Music & Gigs

Almost 50 years after they formed, Manchester post-punk and funk pioneers A Certain Ratio return to Bootleg Social on Friday, playing their albums Sextet and Force in full. Martin and Don talk about favourite Blackpool gigs, why experimentation has kept them going, and the young bands they're tipping next What are you most looking forward to about returning to Blackpool and Bootleg Social, and do you have any favourite memories of playing Blackpool? Martin: I think our favourite time playing Blackpool in the past would have been at the Gaiety Bar with our friends Section 25. The last time we…

Where We Belong, performed for the first time on 8 November, turns the experiences of local people into six original songs. Six choirs will sing six new songs at Blackpool Grand Theatre next month, each created from the experiences of LGBTQ+ people in the town. Where We Belong – Sandgrown Song Cycle will be performed on Sunday 8 November, the first time the music has been heard in public. The songs grew out of conversations and creative work with LGBTQ+ people, community groups and organisations across Blackpool and explore identity, resilience, pride and the search for somewhere to belong. BMS…

A new festival dedicated to music discovery lands at Bootleg this September, with Adult DVD, TTSSFU, Silverwingkiller and more playing across eight hours of new music. Bootleg will host its most ambitious line-up to date this September with the launch of Next Wave, a new all-day festival built around discovering the artists likely to shape the next few years of alternative music. The first edition, on Saturday 12 September, brings together Adult DVD, TTSSFU, Silverwingkiller, Bathing Suits, Holly Head, Formal Sppeedwear and ladylike for eight hours of live music in Blackpool’s independent music venue. The premise is simple – come…