams not only kept artists and musicians in work, but were also a lifeline for the majority of us.
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So, now it’s looking more and more likely that life will resume in many ways by June, you might wonder if such a platform is still necessary. But the team believe they’ve got a firm place within post-pandemic because of the way we have come to engage with music and art over the past year.
So as well as putting on their own showcases and events, they’ll be working with venues and artists to stream live events direct from the venue.
Laura says there’ll still be people unable to attend gigs and events after June – especially where travelling overseas is involved – and StreamGM will provide a means to enjoy the shows they can’t make.
“You’ll get gigs or theatre performances or shows where you can buy a physical or virtual ticket and that people who can’t get to shows on the night will enjoy them at home or at a later stage,” she says. “We are working in partnership with the United We Stream association based in Berlin, to develop ethical streaming strategies and curate global live streamed events.
“A year in, where no one really knows for sure how the culture and creative industries are going to be like in six months, we want to keep going. StreamGM is a small team, we all love with working with each other and also the amazing artists, promoters and businesses we’ve had the honour of working with over the past 12 months. So, we’re going to keep going and see where it takes us.”
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Catch the launch of StreamGM with DJ Woody’s set starting 11:30am on April 12 and check out their full Digital City Festival schedule here.
For more information on StreamGM visit their website.
Music
Five Manchester artists we’ve been listening to this month | March 2025
Danny Jones
Oh, hello there. Did you think we’d forgotten to do our Manchester artists round-up for March? Don’t be daft, it was just a joke – a silly little April Fool’s joke.
This is, without a doubt, one of our favourite times of the month because we get to look back at our music habits in more bitesize pieces rather than feeling like we have to defend a whole year’s worth every time Spotify Wrapped rolls around.
If you don’t know the drill by now, for one, where have you been? Secondly, welcome to the listening party: it’s the period we set aside to spotlight the best up-and-coming, underrated and veteran musicians from Greater Manchester alike – so long as they’re good, we’re happy.
Let’s get into it then, yeah?
Manchester bands and artists we’ve been listening to this month
1. Lusaint
First up on our list for March is a very talented woman by the name of Lusaint – real name Lucy Hopkins, but trust us, this is a stage name set for stardom as far we’re concerned. Manc born and bred, she has the voice and vibe of an old soul with all the talent and style to go up against the biggest around today.
She started gaining followers through her stunning covers of everyone from Kings of Leon and Whitney Houston to Fleetwood Mac, Jason Mraz and many more. That being said, her pop-forward original solo material is hitting our ‘Sweet Tooth’ and then some, so we tried to keep it cool when we met her recently.
If you’re looking for where to start, her latest single ‘Neon Lights’ has an almost laid-back, neo-soul vibe; ‘Sober’ has a bit of Winehouse and Bailey Rae to it, but the best way to sum her up is soulful R’n’B with plenty of jazz and contralto moments sprinkled in there. The piano version of ‘Dark Horse’… Oof.
You’re damn right we’re putting them back amongst our Manc artists of the month list because not only have we’ve been listening to their new album non-stop but, in case you hadn’t heard, it’s just gone to number one – their second to date!
Leigh’s very own Lottery Winners need no introduction at this point: they’re becoming an increasingly big name in the indie, pop and Northern scene in general, but they also might just be up there with the hardest working bands going right now.
We could recommend tonnes of songs to kick off with but we’d like to give a big shout to ‘Superpower’, a real bit of genre whiplash that really works, ‘You Again’ with Jon McClure of Reverend and the Makers because it’s just a banger and ‘Turn Around’ because same and it has the cutest music video ever.
Now, this next one pains us slightly because Push Baby, as eclectic and interesting as they, are currently inactive as of 2022 following the release of their second full LP, Wow, That’s What I Call Push Baby!, which is brilliant subversion of modern mainstream music.
Made up of lead vocalist Jake Roche, the son of British household names, Coleen Nolan and Shane Richie, as well as multi-instrumentalist Charley Bagnall – both formerly of the boyband Rixton too – this alternative duo were pushing plenty of boundaries before they took a pause to pursue other projects.
Song wise, ‘WHAT YOU GONNA DO?’ is the closest thing to a new NSYNC track as you’ll find, ‘thenineteenseventyfive’ genuinely feels like it could fit on Notes On A Conditional Form if you just swapped out the vocals, and you simply have to start with the first song we ever heard from them: ‘thor’
You get a much different level of production on the studio version than this equally beautiful live recording. We hope they come back.
4. Tim Burgess
Our penultimate pick for this month is a Manc music legend whose music we’ve been exposed to most of our lives, but it pains us to confess were relative latecomers to his solo stuff. The Charlatans frontman had such a large body of work but we’ve finally cracked into properly for the first time.
It won’t surprise you whatsoever to learn the Salfordian icon’s own singer-songwriter records are just brilliant asd everything else he’s done in his career and we’ll feel daft to have waited this long to dive deep. There’s plenty to get through, put it that way.
Everyone’s heard ‘OH My Corazon’ (in fact, we’d wager you’ve heard even more Burgess than you realise), but we’d grown a particular soft spot for ‘Sure Enough – Eyedress Remix’, ‘White’ and ‘Empathy For The Devil’ where he voices go real Ian Brown-esque. We’ll keep digging and get back to you.
Yet more evidence that he deserves your attention and respect for what he’s done/doing for Manc music
5. Dirty Blonde
Last but certainly not least is another duo that unlike Push Baby aren’t just active but are absolutely rip-roaring through the infancy of their alt rock story already and have all ferocity of a pair of Manc music pioneers that are going to go far – Spill The Sound seem to think so too.
Modern girl rock that kicks you in the face with punchy riffs, catchy hooks, great vocals and plenty of confidence and all-round swagger that makes you think they’re made for this business. You could probably draw all manner of comparisons to contemporaries, but put simply they just sound sick.
There’s not absolute reams to get through yet as the two are ones for the future, but we’ve particular enjoyed ‘Rush’, ‘Run (When I Tell You)’ and you’d be a fool not to take a look at their new single ‘Adore Me’ which achieves exactly what the title says. Love ’em and we look forward to hearing more.
And we’re sorry to say that’s all she wrote for another month and we apologise to any of you die-hard readers for being a day late to it this time around, we promise we won’t make a habit of it.
In the meantime, you can always go back listen to our Manc music favourite from February to keep your playlists feeling refreshed – and all the other lists prior, come to think of it.
Featured Images — Audio North/Wow, Big Legend (press shot)
Music
Manchester’s iconic Vimto statue to be removed for repair – with Aitch-sponsored sculpture in its place
Daisy Jackson
One of the city’s most familiar landmarks will soon be leaving its spot in town, as the iconic Vimto statue is removed.
The sculpture has been in Vimto Park off Sackville Street since 1992, and consists of a giant Vimto bottle surrounded by oversized fruit.
But the art piece dedicated to Manchester’s most famous drink has weathered (it’s made of wood, after all) and will have to be dismantled in the coming months for an undisclosed period of time.
This will be the second time the Vimto statue has undergone maintenance work, having last received a colourful paint job in 2011.
Worry not, though, Manchester – a new sculpture, dedicated to another local drinks brand, is already in the works until our beloved Vimto statue returns.
Local rapper Aitch, who launched his own drinks brand SYPS last year, has decided to make good use of the space.
A gigantic statue of a SYPS can is to be installed later this year in place of the Vimto statue, created by a local artist.
I don’t know why any of you are surprised – there haven’t been many product launches or marketing opportunities that Aitch hasn’t jumped on this year.
Rave in the Super Awesome Deluxe burger takeaway? Done it.
‘Launching’ Joe & The Juice back into Manchester? Done that too.
Performing on a train to launch a limited-edition Southern Comfort called ‘Northern Comfort’? Yes, that also happened.
Aitch is funding a temporary SYPS statue in place of the Vimto statue in Manchester
He’s now announced that he’ll be funding a new statue for the city centre while our beloved Vimto statue is gone.
A spokesperson for Manchester City Council said: “While it’s a shame to see our beloved Vimto statue leave the city centre, it’s important that this landmark is preserved for the future before it’s too late.
“When Aitch kindly offered to fill the space in Vimto Park with a SYPS sculpture, how could we say no?”
Aitch said in a statement: “I couldn’t leave my Manny without a drinks statue, could I? Also happy April Fool’s day you idiots.”