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LF System on headlining ‘The Drop’, favourite dancefloor anthems and more

Packed my dancing shoes for this one. (This article contains affiliate links).

Thomas Melia Thomas Melia - 14th April 2025

Scottish DJ duo LF System are playing an intimate set in Manchester as part of ‘The Drop’, a special monthly event series for a very important cause.

‘The Drop’, sees the hitmakers joining two more greats, DJ Paulette and Turno, as headliners for this remarkable event all about raising awareness and funds for mental health in the music industry.

The mastermind partnership of Headstock and Skiddle, each event champions a charity which benefits including Music Minds Matter (Turno) and Nordoff & Robbins (DJ Paulette and LF System).

The first monthly set comes from the DJ duo behind one of the biggest UK club staples, ‘Afraid To Feel’, as LF System take over Manchester’s newest clubbing venue, Amber’s – who typically keep their lineups private – for an exclusive ‘Coffee Table Session’.

LF System, Conor Larkman and Sean Finnigan, outside their New York session venue.
LF System, Conor Larkman and Sean Finnigan, outside their New York session venue.
Credit: Supplied

LF System Interview

This event is in aid of Nordoff & Robbins: how important is this cause to you?

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We feel like music should be enjoyed by. Anyone, no matter what. Nordoff & Robbins make that possible.

They help everyone, all ages through music therapy. It’s important to us that [this event] supports them. Everybody deserves a chance to have a go at music, it’s a great cause that allows people to have great opportunities.

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LF System's Conor at a recent event in New York.
LF System’s Conor at a recent event in New York.
The Scottish duo LF System, playing an intimate set in New York.
The Scottish duo LF System, playing an intimate set in New York.
Credit: Supplied

What can fans expect from your special set for the monthly music series ‘The Drop’? 

It may be a bit different to what we usually do as it’s a coffee table session set-up, but there’ll definitely be good vibes and good music all night.

There’ll be a lot of unreleased stuff that we’ve been making recently, mostly from our new EP that’s coming, and it gives us a chance to play our new songs and see people’s reactions. So far, they’ve been good every time we’ve included them.

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How come you’ve opted for a ‘Coffee table session’ rather than a huge rave vibe, especially considering how much your music gets crowds up on their feet?

We’ve never actually done a coffee table session in a club before, so that’ll be our first for us. It’s going to be electric and fresh.

You just get to showcase a lot more music than when what you do when you’re playing a club set, different BPMs.

[Coffee table sessions] still get people up and dancing, but it’s just a different type of night. It’s relaxed, happy dance music, you know what I mean? You don’t have, don’t have to go mad ‘fer it, just a nice chilled one.

As well-respected DJs, it’s only fair we consult you on Manchester’s clubbing scene, so how would you rate the club culture and atmosphere in our city?

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We always have a good time in Manchester and there’s always good crowds. It [Manchester] is just like that.

There’s a good culture to do in this city, so I think it’s a good place to bring this session too, and we’re looking forward to it.

It’s got a really rich history and you can always feel that when you’re there, it’s always a good time in any of [Manchester’s] different venues. Everyone always seems right up for it.

House music is known to improve people’s moods, and ‘The Drop’ is all about music and mental health, so to finish off, what’s your all-time favourite top three mood boosting house tracks?

Sean

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  • ‘Music Sounds Better With You’ by Stardust
  • ‘Beautiful People’ by Barbara Tucker
  • ‘In Love With You’ by The Paradise

Conor

  • ‘Why Not?’ by Skate Bård
  • ‘I Think I’ll Do Some Skipping On My Own’ by Sandy B (Opolopo Rework)
  • ‘Night Walkin” by Mermaid S
LF System are bringing their bangers to 'The Drop' in Manchester.
LF System are bringing their bangers to ‘The Drop’ in Manchester.
Spinning the decks just like they will at Amber's in Manchester later this month at 'The Drop'.
Spinning the decks just like they will at Amber’s in Manchester later this month at ‘The Drop’.

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LF System are kicking off ‘The Drop’ with their Coffee table session at Renae in Manchester on Thursday, 24 April.

Tickets are already live and you can grab yours HERE.

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

Featured Image — Publicity Pictures (supplied)

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Scouting For Girls on Chesney Hawkes, Manchester gigs, Old Trafford and new tour

Thomas Melia Thomas Melia

In case you missed it, British boyband and pop-rockers Scouting For Girls have announced a 20-date UK tour for early next year.

They’re already planning potential set lists for the tour already including some very special surprises as well as an entire brand new album.

Lead vocalist Roy Stride reminisces on life in a boyband, career highlights and just how excited he is to play Manchester once again.

After playing at Manchester Cathedral earlier this year, the boys are coming back to one of Manchester’s city centre music venues for a 15-year anniversary tour for their sophomore LP, Everybody Wants To Be On TV.

@scoutingforgirls

Manchester Cathedral ❤️🙌🥰

♬ She’s So Lovely – Scouting For Girls

Scouting For Girls Interview

With the announcement of a new tour, can we expect any new music to coincide with this?

 We have announced a new album that will come out after our tour. This tour is all about celebrating the second album, we’re going to slip in maybe one or two new songs into the setlist as we go, though.

How excited are you to be coming back to Manchester after the reception of your cathedral gig earlier this year?

 That Manchester Cathedral gig was like it, I was gonna say biblical, but it really, it really, like, it was an amazing place to play it and it, it was unlike any gig we’d done before. Audience participation and people singing along works so well in a cathedral.

It really was a great feeling.

Are there any songs that you’ve put out on Everybody Wants To Be On TV that have grown on you over time or become your favourite all these years later?

 There’s a song on there called ‘Posh Girls’ which I still can’t believe we put on the record, but it’s so ridiculous and fun, you know, that’s probably a real favourite of mine. It’s a real live favourite too.

Scouting for Girls are heading to O2 Apollo in Manchester early next year.
Scouting for Girls are heading to O2 Apollo in Manchester early next year.
Credit: Press Shot

This time round you’re playing O2 Apollo and in the past you’ve played multiple venues in our city centre, which has been your favourite?

 Night and Day Cafe and O2 Apollo but we’ve even played old Trafford. We played in between a football or rugby game, that was pretty epic.

There’s a video which went round our band and crew WhatsApp group of the first time we played [O2 Apollo] in 2010, like when the album first came out.

We played the Royal Albert Hall the night before with these trumpet players, and they got really drunk and ended up staying on the tour bus with us. The trumpet players weren’t supposed to be there, but we hid them in the Manchester crowd and got them to play this fanfare intro.

It was really bad because they were just incredibly hung over, it was all over the place and our guitarists’ were just filming it but it’s still a real core memory for me.

It’s not just Manchester you’re stopping off at either, you’re playing a 20 date UK tour, how are you feeling ahead of playing a tour this big?

I love traveling around the country. I love being on a tour bus. I love getting a show really good. Our shows are quite fluid and they change, and the setlists change, but when you get really tight on tour it’s a magical place because you go on stage and you know, whatever happens, it’s going to be amazing.

And in fact, the weirdest stuff that happens, whether I end up in the crowd or the balcony, doing a conga – it’ll be a great night every night.

On your album you have a song titled ‘Michaela Strachan’, you all met for the first time last year at your Shepherd’s Bush show – Have you considered the potential of her joining you on stage during this song?

Maybe. I don’t know, however, I’m quite a good friend of Chesney Hawkes, who was just in the Big Brother house, and he was supposed to play a couple of songs last tour.

He was going to pop up and play like ‘The One and Only’ at one of our shows last year and we couldn’t make it happen because our guitarist ended up having a baby early and we didn’t have enough time to do it. I think we will have to play ‘Michaela Strachan’ on tour, though.

You have a song titled ‘Elvis Ain’t Dead’ named after the rock ‘n’ roll legend, besides the Memphis icon, who are your favourite music legends?

I’ve got a holy trinity: The Beatles, The Beach Boys and The [Rolling] Stones, everything goes back to those bands for me.

I also like REM I’d love for them to get back together. They were one of the first bands I saw and when they split up I honestly mourned when they split us up, I was depressed for like two weeks. Their last album was so good.

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They’ve done a few shows now so I don’t whether they’ll get back together, but that is definitely something I would love to see.

With this tour celebrating the remarkable 15 year anniversary of Everyone Wants To Be On TV, are there any songs off this project you wish fans showed more attention to when the album initially came out?

There was a song called ‘Take A Chance’ which was the last single, I hadn’t listened to the album for many years but going back and listening to it properly there’s some really good moments on it.

You spoke on social media about your single ‘The Place We Used To Meet’ and the album of the same name being very personal to you. Did fans respond the same way they did to your first few records?

It was a slightly different record. I suppose the songs were a bit more like this inner love song in terms of being more introspective, a bit more ballady. We still had an amazing response to it and we’re really, really proud of that album. But I don’t think it had like a banger like our first records.

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If you could pick one song off The Place We Used To Meet that each of you connects to the most, what would it be and why?

Glow. It was one of the singles and it’s all about how I sort of met my wife and how we met in Tokyo, got engaged, went back to Tokyo and I proposed to her. I went and did a video [for ‘Glow’] in Tokyo too. So it’s really special.

I think we’re working out what songs we’re going to put in the festival set but I think that’s still got to be in there.

Have there been any moments in your career that have made you feel like ‘The Luckiest Boy In The World’? 

‘This Ain’t A Love Song’, because it went to number one and we got to play Christmas Top of the Pops. It was a massive thing for us – that was definitely a bucket list moment.

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We also made Pete, our drummer, wear a Santa costume and told him we were all going to dress up, then we walked out the dressing rooms and he was the only one in an outfit, so he’s just there with this whole Santa costume and beard set while we’re just dressed looking normal.

To this day, he can’t prove that he was actually on Top of the Pops because it just looks like a guy with a massive beard.

Scouting for Girls are heading out on tour to celebrate 15 years of 'Everybody Wants To Be On TV'.
Scouting for Girls are heading out on tour to celebrate 15 years of ‘Everybody Wants To Be On TV’.

Scouting for Girls are heading out on a 20-date UK tour next year including a Manchester date at O2 Apollo.

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

Featured Images — Publicity Pictures (supplied)

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Tens of thousands of gig tickets for major concerts will be slashed in price this week

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson Catfish and the Bottlemen are included in the Live Nation Concert Week ticket sale

Music fans will have the chance to grab themselves significantly cheaper gig tickets this week, with the return of Live Nation’s Concert Week.

Tens of thousands of tickets to major shows – including several arena gigs here in Manchester – will be slashed in price as part of the huge celebration of live music.

This is the second time that Live Nation’s Concert Week has taken place in the UK, following a decade of similar events over in the US.

The event brings exclusive access to special offers, promotions and prizes to fans, including more than 80,000 tickets at special concert week rates.

You’ll find cheaper tickets to everything from hip hop arena gigs to smaller pop concerts, and even arena shows.

Live Nation’s Concert Week runs from 5 to 11 May, with 80,000 discounted tickets available in a flash sale from midday on Thursday 8 May.

In Manchester, shows that are included in the sale will include Catfish and the Bottlemen at Heaton Park, John Legend at Co-op Live, Kevin Hart at the AO Arena, and even Chris Brown (who has almost sold out an impressive four nights at the venue).

There are plenty of open-air concerts included in the sale too – both Heaton Park the Piece Hall over in Halifax have discounted gigs available.

Other artists included in the sale are Busted, Iggy Pop, Olly Murs, Nelly, Lil Baby, Marti Pellow and loads more, with plenty more names elsewhere in the UK.

Fans can already see the full list of participating Concert Week events HERE, with tickets actually on sale for a limited time from midday on Thursday 8 May.

Manchester gigs included in Live Nation’s Concert Week

  • Busted at Delamere Forest
  • Catfish and the Bottlemen at Heaton Park
  • Chris Brown at Co-op Live
  • Don Toliver at Co-op Live
  • Fridayy at Manchester Academy
  • Iggy Pop at Victoria Warehouse
  • John Legend at Co-op Live
  • Kevin Hart at AO Arena
  • Kip Moore at O2 Apollo Manchester
  • Larkin Poe at Manchester Academy
  • Lil Baby at Co-op Live
  • Macy Gray at New Century Hall
  • Marti Pellow at AO Arena
  • Nelly at AO Arena
  • Olly Murs at Co-op Live
  • Supergrass at Albert Hall
  • The Doobie Brothers at Co-op Live
  • The Stranglers at O2 Apollo Manchester

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Featured image: Charlie Barkley Harris

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