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Fatboy Slim announces TWO huge Manchester dates for 2023 tour

20 years after the historic, era-defining gatherings of the infamous Big Beach Boutique event, Fatboy Slim continues to push the envelope.

Georgina Pellant Georgina Pellant - 16th September 2022

Fatboy Slim has announced a huge tour for 2023, that will see the superstar DJ kick things off in Newcastle before heading to Manchester for not one but two special headline shows.

As part of the 11-date UK tour, the DJ will play a number of shows across the country, heading to Manchester for two nights on 10 and 11 March 2023.

Taking over Manchester 02 Victoria Warehouse in Trafford, the ‘Y’all Are The Music, We’re Just The DJs’ tour will see Norman Cook take to the decks with a host of floor-filling house music favourites.

Image; Fatboy Slim
Image; Fatboy Slim

Speaking in a statement about the run of new tour dates, Norman Cook said: “Coming out of COVID I have played many different types of shows from arenas to the Gas Tower at Glastonbury and i just find the closer I am to the audience the more I love it… this is what this tour brings.”

The announcement arrives on the heels of Fatboy Slim’s latest album Right Here, Right Then.

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A celebration of the 20th anniversary of the infamous Big Beach Boutique event, the album is available in multiple formats and features multiple recordings of the original set, a brand new DJ mix, DVD of the original concert, 48 page 12” book with photos and foreword by Fatboy Slim and more.

20 years after those historic, era-defining gatherings, Fatboy Slim continues to push the envelope and remain one of the most in demand DJ’s and purveyor of quality beats in the world.

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Image; Fatboy Slim
Image; Fatboy Slim

The DJ will play a number of shows in Manchester, London, Brighton, Birmingham, Cardiff and Bournemouth as part of the 2023 tour, with tickets available on 23 September via Fatboyslim.net 
 
If March 2023 is too long to wait, Fatboy Slim’s All Back To Minehead will kick off its inaugural event at Butlin’s Minehead across the weekend of 18-21 November.

Read more: The best gigs, club nights and event tickets in Manchester this September

With three days of love, dancing and laughter and unusual amounts of fun, there will be DJ sets from Groove Armada, Everything, Idris Elba, Horse Meat Disco, The 2 Bears Rave, Jodie Harsh and Norman himself. 

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UK Headline Tour Dates – March 2023
2nd March – Newcastle O2 City Hall
3rd March – Birmingham O2 Academy
4th March – Birmingham O2 Academy
9th March – Edinburgh O2 Academy
10th March – Manchester O2 Victoria Warehouse
11th March – Manchester O2 Victoria Warehouse
15th March – Brighton Centre
17th March – London O2 Academy Brixton
18th March – London O2 Academy Brixton
24th March – Cardiff Motorpoint Arena
25th March – Bournemouth International Centre

Feature image – Fatboy Slim

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Fast-rising alt-rock cult favourites Keo announce Manchester gig on new UK tour

Danny Jones Danny Jones Keo O2 Manchester Ritz gig tickets

Up-and-coming alternative rock band Keo have just announced a new UK tour and “most ambitious chapter yet” in terms of live performances, including a Manchester gig that we CANNOT wait for.

Combining the likes of post-grunge, garage rock and more, Keo are one of the most exciting and fast-emerging new acts in the space right now, having seen their recent run of half a dozen domestic shows sell out completely.

Pulling influences from artists of The Smashing Pumpkins and Soundgarden, as well as most notably fellow contemporaries and former tour partner, Wunderhorse, they’re well-positioned at the front of the guitar-driven revival and are bound for big things. We’re by no means the only ones banking on it either…

Having been described as “already that band” by Dork and delivering “a sound that has given UK guitar its biggest kick up the fretboard in years” by Rolling Stone, you can bet tickets for these shows will be snapped up in seconds, too.

Set to play their biggest Manchester venue to date, Keo will be playing the O2 Ritz on Whitworth Street next spring, and let us tell you, that sprung floor is not ready…

Co-fronted by two brothers, Finn and Conor Keogh (originally from Devon before ultimately getting their music careers underway in the capital), the now London-based group make quite a racket for just the four of them.

That being said, they also do quiet moments well, too, as seen in several of the ‘calm before the storm’ breakouts in songs like ‘Thorn’, ‘Fly’, ‘Crow’ and many more.

If you like anything close to grunge or even just shoegazey riffs, trust us, they’ll be right up your street.

One of the most exciting parts about this lot is how feverishly their fans have packed out their audiences all over the country, somehow learning every single word to every song before most of the material had even been released on any kind of platform. They’ve led with their live reputation – and it shows.

Case and point – the crowd at The Key Club in Leeds, where our mates over at The Hoot got to witness them up close and personal as the entire room erupted in a chorus of screams about a girl called Amber:

“To be playing venues like these with only five songs out still feels surreal”, says lead singer Finn Keogh. “We always imagined we’d reach this level after years of supporting other bands, but somehow we’ve skipped that step.

“It’s mad, come March, our biggest indoor shows will have been our own. Electric Ballroom [in London] is a special one for me personally; I’ve seen some life-changing gigs there. To be on that stage this time around is going to feel unreal.”

Listing a total of 16 live show dates up and down the country throughout March and April of 2026, it’s fair to say we Mancs are excited to see them playing their biggest room in our city to date, having absolutely smashed Gorilla this past October.

Tickets for Keo at the O2 Ritz in Manchester go on sale next Wednesday, 5 November at 10am; you can get ready to grab yours right HERE.

The debut release from Keo has delighted fans and critics alike, and their Manchester gig is sure to be a stormer.

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For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images — Hermione Sylvester (supplied)

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IDLES frontman Joe Talbot set for ’10 Songs That Made Me’ interview at AO Arena

Danny Jones Danny Jones Joe Talbot 10 Songs That Made Me podcast interview Manchester AO Arena tickets

Cult favourite frontman Joe Talbot of IDLES fame is set to for an eye-opening sit-down interview as part of AO Arena’s ’10 Songs That Made Me’ series.

The lead singer of the politically-charged post-punk band will be joining the in-conversation event opposite BBC 6 Music host and popular radio host, full stop, Chris Hawkins.

Having often drifted into hardcore, art rock and even spoken word at times, Joe Talbot and co. have become known for the cutting lyricism and insightful songwriting in general, so we can only assume that diving into his own musical influences will be just as riveting.

Joining his fellow audophile on stage at the city’s legendary live music and entertainment venue this November, Talbot and Hawkins will be running through the tracks that quite literally helped create the musician we know today.

According to the AO, the arena will host an in-depth chat with the provocative 41-year-old artist as he walks Chris Hawkins through “the most important musical chapters of his life, his stunning musical journey from resident DJ at one of Bristol’s hottest clubs, through to headlining Glastonbury festival.”

It is quite the career he’s had when you break it down.

They go on to promise “raw honesty and trademark wit” as Joe reflects on the record, acts and cultural moments that shaped him as a young performer before breaking onto the scene with IDLES.

As for the ’10 Songs That Made Me’ series itself, it may be what it says on the tin, but most interestingly, being in the crowd and hearing it from each different group/individual changes the experience entirely.

“More than a story of success—it’s a journey of resilience, passion, and community”, they go on to add. “Expect an evening of candid conversation, unexpected anecdotes, and deep dives into the music that has not only defined Joe’s career but also resonated with millions around the world.

If you’re fans of the band or Talbot, in particular, you’ll already know they’re great orators; plus, if you caught even a small clip from his own fledgling Oh Gatekeeper podcast, you’ll know he loves nothing more than diving deep into tunes that shape not just the audio landscape but people at their core.

Just casually getting the lead singer of The Strokes on for in the first season, as you do…

On a personal note, we’ve watched the IDLES x Grammy Museum interview on multiple ocassions at this point, and know how much artistry there is behind everything they do.

The same goes for Talbot, specifically – there’s no doubt about that.

If you’re interested in being part of the audience for Joe Talbot’s in conversation event with Chris Hawkins as part of ’10 Songs That Made Me’, tickets for the date at AO Arena on Tuesday, 25 November are live now, and you can grab yours via Skiddle right HERE.

Last but not least, special mention goes to the interviewing expert himself, whose recent chat with Tim Burgess about The Charlatans getting back into the studio is also well worth a listen.

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For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images — Press shot (supplied)

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