Oh hello there. All calmed down from the Oasis chaos now, have we? Well good, because we’re back to celebrating newer and largely lesser-known local bands and artists – hopefully to the point that they become far too big to need round-ups like these.
Not that we’ll stop writing them, mind you.
Yes, after last month’s edition (wink wink, nudge nudge), we’ve got five more Manc born and bred or at the very least currently based somewhere in within boroughs bands and artists that Audio North has been enjoying of late.
We welcome all walks of tunage here, by the way; it’s the best way to be and if you don’t manage to find something there’s always next month or all the previous ones, for that matter. Let’s get into it.
Five Manc artists we’ve been listening to recently
1. Nia Archives
Kicking the September rundown in style, we’ve got the wonderful Nia Archives, who despite not hailing from Manchester originally has made a happy home here, playing countless stages around the city since she moved here when she was just 16 and now she’s well and truly shining.
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The 2022 BBC Introducing Artist of the Year is set to deliver her Up Ya Archives club night to The Warehouse Project for just the second time and if you’ve never heard her before, you’re really not ready for the breadth going on. Dance, electronic, D’n’B, jungle, neo-soul – she really does play with it all.
From Bradford, Leeds then to 0161, she’s got to be one of our favourite talents around right now. ‘Baiana’ is certainly one of her biggest tunes and her debut title track ‘Silence Is Loud’ is a certified banger, but we’re gonna shout out her remix of ‘leavemealone’ by Fred again… and Baby Keem.
From varied floor-fillers to another genre-bending outfit that we’re ashamed to confess we arrived far too late but are making up for it with some intense listening over the last 30 days. They started out as a trio nailing alternative synth-pop but things have got even more interesting and complex since then.
With roots in Wilmslow, Cheadle Hulme and various other spots around Greater Manchester, the band has grown in every sense of the word since their highly acclaimed 2019 debut, not only because they’re a five-piece these days but because their sound is oozing with so many sprawling influences.
One of the first tunes we heard from them is ‘High Pressure Days’ (it’s a cover but we don’t care), so that has to go in there as a potential starting point, but we’d also check out ‘Somebody Like’ before trying ‘Bloom and Fade’ off their upcoming third album, out 18 October, to see how much things have changed.
Next up is a much more familiar sound for us as Yasmin Coe has the shimmery, shoegaze-esque guitars that her sound is fitting right in with the 90s revival that’s currently thriving all over the country, not to mention a great display of versatility so early on in her career.
If you ask her, she’s self-proclaimed ‘girl power pop’, but there’s everything from Lana Del Rey, Mazzy Star, Wolf Alice and more going on here; safe to say we’re really excited to see where else she takes her music and we’ll definitely be buying a ticket to see her in person very soon.
Fortunately for you, Yasmin’s still pretty fresh so she only has four songs for you to get stuck into – ‘No Hope’, ‘Doubt’, ‘Promise Not To Care’ and her latest, ‘Linen’ – and you’ll get something different from all of them. We love artists like this, keep it up.
For a slightly heavier, more in-your-face entry at number four, our penultimate band has been enjoying the live setting for years but is slowly working its way onto people’s playlists – ours included.
There’s a lot more no-nonsense American rock to the very Mancunian-named Haciendas than there is Madchester or even Britpop, but that feels somewhat refreshing in amongst the mix of contemporary guitar-driven bands, and they also have the attitude to back it up. Think The Reytons but with more US-inflections and riffs and you’re part way there.
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This is music that doesn’t need over-intellectualising: it’s fast, fun and even if it does subscribe to somewhat formulaic chorus formats, they’re winning combos for a reason. Our top picks are ‘Overdose’, ‘Brighter Days’ and you can’t go wrong with ‘I’m Not In Control’.
5. Denver County Council
Last but not least, we’ve got Denver County Council: one of the best sounding and, in our opinion, best-dressed bands in Manchester – especially if you’re like us and you love early Kings of the Leon era or anything even remotely close to the country aesthetic. There’s a real mix of blues/old-school rock and roll vibe with an indie sensibility, what’s not to like?
These guys came on our radar around the time they landed a spot on AO Arena‘s stripped-back series last year and we’ve been enjoying them on and off ever since, to be honest. However, since we spotted them on the lineup for Neighbourhood 2024, they’ve been firmly back in the rotation.
These guys haven’t put out tonnes of much just yet either, however, if we had to play favourites amongst the few it would be ‘Grace’, ‘Flawd’ and Mad Love – but the strictly the live version that we can’t wait to hear for ourselves this weekend. Having said that they can also do lovely slower ones like this:
These guys are the real ‘DCC’ and they’re the fifth and final name of our Manc artists of the month.
Phoebe Bridgers announces long-awaited return with HUGE phones-free arena gig in Manchester
Emily Sergeant
It’s official, Phoebe Bridgers is back on earth.
More than six years since her last studio album, Punisher, was released to the world, cementing her status as one of indie folk’s leading figureheads, Phoebe Bridgers has given fans the news they have been waiting so patiently for.
A new tour North America and EU tour is on the horizon, and she’ll be stopping off here in Manchesterlater this year for a huge arena gig.
Following a sold-out acoustic show at New York City’s Madison Square Garden last night (4 June), Phoebe has now revealed details of ‘The Lost Tour’ for 2026.
Other than the series of surprise pop-up acoustic shows that have wrapped around the country over the last few weeks – beginning in Roswell in New Mexico on 8 May, and continuing on to smaller venues in other US cities before culminating in last night’s dazzling MSG show – this upcoming full band tour marks the first Phoebe Bridgers shows since early 2023.
Phoebe will be taking to the stage at Co-op Live here in Manchester for one night only on 26 November 2026 – with tickets going on sale next week.
And just like the pop-up shows, the use of mobile phones, cameras, and other recording devices will be strictly prohibited on this tour, encouraging fans to be more present in the moment.
This means the Co-op Live event will utilise secure pouches to store all devices during the performance.
Phoebe Bridgers is playing a huge arena gig in Manchester on her UK tour later this year / Credit: Supplied | Raph PH (Wikimedia Commons)
Upon arrival, all phones, smartwatches, and related accessories will be secured in these pouches, the pouches will be unlocked at the conclusion of the show, and any guest observed using a non-permitted device during the performance will be escorted out of the venue.
If the news of Phoebe’s return wasn’t exciting enough for fans as it is, she won’t be the only one making a highly-anticipated return to the stage, as support on the UK & EU leg of the tour is to be provided by former Black Country, New Road frontman, Isaac Wood.
Wood stepped away from the ensemble band – and the limelight as a whole – right before the release of BCNR’s critically acclaimed second studio album, Ants From Up There, in 2022, citing mental health reasons.
Phoebe has also partnered with PLUS1 so that €1/£1 from every ticket sold on the European tour leg goes to local organisations throughout the EU/UK working to support those impacted by sexual assault and violence.
Phoebe Bridgers will be playing Co-op Live as part of ‘The Lost Tour’ on Thursday 26 November 2026.
Tickets officially go on sale first through the Phoebe Bridgers Pass Presale via Fan3, and Co-op Member Presale starting at 10am on Wednesday 10 June, before general sale then begins on Friday 12 June, again at 10am.
UB40 at AO Arena, Manchester – tickets, times, setlist and more for UK tour
Thomas Melia
British-based reggae band UB40 are coming to Manchester for a celebration of all their greatest hits live at AO Arena.
Formed in Birmingham in the late 70’s, this predominantly dub and reggae band has gone on to achieve much success, including 50 UK charting singles.
UB40 have also sold over 100 million records, as well as keeping a consistent line-up for almost 30 years, before lead vocalist Ali Campbell decided to leave the band.
Now, the band’s lead vocalist is former Kioko lead singer Matt Doyle, who’s taken on this role since mid-2021 and is ready to soundtrack your night while you enjoy some ‘Red Red Wine’.
There’s no official setlist confirmed for their latest tour, however, this 11-piece band have played an array of European dates with a pretty consistent roster of tracks:
Here I Am (Come and Take Me)
Maybe Tomorrow
Homely Girl
Sing Our Own Song
One in Ten
Home
Please Don’t Make Me Cry
Many Rivers to Cross
Higher Ground
The Way You Do the Things You Do
I’ll Be Your Baby Tonight
Cherry Oh Baby
Johnny Too Bad
Red Red Wine
Food For Thought
Forever True
Kingston Town
Can’t Help Falling in Love
What are the stage times for UB40 in Manchester?
Anyone up for seeing UB40 play out at Manchester’s impressive 19,000-seater AO Arena will have to get there a tad early.
Doors will open at 6pm with a gig start time of 6:45pm due to the special guests who will be taking to the stage before them.
Make sure you get down early, as you really won’t want to miss the phenomenal duo Aswad, as well as standout vocalist Maxi Priest – It really is a reggae revolution.
For those of you heading to AO Arena, luckily, it’s connected to Manchester Victoria Station, and it has an integrated Metrolink stop to make your life even easier.
Head along the pink, light blue or yellow lines directly to the Victoria stop, and you can get off the tram literally spitting distance from the arena. You can find the full map HERE.
Train
Considering this live entertainment venue is situated right in the middle of one of Manchester’s most frequented stations, concertgoers should find no problem getting to the arena, wherever they are.
Bus
A variety of buses cover AO Arena andVictoria Station on their route, such as the 2 bus, which stops just a one-minute walk away from the venue.
A full list of buses and their routes can be found HERE.
The Arena has its own official CitiPark, with 958 car parking spaces, including 40 Blue Badge parking bays, which can be booked in advance.
Alternatively, anyone attending a gig can park at their nearest train station and jump on a train service or the various Metrolink park and ride facilities.
Walk/cycle
Greater Manchester now also offers the option to hire bikes through the Beryl app, with riders able to locate, unlock, get to their destination and then safely lock up the bike all through an easy-to-use app.
Danny Jones -
30th September 2024 
