BRIT Award-winner Jorja Smith has announced she will play an intimate Manchester gig as part of a short run of shows.
In honor of releasing her highly anticipated second album ‘Falling or flying’ later this monththe BRIT award-winner has announced a series of intimate headline shows.
Beginning in her home city of Birmingham on 7 November, she’ll stop in Manchester on 9 November before concluding the short run of gigs in London on 10 November.
For her Manchester show, she’ll take over the stage at The Albert Hall – a 5,000-capacity venue in the heart of the city set within a former chapel.
Further to climbing the charts with her huge summer single Little Things, Jorja returned last month with Falling or flying; a sleek and soulful offering taken from her highly anticipated second album of the same name.
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In addition to releasing the new single, Jorja also unveiled the tracklist for the record which will include features from British rapper J Hus and Jamaican singer Lila Iké, alongside 12 brand-new, unreleased tracks.
The singer last played The Albert Hall in 2018 for a run of two back-to-back sold out shows, and it’s expected that this short run will sell out fast.
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In 2019, she was named Best British Female Artist at the Brit Awards and she was also nominated for the Grammy Award for Best New Artist.
Image: Jorja Smith
Image: Jorja Smith
Of the many British voices in music today, Jorja is among the most commanding, writing at a pitch of intensity and urgency that few can match.
Over the past five and half years, since the release of her critically acclaimed debut album Lost & Found, she has been celebrated unanimously across the world for her evocative songwriting and powerful delivery.
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In 2021 Jorja finally broke her hiatus from music – releasing Be Right Back, the holding space between the sensation that was Lost & Found and her next project.
Be Right Back was born from playing, jamming, freestyling, and sounding out what Jorja had been on the edge of expressing all her life.
It was a project entirely for her fans, with Jorja saying at the time: “Be Right Back did exactly what I wanted it to do. It was a little waiting room so people knew I was coming back.”
Read more:Olivia Rodrigo announces massive Manchester gig at brand new Co-op Live arena
Come back she did – entering a chapter of her return to music that’s certain to draw in and intoxicate Jorja’s fans and new listeners alike.
Speaking on what has changed for her, in the five years since ‘Lost & Found’ dominated the charts and the soundscape, Jorja said: “I like this world that I’ve just come into. And I’m still figuring things out. Always figuring things out.”
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“This is the first time I’m putting stuff out there that I can connect with right now.”
Tickets are on pre-sale from 10am BST Wednesday 20 September and on sale from Friday 22 September. They can be purchased from Jorja Smith’s website here.
Featured image – Jorja Smith
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Manchester’s Co-op Live arena postpones The Black Keys and Peter Kay (again)
Daisy Jackson
The Co-op Live has announced it is postponing both The Black Keys gig and Peter Kay’s performance.
Both shows were set to take place this week as the huge arena finally opens in Manchester.
In a statement shared today, the Co-op Live said it has been ‘undertaking an extensive protocol of testing critical procedures to ensure all areas are ready for fans’.
It said that the shows are being rescheduled to ensure they can ‘run safely’.
The 23,500-capacity arena said this will give them ‘the extra time we need to continue testing enhanced emergency communications thoroughly’.
The Black Keys will now perform on 15 May, and Peter Kay on 23 and 24 May.
As for the Bolton-born comedian, he sounds somewhat in disbelief himself:
My apologies once again but unfortunately the Co-op Live still isn’t ready and so, as yet, remains untested for a large-scale audience. Consequently, they are having to reschedule my two shows yet again (I know I can’t believe it either).
Co-op Live’s statement reads: “Since making the difficult decision to postpone the live shows at Co-op Live due to take place this week, we have been undertaking an extensive protocol of testing critical procedures to ensure all areas are ready for fans.
“To ensure that we can run all shows safely, regretfully we have now had to take the decision to reschedule the planned The Black Keys and Peter Kay shows.
“Both The Black Keys and Peter Kay have graciously agreed to reschedule their shows. The Black Keys will now perform on 15 May 2024, and Peter Kay will now perform on 23 and 24 May 2024.
“All tickets remain valid and ticket holders will be contacted by their point of purchase. Refunds will be available for those who can no longer attend.
“We deeply appreciate the impact this will have on excited fans, and sincerely apologise for the inconvenience that this change will undoubtedly cause.
“Rescheduling Peter Kay and The Black Keys will give us the extra time we need to continue testing enhanced emergency communications thoroughly.
“This is vital to satisfy the rigorous set of guidelines and protocols that are necessary for a venue of this size to ensure that our fans, artists and staff have the safest experience possible.”
Co-op Live boss resigns just days before venue’s official opening
Daisy Jackson
The boss of Co-op Live, Manchester’s enormous, ground-breaking new arena, has resigned from his position just days before the venue is set to open.
The enormous music-first arena has been taking shape beside the Etihad Stadium for several years, and was due to welcome its first official audiences this week, but has been hit with last-minute challenges.
And now Co-op Live‘s boss Gary Roden has quit the mammoth project, with the news of his resignation announced late Thursday evening.
Oak View Group, which Co-op Live is part of, said in a statement that they would like to ‘thank Gary for his help bringing the UK’s newest arena to live entertainment fans’.
Stepping into his shoes as interim general manager will be Rebecca Kane Burton, who previously ran the U.K.’s highest-grossing venue, London’s The O2 arena.
Gary has previously come under fire for saying that some grassroots music venues ‘poorly run’ – a statement that OVG has now distanced itself from.
A separate statement said that ‘neither Co-op Live nor Oak View Group share the sentiment expressed by former Co-op Live General Manager Gary Roden regarding the grassroots industry’.
It continued: “As OVG Chairman and CEO Tim Leiweke has repeatedly stated, Co-op Live remains committed to grassroots music in Manchester and beyond, including teaming up with Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham on the Artist of the Month campaign, and as a founding partner of Beyond The Music.
“Co-op Live also donates over £1m a year to the Co-op Foundation to support communities and empower young people to take social action through its new Young Gamechangers fund.
“Oak View Group and Co-op Live remain happy to meet with grassroots organisations once the venue is fully operational.”
Co-op Live boss Gary Roden speaking at the launch of Co-op Live just days before he resigned. Credit: The Manc GroupInside Co-op Live in Manchester
The news of the venue’s boss stepping down comes at a time when all eyes are on Co-op Live, the opening of which has been delayed.
The venue did host a test event with Rick Astley last weekend, but even that faced difficulties, with thousands of tickets cancelled to reduce capacity just hours before showtime.
It’s now set to officially open this Saturday 27 April with a performance by rock group The Black Keys.
The full statement from OVG about Gary’s resignation said: “Gary Roden has decided to resign. We’d like to thank Gary for his help bringing the UK’s newest arena to live entertainment fans and wish him the best for the future.
“Rebecca Kane Burton has been named Interim GM, effective today. Rebecca is a seasoned veteran of venue management and live entertainment in the UK having served as VP/GM of The O2 from 2012-2016 and CEO of LW Theatres from 2016-2021.
Georgina Pellant -
13th September 2023 
