Happy New Year! Can you really get away with that at the end of January?… Who knows?
Either way, 2025 is underway and we just know it’s going be another fantastic 365 days for music.
If you’re new here then first off, hello – we appreciate you clicking and hope you’ll be back here on a regular basis; secondly, for those of you who joined us in 2024, you know the drill: every month we put together a list of Greater Manchester music we’ve been listening to over the past few weeks.
It is to our perennial sadness that we’ll never be able to ‘complete’ all of the music that will ever be released in the world, but we can certainly give keeping up with everything 0161 is doing and has done a good old go or so help us, almighty tunage gods! Enough pratting about, let’s get stuck in:
Five Manchester bands and artists we’ve been listening to recently
1. Casino Club
Ok, landing our inaugural artist nod of 2025 is a group we truly believe is going to go very far this year and part of what is a promising new creative boom down the road in the WN postcode area.
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That’s right, we’re heading to Wigan first and foremost and giving a very big shout-out to local band, Casino Club, who are helping spearhead a new generation of music coming out of the Greater Manchester borough. This isn’t just indie rock, it’s indie rock and roll that we’re very excited about.
With rip-roaring guitar riffs that hint at everything from Green Day to Sterephonics and Catfish, as well as frontman Marcus Grimshaw’s fantastic vocals, they’ve struck an infectious and extremely listenable balance already. As for songs, there are plenty, but we’d say start with ‘The Fear’, ‘Kick a Hole Into the Sun’ and ‘Runaway’.
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Buzzing to announce our new single ‘Begging You’ will release on 14•02•25
Oh yeah, we do old bands too; this series is just as much about spotlighting perhaps forgotten or underrated Manc music as it is about the new blood and The Chameleons are a great example of that.
The Middleton-formed band came to the fore at the start of the 80s when so many other massive names were coming through the Greater Manchester scene, so it was hard to carve out even a slither of the spotlight let alone one rivalling the likes of The Smiths, New Order, Inspiral Carpets and so on.
But make no mistake, this lot are still going strong, with a die-hard following eagerly awaiting their new album. It might sound like a sweeping generalisation but their sound does typify that era. Most will start with ‘The Swamp Thing’ but their 1993 debut album Script From The Bridge is still their best.
Now up next is a singer-songwriter and chief Manc music queen in charge of ‘devastating alt-pop’: her words, not ours – though we do to tend agree and heartily recommend you give her a listen. She’s actually been going since 2016, unbelievably, but she’s gaining more and more traction year after year.
The BIMM graduate was actually born over in Lytham St Annes, Lancashire, but she’s been studying, living and making a new for herself here in Manchester for a good long while now, so yes, we’re absolutely claiming her as one of our own – especially after becoming a Neighbourhood Festival fave.
Her style has definitely evolved but, more importantly, there’s no genre she won’t put a distorted electronic twist on. At present, you’ll get notes of St Vincent, 070 Shake, MARINA and more; ‘Break My Heart’ and ‘Lucky Me’ make for the perfect starting point and ‘IDK’ was on Killing Eve. ‘Nuff said.
Our penultimate pick for January is the iconic electronic and techno outfit 808 State, who made new waves with their sound in the late 1980s, well into the 90s and are partly still going to this day.
If you’ve never come across them before, their influence on modern electronica and the wider dance music is massive, not only being labelled among the pioneers of acid house but former member Gerald Simpson (A Guy Called Gerald) went on to lay the foundations for what would go on to become jungle.
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That’s right: we have them to thank for not just drum and bass but many sub-genres of electronic music as a whole. With such and varied long career (even if it’s only co-founder Graham Massey now) there’s plenty to enjoy: ‘Cübik’, ‘Spanish Heart’, and the Bicep remix of ‘In Yer Face’, just to name a few.
They took their name from the Roland TR-808 drum machine, which also played a big role in revolutionising modern music production.
5. The Falls
Last but not least, we’re giving an early seal of approval to a young bunch of lads going by ‘The Falls’ and while they might not sound anything like the predecessors from Prestwich – with which their name differs only because it’s a plural – we’re hoping they’re bound for similar success.
Hailing from Salford, this fledgling four-piece has barely even got going yet but they’ve definitely got a good feel for the indie warehouse from the off and
They’ve only released four songs thus far too, so you can get on board with these boys early doors. ‘The Millionth Time’ and ‘Waiting For Yesterday’ promise lots of solo showing off in the future, and the loose-wristed main riff on ‘My mind’ almost reminds us of the fast-paced part of ‘Shiver’ by Coldplay before turning into something very different. We look forward to seeing where they go.
And just like that, the first Manc artists of the round-up of the year is all said and done – we hope enjoyed it and at least we’re introduced to a couple of names you haven’t come across before.
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That’s basically how it works: we’ll be back here, ‘same bat-time, same bat-place’ every month with another batch of Manchester bands, solo artists and more for you to feast your ears on.
Until next time, you can get stuck into our final round-up from 2024 down below, not to mention all the others from last year and, as always, keep your eyes peeled on Audio North for all the big and interesting music news.
Oh, and of course, if there are any Manchester artists that you think we should check out then let us know in the comments.
Tom Grennan announces his biggest-ever Manchester date ahead of new album
Danny Jones
With a brand-new album on the way, Tom Grennan is coming back to Manchester for his most ambitious gig here yet, not to mention his biggest run of UK shows ever.
You may know him from his chart-topping singles or you may even know him from reimagining the iconic Gillette advert – either way, you’re not going to want to miss his upcoming arena tour.
Coming alongside Tom‘s fourth album, Everywhere I Went Led Me To Where I Didn’t Want To Be, and the unveiling of his new single ‘Shadowboxing’, the multi-platinum-selling artist has today announced the simply named GRENNAN ’25 tour.
Bringing his largest-ever headline shows to fans up and down the country, Tom Grennan will be making his Co-op Live debut this September.
To date, Tom has seen over 1.3 billion streams and holds a whopping nine million monthly Spotify listeners to date, already boasting a reputation as a multi-platinum-selling artist at just 29.
He was recently nominated at the BRITs for the Best Alternative/Rock Act, marking his third consecutive nod at the annual award ceremony, following Song of the Year for his international smash ‘Little Bit Of Love’ and Alternative/Rock Act in 2022.
With two number-one albums under his belt alongside sold-out arena tours and an MTV Award for Best UK Act, Grennan has made a name for himself as one of the country’s biggest artists.
‘Shadowboxing’ is the second single to be unveiled from Tom’s fourth-coming studio album (which drops on 15 August) following the release of ‘Higher’ back in September, and is the first song he and Justin Tranter wrote together.
“It represents what the whole album is about,” Tom said: “It’s about my fight with a side of me I have a lot of trouble with. It’s still a daily battle. But I’ve learned how to fight all these demons and I’m mentally and physically prepared now. I’m in athlete mode.”
You can listen to the track down below:
The ever-rising solo artist will be playing a total of 11 dates on his upcoming UK tour this autumn including a huge date at Leeds’ First Direct Arena before arriving here in Manchester on Friday, 19 September.
He was last here during the summer for the most recent Sound of the City shows at Castlefield Bowl, playing a sell-out date to well over 8,000 fans.
General admission for Tom Grennan in Manchester will be available from 10am next Friday, 7 February but official Co-op Members can access pre-sale from the same time on Wednesday (5 Feb).
‘The world’s biggest Eurovision festival’ and celebration is coming to Manchester
Danny Jones
An absolutely massive Eurovision festival and all-around celebration is coming to Manchester this year ahead of the Finals in Switzerland this May – in fact, it claiming to be the biggest in the world.
Taking place in our city for the first time ever, the official ‘MancHagen Eurovision Party’ is heading to 0161 for the annual festival’s 20th anniversary and it’s promising a huge programme of events, live music, entertainment and, most importantly, it’s all for a good cause.
Kicking off one of the best weekends of the year on Thursday, 10 April, MancHagen has partnered with the Gay Village district and some Canal Street favourites to offer a safe and exciting destination for all eventgoers to meet up.
You can expect live cabaret and singing, drag performers and DJ sets, as well as non-stop partying until the early hours. We cannot wait.
Credit: Silvester Belt via AP Media (supplied)/The Manc Group
The Canal St venues making up ‘Eurovision Village’ include EVA, Iconic Bar, New York New York, The Eagle and Cruz 101, all of which host an exclusive series of Eurovision programming and parties.
For instance, MancHagen’s Official Festival Euroclub opening party will be housed at Cruz 101, with eclectic sets from veteran Eurovision DJ David Horton and friends, followed by a weekend of performances from the likes of Choriza May (RuPaul’s Drag Race) in collaboration with Lady Olé.
Then, on the following Friday (11 April), the first half of the two-day All Stars Concertwill take place at Manchester Arcade Arena, our premier immersive augmented reality venue, from 6pm onwards.
Hosted by the UK’s 2001 Eurovision entrant Lindsay Dracassand Leeds‘ very own ‘Quality Street Queen’, Mamma Bear,the night will showcase Manchester’s leading cultural icons and look back at the thrilling history of the iconic song contest.
With show-stopping performances from the 2025 cohort, previous contestants and more, such as Eurovision 1993 winner, Niamh Kavanagh, Canal St queen Tonya Kneez; Beverly Tight-Lipps, Hera Björk and others, there’s plenty of reason to be excited about MancHagen.
Our interview with Danny BeardCanal Street in full swing during Pride 2024There’ll be plenty of watch parties around Greater Manchester, but a Eurovision Festival warm-up is even better (The Manc Group)
The celebration continues into Saturday (12 April), with an all-day programme at Depot Mayfield, a much-loved multiuse venue and home to The Warehouse Project as well as Europe’s largest indoor LGBTQIA+ celebration, Homobloc.
An exclusiveArtist Yellow Carpet Parade will then spotlight some of the UK’s leading Queer and creative pioneers, including appearances from Manchester’s own Drag icon and MancHagen ambassador Banksie, North West drag icon Danny Beard and more.
And that’s just the day-time: come nightfall, The Depot will transform into a wonderland of fashion, music and performance as the cast of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK will take over the room for a never-before-seen competition dubbed ‘Drag-A-Vision 2025’, with the likes of Marmalade, Rilesea Slaves, Alexis Saint-Pete; Charra Tea, Actavia and Chanel O Connor taking to the stage.
Oh, and of course there’s all the after-party action that Gay Village does so well – it is the part of the city that never sleeps, after all…
Besides the obvious excitement and fanfare surrounding this huge Eurovision festival, it is not only a welcome space for people from all walks of life but, above all else, being held for some vital charities.
Working alongside the Ukrainian Cultural Organization and United For You to host this year’s event, donations from each ticket sold will go towards Ukrainian Children and the George House Trust, as well as LGBTQIA+ groups like Sahir House, Manchester Pride and FSTB Danish Children.
The MancHagen co-founders say: “Our team is proud to announce the biggest celebration of Eurovision countries, cultures, fashion, music, dance and the diverse communities together in joy through music…
“There is nowhere more suited to host such an event than the UK’s inclusive capital of Manchester and capital of the North.” Dubbing itself the biggest party celebrating the annual event aside from the competition itself, if you’re a fan of the famous song contest, you don’t want to miss this.
Packages start at just £45, with VIP add-ons, affordable family tickets and VIP Backstage also available. Find out more about the ground-breaking Eurovision Festival and grab tickets for the Manchester celebration right HERE.
Danny Jones -
31st January 2025 
