Food: Neighbourhood Restaurant Opens, Tower 12, Spinningfields
Spinningfields latest restaurant opens and looks a good one. This comes from the owners of Southern Eleven and is based on a neighbourhood New York Restaurant - unsurprisingly given the name. Chef Gareth Jones seems to have some good ideas. He's already told Confidential about his crab-fried oysters. "These are fried in the shell, so the oysters are gently cooked at the bottom, the flavoursome crab mix (made with crab, eggs, red pepper, chilli and diced red onions) sits on top like a mousse, and it has a really crunchy Japanese breadcrumb topping. My other favourite is the lobster tacos – pieces of lobster claw in a fine beer batter, in a soft tortilla wrap, with a little bit of lettuce on the bottom, together with our own made red cabbage slaw, marinated in a sort of vinaigrette, with sweet pepper ketchup." Sounds excellent. We can't wait.
Gareth Jones
Music: Underachievers present The Lovely Eggs, Roadhouse - 30 November.
Underachievers have been quietly hosting some of the best live alternative nights in Manchester for over four years now. In that time they’ve had Hooded Fang, Male Bonding, Patterns, GREATWAVES and Chad VanGaalen pass through their doors to name a but a fraction. The last Underachievers of 2012 returns to The Roadhouse with The Lovely Eggs, a weird, wonderful and proper northern two-piece from Lancaster. As ever the club night follows the gig until 3am and all for £3 with a flyer, or £4 without. Click here.
The Lovely Eggs
Film: Breakfast At Tiffany’s, Whitworth Art Gallery, 30 November
Audrey Hepburn and George Peppard star in the glamorous classic adaptation of the novella by Truman Capote. It’s the story of a young struggling writer becoming intrigued by his new quirky socialite neighbour in a stylised New York setting. For those who’ve already seen it and for those more unfamiliar with the 1961 movie, Whitworth Gallery will be showing it in the last of the Sixties Britain movie nights. The film begins at 6.15pm with tickets priced at £5/6 which includes a glass of wine. More information can be found here.
Audrey Hepburn
Theatre: Arabian Nights, The Lowry, 30 November–12 January
In a faraway land in a distant time a young girl named Shahrazad longs to flee her hometown and it’s vengeful king. There was nothing she liked better than to read stories. The magical tales of One Thousand and One Nights are brought to life by Shahrazad to create a world of sorceresses, singing trees and flying men. Adapted from the famous folk tales, Dominic Cooke’s Arabian Nights is a richly imaginative, enthralling and funny delight for Christmas. The show opens this weekend with tickets priced between £9.50 and £14.50 with family ticket packages also available from here.
Arabian Nights
Drink: Three Wine Men Wine Festival, MOSI, 1-2 December
The Three Wine men will be encouraging you to drink and be merry by bringing gold, frankincense and Merlot to the Museum of Science and Industry this weekend. The three men in question are rosy cheeked television wine aficionados Oz Clarke, Olly Smith and Tim Aitkin. These three fermented grape lovers are on tour to get the whole country into tasting and appreciating new wines and different foods. There are three sessions with additional talks across the two days with tickets priced at £20. Further information and tickets can be found here.
Three Wine Men
Music: The Ravonettes, Sound Control – 1 December
Alphabeat, Infernal, Aqua – Denmark has a few black spots in its pop music history for which it should apologise to the world. Among its colourful Europop forays though are a handful of artists that have more deserved longevity. Formed in Copenhagen ten years ago The Ravonettes are now touring in support of their sixth album Observator. The irresistible pop hooks are still present but buried beneath layers of reverb and distortion as an ode to their beloved Velvet Underground and Jesus and Mary Chain. Tickets for this event are priced at £12.75 and are available here before it sells out.
The Raveonettes
Arts: Christmas Craft Fair, Whitworth Art Gallery – 1 December
The infamous syndicate The Manchester Craft Mafia are here to make you an offer you can’t refuse – free entry to their Christmas Craft Fair. This Saturday from 10am–4pm Whitworth Art Gallery will host over twenty stalls of contemporary handmade arts and crafts made by some of Manchester’s craftiest creatives. With a special Christmas theme there will be plenty on offer as an early festive gift or maybe just a present to treat yourself.
Christmas Craft Fair
Music: The Wall Of Sounds Conference, Band On The Wall – 2 December
This free half day event is all about helping musicians to find new ways of making it in the modern music industry. Starting at noon the event will consist of key speakers, panels and workshops from industry experts. As well as networking with music business professionals and other musicians the event will be followed by BoTW’s traditional Sunday Acoustic Session in the Picturehouse Bar. To apply for tickets click here.
Band On The Wall
Shopping: Salford Creative Hub Stall City, Kingston Mill – 2 December
Instead of fighting your way through the Christmas shopping crowds on Market Street, Salford’s Creative Hub has an alternative retail prospect. A huge amount of independent retailers will be taking over the beautiful Victorian Kingston Mill on Cobden Street. Wares on offer will include men’s and women’s screen printed clothing, re-worked handmade clothing, jewellery and a pop-up tea room. The event will also be sound tracked by DJs from Idiosync and Project 13. Entry is free with doors opening at 11am. For more details check the Facebook page.
Kingston Mill
