Sounds of the City returned to Manchester on Wednesday, courtesy of about as big an opening act as the festival has ever had before, with Avril Lavigne soaking in her first taste of Castlefield Bowl and proclaiming how much she loved the venue.
Us too, Avril – just not as much as it loved you.
That’s right, Canada’s pop-rock princess kicked off Sounds of the City 2024 with a Greatest Hits gig on the limited UK leg of her European tour just a couple of days after doing the ultimate outdoor gig at Glastonbury – which looked and sounded amazing, by the way.
You could tell how pumped she was to be bringing some of that ‘rock out under rainy British skies’ energy to Manchester’s iconic amphitheatre but, in one of those most magical moments that sometimes happens at festivals, the clouds broke and we got a stunning nostalgic sunset singalong.
The weather shifted just moments after fellow Canadian pop-punk veterans Simple Plan took to the stage as main supports just like they have throughout her tour, with six countries and nearly 30 more gigs to go, but it didn’t look like they were already several shows deep and well into their 40s.
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It can be a tough ask getting a crowd going before a headliner sometimes, but these lot didn’t struggle at all and that’s why they’re still going all these years later.
Be it making ‘it’s not a phase, mom’ jokes, inviting a bunch of blokes dressed in Scooby Doo onesies on stage as they played the classic cartoon’s theme song (yes, they sing that one), giant beach balls, playing classics like ‘I’m Just A Kid’ or a few quick covers, they very much understood the assignment.
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After getting the crowd to ‘Jump’ as they would at any other rock concert, the mood was just right for the main event and let’s just say a lot of current and ex-emos, moshers and noughties kids alike were very happy when ageless Avril Lavigne walked out in Castlefield Bowl.
A very wholesome warm-up. Well, apart from the ‘play with our balls’ jokes but still. (Credit: The Manc)
Well, that’s not entirely accurate: after some suspense-building graphics and lots of anticipant screaming, she burst onto the stage – quite literally – with one of her first big hits, ‘Girlfriend’, as Manchester welcomed her back after a very long time and she set off a sea of streamers into the air.
An early confetti cannon is always a sign of a good gig and it will surprise absolutely no one to hear that Avril Lavigne still sounds absolutely sensational, not to mention that the acoustics of the Bowl proved perfect for letting her voice travel across Castlefield and beyond.
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It’s also worth mentioning that even if you’re just a casual fan or think you ‘only know the hits’, as this latest album release and series of shows has proved, the girl has a lot more hits than you even think.
Song after song we found ourselves knowing the words and chants, which only increased the nostalgia factor even more as we watched countless fans of all ages dancing their heads off and singing at the top of their lungs.
That’s what it’s all about.
Some way to say helloThat famous logoJammy gets…A rather loud scream when she came out – and that was just us.
The 39-year-old (yes, we know she still looks like she’s in her 20s, don’t rub it in) also had a really charming manner when it came to interacting with the crowd; it may have been a little bit less bantery than her support act but you could tell she was rolling back the years just as much as we were.
Looking back on more than two decades of making music, she was taking it all in: the venue, the people with pink hair and those wearing official Avril uniforms (neckties and spike bracelets), not to mention the drinkers as she sprayed a bottle of champagne into the front row.
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She even welcomed Simple Plan back on stage for a duet and also used the opportunity to invite some die-hard fans and little kids whose parents are clearly passing their impeccable music taste on to their little’uns to join them, taking photos, signing skateboards to sing the chorus of ‘Addicted’.
Dream come true stuff and a moment in which we suddenly remembered she’s no longer the Avril Lavigne that burst onto the scene and the biggest thing on MTV when she was just a teenager – she’s a mum these days and all her fans have grown up with her.
We love that feeling when everything feels like it’s come full circle and we can all pretend we’re ‘just a kid’, as her openers so aptly put it.
There were pyros, wholesome fan interactions, a train driver up on the viaduct stopping to wave at the crowd, and much more.
Once again, we don’t think we need to convince you that classics like ‘Sk8er Boi’ and ‘Complicated’ were as good as you’d hope they’d be, perhaps even better, and we can now tick seeing Avril Lavigne live in Manchester off the bucket list.
The whole Sounds of the City lineup for 2024 is great and there’s lots of variety in genre too, which is always a bonus, but we have to say that the throwback feeling of this particular gig was wonderful and we can’t think of many better ways to kick off a festival.
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Now watch as queen Avril Lavigne turned Castlefield Bowl into a choir for her ultimate ballad, ‘I’m With You’, in a perfect choice of closing song.
Is there any more beautiful a sound than a sea full of Mancs singing in harmony? Not a chance.
Lily Allen to play smash-hit new album in full on first tour in seven years
Danny Jones
Lily Allen has returned with one of the best comeback albums the British music scene has witnessed in decades, and it’s been received so well that she’s set to play the record IN FULL on a new tour – her first in more than seven years – and, yes, she’s coming to Manchester.
The noughties popstar and daughter of fellow musician and actor, Keith Allen, isn’t just having a renaissance, the 40-year-old singer-songwriter is now riding arguably one of the biggest waves of popularity in her career following the release of her fifth studio LP.
West End Girl, released earlier this month, has not only gone down a treat with die-hard Lily Allen listeners but has earned her plenty of new fans too, as well as winning over numerous critics.
Notching multiple five-star reviews, a shout for album of the year from Variety, and even being labelled “one for the history books” by the BBC, the demand to see her back on the road was ready and waiting, and now the genre-hopping Hammersmith heroine is giving the people what they want.
Without giving too much away for those who haven’t listened to it yet, the deeply honest and no-holds-barred material dives into her divorce from ex-husband, David Harbour, of Stranger Things and Thunderbolts* fame.
Leaving no stone unturned, it’s a deeply personal, scorched-earth kind of album that has resonated with a lot of people, it seems.
We’re not going to say any more than that; just strap in, give it a go and thank us later. You can see the full list of her newly announced domestic tour dates, where she’ll be playing West End Girl in its entirety, down below.
Lily Allen UK live tour shows, including multiple Northern dates
Here’s a little taste of just one of the tracks from the acclaimed new album, which is already being heralded as her best to date.
So many great tracks on this album.
Honestly, there’s plenty more where that came from…
If you’re looking to hear the explosive 14-track diatribe from start to finish in person, she’ll be playing not just one but two nights at the Factory International’s Aviva Studios.
Tickets for all Lily Allen live tour dates, including her Manchester shows next spring, go live on Friday, 7 November from 10am – and given the reaction to the album itself, you can bank on them selling out fast.
Featured Images — Charlie Denis/press shots (supplied)
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Fast-rising alt-rock cult favourites Keo announce Manchester gig on new UK tour
Danny Jones
Up-and-coming alternative rock band Keo have just announced a new UK tour and “most ambitious chapter yet” in terms of live performances, including a Manchester gig that we CANNOT wait for.
Combining the likes of post-grunge, garage rock and more, Keo are one of the most exciting and fast-emerging new acts in the space right now, having seen their recent run of half a dozen domestic shows sell out completely.
Pulling influences from artists of The Smashing Pumpkins and Soundgarden, as well as most notably fellow contemporaries and former tour partner, Wunderhorse, they’re well-positioned at the front of the guitar-driven revival and are bound for big things. We’re by no means the only ones banking on it either…
Having been described as “already that band” by Dork and delivering “a sound that has given UK guitar its biggest kick up the fretboard in years” by Rolling Stone, you can bet tickets for these shows will be snapped up in seconds, too.
UK and Europe spring 2026. Pre-sale: 03 Nov 2025 10AM GMT On Sale: 05 Nov 2025 10AM GMT pic.twitter.com/Xz1km0Z93O
Set to play their biggest Manchester venue to date, Keo will be playing the O2 Ritz on Whitworth Street next spring, and let us tell you, that sprung floor is not ready…
Co-fronted by two brothers, Finn and Conor Keogh (originally from Devon before ultimately getting their music careers underway in the capital), the now London-based group make quite a racket for just the four of them.
That being said, they also do quiet moments well, too, as seen in several of the ‘calm before the storm’ breakouts in songs like ‘Thorn’, ‘Fly’, ‘Crow’ and many more.
If you like anything close to grunge or even just shoegazey riffs, trust us, they’ll be right up your street.
One of the most exciting parts about this lot is how feverishly their fans have packed out their audiences all over the country, somehow learning every single word to every song before most of the material had even been released on any kind of platform. They’ve led with their live reputation – and it shows.
Case and point – the crowd at The Key Club in Leeds, where our mates over at The Hoot got to witness them up close and personal as the entire room erupted in a chorus of screams about a girl called Amber:
“To be playing venues like these with only five songs out still feels surreal”, says lead singer Finn Keogh. “We always imagined we’d reach this level after years of supporting other bands, but somehow we’ve skipped that step.
“It’s mad, come March, our biggest indoor shows will have been our own. Electric Ballroom [in London] is a special one for me personally; I’ve seen some life-changing gigs there. To be on that stage this time around is going to feel unreal.”
Listing a total of 16 live show dates up and down the country throughout March and April of 2026, it’s fair to say we Mancs are excited to see them playing their biggest room in our city to date, having absolutely smashed Gorilla this past October.
Tickets for Keo at the O2 Ritz in Manchester go on sale next Wednesday, 5 November at 10am; you can get ready to grab yours right HERE.
The debut release from Keo has delighted fans and critics alike, and their Manchester gig is sure to be a stormer.
Danny Jones -
4th July 2024 
