An Oldham 'metalhead' couple say they are determined to keep the scene alive and kicking in Manchester and the borough by shining a spotlight on underground bands.
Jay and Jayne Bennett from Sholver have been together for seven years and married for three, having met through their love of metal music at SOS Festival, which has more recently been held at Oldham's Whittles venue.
The couple took their love for the scene even further and kickstarted their own page, 0161 Manchester Underground Metal Promotions, in 2019 to provide up-and-coming artists with a platform to self-promote their gigs.
Jay said there wasn't "much of a call" for a page at the time but since then has seen the brand grow into a trustworthy promotion company which stages events from Rebellion in Manchester to The Alma Inn in Bolton to nearer home at The Bank Top Tavern in Oldham.
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The 46-year-old said people are flocking from all over Greater Manchester to the borough to get their regular deathcore, metalcore and thrash metal fix, with 0161 putting on gigs as regularly as most Friday nights.
Jay added: "We were worried that it's a little bit out of the way, being in Oldham, but people are just coming in - the turnout is decent."
So much so that the promotion company has invited bands from across the pond who are eager to play in a Manchester venue, from France to Germany and beyond.
The promoter, who also works as a carer for his mum and juggles a part-time job in between, said he often has "stressful, long days" but that the hard work pays off.
He continued: "We're very proud. It's constantly hard work.
"There is no money in the underground scene, you do this because you love it."
The pandemic presented a major hiccup for the music industry as a whole as venues closed down and restrictions infringed on bands performing.
However, Jay said they managed to throw several nights during the pandemic, through sit-down events, including some sold-out nights at Whittles, and even live-streaming gigs from Red Wall Studios in Bury.
He said: "It was a way for us and the bands to still be able to do what we love doing without breaking the law and putting anyone's health at risk.
"It was good and I think that's what really helped boost our brand because during the pandemic, everyone else stopped and we were carrying on with it.
"We sold out every single event [at the sit downs] because there was nothing else to do but people still needed, probably for their mental health, to be out, socialising and watching bands."
The team also host the Manchester leg of Metal to the Masses, a nationwide band competition where local acts go head-to-head in hopes of taking the crown - the finale of which is coming up this June 1 at an all-day event at Rebellion in Manchester.
Winners of each regional then bag a top spot at arguably metal's most anticipated event in the summer calendar - Bloodstock Festival.
Jay and Jayne both attend the festival in Derbyshire each year, often watching the New Blood Stage to support underground bands they've booked throughout the year.
Meanwhile, the bands get great exposure and gain new fans from all over the world.
He continued: "Nothing more proud than watching the Manchester Metal to the Masses winners up there.
"Every year, me and Jayne are at the front, crying our eyes out like proud parents.
"Me and Jayne love going to events together, we're very fortunate that we both love it. It's what we do."
Beyond the band battle, 0161 also holds an annual thrash metal event called Thrashchester, bringing a full day of thrash metal of 10 bands.
This November 16, it'll be the fourth Thrashchester and Oldham's up-and-coming metal band, Tortured Demon, will headline the big day at Rebellion.
The band was started by two brothers from the borough in their early teens.
Jay said: "It's brilliant - the demand for it has grown we were turning people away at the door in our last venue."
When asked about where his love of metal music stems from, he attributed it all to his uncle Bill but said he's "always been a metalhead".
Now, he is even booking his "bucket list" bands that he grew up listening to, to bring them to Oldham's The Bank Top Tavern.
However, the brand is primarily focused on supporting new bands in the scene.
Jay explained: "It's all to try and help up-and-coming bands because it's really difficult for them, especially underground bands, to get any support to do events.
"When we started, we had bands coming to us that had been going for three or four years and said they've contacted loads of promoters but nobody willing to take a gamble on them.
"And that's what we're all about, we want to discover some untapped talent, especially young talent as well."
Tortured Demon is one such band which has grown under the wing of the team, as Jay said they've "grown to be quite a big band now", even going so far as to headline Academy gigs.
He added: "It's good to see a band that we gave their first event to when they were young to now going strong.
"That's basically what we're trying to do."
But Jay said he worries a lot of metalheads in Oldham might not know about the extent of the local talent on their doorstep and the underground scene in the borough.
He continued: "When I walk around Oldham, I see loads of young metalheads, with their T-shirts on around 18 or 19, and I'm not sure if they know who we are - and that is our audience.
"We want to attract the Oldham audience to the events because people might think there's nothing to go to in Oldham if you're a rock or metal fan.
"I want them to know there are metalheads here and out there."
If you have a story, I cover all things Oldham from food reviews and local business news to music and events, pubs, education, crime, property, health, community concerns and much more. Please email me at Olivia.bridge@newsquest.co.uk or send me a message on Twitter @Livbridge with your news.
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