Music in Manchester and the North
Johnny James, Managing EditorDid you see that orange thing in the sky this morning?
For the first time in weeks, the wind and rain have subsided, prompting us to gaze longingly towards what the sunnier months are synonymous with in these parts: music festivals. From giant, inhibition-loosening weekends in farmers’ fields to inner-city parties that showcase the best of local, underground scenes, we do festivals well up north.
First on the agenda, it’s the jewel in the crown of Salford’s arts and cultural scene, Sounds From The Other City, which is back with a bang at the top of May. Later in the month, Manchester Jazz Festival will see hundreds of northern, national and international jazz musicians descend on venues across Manchester for 10 whole days, commencing with a free Opening Weekender.
In June it’s the first in a three part series of all-dayers from Green Island Festival, which is hosting underground, underrepresented, and emerging artists from across the UK and beyond in Hulme Garden Centre and NIAMOS. And then there’s the bigger-than-ever Psych Fest, whose third wave of artists – including BC Camplight and Altin Gün – has just been announced.
We also have a few new standalone gigs for you. Exploring heritage, womanhood and grief through a slow-building hurricane of electronic pop, we can’t wait to catch Angélica Garcia in the intimate confines of The Castle. And over at Band on the Wall, Mercurial NYC avant-rock vets Blonde Redhead will perform tracks from their three-decade-long career including their warmest, most welcoming record yet: 2023’s Sit Down for Dinner.
Want something totally different? Try Death Trap, a dance-theatre show encompassing live renditions of Nina Simone classics courtesy of Rambert – a trailblazer among the UK’s contemporary dance scene despite being its oldest exponent.
Read about all this and a whole lot more below.
