Fans at a gig in Sheffield were left open-mouthed on Sunday night after they looked up to see that none other than Johnny Depp had appeared on stage.
Depp, who has recently been embroiled in a very public defamation trial with his ex-wife Amber Heard, shocked and delighted music fans when he made a surprise appearance alongside his close friend Jeff Beck in the city over the weekend.
Seemingly out of nowhere, the Pirates of the Caribbean actor emerged alongside Beck, electric guitar in hand, to rock out on stage just days after the closing arguments were heard in his trial
The 58-year-old actor – who has been keeping a low profile throughout the court case – appeared triumphantly alongside his good friend Jeff Beck during a concert held on Sunday night, reports The Sheff.
The pair proceeded to rock out to their 2020 hit ‘Isolation’ – a remake of John Lennon’s original hit, first released in the 1970s – with Depp delivering a funky electric guitar solo, before performing renditions of Jimi Hendrix’s ‘Little Wing’ and Marvin Gaye’s classic ‘What’s Going On.’
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Fans erupted online with excitement at seeing Depp take to the stage with his guitar and close friend, just days after the closing arguments were heard in his highly publicised court case with his ex-wife, Amber Heard.
Sharing a picture of the gig on Instagram, one person wrote ‘Wasn’t expecting this, I thought he was in court but turns out he’s in Sheffield with Jeff Beck.’
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Before becoming a famous actor, Depp had begun his career as a musician. His mother gave him his first guitar aged 12, at which point he began playing in various bands.
Image: @salveogvm/Twitter
He later dropped out of high school, aged 16, to become a rock musician. before ultimately making it in Hollywood as a famous actor eight years later, when his career was launched by his role as a teen heartthrob in 21 Jump Street.
Despite his success as an actor he has continued to pursue his music and, alongside Alice Cooper and Joe Perry, went on to form the supergroup Hollywood Vampires in 2015.
Depp has kept a low profile throughout his court cart with his ex-wife, reportedly going to stay at Joshua Tree due to the ‘stress’ of it, so it came as a shock to many to see him taking to the stage …and in Sheffield, of all places.’
He is currently suing Amber Heard for Defamation after she wrote an op-ed for The Washington Post about her experiences with Domestic Abuse in 2018.
The court case has been live-streamed throughout its procedures, leading to huge amounts of media coverage and fan speculation.
Both parties lawyers made their closing arguments on May 24 and the jury has since been sent away to deliberate. They are expected to return to continue discussions on Tuesday, May 31.
Feature image – @salveogvm/Twitter
Audio
DMA’s confirm highly anticipated Hills End 10th anniversary tour dates
Danny Jones
Indie favourites DMA’s have finally confirmed their highly anticipated Hills End anniversary tour, celebrating 10 years since their breakout debut album with several UK dates – including Manchester.
The Aussie band beloved by Brits and music fans all over have been teasing a reveal of some sort over the past weeks, but now the news is official.
Up there with the Sydney music scene’s finest exports right now, DMA’s have always had a strong following over here, but especially so up North and Manchester in particular, with their youthful, uplifting and moving style often striking up similarities to our own indie rock roots.
Revealing details of the Hills End 10th anniversary shows on social media this Monday, the talented trio have confirmed a number of Northern gigs.
Besides us Mancs being the first stop on the run of live shows (honoured, of course), perhaps the most exciting part about this announcement is that this will be the very first time DMA’s will be performing their maiden LP live in full.
At this time, we’re not sure whether or not they’ll be playing from start to finish in order, but either way, fans are understandably very excited; you can consider us here at Audio North firmly included in that group, by the way.
We’re sure we don’t need to remind you lot reading this per se, but cherished tracks from the record obviously include ‘Delete’, ‘Lay Down’, ‘In The Moment’.
They’ll also be playing working-class outposts like Newcastle and Glasgow, as well as paying a visit to our friends over at The Hoot in Yorkshire. You can see the full list of shows down below.
DMA’s Hills End 10th anniversary tour 2026 – UK dates
February
Friday 06 – O2 Victoria Warehouse, Manchester
Saturday 07 – NX, Newcastle
Sunday 08 – O2 Academy, Birmingham
Tuesday 10 – O2 Academy, Bristol
Thursday 12 – O2 Academy Brixton, London
Saturday 14 – O2 Academy, Leeds
Monday 16 – O2 Academy, Glasgow
May
Thursday 21 – Rock City, Nottingham
Friday 22 – UEA, Norwich
What an album this is.
“The UK has always felt like a second home for us. Hills End was where our story really began overseas, so it feels right to come back and celebrate it with the fans who’ve supported us from day one.”
Literally almost a full decade on from its release, the DMA’s anniversary tour kicks here in Manchester next Feb and, as of yet, no support act has been confirmed.
Tickets go on sale at 9am this Friday, 17 October; You can get ready to grab your tickets HERE.
Johnny Marr announces huge hometown show at Castlefield Bowl
Danny Jones
Johnny Marr is the latest act announced for next year’s Sounds of the City (SOTC), with the Manchester music legend set for a massive hometown show at Castlefield Bowl.
Not that we’re getting carried away or anything, but the SOTC 2026 lineup is already shaping up to be arguably one of the best ever.
With The K’s confirmed as the first band playing the annual outdoor festival in the city’s stunning amphitheatre, and other names now starting to fly in, the iconic Manc musician becomes number three on the roster.
Detailing his huge homecoming gig on Monday, 13 October, the legendary guitarist and songwriter is coming to Castlefield Bowl next summer.
I’m pleased to announce that I’ll be performing a hometown show at Castlefield Bowl on Thursday, 9 July 2026.
Presale begins Wednesday, 15 October at 10am BST, with general on sale from Friday, 17 October at 10am BST.
While he might be best known for his time with The Smiths, Johnny Marr has remained a noteworthy session player and featured artist alongside various artists ever since.
More importantly, he’s been releasing solo material for well over a decade now, with his recent Look Out Live! compilation record – made up of recordings from his London best of show – having only just dropped this past September.
Better still, he’s bringing fellow native indie and alternative band, Everything Everything, along for an all-Mancunian evening under what we hope will be sunny skies.
As big fans of both here at The Manc, we cannot wait for this one.
In case you missed the previous reveal, number two on the multi-date Sounds of the City lineup is another genre-defining name, as The Streets are set to play Castlefield Bowl once again, having last played the bucket list venue back in 2021.
As for ‘Misery Moz’s mate, the 61-year-old will be coming to the 10-day live event on 9 July, in between The K’s and Mike Skinner’s entourage.
Fans can land early access by signing up for presale via the official Johnny Marr mailing list from 10am this Wednesday, 15 October BST, while general admission tickets will be available from the same time on the following Friday (17 Oct).
Georgina Pellant -
30th May 2022 
