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Audio North is hosting a stage at an iconic Manchester gig venue for Neighbourhood Festival 2024

Not that we're biased or anything, but ours is obviously the best. (this article contains affiliate links)

Danny Jones Danny Jones - 25th September 2024

Neighbourhood Fest is nearly upon us once again and, better yet, this year we here at Audio North are making our debut as hosts at one of the most iconic gig spaces in Manchester.

There are a whopping 16 stages located across the city centre at Neighbourhood 2024, all rather handily just a short walk from each other (one of the many reasons we love it), including the likes of Gorilla, Albert Hall, Manchester Academy and more.

With names like Sam Fender, Mabel and Holly Humberstone as well as established live favourites Yungblud, Declan McKenna, Mahalia, The Lathums and more all having played the all-day music festival in the past, you never know what stars are going to spring up each year.

However, one thing we do know is that we’ve landed an unreal lineup for our hosted stage as Audio North will be welcoming punters into the one and only O2 Ritz – here are the current stage times.

As always with live music, set times change but here’s what time our acts are due to be on.

Not a bad few names, right?

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With fast-rising Wrexham outfit The Royston Club – who will still be fresh off joining none other than Liam Gallagher in Malta for his massive weekender – getting things started late in the afternoon, we’ll be off to a stormer from minute one.

After that, we’ve got fast-rising hip-hop artist ADMT who will be mixing up the genres on show before indie favourites The Academic bring those infectious choruses and upbeat guitar riffs back to the forefront.

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Then, to round out the evening at the Ritz, spoken wordsmith and hip-hop artist Anthony Szmierek will be topping the bill as the evening headliner and we cannot wait. If you’ve never seen him do his thing live, just you wait…

And there’s much more than that, of course, with other North West locals like Seb Lowe, Red Rum Club, Corella and the mighty Pale Waves headlining the entire thing, Neighbourhood Festival 2024 is going to be one to remember.

Neighbourhood announces second wave of 2024 lineup for city centre festival

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Manchester’s biggest multi-venue music festival is genuinely one of our favourite events on the entire calendar and even though the Weekender in Warrington is having a year off, they never let you down with this city staple.

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Rest assured, not only is the Rtiz a Manchester favourite for a reason but we here at Audio North know how to have a good time – and then some…

There are some tickets left for Neighbourhood Festival 2024 so grab yours HERE while you still can.

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images — The Manc Group/Antony Mooney (supplied)

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Blossoms to play new album Gary in full at special Stockport show

Danny Jones Danny Jones Blossoms to play new album Gary in full at The Plaza Theatre Stockport tickets

Blossoms have just announced they will be returning to play a hometown show in Stockport at none other than The Plaza – and playing Gary in full, might we add. Oh yes.

Ready for round two, Stopfordians?

The local lads are flying higher than ever right now; with the Wythenshawe Park gig going down in history – and not just because of that Oasis teaser – a brand new record already nailed on for number one, an instant sell-out Manchester residency on the horizon and now this, it’s all coming up Blossoms.

Promising to play their fifth studio album in full (and presumably from start to finish), plus a selection of the hits, this is going to be a very special night for the flourishing Greater Manchester town.

Now truly the toast of SK if they weren’t already, this will be the third time they’ve played the stunning Plaza theatre and cinema space, having first headlined it in 2020 alongside their Back to Stockport documentary screening, and then two years later for the Ribbon Around the Bomb album cycle.

So this isn’t exactly new territory for them and since they’ve already sold out other home venues like Edgeley Park and countless gig venues across the country, not to mention headlining multiple festivals over the past couple of years, this should be a walk in the park.

Well, maybe more like a strut given how Gary sounds and the current flared pants look.

Having just announced five Manchester shows that sold out in literally the blink of an eye, it goes without saying that with a capacity of just over 1,300, this particular Blossoms gig will be snapped up faster than you can say ‘Why is there a big gorilla on the stage?’

Speaking of capacity, this gig will be a little different and more reserved than others, just so you know.

All tickets are strictly unreserved seating and under 16s must be accompanied by an adult, so if you’ve ever been wanting to see them not just on home turf in Stockport but in a less rowdy setting, now is your chance.

The show is taking place on Sunday, 3 November, shortly before their mini-Manc residency kicks off and tickets are going on sale today at 5pm via popular music shop and friends of the band, Crash Records – a particular favourite of our friends over at The Hoot. A lovely way to support a local business too.

There’s a limit of four tickets per person but you can get ready to grab yours HERE and best of luck!

I mean, just look at how beautiful that room is.

Even that back curtain just screams Gary, doesn’t it?
Blossoms Gary album show at The Plaza, Stockport goes on sale today at 5pm. (Credit: Dunk/Jeff Carr via Flickr)

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Featured Images — Press Images/Flickr

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I thought I’d been to plenty of ‘proper’ rock gigs – then I went to see Frank Carter and the Sex Pistols

Danny Jones Danny Jones Frank Carter and The Sex Pistols gig review

Listen, we here at The Manc and Audio North have been to a fair few gigs in our day, and heavy ones at that – we’re fortunate to have a fair few happy headbangers in our office – but we’re not sure many things encapsulate a proper rock show like seeing Frank Carter and the actual Sex Pistols.

You know, as you do…

When we first heard that the legendary punk band were not only back on tour over 16 years after their last handful of festival sets (and nearly in their 70s, by the way) but bringing the ex-Gallows and current Rattlesnakes frontman along for the ride, it felt like we’d be asked one of those dream lineup questions.

As the literal godfathers of the genre and entire movement that changed the face of music here in the UK and all over the world, there are very few people who could even attempt to fill the shoes of Johnny Rotten, but at times it genuinely felt like there’d never been anyone else other than Frank f***ing Carter.

sex pistols manchester 2024
frank carter and the sex pistols manchester gig review 2024
Lots of legs wheeling into the air, lots of circle pits, lots of sweat. (Credit: The Manc Group)

Limited-run shows like these are obviously always going to be special and watching the last remaining Sex Pistols members play their iconic Never Mind The Bollocks album in full to what we can only describe as one of the most mixed crowds you’ll ever come across.

Now, we’re fully aware that the Pistols pre-date us by some way and, of course, there were A LOT of dads and old punk-rockers with multi-coloured mohawks to be seen, but much like we’re hoping with those upcoming Oasis reunion gigs, there were a lot of young fans filling out the front rows.

But no matter what age group they belonged to, the Manchester crowd did us proud as it always does and even at some of the rowdiest metal gigs we’ve been to in the past, we have never seen so much crowd-surfing, circle pits and all-round chaos.

It was nothing short of utterly delightful and, we have to say, a lot of the thanks has to go ‘Franky Boy’, as he was affectionately referred to throughout the show.

Once again, I don’t think we can overstate how hard it is to follow in the footsteps of arguably one of the greatest albeit controversial frontmen of all time, but somehow the 40-year-old made it look effortless.

frank carter manchester academy
frank carter touring with sex pistols
Frank Carter is born to play the Rotten role and the Sex Pistols are better for it. (Credit: Audio North)

Actually, that’s a lie: if you’ve ever seen Frank Carter live you’ll know how much energy goes into those sets and we think of ‘blood, sweat and tears’ performances, he’s pretty much the epitome of it.

Nevertheless, what we’re trying to say is that these now-legendary one-offs/revival/comeback shows, whatever you want to call them, simply couldn’t have happened without him – certainly not at this level, anyway. In fact, we’d go so far as to say he was born to play this role.

You could tell the boys know it too; not only have they put their faith in him but you can tell they’ve already struck a lifelong friendship, as they beckoned their lead singer back from the mosh multiple times by simply saying, “Frankie baby, we miss you.”

The man himself has made no secret of how much of a dream come true being chosen for this tour. He recently wrote to his followers: “In case anyone was wondering what it’s like to share the stage with these three legends… Pure joy.”

He went on to add, “It’s not lost on me how lucky I am to be up here and I cherish every moment of it… Every single show feels special and I am having the time of my f***ing life” – and so were we. Frank actually spent what felt like half of the gig in the crowd and you just don’t get over moments like that.

frank carter live manchester
He can scream in our faces any day.
sex pistols and frank carter
Unreal energy from start to finish.
We’re not sure where Manchester ranks on the current tour for Frank Carter and the Sex Pistols, but it’s bloody high on our best of 2024.

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It has to be said too that Paul Cook, Steve Jones and Glen Matlock don’t seem like they’ve missed one single beat even after all this time.

In terms of the tunes that went the hardest, we’re still not over the pure surrealness of hearing those opening notes of ‘Holidays in the Sun’, ‘No Feelings’ and ‘God Save the Queen’ were obvious favourites but it will surprise absolutely no one to hear that ‘Anarchy in the UK’ was the perfect closer.

We limped out of Manchester Academy with a couple of bruises to show for it and probably smelling like a bin fire, but if you’re asking us whether nearly losing a tooth whilst hugging a dozen random blokes in leather and/or denim was worth it, yes, it absolutely was.

In fact, rather than pretend this is much of an actual muso review (that doesn’t feel very Sex Pistols or particularly punk) we’ll go one further and declare that as possibly the most raucous gig we’ve ever been to – and it’s all Frank Carter’s wonderful f***ing fault.

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images — The Manc Group/Audio North

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