Hello Manchester, hope you’ve been doing well and finding lots of great new music; even if not, you’ve come to the right place because it’s time once again to dive into five bands and artists from in and around Manchester that we’ve been listening to of late.
We’re not sure what it is necessarily – perhaps all the smaller to mid-level British bands that we loved for many years announcing their break-ups recently – but we’ve been soaking ourselves in pretty much not but groups and mainly infectious indie riffs for the past 31 days.
That being said, we do have a surprise or two on the list this time around and, more importantly, everyone that we’ve spotlighted is obviously brilliant because we’d never lead you astray.
Anyway, enough faffing about, time for you to find some new Manchester artists and music to get stuck into – go right ahead.
Five Manchester bands you should check out this month
First up on our list of five Manchester bands we’ve been listening to throughout October is the still very new and already very good, The Guest List: five mates making very good indie rock with a more old-school vibe that’s almost reminiscent of the early 2000s and a general swagger way beyond their years.
Only formed back in 2021 and are obviously still young lads, there’s already an impressive understanding of building both mature and memorable melodies, which we can only assume has come from soaking up the right influences growing up. They did go viral for a great cover of ‘505’ by Arctic Monkeys too.
They’ve only released a small selection of music so far, meaning you should definitely catch up with all their discography whilst it’s still easy, but we’d pick out ‘161’ as a great example of that impressively reminiscent sound and lyricism, so is ‘Won’t You Leave Me Alone’ and we just love the guitar on ‘Canada’.
2. Larkins
Next up for this month is Larkins and while they have been around for a good long while now, with just a couple of EPs and one admittedly short and sweet debut album between them, they still feel like our little secret somehow.
They’re categorically not by the way: these guys gained some loyal local fans from their humble beginnings up in Glossop all the way back in 2015, unbelievably, and as their Manchester following grew, along with the number of gigs and festival slots,
‘Hit and Run’ – the first song they ever released – remains an effortless indie banger designed to get the crowd jumping and an older track we also still love is ‘Sugar Sweet’, but TV Dream is still their biggest song for a reason. You can start wherever you want with these guys, to be honest, it’s all pretty good.
We also enjoy this slower, synthy sing-a-long, not least because of where it’s filmed…
3. The Apex Singers
In at the middle mark, we’ve got undoubtedly the most talented vocalists we’ve ever put on this list simply due to the level of classical training, range and the sheer amount of people pulling together to make such a fulsome, orchestral sound. They even do workshops but it must be hard to teach this…
A Manchester-based vocal ensemble made of eight incredible voices, the name Apex Singers couldn’t be a more fitting moniker. They can go from soothing and uplifting – like you’re listening to the Elven songs from a medieval fantasy film – to haunting, hallow and utterly tear-jerking times.
It genuinely floors us at times that humans can sound this beautiful. Their recent original song ‘The Mermaid Wife’ is a stunning production and a special shout-out to ‘The Booley House’ which actually started out life as a fiddle solo, but you’ll probably best recognise this old Irish song made famous by Hozier not too long ago.
Special shout-out to The Manc‘s very own Oli for this recommendation.
4. Rolla
The second to last band on our list of Manchester artists we recommend you get stuck into is Rolla, and we’re going from soft to hard and in your face with this one. Do the bucket hats, mod haircuts and shades give off quintessentially Northern rock and roll? Yes. Is that kind of the point? Absolutely.
Make no mistake, this isn’t just another band merely trying to imitate the Britpop sound that was mastered here in 0161 enough now, they’re the real f***ing deal if you ask. Rather ironically rolling Oasis, Stone Roses, The Verve, Shed Seven and more all into one, it’s pretty much a Mancs wet dream.
There are so many tracks that give Liam Gallagher leaning into the mic if that’s what you’re after, but ‘No Violence’ was the first track we heard, ‘When Life’s Thunder Striking’ is the one we fell in love with and we’re quite literally addicted to their newest single ‘We Owe You Nothing’. They’re also doing their bit to help out Salford Lads Club too.
Last but not least, we’re swinging back in the direction of no-nonsense indie yet again with Ventrelles, though there’s also a throwback element sonically here too. This Manchester quartet are still pretty green as well but they seem to have found the niche they’re going for.
Self-described as everything from ‘ScallyGaze/Council Soul/Highrise Psychedelia’ to ‘Fleece Pop’, you can call their so-called sub-genre whatever you want but you’ll definitely get dripping vocals that hark back to the Roses, as well as some Echo and the Bunnymen-esque effects and guitar patterns at times.
‘County Lines’, ‘A Symphony of Sorts’ and their 2023 single ‘Happenstance’ almost reminded us a little of Hard-Fi in spots; we’re not sure whether this was just a moment in time for the band but delays, pedals and shimmery guitars or not, we just can’t wait for them to drop some more tunes.
They also credit some of their sound to Liverpool band Pale Fountains and other contemporaries from the area.
And there’s your lot, five more Manchester artists for you to familiarise yourself with and we hope you get at least some variety from us this month even despite the fact we’re still mourning the likes of Sundara Karma, Jaws, The Native and more.
Still, it looks like we’re getting back everyone from The Maccabees and Doves to even the Scissor Sisters, so it’s not all bad and we still love stumbling across new bands and artists more than anything.
As always, we encourage you to go back and check out last month’s list and all the other for that matter, and we’ll catch you next time!
Manchester music legends lead Cheshire Fest 2025 lineup
Danny Jones
The increasingly popular Cheshire Fest returns for 2025 next month, and some much-loved Manchester music names are leading the lineup.
Hosted at the stunning Capesthorne Hall estate, just a short drive from the city centre and even closer by for some boroughs, the Macclesfield-based music festival is ready for another big summer blowout.
Cheshire Fest came back with a bang and a bit of a rebrand back in 2022, selecting a whole new venue that has gone down as an instant hit across the North West.
Set to welcome more punters than ever this year, the lineup promises indie icons, up-and-coming artists from around the region and beyond, as well as plenty of the usual dancefloor fillers.
Credit: Press shots (supplied)
So, ‘Which local talents native to Greater Manchester are on the Cheshire Fest 2025 lineup?’, we hear you ask – well, get ready for a bit of the old, the new and the future.
Not only will you be treated to performers from indie icons like Peter Hook & The Light, who will be sure to play plenty of Joy Division and New Order classics, but Bez from the Happy Mondays will be bringing the party atmosphere, along with veteran Oldham rock band, Inspiral Carpets.
There’ll be plenty more dance vibes too, as always with Cheshire Fest and their continued passionate partnership with Ministry of Sound (MoS).
As well as the legendary Tunde from pop-soul duo, you can also expect plenty of club energy from the likes of DJ Billie Clements, Chester’s very own K-Klass and many more.
Oh yeah, don’t forget the stylings of MoS Ibiza Anthems featuring Ellie Sax and Friends, who’ll be pumping out tracks by the likes of Faithless, Eric Prydz, Becky Hill, The Shapeshifters, Daft Punk, Robin S and Fisher, just to name a few.
Made up of multiple stages, including the all-new ‘Indie Live Lounge’, around 5,000 are set to attend this all-day festival, with VIP tickets already sold out.
Taking place on Saturday, 2 August, you’ll have all fuel you need until the end of the night; there’ll be a street food village featuring local vendors, an international lager bar, a silent disco and even a ‘Wellness Tent’ and relaxing Premium Lounge by Bollinger for when you need to cool off, it’s to everything.
Cheshire Fest is a strictly 18+ only event, but trust us, those who are of age will be dancing the night away with all the vim and vigour of their youth.
General admission tickets are available now and can be purchased from £40 per person before booking/admin fees.
In memory of Gallagher Hill: an ode to one of the greatest moments in Manc music history
Danny Jones
The Oasis Live ’25 reunion tour shows at Heaton Park are officially over, with an estimated 400,000 fans having flocked to the fields for the historic Manchester gigs – but actually, there were A LOTmore than that, thanks to what will now and forever be known as Gallagher Hill.
In truth, it’s impossible to know just how many people went to camp out and watch their favourite rock and roll band and arguably the greatest to ever do it, play their five homecoming nights from the unofficial spectators’ hill that was quickly named after the Burnage boys.
But with approximately 80,000 ticketed fans attending each of the gigs and thousands – more and more each night, as it happens, even with the initial views from Heaton Park’s cow field being restricted by a giant barricade – it’s not too outlandish to estimate that not far off half a million came to listen.
Come rain or shine, like true Mancunians, they turned up and sang their hearts out, as did countless others who made the trip just to watch from Gallagher Hill.
Gallagher Hill says goodbye to Oasis at Heaton Park with an electronic symphony || Day 5 (Finaly night) pic.twitter.com/euyEP9B7IU
By the fifth and final night, as you can see by the scenes above, the raised section of the 600-acre park was absolutely packed with people of all ages and backgrounds, coming not just from all over the region but even further afield.
When boarding one of the trams heading to the show on Sunday, 20 July (Oasis‘ last Live ’25 gig at Heaton Park), we even overheard someone who said they had travelled down from London to the city simply to watch from Gallagher Hill as they’d not yet managed to get a ticket.
Regardless, he just couldn’t wait, and after seeing the videos on social media, was clearly compelled to come and join in the party.
And who could blame him? Like only us Northerners can do, not that we’re biased or anything, the city, Bury, and the boroughs at large managed to turn Oasis Mania/Fever/whatever you want to call it into what we can only imagine it’s like when Glastonbury takes over Worthy Farm and beyond.
OASIS LIVE STREAMED THE FANS ON GALLAGHER HILL DURING THEIR GIG ON SUNDAY
— Liam Gallagher Fans Club (@liamgfansclub) July 21, 2025
The tidal wave of fans jumping on the bandwagon only got bigger with each gig, and it wasn’t long before the Gallagher brothers themselves got wind of it and began dedicating songs to them.
Once the trend had taken off and fully hit social media, Liam told the crowds last week, “If you lot are listening on the hill… ‘Bring It On Down’.”
By the evening of the final farewell, he and Noel had even arranged for free shirts that read ‘Gallagher Hill’ to be handed out to punters posted up on the truly Greater Mancunian mound, with Noel’s daughter Anaïs sharing images of the happy recipients who were among the lucky lot to score one.
With the veritable sea of bucket hats and Oasis merch all over 0161 over the past fortnight alone, ‘Gallagher Hill’ itself was pretty much decked out in ‘Mancuni-form’.
‘What was suppose to be a day in Manchester ended up on Gallagher’s hill singing Oasis with an Oasis top and bucket hat.’The Gallagher kids doing their bit too. ‘What a 2 weeks to be alive. Oasis Manchester unbelievable last night on Gallagher hill with the wee man.’Credit: Anaïs Gallagher (via IG)/Paige Coult (via X)/@rossparlane
If the commitment to seeing the Britpop legends here in the UK and, indeed, ‘All Around The World’ wasn’t already evident and impressive enough, we’re sure it is now.
Would-be gig-goers came and set up shop with their camping chairs, kids, picnics, ever so slightly more affordable crates of cider and so on to join in the action for what was (barring Sunday) the perfect place to soak up the sun and some free tunes.
Some fans even went so far as to fly their paraglider over the event – nope, not joking…
Most people just wanted to turn up so they could say ‘been there, done that’ – and ironically, some really did get the t-shirt to boot.
Fucking love being a Manc.
Popped by Gallagher Hill in Heaton Park with Draco to have a bit of a listen to Oasis.
Thousands were there, all ages, bucket hats galore, all knew every lyric and were having a top time, no issues at all.
Put simply, Oasis’s Manchester homecoming wasn’t just like festival season for the city, it was practically Manc Christmas; we’ve never seen anything quite like it.
And a big chunk of that, we feel, is owed not just to what was witnessed inside Heaton Park but all around, in places like Definitely Maybe Bar, out on St Peter’s Square and, above all else, the magical, musical, Mancunian commune that was Gallagher Hill.
We know there was controversy around it at times, but above all else, it helped create unforgettable memories among those who missed out on tickets that will, well, ‘Live Forever’.
Danny Jones -
1st November 2024 
