We’re less than a month away from this year’s In The City, the first without Tony Wilson, who launched the music conference with partner Yvette Livesey in 1992. And general manager Jon-Paul Waddington has been in touch with details of the live side of the event, which has helped the likes of Mercury Prize-winners Elbow, Coldplay and, er, the Darkness get a record deal.

As well as dozens of fringe shows, the official ITC Unsigned this year features 49 bands you’ve never heard of. Jon-Paul suggests that you check out Jesse Rose, Barn Owl, I Am Austin, Baddies, Flashguns, The Fire And I, Telegram From The Queen, General Fiasco and Oscar Charlie - and I’d recommend The Travelling Band, who I’ve mentioned before. The only other two names I recognise are Nomad Jones and The Paris Riots - but that’s the whole point: hearing something completely new.

Perhaps more importantly for non-industry types, however, are the Live showcases, which invite 22 ITC-related organisations to put on the bands they think are the best in the world right now. Here are some of the most impressive showcases:

Heavenly Recordings: Cherry Ghost, Edwyn Collins, Loose Salute, Romeo Stodart (The Magic Numbers), John Head (Shack), Pete Greenwood

Piccadilly Records: Woodcraft Folk, Beach Fuzz, DA Jaycock Quartet, Magic Arm, Colorama, The Real Dolls, Sophie’s Pigeons, Down The Tiny Steps, Sara Lowes

The Warehouse Project/Eat Your Own Ears (opening party): Reverend & The Makers, Tricky, The Whip, Late Of The Pier, Midnight Juggernauts, Simian Mobile Disco, Four Tet

Fierce Panda: The Spinto Band, Dutch Uncles, Laymar, Airship, Acres Of Lions, Capital

Plus there are plenty of other showcases by the likes of Alan McGee, Drowned in Sound, Twisted Nerve, XFM, Channel M, BBC Introducing and the NME. This information isn’t published online yet, but expect full details to be here soon.

In The City 2008 takes places on October 5-7 and is based at the Midland Hotel.

It’s a busy weekend for Manchester, so here are a few highlights I’ve spotted:

The return of New Islington Festival on Saturday at Old Mill Street, near the soon-to-be-closed Ilva. The event, which was a bit of a wash-out last year, features live music from The Jesse Rose Trip, The Mouse Outfit, personal favourites Tim & Sam’s Tim And The Sam Band and others, plus bloggers Jon and James DJing to promote their new clubnight, Dig for Victory! Spectangular will present a programme of Manchester-based short film and photography, while The King’s Arms Knitting Club will be holding a knitting circle, plus various other activities. It’s free.

The Spotlights Bar at the Library Theatre will host a wine fair on Friday, 6pm-9pm. You’re invited to try 50 top wines from around the world (plus some malt whiskys) with live entertainment also provided. Tickets are a very reasonable £10 and are available in advance from Oddbins on Fountain Street - call 228 0849 for more information. Any profits go to mental health charity Mind.

This Sunday is ‘First Sunday’ for the loiterers resistance movement over at the Nowhere Fest blog. To celebrate (?), they’re organising a walk ‘focused around the CCTV cameras which guard the people’s republic of Mancunia’. ‘We may lead you delightfully astray but we promise it’s all perfectly legal,’ they say, adding that the walk will probably be followed by music and refreshments. Meet at Cafe Pop, in the basement of Pop Boutique on Oldham Street, between 1pm and 2pm if you’re interested in some Channel Four-less Big Brother viewing. More info via loiter@hepzombie.co.uk or on 07974929589.

Plus Beck’s Fusions, which I mentioned a couple of weeks ago, at Castlefield Arena. Tickets for Friday and Saturday have been given away now but today, Thurday, is a free, non-ticketed event featuring interactive installations, DJs (Charlatan members, Dave Haslam and Simon’s Mobile Disco), short films, plus food and drink.

Have a good one!

Someone from the council has been in touch about an event happening tomorrow, Thursday, at the art gallery. I suspect fans of Manchester music (and good art) may be interested…

A series of electronic musical duos featuring Homelife’s Atlas, Two Grahams and more, curated by 808State’s Graham Massey and Paddy Steer [also a DJ on All FM's excellent Every Other Monday Show] at the request of artist Gwon Osang.

The backdrop will be Osang’s exhibition of stunning life-size sculptures, currently on show at Manchester Art Gallery as part of Asia Triennial Manchester 08.

Osang’s Deodorant Type exhibition - including a lifesize sculpture of Massey, right - is worth checking out to the usual gallery backdrop of silence, but with some music and drinks (courtesy of Barefoot Wine) it should be even better.

Tickets are £10 for this two-hour event, which kicks off at 7pm, and you can book through the Library Theatre box office or phone 0161 236 7110.

Beck’s Fusions isn’t Manchester’s first corporate-sponsored arts festival, nor will it be the last. But this one is notable for the line-up the mediocre lager brand has assembled. Headlined by Massive Attack, the Bristol trip-hoppers who haven’t played in Manchester since 2003, other highlights include New York’s Hercules and Love Affair (minus Anthony ‘and the Johnsons’ Hegarty), Sydney’s the Presets and Philadelphia’s Santogold.

And while 13 bands (of varying degrees of fame) alone aren’t enough to sustain this three-day event, it’s beefed up by almost the same number of visual artists - including British collective United Visual Artists, who have worked with Massive Attack in the past, including at Meltdown Festival just last month.

Tickets are free but you inevitably need to subject yourself to future Beck’s marketing campaigns to qualify. With 17,000 tickets available for Friday 5 and Saturday 6 September, you’d have thought it would be easy enough to secure some - but just yesterday I received an email informing me that I still hadn’t been successful.

The deadline for applying is this Wednesday, 20 August, and you’ve got to be over 18 to be at the UK’s ‘biggest ever collaborative art and music event’.

That’s the question posed by Julie Delvaux over at her Notebooks - Los Cuadernos de Julia blog. A year or two ago there were semi-regular events organised by and for Manchester’s blogging community - but in 2008 not even a quiet pint in a dingy pub (the Castle has shut down, after all).

Julie wants to right that wrong and is therefore appealing for anyone interested in going to a monthly/bi-monthly event to get in touch. Craig McGinty and several other Manchester bloggers have already posted comments in response, and a September date is in the offing.

Sarah Hartley over at the MEN’s The Mancunian Way blog has mentioned it too, in post explaining a new initiative she has just set up. Starting this week, she’s going to be highlighting some of Manchester’s ‘internet stars’ - people who have blogs or websites in some way connected to the city.

The profiles, including of this week’s www.manchester-blog.com, will go online as well as in the Saturday edition’s e-view section - so if you want to nominate yourself or someone else, email Sarah now.