About Manchester

There are 2 bands named Manchester. Polish: The rock group MANCHESTER was created 18 March 2006 in Torun (Poland), when some musicians met for the first rehearsal. The group consists of guitarist brothers - Slawek and Darek playing in the other band from their city - TORONTO. There are also Maciek - heard by Slawek during some karaoke party and other musicians from local bands. A few weeks later MANCHESTER played its first gig in Od Nowa club in Torun. What's interesting, the band was qualified for the final round of DEBIUTY OPOLSKIE, only a month after its creation! In July 2006, MANCHESTER was nominated in category 'The New Face of the Year', during the concert 'Stars from Torun' with SLAWEK UNIATOWSKI and SOFA. Since that time the group played numerous concerts in the whole country e.g. 'The Day of the White Flag' (memorizing G. CIECHOWSKI), being invited by ZBYSZEK KRZYWANSKI (REPUBLIKA) and in Polish RADIO PIK. In May 2007 MANCHESTER was qualified to perform during UNION OF ROCK festival in Wegorzewo as one of eight groups from Poland. So far, the group have managed to record their first demo, concert material and DVD. Presently, MANCHESTER is working out to sign the professional record contract and the first release seems to be just a question of time... Cory Siebe (22 yrs) is responsible for guitar, vocals, harmonica, snare drum, and baby accordion. American: Manchester are Cory Siebe and Jonathan Pasma, 22-year-olds who, like me, only recently settled in Seattle. They just finished chemistry degrees at Whitworth College and now that they're free of the laboratory, they're scientifically taking on the regional music scene. Their indie promotion formula is based on full-color posters, a self-produced CD (Chipper Acts of Chivalry), and an aggressive touring regimen, including nine gigs in the first 10 days of September. Their music is a campy American approximation of the British approximation of American ragtime: piano and guitar with a pounding tempo, complemented by accordion, harmonica, and banjo. They sing in sync, in intentionally flat and horrible faux-British accents. When they play live, they face each other with their legs apart and feet slightly pigeon-toed. They shake and twitch, and call this "The Manchester Stance." "We want to be big," Siebe says. "Not Neil Diamond Big, but Death Cab for Cutie Big." Their self-assurance alone reminds me of Manchester, where they've never been and about which they admit they know little. I fill them in on the scene and vocabulary (if you're from Manchester you're Mancunian) and pass them some mixes. "They sound like Chas & Dave do Ben Folds." Chas & Dave are a London duo who conquered the charts in the '70s and '80s with comedic pub rock. They're a British institution, revered for their cheesiness and earnestness. Their songs show lyrical and compositional promise, their enthusiasm is infectious, and they play their hearts out. "They bring banjo back to the masses, which is commendable if not recommended. And they are named after a great town." ~THE INLANDER, SPOKANE WA 8/30/06 The Kids Are Not UK Manchester: So Much to Answer For 8/17/06 BY DAVE MAASS http://www.myspace.com/manchesterlive