Venue Focus: Soup Kitchen

Photograph: John Wizards

As one of the most unique venues in the great city of Manchester, Soup Kitchen packs an awful lot lot of variation into its diminuitive walls. Playing by day as a canteen style restaurant, it boasts an incredible menu of fever changing specials, sandwichwes, and fittingly, soup, of which there are eight varieties daily.

Come nightfall though and Soup Kitchen evolves into a bar and celebrated music venue, with a varied roster of events that make it one of the most sought after, eclectic venues in the city. We've had a look ahead to some highlights for the next month from one of our favourite Manchester locations

Friday 11th Oct - Youdig?

Friday 11th sees a welcome return of Youdig?, a night crammed with funk, disco, soul and latin vibes curated by vinyl junkies Diesler & Simon Hamm, optimised for seriously good vibrations.

Saturday 12th Oct - Scenery Records

Those with a penchant for deep house and techno will be thoroughly catered for the following night as Soup Kitchen present a Scenery Records showcase. The label is only into its second year of business, but has already been responsible for some game changing 12 inch releases in its short tenure. Label favourite's Bantam Lions and Deep Space Orchestra will be heading up an enticing line up of quality underground electronic music, with the delightful man behind the imprint ASOK also in tow.

Wednesday 16th Oct - Dylan Carson

Dylan Carson from drone metal legends Earth arrives for a special solo gig on Wednesday 16th. As part of the Seattle based group since their inception in 1989, Dylan Carson has been personally responsible for penning some of the most interesting experimental, post rock drone metal ever written. Certainly no strangers to controversy, a colourful past alongside an impressive collection back catalogue has put the band down in folklore legend. Exclusive material from Dylan Carson’s solo project is eagerly awaited for his arrival at the intimate Soup Kitchen venue.

Friday 25th Oct - Destruction Unit

Hailing from Phoenix, Arizona, Destruction Unit journey to Manchester on Friday 25th armed with their unique ability to mesmerize and terrorise an audience in electrifying fashion.  Marrying epic feedback and heavy psych trickery to their sound with supreme songwriting skills and even catchy melodies, Destruction Unit remain a sonic treat, a whirlwind of chaotic yet coherent ideas, ultimately a band that must be seen to be fully appreciated. 

Destruction Unit - Evil Man

Monday 28th Oct - Deafheaven

American metallers Deafheaven are lined up for a Soup Kitchen takeover on Monday 28th. Embarking on a worldwide tour that sees the San Francisco based rockers visit major cities in Germany, Portugal, Netherlands and Belgium, Deafheaven are a band sharply on the rise. Equipped with brand new material and an ever more impressive live show, the Californian metalists are through changing line ups continuing to win more fans by the day with their own forward thinking take on post metal, post rock and shoegaze. 

Friday 1st Nov - John Wizards

Kick starting the month of November is the fantastic John Wizards. Drawing on influences from his previous places of residence, including Maputo in Mozambique, Dar Es Salaam in Tanzania and Cape Town in South Africa, John Wizards and his band are an outfit that use elements of forward thinking electronica, dub, and a strong African melodic sense with a varied vocal style to creates a sound truly their own. Without a doubt one of the most unique bands signed to Planet Mu (and that’s saying something!), John Wizards are an essential band that will have you dazzled by their sonic inventiveness, all the while drawing you in with their sunny, Africa inspired disposition. 

John Wizards - Muizenberg

Thursday 21st Nov - Wolf Eyes

Wolf Eyes appear on the 21st November with an enormous amount of anticipation surrounding them. Peripheral members of the noise rock, post industrial fraternity, Wolf Eyes remain a hard to define, challenging band, but ultimately endearing, and rewarding with repeated listens. Having toured with Sonic Youth and Andrew W.K in their seventeen year history, Wolf Eyes have established themselves as masters of the avant-garde, an ‘obvious delight in their own intensity, as infectious as they are puerile’ (Wire Magazine). Well worth checking out.

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