Alright, it’s the big one this month: Manc music royalty is coming home as the one and only Liam Gallagher is set to descend upon Co-op Live for four nights filled with nothing but tracks from arguably the most iconic album this city has ever produced.
It feels like forever ago that Liam Gallagher announced his Definitely Maybe 30th-anniversary shows and we think it’s fair to say that these will be the biggest gigs the brand-new venue has seen yet, with Manchester and Britpop’s begotten son having packed out the place across all four nights.
He might have joked that he’d play Lidl if the arena wasn’t ready in time but now we’ve sampled the space for ourselves and Co-op Live is well and truly back on track, we can confirm it’s going to be worth the wait and it feels fitting to have the massive Man City fan playing just over the road from the Etihad.
Anyway, enough preamble, you know the deal with these things by now; from support acts, stage times, the setlist and everything in between, here’s all you need to know about Liam Gallagher’s quartet of concerts at Co-op Live here in Manchester.
Tickets (don’t get too excited…)
Sorry guys, if you were expecting to just try and spring for some Liam Gallagher tickets late then you’ve severely underestimated how massive these Co-op Live shows are.
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15, 16, 27 and 28 June are pretty much sold out across the bat and went in the blink of an eye, as tends to happen when one of your city’s biggest artists and one of the most famous rockstars on the planet returns home.
However, you can find the odd resale ticket in standing and seated sections if you’re lucky and, most importantly quick, but you’re looking at £102.74 for a seat in the very back, and the few other single spots are accessible ones for those with disabilities.
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As always, if you’re absolutely dying to go, keep your eye out on trusted resellers like Twickets and TicketSwap but always do your due diligence and avoid illegal ticket touts full stop – no gig is worth getting stung over.
Support acts for Liam Gallagher’s Definitely Maybe tour
All that being said, if you do manage to get a last-minute ticket somehow, you’ll certainly be getting your money’s worth with not only LG himself but a pair of exciting support acts at very different stages of their musical journeys.
As well as Scouse indie rock veterans Cast offering their services as the main support at all four Manchester shows, Liam’s son Gene and his band Villanelle will be carrying on the Gallagher legacy as the first warm-up act.
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Imagine your dad getting you a booking for the biggest indoor entertainment arena in Europe barely a year into your career.
Moreover, people are starting to get very excited about this up-and-coming five-piece who have already played some pretty notable sets alongside the likes of Pastel, Seb Lowe and more, with Happy Mondays icon Rowetta tipping them to be among the “future kings” of Manchester music.
Doors are scheduled to open at 6:30pm on each night of Liam Gallagher’s four-night run with Gallagher Jr. and the Villanelle boys due to kick things off around 7pm.
Tipped for a short but sweet set, you can then expect Cast to take the stage from roughly 7:45pm onwards before the headliner himself is set to walk out around 9pm. Again set times always change but this should give you a decent enough guide.
With a standard 11pm curfew at the venue, you can expect to be heading out the doors at roughly 10:40-10:45pm, leaving you plenty of time to head home.
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Setlist (C’mon, You Know…)
Ironically, that one isn’t on the setlist, actually.
You don’t really need us to beat you over the head with this one but in case it was in any doubt, yes, Liam is set to play Definitely Maybe in full, including what he has labelled as some “naughty” B-sides.
Rock ‘n’ Roll Star
Columbia
Shakermaker
Up in the Sky
Digsy’s Dinner
Bring It On Down
Cloudburst
I Will Believe
Half the World Away
D’Yer Wanna Be a Spaceman?
Fade Away
Lock All the Doors (Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds cover – Oasis demo version)
(It’s Good) To Be Free
Whatever
Cigarettes & Alcohol
Married With Children
Encore:
Supersonic
Slide Away
Live Forever
If Setlist.fm is to be believed (and it usually is) you might also be treated to a rare second encore with a cover of ‘I Am the Walrus’ by The Beatles – aren’t you a lucky lot?
Is this the greatest British rock record of all time?Creation Records
Travel info – how to get there, parking etc.
Tram
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Now, as for how you’ll get to shows at Co-op Live, luckily it’s right next door to a rather famous big blue stadium and its integrated Metrolink stop.
Head along the light blue or orange lines directly to the Etihad Campus or Ashton-under-Lyne and you can get off the tram literally spitting distance from the arena. You can find the full map HERE.
Trams run frequently on the Ashton-Eccles line to the Etihad stop, with services leaving every six minutes from the city centre and until 01:00 on Fridays and Saturdays.
Bus
If you want to take another new and improved arm of Manchester’s public transport system, not only is there a whole host of routes that drop you off close to the venue but there’ll also be a free shuttle bus from the city centre to and from events between 20 April-30 June 2024.
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You can find the full list of bus routes HERE, with the one in closest proximity to the venue being the 53 bus which runs from Cheetham Hill through to Higher Crumpsall, Old Trafford and Pendleton, leaving just a two-minute walk to Co-op Live. You also get free Bee Network travel with any valid event ticket.
If you’re driving, there is limited parking available at the venue but this must be pre-booked ahead of time and there are designated drop-off areas.
The postcode is M11 3DU and you can follow the signs towards the wider Etihad Campus as you get closer; directions to the adjacent drop-off points will also be signposted.
Keep in mind that congestion on the roads close to the stadium is expected to gather around two hours prior to any event, so if you are travelling on the road, these are the suggested times they provide come event day – though estimates will obviously vary:
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Alan Turing Way (both directions): plan an additional 20 minutes into any journey by road.
Hyde Road (eastbound): expect an additional 15 minutes to be added to your journey.
Mancunian Way (westbound): plan for an extra 10 minutes of travel time.
There are also three park-and-ride facilities near Co-op Live but be advised that the Velopark and Holt Town stops will be closed post-event to help safely manage crowds:
Ashton West (Ashton line) – 184 spaces and 11 disabled spaces
Ladywell (Ashton-Eccles line) – 332 spaces and 22 disabled spaces
Walk/cycle
Lastly, Co-op Live is only a half-hour stroll from Manchester Piccadilly. Greater Manchester now also offers the option to hire bikes through the Beryl, with riders able to locate, unlock, get to their destination and then safely lock up the boke all through an easy-to-use app.
There are hire points just near the south-west corner of the Etihad Stadium on Ashton New Road. For more information on all travel options, you can check out the enhanced journey planner.
That should be just about all you need to know ahead of the four Liam Gallagher shows at Co-op Live in Manchester and if you did manage to get a ticket, consider us very jealous.
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We might be waiting the rest of our lives for an Oasis reunion but with the younger Gallagher brother now hinting that he wants to do a (What’s the Story) Morning Glory? anniversary tour next year as well, we’ll happily keep coming back for more of this in the meantime.
Featured Images — Stefan Brending (via www.2eight.de)/Co-op Live
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Legendary Hulme community pub The Old Abbey Taphouse to reopen
Daisy Jackson
The closure of The Old Abbey Taphouse was a real blow for Hulme – 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 will live 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, is currently being carefully restored ahead of its big relaunch just next week.
The vision for its new chapter will be ‘Old Pub, New Music’, creating a new home for grassroots live music and emerging artists.
There’ll also be affordable, hearty pub grub including Pieminister pies, and a huge range of beers from local breweries and beyond.
The team bringing The Abbey to life are Ruth Hemmingfield, Wesley Jones, Jonathan Wickstead and Gareth Butterworth – Ruth, Jon and Wesley are co-owners of YES; Ruth previously launched and programmed landmark Manchester 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; and Gareth is the founder of multi-venue festival Manchester Psych Fest.
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 is 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.
Glimpses of The Abbey’s refurb. Credit: The Manc Group
“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 Hemmingfield from The Abbey 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. Honouring the pub’s history while building its future.”
Review | Some of the most fun you can have at a theatre – Jeff Goldblum and The Mildred Snitzer Orchestra
Danny Jones
On Wednesday night, we did something we hadn’t done in a long time: we went to a concert almost completely blind and walked in without having heard a single second – because how many times in life are you going to get the chance to say you’ve seen Jeff Goldblum music live in Manchester?
We can comfortably say it wasn’t just one of our favourite shows of the year so far, but it might be one of the best decisions we’ve made, maybe ever…
Honestly, there’s not even a whiff of exaggeration in that statement; within minutes of the headline date starting, a long, hard day suddenly melted away in the smooth, sultry, stylish and unapologetically silly atmosphere created by Jeff Goldblum and the truly wonderful Mildred Snitzer Orchestra.
For starters, we were pleasantly surprised to see ‘Bonnie Scotland’s very own Liverpool-based singer-songwriter, Brooke Combe, opening up for the man himself, whose soulful, 1960s, 70s and Motown influences made for a perfect fit to warm up the crowd.
With the North West favourite – who we recently caught once again at NBHD Weekender late last month – even getting a perhaps initially hesitant and very possibly more Theatre-leaning audience inside the Palace to relax with some fun vocal exercises and Scottish banter, we were off to the races.
But in truth, this show turned out to be so much more than we were expecting – and by that we don’t mean when Brooke joined him on stage for a spell and had him try his first Irn-Bru…
In our heads, we were kind of expecting to see Goldblum, 73, playing his beloved piano as other members of the jazz band got to enjoy a few moments centre-stage as those who sat watching admired their sheer technical ability.
Where we actually landed was somewhere between a live and just the right amount of chaotic stream-of-consciousness stand-up show, interlaced with a series of effortlessly charming and loose bits of crowdwork as if he were compèring, and, of course, the incredibly cool musical arrangements.
It may not have been entirely free-form (it’s clear that a lot of time, effort and tireless rehearsal go into this shindig), but it did have the feeling that things were unfolding organically as the night went on, the perfect example being specifically for Manchester, with each local reference getting a rousing reception.
His latest LP is going down a treat with the critics in the early reviews, too, and having now heard a few samples, we’re not surprised.
As Jeff said at the top of the show, the best bit about this music is watching these marvellous musicians effectively jamming and playing call and response, not only with each other but you down below – not to mention with the man himself vamping over the top and enjoying plenty of solos on the keys.
Aside from crowd-pleasing arrangements of contemporary and well-known tracks like ‘Lover’ by Taylor Swift and even his own bittersweet and oh-so-gentle take on ‘Over The Rainbow’, it felt not just like an intro to some cult favourites from within the genre, but a serviceable broad-strokes education at times.
Personally, we’ve always liked to think of ourselves as open to anything, sonically, albeit fairly limited when it comes to jazz, but we left feeling like we knew more about the mechanics and flow of a jazz gig than ever; we’re now eager to learn more and dive deeper into the syllabus curated by this superfan.
One very special mention also has to go to session singer Khailah Johnson, who recently shone in the & Juliet production on Broadway and is now currently on tour with Jeff on his Night Blooms run.
Believe us, she’s not merely performing ‘beside’ anyone; when you have a voice and presence that’s so big and has such range that you generate enough star-power for people to genuinely forget that a Hollywood actor is there right next to you, you KNOW you’re beyond talented. Simply spellbinding.
The whole crew had a lovely, laid-back quality that was just infectious. (Credit: Lucy Elson-Whittaker)
And then we have the A-lister himself, who clearly doesn’t only have the gift of the jab and a natural penchant for pageantry, but looks so at home up there that we would happily trade ever seeing him in a film again if it meant we could have the next few decades watching him be the live showman that he is.
For anyone who feared Jeff Goldblum’s music career might just be a famous bloke indulging himself in a side project and cashing in on fandom simply because he can, fret not: this man has as much passion, love and aptitude for jazz and this particular side of showbiz as any role we’ve seen him play, if not more.
Whether it be playing movie trivia games with those in the stalls, thanking fans he bumped into at his hotel, or inviting people there for a special occasion backstage, he ticked almost every box you could have asked for, from the cabaret vibes and Jurassic Park puns to simply playing his socks off.
The new album that gives its name to this current slate of live shows is much more than a play on words. Be it the soft and warm hues of the coloured spotlights, the off-the-cuff comedy interludes, or even the pure giggle-fits in the audience, the Palace Theatre was bursting with joy, life and vibrancy.
We sincerely hope Jeff Goldblum has grown as fond of the city as he claims, and that we get to watch him play a Manchester venue every year.
Danny Jones -
11th June 2024 
