FRIDAY 4
Visual arts / Second Nature
After those recent demonstrations to address climate change, this timely new exhibition looks at society’s changing relationship with the environment, asking what we mean by ‘natural’ and ‘unnatural’ in 2019. Alongside new work from various contemporary artists – Navid Asghari, Jackie Chettur, Oliver East, Joanna Whittle and more – the show also includes historic literature, artefacts and recent scientific studies.
The Portico Library / www.theportico.org.uk / 0161 236 6785 / Starts Friday, October 4, runs until December 21 / Free
Music / Alice Cooper
With Halloween just around the corner, how fitting that the Godfather of shock-rock, Vincent Furnier, aka Alice Cooper, should return to UK shores. His live shows are, of course, famously extravagant affairs – expect freaky costumes, buckets of fake blood and even guillotines at tonight’s Manchester Arena visit.
Manchester Arena / www.manchester-arena.com / 0844 847 8000 / Friday, October 4 / 6pm / £46
Clubbing / Moxy Muzik
Moxy Muzik’s South residency has delivered some cracking line-ups over the past few months, and tonight is no exception. Head honcho Darius Syrossian is joined by tech/house DJ George Smeddles, plus Pach and DNRB.
South / southnightclub.com / 0161 637 5560 / Friday, October 4 / 10pm-5am / £8-£15
Clubbing / HotMilk
14 years after its inception, legendary reggae/dancehall/bashment night HotMilk returns for a one-off reunion dance with all the original crew. Get your dancing shoes ready for sets from Megatone Sound Foundation, Tappa Benz, Guiding Star Hifi and Amanlikesam.
NIAMOS, Hulme / www.niamos.space / 0161 222 2222 / Friday, October 4 / 10pm-3am / £10
Festival / Heart of the Heatons
Taking place across the four Heatons – Chapel, Norris, Mersey and Moor – community festival Heart of the Heatons makes a welcome return after last year’s successful debut outing. Comprising arts, music and culture, this year’s festival features an impressive 70 events, spanning everything from classical workshops to photo exhibitions to a special ‘in conversation’ event with BBC 5Live’s Chris Warburton and award-winning scriptwriter Danny Brocklehurst.
Various venues / Friday, October 4 to Monday, October 14 / Full line-up and ticket info at – www.heartoftheheatons.com/
Festival / Indy Man Beer Con
Guzzling beer in an empty swimming pool – what’s not to love? Making a welcome return to Victoria Baths, this long-standing booze fest brings together the best breweries from the UK and further afield for a heady weekend of music, tastings, talks, street food and, of course, loads of beer.
Victoria Baths / Friday, October 4 to Sunday, October 6 / Sessions from £10, full weekend ticket £65, more info at - www.indymanbeercon.co.uk
Preview – Manchester Literature Festival
Reading books is often perceived as a solitary activity – however, here in Manchester, our passion for literature is very much a joyful social exercise. From literary tours to reading groups to the city’s fantastically vibrant spoken word scene, there’s never been a better time for Mancunian bookworms to venture out and connect with like-minded literature fanatics.
All of which bodes well, of course, for the return of the Manchester Literature Festival this weekend. Founded in 2006, MLF has grown into one of Manchester’s biggest cultural highlights, an event which regularly attracts the biggest literary names from the UK and beyond. With over 70 events – readings, Q&As, talks and special one-off commissions – crammed into its fortnight-long programme, there’s something here to suit all literary tastes.
Highlights include Manchester’s own Howard Jacobson discussing his latest novel Live A Little; queens of tartan noir, Val McDermid and Denise Mina, share their thoughts on crime fiction; the award-winning Hanif Kureishi (pictured) reflects on his many successful books and screenplays; while comedian David Baddiel talks about his recent foray into children’s writing.
This year’s event also has a strong musical flavour with appearances from Pet Shop Boys’ Neil Tennant, Suede’s Brett Anderson and, most excitingly, Elbow’s Guy Garvey in conversation with the newly-appointed Poet Laureate Simon Armitage.
As always, MLF will also support original writing with a series of new commissions: there’s the annual Castlefield Manchester Sermon, this year delivered by Gillian Slovo, plus new work by local poets Hafsah Aneela Bashir and Isaiah Hull as part of Re-Writing Longsight.
Various venues / Friday, October 4 to Sunday, October 20 / Full line-up and ticket info at - www.manchesterliteraturefestival.co.uk/
SATURDAY 5
Comedy / Romesh Ranganathan
With shows such as Judge Romesh, The Reluctant Landlord and A League Of Their Own, Crawley funny-man Romesh Ranganathan has been all over our TV screens of late. Don’t worry, though, he’s not abandoned live stand-up: his latest tour, The Cynic’s Mixtape, includes three Manchester dates, two this weekend, followed by a return visit next month,
O2 Apollo / academymusicgroup.com/o2apollomanchester / 0844 477 7677 / Saturday, October 5 and Sunday, October 6, and Wednesday, November 6 / £23
Comedy / Elf Lyons
Elf Lyons shot to fame when she performed a one-woman version of Swan Lake at 2017’s Edinburgh Fringe – and earning herself a Best Show nomination in the process. Expect more madcap surrealism as she brings her latest tour, Love Songs To Guinea Pigs, to Salford Quays this weekend.
The Lowry / thelowry.com / 0343 208 6000 / Saturday, October 5 / 8pm / £14
Clubbing / WHP19: Metropolis & WAH Birthday
Get ready for drum’n’bass nirvana as Manc heavyweights Metropolis and Worried About Henry join forces for this massive WHP19 highlight. Chart-smashing duo Saul Milton and Will Kennard, aka Chase & Status, top the bill, joined by David Rodigan, Hybrid Minds, Danny Bird, Friction, SASASAS and loads more.
Mayfield Depot / Saturday, October 5 / 7pm-4am / £39.50
Clubbing / Tempo
For their final party of 2019, deep soul/house specialists Tempo will be taking over Off The Square (formerly Texture) with special guests Victor Simonelli, The Journey Men, Dave Law and Raj Acquilla.
Off The Square / www.facebook.com/offthesquaremcr / Saturday, October 5 / 9pm-3am / £15
Exhibition / Overspill
During the 1950s and 60s, ‘slum clearances’ of inner-city neighbourhoods saw thousands of families moved to newly-built overspill estates on Manchester’s outskirts. This fascination new exhibition, the result of an 18-month project from Cartwheel Arts, tells the stories of those families who lived through that period, focussing specifically on the Langley and Darnhill areas of the city.
People’s History Museum / phm.org.uk / 0161 838 9190 / Starts, Saturday October 5, runs until January 12, 2020 / Free
SUNDAY 6
Music / Bill Ryder-Jones
Since leaving The Coral back in 2008, Scouse musician Bill Ryder-Jones has carved out an impressively diverse career, from orchestral film scores to folk-influenced solo records. His latest UK tour promises to be his most intimate, soul-baring experience to date – he’ll be performing solo, reworking his mighty back catalogue of songs for the piano.
Band On The Wall / bandonthewall.org / 0161 834 1786 / Sunday, October 6 / 8pm / £15
MONDAY 7
Music / PP Arnold
California soul veteran PP Arnold has lived a most remarkable life: she began her career touring with Ike and Tina Turner, was brought to swinging London by Mick Jagger, and she’s sung with everyone from Roger Waters to The KLF to Oasis. Still at the top of her game, the 72-year-old is back with a new LP, The New Adventures of PP Arnold, accompanied by a lengthy UK tour.
Night People / www.nightpeoplemcr.com / 0161 236 9266 / Monday, October 7 / 7pm / £17
Preview – Music / Richard Hawley
25 years since he first began his music career, singer-songwriter Richard Hawley is clearly still intent on flexing his creative muscles. His first ever musical, Standing At The Sky’s Edge - a collaboration with the playwright Chris Bush – debuted earlier this year at Sheffield’s Crucible Theatre to rave reviews. Combining both new and old Hawley songs, the musical was a heartfelt ode to Sheffield and its people, telling the story of the city’s Park Hill estate.
The Steel City has, of course, always lay at the very heart of Hawley’s career. Born and bred in Sheffield, Hawley played guitar in The Longpigs and Pulp before establishing himself a solo artist during the mid-2000s. Over the course of eight critically-acclaimed albums, and numerous collaborations (with the likes of Arctic Monkeys, Elbow and Lisa Marie Presley), the Sheffield crooner has become renowned for his songs of sweeping, epic romance and kitchen sink realism. Immensely proud of his Sheffield heritage, his song-writing is peppered with references to his home city – he’s been often referred to as, quite fairly, ‘Sheffield’s answer to Sinatra’.
After branching out with first stage musical, the aforementioned Standing At The Sky’s Edge, he’s now back on tour in support of his eighth studio LP, Further, including a visit to Manchester’s Albert Hall next week.
Albert Hall / www.alberthallmanchester.com / 0161 817 3490 / Monday, October 7 / 7pm / £27.50
TUESDAY 8
Theatre / Trojan Horse
Back in 2014, documents alleging a conspiracy to Islamise Birmingham schools were leaked to the media, sparking a national scandal. Using real-life testimonies, acclaimed theatre company LUNG investigate what really happened in this powerful, thought-provoking new production.
The Lowry / thelowry.com / 0343 208 6000 / Tuesday, October 8 to Saturday, October 12 / £12
Theatre / Curtains
With music and lyrics by John Kander and Fred Ebb (the legendary duo behind Chicago and Cabaret), this rollicking murder mystery comedy garnered eight Tony nominations when it opened on Broadway in 2007. Now revived for a massive UK tour, the show’s cast includes Jason Manford, Carley Stenson and Ore Oduba.
Palace Theatre / www.atgtickets.com / 0844 871 3019 / Tuesday, October 8 to Saturday, October 12 / £13
Theatre / It’s True, It’s True, It’s True
Resonating strongly with the recent #MeToo movement, Breach Theatre’s latest production is based on the largely untold story of 17th century painter Artemisia Gentileschi who, at the age of 17, was raped by her tutor Agostino Tassi. One of the most talked-about, acclaimed shows of last year’s Edinburgh Fringe – where it claimed a Fringe First prize – the production now comes to HOME as part of its first UK tour.
HOME / homemcr.org / 0161 200 1500 / Tuesday, October 8 to Saturday, October 12 / £12.50
WEDNESDAY 9
Comedy / Josh Widdicombe
Co-host of The Last Leg and his own BBC sitcom, Mr Josh Widdicombe is very much a household name these days. His latest UK tour, Bit Much – packed full of exasperated grumbles and smart observations – should further solidify his place in British comedy’s top tier.
The Lowry / thelowry.com / 0343 208 6000 / Wednesday, October 9 / 8pm / £23.50
Comedy / Trapdoor Comedy 5th Birthday
Crack open the bubbly: Tony Basnett’s Trapdoor Comedy Club is celebrating five years of bringing the finest comedy talent to Manchester audiences. Tonight’s birthday line-up is being kept closely under wraps – we’re told, however, to expect plenty of familiar faces from previous Trapdoor outings.
The Old Monkey / 0161 228 6262 / Wednesday, October 9 / 7.30pm / £5
Kids & family / Disney On Ice: 100 Years of Magic
Bringing those movie moments to life for Disney's centenary, the Disney on Ice tour reaches Manchester with its mix of top-notch figure skating, famous songs and more than 50 animated characters old and new.
Manchester Arena / www.manchester-arena.com / 0844 847 8000 / Wednesday, October 9 to Sunday, October 13 / £19-£65
THURSDAY 10
Theatre / Mary vs Elizabeth
Those queens of provocative performance, Manchester-based Rashdash Theatre Company return with a special work-in-progress run of a new production, Mary vs Elizabeth. Inspired by the deadly rivalry between Elizabeth I and Mary Queen of Scots, here’s a show which – in typical Rashdash fashion – reinvents history with punky, feminist swagger.
Royal Exchange Theatre / www.royalexchange.co.uk / 0161 833 9833 / Thursday, October 10 to Saturday, October 12 / £10
