Every now and again, we get invited down to see some of the best music acts.
And when the opportunity to see Christine and the Queens at Manchester Academy popped up, I jumped at the opportunity.
This is the second stop on Chris’ European and US tour for his new albumPARANOÏA, ANGELS, TRUE LOVE – which is inspired by Tony Kushner’s play, Angels in America – and a follow-up to the critically-acclaimed 2022 album Redcar.
There is a tense air of anticipation for the show to begin, and the stage is dotted with Angelic figures, before Chris starts the show topless – which gets a couple of gasps from the crowd.
The show is split into three parts, reflecting the three elements of the album name. The band puts on a haunting performance, a far-cry from the upbeat, pop-style music that many may have been expecting.
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Christine and the Queens / Credit: Publicity pictures
The show definitely splits the crowd, both in who was attending, and in how people were reacting.
Christine and the Queens has a broad reach and diverse audience, with a surprising number of older concert-goers. From the murmurings I could hear around me, some people were hugely-impressed with the entrancing battle on stage between love, pain, and religion, whilst others seemed to be frustrated and disappointed that they weren’t playing the classics.
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Me, on the other hand? I was captivated.
Like a moth drawn to a flame, the mesmerising light show and performance from Chris was like something I’ve never come across – and I loved it.
It’s clear that this performance, and the album, is reflective of Chris’ journey with his queerness, recently announcing his new pronouns as he/him. The band itself is named after the drag queens that Chris lived with in his younger years, and a love letter to the way they helped him explore his gender and self.
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The performance is a poetic and dramatic exploration of ones’ self, with Chris transitioning between his topless form, to an armoured warrior, and finally becoming an angel himself, and it was magical (if you like that sort of thing).
This new album and tour isn’t going to be for everyone, and if you’re expecting some pop hits, then this isn’t for you.
But, if you want to hop on board an evocative journey of self discovery and expression, then the PARANOÏA, ANGELS, TRUE LOVE tour is where it’s at.
Featured Image – Publicity picture
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One of the world’s greatest music photographers to exhibit at Manchester Art Fair this month
Emily Sergeant
One of the world’s greatest music photographers is set to make her debut appearance at this year’s Manchester Art Fair.
Having grown up in the music industry alongside her father, Led Zeppelin guitarist, Jimmy Page, legendary photographer Scarlet Page is definitely no stranger to life on the road, and has travelled across the US with bands such as Smashing Pumpkins, The Beastie Boys, and more throughout her illustrious career.
Her photography has also featured in album artwork for iconic Manchester band The Verve, and she’s also had the pleasure of shooting some of the biggest music names in recent times like The Rolling Stones, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Lady Gaga, and Foo Fighters.
Manchester Art Fair arrives in the city centre for 2024 next weekend / Credit: Supplied
But now, in a first for the North of England, Page’s work – which has featured in Kerrang!, Rolling Stone, The Guardian, Mojo, The Times, and many more publications – will be available to see exclusively at Manchester Art Fair next weekend.
Set to be presented by The Art Hound Gallery, Page will unveil a number of exclusive fine art photographs for sale.
Expect to see her iconic stills of people like Amy Winehouse, David Bowie, and Keith Richards, alongside a selection of carefully-curated and completely-unseen new releases, including Courtney Love, Public Enemy, and more.
If all of that wasn’t brilliant enough as it is, Page will also be leading an artist talk at the Fair on Saturday 16 November from 1pm.
“I am deeply honoured to showcase my work, hosted by The Art Hound Gallery, alongside such extraordinary artists at Manchester Art Fair,” Scarlet Page said ahead of this year’s event.
“Celebrating 30 years as a photographer, it’s a privilege to reflect on the intimate moments I’ve captured of some of the world’s greatest musicians.”
Legendary music photographer Scarlet Page will be exhibiting exclusive works / Credit: Supplied
Sophie Helm, who is the Director of Manchester Art Fair, added: “Scarlet is widely-recognised as one of the greatest music photographers of all time, and we are immensely proud to have her join us at this year’s Manchester Art Fair to provide art and music enthusiasts with the opportunity to hear from Scarlet on some of her most memorable photoshoots and collaborations of the last three decades.”
Manchester Art Fair 2024 will take over Manchester Central on Friday 15 November from 5pm until Sunday 17 November.
Wunderhorse toast stellar year with their biggest headline shows yet – including a massive Manchester gig
Danny Jones
Riding side-by-side with the likes of Fontaines D.C., Wunderhorse are arguably one of the biggest bands on the planet at the moment, and as a huge 2024 for them is drawing towards a close, they have just announced more dates next May – including a truly massive Manchester gig.
Wunderhorse smashed their Manchester Academy only last month – a concert which we dubbed “one of the best of our lives” – and were just announced as the support act yet again for Sam Fender’s huge arena shows this December, as well as landing some huge festival slots this year.
A landmark show at Alexandra Palace in London had already been announced earlier this year after all of the 2024 UK tour dates had sold out but now the Newquay-formed band have added four more huge dates which will be their “biggest headline shows” to date.
Still only a few short years into their career under the Wunderhorse moniker and they’re now set to play the O2 Victoria Warehouse right here in Manchester.
If you’ve ever been to a proper rock show inside the iconic and former Warehouse Project space, you’ll know it’s guaranteed to be a rager, especially with a band like this playing.
Having recently landed significant PR spots on the likes of online show Track Star* and even The Late Show with Stephen Colbert over on US TV, the modern rock, indie, alternative and post-punk outfit is really riding a wave of growing fandom right now.
The four-piece went on the road with fellow high-flying contemporaries Fontaines on their recent European tour and are set to join them again for their Oceania dates in Japan, Australia and New Zealand next year, and their increasing profile has also seen them land a sizeable US tour of their own.
Known for loud, in-your-face, grungey guitars as well as powerful vocals, the energy – and especially on-stage antics from lead singer Jacob Slater – at their live shows has seen them go viral on social media on numerous occasions and made them an instant hit across multiple generations of gig-goers.
Tickets go live at 10am HERE but you can access a pre-sale code by registering via the mailing list on their website and O2 customers can get priority access this Wednesday from the same time.
Be warned, this show will sell out in a flash so you best be quick if you want to see scenes like this…
Kristen MacGregor-Houlston -
8th September 2023 
