One of the biggest nights of live music in Manchester this year, the 90s Baby festival, is just around the corner and there are still some tickets left if you want to take a stroll down memory lane to some of the most iconic pop tracks of all time.
For anyone uninitiated in this huge celebration of ’90s and early 2000s that has now become a fixture of the Manc music calendar, 90s Baby is a day-long festival packed with non-stop chart-topping performances from pop icons past and present.
Tapping into that unmistakable era of commercial music when this city was on top when it came to pretty much every genre (I mean, we’d obviously argue we still are but that’s a conversation for a different day), the annual event sells out religiously, and we expect this year will be no different.
That being said, we thought we’d give you a nudge and hopefully an extra chance at getting your hands on some tickets if it is your cup of tea. With a lineup like this, how could it not be?
The likes of Pete Andre and Blue top the bill on the 90s Baby lineup for 2023. (Supplied)
Yes, not only will Mancs be treated to 90s favourites like Peter Andre, Boyzlife, East 17 and Five, but also a number of nostalgic Noughties too, such as boyband Blue, Nadine Coyle from Girls Aloud, Jamelia, Blazin’ Squad and many more.
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There’s even going to be a DJ set by H from Steps. Say no more.
Promising the most authentic and immersive old-school music experience you could hope for, you’ll get to relive the decade and remember countless artists that you’d forgotten just how much you loved.
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Gigs inside the AO Arena are always a blast anyway, but very few rival you and 15,000 others being part of a throwback festival, completely with impressive light displays, dancers, confetti, glitter and all the rest of it. How could you say no? They even held a summer event back in July.
With more than 20 different artists set to take the stage, it doesn’t matter whether you lived through it the first time around, or are just keen to know why it was such a special time for music and Manchester, there is no better way to experience them than at the biggest and best 90s Baby event to date.
The festival takes place on Saturday, 28 October, starting at 4pm and running right through till the evening. Available to anyone 14 and above, prices start from just £39.50 for a whole evening of music.
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You can grab your 90s Baby tickets now from Skiddle or via SeeTickets now.
Featured Image — Supplied/Press Image/90s Baby (via Instagram)
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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.
Danny Jones -
6th October 2023 
