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T. S. Eliot once contended that “April is the cruelest month”. I’m not convinced, Tom. Enter January – the month when everyone’s skint, it’s freezing, and a ruddy plumpness is all that remains of Christmas. And that is precisely why we need some amazing gigs to look forward to. Of course, a lot hangs in the balance for live music as we head towards the new year, but we’re veering towards the side of optimism as we round up our highlights for January and February.
Symphonic punk outfit Godspeed You! Black Emperor make achingly beautiful records that flit between elegy and aggression with a widescreen grandeur. Spring 2021 saw them release one of the best albums of their 27-year career, and they’re bringing it to Manchester Academy in January.
Bristol EBM band SCALPING – purveyors of a pummelling blend of techno, punk, post-rock and metal – have quickly established themselves among the country’s most electrifying live bands, igniting venues and festivals across UK and Europe with a precise, unrelenting energy. Catch them at Salford den of debauchery The White Hotel, supported by Manchester’s own Mandy, Indiana.
Abstract Orchestra are a Leeds-based hip-hop big band featuring musicians that have recorded and toured with the top acts in the world. At The Blues Kitchen, watch them perform some of J Dilla’s best loved cuts from his sprawling back catalogue. Think jazz orchestration meets hip-hop beats, guest rappers and vocalists.
Reaching further into the year, seven-time Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Billie Eilish is heading to Manchester Arena with Happier Than Ever, The World Tour, while Berlin-based chanteuse Anika – a founding member of cult electro-psych outfit Exploded View – will be performing tunes from her avant-pop album Change at YES.
Read about all of the above, below, and remember that you can listen to all of the artists we cover in our Spotify playlist:
Here are our picks
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1. Band on the Wall Reopening Season
Band on the Wall Reopening Season at Band on the Wall, Manchester, 3 March–14 May 2022, from £0.00 - Book now
Following a major expansion project, Band on the Wall is throwing open its doors in March 2022, and there’s a huge reopening season on the cards.
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2. Echo and the Bunnymen at Albert Hall
Echo & The Bunnymen Echo and the Bunnymen at Albert Hall, City Centre, 16 February 2022, from £37.50 - Book now
One of the most influential British bands in modern history, Echo and the Bunnymen are celebrating “40 years of magical songs” at the majestic Albert Hall.
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3. Keeley Forsyth at St Michael’s
Keeley Forsyth Keeley Forsyth at St Michael's, Ancoats, 5 March 2022, from £16.50 - Book now
Tipped by the Guardian as “The new Scott Walker”, Oldham’s Keeley Forsyth is bringing her haunting new folk album to St Michael’s church in Ancoats.
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4. Yves Tumor at YES
Yves Tumor -
5. Godspeed You! Black Emperor at Manchester Academy – POSTPONED
Yannick Grandmont Godspeed You! Black Emperor - POSTPONED at Manchester Academy, Manchester, 22 January 2022, from £30.25 - Book now
Symphonic punk outfit Godspeed You! Black Emperor have just released one of the best albums of their 27 year career, and they’re bringing it to Manchester Academy in January.
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6. Abstract Orchestra play Dilla at The Blues Kitchen
Abstract Orchestra play Dilla at The Blues Kitchen Manchester, Manchester, 16 February 2022, from £16.50 - Book now
Leeds’ 16 piece Abstract Orchestra come to Manchester to perform some of Dilla’s best loved cuts from his sprawling back catalogue.
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7. SCALPING at The White Hotel
Jamie Harding and Matthew Sterling of We Are Jam SCALPING at The White Hotel, Salford, 17 February 2022, from £13.50 - Book now
Bristol EBM band SCALPING – purveyors of a pummelling blend of techno, punk, post-rock and metal – are bringing their ferocious live show to The White Hotel, supported by Mandy, Indiana.
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8. Billie Eilish at Manchester Arena
Kelia Anne MacCluskey Billie Eilish at Manchester Arena, Manchester, 7–8 June 2022, from £47.80 - Book now
Seven-time Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Billie Eilish is heading to Manchester Arena with Happier Than Ever, The World Tour.
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9. Anika at YES
Sven gutjahr Anika at YES, Manchester, 18 April 2022, from £14.00 - Book now
In summer 2021, Berlin-based chanteuse Anika dropped her first solo album in over a decade. Drawing on the skittering, austere electronics of Broadcast and Boards of Canada, Change is a perfectly formed slice of avant-garde pop. Watch her perform songs from it live at YES, accompanied by a full new band.
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10. Viagra Boys at Albert Hall
Fredrik Bengtssson Viagra Boys at Albert Hall, City Centre, 8 May 2022, from £19.25 - Book now
Stockholm-based post punk band Viagra Boys’s new album Welfare Jazz sees them further explore the grubby underbelly of society, championing the world’s underdogs while taking aim at subjects like toxic masculinity and misogyny.
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11. BADBADNOTGOOD at Albert Hall
Jamal Burger BADBADNOTGOOD at Albert Hall at Albert Hall, City Centre, 10 December 2022, from £17.50 - Book now
In support of their expansive 2021 album Talk Memory, BADBADNOTGOOD play their biggest show in Manchester to date, at Albert Hall.
More in Music
Rock and Goal Tour
Join Joe Feeley a Mancunian through and through, who guides you into Manchester’s two pillars of cultural excellence with his Rock and Goal tour.
Interruptions: Sounds – Online with The Holden Gallery, Manchester
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Cultural Winter For All at MediaCity and Salford Quays
MediaCity has a packed programme of festive exhibitions, light illuminations and shows, making it a cultural winter for all.
World of Music Choir
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RNCM Lunchtime and Spotlight Concerts
It’s not just Symphony Orchestras or big name artists that perform as the RNCM, their lunchtime and spotlight concerts showcase the best student performers in more intimate settings.
RNCM Brass Band Festival at RNCM
The RNCM Brass Band Festival is back with a two-day showcase of some of the UK’s leading brass bands, plus top international soloists.
RNCM Symphony Orchestra with Anu Tali (conductor) at RNCM
The RNCM Symphony Orchestra is joined by organist Anna Lapwood and conductor Anu Tali for an evening of specially selected symphonic works.
Mugenkyo Taiko Drummers: Tribe at RNCM
RNCM welcomes back the Mugenkyo Taiko Drummers for a show of skill, stamina and red-hot rhythms to stir your soul.
The Manchester Video Game Orchestra at RNCM
Hear the music from your favourite video games like you’ve never heard it before with this concert from The Manchester Video Game Orchestra.
Culture Guides
Exhibitions
It’s shaping up to be a wonderful year for exhibitions in Manchester and the North, and January brings with it some very exciting shows.
Literature
As we dive headlong into our reading and writing events for 2022, there’s plenty lined up – some online, some in person and some incorporating a bit of both.
Classical Music in Manchester and the North
We preview the standout classical music events and venues in Manchester and the north.
Food and Drink in Manchester and the North
Start the year with something special and by checking out some of the most exciting restaurants and bars in Manchester and the North.
Tours and Activities
The new year is a perfect time to get creative. It’s all about fresh starts, a shift in ideas and creating space in your life for growth.
Destination Guides
Related Guides
Food and Drink in Manchester and the North
Start the year with something special and by checking out some of the most exciting restaurants and bars in Manchester and the North.
Music Venues in Liverpool
There’s more to Liverpool’s music venue landscape than the Cavern Club, as the city’s cafes, bars, concert halls and former warehouses offer a rich variety of live music – from chamber to freakscene, and everything in between.
Music Venues in Leeds
Boasting a strong musical heritage, Leeds has a wealth of music venues to match: from suburban social clubs and former textile mills to co-operatively run DIY spaces and its recently built arena, the city has plenty of exciting spaces to offer its young, outgoing population.
Classical Music in Manchester and the North
We preview the standout classical music events and venues in Manchester and the north.
Music Venues in Manchester
Manchester is still a great place to watch new and innovative music – so here’s a guide to where to watch the best live music in the city.
Things to Do in Manchester
There’s plenty of things to do in Manchester, from award-winning theatre and exhibitions to exciting food and drink offer and thriving literature and music scenes. Our guide to the best things to with your time in Manchester.
