What's on North 1-8 Jun: Edinburgh Fringe previews

Soak up some laughs as Group Therapy launch their Edinburgh Fringe preview season, get some eats from the Yorkshire Food and Drink Show, party it up with the shiny new Baltic Weekender

Feature by Jess Hardiman | 01 Jun 2017

Each week The Skinny team hand-pick a selection of the best events from the North's cultural calendar to provide you with this 'ere top ten guide to the most exciting goings-on for the week ahead. From gigs, plays and exhibitions to spoken word, pop-up foodie events and one-off film screenings, we give you the insider's guide to things to do in Liverpool, Manchester and Leeds every Thursday morning.

Edinburgh Fringe Previews

Just because we're south of the border, doesn't mean we can't get in on Edinburgh's famous comedic action. Nope, in fact we can even get some right here on our doorstep, long before the festival's even started. And for just a fiver!

Throughout June and July, the comedy gurus of Group Therapy return with Edinburgh Before, their annual Fringe Festival preview season that lets you see the best of the Edinburgh festival first at Manchester's Deaf Institute.

Nestling household names among some of the most exciting emerging acts on the UK circuit, the lineup includes Gein's Family Giftshop, Ben Target, Phil Ellis, Pat Cahill, I See You, Ahir Shah, Ivo Graham, Desiree Burch, Robin Ince, Chris Martin, Carl Donnelly, Matt Ewins, Fern Brady, Garrett Millerick, Danny McLoughlin, John Luke Roberts and Sean Patton. Each gig will cost you just £5, or you can pick monthly tickets or a season pass to make it even cheaper.

God knows we all need a laugh, eh?

Interviews

Madd Again! Genre-blending the Manchester way

We speak to Manchester crew Madd Again! – a supergroup consisting of producer Zed Bias and MCs Killa Benz, Specialist Moss and Trigga – who are are back with their second EP MaddTing Vol. 2.1. Photo: Balraj Samrai Photography

Woody Harrelson: “It’s easy to laugh at myself”

Actor Woody Harrelson once spent a wild night in London that ended with him in police custody. He tells us why he wanted to turn this dark night of the soul into Lost in London, a single-take movie that was broadcast live to cinemas.

Tom Green: "You know Trump fired me, right?"

As Tom Green's European tour rides into Manchester and Leeds, our super-journo Fred Fletch renounces his retirement to ask a set of questions as unique as Green's comedy and screen career.

Also This Week:

One Love Manchester
Emirates Old Trafford, Manchester. Sun 4 Jun

Following the horrific bombing at Manchester Arena last week, Ariana Grande will be returning to the city to lead a benefit gig for the victims of the attack, with Justin Bieber, Miley Cyrus, Katy Perry, Pharrell, Coldplay and Niall Horan among the other artists confirmed for the bill. Tickets go on sale on Thu 1 Jun at 10am.

Yorkshire Food and Drink Show
Millennium Square, Leeds. Fri 2-Sun 4 Jun, 11am

Gorge on some of the region's finest eats at the Yorkshire Food and Drink Show, a three-day whopper featuring stalls from Kukoos (pictured), Zouk, Tarte and Berry, The Pit, YO Bakehouse and many more, plus local booze from Leeds Brewery, Masons Dry Yorkshire Gin, Kirkstall Brewery and others. Photo: Bevan Cockerill

Advertisement | One Tribe Festival
Cholmondeley Castle, Chester. Thu 3-Tue 8 Aug

One Tribe Festival is coming to Cheshire for a five day fusion of music, arts and culture taking place at Cholmondeley Castle, 3-8 August 2017. Come and soothe the mind, body, and soul through a host of holistic disciplines and alternative therapies and then enjoy seven music stages with over 100 DJ’s and a wide spectrum of circus performers, fire eaters, acrobats, artisans and drumming collectives. Proudly a non-profit, non-corporate organisation, One Tribe funds the vital work of The Green Paw Project.

Baltic Weekender
Various venues, Liverpool. Fri 2-Sun 4 Jun, 4pm

Abandon Silence and 24 Kitchen Street are buddying up for shiny new festival the Baltic Weekender, a multi-venue melting pot of sounds from Axel Boman, Gerd Janson, Move D, Ghetts, Moxie (pictured), Lobster Theremin featuring DVS1, Swing Ting, P Money, Mele and more, all coming together to showcase Liverpool as the electronic music-loving hotbed that it is. Photo: Vicky Grout

Northern Short Story Festival
Carriageworks, Leeds. Sat 3 Jun, times vary

A joint venture between Leeds Big Bookend Festival and the Carriageworks theatre, Northern Short Story Festival celebrates Northern writers and homegrown talent while also promoting the short story form through workshops and events with popular published authors, editors and small press publishers. Illustration: Kate Timney

To the pub!

To a pub garden, that is, what with it now being June and all. Even if the sun's not churning out the strongest of rays yet, it's a great time to capitalise on balmy evenings and al fresco all-dayers – check out some of our favourite spots in Liverpool and Manchester.