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Hollywood actor Jeffrey Wright waxes lyrical about his love of Manchester music

New favourite actor just dropped.

Danny Jones Danny Jones - 20th March 2024

Hollywood actor Jeffrey Wright recently mused over his love of Manchester music in a recent radio interview and now he’s probably our new favourite A-lister.

Speaking on a recent BBC Radio 6 interview with host Deb Grant who was subbing in for Lauren Laverne’s regular show, the Batman, Westworld and James Bond star was discussing his passionate obsession with lyricists and named Manc songwriters in particular as among those he admires the most.

Clearly a man of culture and who knows what he’s talking about, ‘r Jeff.

With Grant broadcasting from MediaCityUK, Wright saw his moment to dive into a subject he clearly knows and loves, starting off by saying: “I’m fascinated by the music that comes out of Manchester”.

@bbc6music Which Mancunian lyricist is your favourite? ✍️ #jeffreywright #manchester #manchestermusic #bbc6music ♬ original sound – bbc6music

As you can see from the brief clip, the 58-year-old American film and TV star goes on to state that it’s “Particularly the lyricists” that have arisen from this city’s music scene that he reveres the most.

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Citing the work of Morrisey and Johnny Marr, as well as Joy Division‘s late great Ian Curtis, it was yet another reminder of just how international music from our region has been over the decades.

He even details having played The Queen Is Dead by The Smiths non-stop during his college (university) years, insisting that it “stayed on our turntable, my last year, for an entire semester. I don’t think we took it off.”

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“The lyrics, the poetry — is there something in the air that builds these people out here, what’s the deal?”, asked Wright, to which Grant quickly replied: “Rain, mist, cold weather. It’s kind of famous for it, isn’t it? That kind of acerbic, sort of, turn of phrase which is kind of unique to Manchester”.

the smiths manchester ranking
Credit: Wikimedia Commons (via Picryl.com)
ian curtis joy divison
Credit: Remko Hoving (via Flickr)
Jeffrey Wright named The Smiths lads and Ian Curtis as two of his favourite Manchester music names.

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Confessing that he’s never visited the city before but would love to come and see it for himself — quipping that maybe he’d be able to “‘drink the water’, or whatever, be so inspired” — the BBC host said that he’d “be so welcome”. Amen to that.

Let us know whenever you fancy popping over to 0161, mate, we’ll show you ’round and town, make you a proper brew and we can just sit and listen to tunes all day. Sounds heavenly, to be honest.

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You can listen to his full interview on Radio 6 HERE or via BBC Sounds.

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images — BBC Radio 6 (via TikTok)/Gage Skidmore (via Flickr)

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Richard Ashcroft announces all-North West lineup of support acts for Alexandra Palace headliner

Danny Jones Danny Jones Support acts for Richard Ashcroft Ally Pally lineup

Wigan’s finest, Richard Ashcroft, has announced an all-North-Western lineup for his upcoming headline show at ‘Ally Pally’.

The former Verve frontman is not only riding a fresh wave of popularity thanks to supporting Oasis on their incredible Live ’25 world tour, but also recently released his long-awaited new album, Lovin’ You.

Not just a Manc music icon but one of the biggest names to have come out of his borough, specifically, the legendary lyricist is finally getting more like the kind of recognition he deserves, and is making sure to pay that exposure forward in the best way possible.

He could have picked from all manner of big British acts as supports at Alexandra Palace, but Richard Ashcroft has chosen to keep flying the regional flag by picking a group he’s spent the last few months with, as well as a fellow Greater Manchester act.

That’s right: as well as signing up Liverpool’s very own Oasis Live ’25 openers, Cast, as one of the warm-up acts, the 54-year-old has also chosen another native Wigan artist in the form of The Lathums to join him for the momentous headline show.

Much-loved not only in their hometown but across Manchester and beyond, the indie favourites – who also released their latest studio LP, Matter Does Not Define, back in February – the young band are only getting better and becoming more established as time goes on.

Having already played the likes of the AO Arena here in Manchester and booked numerous big festival slots of the past few years, we reckon you can pretty much bank on them headlining this historic and bucket list venue for themselves in the future.

In terms of Cast, the scousers continue one of the busiest years for touring in their career by supporting ‘King Richard’, having followed up supporting ‘LG’ in 2024 to both Gallagher brothers over the summer.

As for Ashcroft himself, we’re glad to see him back releasing new music, and can confirm his seventh record is a great listen.

By no means our favourite, but just a taste of his latest sound.

Now, if you were wondering why we’re talking about this show over any of the other gigs (namely the Northern ones) on his upcoming UK run, it’s because most of the tour has now sold out.

His Co-op Live date was obviously the first to go, with Cardiff’s Principality Stadium going shortly after, and extra dates being added in the likes of London, Liverpool and over in Leeds.

If you do happen to be in the capital already or are willing to make a trip to London for the show, there are still some tickets left for Richard Ashcroft at Ally Pally in July 2026.

Cannot wait to hear how this sounds in that storied room:

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For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images — Press shots (supplied)/Audio North

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HAIM at Co-op Live, Manchester – tickets, times, setlist, and more for UK tour

Thomas Melia Thomas Melia

Rock trio HAIM are gearing up to play their first ever arena show in Manchester next week.

Sisters Este, Danielle and Alana – more widely recognised by their surname, which also doubles as the title of their group, HAIM – are about to perform their biggest Manchester show to date.

This should come as no surprise, with the band amassing a cult following of fans and almost seven million monthly listeners on Spotify – thanks to huge tunes like ‘The Wire’, ‘Now I’m In It’, and ‘Don’t Wanna’, as well as newer single released like ‘Relationships’ and ‘All over me’.

The band have already recently played to a near 70,000 fans, thanks to their longtime friend and musical collaborator Taylor Swift, who brought the band out as a special guest on her global phenomenon The Eras Tour last summer.

But now, HAIM are going it alone.

They’ll be stringing up their guitars, and warming up their vocal chords to sing their angsty and fiery hits over at Manchester’s biggest entertainment venue, Co-op Live.

HAIM are bringing their 'I quit' tour to Co-op Live in Manchester on 30 October / Credit: Supplied
HAIM are bringing their ‘I quit’ tour to Co-op Live in Manchester on 30 October / Credit: Supplied

HAIM – UK Tour Dates 2025

  • Friday 24 October – Nottingham, UK – Motorpoint Arena
  • Saturday 25 October – Cardiff, UK – Utilita Arena
  • Sunday 26 October – Brighton, UK – Brighton Centre
  • Tuesday 28 October – London, UK – The O2
  • Thursday 30 October – Manchester, UK – Co-op Live
  • Friday 31 October – Glasgow, UK – OVO Hydro

Tickets

No need to ‘Pray to God’, as there’s still a good selection of tickets available for any Manchester HAIM lovers to grab HERE.

If you’re feeling a bit fancier, however, and fancy watching HAIM while ‘Spinning’ the night away in a premium seat, then you can find a handful of tickets up for grabs over on SeatUnique, starting from £25 HERE.

Setlist

  • Gone
  • All over me
  • Take me back
  • My Song 5
  • Cry
  • Spinning
  • Don’t Wanna
  • The Steps
  • Gasoline
  • Blood on the Street
  • Hallelujah
  • Summer Girl
  • Want You Back
  • Relationships
  • Now I’m in It
  • The Wire
  • Down to be Wrong

What are the stage times for HAIM in Manchester?

Co-op Live has a strict curfew of 11pm, and with doors opening at 6:30pm and a start time of 7.30pm, this rock trio certainly won’t be working to ‘The Wire’ to cram in all their hits, meaning you can get home before the crack of dawn.

Bedroom pop musician Dora Jar supported the girls throughout the North American shows, however there’s no official artist confirmed for the UK leg so far.

Rock trio HAIM are gracing Manchester, London, Glasgow and more on their UK tour / Credit: Supplied
Rock trio HAIM are gracing Manchester, London, Glasgow and more on their UK tour / Credit: Supplied

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.

You also get free Bee Network travel with any valid event ticket.

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, and directions to the adjacent drop-off points will also be signposted.

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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 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 Moss (Ashton line) – 183 spaces and 12 disabled spaces
  • 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 through the Beryl scheme, 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.

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For more information on all travel options, you can check out the enhanced journey planner.

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For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images: Terrence ‘O Connor and Lea Garn / Press Shots (via supplied)

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