Ibibio Sound Machine at YES

Johnny James, Managing Editor
Dan Wilton

Ibibio Sound Machine at YES, Manchester 15 — 16 March 2019 Tickets from £14 — Book now

Fusing West-African funk & disco with modern post-punk and electro, the electrifying Ibibio Sound Machine are taking over YES for a whole weekend this March!

Fronted by British-Nigerian vocalist Eno Williams, the eight-piece band released their eponymous debut album in 2014 on Soundway Records. Its combination of London-tinged club music and Nigerian funk, disco and pop immediately caught the attention of the world’s music press. Lead single ‘Let’s Dance’ was a visceral, groove-focussed belter, driven by incessant bongos, quirky synths and overblown brass. The full-fat funk of ‘The Talking Fish’ was similarly great. Its oh-so-delicious bass line and hip-swinging guitar solo left a smile that lingered long after the record’s intense hype inevitably faded.

2017’s Uyai (meaning “beauty” in the Nigerian language of Ibibio) deepened the cross-cultural alchemy of its predecessor, and focussed on themes of liberation and power. The album’s opener ‘Give Me A Reason’ is one of Uyai’s most arresting tracks. It’s a Talking Heads-tinged cut whose propulsive bass, sassy brass stabs and defiant vocals turn a tragic story of kidnapped girls in Nigeria into an impassioned call for empowerment. The expansive and experimental techno-rock track ‘Joy (Idaresit)’ is similarly compelling, with Williams prowling like a lioness through a landscape of wild rhythms, euphoric chanting, and futuristic synths. Elsewhere, simmering tracks like ‘Quiet’ and ‘Cry (Eyed)’ offer some shade to the record’s glorious light.

Whilst the energy on Uyai is sublime, it’s clear that this intensely visceral music is best experienced live. That’s why we’re excited about Ibibio Sound Machine taking over YES’ Pink Room for not one but two nights on the 15 and 16 March. Tickets cost £14 per night, or if you want to party for the whole weekend (because, I mean, why wouldn’t you?), it’s a steal at just £25.

Ibibio Sound Machine at YES, Manchester 15 — 16 March 2019 Tickets from £14 Book now

Where to go near Ibibio Sound Machine at YES

Manchester
Music venue
Joshua Brooks

Long-established Manchester bar and nightclub, Joshua Brooks is just off student hotspot Oxford Road. Open until 4am on the weekends with regular DJ-led club nights.

Manchester
Restaurant
Manchester Wine Tours

Manchester Wine Tours is a relaxed, fun wine tour, full of the city’s best food and drink, led by an effortlessly engaging host.

Manchester
Theatre
The Dancehouse

From its charming Art Deco interiors to a quirky, highly original creative arts output, our theatre is firmly established within the city’s famously vibrant cultural scene.

Manchester
Bar or Pub
The Thirsty Scholar

Friendly pub under a railway arch serving vegetarian and vegan pub food, as well as hosting regular live music.

Manchester
Restaurant
The Cotton Factory

This residency restaurant opened in summer 2019, at Locke Hotels’ Whitworth Locke. The first residency comes courtesy of Mexican specialists El Camino.

Manchester
Restaurant
Peru Perdu

Peru Perdu has an all-new food and drink menu, with some of the best-looking dishes in the city.

What's on: Music

Rock and Goal
Until
ActivityManchester
Rock and Goal Tour

Join Joe Feeley a Mancunian through and through, who guides you into Manchester’s two pillars of cultural excellence with his Rock and Goal tour.

from £9.99
A black woman sat down looking to the left.
Until
MusicLeeds
Sound Out Leeds 2024/25

Leeds International Concert Season is on a mission to push boundaries, expand horizons, and ask the question: ‘What haven’t we heard?’ as it presents its city-spanning Sound Out Leeds series.

from £10.00
Two dancers and orchestra on stage
Until
DanceManchester
Dance:Music at the RNCM

Through a treasure trove of concerts, the RNCM’s initiative Dance:Music explores the symbiotic relationship between music and dance.

from £0.00

Culture Guides

Sextile
Music in the North

Open air clubs, new festivals and long-awaited gigs. The North West's live music scene is heating up this spring. 

A woman sits in a car with hands holding the steering wheel.
Cinema in the North

Vintage Alfred Hitchcock and a family friendly film festival are amongst our highlights this May.

Laura Ellen Bacon, Into Being, 2025. Photo © India Hobson, courtesy Yorkshire Sculpture Park
Exhibitions in the North

Willow weaving, textile collages, digital arts and ecology - all this and more in our exhibition top picks this month

Image by Jonathan Schofield.
Tours and Activities in the North

We've got many a good time in store this month as we round up the best walking tours, cultural classes and makers markets in the land.

Theatre in Manchester and the North
Theatre in the North

Dynamic dance, party-performance, high-energy stand-up and a site-specific show set in a pub. All this and more in our newest theatre guide.

Okechukwu Nzelu
Literature Events in the North

If it's inspiring, inclusive events and avant-garde, experimental afternoons you're after, look no further than live literature this spring – we've got you covered.