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Legendary funk and soul act Kool and the Gang are finally coming back to Manchester

They bring the Kool, you bring your gang. (this article contains affiliate links)

Danny Jones Danny Jones - 18th June 2025

In case you hadn’t heard already, iconic funk, soul, and R’n’B artist Kool and the Gang are finally coming back to Manchester after far too long away from our musical city for a massive arena gig later this year.

Coming back to 0161 ‘For One Night Only’, the award-winning US supergroup and industry giants are set to make their first appearance here in over 15 years.

With a rich back catalogue and a career spanning six decades, not to mention multiple genres including funk, soul, disco, jazz (how they first began as an ensemble) and more, it’s only fitting they be given the top billing at the one and only AO Arena.

After Manc fans have had to wait for long, this is sure to be a night of ‘Summertime Madness’.

Though they need no real introduction if you know your music history, specifically African-American and Black music culture, Kool and the Gang are arguably one of the most influential acts to ever make it.

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Having performed together longer than other R’n’B outfit on the planet, stood as one of the most sampled artists of all time and released a staggering 34 studio albums to date, they’re nothing short of foundational.

While, sadly, there is only founding member Robert ‘Kool’ Bell left from the original lineup formed back in 1964, the various iterations of the surviving live band have captured that same effortless cool, charisma, and effortless control of a crowd on the road that made the OG Gang such a toue de force.

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As well as touring with everyone from Elton John and the Dave Matthews Band to The Roots and even a 50-city tour alongside equally legendary rock group, Van Halen, they have no shortage of accolades to their name.

How does two Grammys, seven American Music Awards (AMAs), a BET Soul Train Lifetime Achievement Award; a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and a place in the 2024 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame; 25 Top Ten R&B hits, nine top ten hits in the pop charts, as well as 31 gold and platinum albums, strike you?

Best known for beloved tracks like ‘Celebration’, ‘Get Down On It’, ‘Cherish’ and ‘Jungle Boogie’, just to name a very small few (again, their discography is huge), you’ve most likely heard their songs or at least one of their serially sampled beats more times than its possible to count.

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Yep, if there’s anyone that deserves the ‘icon’ moniker, it’s these lot.

Kool and the Gang come to the AO Arena in Manchester next month on Friday, 11 July and will have fellow British soul counterparts, The Real Thing, who looked to mirror their success throughout the ’70s, along for the ride.

General admission tickets are already on sale as we speak – you can grab yours HERE.

Pete Tong’s Ibiza Classics is returning to Manchester later this year
There are plenty more dance veterans coming to the AO Arena this year.

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Featured Images — Andreas Lawen/Fotandi (via Wikimedia Commons)

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Morrissey claims sole credit for The Smiths’ iconic Salford Lads’ Club photo shoot idea

Danny Jones Danny Jones Morrissey claims 'sole' credit for The Smiths' Salford Lads club photo shoot

Morrissey is once again raising the issue of credit and disputes over The Smiths’ legacy, as the controversial former frontman has now claimed that their iconic photo shoot outside of Salford Lads’ Club was entirely his idea.

The 66-year-old lead singer turned solo star from Urmston is no stranger to sparking debates and attracting controversy, and it seems his latest is to do with one of the most iconic images in British music history, let alone just Greater Manchester.

Writing an official statement on his website, which has since been shared across social media, even the Salford Lads and Girls’ Club have seen fit to repost the message.

Put simply, he says, “it was solely my idea”.

The Davyhulme-born bard and divisive artist goes on to claim that the other co-founding members of the iconic Manc band initially viewed as more of his “lunacy” – the suggestion seemingly being (as it often is with Morrissey) that they simply didn’t understand the ‘genius’ at the time.

Many of his most die-hard fans still believe that most don’t and never will.

He even jokes that, in another life, it could very well have been something entirely different and random, such as the Kellogg’s factory in Trafford, basically suggesting that other members would have simply followed suit.

In his words, he argues that “now millions of people come from all over the world to be photographed on that very spot, it is claimed as a Smiths idea. It wasn’t, it isn’t, and it never shall be.”

Once again, this is by no means the first time he’s called into question, ‘who did what’ and/or who owns what bit of intellectual property; in fact, there was apparently another one of these instances with Johnny Marr only recently.

A special The Smiths reissue was cancelled due to a dispute between Morrissey and Johnny Marr
Oh, what could have been…

‘Moz’ and Marr have been at loggerheads pretty much ever since the group disbanded back in 1987, and still look to be far away from seeing eye to eye on virtually anything.

It was only back in September 2024 that his fellow former bandmate had to deny claims that he’d acquired ‘100% of the rights to The Smiths IP and could tour under the name without ‘The Pope of Mope’ himself.

One thing’s for sure: whatever part of the past Mozza will bring up next remains a mystery, but as always, at least we’ve always got the tunes.

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Featured Images — Printerval/dullhunk/Christoph!(via Flickr)

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The Strokes announce first Manchester gig in two decades

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson The Strokes announce first Manchester gig in two decades

The Strokes are finally set to return to Manchester for the first time in years, announcing a huge arena show today.

The iconic indie rockers have shared details of a new European tour, which includes a night at the massive Co-op Live arena here in Manchester.

The news comes hot off the heels of their celebrated Coachella set over the weekend.

The Reality Awaits Tour, named after their upcoming seventh studio album, will take The Strokes to Manchester as well as London and Newcastle, plus several cities across Europe.

The Strokes broke into the industry back in 2001 with their seminal debut album Is This It, which spawned massive indie anthems like Last Nite, Hard To Explain, and Sometimes.

Since then, they’ve released six studio albums, all of which have climbed into the top 10 of the UK Albums Chart.

You can expect to hear all sorts of fan favourites, like Reptilia, Juicebox, and You Only Live Once, plus new music including their latest single The New Abnormal.

Co-op Live said: “This is set to be an unmissable show as they come to Co-op Live for the first time and we can’t wait!”

Last time The Strokes played in Manchester, it was at the O2 Apollo way back in 2006 – the same year they supported Foo Fighters at Emirates Old Trafford Cricket Ground.

They played Lytham Festival more recently, but haven’t ventured back into Manchester itself since.

The Strokes will play at Co-op Live in Manchester on 26 October 2026.

Tickets will go on sale at 10am on Friday 17 April HERE, with a number of pre-sales beginning from Wednesday 15 April.

The Strokes UK and Ireland tour dates in full

  • The O2, London – 6 October
  • Utilita Arena, Newcastle – 25 October
  • Co-op Live, Manchester – 26 October
  • 3Arena, Dublin – 28 October

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Featured image: Publicity picture

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