It’s rare you get to see legends in real life, especially this up close and personal, but there’s still just one key word that keeps coming to mind when we think of seeing Bruce Springsteen in Manchester at the Co-op Live last night: surreal.
We still can’t quite believe that he was here in Manchester, in the flesh, for three separate nights, but we do intend to replay it in our heads over and over again until it fully sinks in.
Springsteen, ‘The Boss’, Brucey, whatever you want to call him, there really is something to be said for someone who’s been going this long and still exerts so much energy at 75.
That goes for his desperately loyal and dedicated crowds, too. The legions that marched down ‘Thunder Road’ and back down the CityLink walking route and the Ashton canal in supreme spirits after all was said and done gave as good as they got.
We can only assume Springsteen was as incredible on the first night at Co-op Live as he was on the last. (Credit: Audio North)
From singing back every chorus to the chants of “Bruuuuuuuce!” between every single song, it was more apparent than ever that being a Springsteen fan is quite literally a way of life for these people; they know every line, every call and response, every micro-dance move and regular on-stage ritual.
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Each show is roughly three hours long, by the way – he does have an absolute treasure trove of discography to work through, in fairness.
Put simply, there’s no messing about, just non-stop rock and roll of the highest order. Well, there are some brief pauses, but for good reason…
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As a passionate political and philanthropic person throughout a career which spans more than six decades, he took the time to talk about America and the turbulent times they are once again facing.
He spoke about the craven billionaire class, poverty, uniting through art and, just as he did on night one in Manchester, Springsteen railed against a particular tyrant who happens to have found himself in the seat of power yet again back over in the States. He made sure to do this every single night.
‘Born in the U.S.A.’ (which he did decide to play, along with a plethora of the other biggest hits) now feels more like a protest song than ever. The war may no longer be in Vietnam, but there is one raging back home, and he’s even more wary of it than before.
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He thanked those in the pit and the stands for indulging him, as well as the “wonderful space” of the Co-op and its “beautiful sound” for hosting him, but we have a feeling the New Jersey poet could have said just about anything and he’d still have 23,500+ in the palm of his hands.
All that being said, it wasn’t like this was a pseudo-rally or anything like that, nor was anything of this being foisted upon the audience, but there was a real sense of a congregation gathering in the church of Bruce to take in his sermon.
His followers have often been referred to in this way, and despite only previously considering ourselves a very casual Springsteen enthusiast, having now been to a sell-out arena gig with one of the biggest Boss fans we know, we can understand why millions of people around the world idolise this absolute icon.
It goes without saying that a huge amount of applause must go to The E Street Band themselves, who are just as much a part of what makes Springsteen sets so special as he is.
From the ever-charismatic Steven Van Zandt (still hard not to see him as ‘Sil’ from The Sopranos) to Jake Clemons on sax – who has been part of the group since 2012 and shared a touching embrace with Bruce as tributes to his predecessor and uncle, Clarence, played behind them – these lot are a family.
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Our only minor gripe is that we sorely missed hearing ‘Atlantic City’, but what the concert did confirm is that much like the effect the recent Bob Dylan biopic had on us, we’re now more committed than ever to working through the Springsteen back catalogue from start to finish and seeing how obsessed we get.
To end on one final thought and echo the words of the man himself: “peace, love and freedom.”
Ticketmaster agrees to change ticketing procedures following Oasis dynamic pricing controversy
Emily Sergeant
Ticketmaster has agreed to change its ticketing procedures following the ‘dynamic pricing’ controversy over Oasis reunion tour tickets.
After a lengthy investigation, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has secured formal commitments from Ticketmaster, known as ‘undertakings’, to make sure fans have the information they need when they spend their hard-earned cash to see the artists they love.
The leading ticketing platform will now be required to make it clear to fans what they will get for their money, and give more information about different ticket prices.
These undertakings require Ticketmaster to tell fans 24-hours in advance if a tiered pricing, or dynamic pricing, system is being used, and provide more information about ticket prices during online queues, helping fans anticipate how much they might have to pay.
Ticketmaster will also now have to ensure that tickets are described accurately, and do not give the impression that one ticket is ‘better’ than another when that is not the case.
We’ve secured undertakings from #Ticketmaster to provide customers with more pricing information + make sure ticket descriptions are clear.
And finally, the ticketing platform will have to provide regular reports to the CMA to show how it has implemented the undertakings.
As mentioned, the CMA investigation comes following widespread concerns about the Oasis Live ’25 tickets sale.
Two areas were identified as needing investigating following the sale.
The first being that Ticketmaster did not tell fans waiting in lengthy queues that standing tickets were being sold at two different prices, and that prices would jump as soon as the cheap tickets sold out.
The second being that Ticketmaster sold some ‘platinum’ tickets at almost 2.5 times the price of ‘standard’ tickets, and all without sufficient explanation that these offered no additional benefits over some ‘standard’ tickets in the same areas of the venue.
Ticketmaster has agreed to change its ticketing procedures following the Oasis dynamic pricing controversy / Credit: The Manc Group
“Fans who spend their hard-earned money to see artists they love deserve to see clear, accurate information upfront,” explained Sarah Cardell, who is the Chief Executive of the CMA.
“We can’t ensure every fan gets a ticket for events as popular as the Oasis tour, but we can help ensure that next time an event like this comes along, fans have the information they need, when they need it – and the changes we’ve secured will give fans more information about prices and clear descriptions of exactly what they are getting for their money.
“If Ticketmaster fails to deliver on these changes, we won’t hesitate to take further action.”
Featured Image – Simon Emmett (Press Picture)
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Tame Impala announces massive Manchester gig on new tour
Clementine Hall
Tame Impala is heading out on a huge arena tour, with a massive gig right here in Manchester.
Oh Kevin, it really is great to have you back.
In just a few weeks on Friday 17 October, Tame Impala (Kevin Parker) will release his fifth studio album titled ‘Deadbeat’.
And today, he’s announced a major European and UK tour to go alongside it.
The dates kick off in Porto, Portugal on Saturday 4 April and wrap in Dublin, Ireland on Wednesday 13 of May.
He’ll be stopping off in Manchester near the end of the tour, bringing his synth sounds to the Co-op Live Arena on Friday 8 May.
Image: Publicity Picture
As well as a show at the Co-op Live in Manchester, Tame Impala will perform in London, Birmingham and Glasgow.
Kevin Parker has emerged as one of the most influential voices of the last decade, renowned for carving out a distinct sound all of his own and transcending genre-bending sonic landscapes.
Playing every instrument and acting as writer, producer, mixer and engineer on his projects, it’s not hard to see why he’s been nominated for four GRAMMY awards with one win for his collaboration with Justice on 2024’s “Neverender.” In his home country of Australia, he’s racked up an impressive 13 ARIA Awards and 27 Nominations.
Artist pre-sale begins Wednesday 1 October at 9am BST with the general on-sale taking place on Friday 3 October at 9am BST and you can buy yours HERE.
Tame Impala Deadbeat Tour 2026:
4th Apr – Super Bock Arena – Pavilhão Rosa Mota – Porto, Portugal
5th Apr – MEO Arena – Lisbon, Portugal
7th Apr – Movistar Arena – Madrid, Spain
8th Apr – Palau Sant Jordi – Barcelona, Spain
10th Apr – LDLC Arena – Lyon, France
12th Apr – Inalpi Arena – Turin, Italy
13th Apr – Unipol Arena – Bologna, Italy
14th Apr – Hallenstadion – Zurich, Switzerland
16th Apr – Olympiahalle – Munich, Germany
18th Apr – PreZero Arena – Gliwice, Poland
20th Apr – O2 Arena – Prague, Czechia
23rd Apr – Barclays Arena – Hamburg, Germany
25th Apr – Royal Arena – Copenhagen, Denmark
26th Apr – Avicii Arena – Stockholm, Sweden
27th Apr – Unity Arena – Oslo, Norway
29th Apr – Uber Arena – Berlin, Germany
30th Apr – Festhalle – Frankfurt, Germany
1st May – PSD Bank Dome – Dusseldorf, Germany
3rd May – Accor Arena – Paris, France
4th May – Ziggo Dome – Amsterdam, Netherlands
5th May – AFAS Dome – Antwerp, Belgium
7th May – The O2 – London, United Kingdom
8th May – Co-op Live Arena – Manchester, United Kingdom
9th May – Utilita Arena Birmingham – Birmingham, United Kingdom
Danny Jones -
21st May 2025 
