It's been an unusual November. It was nearly 20 degrees at the start of the month, then the World Cup began in spectacularly controversial fashion.
In the midst of all that, we've had a relatively new Prime Minister and Monarch, too. Thank God there's been one constant.
That, of course, is Manchester's music scene pumping out the goods. Our crack team of reviewers - filled with vim, vigour, and a dangerous amount of caffeine - have been out and about getting the best live shows the city's had to offer.
READ MORE: Eurythmics lyrics heard from Night & Day in neighbouring flat, council claims in court
The eight shows which have earned our praise below include electronic majesty in a former MOT garage, subtle moments of meaning in humourous songwriting in a former chapel, and genre-jumping goodness in a former music venue... which has just re-opened as a music venue.
So, here are the top picks for the best of November 2022...
Cat Power - Albert Hall - November 3
Bathed in dark light, Cat Power aka Chan Marshall took to the stage, a cup of tea and a glass of wine in each hand - a sure sign as any that it was time to settle in. There's nothing quite like a Cat Power cover version, and her appearance at Manchester's Albert Hall reaffirmed the power and depth of her finest interpretations of other's music and her own back catalogue.
Devastating, melancholic and dreamlike - her songs are a balm for never-ending autumnal days. The ethereal Say meanders into a rendition of ( I Can't Get No) Satisfaction, while the Pogue' A Pair of Brown Eyes wakens the audience.
Chan and her three-piece also indulge loyal fans with her own material - though of course, in true Cat Power style - with a twist, as her rendition of Hate , now Unhate, demonstrates, moving those next to me in the crowd to tears - the darkness and emotion palpable.
It felt like the set could end on Wild Is The Wind , a song covered by Nina Simone and David Bowie before her, but Chan keeps the surprises coming, capping the night off with a shattering take on The Greatest - there's plenty more of us shedding a tear now.
Ishmael Ensemble - White Hotel - November 8
A red mist descends on the small industrial unit in Salford and the saxophone starts playing. The crowd stays silent for most of Ishmael Ensemble 's White Hotel set - except for the occasional woop during Wax Werk - but the audience is not bored, it's just attentive.
The delicate vocals of Holysseus Fly guides the guitar, drums and bass in this band, while the saxophone, synth and keys give the group its distinctive 'Jazzwise Electronica' sound.
In many ways, this Bristol-based band sounds like Bonobo, emulating the electronic bassy beats of the Brighton-born star, just more jazzily. But this humble band is just beginning.
Producer Pete Cunningham repeatedly remarks on his surprise that so many people turned up to the tiny warehouse space on a Tuesday night. "Don't worry," he says. "We'll be back."
Courtney Barnett - Albert Hall - November 11
Black feminist punk band Big Joanie warms up the crowd with messages of solidarity for the marginalised. But when Courtney comes on, her wittily-written songs do all the talking.
Dressed in white, the Aussie star struts onto the undecorated Albert Hall stage with her three bandmates, simply waving before going straight into her songs. The left-handed guitarist's strange strumming technique stands out, together with her large strides during guitar solos.
Simplicity is the singer-songwriter's style, but her energy is contagious. Everyone is standing in the circle above, and Courtney eventually waves at those dancing behind her in the wings.
"I love this venue. Who was here in 2018?" she asks. "It's good to be back." But something about this latest performance feels more poignant, particularly when everyone sings along to Depreston , leaving Courtney lost for words. "Wow," she says. "That was beautiful singing."
Beach Bunny - Ritz - November 12
'If you've never been in a mosh pit and it looks intriguing to you, you're at a Beach Bunny show... so no one's going to punch you'. This American indie quartet have already charmed legions of fans on TikTok, who use their falling-in-love-leads-to-inevitable-heartbreak anthems as a score for their 30-second video bursts.
Lead singer Lili Trifilio is no different when she's not being heard as the faceless maestro of millions of lives led online. She earnestly conducted an adoring crowd through a sugary-sweet set of their most well-known hits - Prom Queen , Cloud 9 and Sports.
Despite their penchant for a song or two verging on the saccharine, the band did a genuinely heartwarming job at directing their young fans on how to get down at a gig, including how to create a mini-mosh pit to the track Painkiller on the Ritz's sprung floor . For many of them, this will have been their first gig after a couple of years of pandemic-cancelled shows.
Beach Bunny have been streamed on Spotify hundreds of millions of times, but you unless you're on the clock app, you'd be forgiven for never having run into them. And that success is justified, they've got some genuine star power in their frontwoman.
Proudly toting a 'Prom Queen' sash gifted to her by an audience member, Lili bared her soul, as she does in her lyrics, and told of how only hours before the band's Manchester show, she 'was walking by the Christmas markets and getting super emo'. If that's not relatable to every last one of us, I don't know what is.
black midi - New Century Hall - November 13
An announcer introduces the band as if a boxing match is about to begin. The set up is simple - drums, keys, guitar and bass - but the musical style of black midi is anything but.
This genre-jumping experimental collective of musicians are professional, but silly, while the mad ramblings throughout are at times terrifying. The set is tight, including Christmas tunes.
Fortunately, the dance floor at New Century Hall is sprung, but you can't help question whether it can withstand the force of hundreds of people jumping at once. The smell of sweat - a symptom of the audience's energy - surrounds the recently-reopened venue.
"Stay quiet and respectful," the crowd are told. "Have fun, but not too much." Yeah, right…
UPSAHL - The Deaf Institute - November 18
Bursting onto the stage in a flash of black and red, UPSAHL asks the crowd to deliver on one thing - to rage with her tonight.She jumps right into opening track Lady Jesus, working The Deaf Institute’s stage with powerful prowess from the off.
The 24-year-old’s pop-drenched songs have a rockier sound live, thanks to the addition of a guitarist and drummer.This could be heard especially in the track Monica Lewinsky. It samples Bill Clinton’s infamous quote: “I did not have sexual relations with that woman, Ms. Lewinsky” - which, naturally, the crowd sang along to.
To witness UPSAHL, from Arizona, jumping and dancing across the stage while maintaining pitch-perfect vocals was incredible.She treated hardcore fans to a rendition of older track Stressed which was well received and even threw in a cover of Dominic Fike’s 3 Nights.
An encore saw the energy burn even brighter.UPSAHL said she wanted us to rage with her - and she meant it. Climbing into the crowd for final track Lunatic, the singer became one with her fans - making their nights as she sang and danced with them.
The post-gig blues hit hard the next day.
Sudan Archives - Band on the Wall - November 24
Bringing back the Britney mic, American singer-songwriter and violinist Brittney Parks, better known as Sudan Archives , blew away an audience at Band On The Wall. Dressed in a black leotard and sporting a blonde mullet with long dreadlocks, the US star has had a glow up.
Unlike her latest album Natural Brown Prom Queen which is perfectly produced, this live performance was anything but clean. Days earlier, she lost her voice in Dublin and the night before she was due to perform in Manchester, her London show had to be postponed.
Luckily, the 'rock doctor' prescribed some steroids that hit the spot in time for her trip up North. The autotuned vocal effects were perhaps exaggerated for this reason, but the energy was raw and reciprocated by the crowd which she joined, stepping off stage during the set.
The distinctive stringed riffs in her songs were played on loops or pre-recorded, giving her the freedom to freestyle throughout her set and, at times, conduct the crowd with her bow. Later, the self-taught violinist treated the crowd to a traditional Irish jig on her fiddle too.
Her stage presence - and the perseverance to actually be on stage that night - are signs of a superstar in the making. To see her on such a small stage felt strange, but certainly special.
Pale Waves - Albert Hall - November 25
Leather clad in feather trim evening gloves, Heather Baron-Gracie is well and truly in her villain era as she steps onto the grand stage of the Albert Hall surrounded by stained glass windows and decorative architecture. Pale Waves, which formed in Manchester in 2014, returned to the city for a homecoming gig, and felt stronger than ever.
Heather, Ciara, Hugo, and Charlie shot to fame in 2017 after releasing their debut single There’s A Honey with Dirty Hit, going on to support The 1975 on their North American tour, winning the NME Under the Radar Award the following year.
Over the years, Pale Waves have really grown into their own skin, getting comfortable with it, particularly with Ciara coming out as non-binary and Heather opening up about her sexuality and mental health in recent interviews. As a result, the Pale Waves gig is a safe space for members of the LGBTQ+ community, and those who have found solace in their indie rock back catalogue when battling tough times.
The band opened with Lies and You’re So Vain before offering a live debut of You Don’t Own Me from their latest studio album Who Am I? But they didn’t just stick to their latest material either, throwing in Television Romance and There’s A Honey - some of their best-loved hits that serve as a reminder of how far this band has really come.
The irony of playing She’s My Religion in a Grade II listed chapel was not lost on Heather or the audience, as she shouted: “That’s homophobic” after Hugo suffered a guitar mishap and had to pop off stage while the band took a selfie with the packed-out crowd. A fan threw two LGBTQ+ flags on stage, which Heather and Ciara wrapped around themselves with pride for the performance.
Having seen Pale Waves a number of times over the years now, I’m impressed with Heather as a frontwoman, having grown in confidence with fans hanging on her every word. Maybe blondes really do have more fun.
An intimate encore saw Heather initially return alone for The Hard Way’s first live outing before her bandmates returned for an explosive outro, followed by Jealousy, bringing what felt like an extremely beautiful and inclusive show to a close.
Read more of today's top stories here.
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