From Lisa Stansfield to the Courteeners, and Cargo Studios to Suite Sixteen, the Greater Manchester borough of Rochdale has a proud cultural heritage, with many local artists and venues cementing their place in music history.
In 2026, this is being celebrated through the Rochdale Music Stories campaign, an exciting collaboration between The Stockport Music Story and Voltalab Sound Studios, launched by the Rochdale Development Agency
Fans of the iconic music recorded in the current “Greater Manchester Town of Culture” are now being invited to a special one-off show next month…
Between 1977 and 2001, Rochdale was home to both Suite Sixteen and Cargo Studios on Kenion Street, where artists like OMD, Inspiral Carpets, The Stone Roses, Happy Mondays, and Joy Division were among the big names recording some of their best work.
Funded by Arts Council England, 14 local artists have been invited to reimagine classic tracks that were recorded at both Cargo and Suite Sixteen studios, for a new album due for release on a limited-edition vinyl.
To celebrate this ‘Rochdale Music Stories presents: Kenion Street’ release, all of the artists will exclusively perform their renditions at a special one-off live show at Heywood Civic, a venue which has recently been transformed thanks to a multi-million pound investment.
Taking place on Saturday 14th March 2026, at 7pm, the event will be compered by Inspiral Carpets legend and DJ, Clint Boon, who will be chatting to some very special guests from the Manchester music scene.
Peter Hook (Joy Division, New Order), Vox (The Chameleons), and Martin Moscrop (A Certain Ratio) have all been confirmed for this eagerly anticipated evening.
Tickets are on sale now, priced from just £13.65 – available here: https://heywoodcivic.co.uk/event/rochdale-music-stories-presents-kenion-street-album-launch-concert/.
Recorded at Voltalab Studios, the upcoming compilation album ‘Rochdale Music Stories presents: Kenion Street’ will be released on limited-edition vinyl on the same day – 14th March 2026.
The tracklist is below…
ROCHDALE MUSIC STORIES PRESENTS: KENION STREET – ALBUM TRACKLISTING
- Micah Stalgic ft. Local Vocals – “Atmosphere” (Joy Division)
- K-Estate – “Damaged Goods” (Gang of Four)
- Desyfer & Emma Konnanov – “Twenty Four Hour Party People” (Happy Mondays)
- P*STARR – “Keep The Circle Around” (Inspiral Carpets)
- Leo HC – “Up The Down Escalator” (The Chameleons)
- PoolEra – “Electricity” (OMD)
- Medley – Dreams Never End (New Order)
- Blvckout – “All Night Party” (A Certain Ratio)
- The Velvet Shadow ft. Maisie Thompson – “All Tomorrow’s Parties” (Nico)
- Jennifer Reid – “Totally Wired” (The Fall)
- From The Ground Up ft. Bloom Music Community – “Elephant Stone” (The Stone Roses)
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