Stockport and its street party scene seem to be thriving at the moment and now Manchester’s increasingly popular Block Party is getting involved too.
We’ve all seen how SK1 Records and their street parties have taken off over the past year or so, so it only makes sense for Block Party to team up with them and others to bring their tried and tested format to another Greater Manchester borough this summer.
No, we don’t care how many times you repeat it, it isn’t Cheshire and hasn’t been for ages.
But back to the matter at hand, Block Party – who have already seen great success over at Piccadilly Trading Estate with the help of Manc brewers Cloudwater, Track, Balance and Sureshot – are set to deliver a day of music entertainment, food, bevs drink and fun for all the family.
Block Party always goes off (Credit: Supplied)
Aptly named ‘Stock Party’ (some things just line up perfectly), the latest street party will be landing on the historic Underbank in collaboration with all their usual partners as well as local beer experts Robinsons Brewery and Runaway, as well as Michelin-recognised Where The Light Gets and many more.
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Being brought to life with the help of Stockport’s Business Improvement District (BID), Totally Stockport and Stockport Council as part of the growing ‘Old Town’ revival moment, they’re set to deliver a day of music entertainment, food & drink and family activities around the town centre.
‘Robbies’ Brewery on Lower Hillgate will be home to the main festival square and bar, pouring the freshest beers from each of the breweries, with tunes being pumped out onto the street by SK1 Records and a special DJ set curated by Bohemian Arts Club to ensure a proper party atmosphere.
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For those who prefer a nice pinot noir, Isca will be serving up a selection of their natural wines; plus Where The Light Gets In will be serving up BBQ and Honest Crust – one of the best pizza places anywhere in Greater Manchester – will be serving up slices… of heaven, we mean.
Although we can promise plenty of dancing and footfall, Underbank will also be lined with tables and chairs enabling festival-goers to enjoy an alfresco beer from a five-tap van located outside Rare Mags, while Yellowhammer pottery and bakery will see visitors can build their own tankard in a special one-off.
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There are even more offerings food and drink-wise too, with popular local bars Spinn Off and Cracked Actor, Cafe San Juan and Marley’s Tacos all serving up street food and pints for you to gulp down in the sunshine (fingers crossed).
Head just a few metres over the road and you’ll also find Stockport’s oldest and newly restored White Lion pub hosting an Old Town General Store DJ set and tap takeover, with Ginger’s Ice Cream Emporium on hand serving up their artisan ice cream. As if things couldn’t get any more summery.
Best of all, you don’t have to wait too long as Stock Party is happening on 20 July, lasting from 12-9pm and is completely free entry. You can bank on us being there and dancing along the cobbles until dusk. See you in SK next month!
Block Party first event in Stockport event beckons (Credit: Stockport BID)
Embrace announce intimate live show in beloved Bury music venue
Danny Jones
British alternative veterans Embrace have announced another intimate show here in Greater Manchester, only this time it’s over in Bury at a stunning small-cap arts venue.
It’s not often you get to see such a long-standing band play outside of the city centre so far into their career, especially in gorgeous grassroots spaces like this one.
A fellow Northern outfit, they’ve often been lumped in with that ‘post-Britpop’ era of music, and plenty throw around the so-called ‘dad rock’ label, but honestly, we couldn’t care either way: they remain among the UK’s perennially underappreciated underdogs that never get old, as far as we’re concerned.
Revealing a handful of new live dates for their album launch this summer, they’ll be making just two appearances in the North West on the run.
Writing in the post, the group said: “We’ve lined up a run of exclusive UK dates in venues that are some of the smallest we’ve played in years. It’s going to be special, but capacity is extremely limited.”
As you can see, besides the Jacaranda Baltic in Liverpool, the only other place in this region where they’re set to play for this mini tour is The Met over in Bury.
One of the most beautiful gig spots, not just in the town but in all the 10 boroughs, for our money, the room only holds around 400 standing and roughly 250 seats.
For seasoned artists like this lot, who are more used to playing big festival stages and big domestic headline tours – which they’re also doing later this year – it’s sure to be a special night.
Toasting the release of their ninth studio LP, Avalanche, this spin-off on the tried and tested in-store format wouldn’t be possible without the help of local record store, Wax and Beans, who are promoting and hosting the show.
But we can’t lie, there’s something about the idea of seeing them decades on from when they first tightly-packed out crowds of this size.
If you want to be part of the Embrace album launch tour, you can get ready to grab your tickets at 10am this Friday, 27 March, right HERE. And speaking of great record shops…
Niall Horan is heading back to Manchester with a massive arena show just announced
Daisy Jackson
Niall Horan will be back in Manchester this year on a huge newly-announced European arena tour.
The former One Direction star (and chart-topper in his own right) has just announced his Dinner Party Live On Tour tour.
The tour comes in support of his upcoming fourth solo studio album, Dinner Party, which promises to be ‘cinematic and organic’.
Niall Horan will be performing at the Co-op Live in Manchester this September, along with gigs in other UK cities including Sheffield, Glasgow, and Newcastle.
He’ll then head right across Europe, playing music from his multi-Platinum-selling songbook.
Niall first shot to fame as one-fifth of One Direction, but has one of the group’s strongest solo careers, with three chart-topping albums and massive hits like Slow Hands, Heaven, and Our Song.
Niall Horan is heading back to Manchester with a massive arena show just announced
He’s also worked on some exciting collaborations with the likes of Anne-Marie, and most recently Myles Smith.
£1 from every ticket sold for Niall Horan’s Dinner Party tour will be donated to the LIVE Trust, which is dedicated to protecting, expanding, and supporting grassroots music across the UK.
Niall Horan will be at the Co-op Live in Manchester on Friday 25 September.
Tickets will go on sale from 10am on Thursday 2 April HERE.
Danny Jones -
21st June 2024 
