It's been a busy few months for Manchester's music scene. We've just wrapped up the best from October, which spanned spell-binding electronic duos at Yes, dream-pop at Gorilla and some raucous rockers at the Academy.
Now, we know the clocks have gone back and the nights are beginning to draw in, so making the call on whether to venture out into the cold is a bit more tricky, but the team here at the M.E.N. have been busy finding the best gigs taking place this November - the ones worth leaving the house for for.
From the return eclectic Bristol-based five piece Ishmael Ensemble blending elements of jazz, electronic and dub, and the fun-loving Aussie, Courtney Barnett, known for their witty lyrics and gritty vocals, to the Arizona native Taylor Upsahl - known synonymously as UPSAHL - who is taking both the internet and the music industry by storm, there's something for all tastes this November.
Read more: Reviewed: Manchester's best small gigs in October 2022
So, here we have it: the Manchester Evening News' top picks for the gigs you need to go to in October.
Kojey Radical - Albert Hall - November 1
The 2022 release, Reason to Smile, was almost a decade in the making for Kojey Radical . And it appears the album has been worth the wait, being hailed as one of the year's best to date.
Heavy funk bass lines are reminiscent of a heavier D'Angelo, and features from Masego provide a silky vocal next to Kojey Radical's anthemic bars. The east London rapper prefers the title of artist and it's not hard to see why - the genre-blend he achieves of hip-hop, neo-soul and jazz takes some crafting.
If the attention to detail so evident in this album is anything to go by, a performance bringing that record to life should be quite something to behold.
Cat Power - Albert Hall - November 3
Chan Marshall's latest covers album as Cat Power arrived earlier this year, following 2000s The Cover Record and 2008s Jukebox, and offers a raw, intimate and holistic collection of songs engineered to soothe both the artist and listener.
Clearly no stranger to a cover, Marshall's deconstruction of songs from artists including Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Jackson Browne, the Replacements and Billie Holiday form the backbone of her latest record. Though she's also dipped into the Cat Power back catalogue, covering Hate from the 2006 album, The Greatest, as Unhate.
Showcasing her singular chronicling of the constantly evolving American songbook - including some of her own additions - Marshall's much anticipated appearance at Albert Hall will surely serve as a further reminder of the artists intuitive power and knack for reinvention.
Ishmael Ensemble - White Hotel - November 8
Bristol-based band Ishmael Ensemble blend elements of jazz, electronic and dub to create an energetic and eclectic sound. Their latest album, Visions of Light , jumps around these genres mixing mellow moments in with toe-tapping tunes.
Appearing at Salford's White Hotel as part of a five-date UK tour, this is the first time the five-piece have played live since the summer where they featured on several festival line ups, including We Out Here and Glastonbury. Since then, they've released a new single, The Rebuke , which saxophonist and producer Pete Cunnigham says draws inspiration from drum and bass and jungle records he spent his teenage years playing at local warehouse parties and quarry raves in the mid-noughties – a period he says has not previously been referenced so distinctly by the band that began as a bedroom project.
The track is typical of the the band, who have become part of the thriving UK jazz scene. Blurring the boundaries of electronic music, their songs are reminiscent of Bonobo whose live performances set a high standard for this genre.
But unlike the Warehouse Project-headlining seven-album star whose career spans three decades, this show will be small. The several-hundred capacity venue hidden on a Salford industrial estate offers the perfect place to host this performance. You can still get tickets from as little as £11 here.
Joe Hicks - Castle - November 9
A session guitarist by trade, Joe Hicks is now embarking on a string of UK and German gigs in support of his debut album. The singer-songwriter released The Best I Could Do at the Time in September, combining pop, blues and folk influences while lyrically exploring the highs and lows of life.
Recorded at Studio 91 in his home town of Newbury, Joe worked with producer Sam Winfield (Amber Run, Fickle Friends, Robin Trower, Only Sun) to perfect his first LP. But it was 2017 when he dropped his first single, crafted off the back of a soul-searching trip to a Cornish Airbnb garage - with no internet or phone signal.
Since, Joe has garnered extensive radio play across the country, built up three-million Spotify streams and has frequented both the British and European festival scenes. He’s also supported the likes of Sam Fender, James Walsh and Starsailor on tour.
He's a performer not to be missed at Castle this month, and you can find tickets for a tenner here.
Courtney Barnett - Albert Hall - November 11
The fun-loving Aussie known for witty lyrics and gritty vocals returns to Manchester following a series of festivals over the summer. She gained a Grammy nomination after releasing her first album Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit. .
The critically acclaimed debut features some of Courtney Barnett 's best stuff, including Pedestrian at Best. . But the Melbourne-based maiden maintained momentum with her second album, Tell Me How You Really Feel , which followed a collaboration with Kurt Vile called Lotta Sea Lice .
Now touring her third album, Things Take Time, Take Time , is well established within the indie rock scene and beyond. Embarking on a European tour before returning to Australia, the prolific performer returns from a series of shows across North America as part of her self-curated touring festival ‘Here And There’, featuring a rotating line-up of impressive artists.
British punk trio Big Joanie, who will be supporting her at Manchester's Albert Hall, will be sure to set the tone for this one. You can pick up tickets from £25 here.
Beach Bunny - Ritz - November 12
Toting a haul of ditties that have made the big time on TikTok and a couple of albums to boot, Beach Bunny have had a busy couple of years cementing themselves as the voices of wistful, dreadfully online Gen Z-er. Combining charming melodies and hooks with heartfelt heartache, band leader Lili Trifilio has struck a chord the world over.
But while tracks like 'Cloud 9' have been near inescapable on the clock app, the band are heading out on tour with a new record. Live performances showing off their album Emotional Creature, released earlier this year, will be their chance to turn their social media success into a reality.
Their sold out Manchester show is proof they have a loyal crowd of fans who have likely spent the past couple of years consuming Beach Bunny's music in 30 second bouts, probably while scrolling in bed at 2am. This gig promises to be a long-awaited, cathartic release of all that - and a reminder that those teenage-esque diary entries don't stop just because you're in your 20s.
black midi - New Century Hall - November 13
This experimental rock band from London is not for those looking for easy listening. To the uninitiated, it might just be noise.
But the talent exemplified by each of the members of black midi is exceptional and impressive, if nothing more. They are also entertaining with enigmatic lyrics on their three LPs while live, they just seem to enjoy themselves wherever they play.
Now on their third album in four years, Hellfire is their weirdest work yet. Featuring more instruments, musical styles and time signatures than ever before, the second album since guitarist Matt Kwasniewski-Kelvin started his hiatus is intense.
The remaining three members will play in five countries in November before travelling to Tokyo for a final show of 2022. The band's appearance Manchester's newest venue will no doubt be memorable, not least because they sound absolutely mad.
Maruja - Yes (Basement) - November 18
Maruja could well be the best new band in Manchester, depending on your taste. One fan described the four-piece as ‘jazz with b******s’ to the M.E.N., and one listen will make one realise why they’ve said that.
A genuinely — as painful as it is to use this phrase — multi-layered outfit who combine well-thought jazz with innovative post-punk, Maruja are playing their first ever headline show in Yes’ basement on November 18. It’s set to be an evening full of atmosphere and one which oozes cool.
There’s a lot still to be decided in Maruja’s future, but at the moment their first few releases do inspire that belief that they can make it. Enjoy it for a mere £8 while they still have that new band smell.
UPSAHL - The Deaf Institute - November 18
Arizona native Taylor Upsahl - known synonymously as UPSAHL - is taking both the internet and the music industry by storm.
Since her single Drugs - a sassy, striking hit about partying in LA - went viral on TikTok, this underrated pop artist has finally begun getting the credit she deserves. A songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, UPSAHL has previously written for the likes of Dua Lipa, Anne Marie and Little Mix.
Her own debut album Lady Jesus , released last autumn, vents the frustrations of dating, break-ups and figuring life out in your early twenties. Catchy and angsty, it makes for a cathartic sing-along while boasting melodies you can really dance to.
But UPSAHL’s latest track, Into My Body, sees her enter a whole new era. Instead of venting outwards the singer, from Phoenix, delves inwards for some self reflection and the space to heal.
Fresh off an American and Australian tour, Upsahl is heading to The Deaf Institute this November, before touring the rest of Europe.. With a new EP on the horizon, the singer will be treating fans to a glimpse of her unreleased music as she plays six dates in the UK.
The future is bright for this star - so catch her while you can!
The Umlauts - Yes (Basement) - November 22
You might expect The Umlauts to be from Germany originally, but they’re actually from London. That’s doubly surprising, though, after a first listen to the group.
They combine some of the highest-energy elements of Euro-pop, with plenty of invention lyrically. They’ve had a minor hit, too with the track ‘Boiler Suits & Combat Boots’.
Yes’ basement feels like the perfect place for the group to play at the moment. The Umlauts are fresh or releasing their first EP, Another Fact, and look to be one of the cult favourites of tomorrow.
Sudan Archives - Band on the Wall - November 24
Self taught violinist Brittney Parks cuts through heavy R&B beats with hypnotic strings – that's her signature. As Sudan Archives , the american singer, songwriter and producer creates a mesmerising soundscape, but exudes a spicy attitude.
Her first album Athena looks and feels classy while retaining that hip hop rawness. Her second album Natural Brown Prom Queen , released earlier this year, is mature and, at the same time, fun – but its songs are anything but simple in structure.
Originally from Ohio, Parks began playing violin in the fourth grade, learning by ear. A student of ethnomusicology, she found African violinists bring the party, whereas in a western concert music setting, the violin is seen as 'such a serious instrument'.
This tells you so much about the artist's inspiration and sets an expectation of a high energy performance on the final show of her European tour which ends in Manchester. If her albums are anything to go by, Band on the Wall will be bouncing.
Yard Act - Ritz - November 25
This Leeds quartet have had nothing short of a meteoric rise over the last two years. Their snarling post-punk album was a delicious dismantling of post-Brexit Britain and earned them a worthy spot on the Mercury Prize shortlist.
Best showcased in tracks like '100% Endurance', Yard Act are laced with distinctly northern humour but unafraid of truly touching moments, made all the more sweet by their sparing use. A surprise outing in Manchester this summer (a last-minute replacement for Wet Leg supporting Foals at Sounds of the City) proved to be a winning combination, filled with feelings of a band at the start of an exciting ride.
Their sold out Ritz show this November has just been followed by a date at the Albert Hall next year - this time selling out in a matter of days. Tickets are hard to come by for this band on the road to something special, so if you manage to catch trench coat-cladded frontman James Smith marching across a stage near you... lucky, lucky you. Keep an eye out for last minute resale tickets here.
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