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Running Up That Hill was the UK’s song of the summer

Manos — Tue, 06 Sep 2022 14:19:05 +0000

Kate Bush’s 1985 hit Running Up That Hill was the UK’s song of the summer, says the Official Chart Company.

The song’s improbable but inspiring resurgence came after it featured in the TV show Stranger Things, bringing it to a new generation of fans.

They streamed it 86.6 million times between June and August, more than any other song.

Running Up That Hill was also the most downloaded song of the summer, with 42,000 sales.

The song originally appeared on Bush’s celebrated fifth album Hounds Of Love.

On its first release, it peaked at number three in the charts – but the momentum of Stranger Things propelled it to number one in June, breaking three records in the process.

Bush, who is 63, became the oldest woman to top the UK singles chart, overtaking Cher, who was 52 when Believe hit number one in 1998.

She also achieved the longest gap between number one singles, with 44 years having elapsed since her debut, Wuthering Heights; and Running Up That Hill’s 37-year journey to the top was the longest in chart history.

“The response to Running Up That Hill is something that has had its own energy and volition,” said Bush at the time. “We’ve all been astounded to watch the track explode!”

The song managed to beat tracks by Harry Styles, Lizzo and George Ezra to become the UK’s song of the summer. Dance music featured heavily in the best-sellers list, with LF System’s summer anthem Afraid To Feel at number three; and Beyoncé’s tribute to house music Break My Soul at number eight.

Ed Sheeran had five entries in the top 40 – with his solo songs Bad Habits, Shiver and 2 Step joined by Peru, a collaboration with Nigerian singer Fireboy DML, and Bam Bam, a duet with US pop star Camila Cabello.

The top 10 biggest songs of the summer are below; and you can see the full Top 40 on the Official Chart website.

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The best cocktail bars in Manchester

Eleni — Mon, 06 Jan 2020 14:51:28 +0000

Shaken, stirred or simply sensational, head to these cocktail dens for the best mixed drinks in Manchester

With as many quality bars, restaurants and clubs as we have in Manchester, it comes as little surprise that we’re a city known for appreciating a well-crafted drink. From twists on the classics to creative concoctions crafted with ingredients sourced from across the globe, Manchester’s cocktail bars are proving themselves some of the best in the business. We’ve put together our pick of the best, so if you know your manhattans and martinis from your pina coladas and pisco sours, take a peek and partake in a tipple or two.

Apotheca

The Northern Quarter is home to many a decent cocktail joint, but the appeal of Apotheca is that it makes mixology both approachable and unintimidating for the masses – especially the hordes it welcomes at the weekend. Taking its name from the former apothecary it now calls home, the bar acts as a modern-day chemist to Manchester, with remedial pick-me-ups its forte. The interior was overhauled in 2015 with small reminders of the building’s past life. Unusual antique apothecary cabinets sit alongside contemporary leather sofas, and old-style martini saucers beside modern, angular tumblers. It soon begins to feel like a magnificent, tangled time warp.

By playing around with popping candy, wasabi, salted caramel bacon and pink wafers, booze here gets the Willy Wonka treatment. It makes for a diverse selection of twisted classics and innovative house mixes. Try the Bacon and Brown Sauce Bloody Mary, the aromatic Hazy Memoirs of a Geisha or the delicious Honey and Fig Caipirinha. Better yet, head over during the week before 7pm on Fridays and 5pm on Saturdays and bag yourself two for £12.

The food is a selection of the ‘best bits’ from nearby neighbour and Italian pizza kitchen, Dough. Judging by the queues snaking from its doors most evenings, it’s pretty much a sure thing. With nibbles, light bites, sharing platters and pizzas, it’s the sort of food you want to nibble on as you wind down after work, the only downside being that the demand next door can sometimes affect waiting times.

A solid drinks selection, friendly doormen and a lively weekend atmosphere make Apotheca a good all-rounder. And for those eager to replicate the experience at home, they also offers cocktail classes that let you in on the secret world of their weird and wonderful approach to mixology.

Dusk Til Pawn

Impressive house-cocktails, brilliant bourbons and a whole menu dedicated to Bloody Marys. This place knows its drinks.

Veiled by neon lights and a misleading pawn shop façade that keeps it hidden, Dusk Til Pawn packs a powerful punch for such an unassuming spot. It’s got the brooding aesthetic of a New York speakeasy, with industrial stools, corrugated metal, a totally free jukebox serving up a heady mix of Prince and Eurythmics, and plenty of dark, moody wooden furniture.

Showmanship comes with its cocktails, where umbrellas are cast aside in favour of garnishes of crunchy, savoury celery packed with sweet apricot jam. House infusions play a big part, with plum and celery gins, scotch bonnet and chipotle tequilas, fig bourbon and hibiscus rum are made on site to tart up the tipples. Try the signature ‘Pawn’ Star Martini, with vanilla vodka and butterscotch schnapps and a free side of champagne sorbet, or feel a Million Dollars with the oak-smoked, barrel-aged, bourbon Old Fashioned, infused with fig.

Alongside their cocktail expertise, Dusk Til Pawn also houses one of the best bourbon and American whiskey selections in town as well as choice beers (Big Wave, 13 Guns), wines and dry French cider. But if you still can’t find what you’re after? Go off-menu and challenge the bartenders to create something bespoke. The owners also own clubby Noho next door, and a new, off-Deansgate cocktail bar called Wood and Company.

Epernay

Champagne by the glass in a sophisticated setting. Head for the stunning outdoor terrace when the weather suits.

Primarily a champagne bar, Épernay serves up a touch of class. Somehow it has managed to remain one of Manchester’s best-kept secrets, with its altogether more subtle brand of promotion a far cry from the giddy hype that follows many other joints.

Nestled among the hustle and bustle of Deansgate, Épernay brings a bit of French elegance to the city centre, with dramatic full-length windows, stylish exposed brickwork and an art deco-inspired aesthetic.

Arguably its best feature is that champagne can be bought by the glass, which means you can have a fleeting taste of the good life without being forced to commit to it. Prices range from £6.50 to £12, with bottles between £39 and £200. Throw over a few more pennies for a splash of peach purée or cassis to complete a Bellini or Kir Royal.

Épernay also offers a variety of champagne cocktails, including a Champagne Punch described eloquently as being like ‘a boozy Um Bongo’. For those after something less fizzy there are plenty of mules, martinis and margaritas. Cocktails are seasonal and change every six months, but could include Candy Shop Sling, raspberry vodka, Vimto liqueur shaken and topped with lemonade and garnished with pick’n’mix sweeties.

Épernay’s clincher, though, is the breathtaking outdoor terrace that lets you capitalise on sunny afternoons and starry evenings. Sip champagne, watch the world go by and feel utterly regal.

The Pen and Pencil

A Mad Men-inspired bar from The Violet Hour and Dry Bar alumni, open for ‘Brunch, Lunch, Cocktails, Good Times’.

Filling its exposed brick shell with beautiful tan leather stools and classic copper barware, the interior of Pen and Pencil is slick, inviting and made only better by a set of sociable benches at the heart of the main room.

Along with a strong bar team serving up twisted classics and house specials like a fig julep and Beer in the Bronx (gin, homemade IPA syrup, grapefruit, sweet and dry vermouth), food-wise you’ll find breakfast staples, sandwiches and salads. Plus, in the evening, bar fare including burgers, chicken wings, surf and turf, mac ‘n’ cheese and other American classics that nod towards the show that inspired the bar. But Pen and Pencil is not about the food. A roster of cool DJs includes local hero, Will Tramp, and the drinks really are the thing, with many referencing episodes or scenes from everyone’s favourite vintage TV show, blended with no messing around.

Aside from what is possibly the worst and most ill-placed mural in Manchester, thankfully hidden away in its back room with equally baffling furniture, this sound joint is well suited to evening cocktails and late night antics, complete with good service and friendly doormen.

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New data claims vinyl brought in more revenue than album downloads in the UK last week

Manos — Thu, 08 Dec 2016 08:07:02 +0000

There’s been an odd trend shaping up in the music industry as of late. As streaming services become more prominent, music downloads are starting to become a thing of the past. At the same time, music in vinyl form has been on the rise again and according to new data from the Entertainment Retailers Association, it’s even becoming a larger revenue stream than digital downloads in some markets…

According to the data, shared by the BBC, vinyl album sales accounted for about $3 million of music sales in the United Kingdom last week, while digital album downloads accounted for about $2.6 million in sales. While this is certainly an interesting trend, there are a couple of things to note.

First, this data is referring to album sales only, thus not taking into account single song downloads, which tend to be more plentiful than full album downloads. Though, album downloads obviously bring in more revenue in the end.

Additionally, vinyl albums tend to cost more than digital albums, as evident by the fact that 120,000 vinyl albums were sold last week, while 295,000 digital ones were sold.

Nevertheless, this is a surprising statistic and shows huge growth for the vinyl industry. During the same week last year, vinyl albums accounted for $1.5 million in sales, while digital downloads accounted for $5.6 million.

In 2007, vinyl was nearing extinction but since then, the format has shown 8 consecutive years of growth. Furthermore, it’s interesting to note that according to a BBC poll earlier this year, people aren’t necessarily buying vinyl records to listen to them. The poll showed that 48 percent of people surveyed do not play the vinyls they buy, while 7 percent of buyers didn’t even own a record player.

“This is yet further evidence of the ability of music fans to surprise us all,” said ERA chief Kim Bayley.

“It’s not so long ago that the digital download was meant to be the future. Few would have predicted that an album format, first invented in 1948 and based on stamping a groove into a piece of plastic, would now be outselling it in 2016.”

This ultimately is likely due to the emergence of streaming services. People are taking the price difference between buying multiple albums per month and the one-time streaming service monthly charge and putting it towards vinyls. According to the same BBC poll, one of the most common reasons people buy vinyl is as a “goodwill gesture to an artist they love.”

As the habit of purchasing and downloading music becomes less and less common, there was a report that Apple was considering killing iTunes music downloads all together earlier this year, though the company itself refuted that claim.

Personally, I’ve definitely spent more on vinyl albums over the past year than I have digital downloads. Apple Music is my primary way of consuming music and I see buying vinyl as a collector habit more than anything. What do you think? Are you still buying vinyl? Let us know down in the comments.

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Why London Is the Best City for Shopping Right Now

Eleni — Sun, 30 Oct 2016 10:37:05 +0000

Since summer’s unexpected Brexit vote, the British pound has cratered against most major currencies. Its exchange rate against the dollar, in particular, has imploded—at one point this month it reached a 168-year low. (Since then, the sterling has stabilized against the dollar at around 20 percent lower than recent averages.) In other words? A trip to Britain this fall is about 20 percent cheaper than it would have been just six months ago—and that doesn’t include the current airfare war that’s driving ticket prices down on transatlantic flights.
If need even more of an incentive to book a vacation, a recent report from Deloitte just dubbed the U.K. the most affordable market for luxury goods in the world, noting that 64 percent of products in the U.K. sold for less than in the U.S., China, and France. Take, for example, the Louis Vuitton Speedy 30 bag, which costs $802 in local currency, compared with $970 in New York City. A Balenciaga Foulard Fringe dress? That costs $450 more stateside than it does in the U.K.
Of course, those bargains won’t last; brands are widely expected to hike prices in early 2017 to make up for the pound’s weakness. You could still save majorly on this year’s holiday shopping with a strategic jaunt across the Atlantic now, however: If you need a primer on London’s luxury landscape, here’s an overview of the three hubs where you can splurge on some Deloitte-endorsed treats.
Bond Street
Bond Street is London’s luxury mainstay. Synonymous with high-end shopping for more than a century, it’s been the longtime home for everything from high-end stationer Smythson, where ex-PM David Cameron’s wife was formerly creative director, to Sotheby’s auction house. Though a single street, it’s divided between New and Old—the former to the north, the latter its southern reaches, which is also its most appealing stretch. It’s on Old Bond Street that global names sit side by side. There, you can browse jewelers like Cartier, Asprey, and Bulgari plus major outposts of Burberry, Dior, Chanel, Gucci, Hermès, Prada and every other boldfaced designer name. Just hustle past the beautiful, if misplaced, European flagship for Abercrombie & Fitch.
Walk down Old Bond Street to Piccadilly, hang left and walk one block to an overlooked luxury gem. Burlington Arcade is one of the last remaining arcades in London, dating back to 1819. Once common, these elaborately decorated, covered walkways housed tiny workshops producing fripperies for the wealthy; most have vanished, either through disarray or bomb damage during World War II, but Burlington is an enduring gem. Among the tenants here, look for Linley founded by the Queen’s nephew David, cobbler Harrys of London and five new Chanel and Chanel-owned outposts. Come Christmas, it’s festooned with decorations—half-squint, and it’s easy to imagine you’ve stepped backward into Victoria’s era.
Detour to the pedestrianized South Molton Street at Bond Street’s northern end for the multiple branches of boutique Browns, founded by local fashion icon Joan Burstein and now owned by online retailer Farfetch. This has been a tastemaking store for decades—whatever’s on the racks here, will be in the pages of Vogue next month.
Surprisingly, you’ll also find two hidden bargain destinations within strolling distance of Bond Street, too. Paul Smith has a shop dedicated to year-round sales with merchandise that’s often better than its outlets, while the Music Room is a sample-sale venue with a rotating selection from the likes of Joseph, Theory, Erdem, and Mary Katrantzou.

Marylebone
Marylebone—or Marylebone Village, as it’s now styled—was once genteel, artistic, and rather shabby. In the last two decades, however, its Edwardian mansion blocks have become tony perches for the wealthy; this is the kind of neighborhood where there’s an entire store dedicated to buttons and ribbons and a vintage shop selling red carpet couture. Expat Americans form a sizable chunk of the local community, too—no wonder André Balazs chose it as the location for his first European outpost, the Chiltern Firehouse.
The central artery, Marylebone High Street, offers a discerning edit on edgier luxury labels, anchored by one of the city’s top boutiques, Matchesfashion. Much like Browns, the 30-year old unisex store is known for its directional buying on headline-grabbing brands like Vêtements and Balmain; big spenders can snare an appointment at its private, 18th-century townhouse round the corner, No.23, which is dedicated exclusively to personal shopping. Nearby, two homewares stores are designer highlights: Skandium founded by three expat Scandinavians to spotlight the style savvy aesthetic of their home nations, and the Conran Shop, the brainchild of Britain’s own Terence Conran, who popularized interior design after World War II and remains trendsetting—even in his mid-80s.
Detour onto the back streets for a few other destination stores. Sunspel is a high-end British menswear brand dating back to 1860 that originally found fame via its T-shirts and boxer shorts (including those Nick Kamen wore under his Levi’s). It was revitalized by a pair of new, young owners a decade ago, and now offers a full range of men’s and women’s clothing with a preppy edge at its central flagship. Marie Antoinette’s favorite candlemaker, Cire Trudon, has a sumptuous, boudoir-like boutique here, too, as does Emma Bridgewater, whose whimsical ceramics, often daubed with polka dots, have earned her Laura Ashley-like devotion among Britain’s country set.

Mount Street
Largely untouched since late Victorian times, the red brick buildings of Mount Street in Mayfair resemble a movie set—and you’re just as likely to see stars here, too. In the last decade, Mount Street (and nearby Carlos Place) has become the glitziest shopping strip in central London, especially if you’re looking to pick up pieces from Britain’s designer royalty.
The curvy backstreet is anchored by a slew of homegrown designer names including sheath dress specialist Roland Mouret, stiletto maestro Nicholas Kirkwood, and red carpet wow-maker Roksanda. Gucci stablemate Christopher Kane has his worldwide flagship store here, too, and you can also scope out a large Marc Jacobs boutique, Gianvito (son of Sergio) Rossi’s shoes or pick up a timeless pair of black slacks at Phoebe Philo’s huge Céline store.
Stroll for a few minutes to nearby Dover Street—site of the original Dover Street Market, now cloned around the world though the original has moved to Haymarket—and you can explore Victoria Beckham’s only store (so far), a sleek, poured-concrete temple to the ex-Spice Girl’s pricey, gorgeous designs.
Department Store Primer
London’s luxury department stores are scattered elsewhere across the capital. Head to Knightsbridge for Harvey Nichols. It might struggle to retain the cultural cachet it enjoyed during Absolutely Fabulous’s name-checking heyday, but it’s still London’s counterpart to New York’s Bergdorf Goodman.
At the western end of the main commercial strip, Oxford Street, Selfridges is the buzziest department store right now, known for its splashy in-store events, which are themed monthly—clothes inspired by Shakespeare or a tribute to experience over youth dubbed “Bright Old Things” are just a couple of examples. Channel your inner Carrie Bradshaw and spend an afternoon at the shoe department, one of the best hubs for designer stilettos anywhere in the world.
Off the grand, Regency-era Regent Street, Liberty of London, housed in a mock Tudor building repurposed from two old ships, is the place for English eccentrics, its warren-like interior an ideal showcase for smaller emerging brands and, as always, the store’s namesake paisley prints. Of course, the grande dame of London department stores is Harrods in Knightsbridge. Unfortunately, during the gaudy era when it was owned by Mohamed al-Fayed, its luster was rather dimmed, becoming little more than a source of souvenir gimmicks for tourists. Now under new ownership, it’s hoping to lure fashionistas back to the floor—so far, with limited results.

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Kings of Leon announce UK arena tour

Manos — Tue, 18 Oct 2016 10:27:44 +0000

Just when you thought that they were not going to tour the UK this news hits you like sleep twitch. The Nashville outfit have announced five huge shows in the UK, without a show south of Birmingham (which seems odd to me). It is in support of their latest album “Walls” and tickets are already on sale via the usual outlets.

Kings of Leon Live UK Dates
February 2017
19 Leeds, First Direct Arena
20 Birmingham, Genting Arena
24 Newcastle, Metro Radio Arena
25 Liverpool, Echo Arena
27 Glasgow, SSE Hydro

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Drake announces UK and Europe tour dates for 2017

Manos — Thu, 13 Oct 2016 12:07:42 +0000

The Toronto artist will play six dates at London’s O2.

Drake is set to tour the UK and Europe next year.

The Boy Meets World tour opens January 21 in Amsterdam and will take in dates in Glasgow, Manchester, Sheffield, Birmingham and Dublin, as well as six shows at London’s O2. See the full list of tour dates below.

Tickets go on general sale Friday October 14 from Live Nation.

Last week, the ‘Hotline Bling’ hit-maker postponed several upcoming US tour dates “under doctor’s orders,” explaining that he needs time to recuperate after recently injuring his ankle.

Tour dates:

January 21 – Ziggo Dome, Amsterdam, Netherlands
January 22 – Ziggo Dome, Amsterdam, Netherlands
January 26 – The Hydro, Glasgow
January 28 – The O2, London
January 30 – The O2, London
February 1 – The O2, London
February 2 – The O2, London
February 4 – The O2, London
February 5 – The O2, London
February 8 – First Direct Arena, Leeds
February 11 – Manchester Arena, Manchester
February 12 – Manchester Arena, Manchester
February 17 – Sheffield Arena, Sheffield
February 19 – 3Arena, Dublin, Ireland
February 22 – Barclaycard Arena, Birmingham
February 23 – Barclaycard Arena, Birmingham
February 25 – KoPi Arena, Oberhausen, Germany
February 28 – Sportpaleis, Antwerp, Belgium
March 4 – Ericsson Globe, Stockholm, Sweden
March 5 – Telenor Arena, Oslo, Norway
March 7 – Royal Arena, Copenhagen, Denmark
March 9 – Mercedes Benz Arena, Berlin, Germany
March 10 – Barclaycard Arena, Hamburg, Germany
March 12 – AccorHotels Arena, Paris, France
March 13 – AccorHotels Arena, Paris, France
March 16 – Lanxess Arena, Cologne, Germany

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CARA DELEVINGNE STRIPS DOWN FOR ESQUIRE UK COVER SHOOT

Manos — Mon, 08 Aug 2016 15:57:04 +0000

Cara Delevingne shows some skin on the September 2016 cover of Esquire UK. Photographed by Simon Emmett, the blonde model-actress gazes into the camera’s lens with her hair in tousled waves. Inside the magazine, Cara goes nude in a series of sultry portraits. The self-described “goofball” channels her inner vixen for the photo spread.

In her interview, Cara opens up about her struggle with depression, not being interested in clothes and more. “The fashion industry,” she tells the magazine, “is about surface, it’s not about what’s underneath, it’s not about being yourself. You don’t feel you matter as a person. You feel like it’s just about your looks—and it is.”

Cara Delevingne wears her hair in tousled waves

Cara Delevingne flaunts some cleavage in the photoshoot

Posing in the mirror, Cara Delevingne flaunts her curves

Cara Delevingne poses nude in the photo session

Cara Delevingne strips down in naked pose

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MORRISSEY ANNOUNCES HUGE WORLD TOUR, IGNORES THE UK

Manos — Fri, 29 Jul 2016 09:02:13 +0000

Last year Morrissey claimed that he’d never play another UK show, but a couple of weeks ago he announced that he’d be playing at Manchester’s Arena in August. Weird. Despite apparently going back on his claim, Moz seems to have changed his mind (again) and hasn’t included any UK dates on his new world tour, taking place between September and November.

In fact, if you want to catch him live you’ll have to dip into your piggy bank a bit, as aside from a single other European date – at Berlin’s Tempodrom next month – he’s sticking to gigs in Asia, Australia and America. He should have called it the Triple A tour.

Check out Moz’s new dates below.

AUGUST
16 Tempodrom, Berlin
20 Manchester Arena, Manchester

SEPTEMBER
17 RIOT Fest, Chicago
20 Palace Theatre, Louisville
22 Tower Theatre, Philadelphia
24 Kings Theatre, Brooklyn
28 Orchard Hall, Tokyo
29 Orchard Hall, Tokyo

OCTOBER
1 Bay Hall, Yokohama
2 IMP Hall, Osaka
6 MacPherson Stadium, Hong Kong
12 Senayan Gold Driving Range, Jakarta
15 Marina Barrage, Singapore City
18 Moonstar Studio, Bangkok
22 Festival Hall, Melbourne
26 Thebarton Theatre, Adelaide
28 Royal Theatre, Canberra
29 WIN Centre, Wollongong
31 Civic Theatre, New Castle

NOVEMBER
9 Bren Events Arena, Irvine
11 Grand Theatre, Reno
14 Boulder Theatre, Boulder
16 McFarlin Auditorium, Dallas
17 Tobin Center, San Antonio
19 White Oak Music Hall, Houston
23 Abraham Chavez Theatre, El Paso

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VINYL ALBUM SALES IN THE UK COULD REACH 3.5 MILLION THIS YEAR

Manos — Fri, 10 Jun 2016 19:38:00 +0000

UK vinyl album sales are still surging, apparently set to surpass the three million mark before the end of the year.

BPI (British Recorded Music Industry) has revealed the number of units sold could reach the highest amount for the first time in 20 years, following news that streaming services are encouraging people to buy physical records.

Gennaro Castaldo, Director of Communications at BPI, said: “Sales of vinyl have risen dramatically since their low point in 2007, with over two million LPs purchased last year for the first time in more than two decades.

“With no let-up in sight, the BPI has every expectation this trend will continue, and estimates that up to 3.5 million LPs or more could be purchased during the course of 2016”.
Supermarkets Tesco and Sainsbury’s are both selling wax now, contributing to the increased sales, with purchases in the United States also flying high.

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Milo Tain – The Look

Manos — Mon, 18 Apr 2016 07:54:43 +0000

Smooth rnb infused soul music by 21yo singer-saxophonist Milo Tain from Liverpool, UK.

The influences of musicians like D’Angelo, Roy Ayers or Marvin Gaye are undeniably anchored within his own unique style.

Follow Milo Tain on Soundcloud ::: Instagram ::: Facebook

Download: milotain.bandcamp.com/releases

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