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Pixies to play three Manchester gigs as part of major European tour in 2024

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Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant - 7th June 2023

Pixies are heading out on a European tour in 2024, and they’re stopping off here in Manchester for three nights.

After recently playing to intimate Manchester crowds at the relaunch of iconic music venue, Band on the Wall, and to thousands at Castlefield Bowl as part of 2023’s Sounds of the City concert series, Pixies have announced they’ll be making a return to our city once again next year, and they’ve got three gigs lined-up.

The influential and pioneering US alt rock band are set to head out on a tour of some of the biggest cities in Europe tour in 2024, and will be performing a selection of tracks from their hugely-acclaimed albums, Bossanova and Trompe Le Monde – which were released in 1990 and 1991 respectively.

Black Francis and co will be taking over Manchester’s iconic Albert Hall for three major gigs on Tuesday 12, Wednesday 13, and Thursday 14 March 2024.

Bossanova was the band’s third studio album, and was praised by critics for showing their less primal side, with a recurring sci-fi theme running throughout, and surf and space rock influences at the forefront.

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‘Alison’, ‘Dig For Fire’, ‘Velouria’, and ‘Cecilia Ann’ were just some of the notable tracks from the album.

Trompe Le Monde, on the other hand, was known for having bookended a run of landmark records for the band, and although it was their fourth album, it’s arguably the most playful in their catalogue – with singles ‘Planet of Sound’, ‘Alec Eiffel’, and ‘Letter to Memphis’ featuring lyrics on UFOs, conspiracy theories, and more to prove Black Francis and co were still restless to push their sound forward.

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Both albums are described by critics as sounding just as fresh and relevant today in 2023 as they did when they were released over 30 years ago.

Bossanova (1990) and Trompe Le Monde (1991) by Pixies / Credit: Wikimedia Commons

Pixies’ celebration of these two iconic albums will see them perform across major European cites such as London, Dublin, Paris, and Amsterdam, as well as Manchester for three nights.

Pixies – Bossanova x Trompe Le Monde Tour 2024

  • 8, 9 & 10 March – Olympia Theatre Dublin
  • 12, 13 & 14 March – Albert Hall Manchester
  • 16, 17 & 18 March – O2 Forum Kentish Town (London)
  • 20, 21 & 22 March – Paradiso Amsterdam
  • 25, 26 & 27 March – L’Olympia Theatre Paris

Tickets to the Bossanova x Trompe Le Monde Tour 2024 are officially set to go on general sale this Friday 9 June from 9am.

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Grab tickets here.

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World premiere of A Knight’s Tale The Musical to open in Manchester next year

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant A Knight's Tale

A brand-new stage adaptation of a beloved early 00s film is set to have its world premiere right here in Manchester.

That’s right – A Knight’s Tale has been turned into a comedy musical.

A Knight’s Tale may be one of Chaucer’s most well-known Canterbury Tales, but for most of us, we tend to be more familiar with Brian Helgeland’s iconic 2001 medieval action comedy film of the same name instead, which of course starred the late great Heath Ledger, alongside Paul Bettany, Rufus Sewell, Mark Addy, and more.

And its the latter that has now been reimagined for modern day and turned into a brand-new comedy stage musical that will charge into Manchester early next year.

From the production team behind recent stage smash-hits including Disney’s Newsies, and 2:22 A Ghost Story, the brand-new A Knight’s Tale The Musical has been adapted for the stage by Irish comedy writer and actor Brona C Titley, directed by the award-winning Rachel Kavanaugh, and choreographed by Olivier Award-winning Matt Cole.

It’s gearing up to be a “rip-roaring tale of chivalry, jousting, heroes, and villains”.

Not only that, but just like the popular film, audiences in Manchester are being told to expect a “truly rockin’ soundtrack” that’s packed with chart-topping hits.

Unfamiliar with the premise of the cult-classic film? Ledger plays William Thatcher – a 14th century peasant squire who breaks all the rules when he passes himself off as a nobleman and takes the jousting world by storm. The only thing that stands between Will and his dream of becoming the World Champion of the most extreme of sports, however, is the bad boy of the sport Count Adhemar.

The two rivals then go lance to lance at the world finals, and it’s a pretty epic finale to say the least.

A Knight's Tale
The world premiere of A Knight’s Tale The Musical is to open in Manchester next year / Credit: Columbia Pictures | Wikimedia Commons

Just like the film, A Knight’s Tale The Musical apparently “has it all”, so you’re invited to join Will Thatcher and his band of merry misfits for “a Knight like no other” when the show takes to the legendary Manchester Opera House stage next April.

“Over 20 years ago, I had the time of my life surrounded by a supreme cast and crew making a film we all fell in love with while we were joyfully making it,” commented Brian Helgeland ahead of the musical’s Manchester debut.

“Sitting at a recent read through of the stage version, I could feel that same joy and love emerging, and I am grateful for the new life they are creating and very eager to see it in all its fully staged glory.”

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A Knight’s Tale The Musical will take to the Manchester Opera House stage on 11 April 2025, and run right through until 10 May 2025, and tickets go on general sale next Thursday 1 August at 10am – with members’ pre-sales running prior.

Grab your tickets when they go live here.

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Stanleys announce landmark hometown gig at an iconic Wigan venue

Danny Jones Danny Jones The Stanleys Wigan gig tickets

Wigan band Stanleys have just announced a landmark headline show back in their hometown at the legendary Monaco later this year.

One of the borough’s most iconic and longest-standing venues located over in the town of Hindley, The Monaco has hosted many a noteworthy name down the years, from Dusty Springfield and Lonnie Donegan back in the day, to The Lancashire Hotpots and local lads The Lathums more recently.

With live comedy, theatre, music and lots of other live entertainment (not least their regular Bongo’s Bingo events these days) contributing to the venue’s rich heritage, it’s arguably one of the most unsung venues in Greater Manchester.

Having been returned back to its original moniker in 2019 after being known as The Rose Club for a time, the rising indie stars are the latest act trying to put it back on the back by confirming one of their most momentous gigs to date.

Fresh off opening up for fellow Wigan native and Britpop veteran Richard Ashcroft during his highly-anticipated double bill of shows at Robin Park Arena this month, the fast-growing four-piece are now set to have their own homecoming moment at the much-loved art deco building.

Having already been on the road with the likes of The Libertines, Inspiral Carpets, The Lathums; Jamie Webster, The View and more, they’re coming back home a much bigger name than they left it.

From George Formby Senior and Junior to The Verve, Starsailor and The Lathums before them, they’re hoping to be the next gem to come out of Wigan, which Ashcroft himself recently said has long been overlooked.

With tunes like this coming out of the nearby town, we’d wager that’s finally starting to change:

Wigan outfit Stanleys released their latest EP, The Gallery, back in June.

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The lads rock up to The Monaco on Friday, 29 November, with support acts still yet to be revealed.

We’ll make no secret of being big fans of the Stanleys and the material they’ve put out so far, having recently named them on our list of new Manchester bands we’ve been listening to just last month, so we’ll be first in line for this special hometown gig.

Tickets for the Stanleys’ headline show at The Monaco go on sale at 9am on Wednesday, 24 July – you can grab yours HERE.

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

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