A club night in Manchester is looking to help those in need by amassing food bank donations in a somewhat unusual way.
Instead of asking punters to pay in with cash, promoters are asking revellers to bring tins of beans and other non-perishable items down with them on the night to gain entry to the party.
A minimum of eight is required to get through the door, and once you’re in, you’ll be treated to a festival-worthy line-up, full of acclaimed artists who’ve all waived their fees for the cause.
Image: Hit and Run UK
The club night, called Food 4 Thought, has been running since 2016 and every year raises a huge amount in both food and financial donations for the Trussel Trust, which both supplies and works to end the need for food banks in the United Kingdom.
For obvious reasons, the night has had a forced hiatus for the past two years – but now it’s back, revived with impeccable timing in light of the growing cost of living crisis.
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Speaking on the event and its importance in helping the community, organiser, DJ and promoter Rich Reason said: “Sadly, food bank usage continues to be on an exponential rise, with demand currently double what it was last year – which was the worst on record until that point.
Image: Hit and Run UK
Image: Hit and Run UK
“The cost of living crisis is biting Greater Manchester’s most vulnerable hard, and anything to help our local foodbanks is needed more than ever. This year all the food and essentials will be collected by Salford Foodbank, which is part of The Trussell Trust.
He continued, highlighting the plight of Yemenis and the ongoing humanitarian crisis in their home country, adding that once costs are covered any profit from the event will go towards the Yemen Emergency Appeal.
He said: “Yemen continues to be one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world, suffering a long-standing bombardment by Saudi Arabia, as well as Famine.
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“Once our low costs are covered, all profit will go to the Médecins Sans Frontières / Doctors Without Borders (MSF) Yemen Emergency Appeal.
Image: Hit and Run UK
“One of the best, if not THE Best NGOs, you can trust them to get the aid to the people who need it most.
“This is a line-up worthy of any festival, and it speaks to the incredible charitable spirit of this city’s artists, plus a few more with close links to our scene.
“Some of the biggest names in Bass Music will be there to entertain you…. for just 8 tins of beans!”
Taking place at Six Trees Kitchen in Trafford on Saturday 14 May, the event will spread across two stages with a line-up of some of Manchester’s finest bass music DJs, producers and MCs.
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Image: Hit and Run UK
Look out for the likes of DRS, Dub Phizix, Chimpo, Skittles, Werkha, Konny Kon (Children of Zeus DJ set) Eva Bee and Biome, alongside many more on the packed line-up where tickets should, in another world, cost well over £10 a head.
Sound will be managed by Dropjaw Audio in the Courtyard, and by Neuron Audio Visual Ltd at the extra Live Stage being built on the decking for the event – so you know it’s going to be bassy, it’s going to be loud, and it also should be absolutely crystal clear.
For those who want to support the cause but aren’t able to attend, they can make a financial donation by purchasing a ticket for the event here.
Alternatively, they can contribute to organiser Rich Reason’s sponsored swim, which is taking place this month and also raising funds for The Trussel Trust.
Feature image – Hit and Run UK
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Pat Regan at the Fairfield Social Club – a brilliantly unhinged evening of standup comedy
Clementine Hall
There’s a particular kind of chaos that only Pat Regan can deliver, and the recently re-recognised Fairfield Social Club got the full force of it last night.
Making his Manchester debut as part of the ‘A Lovely Time’ series at the equally as lovely Fairfield Social Club, the New York comic, writer, and podcast host arrived with the energy of someone who had already lived through three emotional breakdowns before breakfast and somehow still had the worst to come.
Known for his work on HBO’s Hacks and the cult-favourite podcast Seek Treatment with fellow comic Catherine Cohen, Regan’s stand-up feels less like your traditional comedy set and more like being trapped in the world’s funniest group chat.
The perfectly intimate room beneath Fairfield’s railway arches was packed with adoring fans who were immediately on side as Regan launched into stories about traumatic trips to Paris, Grindr dates, massage tables and having crushes at the gym.
The audience was in the palm of his slightly sweaty hands (don’t worry, he’ll be fine with me saying so), laughing at every awkward punchline and self-deprecating anecdote.
The material is nothing groundbreaking, but this is what makes it so deeply hilarious; never before has shopping for the perfect pair of jeans been so serious and unserious at the same time.
There was laughter rolling through the venue for virtually the entire set, and after an hour of never-ending quips and jokes, we were left wanting more.
And the best part is, it won’t be long until we get more from this place, and it’s no wonder they’re starting to get the hosting plaudits they deserve.
It’s safe to say Fairfield Social Club has become one of Manchester’s most exciting homes for alternative comedy, and this felt like exactly the sort of booking that justifies its growing reputation.
By the time Regan left the stage, the audience looked equal parts exhausted and delighted. An absolutely classy evening indeed.
Find out about what else is on at the Fairfield Social Club HERE.
First-ever JD Wetherspoon pub to open at Manchester Airport
Danny Jones
In news that we feel many Mancs and travellers all-round have been waiting on for a long time, the well-known British chain, JD Wetherspoon, will be opening its first-ever pub at Manchester Airport.
That’s right: soon that first airport pint of the holiday could actually be a relatively cheap one.
While Wetherspoons are no strangers to popping up in terminals across the UK and Ireland, they’ve never done so here in Manchester despite having three, yes THREE, in Gatwick alone.
Not for much longer, though, as soon T2 will be lending more than 3,000 square feet of its prime leisure and retail real estate to a new Greater Manchester ‘Spoons’.
Posting on social media, the airport wrote: “Wetherspoon comes to Manchester Airport this September! The pub will be located in the Terminal 2 Departures lounge and will have more than 300 seats.
“This will become the final major food and drink venue to open its doors as part of our decade-long £1.3bn transformation of Terminal 2. It will be named ‘The Belle Vue’, in a nod to Manchester’s historic showground [now a sports complex and leisure hub].
“It was a focal point for social life in the city from the Victorian period up until 2020, when the final event was held at Belle Vue stadium. The design of the pub is inspired by the history of Belle Vue and the sporting culture of the North West of England. We look forward to welcoming you all in September!”
While a lot of money has been pumped into T2’s refurb as a whole over the past few years, it remains unclear just how much this particular new addition will cost; we do know that great sums were set aside for the launch of the Great Northern Market last year.
The inaugural Manchester Airport Spoons is just the latest in a series of major renovations.
As mentioned, the company already operate several up and down the country – 10 airport pubs, to be specific – but this will be the first in the North West.
Speaking on the news, JD Wetherspoon chief executive John Hutson said in a statement: “We are looking forward to opening at Manchester Airport. We believe our new pub will prove popular with travellers of all ages and be an asset to the new terminal.”
With Manchester Airport adding a dozen new routes to its roster this summer, you can expect to see even more people flying in and out than ever – no doubt having already polished off a cut-price pint or two beforehand.
Georgina Pellant -
5th May 2022 
