A retired school teacher who has since swapped her day job educating kids for spitting bars as Wigan’s hardest and arguably ‘the world’s oldest battle rapper’ is the subject of a new documentary.
If you’ve never heard of this lady before, we appreciate that it can feel like there’s so much to take in here that it’s hard to know where to start.
Meet Joy France, the 66-year-old granny from Greater Manchester and ex-primary school teacher who, after retiring a few years back, decided to channel her love of poetry and the spoken word into a new hobby: rap battling. And believe us, while she might look like a harmless older lady, this girl goes in.
In fact, we’ve had the great honour of watching her roast people right in front of us before:
Now a few years into her rap career after first making her debut at a club in Coventry back in 2018, Joy has grown a real cult following and has become a familiar face both online and in the world of hip-hop — seriously, she’s got a serious reputation.
ADVERTISEMENT
So much so, it turns out, that the lyrical local lass who regularly performs in Afflecks is now the subject of a documentary called Joy Uncensored, which tracks her journey from teacher to retired rap star.
The short film, made by Northern Heart Films, directed by Natasha Hawthornthwaite and the subject of multiple award wins and nominations over the two years, finally premiered on YouTube earlier this month and it’s great.
ADVERTISEMENT
Giving an insight into her incredible journey and a very different world in the shape of the rap battle scene (believe us, they don’t go easy on her) over the course of an easy 15-minute run-time, it’s fitting that the central character is called what she is because it’s genuinely a joy to watch.
Having been admittedly a fairly quiet, reserved and very rarely creative person until her 50s, the mini-doc serves as a great reminder to push yourself out of your comfort zone and never be afraid to try something new, no matter what age you are.
On top of her wrapping, Joy is now said to be learning how to DJ as well and on top of recognising what this new challenge has given her, she’s encouraging others to ignore that doubtful little voice in the back of their head and instead, to just “get on with it and enjoy for the rest of your life.”
ADVERTISEMENT
Now that’s a message we can get right behind.
You can watch the full Joy Uncensored documentary down below:
Travis Scott announces massive Manchester gig at Co-op Live arena
Daisy Jackson
Travis Scott will be bringing his epic Utopia – Circus Maximus Tour to Manchester this summer, announcing a huge gig at the Co-op Live arena.
The rapper and producer today released details of 12 arena and stadium dates across Europe, including his biggest UK headline show to date at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
His 2023 album Utopia became the biggest hip-hop album of the last year, racking up more than 50 billion streams globally and spending four weeks at the top of the Billboard charts.
And now Travis Scott is heading to Manchester’s new Co-op Live as part of the European leg of the tour, which sold out across North America.
The Utopia – Circus Maximus tour will donate £1 (or one euro) from every ticket sold to the artist’s Cactus Jack Foundation, which helps young people in Houston with scholarship programmes, toys, and experiences.
The eight-time Grammy-nominated artist will play hits from his record-breaking Utopia, as well as his three previous studio albums – Rodeo, Birds in the Trap Sing McKnight, and Astroworld.
Travis Scott’s live show is promising to ‘transport fans into an unparalleled audiovisual experience’ when it kicks off in the Netherlands in June, before arriving in Manchester in July.
Tickets for his Manchester gig will go on sale on Friday 10 May at 10am local time through See Tickets here.
Travis Scott 2024 European tour dates in full
Friday 28 June – Netherlands, Arnhem – GelreDome
Tuesday 2 July – Poland, Krakow – TAURON Arena
Thursday 4 July – Switzerland, Zurich – Hallenstadion
Saturday 6 July – France, Nice – Allianz Riviera
Monday 9 July – Belgium, Antwerp – Sportpaleis
Thursday 11 July – UK, London – Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
Saturday 13 July – UK, Manchester – Co-op Live
Tuesday 16 July – Germany, Hamburg – Barclays Arena
Thursday 18 July – Czech Republic, Prague – O2 Arena
Saturday 20 July – Germany, Cologne – RheinEnergieSTADION
Tuesday 23 July – Italy, Milan – Ippodromo SNAI La Maura
Saturday 27 July – Germany, Frankfurt – Deutsche Bank Park
Take That at AO Arena, Manchester – seating plan, stage times and more after gigs shift from Co-op Live arena
Daisy Jackson
There aren’t many bands who can sell out SEVEN arena shows in Manchester – but Take That is clearly one of them.
Gary Barlow, Mark Owen and Howard Donald were set to perform a staggering run of shows across May and June at the Co-op Live – but we all know what happened there.
Their first five gigs have now been moved to the AO Arena instead, and will officially kick off on Tuesday 7 May.
It’s a huge homecoming gig for the trio, who’ll be performing hits from their whopping nine studio albums.
Ever since their comeback in 2006 they’ve become one of the biggest and best-selling pop groups on the planet, with almost every album topping the charts and reaching Platinum status.
But change of venue for Take That has meant thousands of tickets have been reallocated, and there is a date change in the mix too.
If you’re one of the lucky ones to bag tickets for Take That’s This Life On Tour tour in Manchester, we’ve rounded up everything you need to know.
What dates are Take That performing in Manchester?
At AO Arena
Tuesday 7 May
Thursday 9 May (rescheduled from Wednesday 8 May)
Friday 10 May
Saturday 11 May
Sunday 12 May
At Co-op Live
Tuesday 11 June
Wednesday 12 June
How to get your new tickets after venue change from Co-op Live
If you had tickets for the group’s original planned shows at the new Co-op Live arena, you’re probably wondering how the venue change will work.
Any tickets that were purchased through Ticketmaster will automatically change in your account in the next few days (if they haven’t already).
If you have any queries about your ticket, contact your point of purchase.
What if your new seats for Take That are worse than your original booking?
Take That will bring their huge 2024 tour to Manchester this week. Credit: Publicity picture
Ooh yeah, this has been a bit of a sore subject for Take That fans, some of whom have found themselves in much worse seats than they initially paid for.
That’s down to the different layouts of the two arenas, and the fact that the AO Arena is slightly smaller than Co-op Live.
The AO Arena has asked ticketing providers to reallocate seats as fairly as possible, keeping seats as close to the original booking as they can.
The arena said in a statement to one disgruntled fan: “We appreciate your frustration and advise you contact your provider to discuss further.”
On their FAQ page, it states: “The transfer process takes into account the position of previous tickets, and the number of tickets in the individual booking.
:However, each venue is different in their block row and seat configuration, which will undoubtedly mean that some fans won’t get exactly what they had for the original show.”
If you’re one of the affected people who’s not happy with your new seat, you need to contact your ticket provider directly for help and advice.
What to do if you can’t make the rescheduled date
Most of the Take That shows have remained on their original dates, simply switching from Co-op Live arena to the AO Arena.
But the show originally scheduled for Wednesday 8 May has unfortunately had to be rearranged to Thursday 9 May.
If the new date doesn’t work for you, refunds are available from your point of purchase.
ADVERTISEMENT
Seating plan at the AO Arena for Take That’s Manchester gigs
The exact venue layout for Take That at the AO Arena hasn’t actually been released by Ticketmaster at the time of writing.
But after decades hosting some of the biggest acts in the world, the venue is pretty familiar to most of us at this point.
The below chart is the one for Girls Aloud, which is also being staged as a fully seated concert.
Take That have been making use of a B Stage in the heart of the floor audience too, which will likely be added to their Manchester gig.
Who is supporting Take That at their Manchester shows?
In an effort to create the most chart-friendly, crowd-pleasing, middle-of-the-road pop night of all time, Take That have recruited Olly Murs as their support act.
ADVERTISEMENT
The former X Factor alumni headlined arenas across the UK in 2023 with his Marry Me tour, and now he’s back to warm up the crowds for Take That.
You can expect to hear some of the 39-year-old’s biggest hits, including Please Don’t Let Me Go, Heart Skips a Beat, and Dear Darlin.
What is Take That’s expected setlist?
Take That have already performed multiple dates on this tour, so we’ve got a good idea of what their setlist in Manchester will look like.
Keep Your Head Up
Windows
Giants
Days I Hate Myself
Everything Changes
Sure
Shine
A Million Love Songs
I Found Heaven
Pray
Forever Love (Gary Barlow song)
Clementine (Mark Owen song)
Speak Without Words (unreleased Howard Donald song)
Patience
The Flood
Get Ready for It
March of the Hopeful
The Champion
This Life
Greatest Day
These Days
Time and Time Again
Relight My Fire
One More Word
Hold Up a Light
Back for Good
Never Forget
Rule the World
What will the stage times be for Take That at the AO Arena Manchester?
Doors – 6pm
Olly Murs – 7.20pm
Take That – 8.35pm
Curfew – 11pm
*Stage times are often subject to change so allow plenty of time to get into the arena.
At the minute, tickets have been taken off sale for Take That, presumably while the AO Arena and Ticketmaster deal with transferring tickets from one arena to the other.
ADVERTISEMENT
But given that Co-op Live was completely sold out, and the AO Arena is smaller, there are unlikely to be any tickets remaining.
Your one remaining chance may be some re-released tickets from those who can no longer make the rearranged date, or reliable re-sale sites.
Is tram travel included with your gig ticket?
As part of Co-op Live’s huge opening season, they announced free tram travel for gig-goers in a partnership with TfGM.
Thankfully, this is being honoured for the shows that have switched to the AO Arena.
Tram travel around Greater Manchester is included with event tickets for four hours before and after Take That on Tuesday 7, Thursday 9, Friday 10, Saturday 11 and Sunday 12 May.