Hello there (Obi-Wan Kenobi voice intended), we’re glad to see you’re back for the best new Manchester music that we’ve been funnelling directly into our ears this month.
It seems hard to believe that we’re already in June and six editions into this series; that’s half the year already gone and 30 bands already given a humble nod of approval – and now we have five more for you.
You’re forgiven if you’re new to this monthly round-up so long as you keep up to date with it regularly from now on, and why wouldn’t you? You get five Manchester bands or artists who are doing exciting things to keep us on the music map for nothing and with none of the work involved.
This is what we live for and there are few things we enjoy more than spotlighting rising talent.
Five new up-and-coming Manchester bands
Now, in a rare first for this series, we’re all bands this month but like pretty much anyone that comes out of Manchester’s music scene, they’re all absolutely belting.
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Don’t worry, you’ve still got some variety in the genre to get stuck into, so let’s not dilly-dally any further, eh?
Let the tunes commence.
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1. Pastel
We’re starting off June’s list of Manchester bands we’ve been listening to with Pastel. Now, we have to make a disclaimer that they are now based in Swansea but these lads started with two cousins from 0161 and have gone on to support the likes of Liam Gallagher at Knebworth, The Charlatans and more.
Playing one of the biggest headline shows to date at Band on the Wall back in May – where they were supported by LG’s son’s band Villanelle – it felt like a bit of a watershed moment for the five-piece shoegaze-inspired band with deep roots here in 0161. They’re only young but we love a homecoming.
We’ve been listening to them for a while now but it feels like they’re starting to pick up some traction, so you best enjoy them as one of your best-kept secrets while you can. Our entry point was ‘Deeper Than Holy’, but their first song ‘She Waits For Me’ is great too and so is their new single ‘Dancing On A Pin’
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2. Hot Milk
Second on this month’s list is the emo-fuelled power pop rock group Hot Milk who are also well and truly on the rise, having dropped their debut album A Call To The Void last year, headlined Manchester Academy and recently supported Foo Fighters at their Villa Park show in Birmingham.
Punchy, punky, proudly Manc and with a pair of powerful vocalists fronting the band, you get flavours of everything from Vukovi, Yungblud, Against The Current, Tonight Alive and plenty of other contemporaries. What’s more, you only have to hear the energy from the crowd on their Academy live album to hear how deep their fans already are – they’re going far this lot.
‘Candy Coated Lie$’ is their most streamed song on Spotify and it’s a guess a great place to start, but from there we’d point you in the direction of ‘OVER YOUR DEAD BODY’ for the tasty breakdown alone, and then try ‘AMPHETAMINE’ which features vocals from Julian Comeau of Loveless. Oof.
From one modern punk-inspired band to another, Vulture Authority almost feels like Manchester’s semi-adopted answer to Idles meets Yard Act, Hello Cosmos and by way of Derby. Honestly, one minute you’ll get a taste of The Reytons, and the next you’re dancing like a prat to some modern ska riff. It’s chaotic.
We’ll confess that we came about these lads by way of them being a featured artist at the end of the Have A Word podcast after local comedian Jamie Hutchinson gave them a shout-out on an episode, but their unapologetic, simultaneously random and yet no-nonsense lyrics and instrumentation, twinned with lots of rolled Rs, Northern gruff and a familiar Manc whine caught our attention straight away.
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In fact, the Gorton-based comic features in many of their songs and videos as you’ll see down below and while we’ll admit it’s very rough around the edges, it’s undeniably good fun. We’d suggest starting with ‘Torpedo Moscow’, ‘Working Class Jesus’ and then ‘Last Orders’, which you’ll find below.
There’s politics, football ultras humour, lots of Jamie Hutchinson and wonderful low-budget music videos.
4. Loose Articles
Oh yes, we’ve got even more punk for you and the fact they filmed the music video for their alternative Euro 2022 anthem ‘Kick Like A Girl‘ at the Peveril of the Peak, St George’s Park in Hulme and the ‘No Prawn Sandwiches’ sign outside the Man United pub in Trafford should be all the convincing you need.
Loose Articles are a Mancunian quartet with indie elements juggling the 9-5 like many up-and-coming bands but have now found themselves being championed by BBC Radio 6 Music, on Spotify’s ‘All New Punk’ playlist and also happen to have the best logo in the game: it’s the Stella Artois label…
There’s also another Foo Fighters connection here too, as the local bunch were the opening act for the rock gods’ first night at the Old Trafford earlier this month and got the energy going nice and early – not an easy job. ‘Up The Disco’, ‘Money for Booze’ and the new ‘Mr Manager’ are our recommendations.
And for the fifth and final name on our list of Manc bands this month, we’re technically heading out into Greater Manchester and the borough of Wigan to be specific, but we simply couldn’t wait any longer before bigging up the indie four-piece, Stanleys.
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Flying the flag for the home of pie barms and the ‘Tics, these lads nail laid-back, melodic and catchy choruses, twinkly guitar picking and have already opened up for the likes of Inspiral Carpets, The Clause and The Libertines, not to mention endless festival slots this year.
They’re also one of six acts supporting fellow native Richard Ashcroft for his massive homecoming gigs at Robin Park next month. The new single ‘He Knows’ has some of the most soft and satisfying vocals to date, our first-ever listen was ‘Look Back’, but ‘A Better Life’ is understandably their biggest tune to date.
And we’re sad to inform you but that’s your lot for new, up-and-coming, exciting Manchester bands and artists this month; we hope it also goes without saying that we barely even scratch the surface every time we do this.
But the best part is, if you know of a band or musician who is doing exciting things here in 0161 and you think they deserve to be on this list, if you drop them in the comments enough, we just might see it.
But before we say goodbye, make sure to give all these names so love and if you missed last month’s Manc bands we’re listening to, you can find it down below.
Featured Images — Press Images (supplied)/Loose Articles (via Facebook)
Audio
Michael Ball and Alfie Boe at AO Arena, Manchester – tickets, times, setlist, and more for tour
Thomas Melia
Michael Ball and Alfie Boe are bringing their Together At Home tour to Manchester, here’s everything you need to know for their AO Arena gig.
The boys are back in town, and by the boys we mean multi-million selling vocalists Michael Ball and Alfie Boe, who are heading to Manchester this month.
This duo are no stranger to each other’s company making six collaborative albums since 2016 covering songs from The Greatest Showman, The Lion King and New York, New York.
Their latest release ‘Together At Home’ which doubles as the name for the tour sees the pair back to their good old tricks covering hits like ‘He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother’ and ‘Ferry Cross The Mersey’.
These two powerhouses know how to sing in style and that’s why they’ve chosen the impressive AO Arena to host their brand new show.
Michael Ball and Alfie Boe UK tour dates
Sat 29 March – Cardiff, UK – Utilita Arena
Sun 30 March – Bournemouth, UK – International Centre
Tue 1 April – Nottingham, UK – Motorpoint Arena
Wed 2 April – Newcastle, UK – Utilita Arena
Fri 4 April – Manchester, UK – AO Arena
Sat 5 April – Liverpool, UK – M&S Bank Arena
Mon 7 April – Aberdeen, UK – P&J Live
Tue 8 April – Glasgow, UK – OVO Hydro
Thu 10 April – Leeds, UK – First Direct Arena
Fri 11 April – Birmingham, UK – BP Pulse Live
Sun 13 April – London, UK – The O2
Mon 14 April – Brighton, UK – Brighton Centre
Michael Ball and Alfie Boe tickets for AO Arena gig
Anyone looking at tickets for Michael Ball and Alfie Boe’s upcoming tour have plenty of opportunity to see these two singing their hearts out.
Fans of the duo better act fast as these tickets are very limited, starting from a reasonable £47.75 and reaching £98.75.
If you want to go all out on this occasion tickets are also available for The Mezz, which is the arena’s fine dining experience covering you before and throughout the show at a fixed price of £206.25.
What are the stage times for Michael Ball and Alfie Boe in Manchester?
AO Arena has a curfew of 11pm meaning you’ll still be able to make it home and pop the kettle on before you get your forty winks.
Their support act comes in the form of another duo, however these two mighty performers are magicians rather than singers.
The Conjurors are a worldwide renowned act famed by audiences and A Listers for their talents which they will be showing off in Manchester on the night.
How to get to AO Arena
Tram
For those of you heading to AO Arena, luckily it’s in Manchester Victoria Station and its integrated Metrolink stop.
Head along the pink, light blue or yellow lines directly to the Victoria stop and you can get off the tram literally spitting distance from the arena. You can find the full map HERE.
Train
Considering this live entertainment venue is situated right in the middle of one of Manchester’s most frequented stations, concertgoers should find no problem getting to the arena wherever they are.
Bus
A variety of buses cover AO Arena andVictoria Station on their route such as the 2 bus which stops a one minute walk away from the venue.
A full list of buses and their routes can be found HERE.
Getting there by car and parking
The Arena have their own official parking partners CitiParkwith 958 spaces including 40 Blue Badge parking bays, which can be booked in advance.
Alternatively, anyone attending a gig can park at their nearest train station and jump on a train service or the various Metrolink park and ride facilities.
Walk/cycle
Greater Manchester now also offers the option to hire bikes through the Beryl, with riders able to locate, unlock, get to their destination and then safely lock up the bike all through an easy-to-use app.
About the AO Arena
The AO Arena has a few strict policies to keep gig-goers safe, so make sure to check entry requirements carefully before you travel.
For example, only one small bag per person is allowed, and bags like backpacks, travel cases and laptop bags are not permitted inside the arena.
All bags are scanned on entry to check for prohibited items like laser pens, flares, projectiles, weapons, drugs and alcohol, and even selfie sticks.
Band on the Wall buys adjoining The Rose and Monkey pub
Danny Jones
Beloved Manchester music venue Band on the Wall has announced that they have bought the equally popular Rose and Monkey pub and hotel next door.
The two Great Ancoats St favourites on the edge of the district and the Northern Quarter have both served as reliable, entertaining gig spaces for years now, not to mention a great spot for a drink, and their business models have always aligned so perfectly, with visitors heading from one into the other for years.
With that in mind, and in a concerted effort to support the local music and hospitality industry, Band on the Wall have decided to turn that long-standing relationship into an even closer collaboration.
Confirming the acquisition of The Rose and Monkey earlier this week, Band on the Wall and its next-door neighbour are now official partners.
Speaking in an official statement on their website, the latter wrote: “This exciting development marks another step in Band on the Wall’s mission to support grassroots music and enhance its role within Manchester’s vibrant cultural scene.
“The Rose & Monkey (formerly The Burton Arms) has a long and chequered history dating back to 1783, but in recent years has been transformed into a beloved destination for music lovers and locals alike.
“Known as one of the city’s oldest public houses, originally built as part of the original Smithfield Markets and over the road from what was the ‘New Cross’ area of the city, the venue boasts an intimate atmosphere and commitment to live music.
“The pub is now a vital part of the Northern Quarter’s creative fabric with unique features, including a beer garden, small music stage, and even Airbnb accommodation upstairs; the venue perfectly complements Band on the Wall’s (BOTW) ethos of fostering community through music.”
As it turns out, the deal to take over The Rose and Monkey was actually agreed upon a while ago and fully finalised last 2024.
With backing from Figurative – a not-for-profit organisation that specialises in ‘impact investment’ throughout the cultural and creative sector – this most recent development follows the £3.5 million refurbishment of BOTW, which was finally completed back in March 2022.
Audio North was still ‘The Manc Audio’ back then, but Band on the Wall was busy being reborn first.
Gavin Sharp, CEO of Band on the Wall, said: “We are delighted to welcome The Rose & Monkey into the Band on the Wall family. This acquisition allows us to expand our footprint while preserving one of Manchester’s most cherished independent venues.
“Together, we aim to create even more opportunities for emerging artists and provide unforgettable experiences for music fans.”
As for the pub and lodging house itself, The Rose and Monkey Hotel, to use its full name, will still remain its own bar and live music entity but will now work closely with Band on the Wall to achieve better and more diverse programming.
In addition to a place to stay on the first floor, the pub now features a newly installed ‘Wurlitzer Jukebox’, too, which has been curated by none other than American alternative rock band Pixies, BBC 6 Music DJ Chris Hawkins and the in-house team.
Finally, Band on the Wall went on to add: “The Rose & Monkey is ideally positioned to become an even greater hub for Manchester’s thriving music scene.
“Visitors can look forward to an enhanced calendar of events as well as continued dedication to inclusivity and creativity, and a jukebox specially curated by several high-profile friends and supporters of the venue.”
Danny Jones -
30th June 2024 
