Fashionably late to the party this month, but we’re sure you’ll forgive us because we’re back with yet another stellar lineup of Manchester bands and artists for you to get your teeth into – some new, others criminally unsung, and all equally brilliant.
Your playlists are about to get a good old refresh.
In case you’re new around here, we here at The Manc and Audio North set aside some time every month to look back on the local musicians we’ve been listening to over the last few weeks.
Whether they are Greater Mancunians born and bred or they’re adoptees who have made Manchester their musical home, anything goes and there’s always something for everyone. Let’s get stuck in.
New Manchester bands and artists we’ve been listening to lately
1. Strawberry Lemonade
First up is the delightfully dubbed Strawberry Lemonade, who sound even sweeter than their name, not in a sugary pop music way, but in the sense that sliding guitar riffs as well as plenty of fast-paced strumming and drumming feel like you’ve just necked a glass of, well…
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There’s a classic rock and roll swagger to their music, and while many might argue that a lot of new Manchester bands are trying to nail this kind of sound – already a challenge in a city so oversaturated within this genre – they’ve managed to catch our eye.
Having recently headlined a sold-out show at the iconic Deaf Institute, one thing we know for sure is that they’ll be moving on to even bigger venues sooner rather than later. In terms of standout tracks, we rate ‘Nightime’ and ‘Control’; plus, you’d be a fool not to give their latest single ‘Bother At All’ a go.
Next up is the alliterative Danny Darlington, who seems to have emerged out of nowhere to pique our curiosity with some of the most sprawling and varied songs in less than 12 months. He quietly released his first song back in March 2021 but we’re definitely paying attention to his most recent work.
To call it indie would be a major oversimplification; alt-pop doesn’t quite fit either – all we can tell you is that the solo artist from Bury seems to be more than happy pushing in different directions and experimenting with different sonics, with more effects, pedals and electronics being thrown into the mix.
‘Freya’ is a fantastically chill tune, ‘How To Feel’ ends with a really pleasant and punchy surprise, and we’re big fans and one of his older tunes, ‘Parma Violets’, which has a recognisable contemporary indie vibe with some great production for someone who was still just starting out.
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3. Nightbus
Fittingly for number three, we’ve got a trio and a band that feels like one of the Manchester music scene’s best-kept secrets somehow. Seriously, we’re genuinely kind of annoyed that more people don’t know about Nightbus because they’re absolutely brilliant.
The xx, New Order and Cocteau Twins are some of the names that come to mind when making our way through their still limited discography, though there is a very fun collection of remixes of their work so far, which genuinely rival some of the original versions.
Also, it might only be a little thing, but we really like the very uniform aesthetic and visual style too; the album artwork typeface almost hints at limited gig poster prints with that self-contained theme per album cycle, a la The 1975. ‘Way Past Three’, ‘Average Boy’, and the E24 mix of ‘Mirrors’ are our three.
Such a jam.
4. Conor & The GreensKeepers
The penultimate name on our list is a collective that has actually been around for a while now and is steadily starting to earn some of the profile they’ve been long overdue in our opinion, but we’ll never tooting our horns about these lot. They’re also utterly incredible live.
Fronted by lead singer and charismatic performer Conor Michael, The GreensKeepers are some of the most underappreciated artists anywhere in Greater Manchester right now, and no matter how many new bands come along, we firmly believe these 13 unbelievable musicians deserve your attention.
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As for picks, recent release ‘Roundabouts’ has that UKG and rap flavour they enjoy; ‘U + I’ is now a go-to lo-fi work soundtrack, and ‘Sip from a Rose’ is their spin on jazz and neo-soul in a nutshell. Put simply, it’s music that makes you feel something from the first note and almost never fails to inject a bit of joy.
Arriving by way of Birmingham, the Manchester-based group will be returning for MJF 2025 as well as Green Island Festival.
5. Slap Rash
Last but not least, we’re finishing the loudest, most raw, raucous and in-your-face artists we’ve probably ever put on one of these lists, and it comes in the form of the ferocious duo known as Slap Rash. Great name, even better ragers.
This absolutely riotous project is the brainchild of locally-based brother-and-sister partnership, Amelia and Huw Lloyd, who might just have knocked the likes of Royal Blood off the top spot for making the most noise that is physically possible for two humans to make.
We honestly love this pair. It’s the epitome of thrashy hardcore with an unhealthy dose of distortion, boasting hints of Drenge, early IDLES, Demob Happy and more. We genuinely don’t know where to best to start, but ‘Holy Smoke’ puts hairs on your chest, ‘Griefcase’ is class, and so is ‘Histrionic’.
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Manchester’s beautiful winter Teepee is back, with free pints this weekend and live music every day
Daisy Jackson
Nothing heralds the arrival of the autumn/winter seasons quite like the appearance of The Oast House’s beautiful winter Teepee.
The popular seasonal space is officially reopening its doors this weekend, and inside you’ll find roaring fires, a giant disco ball, live music, and plenty of pints to keep the colder months feeling a little less grim.
After giving its beer garden a major glow-up this spring and hosting a summer packed with live music, The Oast House is bringing back one of Manchester’s favourite winter hangouts – and it’s kicking things off with a proper belter of an opening weekend.
We’re talking twinkling fairy lights, faux fur throws, and a dedicated bar pouring Staropramen fresh from the tank, all inside its massive winter Teepee.
And there’s even better news for the first few through the door.
To celebrate the Teepee’s return, The Oast House team will be cracking open a full tank of fresh Staropramen on Saturday 10 October, with free pints up for grabs for the first 440 guests.
There’ll be live music every night in the winter TeepeeManchester’s cosiest venue is back
The Teepee will be keeping things lively seven nights a week throughout autumn and winter, with The Oast House’s much-loved Open House programme moving indoors for the season.
Expect everything from Bandeoke and Musical Bingo to Retro Sounds and Oast Acoustic sessions, meaning there’ll be something different on the cards every night of the week.
The venue’s free monthly live music festival, Oast House Live, isn’t going anywhere either. It’ll continue inside the Teepee on the last Saturday of every month, bringing even more live music to the heart of Spinningfields.
Of course, it wouldn’t be The Oast House without a menu worth getting stuck into.
The kitchen will be serving up its 12-hour-brined rotisserie chicken, alongside a line-up of tempting sides like Ziggy Fries tossed in chicken salt and chicken butter, cheddar and onion slaw, and charred corn on the cob drenched in house-made Scotch bonnet butter.
Food in The Oast House Winter TeepeeThere’ll be 450 free pints given away on SaturdayRotisserie chicken
And if you’re after something a bit different, the house-special ‘addictive’ Chicken (T)oastie is one you won’t want to miss.
Sundays are all about the roast, too, with the kitchen dishing up its signature rotisserie chicken alongside chicken-butter roasties tossed in chicken salt, all the trimmings and bottomless house chicken gravy.
Basically, if you’re after somewhere to escape the cold without sacrificing a good night out, you know where to head.
The Oast House and its Winter Teepee are open daily from 11am until late throughout the season.
The Oast House Winter Teepee opens Saturday 10 October, with free Staropramen pints for the first 440 guests.
For more information and to book your table, head HERE.
Pussycat Dolls at Co-op Live – tickets, times and more for UK tour
Thomas Melia
American girl group Pussycat Dolls have reunited for a UK tour, stopping off at Co-op Live in Manchester with their powerhouse pop anthems.
Releasing their first LP in 2005, this pop girl group have a variety of radio hits to their name like ‘Don’t Cha’, ‘When I Grow Up’ and ‘Buttons’.
Over the years, the Pussycat Dolls lineup has gone through significant changes with this latest reunion comprised of Nicole Scherzinger, Kimberley Wyatt and Ashley Roberts.
The trio even released some brand-new material to coincide with the announcement of their UK and EU tour titled ‘Club Song’.
Now the girls are about to put their Doll Domination to the test as they bring their PCD Forever Tour in arenas across the nation.
Gig guide – Pussycat Dolls at Co-op Live, Manchester
Doors for Pussycat Dolls at Co-op Live open from 6pm with a start time listed of 7pm with Lil’ Kim and rising girl group Deja Vu kicking things off.
Co-op Live has a strict curfew of 11pm, meaning you can get home and loosen your ‘Buttons’, hopefully before the clock strikes twelve.
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 and until 1am 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.
Getting there by car and parking
If you’re driving, there is limited parking available at the venue, 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 on event day, though estimates will obviously vary:
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 on 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 -
2nd May 2025 
