Music

Happy Mondays star streams yoga series on YouTube: ‘Get Mellow With Bez’

Happy Mondays frontman Bez is back doing online exercises classes this week - taking part in yoga sessions led by a local journalist.

The Manc The Manc - 2nd March 2021
Get Mellow With Bez sees the Happy Mondays frontman try yoga for the first time / Image: YouTube

Happy Mondays frontman Bez is back doing online exercises classes – taking part in yoga sessions led by a local journalist.

The iconic Madchester musician has signed up to sample the meditative exercise as part of a brand new series being streamed to YouTube: Get Mellow With Bez.

Classes are being led by Amy Farnworth, who works for the Lancashire Telegraph and teaches yoga in her spare time.

The exercise series follows hot on the heels of Get Buzzin’ With Bez – a gruelling January fitness class designed to rival Joe Wicks’ workouts for Lockdown 3.

According to his teacher, Bez has taken to yoga “like a duck to water”.

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Amy reported: “He’s such a good laugh, and so down to earth and he was an amazing student too, really keen to learn.

“He really got into the classes and after a while I just felt like I was teaching a mate.”

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Bez said he wanted to give yoga a try so he could become more flexible – which would allow him to keep throwing shapes whenever he’s on stage.

“I’m really enjoying learning yoga, I can feel myself getting more flexible each week,” Bez told the Lancashire Telegraph.

“It’s been great working with Amy, she’s a great teacher and I’m looking forward to carrying on for as long as I can.”

You can watch episodes of Get Mellow With Bez on YouTube.

Music

Bloc Party and Interpol announce exclusive co-headline tour and a pair of Manchester gigs

Danny Jones Danny Jones Bloc Party x Interpol co-headline tour dates Manchester gig tickets

In an increasingly rare kind of announcement, Bloc Party and Interpol have announced a co-headline tour across the UK and Europe, and Manchester is lucky enough to be getting two dates.

How the pair of shows may differ from night to night remains to be seen, but it feels like it’s been a good long while since we last heard about two acts doubling on gigs in this kind of way.

Officially confirmed on Halloween, both Bloc Party and Interpol revealed the plans for the collaborative shows on each of their social media channels, leaving most fans delighted and plenty crying out for dates in their own cities.

It might be only a small thing, but we really enjoyed how they announced the joint performances with two different twists on the same tour poster.

bloc part x interpol tour dates UK
interpol x bloc party shows
It might be more of just a colour variation than two different bits of artwork, but little stuff like this is always cool. (Credit: Supplied)

As two groups that soundtracked a very distinct period and era for alternative and indie rock, some would argue that you couldn’t find a more suitable fit of contemporaries.

Having both carved out their own corner of the music industry 2000s, Bloc Party‘s breakout debut, Silent Alarm, and Interpol’s seminal sophomore album, Antics, were two of the most seminal and definitive records in the scene at the time.

With that in mind, getting the pair not only back on the road to play the hits and more but doing it together at some of the most exciting venues in the country and on the continent is quite the coup.

Props to whoever came up with the idea, seriously.

Speaking of that landmark second LP from Interpol, the New York-formed indie and post-punk revivalists last played Manchester back in November as part of the release’s 20th anniversary at the O2 Apollo.

As for their counterparts, Kele Okereke’s four-piece most recent Manc visit was to Castlefield Bowl for this year’s Sounds of the City series, so we’re glad to be getting them back again next year.

bloc party aviva studios manchester gigs
interpol manchester shows
Credit: Mr. Rossi/Andreas Lawen, Fontandi (via Wikimedia Commons)

You can see the two artists’ European and domestic tour dates – including the only other two Northern listings here in Britain – down below.

Bloc Party x Interpol 2026 co-headline tour dates

November

  • Tue 10 – Copenhagen, Royal Arena
  • Wed 11 – Berlin, Uber Arena
  • Thu 12 – Hamburg, Barclays Arena
  • Sat 14 – Dusseldorf, PSD Bank Dome
  • Mon 16 – Paris, Le Zenith
  • Tue 17 – Amsterdam, AFAS Live
  • Wed 18 – Brussels, Forest National
  • Fri 20 – Birmingham, Utilita Arena
  • Sat 21 – Cardiff, Utilita Arena
  • Mon 23 – Manchester, Aviva Studios
  • Tue 24 – Manchester, Aviva Studios
  • Thu 26 – Brighton, Brighton Centre
  • Fri 27 – Brighton, Brighton Centre
  • Sat 28 – Sheffield, Utilita Arena
  • Mon 30 – Dublin, 3Arena

December

  • Wed 2 – Glasgow, OVO Hydro
  • Fri 4 – London, Olympia
  • Sat 5 – London, Olympia

General admission tickets go live at 9am on Friday, 7 November, but fans can get early access by signing up to the bands’ mailing lists.

The pre-sale window will be open from the same time next Wednesday (5 Nov), and you can get ready to grab your tickets right HERE.

They’re not the only big Noughties names coming to the home of Factory International either…

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Featured Images — Ildiii/Mr. Rossi (via Wikimedia Commons)/Publicity picture (supplied)

Music

Richard Ashcroft and Blossoms to headline Neighbourhood Weekender 2026 lineup

Danny Jones Danny Jones NBHD Weekender festival lineup 2026

The first wave of the NBHD Weekender lineup for 2026 is officially out, and Greater Manchester leads the way in terms of headliners, with local music legend Richard Ashcroft and Stockport’s finest, Blossoms, both confirmed for the big slot on the main stage.

Now THAT is how you kick off an announcement.

Yes, Neighbourhood Weekender always promises a healthy dose of Northern acts on the lineup, including plenty of Mancs, scousers and others from Cheshire and the region at large, but to get two much-loved music artists from our boroughs topping the 2026 bill is an absolute treat.

With other noteworthy appearances in the Kaiser Chiefs, DMA’s, Jamie Webster, Example and many more on there already, it feels like next year’s festival is shaping up to be a potential all-timer.

As you can see, the first wave of the NBHD 2026 lineup also includes returning crowd-pleasers like Shed Seven, Razorlight and The K’s.

Other acts that also caught our eye include our own natives like Arkayla, The Guest List, Luvcat and The Covasettes, just to name a few, as well as rising ‘Britainicana outfit’, Westside Cowboy, who just so happen to star on our most recent round-up of what we’ve been listening to.

In fact, there are a few past Manc bands of the month features on this lineup, not to mention more nearby names in Lucvat, The Royston Club, Keyside, Nxdia and so on, who are all well worth earmarking ahead of the stage splits being announced.

One name we’re also very excited to see play another big festival crowd is post-grunge four-piece Keo, who recently announced their most “ambitious” tour to date, including what is set to be a massive gig right here in 0161.

As for the headliners, indie heroes Blossoms need no introduction; nor does Wigan’s most famous musical son, with Ashcroft riding a real resurgence at the moment – he’s also one of our artists of the month, naturally.

In fact, confirmation of both Ashcroft and his Oasis Live ’25 support act partners, Cast, being booked for Warrington’s Victoria Park and the next NBHD Fest comes after the 54-year-old confirmed a fellow hometown band for some very big shows of his own.

The organisers have already promised that a lot more musicians are set to join the lineup for next May Bank Holiday Weekend (Saturday 23- Sun 24 May 2025), and we can’t wait to see who else they rope in for the festival.

Sign-up for pre-sale is set to go live next Thursday, 6 November at 9:30am and, as always, those living in WA1-WA5 postcode get exclusive early access ahead of that from the same time on Wednesday.

As for general admission tickets, they’ll be available from the following Friday (7 Nov) – once again, from 9:30 onwards – and new for this year, there will also be different payment plans via their website.

You can get ready to grab your tickets HERE. See you in the fields!

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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 shots (supplied)/Audio North

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