Manchester music promotors Open Beat have revealed the details for their first round of shows taking place later this year – and they’ve got a whole host of emerging Manchester-based talent to showcase.
Born from a love of the city’s music and everything it has to offer, Open Beat have spent two years developing a brand-new platform for up-and-coming musicians from in and around Manchester to play live and get their music heard.
Their inaugural series of events, ‘Open Beat Presents’ kicks off in August, with four initial dates taking us through to the end of the year.
The first, on Friday 20 August, will see The A.V. Club, The Demo and Rivet City take to the stage at the legendary Night & Day Café.
Warrington band The A.V. Club take inspiration from the soundtrack from hit Netflix show Stranger Things to create their own blend of modern indie-pop. Whilst the indie-rock sounds of The Demo and Rivet City will provide some variety to the night.
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Some of Manchester’s biggest bands came through the Night & Day Café in their early years. So much so, the iconic venue has become somewhat of a rite of passage for new bands nowadays, making it the ideal venue for an Open Beat evening.
Next up, on August bank holiday Monday, will be a specially curated lineup from Manta at another iconic Manchester venue. This time, it’s Oldham Street’s The Castle Hotel that will open up its intimate setting for an evening of live music where you can really get behind these amazing new artists.
The Manta & Friends showcase will feature a selection of the best emerging artists from international music college BIMM Institute. Newcomers Sweets, Sam Brockett and Bluloom will join Manta for an exciting mix of music styles.
On Saturday 30 October, a Halloween special will take over Northern Quarter venue Off The Square.
The all-Manc lineup will see a headline set from Kosmonauts. Since their debut release in 2017, Kosmonauts have become known for their energetic style and honest “real-talk” song writing.
Pre-COVID, they had a strong run of sold-out shows and landed supporting slots for some big bands. Now, it’s their time to shine again.
Foxglove. Image: @ianthe.w/IG
They’ll have support on the night from Foxglove, a quirky four-piece who have already proven to be breath of fresh air, alongside Kestrel Palace, who will complete the bill with his thought-provoking lyrics and Oasis-inspired vibe.
The fourth gig remains under wraps for now. But we can tell you it’ll be held Gorilla in December. Organisers are promising a huge headliner for this one to close this first round of gigs, though. Keep your eyes peeled for another announcement very soon.
However, alongside their Open Beat Presents series, they will also be putting a special freshers all-dayer edition at Hatch on Thursday 23 September, in association with BIMM Institute.
There’ll be loads of live music from artists who are set to play in the Open Beat series. So, expect the return of Manta, The Demo and Foxglove. Plus, Minerva Daisy and Kid Blue will also appear, with music from Unity Radio and BBC Radio 1Xtra DJ Jermaine Lee throughout the day, too.
All the usual independent Hatch food and drink vendors will be on hand to keep you topped up throughout the day. Tickets for this one are on sale here.
Head over to Open Beat’s Instagram here to stay up to date.
Featured image: Graham Binns
Gigs & Nightlife
Keo play Projekts: garage and grunge revivalists crush Manchester skatepark for new music video
Danny Jones
This past Thursday evening, fast-rising rock band Keo took over Projekts MCR skatepark for a special pop-up gig and to film a brand-new music video for their latest single, ‘Pistol’, starring some of their biggest fans here in Manchester.
In fact, it didn’t take long for us to suss out that plenty of them had flocked from far and wide to be there, and let’s say we’re sure they’ll say it was worth the journey.
We caught Keo’s well-attended festival set inside the Woodlands at Kendal Calling 2025, not to mention their completely sold-out show at the O2 Ritz back in March – their biggest headline date up to that point – and we’re more certain than ever that they’re going to be absolutely massive.
And if they keep up doing more memorable stuff like this, it’s just a matter of how soon…
Packing out Projekts to the point that people were literally hanging off fences and standing on electrical boxes at the side of the street to try and get a peek at the post-punk, grunge and garage rockers, some of their most enthusiastic young fans had been waiting outside the location as early as noon.
For context, doors opened six hours later, and the boys didn’t come on until 7:30pm.
Those who signed up to Keo‘s mailing list were sent information regarding securing a spot at the one-off performance earlier this month.
While you would have seen the place fill up even if they were just standard concert tickets, the fact that the band were taping the whole thing to use as the visuals for their newest single, as mentioned, meant that Keo’s avid followers were literally clamouring AND clambering to get the best view position possible.
Turning the popular skaters’ hub’s central bowl into a makeshift stage, with lights, camera, booms and various crew surrounding the entire venue, it was a surreal experience to say the least.
And, of course, they were absolutely brilliant – just as they were at the Ritz at the start of the year and Kendal before that, playing a short but sweet set that left everyone wanting more and choruses of punters chanting Keo long after the final song.
We can’t wait to see how the video itself turns out, especially seeing how much the people who wrapped around them and the skatepark were lost in the moment, and we’re also looking forward to them headlining Neighbourhood Fest in Manchester city centre this October.
You can grab a ticket to see them and the rest of the NBHD lineup right HERE, but until then, give the full studio version of ‘Pistol’ a play and get ready for their debut album.
Business rates for pubs, clubs, and live music venues to be slashed by 20% next year
Emily Sergeant
Business rates for pubs, clubs, and live music venues across England are set to be slashed by 20% next year.
Continuing on with his week of, seemingly, introducing a new measure a day amid the cost of living crisis, Prime Minister Andy Burnham has now announced that he has taken action to cut business rates for pubs, social clubs, and live music venues across England from April next year.
It’s expected that these new business rate cuts will benefit nearly 32,000 pubs, clubs and live music venues, saving the typical pub an estimated £1,100 in the next financial year.
“For too long, the pubs, social clubs, and live music venues that form the backbone of local high streets have been replaced by boarded up windows and for sale signs,” the Government said in a statement as the cuts were announced today.
Andy Burnham is slashing business rates for pubs, clubs, and live music venues by 20% next year / Credit: John Arano (via Unsplash) | Wikimedia Commons
These changes are set to be fully funded by the Government – including through reviewing reliefs for businesses that do not make a positive contribution to local communities, such as vape shops for example.
The Government says it also plans to crack down on businesses that sell through online marketplaces but do not comply with their tax obligations, which therefore puts them at an unfair advantage over businesses that do play by the rules.
I’m giving thousands of pubs, clubs and music venues a 20% cut in business rates.
I won’t stand by while these cherished local spaces disappear, replaced by boarded-up windows and ‘For Sale’ signs.
They’re the heart of our communities and it’s time we backed them.
“Pubs, clubs and live music venues are at the heart of communities across the UK,” explained Chancellor John Healey. “They help make a place what we love. They bring people together, support local jobs and help keep high streets, and town centres busy, which is why we will back them all the way.
“We are determined to bring hope back, give businesses the support they need and generate growth in every postcode.”
Prime Minister Andy Burnham added: “For too long, Governments have stood by while cherished venues have disappeared from our local high streets. So today I am changing that.
“This Government will back the businesses that people want to see in their communities. I said I would protect pubs and local high streets, and that’s what we will do. What we’re announcing today is just the start as we work to bring back hope across the country.”
Hannah Starkie -
10th June 2021 
