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.
ADVERTISEMENT
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.
ADVERTISEMENT
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.
ADVERTISEMENT
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
The Japanese takeaway with a Michelin-trained chef serving a secret omakase menu out back
Georgina Pellant
Good sushi is a hard thing to find in Manchester nowadays. To be honest, ever since the demise of Umezushi, it has felt out of reach.
Average sushi, however, is suddenly available in abundance thanks to an explosive proliferation of trendy, if soulless, Pan Asian restaurants.
You know the sort. The spots with the claggy, dried-out rice on ostentatious platters, whose chefs stuff cream cheese into the middle of their maki, or disguise its lack of freshness with cascading waterfalls of dry ice.
These spots, with their fake flower walls and neon signs that scream “Pick me!” seem, depressingly, to be taking over. So it’s with relish I can reassure you at least one place in Manchester city centre is doing its bit to remind us what real sushi should actually taste like.
Image: The Manc Group
Image: The Manc Group
Even better, it’s entirely missing the gaudy flamboyance of Manchester’s glitzy Pan Asian sushi scene – so if, like me, you’re not into superficial sushi, you should feel right at home here.
I’m talking about One Sushi, formerly known as Ikkan – a tiny Japanese takeaway shop on Oxford Road filled with little more than a few wooden counters and a cash desk topped with metallic maneki-neko, or beckoning cat.
Opened last year by the team behind China Buffet, a popular Chinese restaurant in the heart of Chinatown, its takeaway cabinets are stuffed with California and red dragon rolls, deep-fried ebi, and various tempting combo platters.
These lovingly packaged takeaway morsels are already considered by sushi fiends in the know to be amongst best in the city, but – whilst they are really good – they are nothing compared to what is coming off the kitchen’s near-invisible pass.
Hidden at the back by a blue flag featuring the One Sushi logo and rolling waves that resemble Japanese ukiyo-e artist Hokusai’s famous Great Wave off Kanagawa print, it’s here that you will reconsider whether you’ve ever really had a good piece of sushi before in your life.
Prepare to be blown away.
The no-frills setup for the omakase, which literally translates as ‘I leave it up to you’. / Image: The Manc Eats
A piece of Otoro tuna nigiri. / Image: The Manc Eats
We’re talking otoro belly tuna, A5 seared wagyu steak (that’s the highest grade you can get), sweet Japanese scallops and prawns, all prepared right in front of you by master sushi chef Eddie who trained at two Michelin star Hong Kong restaurant Zuicho.
All the fish here is super fresh, and the entire style of the menu is down to chef Eddie – meaning he chooses for you, preparing the best of the best from that day.
Priced at £58 per person, Eddie can accommodate up to four people at once for this incredible omakase sushi experience. There’s really nowhere like it in Manchester for this price, in fact the only other place where you can go to experience something like this will set you back at least £200.
For sushi lovers, this is a dream come true.
Featured image – The Manc Group
News
Manchester United confirm Antony will return to training following assault allegations
Danny Jones
Manchester United winger Antony is heading back to training amid his multiple assault allegations.
Antony‘s case is still ongoing, with a total of three women coming out to accuse him of domestic abuse — chiefly, his ex-girlfriend Gabriela Cavallin, who was first to raise concerns surrounding his alleged behaviour — but his cooperation through the investigation has led them to revise their position.
Issuing an update on Friday morning confirming that the forward with be brought back into the fold until the situation is resolved.
A club statement reads as follows: “Since allegations were first made in June, Antony has co-operated with police inquiries in both Brazil and the UK, and he continues to do so.
“As Antony’s employer, Manchester United has decided that he will resume training at Carrington, and be available for selection, while police inquiries proceed. This will be kept under review pending further developments in the case.
“As a club, we condemn acts of violence and abuse. We recognise the importance of safeguarding all those involved in this situation, and acknowledge the impact these allegations have on survivors of abuse.”
Erik ten Hag‘s side plays their second game against Crystal Palace in less than a week after beating them 3-0 in the Carabao Cup on Tuesday and while it is not thought Antony will be brought straight back into the team, he will be available for selection moving forward.
United currently sit ninth in the Premier League with three wins and three losses to their name.
Georgina Pellant -
15th September 2022 
