Welcome to MURMUR, hello@murmurmcr.com Manchester’s monthly guide to radical, independent & inclusive goings-on. Subscribe to our newsletter to receive a digital copy of MURMUR, extended articles, reviews on gigs, zines, places to eat and some literary surprises. www.murmurmcr.com
L I S T E N THU 05 12
Coby Sey at
The White Hotel
• Master of the teeth Coby Sey’s work intertwines elements of hip hop, postpunk and drone, samples, reshapes and moulds - moving the listener into higher spheres. For fans of Tirzah, Mica Levi, Klein and Kwes. Get tuned in with Derek Jarman’s surrealist super 8 short, In The Shadow Of The Sun, soundtracked by Throbbing Gristle. £8/10 OTD, 7.30 - 11.30pm
FRI 06 12
A Very BARRY Christmas at
The Peer Hat
• Barry - This queer quartet have travelled from their London town to brave the Manchester weather and wow you with their jangly guitar pop. Prepare to be further dazzled along with a killer guest list including All Girls Arson Club, JEUCE, Fruit Tones and more. All proceeds (after venue hire and paying the musician workers!) goes towards funding a brand new DIY space in Manchester. £5, 8pm - 3am
THU 12 12
Art School Live at
Holden Gallery
• When art-garage meets experimental weirdo-pop. Bunny Hoova and The Birthmarks play a free gig in the art school’s intimate (tinyish) film room. Book for no dosh to save yourself a spot! FREE, 7.30 - 9.15pm
SAT 14 12
Loose Articles EP Launch at
Aatma
• Fall-ian new wave powerhouse Loose Article celebrate the release of their first EP, and we’re all invited! As if the Loose Article power wasn’t magnificent enough they bring along their inimitable girl-pals The Red Stains and DIY darlings All Girls Arson Club to bring down the glass ceiling. £3, 7 - 11.30pm
SAT 14 12
All Night Flight 2019 EOY Party at
All Night Flight Records
• Stockport’s treasure chest for exciting and inspiring new records gifts you an afternoon of low-fi DJ sets in a friendly atmosphere. Stay for the live set of very special soiree guest A New Line (Related) in the evening. Let the end of year reminiscing commence! FREE, 2 - 11pm
SAT 28 12
Gardenback & Friends at
Gullivers
• Oldham’s Garage boys Gardenback invite us to their (post-)festive work do to shake off the brussel sprouts dust and regain energies for the new year. Support comes from Manc garage punk outfit The Be Positives. £6, 7.30 - 11pm
D A N C E FRI 06 12
Fatty Acid - Aggressively Queer, Radically Tender at
Partisan
• Partisan’s LGBTQIA+ night is back, taking over both floors to bring you radical queer fun! With performances downstairs and a super chill out section upstairs, it’s sure to be a fabulous night! Expect a make-up station and dressing room, Speed friending, and DRAG (of course!). £3.75 - £7.08, 6pm - 4am
SAT 07 12
WET Play Drenchmas at
The White Hotel
• This splash will be a groovy affair, with hot live music stuff from Ruf Kutz babes See Thru Hands and Boiler Room legend and Rhythm Section founder Bradley Zero. Peace and Wetness to everyone - please stay hydrated. £8/MOTD, 23:59pm - 6am
FRI 13 12
Momentum Xmas Party at
Peer Hat
• We’ll ignore the ominous date and hope we have something to celebrate! But whatever happens this election there will be music (Oort Clod, Bunny Hoova), DJs (Italia Disco, Parker Bros), art (D. L. Parker) as well as a talk by the golden-mouthed Patrick T. Davies. Here’s hoping for a better future this Xmas! Donations, 7pm - 3am
FRI 20 12
All Hands on Deck EOY Party! at
The Old Abbey Taphouse
• Manchester's DJ collective for women and non-binary folx are throwing one of their legendary parties. The event is FREE but the AHOD team will ask for donations to gather some dosh for their travel fund for workshop and open deck participants on low income. Warning: there will be lots of hugging. FREE (donations), 9pm - 1am
TUE 31 12
Aatma New Year’s Eve Party Against Homelessness at
Aatma
• Brought to you by Atrocity Exhibition, this party will feature an all-star cast including MURMUR favourites The Starlight Magic Hour, bunny hoova, the Early Mornings and more. With the noticeable rise in homelessness, and in the spirit of the holidays, the organisers have pledged to donate all proceeds to homeless charities. Make sure to do your bit and bring your unwanteds! TBC, 7.30pm - 4am
TUE 31 12
SAT 14 12
Partisan NYE Party at
Partisan Repair Cafe #1
Partisan
• Partisan is throwing a NYE party with the indefatigable All Hands on Deck. Expect all the fun that comes with throwing shapes on the dance floor and general silliness mixed with the friendly and welcoming environment that our favourite safe-space Co-op is famous for. Don’t forget the staff are volunteers and, if you can, lend a hand! £15 - £16.67, 10pm - 6am
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TUE 03 12
Manchester Coffee Archive #8 All The Honey at
Takk Tariff St
• Have you ever wondered how much you can actually know about coffee? Well the MCA, a crowd-sourced archive of coffee beans, is the thing for you! MCA curates selections of its repository with the local community. This time learn about the Honey Process, in which the coffee cherries ‘goo’ is left on the bean during the drying process. You’ll have to attend to find out more! FREE, 6.30 - 9pm
SAT 07 12
Small Fry: The Re-Fry at
Foundation Coffee House
• The Small Fry Collective brings you their second event: the Re-Fry! The afternoon will start with a FREE illustration print fair. Afterwards there will be ticketed talks by Thomas Harnett O’Meara, Caroline Dowsett, Derek Brazell, Jane Bowyer and Nicola Fernandes on animation, publishing, design and illustration. Stay for the after party with drinks and local DJs. FREE/£12 (talks), 3pm - late
WED 11 12
Let It Snow: Every Month’s Winter Carol Concert at
YES
• Join Every Month Manchester for this festive fundraiser for menstrual products for those in need. There will be a performance by She Choir (it is Xmas after all!), the University of Manchester’s Brass Band, DJs, a reading by poet Steph Lonsidale and a comedy set by Kiri Pritchard-McLean. Head on down, have a boogie, and get some merry menstrual merch! £10, 7.30 - 9.30pm (‘till 11pm Dj set)
• It happens to us all. There you are minding your own business when SWUSH! your favourite band t-shirt gets snagged on some rude sharp projection. Never fear! Drop in to Partisan’s first repair cafe where they will have buttons, patches and sewing machines to help you learn the skills to save your beloved garment. It won’t look new, but it’ll look DIY! Hot drinks available and a suggested donation of 3 quid (but noone will be turned away) £3 (suggested donation), 12pm - 4pm
SUN 15 12
WED 04 12
Check In, Check Out at
Working Man Gallery
• Triinu Jürves, Kaarel Kütas and Villem Jahu (all from Estonia) present their exhibition on their experience of living and working in the UK. With a focus on movement, space and interaction, the artists explore the negotiation of communication, traditions and logistics.
FREE, vernissage 6 - 10pm; SAT 07/14/21 12, 1 - 5 PM (or by appointment)
W O R D
Xmas Ceramics Sale and TUE 03 12 Open Studio Tuesday Talks: Noemi at 7 Spot Pottery at Islington Mill Smolik • Support your local artists this Christmas! 7 Spot Pottery is an open-access ceramics studio who organise workshops and classes to teach you all about the art of pottery. Their ceramics sale includes anything from mugs to jewellery, fruit bowls and sculptures, all made by their members and tutors. Come and find out more about them, and get your hands on some great, original Xmas gifts.
FREE, 11am - 5pm
Rambling Rebels: Cyanotype Workshop Partisan
• The Kinder Mass Trespass was one of the most important events in winning the right to roam the countryside. Everyone deserves to be able to enjoy a lovely hike! But since it’s raining now, why not head to Partisan instead and learn about the Trespass while also learning about the nineteenth century Cyanotype photographic process! Try it out yourself and go home with some prints too. It might get messy so don’t come in your Sunday best! £10, 1 - 3pm
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TUE 03 12
Panoply at
Partisan
• Head on down to Partisan to listen to eight University of Salford MA student artists talk about their practice. This panoply includes talks on painting, performance, visual art and sculpture. Enjoy this collection of artists and ideas with light refreshments and meet inspiring people! FREE, 2pm - 5pm
The Whitworth
• In collaboration with MMU, the Tuesday Talks host eminent artists and curators who explore the inspirations and influences within contemporary art. This week, the Whitworth welcomes Noemi Smolik, an art critic, curator and academic known for expertise on early 20th century Russian modern and avant-garde art. This promises to be an interesting talk, but arrive early to avoid not finding a seat! FREE, 11am - 12.30pm
SAT 14 12
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WED 04 12
Public Reading of Thomas Paine’s ‘Common Sense’ at
Working Class Movement Library
• Part of the Bones of Paine project, a response of art organisation Walk the Plank to the strange story surrounding the disappearance of the famous revolutionary’s bones (creepy!). As well as a FREE exhibition throughout the month at the Library, this event features American Studies students reading aloud what may just be the most effective political pamphlet ever written. FREE, 6.30 - 8pm
MON 09 12
WithinProv #1 at
Fuel
• Withington just gained a brand new improv night, a welcome addition to make those December days a little bit less grim. Hosted by Jon Martin, this improv night sees the best of Manchester comedy with the likes of Improv on Demand, known for their TV-themed sketch shows, and Absolute Onions, who improvise comedies inspired by karaoke songs of the audience’s choosing. Prepare for the unexpected! FREE, 7.30 - 10pm
Partisan Collective
• Poetry doesn’t need to be complicated, poetry is for all! With this motto in mind, join this new workshop at Partisan, designed to make you think creatively about how to read and write poetry. Experienced and inexperienced poets welcome. FREE, 7 - 9pm
WED 11 12
New Matter #5 at
Gullivers
• No Matter are back again bringing you the best in inclusive, queer and feminist poetry and performance. This is the fifth of six events with a commissioned performance by Jade Montserrat whose work explores, among other things, her black diasporic perspective in the North. There will also be performances by poets and writers Rachael Allen and Daisy Lafarge. Best of all, their work will be available at the book table! FREE, 7.30 - 10.30pm
MON 16 12
Verbose Xmas at
Fred Ale’s House
• Levenshulme’s most beloved literature night is fulfilling our literary needs a final time in 2019 with its very own Xmas special! Put on a fancy Christmas attire (there are prizes to be won), warm up with some of Fred’s fine fine ales and cheer on writers Sarah-Clare Conlon, Michael Brown and Sarah Jasmon to celebrate the Northern launch of Port, a new anthology that bundles poems and stories about harbours and havens. FREE, 7.30 - 10pm
THU 19 12
Winter Stories at
FUEL
• The last Sting in the Tale of the year brings you a potpourri of traditional tellers and stories from around the world (Andy Johnson, Sue Povall, Mary Rickett and Dave Brown). We’ve had a peek of their 2020 programme and we are extremely excited! Come along to polish your own storytelling skills and memorize your favourites for the festive period and long afternoons with family and friends. £5/7, 7.30pm - late
MON 02 12
FLIM NITE presents The Nightmare Before Christmas at
Gullivers
• This is not a film. This is a FLIM! Comedians, writers, musicians and theatre makers will act out, distort and retell certain scenes in 3-minute slots from this modern classic. Previously hosted at the Three Minute Theatre (R.I.P.) and now moved to Gullivers, this hodgepodge of anarchic fun is not one to miss. £3/5/10 (no one turned away), 7.30pm - 10pm
SAT 07 12
Ways of Seeing (1972) at
Partisan
• While the Partisan All Day Party is raging on downstairs, head upstairs to watch this masterful series presented by John Berger. Even if you’ve seen this classic work, it’s always worth rewatching as it pokes, prods and presents fascinating insights on ideology, art history, advertising and desire. The fantastic news is that the upstairs bar will be open with hard and soft drinks. FREE (Donations appreciated), 3pm 5.30pm
MON 09 12
Above The Line: I, Daniel Blake & Sorry We Missed You at
YES
• In the light of the upcoming General Election Above the Line’s choose to feature a Ken Loach double. Both films highlight the strains faced by people on low incomes, with the former known to reduce audience members to tears. In the spirit of things, donations will be asked for at the door for Lifeshare, who help homeless people in Manchester. FREE (Donations), 7 - 11pm
FRI 13 12
Slay Bells - Christmas Cabaret at
STUN Studio, Z-Arts
• Now if you’re looking for a truly fierce and festive winter surprise, Slay Bells is the night for you. Organised in collaboration with Black Gold Arts, this drag cabaret is ready to slay Christmas and you. £10/15, 7.15 - 10.15pm
Queer / Nature at
Portico Library
• This screening of hand-picked short films explore queer ecologies and landscape. What is natural? What is normal? Queer/Nature questions stereotypes and undermines our preconceptions about gender, bodies, the natural and unnatural. £5, 6.30 - 8.30pm
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Thai Kitchen No 6. at
T
Chapel Walks, Manchester
• Taken over the former 1842 space, this family-run business (grandmothers and aunts in the kitchen) provides fresh, tasty Thai food with a mix of vegan, vegetarian and meat options. All at a reasonable price in a friendly interior. P.S.: Get the Thai milk tea - it’s amazing! £
STALL by Grub at
KAMPUS, Aytoun Street
• Join Grub for their alternative to the Christmas markets. With 20 different traders, including ceramics and jewelry, there will be beer from Grub’s new bottle shop, Offy, mulled wine, hot cider and vegan alternatives to the usual market fare. FREE, every Friday, Saturday and Sunday until December 22
P O E M November 1st by Tom Branfoot The first day of November does not come crashing like a white-cap into breakwater; it drifts forth, folding into twelvemonth like egg whites. It shrinks to the sound of a faraway firework rippling through spume as stars float like bioluminescent ghosts, exhumed by eventide’s trawl. Beyond the sky, a sunken city: the land of sprits— deeper than the oceanic trench, where the stone-white whale carries eternity in its jaws.
Print Team Trident Press
at
W A T C H
Illustration Lisa Lorenz
Verse is Free: Poetry Workshop
THU 19 12
Editors Olivia Havercroft, Nicole Peeters, Huw Spencer, Tom Waring & George Odysseos Design Alina Jungclaus & Hendrik Schneider
TUE 10 12