Artistic Convictions - a new book is out now. Chris Wallis reflects on the work of an artist he first met 60 years ago.

She promptly conjured up the era-defining songs Doin’ the Do and Where Are You Baby? – still thrilling blasts of pure fizzy ...

It is often said that La Bohéme is the perfect ‘first opera’ to see. The Lowry’s website recommends it to seasoned ...

If Coronation Street is the go-to Manchester reference for TV, then legendary bassist Peter Hook (‘Hooky’) must be the musical equivalent. The music he created with Joy Division and New Order has ...

This is the only time I will spend in this room This is the only time I will speak to this person ...

Barely a stone’s throw away in physical distance but light years away in almost other aspect from the hullaballoo around the eventual opening of the jaw-droppingly expensive Aviva Studios, one of ...

Black Sabbath – The Ballet from Birmingham Royal Ballet brings together classical ballet and the music of Black Sabbath, the pioneering heavy metal band formed in Birmingham in 1968. It’s an ambitious ...

There’s a new kid on the block. The meteoric rise of Skof has been a phenomenon in itself. Opened in May 2024, Tom Barnes’ new Manchester gaff has already won a slew of awards. It received a Michelin ...

Ah, autumn! Blackberries picked, apples harvested, Keats consulted, barely-bronzed legs hidden till spring, and folk across the land are surprised and flattened by the forgotten weight of their high ...

At any time of day or night, the skyline of Media City is shattered by a geometry of lights, lines, and colours. Now, thrusting along the water, its bold shapes find echoes in the vibrant new artwork ...

As a man who, throughout my teens and student years in Manchester, argued passionately that The Who were simply the best live band in the world and that their 70s’ albums were pretty close to perfect ...

Let me take you back eight years. Jeremy Clarkson has been suspended by the BBC over a row about a steak sandwich, Donald Trump has announced his intention to run for office, and South Korea is ...