('Darker than Blue', one of Blood and Fire's most highly-acclaimed releases.) Manchester-based reggae reissue label Blood and Fire, which was co-founded by Simply Red's Mick Hucknall, has closed for business...for the time being. Talking on the Blood and Fire online forum, former A+R Director Steve Barrow said, 'The office in Manchester is closed, all the remaining stock is in storage, and the company has ceased trading, apart from the accountant collecting monies still owed to B&F, and paying it out again to those who the company owes.' 'As far as the company goes, it has been reported elsewhere that myself and the Simply Red people are talking to a couple of 'interested parties', but as all those people are now on holiday, not a lot is happening. We had a couple of meetings, both positive, but who knows. If a deal can be struck to continue the label, it will carry on. If not, that's it for the label.'Thousands of urban folk enjoyed Manchester's newest festival this weekend. More than 70 acts performed at the second New Islington Festival, which celebrates the creation of the 31-acre village and water park just off Great Ancoats Street. About 5,000 people turned up yesterday to hear a dynamic programme of folk, hip hop, grime and UK garage artists as well as other bands and singers. Manchester's burgeoning musical talent took over the Tree-Percussion stage, with the likes of Carlis Star, the Answering Machine, This is Seb Clarke and The Beep Seals all performing. While on the Unity Stage, DJS such as Phat Pat, DJ Stylus and Northern Komfort headlined. There were also visual treats on offer, including bizarre spray painted fibre glass sheep - standing in for real sheep at the eleventh hour due to the foot and mouth restrictions. And as well as music and art, there was film, poetry, morris dancing, literature, pedalos, secret islands and eight hours of drum n bass on a canal barge to keep festival-goers entertained. The festival - dubbed 'urban folk for urban folk' - is now an annual event. Lisa Ashurst, chair of the festival, said: "The festival celebrates the creation of New Islington and so there's a strong community focus. "Manchester is blessed with a wealth of artistic talent and we wanted to embrace as much of this as possible. "We've built on the success of last year by creating several new stages and giving the local community even more opportunity to showcase their talents." Manchester's other festival Dpercussion made also made a quick return, following August's tenth and final event in Castlefield, hosting the main stage at New Islington. There were also performances from Rhythm n Grime, Kate and Gregg's Boat Band, 2manyAncoatsDjs, Taffy Thomas the storyteller and a tea tent manned by Manchester's favourite DJ and producer Mr Scruff. Plans for New Islington include 1,700 new family homes and flats, offices, shops, restaurants and bars. The festival, from 2pm-8pm, on Old Mill Street was free to attend. Source: Sarah Walters/MENRadio DJs and musicians in Manchester have joined a drive to reach out to active and would-be gangsters through music. The move comes after representatives from community and pirate stations across the country met in London for a debate on the issue and to interview parents and families of those who have lost their loved ones to gun or knife crime. The stations then pledged to broadcast the recordings to reach out to those involved in gang culture. The unique event was organised by musicians and social campaigners Urban Concepts as part of a government-sponsored campaign titled Don't Trigger. It is supported by mums Patsy McKie, Jackie Fetherston and Pauline Blackburn whose sons were shot and killed in Manchester. The campaign will also see an album of music featuring famous names like Maxi Priest, Jocelyn Brown and Lil Rascals released in October. The campaign group has produced a feature film entitled Hip Hop Opera which shows the consequences of gun crime for those left behind, with a video featuring some of the Manchester mums. Manchester radio DJ Gordon West, who is to present a drive-time show on community radio station Peace FM, said he was supporting the campaign and hoped to speak to those involved in gangs when the station goes live in October. He said: "The difference between what we do and what the commercial radio stations do is that we try to get the youth involved and we often find the streets are a lot quieter when we are broadcasting. "I am working to be able to get to a situation where I can interview some of those involved in gangs on air and ask them why they carry a gun." Raymond Stevenson, from Urban Concepts, said the campaign wanted the support of community and pirate radio stations because `we realise the power these stations hold on getting a message to the youth of this country'. The Don't Trigger album is due out on October 5. For more information about the album or the campaign log on to dont-trigger.com Source: Nicola Dowling/MENThe organisers of In The City, the annual music conference held around Manchester, have announced that it will go ahead this year, despite the death of one of its founders, Anthony Wilson. In a statement, the team quoted one of the late broadcaster’s favourite phrases - "always look forward, never look back" – before continuing by saying that "the time is right to announce that In The City will be going ahead as planned." They insist that the event "won’t be a mournful, solemn, introspective ode to Tony" as "he’d have hated that." The statement continues by saying that "before his death – in conversations with his partner and ITC co-founder Yvette [Livesey] – the decision was made between them to carry on no matter what happened. "So instead it’ll be the informed, irreverent, intellectual and most of all inspiring event that it always has been – perhaps even more so this time round. "It’s the most fitting tribute we’re sure you’ll agree. "Music and conversation – excitement and ideas – argument and inspiration: it’s what he taught the current team – led by General Manager Jon-Paul Waddington – and it’s what they’ll continue to do." In The City runs from Saturday 20 to Monday 22 October at various venues around Manchester. Source: BBC ManchesterOne of the clubbing success stories of 2006, the Warehouse Project is to return this autumn for another 12-week run. Last year 100,000 people partied inside the legendary (and now sadly demolished) old Boddingtons brewery with a host of superstar DJs and big name bands like Public Enemy and The Fall entertained them. After decamping to a new venue entitled ‘Beneath the Streets’ for the second May Bank Holiday, the Warehouse Project will kick-off a new run at this former air-raid shelter on September 29. Radio 1 are set to take the reins at the launch night with Armand Van Helden and Layo & Buckwacka on DJ duties. In the following weeks John Digweed, Dave Clarke, DJ Yoda, Fabio and Grooverider, Soulwax and Goldie will all drop by, plus there will also be live appearances from revered rapper Mos Def, Manc electro upstarts The Whip and Beta Band spin-off outfit The Aliens. The whole run will come to a spectacular close on New Year’s Eve with a huge two-day party to see in 2008. Source: MEN