A huge festival dedicated to the Madchester era is coming to Mayfield Depot this Easter, bringing some of the period’s biggest artists to the stage for a huge one-off show.
Pulling together some of the biggest hitters from the era, the show will see members from iconic 80 and 90s dance groups Faithless, 808 State, The Prodigy and The Happy Mondays all take to the stage inside the huge warehouse in what promises to be a one-of-a-kind event
With a headline Dj set from Faithless and a live performance from Manchester’s own acid house legends 808 State, responsible for creating arguably the closest thing the genre has ever got to a symphony with their standout hit ‘Pacific State’, the show is sure to be a huge nostalgia trip for those who were there the first time around.
Also on the bill are Chicago house and deep house legend Marshall Jefferson, original Hacienda resident and all-around Manchester legend DJ Paulette, electronic dance duo K-Klass, Bez and Rowetta from The Happy Mondays, and former keyboardist for The Prodigy, Leeroy Thornhill.
Another former Hacienda resident, Jon DaSilva, is also down to play some solid selections at the festival, as is co-founder of Gio Goi clothing Chris Donnelly – a key player in shaping the sportswear casual fashions of Manchester’s early rave scene, as well as organising some of the city’s biggest parties, like the infamous ‘Joy’ rave in Rochdale.
Chris and his brother, Anthony, are also credited with coining the phrase 24-hour party people – a saying now synonymous with the Madchester era.
First brought to life in the late 80,s the Madchester sound was born out of the indie scene, at the time dominated by the likes of The Smiths, The Fall, and New Order.
Bands like New Order and The Happy Mondays fused guitar music with psychedlic, funk and house music to create something entirely new – first called ‘Baggy’ thanks to the associated fashions, but later termed ‘Madchester’ by Factory Records boss Tony Wilson.
Full lineup for the Madchester festival:
Faithless [DJ Set]
808 State [Live]
Marshall Jefferson
K-Klass [DJ / PA]
Bez & Rowetta [Happy Mondays]
Leeroy Thornhill [The Prodigy]
Jon DaSilva
DJ Paulette
Chris Donnelly
News
More than 100 ‘unsafe’ counterfeit Labubus seized in Oldham
Daisy Jackson
More than 100 counterfeit Labubus and accessories have been seized in Oldham, the council has announced.
The Labubu dolls – a plush collectible with giant smiles and bunny ears – have been seized because they are fake, and unsafe.
The haul of 104 Labubus has been given a street value of between £800 and £1000 – but if they were the real deal, they’d be worth more than three times as much.
The poorly-made figures were being sold for a fraction of the price of a real Labubu, which are manufactured by Chinese company Pop Mart (it’s set to open its second Manchester store in the Trafford Centre next week).
Oldham Council’s Trading Standards team said it seized the counterfeit Labubus from local businesses and found that they were unsafe and poorly made.
Officers raised concerns about the safety of the dolls, which had small parts such as eyes, hands and feet broke off easily, creating a choking hazard.
What a genuine Labubu should look like. Credit: The Hoot Leeds
They were also missing legally required safety marks such as the CE or UKCA labels, and lacked the name and address of a UK supplier, which is another legal requirement.
Councillor Elaine Taylor, Oldham Council’s Cabinet Member for Housing and Licensing, said: “Oldham Trading Standards carries out regular checks to help keep unsafe products off the shelves. In this case, these counterfeit toys failed safety standards and have now been removed from sale.
“We know it can be tempting to buy toys that look like a bargain, but parents need to be extra careful. Fake toys like these may be cheaper, but they can put children in real danger if they’re not made to strict safety standards.
“If anyone has concerns about toys they’ve purchased, or if they see unsafe products on sale locally, we’d encourage them to get in touch with Trading Standards through the Consumer Helpline on 0808 223 1133.”
Council publishes list of central Manchester roads set to be resurfaced this summer
Emily Sergeant
A list of roads in Manchester that are set to be resurfaced before the summer is out has been published.
Manchester City Council recently asked residents in the region what their priorities were for their community and what issues they wanted to see tackled – and for many, the answer was the quality of the road surfaces.
Since then, the Council says it has been ‘engaged’ in a long-running programme of improvement works throughout the borough.
Now, with just over a month of the summer season left, it has been confirmed that some vital resurfacing works are due to start over the coming weeks in north and central Manchester, bringing a range of improvements to key district roads along with it.
First up, from Saturday 9 August, Hollinwood Avenue is to be resurfaced.
The Council has published a list of Manchester roads that are set to be resurfaced this summer / Credit: MJ Richardson (via Geograph)
Anticipated to take six weeks to complete, this work will be carried out during weekend closures from 8am-5pm, with the road remaining open during the working week.
The closure area will be between Greengates Roundabout and the Oldham boundary at Owler Lane, and a signed diversion route will be in place while work is carried out, and access for residents will be maintained at all times.
Then, starting from Saturday 16 August, resurfacing works will begin on Moss Lane East, between Alexandra Road and Princess Road.
Work will take place between 7am and 5pm on weekdays, and 8am and 5pm on weekends, and during the works, the road will be completely closed – with a signed diversion route in place and access for residents maintained.
As always, disruption is expected and the public is encouraged to plan ahead / Credit: Mylo Kaye (via Unsplash)
These works are expected to take six weeks to complete, and as with all resurfacing projects, residents should expect some disruption and may need to plan ahead.
The Council is aiming to keep disruption to the public at a minimum, where possible.
“We know how important it is to our residents that key roads are well maintained, which is why were glad to be able to deliver this latest round of improvement works,” commented Councillor Tracey Rawlins, who is the Executive Member for Clean Air, Environment, and Transport at Manchester City Council.
“I’d like to thank people ahead of time for their patience during the course of these works and would advise them to check when closures will be in place and where the diversions are.”
You can find more information on the resurfacing works on the Council website here.
Georgina Pellant -
2nd March 2022 
