To welcome 2015, here’s our annual round-up of five new (and new-ish) things you might like to eat, do, see or experience this year, including the regional premiere of Derek Jarman’s 1984 club essay, Will You Dance with Me?, beer from a hotly anticipated new brewery, the best steak in town and more. For those who want to focus on the music, we’ve got a ‘Manchester bands to watch’ round up just around the corner.
1. Seeing Queerly Film Programme ft Justin Bond and a Derek Jarman regional premiere
This new film programme organised by MMU’s Dr Andrew Moor hosts the regional premiere of Derek Jarman’s club essay film, Will You Dance With Me? (Fri 20 Feb, Sackville Lounge, 8pm, £TBC, www.facebook.com). The legendary artist and director shot the film over the course of an evening in London gay club Benjy’s, in 1984. Like his other films such as Blue (which showed a blue screen for the duration of the autobiographical narrative), this film is experimental. As much mediation as story, film as picture, it can be described as an immersive work ahead of its time. The season also includes a screening of fabulously rambunctious rom-com, Shortbus, plus a post-film chat with star turn Justin Bond. (Sun 15 Feb, Contact, 1pm, £9/£6, www.contactmcr.com).
From Feb 2015, various venues, www.facebook.com
2. Watch a live band at Salford’s Eagle Inn
This magical venue is a classic old man pub, complete with snugs, worn leather and old fittings dating back to 1848. There are tiny little hatches through which your pint is passed and original parquet flooring. The team behind the Castle Hotel, the Parlour and Gullivers took over the pub a couple of years ago, placing one of Greater Manchester’s youngest landladies, Esther Maylor, at the helm. It’s just around the corner from Blueprint Studios, so look out for members of bands like Elbow and Everything Everything propping up the bar, alongside Hamlet herself, Maxine Peake, who lives nearby. Another highlight for music fans is the impressive live space, which opened in October 2013. Complete with first floor viewing gallery, Manchester’s next superstars never sounded so good.
The Eagle Inn, 19 Collier Street, Greengate, Salford, M3 7DW, www.joseph-holt.com
3. Get London’s hottest steak at Manchester Hawksmoor from March
Meat lovers have been worshipping beef and seafood at London’s five branches of Hawksmoor for nearly half a decade. And having spawned a book and a million-plus followers, the upmarket steak house is coming to Manchester in March with its first branch outside London. Steaks are sold by the weight and style, much like they are in Argentina. So you can order a 1kg fillet to share between three for around £100 – and try not to be too much of a pig. Sides are perfectly executed, wines plentiful with a good number by the glass, and a great time is guaranteed. Breakfast could include plum doughnuts and a full English, while Sunday lunch as been shortlisted for the Observer’s Best Sunday Lunch award on a number of occasions. The new Hawksmoor opens on Deansgate in the Courthouse building, dating back to 1896. Menus vary at each Hawksmoor venue with Manchester’s yet to be confirmed; however much of the meat is sourced from The Ginger Pig, which has butchers in London and sources meat from the group’s ethical farm in North Yorkshire.
Hawksmoor Manchester, 184-186 Deansgate, M3 3WB, www.thehawksmoor.com
4. Drink Cloudwater Brew Co’s hotly anticipated new ales
We have heard rumours of a new brewing company called Cloudwater, which includes the likes of Will France, ex-Common and Port Street man, and former brewer at Holmfirth’s hugely acclaimed Summer Wine. He’s been lured back to work on this new project that may give the established likes of Marble Brewery a run for their money. This would seem to be part of the plan; the company has been co-founded by former Marble man, James Campell, while the branding (by Textbook Studio) is similarly pared down. Their website describes the team as having ‘divergent tastes, ranging from a love of traditional styles on hand pull, to an unstoppable enthusiasm for barrel blended brett beer’. A core range is not planned; rather, they hope to create four seasonal ranges using market-fresh ingredients. The first range is planned for Spring 2015 and a brew tap with food is mooted at their Sheffield Street barrel store.
Cloudwater Brew Co, Units 7-8, Piccadilly Trading Estate, M1 2NP. www.cloudwaterbrew.co
5. Listen to new Manchester band Bernard + Edith
New year, new Manchester band. This year, our hot ticket is Bernard + Edith. We like them because they sound like Joy Division if they were from Istanbul in 1970. Drugged-up funk rhythms meet depressing anecdotes, while auteur meets artistic diva in frontwoman, Greta (Edith) Carroll’s sexy dancing; she’s the Lena Dunham of Manchester’s indie scene. Co-founder, Nick Delap (Bernard) is a former member of Egyptian Hip Hop. Put Poppy (below) on your playlist and catch them live to become a convert. They’ve just signed to Bella Union and single Wurds is out now.
A few more you might already know about: Manchester International Festival returns in the summer, with a slew of new commissions and collaborations (read our preview), Cornerhouse moves to its new house and teams up with the Library Theatre Company to host powerful new commissions, at the purpose-built arts complex HOME – if last year’s immersive Angel Meadow was anything to go by, it should go off with a bang. The big opening weekend starts Thu 21 May (read our preview). After something of a delay, Whitworth Art Gallery is returned to Manchester bigger and better than before from mid-February (read our preview), plus there will be a new season of epic club nights under the Transmission moniker early this year at Albert Hall, including everyone from Wookie to Carl Cox and Eats Everything (read our preview). We’re also looking forward to more from our favourite venues such as Contact, Islington Mill and the ever-adventurous International Anthony Burgess Foundation. Here’s to a cracking 2015!
- Words:
- Ruth Allan
- Published on:
- Sat 3 Jan 2015
