Live music in Manchester this week: 27 Jul - 3 Aug

Manchester Jazz Festival comes to a close with Too Many Zooz, Anna Meredith leads an evening for Science in the City, plus gigs from Mammal Hands, Puppet Rebellion and others, and tip-offs for what to book ahead of a busy autumn.

Feature by Jess Hardiman | 27 Jul 2016

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 27 Jul

Happy-go-lucky London indie ensemble Spector return to churn out some pop tunes. Having stepped back a few years to play their debut album Enjoy it While it Lasts in full on Tuesday, they fast forward a bit to do the same with Moth Boys, their 2015 follow-up. The Deaf Institute, 7.30pm, £returns only (check the Facebook event page for tickets)

[Anna Meredith]

As part of the programming for this year’s Science in the City festival, Edinburgh composer and electronic musician (and this year's SAY Award winnerAnna Meredith has been leading a residency for young female artists with Brighter Sound and the Museum of Science and Industry.

Following four intensive days with the group, the project culminates with a multi-sensory evening performance inspired by MSI’s Wonder Materials: Graphene and Beyond exhibition. Read our full preview of the residency hereMuseum of Science and Industry, 7pm, free (registration advised)

Thu 28 Jul

Drawing on influences including everything from North Indian and African music to Steve Reich, Bonobo, The Cinematic Orchestra and Pharoah Sanders, Mammal Hands are a genre-hopping trio signed to Gondwana Records by Matthew Halsall.

Catch their intricate and seamless blend of jazz, contemporary classical, electronic and world sounds as they head to Band on the Wall this week. Support duties are filled, er, dutifully, by Manchester’s own seven-piece jazz, funk and hip-hop collective, Glowrogues. 28 Jul, Band on the Wall, 7.30pm, £8

[Tatton Park's Concerts by the Lake]

Meanwhile, Tatton Park's annual Concerts by the Lake series returns for three days of al fresco live music in the Cheshire countryside. None other than Welsh singing icon Tom Jones kicks this off on Thursday, followed by Wet Wet Wet on Friday (29 Jul). The Halle round things off on Saturday (30 Jul), their concert coming to a fittingly spectacular close with a fireworks finale. 28-30 Jul, Tatton Park, Cheshire, 5pm, £32.50-£45

Fri 29 Jul

A supergroup formed from former members of Bicycle Thieves and The Courteeners, post-punk outfit Lungs head to Manchester this week for their debut headline show. Support comes from local acts Man Made and The Bad Trips. Night & Day Café, 8pm, £6

Sat 30 Jul

Mancunian indie rockers Puppet Rebellion play on home turf, promising the ‘upbeat choppy riffs, heartfelt lyrics and a powerful live show’ that gave them a meteoric rise through the local circuit and out into wider acclaim. They’ll be joined by fellow locals King Kartel and Hastings’ Kid Kapichi. Aatma, 7.30pm, £7

Mon 1 Aug

Hey! Manchester brings us a rare headline show from Irma Vep, aka North Wales-born Edwin Stevens, who’s celebrated as one of the leading names of Manchester’s ever-colourful DIY scene. Main support comes from composer dbh, while Secret Admirer opens the show – the new solo project from Former Bullies’ and Dinner Party’s Nick Ainsworth. The Castle Hotel, 7.30pm, £5

Living Body is made up from the fragments of various other projects, bound together by Jeff T (who previously performed under the pseudonym of ‘Juffage’), who’s joined by alumni from bands including Vessels, Sky Larkin, Wild Beasts, Esper Scout and others.

This week sees their debut Manchester show, which welcomes support from Tel Aviv pop band Tetish and Manchester’s own Richard Lomax, Cult Party and Mayshe-Mayshe (the solo project of Living Body’s Alice Rowan, in an Inception-esque turn of events).
Fallow Café, 7.30pm, £4

Tue 2 Aug

Seems we’re still into the contemporary brassy oomph made popular by the likes of Hot 8 Brass Band and Hackney Colliery Band – though if you were thinking of growing tired of it, American musical trio Too Many Zooz might revive the love you had, mixing up the formula slightly with a self-coined ‘Brass House’ sound.

Comprising Matt Doe on trumpet, Leo P on baritone sax and David Parks on drums and percussion, there’s something in the simple set-up that reminds us of these guys. Catchy stuff. Band on the Wall, 7pm, £15

This one's also part of Manchester Jazz Festival, with the main programme continuing throughout this week until 31 Jul – check out what else you can still catch here.

Festivals

This week it's all about Prestwich's answer to Glasto: the annual festival of tribute acts aptly titled Festwich. Billing itself as the UK's largest free tribute festival, the weekend will feature loving homages to the likes of Foo Fighters, Queen, David Bowie, Daft Punk, Status Quo and Kings of Leon. 30-31 Jul, St Mary's Park, Prestwich, 11am, free

Now Booking...

[Regina Spektor]

Now Wave and Strange Days have announced their September festival Strange Waves, which will see Australia's almighty King Gizzard and The Lizard Wizard, Brighton-based trio The Wytches and Madrid outfit The Parrots take to O2 Ritz for an evening of alt-rock, psych and garage goodness. Tickets are selling out fast; grab yours here.

Russian-born Regina Spektor first found fame as a stalwart of New York’s anti-folk scene, her twee melodies then lending themselves almost too easily to the 500 Days of Summer soundtrack. Now she’s back with her seventh album, Remember Us to Life, which is released in late September and will be accompanied by an international tour, stopping off at Manchester’s Albert Hall on 11 Nov. Tickets go on sale at 10am on Fri 29 Jul.

Tickets are now also on sale for a Viola Beach Memorial fundraiser in nearby Warrington on 3 September, which sees local musicians including Young Cesar, Polareyes, Michigan, Pacific and Time to Forget take to the stage to pay homage to the late indie rock group, who tragically died in a car accident last year. All proceeds will go to the Viola Beach Memorial Fund.  

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