What's On

Manchester artists band together to support five of the city’s favourite venues

Manchester's Last Big Night In will see comedians, musicians, poets and DJs perform sets to raise money for the city's beloved venues.

The Manc The Manc - 25th March 2021

Musicians, stand-ups, poets and singers are all coming together for a live event this April – raising vital funds for five of Manchester’s favourite night-time venues.

‘Manchester’s Last Big Night In’ promises an evening of music, comedy and special performances – including sets from Justin Moorhouse; Happy Monday’s vocalist Rowetta; North Manchester band Scuttlers; and renowned poet Tony Walsh.

Legendary record-spinner Clint Boon will also round off the event with a one-hour DJ set.

Performances will be streamed from a quintet of locations across the city – including Frog & Bucket, Tribeca, Bar Pop, Matt & Phred’s, and 42s nightclub.

Hosted by Manchester media agency 1214 Media, Manchester’s Last Big Night In will take place on Saturday 10 April – with proceeds going towards five night-time venues that have struggled during the pandemic.

42s owners were forced to launch a fundraiser in November – with only public donations preventing the club from being permanently closed. Frog & Bucket, meanwhile, was passed over for Government funding after being deemed not ‘culturally significant’; with the venue ultimately saved by fans and comedians.

Shaz Irshad, Director at 1214 said: “The lockdown has affected society in many ways, keeping us apart from our family and friends.

“Let’s say goodbye to these sad times and raise some funds for some iconic Manchester venues as they live stream waves of love and laughter from home  grown talent.”

Jessica Toomey, Managing Director, Frog & Bucket added: “Manchester was locked down longer than any other English city and deserves to come out of it with a big bang.

“What better way to celebrate than championing home grown talent and raising vital funds for some great venues.” 

Local Manchester artists Loveartpix and Suli Irshad have created bespoke merchandise that can  be bought in conjunction with the fundraiser – with 100% of profits going towards the cause. These limited edition t-shirts can be purchased via the event page on 1214 Media or directly through Suli’s website.

You can get involved in Manchester’s Last Big Night In by visiting the Crowdfunder page where a minimum donation of £5 guarantees full access to the whole event.

A prize draw worth over £1,000 is also up for grabs.

For more information, visit the event page and follow 1214 Media on social media.

What's On

Rochdale will be hosting its FIRST EVER comedy festival later this year

Thomas Melia Thomas Melia

There’s a comedy festival making its way to Rochdale for the first time ever, and it’s taking place over 10 days this autumn.

Rochdale is preparing for barrels of laughter, as the borough is about to host a comedy festival as part of its events programme for being crowned Greater Manchester’s Town of Culture for 2025-26.

The line-up features some well-renowned names in the comedy world, many of whom have received awards and recognition along the way.

You can expect appearances from Lou Conran, who features as a regular support act for Sarah Millican, Tez Ilyas, from ‘Man Like Mobeen’, and TV comedy legend Mick Miller. There’s even some Britain’s Got Talent alumni in the form of last year’s finalist Alex Mitchell and 2017 semi-finalist Jonny Awsum.

Tez Ilyaz and Lou Conran are just two of the acts listed for Rochdale Comedy Festival / Credit: Supplied
Tez Ilyaz and Lou Conran are just two of the acts listed for Rochdale Comedy Festival / Credit: Supplied
Tez Ilyaz, Lou Conran and Brennan Reece are just some of the acts listed for Rochdale Comedy Festival / Credit: Supplied

Edinburgh Festival favourite Patrick Monahan will be performing along with English comedian of the year Rob Mullholland, Aaron Wood – named by Rolling Stone UK as one of the 12 rising comedy stars to see at the Edinburgh Fringe this summer, and comedy musician Alex Camp. 

The lineup also includes Robin Ince, co-host and creator of Sony Gold Award winning BBC Radio 4 series The Infinite Monkey Cage, and a whole host of other stand-up acts who are all gearing up ready to make Rochdale giggle.

“Us northerners are famous for our sense of humour and there’s a big appetite for comedy,” commented Councillor Sue Smith, who is the cabinet member for communities and co-operation at Rochdale Borough Council.

Rochdale Comedy Festival has an array of comedians taking part including Jonny Awsum and Mick Miller / Credit: Supplied
Rochdale Comedy Festival has an array of comedians taking part including Jonny Awsum and Daisy Earl / Credit: Supplied

“I’m happy to see Rochdale Comedy Festival launching during our year as Greater Manchester Town of Culture.

“It will bring together communities and give new comedians a chance to shine.” 

So whether you’re in need of a cheer up, or you’re a comedy aficionado, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to crack a smile at Rochdale Comedy Festival, as it’s happening across 10 days from 26 September to 5 October in various venues across the Greater Manchester borough. 

Book tickets and view the full-line up HERE. 

Read more:

Featured Images – Supplied (via Publicity Pictures)

What's On

Salford Red Devils supporters group outline plans for the next major protest march

Danny Jones Danny Jones

Salford Red Devils supporters trust, The 1873, have outlined details of their next major march in protest over the club’s well-publicised ownership troubles and financial crisis.

The fan group, which has mobilised on multiple occasions already this year, is set to hit the streets once again this month and in larger numbers than ever, confirming another big demonstration before their next home game this weekend.

Sharing the update with fellow Red Devils on social media, 1837 leaders are demanding “truth and accountability from the top” ahead of the peaceful protest through Salford.

They have dubbed the event ‘The Last Rally’, but we can only assume there’ll be more fan action as the weeks and possibly months of uncertainty continue.

As you can see, The 1837 are calling for like-minded supporters to rally outside another nearby amateur rugby league football team, Salford City Roosters, before marching on to a second meeting point and, ultimately, the Salford Community Stadium.

Starting in Eccles, with a stop at Barley Farm, before arriving at their club’s home ground in Barton-upon-Irwell, the plan is to gather as much awareness, support and local attention as possible.

Writing in the caption of the above post, they added: “We’ve dominated headlines. We’ve exposed bad ownership. We’ve stood together.

“A history worth fighting for. A future worth protecting. Our last chance to be heard. Don’t stay silent. Make it count.”

Following a recent meeting of the RFL and the two Greater Manchester Mayors, Andy Burnham and Paul Dennett, Salford Red Devils were given somewhat of an even further stay of execution, as it was confirmed that their ‘winding up’/administration deadline has now been adjourned until October.

Nevertheless, the majority of fans are still being kept in the dark about the exact and up-to-date nature of their rugby league club’s situation at present.

Back in June, it looked like new investors could very well still be injecting vital funds to keep key players and staff on the books, but jump to now, and it looks like they don’t know if even things like the big screen even belong to them much longer.

Once again, the march and peaceful protest will take place this Friday, 19 September, prior to the next fixture against Wakefield Trinity.

Getting points on the board will no doubt be a big plus for all, but the game looks like it will very much serve as the backdrop to the wider ongoing saga.

Are you a Red Devils fan, and if so, will you be attending the demonstration? Better still, even if not, what do you make of the circumstances surrounding your side at the moment?

Read more:

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Featured Images — Ben Whitehurst (supplied via X)

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