Review and photos: Antony Szmierek at New Century Manchester

The last 12 months have been a whirlwind for Antony Szmierek. From teaching English to kids at a Manchester special needs college, he's played Glastonbury, appeared on Jools Holland and embarked on his first UK headline tour.

It's been a year filled with pinch-me moments for the 33-year-old, from Hyde, but tonight is perhaps the biggest yet as he takes to the stage at New Century in his home city.

The 1,300-capacity venue months sold out months ago - despite Szmierek not having released an album yet. The show was initially meant to be staged around the corner at Band In The Wall but had to be upgraded amid a huge demand for tickets.

READ MORE: Two Greater Manchester restaurants named among top places to eat in the UK

It has been an unconventional path into the music industry for Szmierek, who until recently was juggling his teaching job with writing music in his spare time. But having been named one of BBC 6 Music’s Artists of the Year for 2023, there's a hype surrounding him that lends a palpable sense of anticipation to the evening.

The magnitude of the occasion clearly isn't lost on the man himself either. He appears slightly taken aback as he enters the stage wearing a black gilet, 0161 embossed upon his back.

While the nerves are understandable - it's by far the biggest show of his short career - there's no question that he's on home turf here; the room is filled with Szmierek's friends, family and former students, all of whom will him on from the outset.

It's perhaps fitting then that he opens with ‘Working Classic', a nostalgic look back at his upbringing in Hyde during the 90s. The song's gritty lyrics reference Werneth Low and the now-defunct supermarket chain Food Giant, and are set against a garage beat.

“