In another instalment of Sounds of the City 2024, British rapper Loyle Carner delivered an electrifying performance to a sea of dedicated fans.
And they had to be dedicated in order to miss England make it through to the Euros final. The odds before the gig weren’t in Loyle’s favour, it has to be said…
Manchester was doing what it does best, raining, whilst the Three Lions were kicking off in the semi-final just moments before he was due to come on.
But still, Loyle Carner made it all worthwhile and reminded us all why he’s one of the biggest hip-hop artists in the UK at the moment.
The British rapper, who has carved out a sizeable space for himself in the overlapping jazz-fuelled and neo-soul spaces, has been on the scene for over 10 years now.
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The London-born lyricist bounded onto the stage to ‘Hate’, a song off his latest album hugo.
Immediately, murmurs of the England score were forgotten and all eyes were on Loyle Carner, whose real name is Benjamin Coyle Larner, but found his stage name due to his own dyslexia.
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“The love I feel for this city is unparalleled” he proclaims, before playing all-time fan favourite ‘Ain’t Nothing Changed’ which had the crowd pulsating to the heavy beat and shouting to the poignant anthem.
The opening of his set was emotional, intense and deeply moving, which felt rather atmospheric as the grey clouds above continued to shower over Castlefield Bowl.
And, of course, it wouldn’t be a Loyle Carner show without a few tracks featuring guitarist and producer Tom Misch, both ‘Angel’ and ‘Damselfly’ had the crowd joyfully singing along and dancing to the groovy beats.
Dedicating ‘Homerton’ to his three-year-old son, Loyle told us to “F*ck that toxic masculinity bullsh*t” to which was met with roaring waves of applause.
Other highlights included ‘Loose Ends’ featuring Jorja Smith and ‘Still’, a very personal song which had the audience encapsulated by Loyle’s words as we melted into his mellow voice.
‘Ottolenghi’wrapped up the sensational show, or so we thought…but just as Loyle started to thank his band audience members jumped and screamed in glee as England scored against the Netherlands making it a 2-1 victory.
So, in true British fashion, a curveball was added to the setlist and we all heroically sang together ‘It’s Coming Home’ in a joy-filled chorus. Absolutely class.
What a way to end the evening, and what a talent Loyle Carner truly is. It wasn’t the only gig where England’s Euro 2024 victory made for a nice backdrop either.
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Here's the moment the @KingsOfLeon crowd got word of the England score mid-gig at @TheCoopLive last night. ❤️
Co-op Live appears to tease major Mariah Carey Christmas gig sending fans into a frenzy
Emily Sergeant
All we want for Christmas… is Mariah Carey in Manchester.
And maybe, just maybe, our Christmas wish might come true very soon, as Co-op Live has taken to social media today to tease its next gig announcement with its hundreds of thousands of followers, and without jumping to conclusions, it does appear to be hinting at the queen of Christmas herself making an appearance.
Look, we know it’s only July and right in the middle of summer, but even if you think it’s too early to be talking about the festive season, you have to admit that the potential of Mariah Carey coming to Manchester is worth getting excited any time of the year.
The US pop powerhouse last performed in our city nearly a decade ago now when she brought her famous All I Want For Christmasshow to the UK for the first time ever, taking to sold-out Manchester Arena stage on 10 December 2017.
Mariah has not performed in Manchester since, but all that could be set to change as Co-op Live has hinted that an announcement is ‘coming soon’.
Taking to its official social media platforms today, Co-op Live posted a very festive-themed AI video of snow falling on the arena as the camera zoomed in and the instrumental of Mariah’s absolutely iconic hit ‘All I Want For Christmas Is You’ playing in the background, and the caption hinting at the song’s title too.
Of course, we could be wrong, it might not be Mariah at all, but if the 300+ comments from fans in a frenzy thinking the same as us are anything to go by, it’s looking like we might be right.
“The countdown to Christmas is on,” Co-op Live said in its video, before letting fans know that they would be getting some form of confirmation soon.
So, is it Mariah then? What do you think? Only time will tell, so stay tuned.
Featured Image – Picryl
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DMA’S announce VERY intimate shows ahead of major tour
Daisy Jackson
DMA’S have just announced details of some of their most intimate gigs yet, with the Aussie trio set to perform at record stores and tiny music venues around the UK.
The indie-rock heavyweights have just announced a handful of very intimate shows this summer, ahead of their much larger tour in 2027.
DMA’S will be treating fans to up-close acoustic gigs in cities including Manchester, Leeds, Middlesbrough, Dundee and Bristol.
The shows are to celebrate the release of their self-titled fifth album, which is due for release on 21 August.
DMA’S will be playing the outstore gigs the week after the album is released, kicking things off in Kingston on 24 August.
Then they’ll head out to some of the nation’s finest record stores and intimate event spaces, which means a show at The Yard here in Manchester.
DMA’S announce VERY intimate shows ahead of major tour. Credit: Roman Jody
DMA’S Manchester gig will be with Crash Records and Piccadilly Records, using the Cheetham Hill creative hub and record studio for the actual show.
Then they’ll end up back up North with a gig at Wardrobe in Leeds.
The announcement follows the release of the band’s latest single Killing Time, a fast-paced, euphoric and instantly infectious anthem that continues to build anticipation for the album.
This is a rare chance to see DMA’S – Johnny Took, Matt Mason and Tommy O’Dell – in an intimate setting, when they normally dominate some of the biggest stages in the world.
DMA’S have accrued over 500 million streams across their catalogue, four multi-platinum singles, multiple ARIA Award nominations, and 13 songs in triple j’s coveted Hottest 100.
These intimate outstores mean that fans won’t have to wait all the way until 2027 to see the boys live again, when they’ll be playing huge shows including two nights at the Manchester Academy.
DMA’S intimate record store shows
Monday 24 August – Kingston, Circuit (with Banquet)
Tuesday 25 August – Manchester, The Yard (with Crash & Piccadilly)
Wednesday 26 August – Middlesbrough, Empire (with Jacaranda)
Thursday 27 August – Dundee, Fat Sams (with Assai)
Clementine Hall -
11th July 2024 
