Another name has been removed from the Parklife 2024 line-up, with Digga D pulled from his Saturday slot on the main stage after pleading guilty to drug chargesearlier this week.
The British rapper and drill star was reprimanded for two charges on Tuesday, 28 May, confessing to the supply and importation of cannabis after being arrested during a livestream back in February.
The 23-year-old originally from Notting Hill was taken into custody after a police raid on a property in Lincoln whilst broadcasting on Instagram Live.
Following the verdict, the festival subsequently struck Digga D from the lineup, with news coming less than 24 hours before house DJ and producer Fisher also dropped out due to personal reasons.
Quietly confirming the news via an Instagram story, the popular Manchester festival has now suffered the loss of two big names from their expected running order.
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According to the BBC, while the prosecution didn’t accept the artist’s attempts at a plea, Judge Simon Hirst adjourned the case until 8 July to decide if there is any need for a trial of issue – a.k.a. a Newton hearing (a short hearing where no jury is required).
As well as pleading guilty to smuggling in the case related to 11 July 2023, he also admitted to supplying cannabis between 26 October 2022 and 21 February this year.
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You can watch the moment he was picked up by police below:
His Instagram account has since been suspended and neither the artist nor his representation have issued a statement on the situation at this time.
Parklife’s 13th year kicks off next weekend (8-9 June), boasting other massive acts including Aitch, Disclosure, Sugababes, Doja Cat, Kaytranada, Peggy Gou and many more.
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With Digga D being one of the biggest names on the drill scene at present, fans of the genre will no doubt be gutted.
Featured Images — Press Images/The Manc Audio/@pyr3xliving (via Instagram)
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Five Manchester bands we’ve been listening to this month | June 2024
Danny Jones
Hello there (Obi-Wan Kenobi voice intended), we’re glad to see you’re back for the best new Manchester music that we’ve been funnelling directly into our ears this month.
It seems hard to believe that we’re already in June and six editions into this series; that’s half the year already gone and 30 bands already given a humble nod of approval – and now we have five more for you.
You’re forgiven if you’re new to this monthly round-up so long as you keep up to date with it regularly from now on, and why wouldn’t you? You get five Manchester bands or artists who are doing exciting things to keep us on the music map for nothing and with none of the work involved.
This is what we live for and there are few things we enjoy more than spotlighting rising talent.
Five new up-and-coming Manchester bands
Now, in a rare first for this series, we’re all bands this month but like pretty much anyone that comes out of Manchester’s music scene, they’re all absolutely belting.
Don’t worry, you’ve still got some variety in the genre to get stuck into, so let’s not dilly-dally any further, eh?
Let the tunes commence.
1. Pastel
We’re starting off June’s list of Manchester bands we’ve been listening to with Pastel. Now, we have to make a disclaimer that they are now based in Swansea but these lads started with two cousins from 0161 and have gone on to support the likes of Liam Gallagher at Knebworth, The Charlatans and more.
Playing one of the biggest headline shows to date at Band on the Wall back in May – where they were supported by LG’s son’s band Villanelle – it felt like a bit of a watershed moment for the five-piece shoegaze-inspired band with deep roots here in 0161. They’re only young but we love a homecoming.
We’ve been listening to them for a while now but it feels like they’re starting to pick up some traction, so you best enjoy them as one of your best-kept secrets while you can. Our entry point was ‘Deeper Than Holy’, but their first song ‘She Waits For Me’ is great too and so is their new single ‘Dancing On A Pin’
2. Hot Milk
Second on this month’s list is the emo-fuelled power pop rock group Hot Milk who are also well and truly on the rise, having dropped their debut album A Call To The Void last year, headlined Manchester Academy and recently supported Foo Fighters at their Villa Park show in Birmingham.
Punchy, punky, proudly Manc and with a pair of powerful vocalists fronting the band, you get flavours of everything from Vukovi, Yungblud, Against The Current, Tonight Alive and plenty of other contemporaries. What’s more, you only have to hear the energy from the crowd on their Academy live album to hear how deep their fans already are – they’re going far this lot.
‘Candy Coated Lie$’ is their most streamed song on Spotify and it’s a guess a great place to start, but from there we’d point you in the direction of ‘OVER YOUR DEAD BODY’ for the tasty breakdown alone, and then try ‘AMPHETAMINE’ which features vocals from Julian Comeau of Loveless. Oof.
From one modern punk-inspired band to another, Vulture Authority almost feels like Manchester’s semi-adopted answer to Idles meets Yard Act, Hello Cosmos and by way of Derby. Honestly, one minute you’ll get a tatse of The Reytons, the next your dancing like a prat to some modern ska riff. It’s chaotic.
We’ll confess that we came about these lads by way of them being a featured artist at the end of the Have A Word podcast after local comedian Jamie Hutchinson gave them a shout-out on an episode, but their unapologetic, simultaneously random and yet no-nonsense lyrics and instrumentation, twinned with lots of rolled Rs, Northern gruff and a familiar Manc whine caught our attention straight away.
In fact, the Gorton-based comic features in many of their songs and videos as you’ll see down below and while we’ll admit it’s very rough around the edges, it’s undeniably good fun. We’d suggest starting with ‘Torpedo Moscow’, ‘Working Class Jesus’ and then ‘Last Orders’, which you’ll find below.
There’s politics, football ultras humour, lots of Jamie Hutchinson and wonderful low-budget music videos.
4. Loose Articles
Oh yes, we’ve got even more punk for you and the fact they filmed the music video for their alternative Euro 2022 anthem ‘Kick Like A Girl‘ at the Peveril of the Peak, St George’s Park in Hulme and the ‘No Prawn Sandwiches’ sign outside the Man United pub in Trafford should be all the convincing you need.
Loose Articles are a Mancunian quartet with indie elements juggling the 9-5 like many up-and-coming bands but have now found themselves being championed by BBC Radio 6 Music, on Spotify’s ‘All New Punk’ playlist and also happen to have the best logo in the game: it’s the Stella Artois label…
There’s also another Foo Fighters connection here too, as the local bunch were the opening act for the rock gods’ first night at the Old Trafford earlier this month and got the energy going nice and early – not an easy job. ‘Up The Disco’, ‘Money for Booze’ and the new ‘Mr Manager’ are our recommendations.
And for the fifth and final name on our list of Manc bands this month, we’re technically heading out into Greater Manchester and the borough if Wigan to be specific, but we simply couldn’t wait any longer before bigging up the indie four-piece, Stanleys.
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Flying the flag for the home of pie barms and the ‘Tics, these lads nail laid-back, melodic and catchy choruses, twinky guitar picking and have already opened up for the likes of Inspiral Carpets, The Clause and The Libertines, not to mention endless festival slots this year.
They’re also one of six acts supporting fellow native Richard Ashcroft for his massive homecoming gigs at Robin Park next month. The new single ‘He Knows’ have some of the most soft and staisying vocals to date, our first-ever listen was ‘Look Back’, but ‘A Better Life’ is understandably their biggest tune to date.
And we’re sad to inform you but that’s your lot for new, up-and-coming, exciting Manchester bands and artists this month; we hope it also goes without saying that we barely even scratch the surafce every time we do this.
But the best part is, if you know of a band or musician who is doing exiting things here in 0161 and you think they deserve to be on this list, if you drop them in the comments enough, we just might see it.
But before we say goodbye, make sure to give all these names so love and if you missed last month’s Manc bands we’re listening to, you can find it down below.
Featured Images — Press Images (supplied)/Loose Article (via Facebook)
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An over-30s club night with an early bedtime returns to Manchester this week
Daisy Jackson
Sod your 18-30 holidays – we’re all about the new 30+ club night that’s taking the UK by storm, and returns to Manchester in July.
Day Fever will be bringing its hugely popular daytime disco back to New Century on 6 July for a big old knees-up (even if your knees are a bit creaky).
The events usually sell out way in advance, but at the time of writing there are still a handful of tickets available for this next event.
There’s overwhelming demand for Day Fever events here in Manchester, the city where our over-30s were the ones at the forefront the Hacienda heyday – aka, people who know how to party.
Created by Line of Duty and This Is England star Vicky McClure, Day Fever comes with a strict age limit and promises to have you in bed by your normal time.
It’s also co-founded by Reverend and the Makers frontman Jon McClure (no relation), who you’ll often spot behind the DJ decks.
It’s described as ‘the daytime disco that doesn’t ruin your Sunday.’
Unlike most club nights, where you’re not even walking in until 10pm and bracing yourself to throw your usual sleep routine out the window, this one kicks off at 3pm. How civilised!
It also wraps up by 8pm, so you have a plethora of post-clubbing meals on your doorstep instead of being lumped with a late-night kebab.
Since its launch, Day Fever has been selling out in cities across the UK, including here in Manchester over the past weekend.
There are nostalgic TV shows, films and adverts shown on a big screen during the events.
Tickets for Day Fever’s Manchester event on 6 July are on sale now priced at £12.06 – you can get yours through Dice.
Danny Jones -
31st May 2024 
