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)
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Influential indie veterans The Wedding Present to embark on 40th anniversary tour
Danny Jones
Influential indie band The Wedding Present are about to begin a big live tour across the UK for their 40th anniversary, and one stop is right here in Manchester.
As boundary-pushing veterans of the genre for the best part of four decades, The Wedding Present have always been one of the most pioneering auteurs of the Northern music scene, and nothing has changed even after all this time.
The Leeds-formed icons are a favourite not only of ours but even more so among our friends over at The Hoot, and with an artistic legacy as strong as Yorkshire’s, that’s saying something.
David Lewis Gedge’s long-standing project rather quietly announced its major retrospective series of live shows back in June – so quiet, in fact, that we missed it until now – but as they gear up for a handful of very special dates, we’d urge Manc gig-goers to give themselves a Wedding Present.
Gedge and co. will be coming to the O2 Ritz in Manchester for just the second show of merely half a dozen confirmed for The Wedding Present 40th Anniversary Tour, having played the venue many times.
In fact, even after visits featuring live configurations over the years, the current lineup played the Ritz as recently as May 2023; the show was met with strong reviews pretty much across the board, and it seemed to signal somewhat of a falling back in love with the crowds of the North.
For anyone unaware of the self-styled ‘semi-legendary band’ (their PR’s words, not ours), The Wedding Present are probably in similar territory to fellow underdogs and Manc natives, James, when it comes to the amount of music they’ve put out over the years, inspiring generations of those who came after.
You might assume we’d name one of their most famous tracks, ‘George Best’, as our favourite, for rather obvious reasons – but you’d be wrong: it doesn’t get much better than ‘Dreamworld’, if you ask us.
Their rich back catalogue encompasses not only so many different eras but also sounds, styles and various other eccentricities; so much so that their multi-genre-spanning music has even produced its own musical.
But before we dive any deeper down into the rabbit hole, let’s get back on track.
Set to play Manchester on Friday, 10 October, The Wedding Present will be kicking off the tour in Bristol at the start of next month.
There are other dates in the likes of Sheffield, Liverpool, Chester, Holmfirth, Buxton, Newcastle and more, but only a few are officially part of the anniversary tour.
Tickets are live as we speak, so if you fancy going along to see them, you can grab yours HERE.
Lewis Capaldi at Co-op Live Manchester – tickets, setlist, support and more
Daisy Jackson
Lewis Capaldi will be hitting the stage in Manchester this week for two huge sold-out gigs at the Co-op Live arena.
The Scottish singer-songwriter is currently on a sold-out 17-date UK arena tour after a two-year hiatus for his physical and mental health.
The much-loved performer took the decision to step out the limelight after his Glastonbury 2023 performance, where he struggled with his vocals, anxiety, and Tourette’s syndrome as the set went on – with the huge crowd stepping in to sing for him.
Lewis then made a triumphant return earlier this year with a surprise set at Glastonbury, proving he is once again back on top form.
He then released a new single, Survive, which stormed to the top of the UK singles chart, and an arena tour to go with it, adding a second Manchester date due to phenomenal demand.
His single Someone You Loved remains the most-streamed song in the UK, even seven years after its release. Us Brits love him.
Lewis Capaldi will be performing at Co-op Live on both Saturday and Sunday night this week, and we’ve rounded up all your essential info below.
And if you miss him this time, he’s just announced an outdoor summer show at Wythenshawe Park next year, tickets for which go on sale HERE on Friday 19 September.
Tickets for Lewis Capaldi at Co-op Live
Lewis Capaldi. Credit: Alexandra Gavillet
Did we mention that people really love Lewis Capaldi? So yeah, the show is fully sold out on both Ticketmaster and See Tickets.
However, you can still get through the doors by booking a VIP or hospitality package with Seat Unique, which are on sale HERE.
Your best bet at getting your hands on a pair of general admission tickets now will be to keep an eye out for resale tickets, but make sure you’re using a reputable resale site.
Face value ticket prices ranged from £32.10 up to £113.25 for seats, with standing tickets also coming in at £113.25 with fees.
Support acts
Lewis Capaldi has lined up a pair of excellent supports for his tour, including his Co-op Live shows in Manchester.
His main support act will be Skye Newman, a rising star singer-songwriter from South East London, who you probably know from her hit debut single Hairdresser and its top-five follow-up single, Family Matters.
Also warming up the crowds will be Aaron Rowe, an Irish musician with a hell of a voice who’s inspired by American soul legends as well as British bands like The Stone Roses and Oasis.
What are the stage times for Lewis Capaldi at Co-op Live?
Exact stage times haven’t been announced yet but we do know that general admission doors open at 6.30pm, and the show is set to start at 7.30pm.
That should mean Aaron Rowe will be on first, followed by Skye Newman around 8.15pm, and Lewis likely to start his show around 9pm.
If any official stage times get announced, we’ll update this article.
Lewis Capaldi setlist
The below is the setlist Lewis has been using for most of his shows so far.
Survive
Grace
Heavenly Kind of State of Mind
Forever
Wish You the Best
Love the Hell Out of You
Almost
Bruises
Pointless
Something in the Heavens
Leave Me Slowly
Forget Me
The Pretender
The Day That I Die
Before You Go
Encore
How I’m Feeling Now
Hold Me While You Wait
Someone You Loved
How to get to Co-op Live
Tram
For those of you heading to Co-op Live, you’ll be glad to know it’s right next door to a rather famous big blue stadium and its integrated Metrolink stop.
Head along the light blue or orange lines directly to the Etihad Campus or Ashton-under-Lyne, and you can get off the tram literally spitting distance from the arena. You can find the full map HERE.
Trams run frequently on the Ashton-Eccles line to the Etihad stop, with services leaving every six minutes from the city centre until 01:00 on Fridays and Saturdays.
Bus
You can find the full list of bus routes HERE, with the one in closest proximity to the venue being the 53 bus, which runs from Cheetham Hill through to Higher Crumpsall, Old Trafford and Pendleton, leaving just a two-minute walk to Co-op Live. You also get free Bee Network travel with any valid event ticket.
Getting there by car and parking
If you’re driving, there is limited parking available at the venue,e but this must be pre-booked ahead of time and there are designated drop-off areas.
The postcode is M11 3DU, and you can follow the signs towards the wider Etihad Campus as you get closer; directions to the adjacent drop-off points will also be signposted.
Keep in mind that congestion on the roads close to the stadium is expected to gather around two hours prior to any event, so if you are travelling on the road, these are the suggested times they provide come event day – though estimates will vary, obviously:
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Alan Turing Way (both directions): plan an additional 20 minutes into any journey by road.
Hyde Road (eastbound): expect an additional 15 minutes to be added to your journey.
Mancunian Way (westbound): plan for an extra 10 minutes of travel time.
There are also three park-and-ride facilities near Co-op Live, but be advised that the Velopark and Holt Town stops will be closed post-event to help safely manage crowds:
Ashton West (Ashton line) – 184 spaces and 11 disabled spaces
Ladywell (Ashton-Eccles line) – 332 spaces and 22 disabled spaces
Walk/cycle
Lastly, Co-op Live is only a half-hour stroll from Manchester Piccadilly, and you could even walk along the canal all the way to the front door if you fancy taking the scenic route.
Greater Manchester now also offers the option to hire bikes via the Beryl app, with riders able to locate, unlock, get to their destination and then safely lock up the bike all through an easy-to-use app. There are hire points just near the south-west corner of the Etihad Stadium on Ashton New Road.
For more information on all travel options, you can check out the enhanced journey planner.
Danny Jones -
30th June 2024 
