A concert hall in the city centre has announced a series of ‘rush hour’ gigs – each one costing just £5.
The cheap gigs have been created so that Mancs have an alternative to sitting in traffic, or getting a bit too cosy on packed trams and trains around Greater Manchester.
And as they’re all taking place at The Stoller Hall, they’re handily right across the road from Manchester Victoria train station.
As well as giving us all a break from the commute, the gigs will support up-and-coming musicians, showcasing some of the brightest new talent in the country.
Every concert will cost just £5 (no, really) and last just one hour, with 6pm start times. You’ve got very little to lose.
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You can even pre-order a drink to collect and enjoy inside the concert hall.
The Stoller Hall hopes it will help us all avoid rush-hour and relax with an hour of live music instead.
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It’s been announced as part of The Stoller Hall’s Emerging Artists Scheme, supported by The Haworth Trust, which sees musicians in the early stages of their career given a platform at a world-class music venue.
Fran Healey, creative commercial director for The Stoller Hall, said: “We are passionate about nurturing new talent and giving a platform to musicians in the early stages of their career.
“Our new programme of ‘rush hour performances’ is a double whammy – you can support these exceptional young people and avoid busy travel times.
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“We’re very grateful for the generous support of The Haworth Trust who have made this new programme possible.”
The Stoller Hall’s rush hour gigs are taking place between September 2023 and March 2024, and tickets are available now.
The Stoller Hall’s cheap ‘rush hour’ gigs series in Manchester
13 September, 6pm – Phoebe Raynor
Mezzo-soprano Phoebe Rayner has a passion for contemporary vocal repertoire, premiering works by Professor Rachel Beckles Willson, Philip Grange, Cee Haines, and various student composers.
6 November, 6pm – Ensemble Raynard
Ensemble Renard are a wind quintet who are passionate about bringing a huge range of music to audiences of a variety of different backgrounds. Ensemble Renard is Ellie Blamiers (flute), Francesca Cox (oboe), Patrick Bolton (bassoon), George Strivens (horn) and Holly Isherwood (clarinet).
18 January, 6pm – Asaka Quartet
The Asaka Quartet is Ioan McDonald, Eriol Guo Yu, Susie Xin He and Jonathan Ho Man Fong. Through presenting creative and innovative programmes, they invite their audiences to discover new repertoire from a fresh and exciting perspective.
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6 Feburary, 6pm – Smorgaschord Collective
Smorgaschord Collective is a group of ambitious musicians aiming to cut away from ‘normal’ formalities of musical experiences, who come together to collaborate and create, with a strong emphasis on the new and the unusual.
13 March, 6pm – Helena Ricci
Forging her own path as a visionary classical musician, Helena Ricci is a trailblazing harpist praised for her expressive, dynamic playing and captivating stage presence. She is currently working on her debut album.
Featured image: The Stoller Hall
Audio
Lady Gaga is a tour-de-force of talent at the Co-op Live Manchester
Clementine Hall
Lady Gaga proves she’s a truly world-class act after two sold-out nights at the Co-op Live Manchester, as if we needed any reminding.
The city of Manchester has been flooded with harness-wearing, mesh-sporting little monsters over the past two days.
And that’s because the absolute icon that is Lady Gaga brought her ‘Mayhem Ball’ to the Co-op Live for two nights.
I don’t think you’ll find anyone who doesn’t know who this fabulous woman is. Over the past decade, she’s won an Oscar, headlined the Super Bowl, performed in blockbusters alongside Al Pacino, no less, and her songs are literally ingrained into our minds.
It’s been a whole 11 years (yes, really) since she performed in Manchester, and it’s safe to say she was back with a bang.
The performance was split up into five distinct acts, and each one was as exhausting and exhilarating as the next.
She begins the show by bopping out of a comically huge red dress, but this staging was only the start of what madness was about to ensue.
Luckily, we’d been prepared by the other half of the Audio North team, who had the equal privilege of seeing her on night one and were left similarly speechless.
Throughout the 30-song epic, we had crutches, sand pits, cages, skeletons, enough wigs to produce an amateur production of Annie, and we didn’t question any of it. Why would we? It’s Lady Gaga.
Kicking things off with ‘Bloody Mary’, the two and a half hour marathon didn’t leave any stones unturned.
We had all the bangers, from ‘Just Dance’ and ‘Paparazzi’ to ‘Bad Romance’ and ‘Applause’, it had us wondering why any other superstar even bothers putting a song out these days.
Pop is in a good place at the moment with the likes of Sabrina Carpenter, Chappell Roan, Dua Lipa, Billie Eilish and so on, but you can make a strong case for Gaga having helped pave the way for every lady in the business ever since.
Gaga truly had us in the palm of her hands (or claws at one point), even more so when she left the stage to de-robe and show her more vulnerable side for the last two songs – beanie firmly on.
It wasn’t just a concert: this was a fully-fledged tour de force of talent that Manchester won’t forget any time soon.
Sometimes there’s no point in intellectualising why someone has that ‘X-factor’; sometimes you just have to take a step back and say WOW.
Manchester nightclub clamps down on no-phones policy after ‘disappointing’ rule breakers
Daisy Jackson
Amber’s, a nightclub in Manchester with a strict no-filming policy inside, has shared a strict new set of rules to prevent people using their phones.
The venue says it’s seen an ‘increased amount of phones on the dance floor’ despite its very clear policy against such a thing.
That’s included a recent set from Fred Again, where videos of his show were all over social media the next day.
Amber’s has said it’s ‘disappointing’ to see people flouting the rules of the space, leading to the venue introducing a zero tolerance policy.
Fans who are caught filming on their phones will be asked to leave Amber’s on the spot – no second chances.
There’ll even be extra members of staff patrolling the venue, to protect the ‘vibe of the space’.
“If you are spotted at any point across the night using your phone to record, you will no longer be permitted inside Amber’s,” they shared.
Amber’s wrote in a statement today: “Since our launch back in December, we have made it very clear that we are a No Phones venue. We want to create an experience for everyone where they are present in the moment and not distracted by phones.
“While the majority of people that attend Amber’s keep their phones away, there are a select few that don’t.
“This is of course disappointing.
“Over the recent weeks and months, we have seen an increased amount of phones filming on the dancefloor and we are aware of numerous videos shot on phone appearing online.
“To those that come to Amber’s and respect our house rules, thank you, you are contributing to an incredible vibe in the room.
“For those that don’t, we ask that you think about the space and the people around you before removing your stickers.
“The rules previously have been that if you are seen filming on your phone, you are politely asked to stop, if you are seen again, you are asked to leave the venue.
“From now on, as a renewed pledge to our No Phones policy, if you are seen recording in the venue, you will be asked to leave, there will be no second chances.
“There will now be extra members of staff patrolling the venue, ensuring that the vibe of the space is protected and if you are spotted at any point across the night using your phone to record, you will no longer be permitted inside Amber’s.
“Open your mind. Honour the concept. Respect the space.”
Daisy Jackson -
2nd September 2023 
