Typical - I start blogging about all the wonderful things happening in Manchester, then make the mistake of checking the Manchizzle and discover that everything’s already been mentioned, namely:

Futuresonic festival (1-5 May), featuring In Search of the Social in Manchester and more social networking than even a 15-year-old webophile can handle.
Highlight (hopefully): a late-night gig at Charlies’s hosted by yours truly
Tip: A limited number of pay-what-you-can Day Passes will be available on each day of the conference

Sounds From The Other City (4 May) is a one-day, Bank Holiday Sunday celebration of musical Salford. Around 50 bands play in tiny churches and pubs along Chapel Street, with each stage organised by a different local promoter.
Highlight (again, hopefully): David Thomas Broughton’s set at my Salford Arms stage and Craig Wood’s Manchester bootleg archive, from 1973 to the present day
Tip: Most years sell out so book your £10 pass at Quaytickets.com now

Also, a few other bits and pieces:

Vice magazine is back in town this Thursday, 24 April. This time it’s at Sankeys and the lineup features live sets from Metronomy, Operator Please and Lovvers (who I hear are great live) plus DJ sets from Friendly Fires, c90s, Autokratz, Evil 9, The oldboy, Contort Yourself. Tickets are free when you register over at Viceland.

Someone or other at Arts Council England wants you to vote on the country’s most musical city. Mark Radcliffe makes a good case for Manchester - but I think we should all vote for Leicester, which has produced such greats as Mark Morrison, Showaddywaddy and Engelbert Humperdinck. You can’t argue with quality like that.

And finally, bad news for Manchester independents as Mai Bai, the sushi cafe, and Roadkill Records, the Oldham Street record shop, both shut their doors. I was telling someone just last week about Roadkill’s mixtape exchange…

Bit of a coup for Manchester International Festival, which, during its off-year, has just announced that it will promote Leonard Cohen’s first UK concerts in 15 years. The Canadian singer-songwriter obviously enjoyed his visit to Manchester last July and has now signed up for four nights on 17-20 June.

He’s also performing at Glastonbury, Edinburgh Castle, the O2 Arena and the Big Chill festival this summer - but MIF got to him first, as is their intention.

As with Gorillaz’ Demon Days concerts in 2006, the 1,900-seat Opera House will host what festival director Alex Poots calls a ‘trailblazer’ for the second Manchester International Festival in 2009 - and why not splash out when you’ve just received an extra £1m from Arts Council England.

Tickets for the concerts will go on sale on Friday 14 March at Ticketmaster.co.uk.

There’s an interesting feature by Simon Binns in the latest issue of Crain’s Manchester Business about the future of the In The City music conference.

The original company, In The City Ltd, is being wound up by the late Tony Wilson’s partner Yvette Livesey - but Jon Paul Waddington (formerly of CityLife) and his team plan to keep the event going on 5-7 October.

And the 17th year of ITC will, for the first time, include the involvement of Manchester City Council who want to ‘discuss the production of a report on the next steps for the growth of the music industry in Manchester’.

Waddington believes that ‘the Peter Street corridor is probably a bit out of sync with what we do - there are probably closer ties to the Northern Quarter’. He’s right too - watching hopefuls giving their all in the far-from-rock-n-roll surroundings of Walkabout, Teasers and Life Cafe has never felt quite right.

So might we see ITC switching from its Midland hotel base to the Malmaison, for example, in the coming years?

The reason for my current blogging lapse isn’t anywhere near as good as Manchizzle’s - but it’s good to know that Mancubist can tick over in my extended absence:

• The Guardian Exchange tunnels continue to generate interest and speculative comments galore
• Urbis now runs a ‘60s Magical Music Tour‘ (wrong city, surely?) on alternate Saturdays, hosted by Brian Allen and finishing up at Twisted Wheel on Whitworth Street. It’s booked up til mid-May, so they must be doing something right
• Manchester has a new record label, Concrete Moniker - and its launch party is on Tuesday 4 March at Common bar on Edge Street. Any label with the Splice Girls on its roster is worth investigating, if you ask me…
• And, finally, one via email: ‘The first issue of if p then q magazine is out in March and the first book, in the if p then q classics series by Tom Jenks, in April. Also keep your eyes peeled for readings and happenings in Manchester. if p then q is keen to talk. We welcome all sorts of experimental submissions of poetry: see the guidelines on the website for more.’

Normal service will be resumed when I’m working less than 50 hours per week again.

I’ve mentioned the work of Old Trafford-based LetsGoGlobal.tv a couple of times before but Friday 8 February sees their annual talent showcase at MohoLive on Tib Street:

Come and help us set the mis-en-scene for a FREE explosion of films, music, bands and DJ’s. Lets Go Expo 08 is an exciting showcase of filmmaking talent and will be broacast LIVE online and into SecondLife. Featuring live music from RYNA, THE HIDDEN REVOLUTION, SALTY LIPS and FRAZER KINGS.

A selection of films will also be broadcast on the BBC Big Screen Manchester from 8pm. More information here.

Meanwhile, according to this comment, Manchester’s online TV community just grew some more:

Welcome to Manchester-live.tv, the UK’s first local-based online television service. Here you will find everything and anything related to Manchester, from the origins of Northern Soul to the latest celebrity events.

But possibly the greatest thing about Manchester-live.tv is that you are able to contribute by uploading your videos and show the world your own broadcasting skills. A group has just been formed on Facebook - Manchester Live TV! - Please join.

It’s early days but there’s already plenty of interesting stuff up there including historic footage of a Manchester Beatles concert, Frank Sidebottom’s excellent Manchester Medley and New Order performing at the Hacienda (check out Hooky’s lovely hair!).