Manchester rapper RIO releases debut album: ‘The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly’
The rapper revealed he was working on some new material that would "change the game" in Manchester - and six months later we have his ten-track LP The Good, The Bad & The Ugly.
Manchester hip-hop artist RIO has officially released his long-awaited debut studio album.
A respected and popular member of grime’s old guard, RIO announced his grand comeback in summer following a five-year hiatus from music .
The rapper revealed he was working on some new material that would “change the game” in Manchester – and six months down the line we have his ten-track LP: The Good, The Bad & The Ugly.
Remembered for club hits such as ‘Can’t Stop We’ and ‘We Love Grime’, RIO’s new record is a more mature, thoughtful piece of storytelling – digging into his Mosside roots and exploring his rollercoaster journey through the music world.
RIO started selling mixtapes on Market Street in 2010 before rising through the ranks and appearing on the likes of BBC Radio 1Xtra, Radio 1, Red Bull, Soccer AM and Capital Xtra, receiving support from big names such as DJ Target, Semtex, Tim Westwood, Mistajam, Ras Kwame, Mary Anne Hobbs and Annie Nightingale.
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The rapper also collaborated with the likes of Ghetts, Blizzard, C4 and Royce Da 5’9″.
Now, after being out of the game for over a half a decade, RIO claims he is “here to stay”.
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His new release, The Good, The Bad & The Ugly, is a multifaceted effort executively produced by JSD – flipping through genres, moods and styles.
The record features introspective tracks like ‘Ghost’ (which divulges his reasons for taking a step back from music), the spine-tingling ‘Awake’, and Caribbean-flavoured ‘Medusa’ featuring Mr Benz.
You can listen to The Good, The Bad & The Ugly online now here.
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A documentary on the rapper’s career has also been posted to YouTube.
Yard Act announce handful of new headline shows ahead of 6Music gig in Manchester
Clementine Hall
Yard Act are back as they announce first round of UK headline dates since 2024, including a show right here in Manchester – but not before their BBC 6Music Festival gig later this week.
We are so, SO back.
It’s been a few years, but Yard Act have just announced a limited run of domestic shows for later in the year including their homecoming gig at the O2 Academy in Leeds on Friday, 6 November.
But after playing over in Yorkshire, the lads will be performing shows at the O2 Victoria Warehouse on the following Friday (13 Nov).
Yard Act completed the touring for their critically acclaimed second album, Where’s My Utopia?, with a victory lap back home at the 5000 capacity Millennium Square in Leeds in August ’24.
It was a record that brought a stark change of pace to the acerbic, post-punk of their debut, embracing something altogether more playful and bringing a different energy.
It shifted the dynamic on stage too, with the addition of dancing backing singers and additional musicians and openly challenged listeners to reconsider who they thought Yard Act were.
Since then, the band have been keeping busy writing and recording their third studio LP, as well as heading out across the UK and Europe with The Hives – oh, and that intimate one-off show at Blackpool Tower last May.
Following a lengthy stint in the studio, the band now look to this coming autumn for three big UK dates and we cannot wait. We spoke to them a little while back and know how much big stuff they’ve got further pipeline; you can see the interview HERE.
Booking just three headline slots, the handful of tour dates are as follows:
06 Nov – Leeds
13 Nov – Manchester
26 Nov – London
Tickets go on artist presale from 10am on Wednesday, 25 March before hitting general sale at 10am on Friday, 27 March. Sign up to grab yours right HERE.
As for those wanting to find out more about this year’s 6Music Fest, you find the full lineup and more down below.
Jungle have announced a huge Manchester gig for later this year
Daisy Jackson
Modern funk and soul band Jungle are officially heading back to Manchester, it seems.
The Mercury Prize-nominated group will be performing at the Co-op Live this November, following their blistering summer on the festival circuit last year.
Although the teaser projected onto the side of the Co-op Live last night suggested Jungle would be announcing the tour at 6.30pm tonight, someone’s jumped the gun – there are posters plastered all over Ancoats already.
And we may have spotted a hastily-deleted tweet from the venue appear earlier today too…
According to the posters, Jungle will be performing in Manchester on Friday 27 November.
The last time they performed in our city, it was a night at Warehouse Project, and a (totally different) outdoor summer show at Castlefield Bowl.
Jungle was formed back in 2013 by producers and friends Josh Lloyd-Watson and Tom McFarland.
The Jungle teaser in Manchester last night. Credit: Instagram, @thecoopliveJungle are heading back to Manchester. Credit: Publicity picture
While they technically worked as a duo for years (until 2023, when touring member Lydia Kitto became an official member of the band), Jungle are known for their huge live performances.
They always fill stages with musicians and vocalists, for incredible funk n soul live shows.
The bands huge hits include Back on 74, Casio, and Busy Earnin’, from four top-10 albums including 2023’s groundbreaking Volcano.
Tickets for Jungle in Manchester will go on general sale from 10am on Friday 27 March, with Co-op member pre-sale from 10am on Thursday 26 March.
The Manc -
18th December 2020 
