Description

John Craigie has mastered the art of creating live shows that feel more like intimate conversations than performances. Infusing humour, wit, and poignant storytelling, his shows are a space where audience members feel like old friends. Whether he?s headlining solo or sharing the stage with longtime collaborators, Craigie?s ability to make his crowd laugh, reflect, and connect is second to none. As he prepares to release Greatest Hits? Just Kidding? Live ? No Hits, his latest live album captures the warmth and spontaneity of these memorable nights.

At this point, there have been quite a few good shows in the rearview?

As a tried-and-true performer, he has regularly sold out solo tours in addition to hitting the road with the likes of Langhorne Slim, Brett Dennen, Mason Jennings, Bella White and Jack Johnson. He has picked up fans with sets at Newport Folk Festival, Pickathon, Edmonton Folk Festival and High Sierra Music Festival. Including numerous European tours and his first Australian tour in spring of 2024 Moreover, his annual river trip on the Tuolumne River ? just outside of Yosemite in California ? has remained a hit with his audience, hosting one sellout after another. Giving back as much as possible, he notably launched the #KeepItWarm Tour during the holidays. By donating $1 from every ticket sale, this headline run has raised money for regional non-profits with the goal of fighting food insecurity. An avowed Beatles acolyte, he has performed acoustic renditions of the albums Abbey Road and Let It Be live in front of packed crowds and partnered with Record Store Day for limited edition vinyl releases of those concerts..

Simultaneously, his catalogue has continued to reel in tens of millions of streams, fuelled by favourites such as I Am California, Highway Blood, Don?t Ask, and Microdose. Maintaining a prolific pace, 2024?s Pagan Church saw him join forces with TK & The Holy Know-Nothings. Among many highlights, it logged six weeks at #1 on the Americana Radio Albums Chart. Inciting critical applause, Pop Matters raved, ?All of Craigie?s songs are made of something truly ineffable,? and American Highways assured, ?Along with excellent musicianship across the album, there are genuinely pretty moments on Pagan Church.? Meanwhile, he joined forces with Langhorne Slim for a duet song Out On The Road.

To him, the live albums seek to achieve a sound where the listener will feel like they?re in the venue, sitting and experiencing the show with the rest of the crowd.

Tour support comes from Taylor Rae. Born in the scenic coastal town of Santa Cruz, California, singer-songwriter Taylor Rae has swiftly made her mark on the Americana music scene with her debut album, Mad Twenties, released in October 2021. The record went on to become a fixture on the Americana Radio charts (AMA/CDX) for 31 weeks, marking the longest duration for any independently released album in 2022. The single, Home on the Road, which truly embodies her ?Soul & Roll? sound, remained in the Top 10 of the Americana Music Singles Chart for five consecutive weeks.

The positive response to Mad Twenties catapulted Taylor Rae onto a series of nationwide tours, performing to sold-out crowds alongside luminaries like Sierra Hull, John Craigie, Pokey LaFarge, as well as headlining shows with her own band. One of the unique aspects of the album is its fusion of various genres, which has allowed Taylor Rae to captivate a wide range of audiences across the country.

Description

From “Two sausage and chips please, mushy peas with one of those, ta”, to “Meg! Meg! Don’t hit her too hard”. It’s been a thoroughly unconventional trip. Once Meg White had donned those boxing gloves Night & Day Café’s most unique upbringing felt complete.

An initial chip shop - stage - piano combo quickly gave rise to a traditional Amsterdam style ‘brown bar’ and artistic hub; the venue’s journey mirroring, and in no small part contributed to, Manchester’s move away from its baggy era heritage cum baggage.

Like a younger brother who could play guitar much better than you, but had no mates to play to, Night & Day grew out of a barren musical spell in Manchester back in 1991. When the city offered little else except a chrome mating hell, or a look back nostalgiafest. The homely feel and startling quality of the acts brought into the city by the venue made Night & Day the focus of the areas more discerning crowds of the area thereafter.

So much so that the last 20 years have read like a who’s who of Manchester’s continuing creative legacy…

Guy Garvey practically used it as an office, Johnny from I A Kloot worked there, Johnny Marr, Delphic and The Courteeners rehearsed there, Badly Drawn Boy wrote songs there and Mark E Smith’s been known to behave very strangely indeed there.

The walls have withstood the barrage from over 26,000 bands from all over the world. Some of the many, many stand outs have to be a naked Damo Suzuki, The Dirtbombs having to stop and towel down after one song, Meg White vs The Bar Staff, Keanu Reaves popping in to watch some bands, buy a t-shirt and get mobbed, and The Kaiser Chiefs first incarnation getting chucked offstage early.
But, let us not look back to deeply.

Certainly, preaching to the converted has never been the venue’s style or raison d’etre and currently, there are signs of another resurgence in the city’s musical fortunes. Young upstarts such Money can be found regularly hanging around causing botheration and a certain singular Liam Frey can be oft found planning his next lyrical barrage in the labyrinth of corridors downstairs.

Here’s to another 20 years!

26 Oldham Street,

Manchester,

Greater Manchester,

England,

M1 1JN.

0161 236 1822