About

 The Noise Upstairs has been an institution dedicated to the practice of improvised music since its founding in 2007.  Based in Northwest England, it runs regular monthly events in Manchester and Sheffield, has hosted a number of creative workshops, invited a variety of local and international improv musicians to perform in both cities, and has even recently started supporting musicians as a small artist-centric label. Anton Hunter and Rodrigo Constanzo aim to make The Noise Upstairs a staple in the improvisation scene by continuing to re-imagine what The Noise Upstairs can be, and how it can serve musicians and artists both locally, and abroad.

Monthly Improv Sessions:

The cornerstone of The Noise Upstairs has always been its monthly held improv nights.  During these events the audience is invited to participate as performers.  By pulling names randomly (literally out of a hat) trios are formed and are given the stage to explore and exhaust their impromptu work.  This encourages an open dialogue among musicians and artists, building dynamics that may not have formed organically otherwise.  Currently, these nights are run at Fuel Cafe in Manchester on the second Thursday of every month, and at The Riverside in Sheffield on the second Wednesday of every month. Both begin at 8:30pm and run til 11:00pm.

Record Label:

Starting in 2009 The Noise Upstairs began it’s own label. Our ‘artist first’ model gives all of the profits to the artists after our initial/minimal costs are covered. We use our in-house recording/engineering team (Rodrigo Constanzo) and in-house art/graphic design team (Angela Guyton) to take the artists on our label from idea to physical release in their hand, all for free. As a label we do not have any funds to invest into artists, but what we can offer is our time and effort.