Remember when we kind of thought Gary Neville was joining The Reytons on tour? Well, turns out he sort of has – at least for one night, anyway.
The former footballer turned pundit and entrepreneur seems to crop up absolutely everywhere these days, be that in Greater Manchester or otherwise, and we know that he’s proven to be a bit of a jack of all trades since his playing days came to an end.
However, we never thought we’d put Gary Neville and ‘playing bass’ in the same sentence, let alone on stage with one of the fastest-rising Northern bands around, but Rotherham’s very own Reytons have turned that seemingly random combination of words into a reality.
Playing the incredible Aviva Studios venue on Saturday, 8 March, the Manc crowd were in for a treat when the Man United legend and ex-England defender popped up on stage, guitar in hand.
As you can see, not only did G Nev join for the cult favourite anthem ‘Low Life’ but he made quite the entrance and pyros blasted from the front of the stage.
ADVERTISEMENT
For anyone needing a bit more context, this all came about following a humorous stunt back in September of last year where the band made it look like the Manc might be standing in as replacement bassist after full-time member Lee Holland broke his arm.
The 50-year-old filmed a skit of him going through a fake audition process as other candidates were ignored and he ended up being selected.
ADVERTISEMENT
It was pretty funny, to be fair, especially when the final punchline was that he had absolutely no idea how to play bass.
Still didn’t stop him from going ahead and doing a whole photo shoot though, did it? Now they’ve gone even further and brought him out in front of a massive hometown crowd.
Speaking on the cameo, frontman Jonny Yerrell thanked Neville for his support, telling the crowd: “He is honestly one of the most down-to-earth and nicest people we’ve ever had the pleasure of working with.”
ADVERTISEMENT
Yerrell also went on to highlight their Grassroots Foundation initiative, explaining how they provided full football kits to 50 different grassroots teams in 2024, as well as applauding the Reytons fan base and the wider music community for rallying behind young mum Sophie White in a truly touching tale.
The 22-year-old Rotheram native, who has seen widespread support across Yorkshire, is currently battling a brain tumour; with that in mind, the band raffled off the stage sign from their flagship sell-out performance at Clifton Park performance.
With Sophie in attendance, Jonny announced to gig-goers that over £10,000 had been raised in just two days to help her undergo potentially life-saving treatment in Germany, which finally starts this week (Monday, 10 March 2025). Incredible stuff.
If there’s one thing we love more than a band with a sense of humour and who don’t mind a stunt or two, it’s the kind that does important stuff for their region like this.
And, as Jonny puts it, this is just the start; “We’re planning to do even more this year!”, he says, so don’t expect this to be the last time you hear about these Northern trailblazers doing something brilliant.
ADVERTISEMENT
Who knows, maybe we’ll see Gary Neville joining The Reytons for their headline set at Tramlines Festivalthis summer too?
Featured Images — The Reytons/Graham Noble(supplied)
Audio
The Warehouse Project named one of the best nightclubs in the world
Danny Jones
Greater Manchester can add another big blue ribbon to its already richly adorned totem of music heritage, as The Warehouse Project has been named one of the best clubs in the entire world.
Not that we’re the least bit shocked, to be honest.
That’s right, our very own Warehouse Project – or WHP to use the more commonly thrown around shorthand – isn’t just the great successor to the likes of The Haçienda, Jilly’s Rockworld and many more Manc live music institutions, it’s become a raver’s rite of passage in its own right.
So it’s no surprise that it landed itself in the International NightLife Association’s best 100 clubs on the planet – but where exactly on the list did it land?
As you can see from the full NightLife International rankings for 2025, Warehouse Project didn’t just make it into the 100 club or even the top half; WHP broke into the best 30 clubs in the whole world.
Finishing in 27th position, specifically, Mayfield Depot‘s major tourist attraction was sandwiched between Ibiza’s Amnesia nightclub and the equally iconic Ministry of Sound in London.
Not bad company to keep, eh?
Writing in the caption, the organisation said: “From Ibiza to Singapore, Miami to Marrakech, and every nightlife capital in between, this year’s ranking showcases the venues that continue to elevate global nightlife with innovation, quality, and unforgettable experiences.”
“Cheers to all the clubs that made it onto the list”, they continued, thanking sponsors, artists and collaborators alike before adding, “Your commitment drives the industry forward.”
With the likes of Worried About Henry, Homobloc, Barry Can’t Swim, and the first-ever winter edition of Repercussion having already passed this year, the 2025 programme really has been electric.
But they’re not done yet; you can see the rest of what is on this year’s lineup down below.
One of the biggest dates on the current WHP calendar is, of course, their massive New Year’s Eve Party, which returns for 2025.
The team behind Warehouse is yet to respond to the prestigious international recognition, as they’re clearly still too busy putting on some of the best nights not just in town or the UK, but anywhere around the club.
You can get a closer look at the in-depth list of NightLife International’s top 100 clubs HERE.
Speaking of Manc nightlife, it’ll be interesting to see where a returning cult favourite will place itself on the leaderboard when it makes its full comeback very soon…
Featured Images — The Manc Group/Press shots (supplied via WHP)
Audio
Kendal Calling reveals fantastic 2026 lineup, including Biffy Clyro, Wolf Alice, The Kooks and more
Danny Jones
The lineup for Kendal Calling 2026 has been officially revealed in full, and let’s just say the list of headliners alone is absolutely box office.
It feels like we say this every year, but this could be one of their best to date.
With the likes of Scottish rock legends Biffy Clyro (after years of courting them), Mercury Prize-winning Wolf Alice, as well as indie veterans The Kooks and Two Door Cinema Club topping the bill on the main stage, next year’s Kendal Calling is shaping up to be a tasty one.
Next summer will mark the 21st year of the annual music and arts festival, and after a wonderful 20th anniversary edition in 2025, we have every faith the KC crew are going to nail it yet again.
Announcing a total of 120 acts – yes, this lineup is already STACKED – the roster is packed with everything from timeless indie stalwarts, Northern favourites, some pop surprises and plenty more.
For instance, we were genuinely buzzing to see not only the one and only Scissor Sisters, but also Gabrielle, and even noughties throwback, Vanessa Carlton.
We’re now hoping and praying she doesn’t pull out and quite literally travels ‘A Thousand Miles’ over to the Lake District.
After making their own comebacks this year, the likes of The Libertines, Deaf Havana, Hard-Fi and several others have joined the lineup, which is spread across more than a dozen stages, including non-musical acts and other bits of live entertainment.
We were very much spoilt for choice for our favourite festivals this year, but you only have to read our review of ‘KC20’ to know how much it meant to be there.
You can see the Kendal Calling 2026 lineup poster down below.
‘26's Adventure Revealed! 🙌 Like & RT for your chance to win VIP upgrades, boutique camping & a £200 bar tab!
Biffy Clyro, Wolf Alice, Two Door Cinema Club, The Kooks, Scissor Sisters, The Libertines & more head to the Lakes! pic.twitter.com/HoI0qpgrxQ
If you look closely, you can also see that there’s a special guest slot thrown in there, too, though we’re stumped as to even the slightest hint of who it could be.
We’re sure you’ll have your theories and guesses in the chamber already, but let’s just say that after seeing how well they’ve done with surprises in the past, we cannot wait.
Commenting on the drop, co-founder Ben Robinson said: “I’m so excited to reveal next year’s line-up! Our brilliant team has secured a line-up worthy of the jaw-dropping faith the Kendal Calling family puts in us each year.
“Selling 98% of the tickets before announcing a single artist is the biggest compliment we could ever receive, so here’s an early Christmas present to say thank you!”
Like the man said, most full weekend passes have already gone, but if this lineup tickles your interest, you can still register for the final release of Kendal Calling 2026 tickets right HERE.
Danny Jones -
10th March 2025 
