Ben Howard brought his 10th anniversary tour of I Forget Where We Were to Aviva Studios on Monday night under a moody Manchester sky and while the gig was by no means perfect, it was still as transportive as we’ve come to expect from the seasoned solo artist.
Still up there with one of the most boundary-pushing singer-songwriters in the country for our money, as one person in The Manc office put it, Ben Howard has always seemed like a talent who simply loves making art but has absolutely no interest in the fame that comes with it.
It seems like a pretty astute assessment, especially judging by his performance at the home of Factory International, which for many will no doubt have been a great start to the week but for the man himself, it looked like a tough one to get through.
That being said, there are few things that can hold back that kind of talent and it was still a stunning set for so many reasons.
First off, a special mention needs to go to support artist Billie Marten, who we’ve been waiting to see live for some time and did not disappoint. A pitch-perfect warm-up act that felt completely in line with the tone of the evening of music ahead.
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A soft, sweeping, beautiful voice much like the headliner. Definitely one to get in the earphones if you haven’t done so already.
But on to Ben himself, the 37-year-old opened the show on seemingly top form, welcoming more than half a dozen band members with him onto the stage and doing what he does best: starting quietly before building out the songs from an acoustic guitar to what feels like producing an album track live on stage.
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Although his career may have started with just him and his instrument, it doesn’t take long to understand why he has so many other session musicians on these tours: there are just so many layers to these truly enchanting soundscapes he creates that merely playing a backing track wouldn’t do it justice.
From the haunting horns knitting together these 10-year-old tracks (still hard to believe, we know), to the multiple guitars and strings elevating the overall profile of each song to something closer to an orchestra, you don’t get to hear many albums this authentically realised in every aspect.
A big shout-out to the venue as well; it was our first time visiting Aviva Studios for a straightforward concert and the one thing that struck us besides the sheer size of the place – no, seriously, the room was beyond massive – was the acoustics.
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You could hear every inch of that extremely fulsome sound no matter where you were in the enormous gig space gig and they were only further complemented by the visuals which were genuinely mesmerising at times.
Both visually and sonically, we couldn’t really fault anything about the performance for the majority of the evening, but then things started going wrong and it resulted in an unfortunate tail-off from a visibly frustrated performer.
It wasn’t just some moody auteur pageantry playing into the ‘troubled artist’ vibe either as far as we could tell – he even apologised for losing his temper at one point.
We’re not entirely sure what headspace Ben Howard was in on the night but let’s just say he gave Manchester an honest performance, at the very least.
Highlights included ‘Oats in the Water’, ‘End Of The Affair’, ‘Rivers In Your Mouth’ and ‘Conrad’. (Credit: The Manc Group)
He continued to have technical issues the longer things went on and battled through them charmingly, for the most part, but it became apparent that it was becoming too much of a distraction to plough through as he would have liked to.
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With so much distortion and various effects being pumped out, it was almost like he was fighting with the pedals more than they were doing him any favours and at one point he simply decided to do away with them and revert to the stripped-back string-picking that he has always excelled at.
We kind of wish he would have just stuck that rather than try and persist when things were clearly going wrong; at one point he even kept playing with three broken strings and that was arguably more impressive than any other moment in the entire set.
It culminated in him walking in the middle of the encore whilst his band were still left to play out the title track people had people waiting all night to hear. There were rumblings of confusion in the crowd and some understandable grievances; it’s not the first time it’s happened either, sadly.
Whatever the case may be, we hope he’s ok and that no one involved has to struggle through the same issue we did. He’s already said music in general is more difficult following his two mini-strokes, but it still goes without saying that he’s one of the most unique singers and guitar players around.
‘Keep your head, keep your heart strong.’
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Not how we wanted it to end but it still gave room for the fans to show their appreciation for the fantastic band. (Credit: The Manc Group)
Sam Fender under fire following outrage over ticket prices for his upcoming tour
Thomas Melia
North East superstar Sam Fender is no stranger to visiting our bustling city but this time fans of the singer are upset with the prices of tickets for his upcoming tour.
The Seventeen Going Under hitmaker has come under fire the past few days due to the ‘excessive’ and ‘hypocritical’ pricing of tickets for his upcoming tour.
Earlier this month, the Geordie rock singer started teasing his tour through visuals displayed around suspected venues for his upcoming tour, with one appearing just outside of Co-op Live.
Simply titled the ‘People Watching Tour’, Fender has announced dates and tickets for his 2024 Winter tour with prices reaching £80 and above.
The Newcastle musician is known for having a high majority of working-class fans and these are the very people criticising these ticket prices.
Another big demographic for Fender fanatics is students. They too play a huge factor in the star’s career, making up a large proportion of the rock singer’s fanbase.
£80 for a sam fender ticket is insane what is happening to our gig economy man i remember when i could see an artist play arenas for 40/50 quid and didn’t have to go through ticketmaster scams to do so christ alive
don’t get me wrong I love sam fender but it’s ironic he goes on about the working class and how the north east is deprived and then goes on to charge £80 for a ticket to his gig
Fender has been vocal throughout his career about giving back to charities and organisations with two 2020 singles raising money for separate causes.
He joined the Foo Fighters ‘Times Like These’ celebrity cover recording as part of BBC Radio One’s Live Lounge Allstars project during the pandemic to raise money for both Children In Need and Comic Relief.
In November of the same year, he also distributed ‘Winter Song’ with the single being used to raise money for The Big Issue, a charity known for creating opportunities for people experiencing homelessness across the UK.
Some have come out to defend the 30-year-old by arguing that tour pricing has more to do with management, promoters and venues than it does with the artists themselves.
Nevertheless, lots of fans have still taken issue with Fender over the ticket prices, especially given the working-class nature of not only his background but the content of his music, insisting instead that Sam and plenty of other artists do have a say over costs.
Paul Heaton capped all his arena tickets off at £35 and still profited from the tour.. artists DO have control over prices. Sam Fender charging £80+ for arena standing tickets is just disgusting. Grew up working class and has a HUGE percentage of WC fans. Do better. pic.twitter.com/FrsCs5p6rm
Announcing shows in Leeds, Birmingham, Glasgow and one right here in Manchester at the already world-leading Co-op Live arena this winter, this is the ‘Hypersonic Missiles’ singer’s most high-profile UK tour to date.
With the scramble for pre-sale codes already having caused plenty of panic online and with the increasingly popular Wunderhorse once again set to serve as the main support act on his first tour since Spring 2022, tickets are set to be in serious demand.
The Newquay-founded band have seen acclaim and accolades this year with their latest project, Midas, even gaining the title of ‘greatest gig of my life’ by one member of our very own Audio North team.
With dates throughout the festive period this year, Fender is set to begin his tour on 2 December with the Newcastle date on 20 December undergoing balloted tickets due to demand to watch him play the massive gig in his hometown.
The ‘People Watching Tour’ to Manchester on Friday, 6 December with general admission going live this Friday, HERE – it’s just up to you whether you’re willing to pay those prices.
What do you make of the Sam Fender ticket prices – will you be going for them or is between £60 and £90+ for seated and standing simply too much in your opinion?
Featured Images – Niall Lea/Press Image (supplied)
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Amber’s – The new 1000-capacity Manchester nightclub with £5 tickets and unannounced DJs
Daisy Jackson
A brand-new nightclub is set to open in Manchester city centre this winter, promising £5 tickets to see potentially the world’s biggest and best DJs.
At the 1000-capacity Amber’s, the line-ups for each Saturday night will be unannounced, but will include world-renowned DJs, live performers, and up-and-coming selectors.
For its opening season, running until March 2025, artists will play under the radar and only revealed post-event.
The venue will also have a no-photos policy to protect the experience for both DJ and dancer.
Amber’s will be taking over the old Canvas site and creating a club and multi-room music venue, with a fully functioning live space and an electronic club venue.
It’s aiming to be an inclusive, safe and approachable space where music-lovers can see famous names, discover new talent and dance to your favourite bands.
Bringing something new to Manchester’s world-class clubbing landscape, the live space at Amber’s will be set with state-of-the-art L-Acoustics sound system and custom lighting, while the nightclub will focus on underground electronic music.
Amber’s is a new nightclub and live music venue opening in Manchester. Credit: Supplied
Set to open this December, with £5 advance Saturday tickets, Amber’s is going to bring together local, national and international promoters for seasonal programming and events.
There’ll be an in-house welfare team to ensure the wellbeing and safety of all club-goers, making sure you can have the best time every single night.
Sam Tunstall, co-director of Salford’s Un.titled Studio and La Discotheque Orchestra creator, said: “At Amber’s we want the music, sound and vibe to be the reason you come back.
“We aim to bring some of the best artists in the world to our club, to play at an affordable price point, with the focus on brilliant music and sound, every single week.”
James Hutchins aka Hutch from fabric (and former music editor of i-D magazine) said: “We’re totally aware of the climate at the moment when it comes to nightclubs and venues in trouble, so we aim to foster an environment where promoters, artists and attendees can thrive and grow together.”
Sneak peeks inside new Manchester nightclub, Amber’s. Credit: Supplied
And Jeremy Abbott, one part of Nothing Forced content and design agency, said: “We’ve spent decades in clubs together, being part of dancefloors that have changed our lives.
“Amber’s is an amalgamation of those formative experiences, the ones that you tell people about for years to come.
“We want to channel that into a new space for Manchester, a city that’s already blessed with amazing venues, nights and clubs.”
Amber’s will open at Circle Square on Oxford Road on 5 December. You can follow them on Instagram HERE for updates.
General sale tickets for Saturdays at Amber’s during December will go on sale Friday 1 November at 10am, or you can sign up for pre-sale access HERE.