Music: Band on the Wall hits the road for a series of surprise, socially distanced gigs around Manchester

Iconic Northern Quarter music hall Band on the Wall will be hitting the road this weekend to launch a series of surprise, socially-distanced live performances in as-yet-undisclosed Manchester spaces. Featuring a line-up of emerging Manchester artists that span a range of musical genres, The Bandwagon will pop-up at a secret Manchester location to brighten people’s day with some much-needed live music in a safe and airy outdoor setting.

Performing on a bespoke touring gig truck that comes complete with its own stage, musicians who featured on Band on the Wall’s 2020 fundraising compilation album will appear from 2pm each day starting on Saturday 22 May to entertain viewers with a free, impromptu gig. Ideal for families and music-fans alike, each band will be performing a selection of summery original tunes, with something to suit all tastes.

While the exact location of these shows is still under wraps, the Band on the Wall team have teased that it’ll be in a popular public square that’ll be open to everybody, with visitors invited to check-in via the NHS track-and-trace app upon arrival. Exact details of The Bandwagon’s location will be revealed on the venue’s social media accounts each day shortly before the gigs begin.

While we know nothing about location, we do know that visitors can expect sets from the likes of jazz/neo soul singer Mali Hayes, afrobeat rock/funk/psych collective Agbeko, Manchester contemporary jazz ensemble Lieko Quintet, singer-songwriter and poet Marco Woolf, and instrumentalist Werkha. For more details on Band on the Wall’s Bandwagon shows, stay glued to the venue’s social media feeds or visit their website via the link below.