As well as the many previews and premieres, intros and launches, the HOMEwarming weekend will also boast a spectacular showcase of live music and DJs to celebrate our venue and event programme, and to keep you entertained as you get to know our beautiful new building. Come and hang out with us for the weekend…
After the exciting launch events on Thursday evening with patron Danny Boyle, carnival arts troupe Juba do Leão and pyrotechnics from pa-Boom, audiences are welcomed into the building where the live music continues with Manchester’s own Galivantes, performing their uplifting brand of Balkan-pirate-ska– or should that be gypsy-folk-reggae? Either way, we promise they’ll keep you in the carnival spirit to celebrate our first at-home theatre production The Funfair.
Friday will see the launch of our first gallery exhibition The heart is deceitful above all things with accompanying short story collection, Transactions of Desire. We’ll be feeling the love that day, so HOME will be filled with the music of passion, heartache and desire.
Early evening in the foyer you can hear the astonishing voices of the Manchester Sing Out Choir, lending powerful interpretations to songs of love from Motown to movie soundtracks to pop. In the first floor restaurant we welcome more home-grown talent in the shape of singer-songwriter Ione and her love band. Fresh from her work with the Beth Orton Wall of Sound Artistic Director Series, Ione performs a mix of soulful torch songs, both self-penned and classic interpretations, with a voice to die for. More incredible songwriting follows with Najia Bagi, performing delicate and brooding guitar-vocal arrangements to make you think and feel. The Vintage 78 DJs will play the best of love songs from the 1920s to the 1960s, selected from their enviable collection of original 78rpm shellac discs. To close the evening with a bang, the Quentin Tarantino-obsessed A Band Apart play their full-on energetic set of Tarantino movie music in a good old-fashioned knees-up wedding style.
Saturday night is party night, and the awesome Dr Butler’s Hatstand Medicine Band kick off your evening with foot-tapping speakeasy vibes in the first floor restaurant. Then it’s back-to-back DJ action till late with music crusaders Pasta Paul (Kosmonaut), Blasha & Allatt (Meat Free) and Duncan Wallis of Dutch Uncles. Expect a fun and eclectic musical journey from some of our city’s finest DJs. Stay late with us and party…!
The full HOMEwarming weekend programme is available here.