Hey! I’m playing in Haworth Park, Hull, this Saturday 3rd May — then at Ripon Beer Festival, Ripon Cathedral, on bank holiday Monday 5th May. Check out my myspace page for more details on these two events!
After that - Kro Bar, Manchester on 10th May with Jon Gomm is going to be a great gig I think - more details on that soon! And straight after that, off to New York and Atlanta, for the Mahoneyfest - can’t wait!
Tom
Hi
I’m doing a very last minute gig at the Ruby Lounge, Manchester tomorrow night. Also on the bill is God’s Little Eskimo, plus other upcoming Manchester bands. For the full details, visit the event page.
Hey - just a heads-up for all the musicians out there. EXR, who run a lot of gigs in Manchester, run a weekly jam session at the Lounge Bar, Wilbraham Road, Chorlton.
The session is acoustic - they have congas, djembes, bongos, tambourines etc set up as well as a bass amp and a good PA/mics etc. They’re also looking to get a good percussion section together - anyone can join in. Also acoustic artists and bands are welcome to come and do a short set/jam.
EXR are running an acoustic competition at the same time. For more details on all this see: http://exr.org.uk/
Tom
As Manchester International Festival (MIF) gets under way, there’s an alternative event happening, featuring tens of events across the next couple of weeks. It’s called Not the Manchester International Festival. Head to their official website for details of all events. One thing we’re getting involved in is a Songs for the Bath Tub on Tuesday, 10th July at Trof in the Northern Quarter. I’m playing there, together with Risa Hall, Feldspar and Ragz. Will be a goodun!
There are a few good cheap places for bands and acoustic acts to stay when visiting Manchester. The following have been recommended to us:
Hatter’s / Hilton Chambers - Hostel in the Northern Quarter. Seems really clean and nice, with a good vibe.
The Manchester central Travelodge looks okay too - and is actually reasonably cheap.
The Lansdowne is also reasonable… and is situated near Fuel and Fallowfield Trof.
Yha Manchester is also well worth looking at…
Tom
The Manchester International Festival runs from 28th June to 15th July in Manchester. It features a range of events, from dance, through art to Music.
Brand new this year is a completely unofficial, alternative fringe event. It hosts over 50 gigs, art exhibitions and other events. We’re running a special Songs for the Bath Tub event at Trof in the Northern Quarter. And I’m being interviewed and doing a live set on Manchester’s all fm on monday 9th July, 3-4pm.
Okay, so I’m not actually playing at this one, but I thought I’d let you know about it anyway. It starts at 7.30pm tonight (Tuesday 26th June), £3, and we have:
It’s gonna be really ace - looking forward to it!
Tom
The M19 bar in Levenshulme hosts a whole range of music nights, including its regular Acoustic Fest sessions and the open mic night every Monday.
Address:
847 Stockport Road
Levenshulme
Manchester
M19 3PW
Tel: 0161 225 8359
Hey - this one’s going to be a fun gig:
Wednesday 6th June
The Castle pub has a weekly open mic night on Mondays, run by Ollie Smith. It also has lots of other music going on throughout the week. It’s a small, initimate venue, with a few real ales - definitely slightly off the beaten track (a long way up Oldham St, beyond Dry Bar and Night and Day).
The Castle Hotel, 66 Oldham Street, Manchester, M4 1LE
(Location map)
Tel: 07969 618357
Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/thecastleopenmic
Just giving a quick heads up about a new venue in Manchester - Trof in the Northern Quarter - a new sister venue to the Trof in Fallowfield. The address is:
5-8 Thomas St Northern Quarter
Manchester, M4 1EG
United Kingdom
We run Songs for the Bath Tub acoustic nights there on the first Tuesday of every month.
There’s also an open mic night, every Sunday - arrive and sign up at 8pm to get a slot!
Tom
Hey! I’m taking part in a fundraising gig at the Manchester Phoenix (Oxford Road). There’s some great performers taking part… It’s going to be a really great gig:
Tom
We’ve got a brand new night - at the brand new Trof 2 in Manchester’s Northern Quarter. The first event is on Tuesday 6th March - and we’ve picked some of the best performers from other Songs for the Bath Tubs to come and play…
Sale’s best music venue, with a lot of stuff going on - notably Acoustic Amp (see their myspace page), a bi-weekly acoustic night featuring Manchester’s finest unsigned artists.
Hey! It’s going to be a really good night at Acoustic Amp in Sale tomorrow (Tuesday). 5 acoustic acts playing at Bar Amp, Sale. Free entry and a lovely atmosphere!
It’s been ages since I’ve played in Manchester, so I’m really pleased to be playing at the Tiger Lounge on Sunday, 21st Jan. Also playing are the excellent Midget and Giant! It’ll kick off around 8pm. Tiger Lounge is hidden away on Cooper St, near St. Peter’s Square. You can find loads more info about the event here: Manchester Acoustic Sunday, Tiger Lounge.
The Thirsty Scholar is usually lively, full of musicians, and plays host to a good variety of Manchester gigs. It also has an open mic on Thursdays.
50 New Wakefield Street,
Manchester,
M1 5NP
Manchester venue, tucked away near the BBC. It’s host to a great open mic night every Monday, and holds other music events, both upstairs and downstairs, the rest of the week.
Joshua Brookes
106 Princess Street
Manchester
M1 6NG
There’s a list of other open mics in Manchester elsewhere on the site:manchester open mics
Hey! I’m doing a fair bit of gigging around England in the next few months, but if you’re really keen to see a gig near where you live, you can now say so on Eventful.com:
As well as the guide on open-mics in Manchester, here’s a list of some other good music nights in the city.
Regular music events