‘Hello… is it more Manc tunes you’re looking for?’ because if so, you’re in the right place, as it’s time to reel off a whole new list of new music and Manchester artists we’ve been listening to over the past 30 days or so.
Give or take – you know how months work.
If you are new around here, it’s all very simple: every few weeks, we round up a load of local bands, duos, solo acts and everything in between to help spread some love and exposure to the wonderful talents that have been stuck in our rotations and so on.
Honestly, it really is that straightforward, and there’s no point in faffing around any longer, so let’s just get stuck into September’s Manc artists of the month.
Manchester music we’ve been listening to lately
1. SHADE
Now, this first one is rather bittersweet, because despite having just gotten back into SHADE, we’ve sadly learned that the lads are seemingly looking to wrap things up as a musical unit in just a matter of days with their final ever headline show right here in Manchester.
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The native four-piece band have always managed a good balance of the indie-rock split and, in our opinion, only gotten better with time; the instrumentation is tighter, Luke Owens’ vocals have come into their own, and the overall music itself is better produced.
Unfortunately, the lads never quite got the following we feel they deserved, and for whatever reasons, they confirmed they’re calling time after five years with one last gig at Gorilla. There’s a farewell after-party at Night and Day too, so come help us sing ‘Neverdie’, ‘Break Out’, ‘Lost in The World Together’ and more one last time.
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2. Roxanne
From an example of a group coming to the end of the journey to one just at the beginning of theirs, number two is fellow Manc indie and alt-rock outfit Roxanne, who look to be developing a slow-moving, haunting, ethereal wave/shoegaze sound. It’s still too early to tell, but we’re certainly interested.
These guys recently caught some attention via grassroots events at the likes of Stage and Radio, and Mother Mary’s; now they have ours. A minor gripe, ironically, is that these lot are yet to put on the red light and record much studio material – at least nothing that they’ve dropped as far as we can find so far.
On the upside, you can at least be in from the ground floor for when they do finally release stuff, and even from the little demo teasers they’ve shared on social media so far, we think it’s well worth keeping an eye on how their first proper releases fare.
In at number three is someone at the opposite end of the spectrum: New Jersey-born BC Camplight – real name, Brian James Christinzio – who’s been around for some 20 or so years now, releasing plenty of music, but that we’ve somehow only just started cottoning onto now he’s based in Greater Manchester.
Camplight released album number seven just this past June, and it’s nothing short of one of the coolest, most creative, candid and most surprising things we may have EVER listened to. It feels abstract, post-modern and absurdist at times, but the highly idiosyncratic and anecdotal lyrics remind us of John Grant and a slightly calmer sounding Petey USA.
We’ll definitely be working our way backwards through his discography over the coming weeks to see how he’s developed such a unique sound over the decades, but for now we’ll reccommend you start with ‘The Tent’ and ‘Two Legged Dog’, which features Abigail Moss from The Last Dinner Party, as well as the title track, ‘A Sober Conversation‘. Some truly staggering and style-sprawling work.
You can help but wiggle your head and shoulders within seconds of hitting play.
4. Mae Grace
Switching from post-modern vibes to post-punk, next up is a fledgling five-piece fronted by, you guessed it: Mae Grace Williams. Another product of BIMM (British and Irish Modern Music Institute) University’s city centre campus, like Roxanne, they’re also still very early days, but there’s undeniable talent there.
Backed by the monthly ‘New Cult’ nights, which are hosted by indie record label Heist or Hit and held at NQ pub turned live music venue, The Rat and Pigeon, not only must we praise the showcase itself, but we’re not the only ones who have been intrigued by their embryonic stages.
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There are elements of spoken word and prog rock guitar at points; we don’t know exactly what genre we’d call it or what they’re even going for in their infancy, but with another gig this autumn supporting Adult Leisure on Sunday, 2 November, your best chance of judging for yourselves is seeing them live.
Last but certainly not least is another Manchester-based project we’ve only just come across, but with just three songs to their name on Spotify, we don’t think we’ve been quite this excited by a local debut for a while now. And for bloody good reason, we think.
Moss Side Sauna Club isn’t just one of the best band names we’ve heard in ages, but the highly alternative, DIY, almost garage-rock act which throws in all manner of distortion, electronics, pedals, and more to build their deeply-layered and admittedly rather noisy experience. MSSC is its own sonic profile.
Even with all the processing and effects, it somehow doesn’t sound too cluttered either – at least not on tape, anyway. We’re yet to see them live for ourselves, but the triumvirate consisting of Will Brooks, Maddy Storm and Sam Craighan have got us gassed with their first trio of tracks. Watch. This. Space.
Would you look at that? We’re done with September’s round-up of new Greater Manchester music we’ve been listening to lately, just like that.
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It wasn’t intentional, but by and large, we really did spotlight some very up-and-coming acts on the scene for the most part. We love finding musicians right at their inception or riding the crest of a fresh wave of interest.
As always, we’ll be back again next month with more for you and in the meantime, you can always look back at Manchester bands and artists, be they new, current or old, that we’ve spotlighted in the past.
Featured Images — Bella Union/press shot (supplied)/SHADE (via Facebook)
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The legendary Hulme community pub The Old Abbey Taphouse has been reborn
Daisy Jackson
The closure of The Old Abbey Taphouse was a real blow for Hulme and the surrounding university district area; the community pub was a bit of a local institution thanks to its grassroots music and inclusive atmosphere.
But now it appears that the spirit of the venue lives on, under the new name of The Abbey.
Some of the city’s most experienced independent operators – who have been behind venues like YES and The Deaf Institute, and music promoters Now Wave – will be the new custodians of this beloved local landmark.
The pub, which closed early last year, has now been carefully and lovingly restored ahead of its big relaunch, which will start in true Manc vision with an exclusive opening night gig.
The Abbey is reborn. (Credit: The Manc Group)
The vision for its new chapter will be ‘Old Pub, New Music’, creating a new home for grassroots live music and emerging artists.
There’s also affordable, hearty pub grub, including Pieminister pies, and a huge range of beers from local breweries and beyond.
Bringing The Abbey back to life are a core team of four: Ruth Hemmingfield, Wesley Jones, Jonathan Wickstead and Gareth Butterworth.
Ruth, Jon and Wesley are co-owners of YES; Ruth previously launched and programmed landmark Manc venues including The Deaf Institute, Gorilla and Albert Hall; while Wesley and Jonathan, through Now Wave, promote hundreds of independent gigs and live events each year.
As for Gareth, he’s the founder of the multi-venue festival Manchester Psych Fest, meaning that all of them have plenty of hospitality, late-night, live music and events experience between them.
The team behind The Abbey pub. Credit: Piran Aston
The rear of the site of The Old Abbey Taphouse will be extended to create a new dedicated live music and events venue, while the cherished beer garden is given a facelift with new decking and its own bar.
The Abbey has stood in Hulme since the 1890s, playing an important role in the area’s heritage – this is where activist Len Johnson managed to overturn the shameful ‘colour bar’ policies of the 1940s.
Its restoration and relaunch are part of the flourishing Manchester Science Park development.
Matthew Pazos, Senior Retail Commercial Manager at Bruntwood SciTech, said: “Ruth, Wesley and Jonathan are the perfect custodians to breathe new life into The Abbey.
“Their reputation for running independent spaces in Manchester, alongside their live music expertise, will ensure this much-valued pub once again becomes a beating heart for Hulme and the wider neighbourhood.
“The reopening of The Abbey will create an inclusive new hub that welcomes everyone – from the Hulme locals who have looked after the pub over the years, to the Manchester Science Park community, university students, and the many residents and workers across the Oxford Road Corridor.
“We are delighted that such a culturally significant and important pub is set to open its doors once again.”
Ruth from the new Abbey team commented: “We love a good pub. With The Abbey, we’re excited about bringing a brilliant old pub back to life, protecting what people loved about it, and creating something special: a great local, alongside a vital grassroots music venue for the area.
“We’re honouring the pub’s history while building its future.”
Gig review | Lola Young’s Manchester comeback – A joyous return to stage at the O2 Apollo Manchester
Kristen MacGregor-Houlston
The excitement in the air is palpable in the O2 Apollo Manchester, the crowd is itching for her to make her way onto stage and is chanting her name – Manchester has missed you, Lola Young.
After an extended hiatus since she collapsed at the All Things Go festival in New York last September, Lola is back on a short tour to find her feet again. Whilst Manchester isn’t officially the first show, it is the headline performance for her comeback.
Lola’s break had come at a pivotal moment, with her third studio album, I’m Only F***ing Myself (2025), earning huge acclaim, performances across the globe, and endorsements from the likes of Elton John for her talent.
After cancelling all of her shows ‘for the foreseeable future’, Lola asked fans for their forgiveness, writing in an emotional statement: “I really hope you’ll give me a second chance once I’ve had some time to work on myself and come back stronger.”
Tough to handle for anyone, let alone a young rising artist.
It was clear to everyone that her hard work on herself had paid off, as this was a different Lola Young from the one I saw at Glastonbury last year: there was a calmness to her – she seemed more centred and more confident.
That calmness, however, did not mean a lacklustre performance: she is still a powerhouse; her stage presence is just magnetic, and it is clear to see how loved she is by her fans. The energy in the room didn’t falter the entire time she was on stage.
She kicked things off with ‘Sad Sob Story’, a song about moving on from a toxic relationship, which seemed fitting as she steps away from the drama and difficulties of last year into a fresh start. A wall-shaking opening number that set the scene for what was to follow with the rest of the show.
As part of her healing journey, Young stated that she has decided to write something special and specific for each show to tell herself if she’s worried or doubting her ability.
She shared her Manchester mantra with us: “When you are connected, when you express what you feel is true to you, when you open yourself up and share your very unique experience, remember you are electric… Those who want to listen will lean in, no matter your volume.”
Although she was clearly introspecting, she was also speaking to her audience, her fans, and expressing gratitude for them still being there. Shouts of support echoed out through the venue, her fans truly loving and supporting her as they have since day one, perhaps more so than ever.
Her performances of songs like ‘Big Brown Eyes’, ‘Not Like That Anymore’ and ‘Conceited’, showed just how much fun Lola was having on stage, being back and being surrounded by people who truly loved her.
At times, the crowd were singing along so loudly and passionately that she laughed and told the audience, “I can’t even hear myself in my own ears.” She had to occasionally take moments to step back and take it all in, seemingly overwhelmed with joy at the outpouring of love being reflected back to her.
Her band were also a stand-out, sharing in her energy and passion. It is clear that Young and her band could easily fill huge arenas with their talent and fervour, but this more intimate venue just seemed correct.
Lola continued to prove throughout the night why she was so deserving of her BRIT Award for ‘Breakthrough Artist of the Year’, and her Grammy nominations for ‘Best New Artist’ and ‘Best Pop Solo Performance’.
Her vocal talent, emotional depth and electric stage presence were showcased in songs like ‘why do i feel better when i hurt you?’, ‘Post Sex Clarity’ and the incredible ‘You Noticed’, showing an extremely vulnerable side to her that had many audience members tearing up.
We saw all sides of Young during this show, with her iconic songs ‘One Thing’, ‘d£aler’ and ‘Messy’ practically blasting the roof off of the O2 Apollo Manchester.
The fans could hardly contain themselves, screaming the lyrics back at her – it was truly a night to remember for everyone.
With another night in Manchester due to popular demand, Lola promised to be back soon. Could it be a bigger tour, bigger venues, new music?
Who knows, but for now we’re just glad to see her healthy and have her back in our lives again.
Danny Jones -
30th September 2025 
