10 months on from their last gig and more than a year since they officially ended their hiatus, Catfish and the Bottlemen finally returned to Manchester for a sold-out show at Heaton Park, and while the reviews online have been mixed, we had a blast heading back to the fields again.
Making their Manc comeback just hours before this year’s Parklife Festival got underway, the beloved Welsh band had stirred lots of worry leading up to the day itself and, in truth, even in the moments leading up to (and after) their stage time.
Apart from their huge headline slot at Reading and Leeds, 2024 was the year of cancellations and controversy, so their fans had plenty of reason to be concerned. Nevertheless, we had faith and kept our spirits high, especially with the weather holding out.
Local legends and indie rock veterans James certainly helped on that front, delighting both die-hards watching from up on the hill and younger gig-goers who may have only heard a few of the big hits like ‘Sit Down’ – though they certainly didn’t heed that message, there was merely jumping up and down.
Some great computer-generated imagery backdropped the set.We watched this thing like a hawk.You can read our recent interview with them HERE. (Credit: Audio North)
Once the main support act had wrapped up their pretty perfectly timed set, we’ll admit, standing on that grass felt like an eternity, especially considering Catfish had us waiting an extra 15 minutes beyond their expected arrival at Heaton Park.
You could call it fashionably late, but in this case, it saw several people around us uttering, ‘they’re not coming on any time soon’, and some even beginning to walk off.
However, they did eventually arrive just over a quarter of an hour past schedule, and the eruption of cheers from the crowd and a fair few screams from those nearest the barrier signalled what summed up the entire night: we were just so happy to have them back.
We’ve heard people debating the sound quality and taking issue with parts of Van’s performance, but we’ll just leave this here and let you decide for yourselves:
One thing’s for sure: the energy was immaculate from start to finish.
From kicking things off with ‘Longshot’ for a limb-worthy intro, to hearing a fully acoustic version of ‘Hourglass’ as the lead singer stood alone on the dramatically lit main stage, soon to be followed up by a plethora of Parklife acts, we’d wager you they’ll remain a tough act to follow all weekend.
Other highlights included an entire park’s worth of people belting every word to ‘Kathleen’, ‘Fallout’, ‘Pacifier’ and pretty much every track they played, as well Van having the crowd repeat the chorus of ‘Cocoon’ as he hung up his guitar from the stand to deliver an ice-old mic drop.
We would’ve loved to hear a fuller set filled with the extended live versions of ‘Oxygen’, ‘Heathrow’ and ‘Glasgow’ too, especially given how many sections of pure instrumentation felt like they were going to transition into another track, but you can’t have everything, I guess.
Inflatable crocodiles and cracking flagsCredit: The Manc GroupEyes and arms wide openWe’re here to urge you not to be drawn in by TikTok reviews – as far as we’re concerned, Catfish were made to headline Heaton Park.
Sure, there might have been a few minor fluffed vocal notes and slightly over-lengthy solos here and there, but after all, it’s a rock show: we want a bit of mess.
The same goes for Van McCann himself, too; we worry that people are starting to forget what a proper rockstar is, and we’re not talking about contriving some kind of Hollywood lifestyle, but certainly getting lost in the music and trashing your guitar so hard that your face is draped in nothing but hair and sweat? Absolutely.
All in all, we think Catfish and the Bottlemen‘s massive outdoor show at Manchester’s Heaton Park and de facto ‘comeback after the last comeback’ was a triumph and even when they’re not absolutely 10/10, they’re still bloody good value live.
As for the question of ‘are they back?’ We think so and certainly hope that ‘Showtime’ wasn’t just released as a way of signalling fans to come along for one last ride before the final curtain call.
Grassroots music venue The Yard announces new outdoor festival – and it’s got a great name
Thomas Melia
City centre grassroots music venue The Yard has just announced its new outdoor festival, where you can expect lots of impressive local live music.
Independent and grassroots music venue, The Yard, is known for hosting some of the best gigs, creative events and live music in the city, and this festival is no different.
Titled ‘Stranger Ways’ – if you don’t get that reference, then we don’t know what to tell you – anyone attending can expect to hear music that champions Manchester’s indie spirit, with a lot of local talent represented in the lineup.
Alex Spencer is set to headline day one of Stranger Ways Festival.The Yard is a brilliant venue known for hosting a variety of live music events.Credit: Supplied
This talent has seen praise from the likes of Lady Gaga and The Coral, even getting his track ‘Nightmares’ featured in EA Sports FC25 (FIFA).
They’ve seen massive success this year playing at the Isle of Wight Festival earlier this summer and supporting ‘Every Breath You Take’ penman Sting in Cardiff.
Another of our picks for Manc artists of the month for June, Arkayla. Named after “a terrible Oasis demo” from 1991, the band will be stopping by to sing a couple of their hits, too.
The band are already making waves, quite literally, receiving plays from one of the biggest rock radio stations in the UK, Radio X.
Wigan band The Lilacs are set to headline day two of Stranger Ways Festival.Arkayla are one of the headliners for The Yard’s new outdoor festival.Credit: Supplied
And of course this festival falls during Oasis’ massive reunion tour, so it would be rude not to have a tribute act, or two, performing at this outdoor festival – Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Carpets and The Oasis Experience.
Now, as far as tribute bands go, that’s up there with one of the best and quietly clever names we’ve heard since we came across, well… Stranger Ways.
Speaking of Oasis, every ticket purchased for The Yard’s outdoor festival, Stranger Ways, gets entered into a prize draw to win tickets for one of the Burnage boys’ Wembley gigs with an overnight stay.
Stranger Ways Festival is taking place at The Yard across 19 and 20 July – To access the full lineup and grab your tickets, you can find everything you need to know HERE.
Anyone who has managed to bag themselves those precious Oasis tickets is in luck too, as if you can show proof on arrival to The Yard, you can guarantee yourself free entry.
Featured Images – Publicity Pictures (via Supplied)
Audio
We got to see a music legend from the best seats in the house – here’s how you can too
Danny Jones
We recently went to one of the biggest gigs of the year here in Manchester and got to see the show from the luxury of a VIP suite for less than the standard price – here’s how you can do the same.
The idea of watching not only one of the greatest musicians of all time, but doing so from hospitality or a posh box at an arena, might seem far too out of pocket for plenty of gig-goers; however, after stumbling across a criminally unknown hospitality provider, we’re here to tell you you’re wrong.
We’re talking about Sport and Music, a promotion company that specialises in corporate, hospitality and VIP tickets to some of the biggest live entertainment dates across the UK and beyond.
Heading for our first visit on one of these tickets, we went to see none other than the legend that is Bruce Springsteen, and this is what greeted us when we arrived:
Stylish and well-situated.We managed to catch a wave and some brief eye-contact from our swanky balcony spot.Credit: Audio North
Not a bad place to watch a concert, eh?
What you’re looking at is the view from one ofCo-op Live VIP suites, where we were hosted by Sport and Music team as well as the venue’s wonderful hospitality staff.
Although there are plenty of boxes located around the arena, this particular has the advantage of not only being located nice and near to the stage – seriously, Brucey was so close we could practically smell him – but even before sitting in the luxurious seats, there was a really nice cosy atmosphere to the room.
Perfect for getting a small to medium-sized group of mates together, you and your family, or perhaps a fun idea for a work outing, there was plenty of room, storage, and even a sofa nook tucked behind a curtain in the corner.
As well as a full TV and speaker set-up to suit all your AV needs before and after your event of choice, there was a fully stocked fridge and a designated server just for us.
Besides being greeted with a drink on arrival, you can obviously keep topping up your drinks throughout the night without ever having to leave the comfort of your seat.
That being said, the wider VIP area and the likes of the arena’sBackstage Club promise a cool and vibrant atmosphere, making this extra special experience more value for money.
Also, there is, of course, room to order yourself some food to keep you ‘Dancing In The Dark’ long into the night; offerings include stonebaked pizzas, loaded fries and plenty more.
Or, you know, if you just want a simple snack, you can always make the most of Co-op’s ironically convenient little mini-convenience stores located around the arena.
Nothing keeps you grounded like grabbing a quick sausage roll from the bakery as well.
Cocktails from the Backstage Club at Lionel Richie’s show.We had some solid slices on our next visit.(Credit: The Manc Group)
All in all, our review of the Sport and Music hospitality experience is a glowing one: not only was it nice to spoil ourselves with some special treatment (we all deserve it from time to time), but the attractive deals available make it a genuinely viable way to make your night extra memorable.
Especially if you’re then going to split the cost of, say, aVIP suite at Co-op Live between you and even just one friend.
You can find out more information and see what events they currently have ticket availability forHERE.
Oh, and if you’re wondering if ‘The Boss’ is still up to the job at 75, we think this picture proves that his ‘Glory Days’ are far from over…
Danny Jones -
14th June 2025 
