October is flying. The temperatures are dropping, the rain has returned with a vengeance and we’re looking for the best places to be indoors outside of our own homes.
Lucky for you, you live in Manchester where there is always plenty of stuff going on and, as per, we thought we’d do a round-up of the best gigs and events on this month.
With that in mind, let’s not waste any more time, shall we?
Hit and Run vs White Peach — Hidden (18+)
WHEN: Friday 14th October 2022, 11:00pm til 4:00am (Last entry 1:00am)
As far as we’re concerned, the weekend starts at 5pm on Friday and if you’re in search of late-night plans after that first pint goes down, a night of drum, bass, techno and more until 4am should do just fine.
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If you fancy seeing two duelling record labels, DJs like ADHD and Thys make their Manchester debuts and a whole host of other artists take over two full rooms, this one is for you.
Another over-18s-only event, Defected’s famous spot at Depot Mayfield is next up for this year’s Warehouse Project and the line-up will have you partying until the early hours as per.
Offering up everything from electronic, house and disco, including the likes of Glitterbox, Bob Sinclar, a Groove Armada DJ set and dozens more, WHP is well and truly getting into its stride.
WHEN: Saturday 22nd October 2022, 7:00pm til 11:00pm (14+)
Popping up at one of the city centre’s coolest new venues, the R&B/soul group Gabriels are rocking up for the second night in Manchester to christen the newly minted New Century, fresh from supporting Harry Styles on tour.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CikFRyVNfB3/?hl=en
One of the best-looking spaces anywhere in town, the slick 70s surround of the new space will is the perfect setting for frontman Jacob Lusk’s smooth vocals. You don’t want to miss this one.
The ragga legend himself General Levy is hosting a night of jungle and drum and bass in the Joshua Brooks basement. Say no more.
We can’t even hear his name without thinking of that legendary MistaJam moment on Radio One and you’ll be pleased to know his sets go off even bigger than that every time, without fail. Best of all, tickets are just a fiver. You’d be crazy to pass it up.
WHEN: Saturday 29th – Sunday 30th October 2022, 2:00pm til 11:00pm (Last entry 7:30pm)
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Credit: Dock 53Credit: AC/DC Experience’s sold-out crowd for Festwich
If you’re after slightly creepier vibes as the spook season nears, then look no further. The ‘Festival of Fear’ over near Piccadilly is Dock 53’s inaugural Halloween event and will see some of the best rock tribute acts in the UK descend on Manchester.
Hosted in the transformed cargo park and event space, you’ll be treated to the likes of Megadeth UK (Megadeth), Hi On Maiden (Iron Maiden), Ozzbest (Black Sabbath) and more. Rock lovers, get it in your diary.
Now, if you’re not one for fancy dress parties or going out on the town, but still want to enjoy Halloween 2022, this special screening of the horror classic Nosferatu (a.k.a. the original vampire) should be right up your street.
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Hosted at the Carlton Club over in Whalley Range, the German expressionist film adaptation of Bram Stoker’s Dracula will be scored live by Chris Massey and Richie V from the Manchester daytime club Supernature. Better still, tickets include a free vegan meal and complimentary ‘dark beer’. Tidy.
Don’t sleepwalk into November and a winter full of buying Christmas presents on the few pennies you have left after watching every England game at the pub — get this stuff booked, people!
You can find plenty more gigs, club nights and special events going in Manchester this October via Skiddle.
Featured Image — The Warehouse Project (via Instagram)
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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.
Featured Image – The Manc Group
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Coffee Rules: The Greek-born cafe that’s gone on to become a beloved Greater Manchester brand
Danny Jones
It’s rare that you find a place in an already saturated food and drink scene like Greater Manchester’s that genuinely comes across like a local community cornerstone, but that’s exactly what we got when we visited Coffee Rules in Salford.
We went for a brew, one of those viral iced coffee we’ve seen on socials, and maybe a nice bite to eat – but we left with much more and the impression that these lot are onto something big.
Opened in Arta back in their home country (also up in the northwest, by the way), they’ve never struggled to get queues out the door, and it’s no different here. This one is run by two siblings, 23-year-old Thomas and his younger brother Marios, 30, who have been smashing it since 2023.
Since launching their growing UK brand in the likes of The Meadows neighbourhood – one of two they have in the city of Salford alone, the other being Swinton – they’ve brought the lines with them. With authentic Greek food and drink like this, it’s not hard to see why.
They’ve now expanded to more than eight sites total, including one still keeping their own local reputation alive over in Athens, and this looks to be just the beginning.
Having not only spread across the ten boroughs but further out into the region with their Liverpool locations as well as a Yorkshire stronghold up in Sheffield, there’s more to come from Coffee Rules, both in terms of premises and their plans to take on the rest of the brunch game and beyond.
Suburban Mancs may have already seen the regular midday and weekend crowds that pack out their Chorlton venue, the Rusholme one is often filled with fresh-faced uni students in need of their caffeine fix, and it’s an increasingly similar story for those based in Bolton.
Or maybe you’re one of the many people based in Manchester city centre, who nip to their quiet, tucked-away corner of Ancoats for a fresh bake or even to have your eye caught by some of their merch with that modern mythological-inspired logo.
Whichever one happens to be closest to you, you’ll have the same satisfying experience, from sipping on speciality coffee and the scran, to the service and all-around atmosphere.
They’re also about to start hosting board game nights over at their Salford site, where they’ll be making the most of their large terrace with plenty of seating, which also has the added bonus of a retracted pergola – perfect for sunny days or simply sheltering from the Manc rain.
One thing we also noticed was just how many locals not only popped in throughout our time there, but the sheer number that had chosen to start their day at this particular spot.
There’s a regular Greek crowd, of course, but there’s also the native Salfordian and those currently residing in and around the up-and-coming area, who were pulling up in the large car park and taking a pew, or even those just looking for quick and top-quality grab-and-go stuff.
In fact, it’s one of the quickest venues we’ve seen fill up that fast in a hot, Med minute.
Speaking of, whether it be one of their superb Spanish lattes, or the equally sweet, sultry and viral ‘Freddo Cappuccino’, or their traditional spanakopita, not to mention their many Mediterranean pastry variations, there’s a big call for pretty much everything on the menu.
We could go on at length in listing what impressed us about just this one Coffee Rules branch, and we’ve made many trips to their Chorlton one in the past already, but it’s probably best that we just urge you to give it a try sometime soon. Trust us, you won’t be disappointed.
This is one of the fastest-growing franchises in the UK, and it’s no wonder they keep pulling in plaudits and invites to bigger and better industry within the industry as time goes on events over the past few years.
Oh, and one more thing, there’s plenty of savoury stuff that you’ll likely fall in love with, but we highly reccommend ordering the red velvet. Wow…
Danny Jones -
14th October 2022 
