Stockport – a sell-out hotspot for gigs in eclectic venues!
As Stockport continues to enjoy its tenure as Greater Manchester Town of Culture, and celebrates its amazing artistic talent, it is fast becoming a sell-out hotspot for gigs in a wide range of venues including a mill, an art gallery and a church!
Stockport Town of Culture has been supporting venues and artists to bring eclectic new music to Stockport in existing music venues & new music venues.
While Stockport already boasts amazing, existing facilities for both established and emerging performers, it is the more unusual sell-out settings that are proving popular and capturing the imagination of diverse artists and audiences.
Graham Gouldman – a sell out at Stockport War Memorial Art Gallery …
Stockport owns a rich, musical heritage; it was back in the seventies when Graham Gouldman, one of Britain’s most successful songwriters and one quarter of the Manchester band 10cc, ruled the airwaves. He was also one of the first financial investors in Stockport’s Strawberry Recording Studios and remained a partner and director in the Studio until the 1980s, helping to cement Stockport’s place as one of the key cultural centres in the country. When Graham announced that he was returning to the town that helped shape his, and many more fantastic artists of his era, it was no surprise that the November event was an immediate sell-out! Far removed from past times when thousands of fans packed huge concert halls and arenas, this intimate venue was the perfect setting for Graham to share experiences of his early days in Stockport interspersed with an acoustic performance of songs of special, personal significance.
GoGo Penguin – definitely not a run-of-the-mill performance!
Breaking away from the usual staged settings, ‘The Ark’ at Wellkin Mill proved a massive hit with Manchester’s acoustic-electronica trio, GoGo Penguin and the 150-strong sell-out audience who packed one of Stockport’s most recently unveiled musical venues. Owned and created by South City Studios, the new state-of-the-art pre-production studio at Welkin Mill is fast becoming a beacon for artistic innovation in the northwest.
Jeremiah Ferrari – another sell-out at the Blossoms
The pub that was the launch pad for home-grown band Blossoms has an exciting line-up planned for 2024. Mancunian punk reggae outfit Jeremiah Ferrari’s gig on the 16th March is another Stockport sell-out! Supported by Town of Culture, Leaf productions’ aim is to highlight and support the venues in Stockport that have been backing the ORIGINAL music scene in our town in recent times and, while tickets for both GoGo Penguins and Jeremiah Ferrari were immediately snapped up, they’ve still got a few more shows in the pipeline, including some HUGE acts, so book early!
With a whole host of other gigs and concerts happening in different spaces around Stockport in the next couple of months, keep visiting the Town of Culture website and make sure you don’t miss out on what looks like being more sell-out gigs for Stockport.
Coming soon!
Sea Fever (left) Live at St Mary’s – Friday January 26th
The latest Town of Culture sponsored initiative – Live at St Mary’s – is seeking to bring new live music to the historic and unique venue, St Mary’s Church in the Market Place. The first gig is Sea Fever. The five-piece collective will see Tom Chapman on bass, guitars, synths and programming and Phil Cunningham on guitars, joined by frontman Iwan Gronow (Haven, Johnny Marr) on vocals and guitars, alongside singer Beth Cassidy (Section 25), while powering the band’s pulsing beats is Elliot Barlow. The band will be supported by Kate Gambhir. Find out more on the Town of Culture website.
Tickets are on sale HERE
The Prestigious Benedetti Foundation
Stockport’s Music Service is hosting the prestigious Benedetti Foundation in Stockport. The Benedetti Sessions are 3-day workshops for school age string players, string teachers and primary classes taking place several times a year across the UK. They are high energy and high inspiration and by taking part, you will meet and work with some of the greatest music educators.
Battle of the Bands
The “Battle of the Bands” is a fantastic opportunity for local secondary school rock & pop bands to showcase what they have learned in school and perform in front of a live audience at The Spinning Top on 19th February. The winning band will be invited to represent Stockport in a Greater Manchester Rock and Pop Showcase that takes place at Manchester Academy on 17th March.
Learn new musical skills
Funded by Arts Council England, as part of our Town of Culture programme, a series of music workshops are taking place in February and March where people can learn new musical skills. Further details of this exciting programme will be revealed in early February.
More traditional concerts
During Stockport’s Town of Culture year, a diverse range of bands, performers, concerts and events are celebrating the Sounds of Stockport – selected to ensure there is something to suit everyone’s musical taste. Visit the Town of Culture website for full event listings.
Town of Culture Weekender – 22nd to 24th March
In celebration of Stockport’s year as Greater Manchester’s Town of Culture, the final weekend will include a 2-day packed programme featuring well-known and up-and-coming bands, artists, musicians, and performers – full details to be released soon!
Concerts will continue to take place across Stockport in March to tie in with the end of the Town of Culture programme including:
- Thursday 21 March: Stockport Music Centre, 5:00pm music centre concert – infant music makers.
- Friday 22 March: St Andrew’s church, Cheadle Hulme, 7:30pm strings concert.
- Monday 25 March: Venue tbc 7:00pm Rock School & Rock School senior concert.
- Tuesday 26 march: Venue tbc 7:00pm Junior Voices and Musical Theatre Concert.
- Wednesday 27 March: St Andrew’s church, Cheadle Hulme, 7:00pm Wind Bands & Jazz Club
Stockport’s year as Town of Culture ends in March, the legacy will live on!
The Strines Nightingale – an Easter Weekend of Acoustic Music
March 28th to April 1st
20 local artists | 8 local brewers | 5 days | Food traders | Market Stalls
Get your early bird tickets today from The Strines Nightingale
And there’s more!
Further concerts are planned in the summer term along with a music theatre group performance of High School Musical – already in rehearsal, look forward to seeing it on stage in July.
Keep up to date with all the fantastic events taking place by visiting Stockport Town of Culture
