Nearly half a year ago, Manchester band M60 began a social media campaign to start tagging Manchester United legend turned pundit Gary Neville every single day until he listens to their music.
And, you know, since we’re all about supporting local artists, we thought we’d do our bit by pecking his head in too.
We’ve seen the Manc indie outfit live a couple of times now — including their headline set at Gorilla back in 2023 (at the time their biggest gig to date) — and they’ve never disappointed, be it the performance or their ever-growing cult following of loyal fans.
That being said, we feel we’re only doing Gary Neville and all of you lot a public service by joining them in their efforts to get their name out there. Plus, we’re enjoying all the different ways they’re managing to keep things interesting:
Yep, nearly half a year into these shenanigans and somehow M60 tagging Gary Neville is still funny to us.
If you’ve never come across them before either, the four-piece is made up of a bunch of mates from various towns around the region and is fronted by vocalist and lead guitarist Matthew Morton. Alliterative names always make us think of superheroes and their tunes often make us feel like that too.
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Playing together since their high school days and named after the massive Greater Manchester motorway from 2015 onwards, they’re best known for tunes like ‘I Don’t Mind’, ‘Honey’, ‘Darling’; ‘Fade Away’, ‘Kool-Aid’ and plenty more.
They also recently released their latest debut EP, How Did You Get There? and trust us, it’s a belter. Morton once described their sound as ‘Sweet Mancunian indie rock‘ and we couldn’t sum it up any better ourselves. Sounds great, doesn’t it? Which is exactly why we want ‘r Gary to get on them too.
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Also, we’ve found the whole journey very funny up until this point, so long may it continue — not too long though; we actually really want him to become M60’s newest and biggest fan through sheer persistence and pestering by the local band and yours truly. And by all means, feel free to join us in the good fight.
The local lads themselves have joked about becoming more well-known simply by embracing themselves as the “Gary Neville meme band” as the days pass, but the strategy is still kind of working nonetheless and with more new music on the way, why stop now?
We want to see Gary’s phone blowing up non-stop, right up to the point that he gets more annoyed than he did in that infamous clip of somebody passing his phone number and simply has to see what all the fuss is about it.
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We’re hoping it’s only a matter of time now, after all the ex-footballer is all about Manchester music, having famously chosen The Stone Roses for United’s walkout song and recently inviting another up-and-coming North West artist up on stage at the Apollo. Come on, Gary, we’re counting on you.
And if you’re looking to discover more new artists from in and around Greater Manchester, you can check out the new series spotlighting just that down below.
Featured Images — Press Image/Sky Sports (via screenshot)
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Indiana Jones, live in concert, is coming to Manchester
Danny Jones
An all-time Hollywood favourite is being brought to Manchester audiences like never before, as a special showing of the first Indiana Jones film is coming to the city centrein concert.
Steven Spielberg and George Lucas’ action-adventure series is one we all know and love – and if you haven’t seen it before, what are you playing at?
Having said that, the original beloved blockbuster still stands up as the most fondly remembered of the series to this day; put simply, the ‘best’ film in the ‘Indy’ franchise is Raiders of the Lost Ark.
Whether you agree with us or not, you can’t deny that the idea of hearing a live concert version of that iconic Indiana Jones score being played in the flesh by a proper orchestra sounds mega. Case in point:
The legendary John Williams score has been played in some of the most prestigious rooms in the world.
Now, how about hearing those incredible trumpets and French horns over the audio of the film itself, soundtracking each scene as it plays on the big screen in front of you?
Yes, we are nerding out, and so should you be.
After a globe-trotting trek that Indy himself would be proud of, the Disney Concerts production is now gearing up for its UK tour, with just a handful of lucky cities selected for the privilege.
You can see the full list of tour dates down below (we’ve highlighted other Northern shows for you, too):
Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark: Live In Concert – UK tour dates | 2026
Sunday 31 May – Manchester Bridgewater Hall Monday 1 June – Glasgow Royal Concert Hall Tuesday 2 June – Edinburgh Usher Hall Wednesday 3 June – Liverpool Philharmonic Hall Thursday 4 June – Birmingham Symphony Hall Friday 5 June – Sheffield City Hall Sunday 7 June – London Eventim Apollo
As you can see, not only will the run of live shows be kicking off on home turf, but they have selected the one and only Bridgewater Hall for the movie concert experience – a more than fitting venue.
Released back in 1981, it’s unbelievable how timeless and instantly recognisable the iconic Indy theme and film score still is to this day.
The pre-sale window for early access opens from 10am today, Wednesday, 3 December, and general admission goes live at the same time this coming Friday (5 Dec).
You can get ready to grab your tickets to the Manchester screening and live orchestral performance next May right HERE.
Be it movies, TV or even games, we’re loving how many of these kinds of shows are coming to our city now, from all-time classics like Indiana Jones to cult favourite bits of British kids’ telly…
A big battle of the bands is happening in Manchester this week – and it’s all for charity
Danny Jones
A massive battle of the bands event is happening in Manchester this week, and it’s helping raise money for crucial grassroots organisations.
Better still, it’s happening at one of our favourite venues in the city centre: Band on the Wall.
Now, the beloved Northern Quarter institution hosts all kinds of live music throughout the year, so they’re no strangers to events like a battle of the bands competition. Teaming up with homegrown charity Forever Manchester and some other well-known faces, this is set to be a big one.
This brand new event will see local businesses and employees come together to form a band for one night only, to see who is the best of the best up on stage. Who knows? You could be about to see the best-kept secret…
Yes, Manc worker bees are banding together (quite literally) to form the exclusive super group and will be judged by a panel of audiophile aficionados.
It doesn’t matter whether you work in the industry, you do office admin or work in a cafe all day long; at the debut ‘Forever Manchester Rocks‘ competition, consider yourself a music god in the making.
The live on-stage battle is open to pre-existing bands who have already played together, but we’ll confess, we’re looking forward to seeing what those cobbled together specifically for this contest are going to sound like.
Finalists not only have the opportunity to perform at the most iconic venues, but the winners of this year’s competition will claim the inaugural ‘Manchester Business Rocks Legends’ trophy, as well as being invited to play the annual Forever Manchester Birthday Party at the Kimpton Clocktower in February.
Once again, the best part of this new battle of the bands event at Band on the Wall is that it’s all for the greater good, with important funding being generated for local community groups – a cause that both pursue with 24/7, 365 days a year.
If you’re interested in a last-minute sign-up, the rules for entering the competition are as follows:
A majority of band members must work at the same company or in the same industry
Covers or originals welcome – just bring your best 15-minute set
You bring the instruments and tunes – the backline, PA and sound engineer will be provided
Acts will be judged on talent, energy, crowd reaction, showmanship and amount of money raised.
Nick Massey CBE, chief exec at Forever Manchester, said: “As a region famed for its musical prowess, entrepreneurial spirit and its sense of community, Forever Manchester Rocks just made total sense to me as our next big occasion.
“It is a battle like no other, and we’re calling for businesses across the region to trade their KPIs for killer riffs to show us how they shine on stage… And it’s all in support of a fantastic cause, with the money raised helping to fund vital community initiatives in the Greater Manchester region.
“We can’t wait to see colleagues from across the region unleash their hidden talents and bring that Manchester energy to Band on the Wall on 10 December!”
For those looking to come along this Wednesday (10 Dec), you can grab your tickets HERE.
Danny Jones -
2nd March 2024 
