When: 7.00pm and 9.00pm on Tuesday 28 September 2010
Where: Godlee Observatory, Sackville Street Building, Sackville Street, Manchester M1 3BB

Image copyright © Simon Pardoe

We are delighted to announce this exciting pair of show featuring one of our favourite artists playing in an incredible venue. This show will take place in the exceptional and beautiful confines of the Godlee Observatory, high above Manchester city centre. The observatory, which sits at the top of the Sackville Street Building on the University of Manchester’s North Campus (the old UMIST main building), has been home to the Manchester Astronomical Society since 1902, and still features the original 8-inch refractor, counterbalanced by a 12-inch Newtonian reflector telescopes from this era.

Darren Hayman, still adored by many for his work with Hefner, Britain’s Largest Small Band, will be celebrating this venue by playing a set of astronomical-inspired songs alongside tracks from his upcoming sixth solo album, Essex Arms. This will be a one-off set, combining Darren’s passion for space with an opportunity to experience an active telescope observatory. Attendees of the gig will have the opportunity to take a tour of the observatory, including the telescopes, which are accessed via a spiral staircase climbing up past the massive telescope pier supported by the steel I-beams that span the tower.

Due to the limited capacity of the observatory, Darren will be performing two intimate sets, at 7pm and 9pm. This will be a fantastic opportunity to see arguably one of the best British lyricists of the last 15 years in a stunning venue, to a handful of people.

This special event – a co-promotion with our friends over at Pull Yourself Together – is made possible thanks to the lovely people at the Manchester Astronomical Society.

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