Live music in Manchester: 8-14 Feb

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 Feb

Lap up a mid-week freebie at the Old Pint Pot as TOPP presents the first in a series of free entry shows at the Salfordian riverside pub. Local post-punk quartet MOVE headline the evening, fresh from supporting Dream Wife, while support comes from Aaberg and Strange Friends. Old Pint Pot, Salford, 8pm, free

Thu 9 Feb

Loyle Carner, the rising MC from Croydon, has recently been making seismic waves with his stirring, confessional hip-hop following the release of debut album Yesterday’s Gone. Accordingly, his Manchester date’s unsurprisingly sold out, but if you can get hold of any tickets you’ll be able to catch a new star before his reputation totally takes off. Manchester Academy, £sold out

If, however, sourcing a ticket for that one proves unfruitful, you’ll find a more than reliable backup with Andy Shauf, the revered storyteller and crooner of regrets and heartbreak, playing a nice intimate set in the Northern Quarter (Gullivers, 7.30pm, £10) or over the road Shield Patterns, the duo comprising Manchester-based artist Claire Brentnall and Glissando's Richard Knox, will be busy knocking up some subtle poetry intertwined with piano phrases, strings and hypnotic synth patterns (The Castle Hotel, 8pm, £5)

Fri 10 Feb

And because a straight-up gig is often far from what you cultured 20-somethings crave these days, Video Jam step up to the plate with another installment of audiovisual delight. This time, they’ll be screening Baraka from director Ron Fricke, who bills the film as “a guided meditation on humanity.”

The live soundtrack comes from a small but far-reaching selection of musical masterminds, including British born Ghanaian/Russian/German recording artist, producer, singer and DJ Afrodeutsche, multi-instrumental band Flamingods, My Panda Shall Fly (aka Suren Seneviratne), Singaporean composer Daniel Lim, Manchester-based composer Eldad Diamant and local dreampop two-piece O>L>A. We caught a snippet at last year’s Sounds From the Other City Festival when My Panda Shall Fly took care of the controls, and it were reet good. RNCM (Royal Northern College of Music), 7.30pm, £14

Meanwhile, Too Many Blogs host a fundraiser to #RaisetheRoof in support of Salford creative hub Islington Mill. The recently-announced headline slot welcomes Manchester's own Spring King, who'll be joined by a DJ set from Everything Everything and new bands Our Girl, Caro and Team Picture. Islington Mill, Salford, 7.30pm, £7-£10

Sat 11 Feb

Menace Beach, photo: Stuart Moulding

Leeds’ Menace Beach head on over to cause a suitable ruckus at the weekend, pounding out a repertoire of grungy shoegaze punk that'll include new tunes from their new studio album, Lemon Memory, released on Memphis Industries. The Deaf Institute, 7pm, £7.50

In nearby Salford it's time for the second installment of Hover Squid, which this time comes in all-dayer format with live muisc from Wild Fruit Art Collective (Liverpool), New Luna (Manchester), The Bear Around Your Neck (Manchester), Jo Mary (Liverpool), Chaos Jigsaw (Teesside), Rosey PM (Manchester) and Hobby Club (London), while a collection of artists also turn the venue into an exhibition of light shows, art installations, sound installations and more. For £5 cheaplist write on the Facebook wall. Old Pint Pot, Salford, 6pm, £5-£7

Mon 13 Feb

With a richness of voice, a depth of emotion and wisdom beyond her years, New Zealand native Nadia Reid returns to UK shores this week in support of new album, Preservation, which is out next month. Support comes in the form of a solo set from Irma Vep. The Deaf Institute, 6pm, £10

Now booking:

Sounds From the Other City, photo: Alexander Bell

Lots of festival announcements have dropped in the past week, with Sounds From the Other City, Tramlines, 14 Hour Super Weird Happening, Bluedot, Parklife, Live at Leeds among those to unveil who to get excited about ahead of the coming months.