A brand new nightlife venue is opening in Manchester’s iconic Printworks this year, offering music quizzes, live music, karaoke, and food and drink.
Spider Box Manchester promises to be beyond your everyday live music venue, and will be home to the UK’s first digital human DJ, Dex.
The newest edition to the city centre’s legendary entertainment complex has something for your mind, body and soul.
If you think your music knowledge can compete with Popmaster’s Ken Bruce or you have a voice that would put Mariah Carey to shame, then Spider Box Manchester is the place for you.
The venue will be bringing a revolutionary new form of music quizzing – players will have the chance to take part in their own music quiz panel show in Spider Box’s unique tech-centric booths.
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Everything is ‘All About You’, as the 2003 McFly classic says, with customisable rounds which are updated regularly with new challenges and games to suit seasonal moments and trends.
Think you can ‘Dance The Night’ like Dua Lipa at Glastonbury or put on a ‘Supersonic’ show as iconic as Oasis in Knebworth? Spider Box has bookable karaoke booths where you can not only sing along but also create an atmosphere with changeable backdrops including music videos and headline slots at music festivals.
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After all that singing and dancing you’re sure to be ‘Hungry Like the Wolf’, much like the 1982 Duran Duran hit, and with an incredible food and drink offering, Spider Box really does have all the boxes ticked.
Players can take on music quizzes inside special booths at Spider Box Manchester
The menu at Spider Box Manchester will feature Middle Eastern classics and Southeast Asian dishes, there’s sure to be something for all palates.
The hangout also features a dedicated space for fans of all interests with a state of the art racing suite where you can emulate the career of legendary driver Lewis Hamilton. The simulated technology provides a first-person virtual POV to the best tracks and circuits in the world placing you in the driver’s seat of some of the fastest cars.
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Rob Hetherington, CEO of Spider Entertainment said: “We are thrilled to be bringing Spider Box Manchester to Printworks this September.
Artist impressions of how Spider Box will look in Manchester
“We have considered multiple locations across the UK for our first Spider Box venue, and we are delighted to be opening the first in Manchester, a city rich with music, culture and entertainment.
“We believe we have an immersive entertainment offering like no other and guests can expect an unforgettable day or night with each visit. We will have even more information to come over the next few months so watch this space.”
Dan Davies, Printworks’ Centre Manager, said, “This year marks a transformative period for us as we significantly expand our entertainment offerings following a £21 million refurbishment.
“Spider Entertainment, with its unique concept, will provide our customers with exceptional entertainment for all ages. Additionally, it will offer fantastic food and drink that will stand out in Manchester’s vibrant culinary scene.”
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You can sign up here for updates on Spider Box in Manchester, and follow them on Instagram here too.
You can also get a proper glimpse inside with this video.
A dedicated anime, movie and gaming concert with a live orchestra is coming to Manchester
Danny Jones
Calling all self-proclaimed otakus, cinephiles and gamers: a huge concert experience will see dozens of musicians bring classic anime, film and gaming soundtracks and scores to life later this year, right here in Manchester.
The city is no stranger to events celebrating these beloved kinds of media, but you’ll struggle to find another bringing all of them together in one place.
Brought to us Mancs by KIN Music Entertainment, a locally founded arts, events and music label, this celebration of all things pop culture – and specifically, the music tied to it.
Entitled ‘The Kin & Fushigi Anime, Film & Videogame Orchestra’, this passionate collective serves as not only a platform for rising artists but also to hear some iconic sonic moments like never before.
KIN have created a large-scale live concert experience which will bring together a 25-piece pop orchestra made up of emerging professional performers and conservatoire graduates.
Aside from the impressive total of people behind this production to begin with, they also form an immersive hybrid orchestral and live band capable of bringing.
Speaking on the upcoming date, KIN Entertainment said in a statement: “We wanted to create the kind of live experience that many anime and videogame fans in Manchester have been waiting for — something cinematic, emotional and community-driven that brings these sound worlds to life with the energy of both an orchestra and a live band.”
Kin was founded by bassist, composer and ensemble performer Alejandro Urbina Diaz, who first brought his talents and wider interests over from Mexico to the Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM) here in the city centre at the age of 23.
Citing Manchester’s multiculturalism and cosmopolitan cultural fabric as a big part of his inspiration, he and his team have ended up carving out this niche for themselves, and now they’ll be playing this beloved music to Mancs at none other than the O2 Ritz.
Credit: KIN Music Entertainment (supplied via Academy Music Group Digital)
With new arrangements inspired by anime, cinematic and videogame culture, not to mention orchestral and even rock crossover twists – including both vocalist and rhythm sections, by the way – it’s set to be a highly unique experience that most will have never come across before.
This event itself is suitable for audiences aged 14+, although under-16s must be accompanied by an adult, and it’s taking place at the Ritz on Sunday, 26 July.
We’re not going to spoil any more details about the show for you, so which particular pieces of pop culture they reference will just have to be a surprise…
Featured Images — Publicity pictures (supplied via AMG Digital)
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You can now get Deep South-inspired BBQ dishes on Manchester’s Deansgate
Daisy Jackson
There’s a brand-new menu of smokehouse-style BBQ dishes being served up on a sunny terrace on Deansgate.
Motley, the neighbourhood bar and restaurant on the corner of John Dalton Street, has added an authentic smoker to its kitchen.
That means they’ve got a whole load of new dishes, slow-cooked over hickory wood, that are bringing a taste of a Deep South BBQ to Manchester city centre.
The smokehouse-style meats are all seasoned in-house and cooked for hours, for a perfect fall-off-the-bone experience.
It might be an authentic American smokehouse menu, but it’s firmly British too, with most products locally sourced.
You can now get Deep South-inspired BBQ dishes on Deansgate / Credit: The Manc Group
Motley are calling on local suppliers like Althams Butchers (established since 1856) for their meat, plus greengrocers R Noone and Son, and Cheshire Farm for their real dairy ice cream.
Signature dishes on the new menu at Motley include slow smoked brisket, seasoned in Motley’s signature rub before being slow-smoked for more than eight hours.
There’s also a beef short rib with a chimichurri sauce, and a pork belly strip that’s seasoned with sage and onion and finished with a panko breadcrumb crust.
And for the veggies, there’s a vegan smoked veg kebab with courgette, mushrooms, bell pepper, sweet corn and red onion drizzled with homemade BBQ sauce.
Motley has added an authentic smoker to its kitchen / Credit: The Manc Group
Prices across the board start from just £16, served with beef dripping fries, rainbow slaw, pickles and homemade beef gravy.
As for small plates, you can expect short rib bonbons, homemade corn bread, spicy chicken wings, bang bang cauliflower, mac and cheese, and frickles.
House favourites like steak, vegetable hash, salads, and burgers will remain on the Motley menu.
Victor Gonzalez, food and beverage manager at Motley, said: “Our new signature smoked dishes are all crafted and seasoned in-house then slow cooked for hours over hickory wood to create rich and smoky melt-in-your mouth flavours.
“From our slow-smoked brisket to our home-made sides, everything has been carefully crafted to bring an authentic taste of the deep south to Manchester and we can’t wait for guests to try it.”
Motley can be found at 2 John Dalton Street on the corner of Deansgate in the city centre.
Thomas Melia -
16th July 2024 
