What's On North 3-10 Nov: Fireworks!
Along with all the giddiness of Bonfire Night, this week also holds in store a certain Leeds International Film Festival, Off the Record music festival and conference, coffee party Cup North and much, much more.
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.
Great Balls of Fire
Oh hey November! You came round awful quick. But it's great to have you all the same, what with your autumnal hues and diddy gourds – and those ruddy gingerbread latte crappuccinos with candy cane foam and eggnog sprinkles or whatever. We dunno.
But back to what's good: Bonfire Night! AKA Catherine wheels and toffee apples and freezing your bollocks off while cooing up at the sky in your new winter coat (rly suits you, BTW). Check out our super duper fireworks guide, with tip-offs on where to catch the best ones in Leeds, Liverpool and Manchester. We've also snuck in some handy tips on where to warm up nearby afterwards, cuz we're nice like that.
Wrap up warm, and stay off the red cups x
Leeds International Film Festival
Various venues, Leeds. Thu 3-Thu 17 Nov, times vary
It's a big ol' year for LIFF, celebrating its 30th anniversary with new films from Jim Jarmusch (Paterson, pictured), Xavier Dolan and Kelly Reichardt, plus nods to the past with restorations of classics like Blue Velvet and Heat. Find out more in our preview here.
Off the Record
Various venues, Manchester. Fri 4 Nov, times vary
The line-up may not be released until 24 hours before the festival (hence our generic but beaut gig hands illo above), but you can rest assured that Off the Record festival is in good hands, being the latest venture from those bods behind Kendal Calling, Bluedot and Sound City, and with curators including Guy Garvey, Huw Stephens, Tim Burgess – and us! Illustration: Alessandra Genualdo
Fifty Shades of Pink: Barberos Spandex Party
Invisible Wind Factory, Liverpool. Fri 4 Nov, 10pm
HANDS UP FOR A SPANDEX PARTY! Join Barberos, Liverpool's avant experimental four-piece electro noise bunch fusing elements of jazz, tribal beats and breakcore, as they close Liverpool Music Week and launch a new album, joined also by the likes of Faux Queens and The Aleph for fun times aplenty.
Advertisement | Tarang - Indian Music Ensemble
The Bridgewater Hall, Manchester. Sun 20 Nov, 1pm
Tarang has a new sound – and it’s unlike anything you might have heard before. Fresh from a self-imposed absence from the festival and touring circuit, the group returns with a brand new album (launching in early 2017). While its roots are firmly entrenched in Indian classical music, it's emotionally rich, musically complex and takes inspiration from across the globe, culminating in a sophisticated blend of genres including jazz fusion, Western classical and folk. Featuring a line-up of top percussionists, singers and instrumental players, this is Indian music re-defined.
Tickets available from The Bridgewater Hall.
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Cup North Coffee Festival
Victoria Warehouse, Manchester. Sat 5-Sun 6 Nov, 10am
Time to get a whole latte coffee down your neck as coffee festival Cup North rolls back into town to show Starbucks how it's done, championing Northern heroes like North Star in Leeds and Greater Manchester's own Heart and Graft.
Leeds Print Fair
Corn Exchange, Leeds. Sat 5-Sun 6 Nov, 10am
Spruce up your pad with some sweet local swag from Leeds Print Fair, which will welcome the likes of Jonathan Wilkinson, Karoline Rerrie, The Lost Fox, Nancy Power (work pictured) and many more to showcase the best that Yorkshire's fine printmaking community has to show us.
Queer Media Festival
HOME, Manchester. Sat 5 Nov, 12pm
Celebrating the LGBTQ+ communities of Manchester and beyond, Queer Media Festival takes over HOME for a day of short films, a screening of doc Jewel's Catch One (pictured), panel discussions and Q&As. Find the full line-up here.
Looking ahead: Safe as Milk Festival
Omar Souleyman, Shirley Collins and The Residents all feature on the bill for the debut of North Wales festival Safe as Milk. Read all about it in our news story.
The Nov/Dec issue of The Skinny North is OUT NOW!
We've been working très hard to bring you our latest mag, where it's all about Rachel Maclean, Cabbage, Girls That Gig, Christmas gifts and more. Grab one from the streets or click here to go digi.
Read more news from across the Northwest cultural scene at theskinny.co.uk/news
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