Tonight, Manchester’s audiophile bar NAM will present a night dedicated to womxn from Manchester’s music scene and beyond, bringing the likes of Pip Millett, The KTNA and Katbrownsugar together for the evening.
Thursday night sees the second of its Lotus events, held in collaboration with size?, take over the Ancoat’s basement with free entry and a free welcome drink courtesy of Japanese whiskey brand The House of Suntory.
Bartenders will be on hand to shake up Toki High Ball cocktails, a mixture of Whisky Toki, grapefruit, soda and Suntory Essence Drops, from 7-11pm.
Taking place in Ancoats, Manchester, the night will deliver a panel of Womxn in R&B – commencing at 7:15pm – hosted by BBC Radio 1’s Future Soul presenter and singer-songwriter, Victoria Jane.
Then, from 8pm the NAM basement will welcome a host of female selectors to take over the decks and bring the party vibes.
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Image: Supplied
As part of the panel event, Victoria Jane will be quizzing four of Manchester’s finest female talents in the R&B realm and shining a light on their incredible journeys.
A woman of many talents, singer-songwriter superstar, Pip Millett will be joining the panel.
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Beloved for her timeless sound – an ethereal amalgamation of R&B and jazz – coupled with her natural ability to harness the power of music, to make the listener feel in all the senses. Pip will share an exclusive insight into her whirlwind of a career that’s seen her rise to the top of the UK R&B game in just four years.
Hope and Millie Katana, who form the soulful duo The KTNA, have long championed the northern spirit, and are true symbols of what can be accomplished when talent is combined with determination. They’ll be sharing their stories from their debut tour and experiences of navigating the complex industry.
Also sharing her voice, Robin Knightz. A big character blessed with a unique pen game, Robin will discuss how she made her genre-bending sound stand out, her mission to break out of the Manchester scene and her ascent to becoming a beacon for her city.
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After the panel, those heading down can expect a legendary line-up of womxn selectors getting behind the decks to take-over the basement’s elite audiophile sound system.
First up, Zèyla, who prides herself on her genre-crossing crate. Attributing her enriched mixing style and individual artistry to being raised on a range of sounds spanning across jazz, soul, hip-hop, electronica, Latin, reggae and funk. Bringing a fresh approach to every set, no show is ever the same.
Image: Supplied
Next up, producer, singer-songwriter and DJ in her own right, Katbrownsugar. The NTS resident has amassed a global following with her distinctive style, that encompasses neo-soul with lo-fi hip-hop and jazzy feels for the mind, body and soul.
With two Mixcloud awards under her belt for Rising Star Best Online Hip-Hop, R&B, Afrobeats Show, we’re highly anticipating her debut set at NAM.
Closing the night, selector, producer, curator of arts collective RebeccaNeverBecky, and one half of Queer Latifah collective, Mix-Stress, will be bringing a scorching soulful set.
Always one to relocate everyone to the dancefloor, her central ambition behind the booth is to celebrate the music of her culture, exposing it to fresh and seasoned ears alike.
Feature image – Supplied
News
Salford Red Devils granted another adjournment over unpaid debts
Danny Jones
Salford Red Devils have been given one more adjournment and yet another stay of execution, being given another two weeks to find the money to cover their unpaid debts.
The local rugby league side, which has been wrapped in all manner of struggles both on and off-pitch over the past year or so, reportedly needs to pay around £700,000 to HMRC alone and still owes roughly £5 million in total to various creditors.
To no surprise, regular matchgoers, neutrals and even rivals alike have expressed their continued disappointment with the club, mainly at the lack of transparency and clarity from the organisation throughout this long, drawn-out process.
This is coming from a wire fan but no club deserves to be left in the dark even longer than they already have done it’s nothing but a disgrace to the sport of rugby those owners and the court should be ashamed of themselves.
Updating fans on social media, this is all the information they have communicated at this time: “Salford Red Devils can confirm that HMRC have granted the club a two-week adjournment, providing additional time in which to secure the necessary funds.
“We would like to reassure supporters that we are working tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure a positive resolution. Further updates will be shared as soon as possible.”
It’s worth noting that the current owners have reiterated that they inheited around £3m in existing debt before they took over the club, but assurances over their own investments have still come to nothing; meanwhile, with many still waiting on wages, players and staff alike have now left.
Having been propped up by loan players and emergency loans, the team is now closer to a skeleton crew than it is an outfit capable of competing in the premier division.
Either way, the outrage remains and is only growing stronger. One user wrote on X: “A good approach by them if they was legit would be to engage and bring in The 1873 to bridge the communication black hole (they created).
“The problem with that is if they did it would expose them for what they are… Extortionists using the club as a vehicle.”
More alarm bells were raised recently when assistant coach and Krisnan Inu – who was also director of the company set up to take over the business – withdrew himself from a key position behind the scenes.
Speaking of The 1873, the outspoken supporters trust took no time at all in issuing a response of their own, adding: “The judge presiding over today’s case has adjourned by 14 days. This adjournment has dragged the uncertainty on even longer.
“Every delay makes planning for 2026 harder and keeps the club stuck in limbo when it desperately needs clarity and direction.
“The fans, the players and the future all deserve better — The 1873.”
You can see the rest of their statement in full down below, but for now, what do you make of this seemingly neverending saga, Salfordians?
‘Christmas chaos’ on the cards as Manchester tram drivers vote on staging strike action next month
Emily Sergeant
There could be major disruption to festive travel in Greater Manchester next month, as hundreds of tram drivers are currently voting on whether to strike.
Almost 320 tram drivers are being balloted over working conditions and fears around fatigue.
The drivers – who are members of the union, Unite – all work for KeolisAmey Metrolink Limited at the Warwick Road South and Queens Road depots in Manchester – and they operate trams on all routes in Greater Manchester.
As it stands, the drivers’ shift patterns currently mean they have to work 450 hours over a 12-week period, which results in some having to work 50 hours on, followed by just two days off, then back into another 50-hour work pattern.
Drivers also have fewer rest days compared to all other operational departments, and this is said to be causing safety concerns around fatigue.
‘Christmas chaos’ is on the cards as Manchester tram drivers are currently voting on staging strike action next month / Credit: TfGM
Drivers say they concerned about operating heavy vehicles while exhausted and unable to have proper breaks, but after raising the issue with management, Unite has been told there is ‘no funding available’ to support any ‘meaningful’ improvements to working patterns.
Instead, management has asked drivers to start work earlier – which Unite says is only ‘adding insult to injury’.
The ballot is set to close on 11 November, and if drivers vote in favour of industrial action, strikes could then begin in late November, causing widespread cancellations and delays throughout the region during the busy festive shopping period – particularly coinciding with Manchester’s world-famous Christmas Markets, known for attracting millions of visitors to the city each year.
“Any strike action will cause a great deal of disruption but it is entirely the fault of Metrolink, which is not taking the issue of driver fatigue seriously,” commented Unite Regional Officer, Colin Hayden.
Georgina Pellant -
15th September 2022 
