Salford’s Sounds From The Other City (SFTOC) festival has revealed its full 2022 line-up ahead of the event’s return this spring.
Taking place this year on Sunday 1 May, 2022 at a host of small Salford venues, the underground music festival has built a reputation for bringing huge artists to the city whilst they are still at early points in their careers.
A firm favourite with local music lovers since it launched in 2005, this year’s line-up will continue to champion local promoters and small independent venues.
Image: Supplied
Spreading across a host of exciting indie venues, the 2022 event will continue to celebrate intimate gigs in small spaces – taking over the likes of Bexley Square, Seven Bro7hers Beerhouse, fivefourstudios, Hot Bed Press, Old Pint Pot, YES, Partisan, Porta, Regent Trading Estate, Saint Philip’s Church and The New Oxford.
Newly announced acts include favourites of the late Virgil Abloh, Manchester neo-soul and RnB band Lovescene, Salford-formed trippy, rhythm, drone and psychedelic noise collective GNOD and Edinburgh born singer-songwriter, Hamish Hawk.
Also lighting up SFTOC’s spiritual home of Chapel Street will be fresh female DJ collective Queer Latifah, Amsterdam’s beamy-grinned, indie-pop powerhouse Pip Blom, and RnB / pop artist TYSON.
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Image: Supplied
Acts already announced include LayFullstop, LYR (Land Yacht Regatta) DJs from the Daytimers stable, Chandé and Gracie T, celebrated British electronic music producer Holy Other, and the proudly black and queer Bristol-based producer, vocalist and DJ, Grove.
Afterparties are also on the cards, with the long-awaited return of underground electronic night Bohemian Grove confirmed for this year’s event.
New kids on the bloc Piano in the City, meanwhil, will celebrate the Amapiano music coming from South Africa via Manchester, and elsewhere the tour de force of Freak Queer Rave is collaborating with Creatures to celebrate ‘the other’ well into the early hours.
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Image: Supplied
Speaking on the upcoming festival, which returns after a two-year hiatus, Riv Burns, Creative Director for Sounds from the Other City, siad: “This year’s festival is really shaping up to have one of the most eclectic, exciting and enticing SFTOC line ups to date, with over 125 acts announced, plus a handful more in the pipeline
“It feels incredibly representative of the times we are living in and I couldn’t be prouder of the vision and talent of this city. We are really excited to be working with a whole array of visual artists who will be creating special happenings and strange goings on to the site throughout the day as well. The audience journey of this year’s festival will truly be like no other.”
Tier 2 tickets for the festival are now on sale, priced at just £32 plus booking fees, and are available until the end of March (subject to demand). The festival is a regular sell-out so those eager to attend are advised to move quickly.
To buy tickets visit soundsfromtheothercity.com.
Full Line-up:
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6a6y 6 b2b Adrian Steele (DJ) – Agent J (DJ) – Akemi Fox – Alex – Alex Ross (DJ) – Amelia Wallace – Another; Country $$$$ – Aria Scere (Vogueing Workshop) – Atiké & Obeka – audiobooks – Ayy Den – Bob Cojones – Call it a Truce – Carriage Return – Chandé B2B G33 – Charlotte Newman – China Lilly – Chips with Everything – Contours – Dirty Freud – Dirty K (DJ) – Dogs with Jobs – Do you Remember the First Time? (DJ) – Edane NG – Fatty Acid Cabaret – Fehdah – For Breakfast – Fran Lobo – Francesca – Frazer (DJ) – Freya Beer – glue70 – GNOD – Good Afternoon presents: Return To The Disco Womb – Gracie T B2B Vindya – Grove – Gut Level (DJ) – Hamish Hawk – HighSchool – Holy Other – Isaiah Hull – Jasmine Rowland (DJ) – Jenna G (DJ) – John Myrtle – Juke Joint (DJ) – Julia (Wonderhaus) – July 7 – Katbrownsugar (DJ) – Katy J Pearson (stripped back set) – Kid Katharsis – Kiss Me Again Residents – Ku’umba – La Presidenta (DJ) – Lara Jones – Late night Karaoke hosted by Teegs – Lavender Rodriguez – LayFullstop – Léna C (DJ) – Linnkü (DJ) – Lovescene – Lowell (DJ) – Lurid Ultra Hybrid – LYR – M a t e k o i – M3 Industries – Madi Saskia – Mali Hayes – Mandy, Indiana – Mewn – Mia La Mette – Modern Nature – Motto Estate – Murder He Wrote – Musumba – Natalian (All Hands on Deck DJ Workshop), Natalie and the Monarchy – Nayana Iz – NIVETHA – NoSpace Mcr – Obeka (LIVE) – OneDa – P-Ro Jones (DJ) – Bitez – Pip Blom – Psychederek – Queer Latifah – RSP – Ruby Swallow – Sandy Freckle – Sarah Bates – Sens Sagna and the Kajamor Family – Short Supply – SIBZ – Son of Bingo – Sonny Bliss – Splint – Szajna – Test Card Girl – Thank – The Bug Club – The KTNA – The Rebel – Threads – Trayner – TV Babies – TYSON – Victoria Jane – Wesley Gonzalez – What Do I Tell My Friends? – Yossari Baby – Zeyla – Plus a few more TBA
Selected by:
Alphaville – Band on the Wall – Beauty Witch – Big People Music – Daytimers – Fat Out – Good Afternoon – Grey Lantern – Heavenly Recordings – Hey! Manchester – Kiss me Again – Ladies Music Pub – Love Rain – Me Gusta – NIAMOS – Now Wave – OneFiveEight – Partisan collective – Reform Radio – Regal Disco – Strange Days – Sweet Vibrations Radio – Tales From Other Worlds – The Factory – Tru Luv – VAM
News
Claire’s is closing down stores in the UK and Ireland with more than 1,300 jobs set to be lost
Danny Jones
In another hit to domestic shoppers, Claire’s Accessories is closing down en masse across the UK and Ireland after entering into administration once again.
Falling into an unfortunate financial status for the second time in less than a year, Claire’s will be shutting down all of their standalone stores across Britain, along with their IE branches.
A total of 154 stores will soon disappear, with more than a thousand people set to be put out of work.
Once a mainstay of British high streets up and down the country, the accessory shop known for all things jewellery, piercings and more has ceased trading effective immediately.
Announced at the start of the week and the end of the first full month of Q2, it was confirmed that Claire’s closed their final locations on Monday, 27 April.
With administrators, Kroll, appointed to wrap up business proceedings, an estimated 1,300 English, Irish, Scottish and Welsh workers have now lost their jobs.
Founded way back in 1961 over in the United States, Claire’s has operated across the Atlantic for more than three decades.
However, with various other contemporaries and cheaper online options having appeared over the years, they’ve struggled not just to remain profitable but to compete full stop.
They most recently filed for bankruptcy in the US this past August (2025), with their Belgian, Spanish, and Dutch divisions having already called it quits.
Manchester location(s) have changed a lot over time, but now they’re on the way out (Credit: Arndale)
For many, the outcome isn’t all that surprising, but it will nevertheless be a sad loss for many who have seen multiple generations visit these venues over the years.
Manchester Storm announce return to AO Arena after nearly two and a half decades
Danny Jones
In a huge bit of regional sporting news, Manchester Storm have announced they will be coming home to the AO Arena after nearly two and a half decades away from the iconic venue.
Massive news for Manc ice hockey followers and local sports fans in general.
Revealing the long-awaited return after 24 long years away from the place where Manchester’s native hockey team first began its story, the team, AO figures, and even some fans were part of a special announcement event inside the 20,000-seater stadium this week.
Confirming the news on Monday, 27 April, MCR Storm will be back playing at the AO Arena later this year – just in time for the start of the 2026/27 campaign.
— Manchester Storm | #TakeShelter (@Mcr_Storm) April 27, 2026
As detailed in a full press release from the Greater Manchester club, they are seemingly marking a milestone moment in their next chapter by going back to their roots.
It goes on to read: “Founded back in 1995 as a tenant of the then newly-opened Manchester Arena, the original Manchester Storm quickly became one of British ice hockey’s most iconic teams.
“In their inaugural season, the Storm secured the First Division championship before becoming founding members of the Ice Hockey Superleague in 1996.”
Coming somewhat full circle more than a generation later (Storm having made it to the play-off finals of the modern Elite Ice Hockey League era this April for the first time in their history), they have made one-off returns to the storied space in recent times.
However, many supporters have been waiting for a fully fledged return for some time now; equally, others are understandably sad to pay a bittersweet goodbye to the ‘Storm Shelter’ over in Altrincham, with the building having already pulled licensing for next year.
They have been at the Planet Ice rink for over a decade now, and the company itself have even issued a lengthy response following the departure – namely noting the issue of communication, clarity and fair notice. Nevertheless, for the vast majority, this felt like a long-overdue comeback.
With an ex-player turned head coach and all-round club legend, Cam Critchlow, having also signed on for another campaign behind the bench, it’s been a busy week in and around the organisation.
Representing the Manchester Storm ownership group, former coach Ryan Finnerty and partner Emma said in a joint statement: “This is a major milestone for our partnership group and a vision we’ve worked towards for some time.
Returning Manchester Storm to the AO Arena is a proud moment for everyone involved. It’s about giving our fans a premier stage in the heart of the city and delivering an outstanding live experience.
“Together with our leadership team and Canadian partners, our ambition is clear — not just to compete, but to lead in the Elite Ice Hockey League and beyond. This marks the start of an exciting new era for the club. Manchester Storm is coming home.
“Today marks a hugely exciting and significant moment for both the Manchester Storm and the Elite League”. The EIHL themselves have also celebrated the news, adding that they feel it reflects “the scale and ambition of the league”.
Are you happy to see them setting up shop at the AO Arena once again? Better still, do you remember going there to watch games the first time around? Let us know down in the comments.
Georgina Pellant -
14th March 2022 
