/SEVEN DAYS
SUNDAY 10 Music / John Grant He reportedly quit music in the mid-2000s after the demise of his first band The Czars, but Michigan-born John Grant has thankfully bounced back in triumphant fashion. Since the start of this decade, Grant has released four solo albums of heartfelt melancholy and exquisitely raw lyrics, earning himself huge critical acclaim and a Brits Best International Male Solo Artist nomination in the process.
Albert Hall / alberthallmanchester.com / 0161 817 3490 / Sunday, 7pm / £25 MONDAY 11 Comedy / Jamali Maddix Brilliant, hard-hitting stand-up Jamali Maddix - who has fronted his own Viceland documentaries and appeared on Live at the Apollo - arrives for two Manchester headline shows this week. Catch him at Tony Basnett’s excellent Trapdoor Comedy night (Solomons Cafe Bar, Monday), or at local comedy institution XS Malarkey (The Bread Shed, Tuesday).
Solomons Cafe Bar, Withington - Monday, 7.30pm, £5 / The Bread Shed - Tuesday, 7pm, £3 TUESDAY Music / Hanson If you’ve never really parted with your love for 90s teen pop trio Hanson, you’ll be happy to know that they’re still going strong. Armed with a terrific new album, String Theory, the boys make a welcome return to UK soil - and, rest assured, their all-time classic MMMBop is still a staple of their live sets.
Bridgewater Hall / bridgewaterhall.co.uk / 0161 907 9000 / Tuesday, 7pm / £29.50 Music / The Lemonheads Their career has suffered various periods of inactivity - due to singer Evan Dando’s muchdocumented battles with drug addition - but Boston veterans The Lemonheads are finally back with their first new album in ten years, Varshons 2, accompanied by an extensive UK tour.
O2 Ritz / academymusicgroup. com/o2ritzmanchester / 0161 714 4140 / Tuesday, 7pm / £20 WEDNESDAY Film / The Valentine’s Movie Experience If your idea of a perfect Valentine’s Day is snuggling up with your better half and watching your fave romantic movie, you’re in luck - as Mayfield Depot is hosting a special film season devoted to ?cinema’s greatest love stories. For the next five days, Mayfield Depot will be transformed into a cupid-themed pop-up cinema screening six romantic classics (Notting Hill, Titanic, Beauty and the Beast, Pretty Woman, The Bodyguard and Dirty Dancing), and all accompanied by street food vendors, live music and even live dance.
Mayfield Depot / Wednesday to Sunday, February 17 / Tickets from £14.99, more info at valentinesmovieexperience.com. Theatre / Mydidae Jack Thorne’s play is set over a single day, examining the relationship of a pair who are drowning in guilt and grief. Hugely acclaimed upon its debut in 2012 - a production which starred Phoebe Waller-Bridge - the play is now finally receiving its northern premiere thanks to the excellent Wonderhouse Theatre Company.
Hope Mill Theatre, Ancoats / hopemilltheatre.co.uk / 0161 275 9141 / Wednesday to Saturday, February 23 / £14 Theatre / SparkPlug Exploring family, race and identity, SparkPlug is the story of a white man who becomes the adoptive father and best friend of a mixed race child. Written by and starring David Judge, this punchy and poetic piece is receiving its world premiere at HOME ahead of an extensive UK tour.
HOME / homemcr.org / 0161 200 1500 / Wednesday to Saturday, February 23 / £12.50 THURSDAY Comedy / Frog and Bucket - Valentine’s Special If your Valentine’s budget doesn’t quite stretch to a trip to Paris or Rome, here’s a fine alternative: the Frog and Bucket’s cupid-themed evening of top-notch comedy featuring Dan Nightingale, Lauren Pattison, Josh Howe and MC Mick Ferry.
Frog and Bucket / frogandbucket.com / 0161 236 9805 / Thursday, 7pm / £14 Comedy / The Delightful Sausage One of the most wonderfully surreal acts on the comedy circuit, Yorkshire duo The Delightful Sausage - comprising Chris Cantrill and Amy Gledhill - are back with a new show, The Regeneration Game, in which they campaign for the fictional northern village of ‘Icklewick’ to be named the new UK City of Culture. Bonkers and hilarious in equal measure.
The Lowry / thelowry. com / 0843 208 6000 / Thursday, 8pm / £12 Theatre / Billionaire Boy David Walliams’ best-selling 2010 book - the story of 12-year-old Joe, the son of a billionaire and his battle with playground bullies - has been lovingly adapted for the stage by Nuffield Southampton Theatres, the same team behind 2016’s awardwinning Fantastic Mr Fox.
The Lowry / thelowry.com / 0843 208 6000 / Thursday to Sunday, February 17 / £14