ctrl LIVE: Antony Szmierek [UK]

Hip hop, house, spoken word, and rave collide in the hands of one wildly charismatic Mancunian - Antony Szmierek, live on Wednesday, April 8, 2026.

The past few years have been a whirlwind: he cut his teeth on Manchester’s spoken-word scene, earning a reputation for a seamless flow that slices through the mess of modern British life while finding unexpected beauty in the everyday, then got to be recognized on the streets.

“Fundamentally British yet beautifully universal” DIY *****

Nostalgic beats and smooth indie riffs meet introspective lyrics that provide comfort and show a way out of spiralling thoughts through intricate wordplay. In the backstreets of indie and rap, poetry slams and illegal house raves, Szmierek is currently assembling the sound of the present.

“lyrics that plenty of post-punk bands would dream of penning are backed up by chameleonic, club-tastic soundscapes” NME ****

Originally released earlier this year to a wave of five-star reviews, the expanded edition of his album “Service Station at the End of the Universe” features fan-favourite singles ‘The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Fallacy,’ ‘The Great Pyramid of Stockport,’ ‘Yoga Teacher,’ and ‘Angie’s Wedding,’ alongside two new tracks: ‘That Face You Make When It’s Raining’ and ‘Girlypops.’

The earworming record soon found its way onto the BBC 6 Music airwaves and led Szmierek to be named an Artist of the Year 2023 by the station and a Time Out Artist to Watch in 2024. There followed appearances on Later… with Jools Holland, a BBC Radio 1 Maida Vale session, multiple triumphant Glastonbury sets and a flurry of comparisons: to the pavement prose of The Streets, the poetry of John Cooper Clarke if he found himself at the Haçienda, or like Jarvis Cocker for the UK Garage generation. 

“Szmierek has this wonderful talent of finding profound beauty in the mundane and lavishing life’s inherent romance with a torrent of superlatives: all over a tight series of poppy hooks, flashes of garage and deep dancefloor beats” Indie Is Not A Genre *****

Antony Szmierek - The Great Pyramid of Stockport

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* Children ages 7 and under have free access with a parent holding a valid ticket. Protective headphones are recommended.

** Children up to 16 years old need a valid ticket and must be accompanied by a parent with a valid ticket.

*** Minors aged 16 to 18 years old have access with a valid ticket.

**** Serving and alcohol consumption are strictly forbidden for all minors.