Later this month, two of the city’s most established live music nights – Blowout and Friends of Mine – are coming together for Friends of Manchester, a one-day event (inevitably deemed a ‘festival’ – this is Manchester after all).

This ‘12-hour music marathon’ takes place on Saturday 24 January at Jabez Clegg, just off Oxford Road, and – due to strong demand – Kro Bar next door, which is hosting a winter barbecue. I count about 50 bands confirmed so far – including personal recommendations the Longcut, its a buffalo, Ten Bears, Gideon Conn, Jo D of the Travelling Band and Islands Lost at Sea.

Tickets are £9 in advance from www.ticketline.co.uk, Piccadilly Box Office in Zavvi and on 0161 832 1111 – or, until Sunday evening, you can get a £7 early bird ticket here. There’ll also be some available from both venues, plus the Thirsty Scholar and Joshua Brooks.

Friends of Manchester is sponsored by Ben Sherman – but don’t let that put you off.

It’s a busy week here at Mancubist towers so here’s a quick mid-week, mid-November round-up…

The biggest event this week is surely the re-opening yesterday of the Manchester Christmas Markets. The largest one, in Albert Square, is open daily, 10am until 9pm, right through to 22 December. For more information, including opening times for the other four – in St Ann’s Square and on Exchange Street, New Cathedral Street and Brazennose Street (here’s a map) – check out the council website.

Inside the town hall, meanwhile, the two-day NOISE Festival – Creative Futures event is currently taking place to promote careers in creative industries. Today’s schedule (10am-6pm) features portfolio reviews, one-to-ones, careers advice and a busking corner, plus an unsigned showcase and panel, and a seminar on art direction by Amelia’s Magazine. Warp Films and Badly Drawn Boy, who played last night, are among this year’s big-name curators.

Elsewhere, there are plenty of great gigs again this week: tonight, the Faint play at Academy 3, supported by an interesting Polar Bear-related band, the Invisible (‘the Invisible Band’ would be a better name…). Or Parenthetical Girls are playing across the road at the small but perfectly formed Kro Bar. And on Friday, Four Tet’s Keiran Hebden returns with drummer Steve Reid.

Salford Film Festival is also in full flow at the moment – great to see it back after last year’s near-cancellation. It runs until 23 November at venues including Salford Arts Theatre, the Lowry, Islington MIll and the Theatre Organ Heritage Centre. Check out the day-by-day guide here.

Oh, and the Spinningfields Ice Rink opens tomorrow, Thursday 20 November, and for the first week it’s just £5 for all skaters.

So the Bays were very good at the RNCM last night – as were Monotonix, an Israeli three-piece who made me fear for my own safety at Club Academy, and the classy Sun Ra Arkestra, who’s ultra-rare appearance packed out the Deaf Institute. More music tonight…

Steve Reich in the Afternoon (geddit?) offers two short rush-hour concerts featuring the septuagenarians minimalist’s music alongside that of ‘a new generation of cutting-edge composers’. The Reich pieces include three of his counterpoints and two phases – think absorbing drone music performed with terrifying accuracy on piano or violin.

Both hour-long concerts – tonight and next Wednesday – begin at 5.45pm and take place at a great venue: St Ann’s Church in St Ann’s Square. They’re organised by Manchester-based new music and music-theatre ensemble Psappha, who will perform with additional musicians. Entry is £5 or £3 for students/under-18s.

And if, like me, you’re on a personal mission to combine as many gigs as possible into one mid-week session, check out Tara Jane ONeil. She’s playing at the Black Lion on Chapel Street tonight (8pm-11pm) alongside dbh and the Redhouse. This show’s promoted by Kaffeequeria, who will be offering vegan cakes, and it’s £5 entry.

On Tuesday night I’ll be watching the Bays and the Heritage Orchestra performing at the RNCM. The electronica quartet will be improvising, with the orchestra following suit, for what is guaranteed to be a truly unique performance.

If I wasn’t there I’d be at the Northern pub on Tib Street where the Social Media Cafe, a new monthly event, will be launching. It’s designed ‘for anyone involved or interested in social media as a means of reaching new audiences, collaboration and sharing skills and experience’.

If you’re reading this, chances are you’re just such a person. And, based on Sarah Hartley’s post on her MEN blog, there are plenty of interested individuals – with Mindy from IndieCredential, Dave Carter and Adrian Slatcher from the MDDA, and Black Country Grammar’s Jonthebeef just a few of the recognisable names listed.

Here’s the programme for tomorrow:

18:00 Doors open
18:20 Introductions what we are and who we are
18:30 Panel discussion ‘Is blogging dead?’ (Craig McGinty, Martin Bryant, Chi-Chi Ekweozor (tbc), chair Sarah Hartley)
19:00 Questions
19:30 Networking
20:30 Round up and close

For more information and to register your interest, join the Google Group.