Old Granada Studios welcomes back Mr Scruff to celebrate 17th birthday of Keep it Unreal
Manchester DJ will be joined by special guest Francois K.
Manchester’s Mr Scruff is set to return to Old Granada Studios to celebrate 17 years of his Keep it Unreal residency. The event will be the second time that Scruff has performed at the iconic venue following a sold-out NYE special.
17 years ago, back in June 1999 at Planet K, the launch party took place for Scruff’s album of the same name. Following a 10-year stint at the Music Box, his monthly Keep it Unreal night has been based at Band on the Wall for the past 6 years
Friday June 3 will see Mr Scruff joined by special guest Francois K at Quay Street’s iconic venue.
Together, the DJs will roll up their sleeves to serve up a 6 hour DJ session that offers a unique mix of jazz, soul, techno, dub, disco, hip hop, afrobeat, latin, funk, electro and plenty of tunes that don’t fit into any category. Those attending the studios should expect a fantastic sound, a lovely and mixed crowd along with a great atmosphere.
Scruff promises to celebrate in style: “Old Granada Studios is an amazing venue, with top-notch acoustics and we have an incredible set lined up. I’m really looking forward to having Francois K join me. He has had his fingers in many musical pies since he started drumming along to Walter Gibbon’s DJ sets in NYC in 1975. Suffice to say the man knows a bit about music! I have DJed at his Deep Space in NYC a number of times, so it is high time I returned the favour and invited him to my night in Manchester.”
This will be episode3 for studio operators, Sparklestreet, who are responsible for delivering an exciting range of events at Old Granada Studios over the coming months. Events that have already taken place this year include a secret gig with Kendrick Lamar and Reebok, with Manchester favourite DJ Yoda also set to return to the studios this summer.
People will be able to stay up-to-date in the lead-up, and follow the action on the night using the #ep03unreal hashtag.
About Mr Scruff
Mr Scruff is infamous for his broad music tastes and fine humour. He has made a career out of cheerfully spanning the worlds of soul, funk, hip hop, cups of tea, jazz, reggae, latin, afrobeat, fish, disco, house, funk, breaks, dancehall, electro, soundtracks, sweaty smiles & so much besides. It’s been a career dating from an eager 12-year-old maker of mix tapes in 1984 through to Ninja Tune and global success with the genre bending ‘Keep It Unreal’ in 1999 to last year’s ‘Friendly Bacteria’ LP.
About Francois K
Francois Kevorkian began his music career in NYC in 1975, drumming along to Walter Gibbon’s DJ sets. He began DJing too, moved into re-editing and then studio work, which led to him creating some legendary remixes for Prelude Records. He then stopped Djing to set up Axis studios in 1983, and began spinning again 1990. His current Dj residencies are Body and Soul (20 years) and Deep Space (13 years).
About Old Granada Studios
Old Granada Studios is a platform for creativity, innovation and urban exploration. Mixing commerce, events, arts and culture, Old Granada Studios utilises Manchester’s iconic built heritage to provide the foundations for a hive of activity. From The Beatles’ first ever TV performance to Tony Wilson’s redefining of British music history, to more than five decades of Coronation Street, the Quay Street studios has seen it all.
About Sparklestreet:
Venue operators for Old Granada Studios, Sparklestreet is a special projects company delivering events, experiential and strategic marketing consultancy for corporate brands and music clients. Sparklestreet clients include adidas, ITV, Pernod Ricard, BBC, Vauxhall Motors and several other leading brands. The company was founded by CEO Gary McClarnan who has been working in Manchester’s music scene since the mid-80s.
