What's On Northwest 17-24 Mar: GRUB Food Fair
We're full of springtime optimism here in The Skinny Northwest office, made only better by the great stuff on this week to harness it – think the GRUB Food Fair at Runaway, St Patrick's Day shenanigans, Manchester Print Fair and more.
Each week The Skinny team hand pick a selection of the best events from the Northwest cultural calendar to provide you with this here 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 beyond every Thursday morning.
GRUB Food Fair
Runaway Brewery, Manchester. Sat 19 Mar, 12pm
We're all pretty stoked for GRUB, who've now found a kinda permanent home at Runaway Brewery to run a series of monthly food fairs. This is the first, so expect spirits to be high and the bar to be set similarly, with food from Chaat Cart, No Tacos, Boerewors Roll Bloke and new local heroes Blawd (read our interview with them here). Plus tunes, free entry and, above all, a shed load of beer. Good times.
St. Patrick's Day Parade
Liverpool city centre. Thu 17 Mar, 2.30pm
While Manchester already had its parade at the weekend, Liverpool's been patiently waiting for the day itself for its procession, which kicks off at 2.30pm on Great Orford Street and Mount Pleasant. Don't forget to check out what else is on in Liverpool and Manchester by reading our St. Patrick's Day guide, which includes tip-offs for everything from St. Paddy's clubbing and burlesque cabaret to the best spots for a full Irish.
Photo: Zach Dischner
DJ Sprinkles
Soup Kitchen, Manchester. Thu 17 Mar, 10pm
It may not have been too long ago that DJ Sprinkles played the now-defunct Roadhouse, but it seems excitement is still very much mounting for her return to Manchester this week. This time, nomadic boogie crew Percolate will be bringing Sprinkles' deep house performance alias Terre Thaemlitz all the way from Japan to the Soup Kitchen basement, with support from residents Krywald and Farrer.
Photo: Daddy's Got Sweets
A Small Cinema's First Birthday Filmjam
A Small Cinema, Liverpool. Thu 17 Mar, 7.30pm
Believe it or not, Liverpool Small Cinema is a whopping one year old, and to mark the occasion they're hosting an evening of short films, birthday cake and much-deserved back-patting following a great 365 days. It's also a good time to catch the second part of Elsewhere Cinema's Women in Polish Cinema programme with Night Train (Thu 24 Mar) and screenings for Food for Real Film Festival (Sat 19-Sun 20 Mar). Sigh, they grow up so fast.
Bearded Brutes
Kosmonaut, Manchester. Thu 17 Mar, 6.30pm (Exhibition runs until Sun 10 Apr)
Photographer and filmmaker Mark Leeming unveils a bold fusion of masculinity and flamboyance this week with the launch of Bearded Brutes, a series of kitsch, digitally-enhanced photographs aiming to blur the boundaries of the fem vs. masc society-driven stereotypes. Along with The London Lightbox, a socially-connected photo booth, the launch will also see the artist in residence glitter-dipping guests on request, meaning there'll be uber sparkly scenes all night long.
Photo: Jason aka Jasinta Jones by @mark_leeming_photo_and_film
ADVERTISEMENT | Why So Serious: Bad Friday
Camp and Furnace, Liverpool. Fri 25 Mar, 9pm
Area 51and Resonate Events are to launch a thrilling new club night that takes the unfettered atmosphere of a festival and plonks it slap bang in the middle of a warehouse with extra verve, zest and oomph. Why So Serious is unlike any other experience, allowing revellers the chance to feel they are in an open festival on a summer night. A brigade of entertainers pitch their tent on Fri 25 Mar for 'Bad Friday', which is, coincidentally, the Good Friday Bank Holiday. An irreverent mix of performers will embrace a Monty Python-esque impiety for a raucous night of hell-raising.
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Bridget Christie
Everyman Theatre, Liverpool. Mon 21 Mar, 7.30pm
Multi award-winning comedian Bridget Christie heads our way as she tours her 10th solo show, A Book for Her, which promises to cover everything from revealing why she's been sending stained undies to George Osborne at HM Treasury every month to asking what the difference is between Eddie Izzard and Caitlyn Jenner.
Photo: Idil Sukan / Draw HQ
Manchester Print Fair
People's History Museum, Manchester. Sat 19-Sun 20 Mar, 11am
The city's famed print fair returns for its 11th event, once again set to champion independent design and creativity. Proving that Manchester's got heaps of the stuff, across the two days you'll find a 40-strong army of sellers including Textbook Studio, Caroline Dowsett, Paul Hallows, Yee Illustration, Clare Birtwistle and more, along with workshops hosted by G.F Smith and Manchester Custom Framing.
Photo: WeAreInvite
Kiran Leonard
Brudenell Social Club, Leeds. Thu 24 Mar, 7.30pm
Saddleworth's Kiran Leonard may have won a fair few hearts back with his ambitious 2013 album, Bowler Hat Soup, but he's now beginning to get the widespread acclaim he deserves, having recently signed to Moshi Moshi. As part of his largest tour to date, he'll be hopping over to Leeds this week in support of new album Grapefruit, which is released next Friday.
Photo: Sebasian Matthes / MANOX
Saban and Sarah Do Stand-Up
International Anthony Burgess Foundation, Manchester. Sat 19 Mar, 7.30pm
Comedy Store 'King Gong' winner Saban Kazim teams up with 2014 Jewish Comedian of the Year finalist Sarah Sheldon for an hour-long show of stand-up and storytelling, with all proceeds going to mental health charity Manchester Mind. This debut show comes to Manchester following a sell-out run at the Camden Fringe last year, and sees the deadpan duo delve into reckless life choices, the fact that Saban's dad doesn't know he does stand-up and more.
Illustration: Essi Kimpimäki
Liverpool Acoustic Festival
Unity Theatre and Liverpool Philharmonic Music Room, Liverpool. Fri 18-Sat 19 Mar, times vary
Now in its third year, Liverpool Acoustic Festival returns to Unity while also dashing out across the road to expand to the Phil's new Music Room venue. On Friday big names include Scott Matthews (pictured), Ana Silvera, Mark Pountney, Ellie Smith, Mark Grist, Hollie McNish and Lizzie Nunnery, before things conclude the next day with Ian McNabb, Tommy Scott, Sophia Ben Yousef, Rob Vincent and Ian Prowse. Look out for fringe events, seminars, Q&As, masterclasses and free pop-up gigs, too.
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