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Art & Culture

Oasis are back…in surreal new Britpop comedy ‘The Battle’ at the Opera House Manchester

Clementine Hall Clementine Hall - 18th March 2026

The greatest pop rivalry of all time has been turned into a quick-witted, razor-sharp comedy.

And do you know what? It’s a proper laugh.

Oasis vs Blur, north vs south… it really is a tale as old as time, and one that symbolised a divided nation back in 1995.

This new play, written by past record industry bod John Niven, explores the testosterone-fuelled tantrums that came after the decision to release Blur’s Country House single alongside Oasis’ Roll With It.

Image: Supplied (Helen Murray)

We’re plunged into backstage Britpop bickering right at the very start at none other than the Brit Awards, which is quite apt for a Manchester audience who have just witnessed the city hosting the awards for the first time.

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From the offset, Paddy Stafford and George Usher who played Noel and Liam Gallagher, proved themselves as standout performances.

The physical mannerisms, the vocal nuances, they both had it down to an absolute T and looked exceptional in parkas, might I add.

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Images: Supplied (Helen Murray)

By portraying such icons, in Manchester no less, you’re opening yourself up to a lot of criticism but their performances, which could’ve been perceived as awkward impressions, were the highlight of the evening.

The first act explores the rivalry between the two bands in depth, featuring countless slinging matches that are peppered with quick-witted remarks and plenty of swearing.

The between-scenes animations by John O’Connor portray radio DJs stoking the hysteria with the latest gossip, which is a nice way to keep the audience in check with whats going on amidst the chaos.

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Image: Supplied (Helen Murray)

But it’s in the second act when things start to get really, really weird – and equally as fun.

I’m not going to spoil it for you, because that’s the whole point.

But what I will say is if you’re going for an Oasis singalong then you’re not going to get it, but you may want to brush up on your Take That lyrics.

The Battle is on at the Opera House Manchester until Saturday 21 March and you can get your tickets here.

Read more: A new stage adaptation of a Virginia Woolf classic is coming to Manchester

Featured image – Supplied (Helen Murray)

Art & Culture

Placebo are returning to Manchester with a special re-worked album tour for their 30th anniversary

Danny Jones Danny Jones Placebo Manchester Manchester gig tickets Co-op Live date

Placebo are coming back to Manchester city centre for a very special anniversary show celebrating their seminal debut album, which will be re-worked 30 years on from its release.

The beloved British alt-rock band, which first broke onto the indie, post-glam and pseudo-goth scene back in the mid-1990s, haven’t played here since November 2022, so it’s fair to say fans have been waiting for a return.

Last time out, they played the AO Arena, but this year they’ll be making a maiden visit to one of Europe’s biggest indoor entertainment venues.

Announcing the ‘RE:CREATED‘ re-release of their debut album and the accompanying anniversary tour this week, tickets are set to go on sale very soon.

Confirming just a handful of UK shows this December following a more extensive European run in autumn and winter 2026, they are the latest big rock name to book Co-op Live.

Placebo’s self-titled debut album, RE:CREATED

As mentioned, Placebo RE:CREATED features “powerful reworked and embellished versions of all ten tracks from the original album”, as well as two new bonus tracks.

The group say that these new songs are sort of like an ‘amplification’ of what made their inaugural studio outing such a success in the first place.

Speaking in an official statement, they said: “We think of this record as a director’s cut. We haven’t recreated it from scratch. We went back to the original master tapes and brought 30 years of playing these songs live back into the record.

“This project was about finally finishing the record, dragging it into the 21st century sonically, while preserving the integrity and the spirit of the original. It’s not about improving it; there’s nothing wrong with it – it’s about completing it.”

Signing off and getting tails up ahead of the tour, they added: “It’s a celebration of where we began, and a meeting point between who we were then and who we are now; a way of honouring that innocence, while letting the songs exist with the scale, confidence, and energy of the band we’ve become”.

It remains to be seen who, if anyone, will be supporting them for the limited run of domestic shows, but it has been revealed that they will also be playing some fan favourite songs from their sophomore LP, Without You I’m Nothing. You can see the rest of the gigs here in Britain and Ireland down below:

Placebo UK tour dates 2026

2 – Dublin, Ireland – 3 Arena
4th – Manchester, UK – Co-op Live Arena
5th – London, UK – OVO Arena Wembley
7th – Cardiff, UK – Utilita Arena

For those looking to secure early access, you can do so by pre-ordering the album (which drops on 19 June), with the pre-sale window opening at 9am on 24 March.

As for general admission, they will be available from the same time the following Friday, 27 March.

You can get ready to grab your tickets to see Placebo at Co-op Live in Manchester for their 30th anniversary gig right HERE.

They’re not the only big rock name that first back in the 90s set for a big Manc arena show this year.

Korn announce massive Manchester gig on first UK tour in a decade

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

Featured Images — Press shots (supplied via SJM Concerts)

Art & Culture

Review | What we made of Country 2 Country 2026, and why Manchester should be very excited

Danny Jones Danny Jones C2C London review ahead of coming to Manchester in 2027

Excuse me, but it looks like we might have a new favourite festival on the cards: Country 2 Country – and it’s very rare we gig in London and enjoy ourselves anyway near as much as we do up North, but now we’re already dreaming of just how good C2C Manchester could be.

In fact, scratch that, we know it is.

Billed as Europe’s biggest country music festival, there really isn’t anything quite like it here. Yes, there’s Buckle & Boots Festival closer to home, but there’s nothing in the folk and country world on this kind of massive scale, unless you go all the way to see the actual CMA Fest over in the US.

London’s also been lucky enough to host some very big names at BST Hyde Park too, but this fully-fledged arena weekender, complete with an outdoor festival hub, town square, trading post, a barn full of line-dancers, and SO much more, celebrates every single part of that culture.

country 2 country 20206 review
c2c yellowstone yard
c2c town square
By day, the aim is to make a little country town, complete with shops, food, drink and music aplenty. (Credit: Audio North)

But… We think the North can do it better.

So too did some of the acts and punters as well, by the way; we spoke to several people on-site who’d made the trip from all over because it was closer than Glasgow, Belfast or Berlin.

Up-and-coming British country rock artist, Bronnie – who was literally hours away from a move across the pond to pursue her dreams of living the cowgirl turned music artist experience down in the Southern states – said simply: “There’s always this feeling like there’s more fun to be had up North”

Moreover, the friends she’s already made over in America’s ‘Music City’, she says, have claimed that “the vibes are just better”, apparently. Not to sound too biased, but we obviously couldn’t agree more.

However, with the news that C2C is coming to Manchester city centre and Northern England for the very first time, people are already hopping mad at the idea of a Manc debut.

That’s to say that what The O2 in London isn’t special and will always be to most punters, we just know full well that our particular region is going to take to this new annual event like a duck to water.

A lot of the people we spoke to kept repeating the same: that working class connection, simple but relatable imagery, the pure poetry you’ll find not only in Nashville but creative cousins like Manchester.

The Broadway strip in Austin may be the spiritual home of this kind of music, but we Greater Mancunians lay claim to plenty of genres and some of the biggest artistic traditions ourselves.

With that in mind, we are convinced we’re going to leave a lasting impression when our inaugural Country 2 Country Festival comes to the AO Arena next year.

Our line dancing might leave a little to be desired, but we’ve got a whole year to work on it, not to mention plenty of time to dive even further into the UK’s growing country music obsession.

Find out more about his magnificent music festival ahead of its maiden Manc edition and sign up for early pre-sale access to Country 2 Country Manchester HERE.

You can see more pictures from our 2026 C2C gallery down below.

c2c cowboy hats
Country fashion was everywhere
CMA Spotlight Stage Country 2 Country
The official CMA Spotlight Stage was one of the best
other activities at c2c music festival
No one shyed away from a party
kruse brothers music
Kruse Brothers were one of our favourite from the weekend
alana springsteen c2c 2026
Alana Springsteen was incredible
And by the evening, it’s a proper hedonist hoedown… (Credit: The Manc)

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

Featured Images — The Manc Group

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