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Noel Gallagher says there ‘won’t be any fighting’ as he speaks on Oasis reunion for the first time

Don't tempt fate, Noel...

Danny Jones Danny Jones - 2nd December 2024

Noel Gallagher has spoken about the Oasis reunion for the first time and has promised there’ll be ‘no fighting’ when they set off on tour next summer.

In contrast to the younger Gallagher brother, who has been arguably more active and vocal about himself and Oasis since the reunion was confirmed, Noel has been pretty quiet on the comeback up until now.

However, speaking at the recent ‘Legends’ exhibition by Zoë Law held at the National Portrait Gallery, the guitarist and solo artist was quoted as saying that things won’t be anywhere near as rock and roll as it was back in Britpop’s heyday, as well as assuring he and Liam won’t be at each other’s throats.

The main reason being: age, in a word.

The Oasis songwriter said of the upcoming tour dates: “No, it won’t be as raucous as back in the day, because we’re on the wrong side of 50 now, so we’re too old.

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“We’re too old to give a s**t now, so there won’t be any fallouts, there won’t be any fighting.” When asked if he’s glad to have buried the feud after a decade and a half of bad-mouthing and back and forth, the 57-year-old could only reply, ‘Of course.’

In Noel’s eyes at least, while many have been speculating that this reunion tour isn’t just a one-off (fingers crossed), he described wanting the now enormous world tour – with dates in the UK, Ireland, US, Australia, Japan, South America and more – to be a sort of “lap of honour” for the band.

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Make of that what you will.

There have been reports that the duo have new music ‘ready to go’ or at least written, but let’s just say we got our Christmas wish with the reunion itself, so we’re not going to push our luck and risk jinxing anything by asking for too much. For now, we’ll settle for them remembering they love each other.

As for relations between him and Liam, we don’t know too much beyond the pictures we eventually saw of them smiling and joking together during that photo shoot for the official announcement in the summer.

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That being said, iconic frontman and part-time troll has enjoyed playing a very comical version of kiss and make up on social media – as well as using the word ‘celestial’ a lot for some reason. He did, however, respond to what he called a “ridiculous question” rather recently.

Although he refused to name who it came from, he replied in truly irreverent LG fashion: “Oasis gonna be as good as you once were because when some bands get back together there not as good I said listen here you c*** even on our bad day we’ll still wipe the floor with [the] majority of bands out there.”

Meanwhile, it really does like the two have overcome their difference as Noel had the following to say in his interview for the Law’s photography series. We only hope this means there’s nothing holding them back from putting on the shows of a lifetime…

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Featured Images — National Portrait Gallery (screenshot via Facebook)/Press Image (supplied)

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Factory Sounds funding programme returns to help Greater Manchester’s music scene

Danny Jones Danny Jones Factory Sounds programme 2025 Aviva Studios application

Greater Manchester’s vital Factory Sounds programme is back for 2025 and is once again hoping to help platform up-and-coming musicians and more around across the region.

The development scheme created by world-leading arts organisation Factory International, now housed permanently at Aviva Studios, has returned for another year and looks to invest in the Manchester music scene from the ground up.

An annual initiative, Factory Sounds aims to support and raise the profile of musicians and the music industry across the 10 boroughs, with a total of 15 applicants picked to take part and make the next step up in their careers.

With applications now open for the 2025 programme, those who prove successful in the process applicants will be granted a potentially life-changing £1,000 towards their work.

Starting back in the pandemic when arts funding was under even more threat than it is today, Factory Sounds has been a crucial lifeline for many artists and creatives looking to get their start in the local industry, as well as providing a key learning outlet.

The money given to each chosen individual goes towards things like the creation of a new project, recording studio access; peer-to-peer support, networking opportunities and a series of regular masterclasses in artist management, promotion, fundraising and more.

Better yet, 2025 promises to be their biggest to date not only in terms of scope but also the size of the cohort itself, with the number of places more than doubling from this past year, when there were just six grants up for grabs.

2024’s intake included the artist and producer RenzNiro, community station STEAM Radio MCR; the soulful R&B performer, Rumbi Tauro, Reggae rap artist and spoken word poet, J.Chambers, electronic producer and vocalist Caitlin LM and many more, with one of our favourite up-and-coming bands, Loose Articles, having also benefited from the scheme in the past.

Applications for the next are now open, as is the Factory International Fellowship, which offers six artists from the North the opportunity to shadow the creation of major new work at Aviva Studios, receiving a financial bursary as well as mentoring tailored to their specialism, needs and goals.

But it doesn’t stop there either, as Factory International‘s Spring 2025 Artist Takeover is also open, welcoming groups and collectives of South Asian descent from any discipline who are based in the North of England – not just Greater Manchester – to join the programme.

Applicants in this case must have a minimum of five years professional practice but, come May 2025, they will hand over the keys to the vast Warehouse space at Aviva Studios for use by a South Asian artist or group looking to experiment, play and create work on an epic scale that is not possible elsewhere.

Promising even more financial aid through this limited scheme, selected artists will be offered financial support of up to £10k to explore and realise their ideas, as well as receive dedicated guidance from industry experts within the Factory International team. 

Again, the prospects that these various schemes are bringing to real people looking to bring their art to life cannot be overstated.

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Speaking on the announcement, Factory Sounds 2024 artist and co-creator of queer electronic music night FLUFF, Markus Hetheier, said: “It felt amazing to have the chance to take a risk using the Factory Sounds funding.

“We also had mentorship and advice which helped us grow FLUFF from a small to a bigger, more professional project. It was useful receiving training on different aspects of being an artist and it felt nice to connect with like-minded people.”

Factory International’s Head of Music, Rivca Burns, added: “Supporting the development of musicians based locally – as well as those from across the globe – to grow within our spaces is at the heart of what we do at Factory International…

“We recognise there’s a huge demand for schemes like this to exist and we are really excited to say that this year we have both increased the number of places as well as added industry mentors to give expert guidance and the opportunity for creatives to thrive.”

Applications close at 12 noon on 20 January, so if you or someone you know is looking to break into the Manchester music scene and could benefit from the extraordinary opportunity, send them HERE.

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

Featured Images — Factory International (supplied)

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Pierce the Veil are bringing their massive world tour to Manchester’s Co-op Live

Danny Jones Danny Jones Pierce the Veil Manchester Co-op Live tickets

Contemporary rock heavyweights Pierce the Veil have just announced a massive world tour and they’re bringing it to Manchester for their Co-op Live debut.

The emo, prog rock, pop-punk, hardcore and all-round heavy hitters last played Manchester this past April, putting on a pretty huge gig at Victoria Warehouse, but now they’re set for their biggest show here to date.

Co-op recently welcomed Sleep Token for their first real metal show last month, one that proved the venue is more than up to the task of putting on a proper rock show, and now Pierce the Veil are the latest confirmed to be headlining the state-of-the-art arena.

Announcing the news on Tuesday, 3 December, the California-based band will be heading to the moody skies of Manchester next year.

First forming back in 2006 and now five studio albums deep, the new world tour which features nearly 50 dates around North and South America, the UK and Europe, the aim of this new show is to span their whole career thus far.

With a healthy selection of songs from each era, this one will not only as a walk down memory lane for die-hard fans but a pure celebration of Pierce the Veil throughout each evolution of their sound.

Speaking in an official statement after the tour was announced, the band said: “Nearly two decades in the making, this tour is a monument to everything we’ve built with our fans.

“These shows will honour our roots, spanning all five albums and the music that brought us here. We’re bringing to life the songs you’ve been waiting to hear in some of the most iconic venues in the world, including Madison Square Garden, The Forum, Red Rocks, and Wembley Arena.

“This will be our largest, loudest, and most unforgettable tour yet. PTV fans, it’s time to raise our voices like never before. Can you hear us now?”

We’re certainly about to…

Better yet, with a wide breadth of modern rock on show in the support acts too as the San Diego sons will be bringing along Cavetown, Hot Mulligan (a personal favourite of ours) and Crawlers as their UK warm-up acts, these shows are going to be plenty good value for money.

Pierce the Veil’s landmark Manchester gig takes place next autumn on Thursday, 25 September 2025 and, if Sleep Token’s attendance even just a year into their massive boom was anything to go by, this one will sell out pretty quickly.

General admission tickets go live at 10am on Friday, 6 December and official Co-op Members can access exclusive pre-sale from Wednesday (4 Dec).

You can get ready to grab your tickets HERE.

See you in the circle pit.

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Featured Images — Stefan Brending (via Wikimedia Commons)/The Manc Group

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