Live music in Manchester this week: 8-14 Mar

We dive into the listings to bring you this essential guide to gigs in Manchester this week plus the latest news on festivals, tour announcements and more. Think we've missed something? Hit up jess@theskinny.co.uk with the details. 

Wed 8 Mar

Following a strong show at smaller sister venue The Deaf Institute last year, American rapper and producer Oddisee (Amir Mohamed el Khalifa) heads to Manchester’s Gorilla along with his band Good Compny, who join him for his Beneath the Surface tour. Gorilla, 7.30pm, £14

Thu 9 Mar

[Mitski, photo: Ebru Yildiz]

Japan-born, New York-based singer-songwriter Mitski is out touring in support of her new album, Puberty 2. We suggest you read our interview with her, where she discusses everything from Björk and the power in sad pop music to feeling like an outsider – even when your music's hit the mainstream. Then go snap up a ticket to her gig at The Ruby Lounge, obvs. The Ruby Lounge, 7pm, £10

Scruff of the Neck’s CTRL CLUB returns for more, this time welcoming a lineup of local post-punk outfits Ist Ist and LIINES, Hull five-piece La Bete Blooms and Stokport rock ‘n’ rollers Matter of Mind. All of that for free, too! Dive NQ, 7.30pm, free

Fri 10 Mar

This week, 16-piece ensemble Abstract Orchestra are bravely taking on the mighty back catalogue of J Dilla, the late, great 90s producer known for working with everyone who’s anyone of the hip hop community. This time they’ll also perform a range of classics from the hip hop canon including Dre, Ugly Duckling, A Tribe Called Quest and more, along with Taste the Diff’rence DJs and Jamie Groovement on the decks. Should prove to be a suitably seismic mash-up for those that missed the sold-out show earlier this year. Band on the Wall, 7.30pm, £10.50

Hey! Manchester welcome Irma Vep (aka Edwin Stevens), the Northwest psych-folkster originally hailing from Llanfairfechan in North Wales, who’s out trailing new record No Handshake Blues – released earlier this year via Faux Discx and Comfortable on a Tightrope. He’ll be joined by fellow Manc-dwellers Former Bullies. Gullivers, 7.30pm, £5

Bob Marley’s reggae legend pals The Wailers hit UK shores to perform their equally iconic 1984 compilation album, Legend, in its entirety. Get ready to Get Up, Stand Up and be Jammin’ all night to songs that everyone’s always got a soft spot for somewhere. Manchester Academy, 7pm, £21

Curated by Distractfold in partnership with Sound and Music and BBC Radio 3, Cut and Splice takes over Hallé St Peters for two days of groundbreaking music that explores technology as an unreliable narrator. The first edition of the festival to take place outside of London, expect a programme of UK premieres, special commissions and installations across the weekend. Find out more here. 10-11 Mar, Hallé St Peters, times vary, £8-£12

Sun 12 Mar

It's no surprise that tickets for Hampshire-born nu-folkster Laura Marling are nowhere to be seen, having sold out the cavernous Albert Hall with impossible ease, but if you're that committed to catch her move from slow-burning tales of forbidden love to building barnstormers, we think you'll find a way. We just gave her new album Semper Femina a solid four stars, should that entice you to get up of your backside and get scouring... Albert Hall, 7pm, £sold out

Now booking:

Wanna see Jack Bauer pluck a few strings this summer at Gorilla? And by Jack Bauer we do OF COURSE mean Hollywood royalty Kiefer Sutherland, who you might not know that, after years of being an actor (and, er, a cattle rancher and competitive cowboy), began a small label called Ironworks in the early 00s. Then, ever the Jack (Bauer) of all trades, in early 2015 he began recording debut album Down in a Hole, which you can catch live in action on 26 June. Tickets available here.