This past weekend, The Manc Audio had the honour of going along to one of the North West’s biggest and, for our money, one of the UK’s best festivals in Kendal Calling 2023 and boy did we have an ace time — so, naturally, we wanted to put together a little review.
Spoilers: it was really, REALLY good. To quote the organisers themselves, “There was something very special in the air this year”. They weren’t wrong — you could feel it.
Nestled in a little valley behind the lush treelines of Lowther Deer Park near Penrith and the Lake District, Kendal Calling music and arts festival returned for 2023 quite literally bigger and better than ever, boasting a sellout crowd of 40,000 and some of the best names the weekend has ever hosted.
Started way back in 2006 with less than a thousand people attending, Kendal Calling has not only become Cumbria’s largest festival but a Great British favourite and after going along for the first time, it didn’t take us long to figure out why.
One of the most live music scenic settings you could hope for
Us busy Manc worker bees were still bustling away on Thursday, so we unfortunately couldn’t make it along to see the handful of artists who played the opening night but, luckily, we had a few friends who all went along to confirm it was just as wonderful as it looked.
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With the likes of Scouting for Girls, Gengahr and Black Honey getting things started before the legendary Nile Rodgers & Chic polished off a class first night, the hordes of gig-goers began trickling into the site and by the time we arrived on Friday, the party was in full swing.
As we battled our way up the big hill from our parking spot to the festival entrance (bring a trolley, guys — don’t be muppets like us), we got a second wind when we heard Example playing through the forest and raced to pitch our tent, crack that first tin and start enjoying ourselves.
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But even before we made it to where the music was, we couldn’t help but take in the gorgeous Cumbrian countryside dappled with every colour imaginable — and that was just people’s bucket hats. Seriously though, seeing the sea of tents, flags flying high, music lovers sharing booze and tunes and just generally having a good time was a real antidote after a long week.
The Northerners showing everyone how it’s done
By the time we got into the festival proper, we couldn’t have asked for better timing and a warmer welcome than the wonderful sound of Wigan‘s very own, The Lathums, serenading the packed-out main stage. Dreamland stuff.
That felt like the case throughout the festival, in fact; every hour or so it felt like we were treated to either a Manc band or a nearby North West favourite on one of the nine stages. The crowd felt like it was largely comprised of people from the North too, which gave the whole weekend an added layer of familiarity.
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Be it the Happy Mondays, The Lottery Winners, Mel C or Reverend and the Makers, up-and-coming Manc artist Phoebe Green, the Kaiser Chiefs, Circa Waves or the one and only Rick Astley, just to name a few, there were countless Northern acts to enjoy and it came as no surprise that they smashed their slots harder than anyone.
It was only fitting that probably the biggest moment of the weekend came when the Mayor of Greater Manchester himself, Andy Burnham, surprised everyone on stage by introducing Blossoms for the headline set, celebrating the North and Stockport, specifically, on Saturday night.
Come rain or shine, the British festival spirit was unshakeable
Much to our delight, the sun was shining as well; in fact, we were treated to plenty of it throughout the weekend considering the forecast we were facing on the drive up, and you know what Brits are like when the sun is and they’ve had a beer or two.
Yes, the wind and rain eventually came and made it feel like a proper UK festival — people rushing around after flying tent pegs and trying not to slip on the increasingly muddy walk from the campsite to the arena simply becoming part of the routine — but it was genuinely all part of the fun.
As our new mates from Leigh said during their dynamite set on the main stage, “We don’t mind a bit of rain do we!?”. We didn’t, not one bit, especially when the lineup was stacked with so much talent.
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Putting our regional bias aside, some of our top picks would have to be post-punk outfit DEADLETTER, who were simply insane (we still have the bruises to prove it), the mighty Frank Turner — who joined The Lottery Winners on the main stage in a truly unforgettable moment — The Hunna and, of course, Kasabian because their Friday headline set was absolutely dynamite.
Kendal Calling after dark was quite the experience…
And then came the late-night DJ sets, after parties and all-round craziness that ensued after the headliners finished their respective slots at 11pm, which we’re pretty sure we’ll never be able to fully put into words, so that should give you enough of a hint.
One thing we loved about Kendal Calling 2023 so much was how mixed the crowd was, with people of all different ages and cultural backgrounds turning up to enjoy the festivities. There were so many young families there having the time of their lives and what a way to introduce kids to the festival scene.
However, if you didn’t have little ones to put to bed and fancied staying up until the early hours in a forest lit by neon, multi-coloured lanterns and, or raving in a tent to one of the most unique electronic sets we’ve ever heard by DJ Yoda, you could — it was all there for you.
There was even an acoustic guitarist called Matthew One Man recreating club classics with an acoustic guitar and loop pedal whilst a truly indescribable musical theatre company called the Rimski’s Yard performed around him and some bloke with a big afro shoved a firework up his arse. Yes, of course, we have video evidence:
The truth is, we probably didn’t even scratch the surface when it came to experiencing everything this festival had to offer but based on what we did get to see during our time at Kendal Calling 2023 left a huge impression and we know what we’ll be doing again this time next year.
Is Bugzy Malone really going to fight Floyd Mayweather?
Danny Jones
We’ve now seen enough stories, interviews and admittedly convincing speculation to start seriously wondering whether Bugzy Malone is going to fight Floyd Mayweather.
Yes, in case you haven’t been keeping an eye on this story which looks to be gradually building more and more momentum, UK rapper and actor Bugzy Malone is being linked with a possible boxing match with one of the most successful fighters to have ever lived, Floyd Mayweather Jr.
One of the biggest and most anticipated match-ups in years is just around the corner between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk (no, it’s actually happening this time, honest) but some fans now have their eye on an arguably more exciting exhibition that could take place right here in Manchester.
In fact, it’s now become such a genuine possibility that Bugzy himself, real name Aaron Daniel Davies, even addressed the rumours head-on in a recent interview with Eddie Hearn.
Bugzy Malone reveals to Eddie Hearn how rumours about him fighting Floyd Mayweather started 🥊👀
Floyd is said to even be willing to let him fight above his usual weight category. Bold.
As the local grime artist from Crumpsall reveals in his sit down with the boxing mogul, who said that people in the industry had been hearing talk of a fight for some time, Floyd himself is said to have asked someone to contact Bugzy about a potential fight by way of a ‘private jet’ enquiry, no less.
Random one, for sure, but that’s just rich people things.
As detailed in the full episode of Hearn’s No Passion, No Point podcast for the BBC, it was actually Mayweather Senior who apparently saw a video of the Manc rapper training online and went on to suggest the fight to his son.
Having seen his physique and admitting he “looks strong”, and Bugzy’s love of boxing well-documented – a discipline he turned to earlier in his career to try and ‘stay out of trouble’ – Mayweather Jr then had this call set up and quickly began a discussion surrounding potential fight papers.
The 33-year-old even addressed the contract being ‘on the table’ in a snippet from the song ‘Daily Duppy’ from his latest album, The Great British Dream, which dropped on Friday, 10 May.
This was the first public mention of Bugzy Malone vs Mayweather by either party, as far as we know.
Only ever having really plied his trade in the amateur arena, the prospective bout obviously wouldn’t be a full professional fight and with Mayweather having already taken on a number of exhibitions – most notably against influencer Logan Paul – his interest was already believable even before Hearn’s interview.
As Bugzy confessed in the chat, he had already been offered multiple fights in the past but had turned them down due to the advent of “YouTube boxing“, insisting that he’s “not really interested in stepping into it”, but a credible offer for an actual fight against a legendary sportsman would turn anyone’s head.
Mayweather famously boasts a 50-0 unbeaten record, including 27 knockouts and 12 world championships in five different weight classes. Well, Bugzy won Best Grime Act at the MOBOs this year, so shove it.
Fellow boxing promoter Spencer Fearon also weighed in on how plausible the punch-up currently is, going on to corroborate details surrounding said offer made by the private jet company backed by millionaires and adding that Bugzy “can actually fight”, for those who were wondering about his ability.
As Fearon puts it, the fight is “one million per cent genuine”, it’s a case of both sides being willing to pull the trigger and decide on things like the fight purse etc.
As for when we could expect to see this fight, who knows? However, there are indications it could happen later this year and the Manchester native would obviously want to have it at the AO Arena where the likes of Fury, Ricky Hatton, Anthony Crolla and others from the region have fought before him.
If you’ve seen even one picture of Bugzy Malone before you’ll know the man keeps himself in shape, but you only have to take a glance at the top of his Instagram page to see he’s been training pretty hard since last summer.
The question is, will the stars align and could, say, summer 2024 be the moment in sporting and entertainment crossover history that we get to see Bugzy Malone take on Floyd Mayweather in the ring?
Featured Images — Bugzy Malone (via IG)/No Passion, No Point (via BBC)/rcelis (via Pixabay)
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A company has created some extremely sarcastic greeting and birthday cards mocking Co-op Live
Danny Jones
A UK card company has decided to join in with the pile on over Co-op Live’s chaotic ‘opening’ weeks by creating a series of greeting and birthday cards mocking the arena and its ongoing saga.
If you’re a deeply sarcastic person who struggles to be sincere with those you hold nearest and dearest or simply want to get a co-worker something that says we care that you’re leaving but not so much as to let go without one final dig, these are right up your street.
So, with that in mind, greeting card company thortful – who are just as good at novelty as they are being actually thoughtful when it comes to words – have come up with a few clever little ways of wishing someone a happy birthday or congratulating them on their new home at the arena’s expense.
There’s a new home version of this one too.(Credit: thortful)
Not bad, to be fair.
Tim Leiweke, Chairman and CEO of Oak View Group (which owns and operates Co-op Live), recently released a statement offering his ‘sincere apologies’ and explaining the steps being taken during the venue’s ‘short pause’.
He admitted, “It’s not been the smooth start we had planned for, and I know that has caused a huge amount of disruption and frustration to thousands of people”, adding that they are “working incredibly hard to get the building up and running, and we look forward to welcoming you to the arena from 14 May 2024.”
The London-based card company is known for lots of comedy captions and with every Tom, Dick and Harry taking a pop at the venue already, they clearly thought ‘We might as well join in’.
In fact, they’ve been taking the mick ever since the whole thing kicked off.
The date mentioned above will see Manc music legends Elbow arrive as the venue’s new opening act artists after so many other acts ended up having their gigs pulled and we can only hope and pray that everything is on course for next week.
With more and more names being announced for their 2024 and 2025 calendar left right and centre, the most recent being rapper Travis Scott, it looks as though they’re confident that the arena will open and live up to the expectations it has built up given its billing as the biggest indoor entertainment in the UK.
As for thortful and everyone else, we just have to wait with bated breath to see if there’s set to be another twist in this tale and enjoy the light-hearted jokes in the meantime.