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Peter Hook announces special career-spanning city centre show, with a veteran Manc band supporting

What an innings. (this article contains affiliate links)

Danny Jones Danny Jones - 2nd December 2025

Local music legend Peter Hook and his live touring partners, ‘The Light’, have announced a special career-spanning anniversary gig right here in Manchester, chronicling his incredible music career.

The former Joy Division member and subsequent New Order co-founder is celebrating 50 years in the business next year, and is marking the occasion with a comprehensive and retrospective live show come the summer.

Arguably one of the most influential musicians to have ever come out of the region, the Salford-born bassist and now lead singer of his own solo outfit (still playing countless hits from his extremely lengthy discography, of course) is now 69 years old and still going strong.

In fact, that’s exactly what they’ll be doing for the landmark live show: playing some of the biggest and best tunes from his various projects over the decades he’s spent in the studio and on the stage.

Suitably shared in Haçienda/Sex Pistol-coloured announcement poster, not only will Hook be revisiting Joy Division’s seminal debut album, Unknown Pleasures, but he’ll be going back through everything from Power Corruption & Lies by New Order to his lesser-known works.

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Be it his 1995 side project, Monaco, or the recently unearthed Freebass collab with the likes of Andy Rourke, Tim Burgess, and the late, great ‘Mani’ from the Stone Roses, fans of the avid audiophile and prolific live performer are in for a real treat.

Having toured this storied material extensively, Peter Hook and the Light have now amassed over 800 concerts as a band. For the Greater Manchester native himself, it’s an incredible feat to make in the music industry, full stop, let alone reach half a century in it.

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As for the Pistols connection, ‘Hooky‘ just happened to be one of several future Manc icons like half of The Smiths and The Fall, Factory Records’ own Tony Wilson, John Cooper Clarke, and even his then-soon-to-be Joy Division bandmate turned New Order lead singer, Bernard Sumner.

It’s a fairly safe bet you’ll find the post-punk veteran and plenty more of his peers in the crowd for another major music milestone in 2026.

Sex Pistols and Frank Carter to toast important Manc music anniversary with massive outdoor gig
It’s this particular date the group are toasting that motivated Hook to go out and buy a guitar.

Even more fittingly, this 50th anniversary gig will also see the group joined by another veteran rock band from the region, as fellow local punk sons, The Buzzocks from Bolton, who also formed after THAT very same gig at Lesser Free Trade Hall in ’76.

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Early access tickets for the exclusive show at Manchester Academy next June go on pre-sale this Wednesday, 3 December; general admission will be available from Friday, 5 December.

You can get ready to grab yours HERE.

We had the honour of chatting with the man, the myth, the legend, once again back in February 2024, when our Audio North arm was still known as ‘The Manc Audio’.

You can watch the interview down below.

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

Featured Images — Hi Fi Way (supplied)/Paul Hudson/Brian Marks (via Flickr)

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Rising Manchester band M60 announce biggest UK headline tour to date

Danny Jones Danny Jones M60 Manchester live gig date tickets

Local lads M60 have announced their biggest UK headline tour yet, and are now only set to play their lengthiest run of live dates, but the largest Manchester gig they’ve played so far.

There’s nothing quite like a hometown crowd, is there?

For those who may not have yet come across them before, the Manc indie band have had a good couple of years, releasing some of their best-produced music to date and growing an even bigger following up and down the country.

If you’ve been to see M60 live here in Manchester, you’ll know they already bring a die-hard crowd of deeply loyal and passionate fans. They’re also the band that famously and successfully pestered Gary Neville every day to give them a shout-out for the best part of a year…

Revealing the latest series of shows to start off December, M60 have confirmed nearly a dozen gig dates in the new year.

Scheduled to get underway next spring, they’ll be playing throughout the month of April and into May 2026; official support act(s) are yet to be signed up, but you can expect more native talent to share in the spotlight.

You can see the full list of gigs announced down below.

M60 live tour dates – 2026

Oh, and we’ve also kindly highlighted the other Northern dates for you, just in case you can’t make it to the Manc one.

  • Thursday, 9 April – Liverpool District
  • Friday, 10 April – Sheffield Foundry
  • Saturday, 11 April – Leeds Key Club
  • Thursday, 16 April – Portsmouth Wedgewood Rooms
  • Friday, 17 April – London Oslo
  • Saturday, 18 April – Bristol Thekla
  • Thursday, 23 April – Birmingham Mama Roux’s
  • Friday, 24 April – Nottingham Rescue Rooms
  • Saturday, 25 April – Manchester O2 Ritz
  • Friday, 1 May – Glasgow Nice N Sleazy
  • Saturday, 2 May – Newcastle The Grove
Music video budget be damned, it’s still a good tune.

Having released their latest single ‘Lemonade’, along with a rather fitting new brand logo, the group are looking to kick on in 2026.

With new lead guitarist, Owen Baldwin, joining the quartet earlier this year, not to mention having played big festival slots at the likes of Kendal Calling, Neighbourhood and more this past summer, we have every faith they will.

Tickets for their huge homecoming performance at O2 Ritz in Manchester on Saturday, 25 April 2026, go on general sale this Friday, 5 December at 10am.

You can get ready to grab yours HERE.

Read more:

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

Featured Images — Audio North/Press shot (supplied)

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Five Manchester artists we’ve been listening to | November 2025

Danny Jones Danny Jones

Well, well, well – it’s nearly the end of the year, and we’re on to our second-to-last round of local music artists based in and around Greater Manchester that are getting us excited for this year.

2025 has been ‘the year’ of many bands, some of whom are still well and truly riding the wave of popularity from the previous calendar, to be honest. But it’s also been unreal for new releases and ones to watch.

Never more so than here in our region, as we Mancunians – whether through birth, relocation or eventual adoption (if you love this place, it’ll love you back) – remain the most prolific musical hub in the UK, perhaps on the planet.

Squirm at our sincerity/perceived hyperbole all you want; we mean it, and we have five more artist suggestions for you to prove it. Let’s get stuck in.

Greater Manchester music you need to check out

1. TTSSFU

We’re kicking things off in Wigan this month: the first of our monthly artist picks is the curiously named TTSSFU, which is the stage name of 21-year-old native, Tasmin Stephens. The guitarist for fellow local band, Duvet, this new project has quickly caught our attention for all the right reasons.

It’s been labelled as DIY shoegaze, and while we don’t disagree with the description one bit – even the fairly melancholic, introspective, longing, ‘tragic youth’ content of the lyrics sort of fit that mould – but it doesn’t quite do the heavily textured sonics and techniques justice.

While singles like ‘Forever’ feel more like a familiar indie-girl alt-pop track (it actually made us think of Hazel English meets Soccer Mommy, specifically), that’s one note in the wide wall of sound she builds in her recent release, Blown. We’d suggest ‘Call U Back’ and ‘Being Young’ as stops two and three.

@ttssfu Forever behind the scenes out now !!!! #newmusic #friends #shoegaze #dreampop #shoegaze ♬ original sound – Tasmin

2. Pins

Now, if it’s more of those shoegazey influences that you want, Pins have been going at it since 2011 and arguably feel a little less abstract/more subtle in their approach, but they still deserve way more credit for the nevertheless impressive and experimental work they’ve been doing in the genre for over a decade.

Hot Slick, which dropped during the pandemic, was their most electronic and quite literally digital outing to date, and while admittedly not our favourite, it did show they had plenty of room and keenness to push in different directions, and it looks like it could be paying off at the start of this next chapter.

They returned this past September with their newest single, ‘I’ll Be Yours’, and we’ve thoroughly enjoyed diving back into their world and seeing what else they have in their locker. That mini-marching drum on its own has gotten stuck in our heads, but we still love listening to ‘LUVU4LYF’ and their tune with the one and only Iggy Pop. Yes, really…

3. Proud Mary

There’s always something fascinating about musicians who’ve actually been around for donkey’s years but have never made little more than a relatively small catalogue, especially when they’re this good. Proud Mary should tell you everything you need to know from their name alone, but it comes in spades.

A Manchester-born blues and folk rock band formed in 1998, we’ll confess we never stray too far from their self-titled debut – which is now approaching its 25th anniversary and is delightful from start to finish – but there is still a very rich albeit short discography to be enjoyed here.

If you’re just looking for the most well-known tracks, you can’t go wrong with ‘Very Best Friend’, but we also like a couple from their last album, Songs From Catalina, like ‘Space and Places’, and ‘Hats Off’ could trick anyone into thinking it was classic bluegrass straight from Kentucky – only it’s Manc.

Never gets old this one.

4. pyncher

Our penultimate pick for November’s artists of the month is the promising alternative quartet, pyncher. We’d heard smatterings of them throughout this year, but having finally now sat with their debut album, Every Town Needs A Stranger, we’ve fallen headlong into a full-on love affair.

Starting out as another underground post-punk outfit looking to make their mark in an increasingly saturated sect of the current British alt-rock scene, it’s their punchy, straightforward but satisfyingly jangly, irreverent style that not only puts us in mind of contemporaries like Seb Lowe, but has totally won us over.

The swagger feels VERY rock and roll, the vocal delivery almost feels like it takes the piss out of polished singing, and as for recommendations, ‘Back to the Country’ is the perfect introduction to their sound; ‘Dirty Feet’ almost starts like an alternative guitar-driven skat and feels very post-modern, and ‘Steely Dan’ might be our most replayed song of the last few weeks full stop.

5. Still Blank

Lastly, we’re pleased to report that the Spotify algorithm properly did its job this time by suggesting not only related groups/similar-sounding acts on the artist’s radio, but actually giving us one that we became so quickly enamoured with that we dove right down deep into the rabbit hole.

We’re talking about Still Blank, whose unique blend of laid-back yet soulful vocals, layered guitars and pedals, with drowny ambience, nods to everything from The Durutti Column and Radiohead – ‘Arpeggi’, specifically – to early New Order and more, it’s a dreamy, synth-soaked mix we can’t get enough of.

Set up by multi-talented Jordy from Hawaii and guitarist Ben, who’s from right here in 0161, we could genuinely and wholeheartedly recommend every song on their debut record for a different reason. The more we listen to it, the more we struggle to land on any real semblance of our favourites; it’s nigh on impossible because.

Along with pyncher, this might be one of the most perfect debuts we’ve had the good fortune of coming across in god knows how long. For once, we’ll save you the lengthy, verbose descriptions – just listen to it and prepare to have little else in your ears for the foreseeable.

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We hope you enjoyed this latest round-up of Greater Manchester music, both new and old, and you can rest assured we’ll be back again for one final edition for 2025 at the same time next month.

And, as always, please do give us your own suggestions in the comments, as we’re always on the lookout for exciting talents worthy of making the monthly Audio North list.

You can see who we picked out last month down below.

Five Greater Manchester-based artists we’ve been listening to this month | October 2025
The Manchester music gods always have new material to offer.

Read more:

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

Featured Images — Henry Collier/Catherine Jablonksi (supplied)

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