Hailing from Openshaw, Daniel Clarke has been a firm fixture of the Manchester music scene for almost two decades. His artistry, passion and dedication to the craft, along with a blind willingness to engage with audiences across a diverse and varied gig going spectrum, have singled him out as one of the most respected and admired performers of his treasured home city.
Daniel cut his musical teeth back in the early noughties as a founder member of genre-spanning Manchester ensemble The Moods –before departing to form cult folk/rock outfit Death To The Strange. Over the ensuing decade, a relentless approach to writing and performance led to a series of prestigious support slots with James, The Fall, Gomez, Babyshambles, and even Howard Marks! The band continued to tour throughout Britain and beyond -with notable appearances at the famed Le Blues Autour du Zinc festival in Beauvais, France. The rising reputation of DTTS as a celebrated mainstay of the Manchester underground scene was eventually solidified with a sell-out headline show at Manchester Ritz in June 2015.
Following the disbanding of Death To The Strange in 2016, Daniel has actively assumed the role of solo-artist, and has adjusted his approach accordingly. The inherent desire to engage and perform still remain central to his musical ethos -and he is equally at home in sharing his own delicately- crafted self-written material, as he is in blasting through an unrivalled repertoire of tunes faithful to the city that bore him -including bangers from artists like The Smiths, Joy Division, New Order, The Stone Roses, Happy Mondays, James, Oasis and more.
Looking to the future, Daniel intends to remain an integral part of the gig culture that has warmly embraced him over the past twenty years. The festival season is always a particular highlight -with a return to Audio Farm already on the cards for September. Daniel is expected to confirm further dates in the coming weeks, along with an update on the release of some forthcoming new material.
Quote From A Fan- ‘What I love about Clarkey is that he just has this ability, armed with nothing but a six stringed acoustic guitar and a volume knob, to effortlessly transport you directly from a bass laden 90’s house tune straight into a poetic Irish folk song -and all within a matter of minutes. His sense of timing and that gift for assessing the mood of any given audience is legendary’. Go and see him if you get the chance!’ Mary 30, Chorlton.