That time of year is on the horizon once more. For many, Freshers’ Week is their one and only chance to prove their dazzling, fun, adventurous, interesting nature – and thus causes some to adopt a peculiar behaviour that is most familiar in nature documentaries. For others who wish to avoid this jungle of carnal bodies making a beeline for those less-than-desirable student nights, here are our picks for an alternative Freshers’ Week…

Disco Till Dawn
Something of an institution in the heavily student-populated area of Rusholme, Antwerp Mansion isn’t your typical club venue. Club nights are held in this beautifully run down Victorian structure; a building that oozes character. For this event, the mansion celebrate 1970s disco, with DJs selecting tracks on both floors. There will also be stalls with clothing, jewellery, body painting, food and more – plus free drinks to the 10 best fancy dress.
Tue 16 Sep, Antwerp Mansion, Kent Road West, Rusholme, M14 5RF, 7pm – 3am, £4 – £6, www.skiddle.com

MCR Scenewipe’s All Killer, All Dayer 2014
To say that Manchester has a thriving music scene is something of an understatement -and one collective whose purpose is to bring you the latest in gigs, news and reviews, Manchester Scenewipe, is putting on its third all-dayer and all-nighter to test your endurance (see our full preview here). For this outing, Scenewipe presents Then Thickens, Sex Hands, The Hipshakes, Aldous RH, Horrid plus plenty more – and here lies an opportunity to sample two venues that you will likely visit very often: Soup Kitchen and Kraak.  Both will provide for your culinary, gig, club night and exhibition needs.
Sat 20 Sep, Soup Kitchen, 31-33 Spear Street, M1 1DF and Kraak Gallery, 11 Stevenson Square, M1 1DB, Tel: 0161 236 5100, 1pm – 3am, £8, www.wegottickets.com

Andres & Dan Shake
Home to some of Manchester’s most sought-after gigs and club nights, this month will see Gorilla host Andres and Dan Shake, brought to you by Stevie Wonderland. Previous guests include Space Dimension Controller and DJ Kon; these guys have a reputation for bringing disco-flavoured house nights to the city. Gorilla also won the Manchester Food & Drink Festival’s bar of the year last year – so they clearly know what they’re doing.
Thu 25 Sep, Gorilla, 54-56 Whitworth Street West, M1 5WW, Tel: 0161 407 0301, 11pm – 4am, £10 – £15, www.skiddle.com

A Joyous Thing with Maggots at the Centre
Manchester’s Asia Triennial is a two-month-long celebration of diverse communities, and the coming together of local venues with international artists (see our top three events here). It is spread across the city with each venue curating its own exhibition. Castlefield Gallery, off Deansgate Locks, will present Hardeep Pandhal’s first solo exhibition; an exploration into our relationship with role models and anti-heroes. The launch night runs from 5pm until 9pm.
Fri 26 Sep – 23 Nov, Castlefield Gallery, 2 Hewitt Street, M15 4GB, Tel: 0161 832 8034, FREE, www.castlefieldgallery.co.uk

MCR Student Takeover
Partying all the time is tiring, so how about channelling that energy into some new kicks and threads, coupled with some tasty edibles? For one night only, retailers’ doors will delay closing and offer one-off discounts for those with valid student ID or NUS cards. From DJs to beauty treatments, to complimentary drinks and fashion showcases, this will be a good representation on how vibrant this city is. Full discount and event details below.
Tue 30 Sep, Various Manchester city centre stores, Tel: 0161 833 9851, 4pm – 9pm, www.manchesterarndale.com

Tue 16 Sep - Tue 30 Sep
Words:
Edwina Chan
Published on:
Fri 12 Sep 2014