High-flying indie five-piece Blossoms have credited Courteeners as a “big reason” that they became a band in a recent interview.
The Stockport outfit – who enjoyed an utterly stellar 2024 amidst the release of their critically acclaimed album, Gary – have not long finished their most recent tour, but they claim it may never have happened without the Middleton group.
And they don’t just mean in terms of inspiration: as they explained, it was the Courteeners’ generosity and support during their early days that helped them get a foot in the door.
Speaking to Radio X earlier this week, Blossoms were invited to look back on what was unquestionably a massive year for music and review it from A-Z; when they arrived at the letter C, there was only one answer that came to mind.
When you are supporting the Courteeners at 7 but have to set a fiendish riddle for Batman at 9.
Tom from @BlossomsBand pulling off some clobber that not many others could at Old Trafford this weekend!
— XS Manchester – 106.1 FM, DAB+ & App (@XSManchester) September 27, 2021
Drummer Joe Donovan said of the fellow Greater Manchester music icons: “They’re a big reason that we’re a band – having a band so close to home, that felt like we can do this.”
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Speaking about the Middleton-based indie rockers, he went on to insist, “We can’t thank them enough for being so kind to us.”
Blossoms not only supported Courteeners at their massive 2023 Heaton Park show but have twice been warm-up acts for Liam Fray and co. at the Emirates Old Trafford Cricket Ground.
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The first occasion came back in 2017 towards the start of their career, having not long released their debut record and still a year before they would release their sophomore outing.
All three gigs were obviously massive, both in helping put the local lads on the map and get their music out to new audiences and in helping nurture what is clearly a close relationship between the two bands.
During lockdown, Fray and the Blossoms combined for an ‘isolated’, stripped-back and ultimately viral cover of the classic 2008 Courteeners track, ‘Please Don’t’, from their first-ever LP St. Jude, which was recently re-released as a 15th Anniversary Edition.
Cut to a few years later and each band is still riding their own waves of popularity, with the Stopfordians only getting bigger as time goes on and Courteeners returning with their seventh studio album, Pink Cactus Café, back in October – on which Blossoms bassist Charlie Salt featured.
As they put it, their forerunners turned collaborators gave them “the belief” to not just play but keep making music and releasing it into the world, not to mention giving them the confidence to perform the kind of charismatic and much-talked-about live shows they’re known for today.
We have no doubt Blossoms x Courteeners connections will remain strong for years to come and you can almost bank on them sharing a festival stage or big headline billing again in the near future.
It won’t be long before the former are back on the road either, with plenty of gigs coming up this spring and summer, and we’re sure you’ll hear more live news from the Courteeners soon enough too.
Featured Images — The Manc Group/Press Image (supplied)
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Self Esteem drops new single along with huge UK tour full of double headers
Danny Jones
Rising Northern star Self Esteem has just dropped the new single from her forthcoming new album along with a bunch of big new UK tour dates, including two nights right here in Manchester.
The singer-songwriter, also known simply as Rebecca Lucy Taylor, has seen her popularity skyrocket in the last few of years, winning BBC Music’s Introducing ‘Artist of the Year Award’ back in 2021 and being nominated for the Mercury Prize less than 12 months later.
Fast forward to 2025 and not only has she recieved plenty of critical acclaim for her first two records but her live presence on stage has also been heavily praised and now the 38-year-old is gearing up for her next album cycle.
Announcing her latest single, ‘If Not Now, It’s Soon’, which has quickly selected as BBC Radio 1’s ‘Hottest Record’, the new track has also dropped along with 14 major UK tour dates, with a string double headers in multiple cities.
Born and bred in Rotherham but with strong ties to nearby Sheffield, her journey began as one half of folk pop duo Slow Club. They formed back in 2006 but split in 2017 as both she and bandmate Charles Watson parted ways to pursue their respective solo projects.
Set to release her third studio LP A Complicated Woman on 25 April, these latest tour dates are some of the biggest she’ll have ever played – including a massive Yorkshire homecoming gig at the Utilita Arena which will be a momentous show for our friends The Sheff to make the most of.
Discussing the new project, Taylor says: “Personally, you have to wait and one day you’ll get somewhere less painful. But the world will hopefully get somewhere less painful too. It’s about hope, perseverance and patience.”
As for those who’ve been lucky enough to get an premature listen of the album in full, the early reviews are looking seriosuly strong.
Described by The Guardian as “her best yet”, it features the likes of Nadine Shah, Moonchild Sanelly and Sue Tompkins from Life Without Buildings; Meatball and even Lancashire actor, Julie Hesmondhalgh, best known for playing Hayley Cropper in Coronation Street. Now that’s what we call a feature.
Self Esteem comes for a two massive nights at Manchester Academy on Saturday and Sunday, 27-28 September later this year.
Her previous raft of dates for A Complicated Woman Live – an ambitious quasi-theatrical experience of the album in person and on stage at The Duke of York’s in London – sold out in a flash, and you can expect plenty of that same production value when it comes to her upcoming concerts.
Fans get an exclusive pre-sale code for all UK and Ireland dates by pre-odering the album before 1pm GMT on Tuesday, 25 March 2025, and as for general admission, you’ll have to join the queue like the rest of us when they go live (still TBC).
In the meantime, you can join us in being as obsessed with her other recent release as we are:
Madness announce huge Manchester gig on upcoming UK tour
Daisy Jackson
Madness are heading back out on a tour of the UK with their Hits Parade tour, including a stop in Manchester.
The beloved British band, famed for hits like Baggy Trousers, House of Fun, and One Step Beyond, are heading to the AO Arena this winter.
Madness will be kicking the tour off in Sheffield on 4 December, before heading across a 13-date-strong arena tour.
They’ll be joined by Squeeze on all dates, who were huge throughout the 1990s, and again since reuniting in 2007.
The tour has been announced to celebrate their biggest hits of their career, which spans almost five decades.
In 2023, Madness achiever their first-ever UK number one studio album, with Theatre of the Absurd Presents C’est La Vie – though before that, they already had an impressive 10 top 10 albums.
Madness also have multiple awards, including an Ivor Novello, and performed as part of Queen Elizabeth II’s Jubilee celebrations.
The show promises to be ‘live, loud, and full of heart’.
Speaking on the new tour, Madness said: “We are going to be parading through your town soon… bearing glittering hits of all shapes and sizes, everyone welcome.”
Danny Jones -
8th January 2025 
