Halloween
All week
Probably the biggest thing this week is good old Halloween, a time of the year where, as Mean Girls so rightly told us, people can get dressed up in next to nothing, add some cat ears and then go out and go absolutely ape shit at a party. There’s a massive long jock-off list of things going on all around the city and further afield – which I very nicely condensed into a list right here for your reading pleasure….
Mood Swings & Proper Sound: The Brexorcism ft. Foreign Beggars
Saturday 26th October
A certain lovely lady will be attending this night at Rebellion this Saturday so I thought I’d include it in my things to do. I should mention that while it’s going on, I’ll be sat at home probably watching Robocop and eating a really big bag of Twiglets, but for all of the people who aren’t complete losers – this will be a biggie. That’s because it’ll be the last ever Manchester show for Foreign Beggars – so if you’re a fan you should get down and see ’em.
In Conversation with Margaret Atwood @ The Lowry
Sunday 27th October
You wouldn’t know it if you spoke to me, or saw me or indeed read anything that I write but I am actually a big book guy – occasionally ditching Robocop on DVD for reading a racy Mills & Boon on the sofa. Imagine my surprise and excitement then when I discovered that Margaret Atwood would be at The Lowry this Sunday – a woman responsible for some of the best books I’ve ever read. Of course, there’s The Handmaid’s Tale but she also wrote the brilliant ‘The Blind Assassin’, as well as the impressive Alias Grace and loads more, as well as plenty of poetry and the odd bits of drawing. She’s brilliant and this will be too.
Harry Potter Bottomless Cinema
Sunday 27th October
I’ve never been a Harry Potter geezer so I’ll try and wrap this up quickly before I make a complete fool of myself by getting someone’s name wrong or something. Basically, this lot are showing all of the Harry Potter films over the next month or so and this week it’s time for The Chamber of Secrets – one that I know next to nothing about except that they all look dead young in it. The best thing about this screening is that you get bottomless booze with it. Bottomless booze makes ANYTHING better.
Car Boot Beer Garden 2 @ The Beech Inn
Sunday 27th October
As a man whose father ran a car boot sale every single Sunday throughout his childhood, I consider myself to be a true expert on them, particularly in the arts of rummaging and haggling. Nothing beats a bloody good car boot and so you’ll definitely find me wandering around this little beauty on Sunday morning, face caked in Twiglets dust and a sweaty fiver in my hand. It’s all for charity too so as you’re buying a vintage 1987 Ford Fiesta for 75p – you can be safe in the knowledge that you will be doing something nice for people less fortunate that yourself.
On Your Feet! @ Palace Theatre
From Monday 28th October
This is a new musical telling the true story of Emilio and Gloria Estefan, charting their journey from the streets of Miami right up to international fame and fortune. I was asked this week who Gloria Estefan was and not only did I feel immense anger I also felt very, very old. Obviously, the whole story will be set to all of their music, of which ‘1-2-3’ is by far the best. I once listened to it over and over to stop myself falling asleep while driving back from Bristol so I know all the words. Useless piece of information there. Sorry.
Quingo Stranger Things Halloween Special @ Electrik
Tuesday 29th October
For Halloween, the team over at Quingo headquarters have devised a Stranger Things themed event – and they’ll be showcasing it this Tuesday at Electrik. In case you’ve never heard of it, Quingo is a mash-up of a quiz and bingo and it’s bloody brilliant. Stanger Things too – that’s also really rather good – especially the first season and the last season. Maybe not so much the second season. Oh, and Steve’s hair. I want Steve’s hair.
Pumpkin Carving & Rum Tasting @ BAB
Wednesday 30th October
It’s never a good idea to mix knives with alcohol… unless it’s Halloween and you’re pumpkin carving of course! Get yourself down to BAB this Wednesday and not only can you get carving a face into a big bit of fruit, you can also enjoy everyone’s favourite alcohol – RUM. They’ve teamed up with Manchester Still Rum to bring an evening of tasters and rum cocktails alongside frustrating carving and lots and lots of seeds. Should be brilliant.
Surco’s Spooky Takeover @ Hatch
Thursday 31st October
I was chatting to Scott from Surco last week and as well as being a bloody handsome bastard he’s also a talented bugger – that’s probably why we get on so well to be fair – very similar. Anyway, he was telling me about his Halloween bash over at Hatch this week, a FREE gig which he assured me will be an absolute blast. They’ve never let the people of Manchester down on that front so you can be assured that it’ll be excellent and you’ll have a jolly good time.
Manchester MMU Vintage Clothing Sale
Thursday 31st October
Are you looking for a new outfit? Does your wardrobe need a bit of a spruce up? Are you sick and tired of wearing the same old clobber all the time? Well fear not, the good people at Man Met are hosting a Vintage Clothing Sale this week where you can pick up all sorts of clothing items and accessories for next to nothing. All items are guaranteed to be under £15, yes £15. It sounds great – I’ll definitely be there – grabbing what I can so that I can then get it all on Depop for 3x the price.
Blade Runner + Vangelis disco @ The Talleyrand
Friday 1st November
Another film for you here, but it’s a lot different than that Harry Potter rubbish. Over in Levenshulme they’ll be screening Blade Runner, and then following it up with a Vangelis disco afterwards. The film will be projected onto their 12-foot screen so you’ll see Harrison Ford’s craggy face dead close, as well as Rutger Hauer’s butch body in all of its super close-up HD glory. It’s free too!
A World Vegan Day Tap-takeover @ Beatnikz Republic
Friday 1st November
Next week is World Vegan Day and people all over the world will be celebrating the fact that they are better than the rest of us because they have the will power not to eat big hunks of beef and chew cheese in bed at 7pm. Also celebrating will be Beatnikz in the Northern Quarter as they host a vegan tap-takeover – featuring an impressive array of vegan alternative beers. There’s a Maple Pecan Stout, there’s a Guava and Passion Fruit Berliner Weisse, there’s even a Blueberry Gose! If you know what all of that means – you’re going to love it.
Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (ABBA After Midnight) @ The Deaf Institute
Friday 1st November
I’m only including this night at The Deaf Institute because 1. Everyone loves ABBA and 2. It gives me an excuse to put this playlist into my things to do…
