Manchester Food & Drinks Festival
From Friday 28th September
As you are reading this, the Manchester Food and Drink Festival will be in full swing, with roving gangs of hungry foodies wandering the streets like Mad Max mixed with Bake Off. If you’re looking to get fed, or have a bit of a thirst on then you’re in for a treat this week as around a million establishments from all over the region descend on the city to flog their foodstuffs, their beers, their gin and of course – their skills. Things to look out for include the Cottonopolis Battle Royale, Asha’s Vegan Night, Caviar & Champagne Tasting with Randall & Aubin, The Big Indie Wine Fest and loads more. Too much to go on about right here so check out the link below:
12 things we’re excited about at MFDF 2018
Kevin & Perry Go Large @ Gorilla
Friday 28th September
Probably one of the worst films ever, one middle aged bloke and one middle aged woman got dressed up as a couple of male teenagers, travelled to Ibiza and tried to lose their virginity to a couple of girls who certainly weren’t middle aged at all. Within all of these antics there was something about a DJ played by scruffy beanpole Rhys Ifans and a load of bits where some of their parents were shagging or something. If you’re an actual fan of the film though, Gorilla are having a big bash featuring some Kevin & Perry look-a-likes, a live performance by them and loads of other Kevin & Perry related stuff. It’s a bit random and the film is terrible but it looks like it might actually be a tiny sliver of fun.
Refuge 2nd Birthday
Friday 28th, Saturday 29th & Sunday 30th October
Whhaay!! Congratulations to The Refuge! You’ve managed to reach the tender age of 2. Something many of the city’s establishments have struggled to reach, with many places managing to last around 10 months before heading back to London with their tail between their legs. So as you’d expect from the Refuge lot, they’re going to have a big bloody party to celebrate and it all kicks off this Friday in the Bar with DJ Paulette, ending on Sunday with Roast Dinners and the Vintage 78 DJ’s. In between there’s a massive night on Saturday down in the basement with Danny Krivit & Kath McDermott hitting the decks. If I wasn’t going to Ibiza, I’d be going here.
Flecky Bennett’s The “Saturday Night” Ghost Walk
Saturday 29th September
I hadn’t heard the name Flecky Bennett until Monday when half of the Finest team met him and wouldn’t shut up, going on about how much of a top fella he is. Now I wasn’t there, so I can’t really pass judgement on his level of brilliance but from what I’ve heard, he has a pretty solid grasp on all things paranormal and spooky. Unlike that blonde liar Derek Acorah, Flecky actually knows a few ghosts and was once the best man at a werewolf’s wedding, so he knows a thing or two about the weird things that happen around the city after dark. This Ghost Walk will take you around the city centre, talking about its haunted past and present. I’m sure it will be an awful lot of fun!
http://manchesterghostwalk.co.uk
Macbeth at The Lowry
Starts Saturday 29th September
Every GCSE student’s favourite Shakespeare play, the storyline of Macbeth is a famous one featuring revenge, murder, a bit of shagging and three horrible crones – the kind you’d see queuing up outside the local Iceland on a wet Tuesday morning buying fags and milk. It’s all set in Scotland and Macbeth is a pretty decent fella to begin with, but thoughts on becoming king and his wife’s incessant poking and prodding lead him to kill poor King Duncan and claim the throne for himself. This National Theatre production is coming up from a sold out run down in London – so it should be pretty good, and judging by the pictures – it looks like the bit with the trees at the end will look brilliant.
Huey Morgan’s NYC Block Party
Saturday 29th September
Growing up in 80’s New York, I reckon Huey Morgan has seen some real serious shit. The place was an absolute toilet in the 70’s and 80’s – narrowly avoiding bankruptcy on a couple of occasions and crime hitting and then going right through the bloody roof. I once made up a story where the crime got so bad that a bloke in Manhattan managed to kill 7 nuns and 4 boy scouts in Times Square and everyone just continued going about their daily lives. It was really bad. Luckily though it was also a period where art, culture and music flourished, something Morgan will have experienced first-hand. His NYC Block Party at Band on the Wall this Saturday will transport you back to those times – but with much less shanking and crack.
Cagefest Vol III @ Gorilla
Sunday 30th September
A couple of years back I managed to perfect that face Nic Cage does in the mirror in Face Off, you know the one – where he’s coming to the realisation that he’s no longer John Travolta and has transformed into Castor Troy, a baddie with a peach eating fetish and terrible snake skin winkle pickers. I think I may have lost the skill in the ensuing years but there isn’t a week that goes by where I don’t think about taking it up again. Perhaps this is the week though, as RAD present their Cagefest All Dayer – 4 of Nic’s top films; Face/Off, Ghost Rider, Deadfall and Con Air, all in one day. I’ve never seen Deadfall but understand that it’s a 1993 film that’s currently sitting on a 3.8/10 on IMDb. Must be a classic.
Brasserie Abode Wine Dinner: Old World vs New World
Wednesday 3rd October
The difference between Old World and New World wines is completely lost to me – primarily because the only wines I drink are Buckfast and Lambrini – which both sit firmly in the Old World camp. This category also features wines from France, such as Alizé and Spain such as Sangria. New World wines come from Australia and Chile and Argentina and many people say that these ones are much fruitier and contain more alcohol than their Old World counterparts. As I said, I wouldn’t know but if you’re a wine connoisseur – you should at least be aware of the subtle differences between the two. To further expand on all this, Brasserie Abode’s October wine dinner will focus on the two types, as well as plying you with 5 glasses of the stuff and a sumptuous 5 course dinner. There’ll also be a wine expert bloke there to talk you through it all.
Albatross & Arnold meets Machine House
Thursday 4th October
Two very talented chefs will be coming together this week and serving up a rather special 7 course dinner for anyone lucky enough to get hold of a ticket. Albatross & Arnold’s Jonathan Green will be welcoming the Head Chef of Machine House Kevin Lynn to bring a night of amazing food and plenty of drinks. I hope that they both get on though because with two chefs in one kitchen – there could be a lot of stress there. Personally I can’t stand anyone being anywhere near me when I’m cooking, and anyone who gets caught in my wrath will usually end up getting a bit of a kicking. I’m sure they’ll be fine though.
