Brown Wimpenny, an experimental-traditional folk collective formed in Manchester’s acoustic community, share a guide to the people and places sustaining the city’s growing folk scene. Their new album, ‘Love Live Brown Wimpenny’, draws on northern industrial-song traditions and traditional narratives, making the guide a tribute to the sessions, venues and musicians that shaped the group.

– Peveril of the Peak: its established Tuesday-night session blends experienced Irish-community regulars with younger musicians in a lively but often moving atmosphere.
– The Gas Lamp: a monthly third-Sunday singaround led by Kit Knight, valued for its welcoming setting and varied, high-quality performances.
– Platt Fields Market Garden: a community garden hosting folk-adjacent events, including wassails and James Brown’s Frivolous Fields festival, with links to groups such as Govend Manchester.