Liam Gallagher has once again teased his upcoming joint album with The Stone Roses’ legendary guitarist, John Squire.
The two rock legends first floated news of their collaboration earlier this year when fans caught wind of the project and, in a typically Gallagher soundbite, Liam described it as “the best record since Revolver” — yes, as in the one by The Beatles.
Ah, ever just a humble Northern musician.
Cut to this week and the former Oasis frontman has now revealed a joint website simply featuring his and Squire’s names along with a prompt to join the mailing list.
While there still seems to be no other clear hints as to when this heavily teased record will arrive, the younger Gallagher sibling did go on to share the above clip on social media featuring vintages clips of both him and The Stone Roses‘ lead guitarist.
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The video features the 51-year-old Britpop star declaring, “John Squire is without a doubt the best guitarist of his generation and in the world in my opinion” — big words given the corner of music heritage he is from and even considering his big brother Noel isn’t half bad at it either.
That being said, we’ve wasted enough time hoping either of the Burnage-born boys will be nice enough to each other that they might one day sort an actual reunion, so we’ll happily take this for the time being.
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As for Squire, he still performs on occasion: most notably alongside LG at his recent sell-out Knebworth double bill back in 2022 which, just like their infamous predecessor, has also gone down in history.
With that in mind, it seems fairly likely that fans might also get to see Squire doing what he does best alongside Liam Gallagher on stage again soon for his Definitely Maybe 30th-anniversary tour shows.
Once again, we know very little about this project other than that it is expected to be released sometime in 2024 but we sincerely can’t wait to see what these two figures of Manc music royalty come up with.
Yet another major Deansgate Locks nightlife spot has closed in Manchester
Daisy Jackson
Deansgate Locks is set to lose yet another of its nightlife spots, with Ark confirming it will be shutting its doors ‘within weeks’.
The multi-room, multi-storey, multi-genre nightclub has been part of the canalside development for more than a decade, having first opened back in 2014.
At that time, Deansgate Locks was arguably Manchester’s leading nightlife destination, drawing hundreds of students and party-goers to its mix of venues.
The railway arches have been home to iconic clubs and bars including Baa Bar, Lola Lo, Revolution, and Sugar Buddha, as well as The Comedy Store.
But with news that Ark Manchester is closing too, it leaves only Popworld left at what was previously one of the city’s hottest destinations.
In a statement shared with the Manchester Evening News, a spokesperson for Stonegate said: “The hospitality sector continues to face significant challenges.
Ark Manchester will be closing for goodIt leaves Deansgate Locks with just one venue
“After careful consideration, and despite our best efforts, Ark Manchester is no longer commercially viable and we have taken the difficult decision to close the venue.
“Our priority is to support our hard‑working team during this time, and we would like to thank them for their commitment and dedication. We would also like to thank our guests and the local community for their support over the years.”
It’s believed that Ark Manchester will close on Deansgate Locks in the next few weeks.
The Streets announce big change for Castlefield Bowl gig in Manchester amid World Cup clash
Daisy Jackson
One of the biggest gigs taking place in Manchester this summer has announced a pretty major change to its plans.
The Streets are set to perform two nights at Castlefield Bowl this weekend, taking to the magnificent outdoor stage in the heart of the city.
But one of those shows happens to clash with a pretty major event – England’s quarter final World Cup match against Norway.
But The Streets have got the nation’s interests at heart, and have announced a plan to make sure fans can watch both their gig and the football.
Mike Skinner et al will be shifting their entire Saturday gig forward by a full hour, which means gig-goers should be able to escape Castlefield Bowl and peg it to the nearest pub in time for the footy.
“Fear not,” they wrote in an update on Instagram today. “Saturday’s show will begin early to accommodate England vs Norway at 10.”
It also means their support acts – Mancunian artist Antony Szmierek, and rap and grime MC CASISDEAD – will be playing an hour earlier than planned.
The Streets’ gig on Friday will remain at the time originally planned.
Doors to Castlefield Bowl will open earlier ahead of Antony Szmierek’s performance at the revised time of 5.50pm.
Then CASISDEAD will perform at 6.15pm, with The Streets on stage at 7.45pm.
Fans have been delighted with The Streets’ decision to move their Manchester Saturday show forward, with one writing: “THANK YOU CASTLEFIELD BOWL AND MIKEYYYY. We had a very difficult decision on our hands today, this is what dreams are made of. See you Saturday!!!!”
Many more are calling for the England games to be screened at Castlefield Bowl, but no plans have been confirmed for that just yet. Watch this space…
Danny Jones -
19th December 2023 
