x.trax on the streets replaces the hugely successful Streets Ahead Festival that has transformed our streets every May for the last six years. 130 of the most spectacular, colourful and original groups from the worlds of street theatre, music, puppetry, dance and circus take centre stage across the City Centre for three magical days and nights.
 

Friday 4th - Monday 7th May 2001

Introduction
For those of you who came to Streets Ahead, x.trax on the streets will feel very familiar... the dynamic atmosphere, the spectacular events, the magical combination of the bizarre, the beautiful and the sensational that made Streets Ahead a legendary success. It's the same... but different, because x.trax includes other special events too.

At x.trax you'll see Manchester at its most engaging - its plethora of restaurants, cafes and shops, its canalsides and squares animated by a kaleidoscope of free entertainment, and thousands of people out enjoying themselves - young and old and families alike. Launch the summer with us - and sample a taste of the City as it gears up for the Commonwealth Games.

x.trax on the streets takes place throughout the weekend. During the afternoon, events are held in the City centre; evening shows are in Castlefield

There are 80,000 leaflets all over Greater Manchester, giving you details of the festival (though there is more information here on the website - and we update it as it changes) - pick some up at your local library... and give some to your friends and neighbours - click on the receive our brochure section and leave details there.

First Night
Fri 4th May 8pm to 10.30pm
Albert Square, FREE

We start the weekend on Friday evening in Albert Square, with two hours of entertainment that we hope gives you a taster of the weekend - a truly thrilling start to your bank holiday ... we don't want to give too much away, but apart from what you can read below we are expecting several unique visitors ...a white angel ...a family of little devils ...a whirling swirling mayhem of silver ribbon ...a flock of 'things with wings' flying in from different parts of Greater Manchester ...and perhaps a few Chinese firecrackers.

Assemble in Manchester's historic civic square to the comic strains of 12-piece French fanfare Zic Zazou - who manage an astonishing array of sounds, while squeezed into their traditional bandstand. And then - all the way from the Caucasian Mountains, we proudly present the Velayev Family - a stomach-churning troupe of high wire acrobats, who positively bounce along the tightrope, to the accompaniment of Arabic lutes. Manchester Town Hall responds as a ricochet of sound pours through its doors into the square to mingle with the crowd. Anarchy, pure pounding rhythm, the x.tasy of that pulse... and then to draw things together, The Bateria de Cinquenta - 50 percussionists who signal the arrival of Avanti Display with Hydromania - now bigger and wetter than ever!

Airvag
We now have clearer information on what this exciting French company will be doing for us in Manchester. Airvag create stunning large scale installations out of PVC, that will be transforming the Squares of Manchester City Centre

In Albert Square on opening night Airvag will create a magical line of curving horns - plus they will be animating everything with some one-off treats about which OUR LIPS ARE SEALED!! But don't miss them, they won't be there after Friday night!

The Street Festival Daytime
Manchester City Centre
Sat 5th May 12noon to 6pm (Great Northern Sounds 2-9pm)
Sun 6th May 1pm to 6pm (Great Northern Sounds 2-9pm)
Mon 7th May 1pm to 6pm (Great Northern Sounds 1.30-5.30pm)
everything FREE

For the rest of the weekend, we invite you to come into town during the day and spend it moving around, watching shows, shopping and relaxing. There are literally hundreds of performances in the different squares and streets, with a selection of these listed below.

To help you, all the individual shows are listed - with their times, places and information about the artists - in the festival programme, which will be on sale all over the place at the price of £1. Do buy one - it will make your day more fun and also it helps us raise money for next year!

The City Centre jives - music, street theatre and dance, strolling cabaret, circus and puppets - a hundred groups to entertain you wherever you turn! Highlights include:
 

Albert Square
Big M - a tented arcade of films, animated art and installations - touch them and they change!
Exchange Square
Stunning visual installations from French inflatable geniuses Airvag, and acoustic music.
Printworks Paradise Trail
Binoculars and compasses to the ready for this howling, whistling, chirruping environment complete with living creatures.
 

Palm Court Tea Garden at Triangle
Delightfully relaxing afternoons with voices from around the world - from a capella to steel bands - amidst fronds of foliage.

St Ann's Square and around The City
Look out for:
The zaniest photographic combo in Europe - Surreal painters and decorators invading the Town Hall - Spanish gipsy troubadours with goat and baggy knickers - Those boots just made for talking! Earnest girl guiders, with whistle and toggle at the ready Bands of gorillas, flamingos, jugglers and swashbuckling villains Synchronised coracle racers at Bridgewater canalside.

And don't forget to look in the shops
Strange goings on in windows all over town... not to forget the special festival sandwiches, milkshakes and other treats!
 

MUSIC
Saturday & Sunday 2-9pm
Monday 1.30 - 5.30pm

There are several different places where you can find music over the weekend.

Great Northern Sounds - In association with Continental Drifts
A selection of festival music from around the world and the Continental Drifts Firestarter stage in Great Northern Square.

On Saturday the Firestarter stage will showcase new unsigned bands. On Sunday and Monday energetic upbeat festival bands will play music from around the world - from Celtic to Reggae, East European, Japanese Taiko, soca, ska and African. There are lots more Music events in x.trax:special events and x.trax:underground sections.
 

THE PROGRAMME INCLUDES

NUCLEUS ROOTS

- reggae-dance-dub from Manchester's top festival band

TOP CATS

- the best Ska Band in the UK

HEADMIX

- UK's No. 1 Afro Celt festival band

MUKKA

- 8 piece East European Dance band

TRAGIK

- seminal Kleizmer/Ska Street band

BAGDADDIES

- the North's funkiest and Grooviest brass led gypsy act

PRONGHORN

- wizard cowpunk, hillbilly, country crossover 8 piece band

PLUS
Firestarter Stage, the best new unsigned UK bands, selected by a high profile industry demo jury. Firestarter is an Arts Council funded initiative that aims to give new bands enormous new audiences at festivals.

SOFALOFA

- an eccentric cocktail of electronica and hip hop

ANALYZE

- dance beats of a Drum and Bass nature with haunting vocals

LOWFINGER

- FunLovin Criminals meets Primal Scream

FREEWORLD

- a top upcoming act specialising in innovative funky disco

BONEBOX

- delivering a cryptic soul sonic twist

Plus more to be announced...
See x.trax:on the streets programme for full details of line up...

Bridgewater Canalside (Sunday only)
Acoustic world music bands at the waterside.
Sit and listen at the Pitcher and Piano cafe bar.
Bang bang
Junk instrument bands on Exchange Square, all three days street music in St Ann's and Albert Squares and strolling around the City centre
Manchester Young Bands
Monday only, Lincoln Square
The Afoxe Loni Finale
Monday afternoon
Samba City
2 nights of samba (Saturday & Sunday)
Outside Dukes 92 in Castlefield - see night time programme
 

Garden of Delights Castlefield - Night-time
Castlefield, Liverpool Road, off Deansgate
Sat 5th & Sun 6th May 8pm to 11pm - everything FREE
 

And what about the evenings?
Come down for a madcap party on the canalside and soak up the atmosphere of 30 different shows. Everything becomes a little more intimate - we move away from roads and traffic to the CANALSIDE AT CASTLEFIELD. Though it is night, we welcome families of all ages and many events are specially enjoyed by the large numbers of children who come down.

And do bring your kids - there are so few special evenings for children in Manchester, that are friendly, welcoming and safe- and many who have attended in the past write to us about how exciting an evening they have had. A few updates on the information from the leaflet:

CREATURES OF THE NIGHT
Luminous juggling, bizarre walkabouts.

SITES FOR SORE EYES
Walk the Plank's Garden of Luminescent Loveliness, pa-Boom's Flume, and quirky installations in tents and hidden corners. Plus a full programme of street theatre and other shows in the Arena and Roman Fort. Food and drink available around the site.
SAMBA CITY
You can soak up the samba beat at Dukes - at the last count there are 17 different samba bands from around the country coming for this battle of the baterias...
CIRCUS
You can see circus both evenings on the grass by the lift. Each evening we present one larger show on the arena...
SATURDAY
By popular request we welcome back Heir of Insanity - one of the hits of last year - so that more of you can see them!
SUNDAY
In case you missed them on Friday, or another chance to see them again - The Velayev Family from the Caucasian Mountains will dance on the high wire...
STREET THEATRE
Will take place on the Roman Fort site...
FIRE AND LIGHT
There are a few special delights planned for once the darkness has set in. These will not be animated until 9.30pm...

Everything FREE, everyone welcome!

Afoxé Loni Finale
Mon 7th May 4.30pm
starts from Triangle, Exchange Square - FREE
 

Manchester's Millennium Quarter fills with the stunning white-clad drummers and dancers of Manchester's 250-strong brand new afoxé band. Join them at Triangle, where they begin their pounding new Brazilian rhythms - not samba, but packin' a hellava punch! Follow them through the main squares of the City, closing the festival as they go, returning the streets to the peace of the everyday.

The festival is over for another year, but summer has been launched. From this weekend, Manchester comes out of doors and, rain or shine, stays that way till September!