Weekly News : 1/2/10

MADE IN MANCHESTER // FOM 2011 // FOUR TET // MIND ON FIRE // DELPHIC // THE COURTEENERS // (WE ARE) PERFORMANCE

It’s a short and belated news round-up this week. A combination of being ill and there not being all that much happening as February kicks off. Here’s some things of note…

Ever noticed how Manchester, and particularly places on the outskirts of the city centre are becoming vastly modernised? All the old buildings disappearing in favour of new forms of architecture that split opinion. Well, that’s urban regeneration for you. And it hasn’t escaped the attention of painter Jean Hobson. She’s put together an exhibition named Made In Manchester, which shows some of the buildings and areas before they were knocked down and redeveloped. Capturing their history with watercolours, graphite drawings and screenprints, Jean has preserved a selection of what the city used to look like before modernisation washed over the memories. You can see her work for free at City Inn on Auburn Street as of this week.

For those that enjoyed the marathon of music on Saturday at Jabez Clegg, Friends Of Manchester have released early bird tickets for next year’s FOM fest already – extra emphasis on the ‘early’. Available at just a fiver, you need to be ‘attending’ this event to be made aware of the details – http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=312106193626

Want to get your hands on a pair of tickets to see Four Tet at Club Academy next month? Well, forward-thinking Manchester collective, Mind On Fire are running a little competition. Mosey on over there and enter. http://mindonfire.co.uk/

A bit more info on MOF while we’re at it. They do all sorts; put on gigs, club nights, cross-promote events and are generally a diverse hub of musical activity. Home to some of our most exciting and genre-defying bands, artists and DJs, their site is stocked with a wealth of free content. In addition, the MOF label should be back in activity in 2010 after releasing a compilation a sort while ago. Their next event looks quite special too – http://mindonfire.co.uk/EventPage-MountKimbie.html

You’re probably sick of hearing about them by now, but the seemingly-omnipotent Delphic have announced more tour dates. Catch them at Sankeys in Manchester on March 17th, or if you miss out on tickets for that, get yourself to Stoke (7th) or Wigan (10th). Here’s their new video for forthcoming single, ‘Halcyon’ – released March 15th.

People walking through town on Saturday morning may have been wondering just why there was a massive queue stretching around High Street. That was people waiting in line to get tickets for the quickly-announced NME Shockwaves gig for The Courteeners. Back in their home town after their 10,000 sell-out at Manchester Central before Christmas, Liam Fray & co. play a more intimate show at Ruby Lounge on February 16th. Obviously tickets are now all gone, although eBay may be harbouring some at daft amounts. Their new single ‘You Overdid It, Doll’ is out on Feb 15th.

And finally, we’re pretty happy to hear electro-popsters (We Are) Performance are soon to be back in action. Last seen at the back end of 2008 – if memory serves us right – the quartet were notoriously signed up to Polydor in 2005 but for a multitude of reasons never really hit the heights expected – often the industry doesn’t pan out the way it promises. Anyway, they’re back and have their second album somewhere in the wings. Catch them at the Deaf Institute on 26th February. Here’s a reminder of why they’re great.

(We Are) Performance – ‘Short Sharp Shock’