JANE WEAVER talks N&D

On the eve of our court appeal, we caught up with the super talented, amazing Jane Weaver (singer, songwriter, guitarist), an unshakable figure in the UK’s experimental pop music landscape.

Why is N&D so important to Manchester?

It is the heart of the Northern Quarter for me, on a personal level I’ve been going since it first opened and played there many times, I’ve seen and been part of so many nights there over the decades and witnessed so many indie bands and artists go on to do great things.. some becoming actual rock stars, I’ve seen it grow to what it is now. Manchester is renowned for its determination and cottage industry and Night and Day is a blueprint of just that.

Why is it important that N&D survives?

How many more live venues and clubs can we lose? Independent music and dance music historically is still one of Manchester’s greatest assets, whenever I play outside of the UK so many people express how much they love Manchester music, the clubs, the venues, the bands.. and most of them started around Oldham street. Venues now cannot cover their costs and after gig club nights are now essential to their survival.

Why should places like N&D be protected, allowed to thrive and continue?

They’ve done decades of groundwork to become the place they are now. Most bands start out at Night and Day, I certainly did, it’s part of the gig network, it’s also a meeting place for everyone, the type of place that anyone can feel safe, and I really think that’s part of it’s success, its appeal to a wide range of people.

It’s so wrong that when areas do become popular the very people who are responsible for creating its identity are not valued and eventually forced out because people want to live in a city centre creative village and have everything at their fingertips, but then want to enforce big changes to suit them.

Why is N&D so important to young creatives?

It’s a creative hub welcoming to anyone, in the past I’ve done album photo shoots in there, interviews with magazines, meetings, and connected with a whole range of people over the years from graphic designers, artists , Dj’s, writer’s..we all converged there as young adults wanting to meet new people, all looking for other people like us to connect with, it’s so essential to have this kind of space available to young people.

Any last minute appeal to the Manchester City Council?

Please value this treasured venue, and allow it to continue working the way it needs to in order to survive. Manchester is renowned throughout the world for its musical output and dance history, Night and Day is well known and part of the fabric of this.

I’m sure there’s room for everyone to exist and enjoy the space and be part of the NQ community, but growth has to allow for room to support the already established businesses who have made the NQ what it is today, we also need to feel we have safe spaces to go to and Night and Day is genuinely one of these places.

Thank you so much Jane
Night & Day xxx

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Photo by Nic Chapman