EVNT Showcase
Blowout
aLECTROeCOUSTIC
Interruption2
CDR Special
Monatronic
City Centre Offices
2020 Vision
Computer Controlled
Futuredisco
C'mon Feet
Eyes Down
Twisted Nerve
Micro Chips
Heart&Soul
Big Chill
+
Blowout
aLECTROeCOUSTIC
Interruption2
CDR Special
Monatronic
City Centre Offices
2020 Vision
Computer Controlled
Futuredisco
C'mon Feet
Eyes Down
Twisted Nerve
Micro Chips
Heart&Soul
Big Chill
+
Friday July 22-Sunday 24 July
Manchester's Northern Quarter opens its arms to Futuresonic's EVNT Showcase: one weekend, more than thirty events featuring acts from as far afield as Berlin, New York, Moscow and Dallas as well as Manchester's finest home-grown talent.
Where the...?
The Northern Quarter, Manchester's creative hub, is off and around Oldham Street, Manchester city centre. View map.
A total experience, totally free: all events are free of charge with a
Futuresonic Wrist Band. Please follow the links for information on all participating events:
EVNT Thursday
Futuresonic 2005 launch event with Gustav
EVNT Friday
CDR Special. Fry-up. Monatronic. City Centre Offices.
2020 Vision. Low Grade Live. Blowout. C'mon Feet.
EVNT Saturday
Computer Controlled. Futuredisco. Twisted Nerve. Ghettoblast.
Tax Records. DiY. Micro Chips. Burst Couch. Fat City.
Jason Forrest+Heart&Soul. That Amazing Thing!.
EVNT Sunday
SoundNetwork. Defunktion. God Made Me Funky.
Interruption 2. aLECTRO_eCOUSTIC. Stylus.
Eyes Down vs Blood & Fire. Big Chill Recordings.
Licktronica. Wasp Nest
For information on the EVNT Competition click here.
There are plenty of festivals out there supporting record labels and individual artists. The fact that there are none also supporting events seems strange. Events are a vital way for artists to have their work seen and heard, but events can also be creative spaces in their own right. They expose artists to new ways of thinking and playing, and force them to confront their audience. The audience can rub up shoulders with the artists, hang out with strangers, find the unexpected or have the unexpected find them. And for the organiser there is the sheer joy of holding things together when by rights it should have fallen apart.
Futuresonic seeks to expose and celebrate new or unusual kinds of event. Two worth mentioning are CDR Special, a one-off compendium of events that only feature music produced during the week of the event, and where anyone can turn up with a track they have produced and burnt to CD. And That Amazing Thing! who do not announce the location of their events or publicise them in any way, instead people need to log on to their website to get sent an invitation with directions to the event. Whether reflecting on the speed of digital culture, or offering an alternative to the stupor of consumer society, events such as these show how to go out on a limb when going out.
Alongside events by outside promoters, labels and artist groups the EVNT Showcase features some Futuresonic in-house events. Gustav plays Common at the festival launch on Thurs 21 July. The Low Grade live event at Roadhouse on Friday 22 features artists from Dallas, Moscow, New York and Germany using obsolete technology to blow minds. And Jason Forrest (Sonig) goes head to head with a Heart & Soul label showcase featuring Kings Have Long Arms and 0898 Dave on Saturday 23 at Roadhouse on Saturday 22.
In association with evnt, an event mapping project supported by Arts Council England.