Sometimes, life loves to throw a great big curveball at you. 2020 was that curveball.
But even after the most shambolic year in recent history, it hasn’t silenced our city’s music.
Now more than ever it’s important to take care of ourselves and each other. Musicians are finding their own ways of addressing mental health issues within the strained music industry.
When DJ and producer Liam Hyphen learnt that a close friend had taken his own life during lockdown last year, he wanted to pay tribute in the only way he knew how – through music. “This is for him, and everyone else we’ve lost,” Liam told Audio.
Dormancy is a project born out of grief, pain and loss – and the end result is a product of Liam’s resilience and determination.
But his inspiration for the project was not only the loss of his friend, but actually the loss of his own path over the past year.
Knowing he needed to make some changes, he invested in some new music and photography equipment to embark on a new venture. He hoped it would inspire and enable him to express himself – and it did.
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“It came from a place of anger initially. I was getting sick and tired of feeling like I didn’t deserve a place within the music community in Manchester,” he told us.
“Everyone seems to have a team or group of people around them, but I mainly do it all on my own. Whenever I play a gig, nine times out of 10 I’m rocking up on my own. I’m in the studio on my own. I enjoy it, but it makes things that extra bit difficult.
“So, I decided right, I’m gonna finish this [project] and prove to myself that I can do it. Then came the idea of not just doing it for myself, but for everyone else that is struggling in Manchester. All the bartenders, the photographers, the DJs, the chefs, the waiting staff – everyone who makes it tick.”
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Liam Hyphen/Instagram
Unaware of the scale of task ahead, Liam went on to produce the track. But along with it, a fitting video that pays tribute to Manchester’s hospitality and music heritage, which he says took a painstakingly long time to get right. Ever the perfectionist, it seems!
“There were lots of trips around Manchester during daily exercise collecting clips of as many places as possible – and then loads more when I remembered somewhere I’d missed. Which happened a lot.
“Then came the editing – oh my god. I didn’t have a clue where to start. Originally, I just stuck them all together. Then figured out that I could place them to fit with the music and just kept learning and finding other ways to make it look like it wasn’t done by someone on their phone.
“I’m really happy with how it’s turned out because of how much effort and love has gone into it. But I know in the production world it’s actually very basic. Big respect to videographers and filmmakers.
Liam Hyphen/Instagram
The track itself takes inspiration from Manchester’s acid house era, fused with breaks and hard-hitting drums. Liam wanted to create something versatile – something for the clubs as well as easy-listening. He’s done just that by producing something with such an atmospheric vibe.
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Liam knows everyone will interpret the track differently, but that’s the beauty of music. “I imagine it’ll mean something different to everyone. Manchester is a city full of great culture and connects people from all different backgrounds,” he said.
“The hospitality and nightlife industry bring those people together and it is incredibly important. For me, it reminds me of all those people. It doesn’t matter who you are. That’s what makes Manchester so great – no judgement.”
Liam Hyphen/Instagram
Liam hopes Dormancy will raise a bit of money in the process. A percentage of the sales will be going to So Let’s Talk, a mental health charity who are supporting people within Manchester’s nightlife and hospitality industry.
“Paddy, who runs it, is doing amazing things and I wish there was more I could do. If anyone reading this is struggling, please reach out to them, or someone, or anyone. You’re not alone.”
This isn’t the first time Liam has had a crack at lifting Manchester’s spirits. A few months back, he drove around the streets of city centre on an open top bus, together with some other top-name DJs and blasted tunes.
Now that Dormancy is ready for release, Liam looks back on the “emotional journey” and admits he’s bloody knackered after it all.
But he does reckon that Dormancy is the first record he’s actually finished. It just shows that good things come with determination and passion – and they’re always worth the work. There’s nothing like that sense of achievement, is there?
It’s a wholesome story and Liam should be proud of himself. By the sounds of it, he needs a nap now, though.
Dormancy is out on 6 February, check it out! You can also listen to his Manc Mixtapes episode here.
Audio
Richard Ashcroft announces all-North West lineup of support acts for Alexandra Palace headliner
Danny Jones
Wigan’s finest, Richard Ashcroft, has announced an all-North-Western lineup for his upcoming headline show at ‘Ally Pally’.
The former Verve frontman is not only riding a fresh wave of popularity thanks to supporting Oasis on their incredible Live ’25 world tour, but also recently released his long-awaited new album, Lovin’ You.
Not just a Manc music icon but one of the biggest names to have come out of his borough, specifically, the legendary lyricist is finally getting more like the kind of recognition he deserves, and is making sure to pay that exposure forward in the best way possible.
He could have picked from all manner of big British acts as supports at Alexandra Palace, but Richard Ashcroft has chosen to keep flying the regional flag by picking a group he’s spent the last few months with, as well as a fellow Greater Manchester act.
That’s right: as well as signing up Liverpool’s very own Oasis Live ’25 openers, Cast, as one of the warm-up acts, the 54-year-old has also chosen another native Wigan artist in the form of The Lathums to join him for the momentous headline show.
Much-loved not only in their hometown but across Manchester and beyond, the indie favourites – who also released their latest studio LP, Matter Does Not Define, back in February – the young band are only getting better and becoming more established as time goes on.
Having already played the likes of the AO Arena here in Manchester and booked numerous big festival slots of the past few years, we reckon you can pretty much bank on them headlining this historic and bucket list venue for themselves in the future.
In terms of Cast, the scousers continue one of the busiest years for touring in their career by supporting ‘King Richard’, having followed up supporting ‘LG’ in 2024 to both Gallagher brothers over the summer.
As for Ashcroft himself, we’re glad to see him back releasing new music, and can confirm his seventh record is a great listen.
By no means our favourite, but just a taste of his latest sound.
Now, if you were wondering why we’re talking about this show over any of the other gigs (namely the Northern ones) on his upcoming UK run, it’s because most of the tour has now sold out.
His Co-op Live date was obviously the first to go, with Cardiff’s Principality Stadium going shortly after, and extra dates being added in the likes of London, Liverpool and over in Leeds.
If you do happen to be in the capital already or are willing to make a trip to London for the show, there are still some tickets left for Richard Ashcroft at Ally Pally in July 2026.
Cannot wait to hear how this sounds in that storied room:
Featured Images — Press shots (supplied)/Audio North
Audio
HAIM at Co-op Live, Manchester – tickets, times, setlist, and more for UK tour
Thomas Melia
Rock trio HAIM are gearing up to play their first ever arena show in Manchester next week.
Sisters Este, Danielle and Alana – more widely recognised by their surname, which also doubles as the title of their group, HAIM – are about to perform their biggest Manchester show to date.
This should come as no surprise, with the band amassing a cult following of fans and almost seven million monthly listeners on Spotify – thanks to huge tunes like ‘The Wire’, ‘Now I’m In It’, and ‘Don’t Wanna’, as well as newer single released like ‘Relationships’ and ‘All over me’.
The band have already recently played to a near 70,000 fans, thanks to their longtime friend and musical collaborator Taylor Swift, who brought the band out as a special guest on her global phenomenon The Eras Tour last summer.
But now, HAIM are going it alone.
They’ll be stringing up their guitars, and warming up their vocal chords to sing their angsty and fiery hits over at Manchester’s biggest entertainment venue, Co-op Live.
HAIM are bringing their ‘I quit’ tour to Co-op Live in Manchester on 30 October / Credit: Supplied
HAIM – UK Tour Dates 2025
Friday 24 October – Nottingham, UK – Motorpoint Arena
Saturday 25 October – Cardiff, UK – Utilita Arena
Sunday 26 October – Brighton, UK – Brighton Centre
Tuesday 28 October – London, UK – The O2
Thursday 30 October – Manchester, UK – Co-op Live
Friday 31 October – Glasgow, UK – OVO Hydro
Tickets
No need to ‘Pray to God’, as there’s still a good selection of tickets available for any Manchester HAIM lovers to grab HERE.
If you’re feeling a bit fancier, however, and fancy watching HAIM while ‘Spinning’ the night away in a premium seat, then you can find a handful of tickets up for grabs over on SeatUnique, starting from £25 HERE.
Setlist
Gone
All over me
Take me back
My Song 5
Cry
Spinning
Don’t Wanna
The Steps
Gasoline
Blood on the Street
Hallelujah
Summer Girl
Want You Back
Relationships
Now I’m in It
The Wire
Down to be Wrong
What are the stage times for HAIM in Manchester?
Co-op Live has a strict curfew of 11pm, and with doors opening at 6:30pm and a start time of 7.30pm, this rock trio certainly won’t be working to ‘The Wire’ to cram in all their hits, meaning you can get home before the crack of dawn.
Bedroom pop musician Dora Jar supported the girls throughout the North American shows, however there’s no official artist confirmed for the UK leg so far.
Rock trio HAIM are gracing Manchester, London, Glasgow and more on their UK tour / Credit: Supplied
How to get to Co-op Live
Tram
For those of you heading to Co-op Live, you’ll be glad to know 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 1am on Fridays and Saturdays.
Bus
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, and 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:
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, and you could even walk along the canal all the way to the front door if you fancy taking the scenic route.
Greater Manchester now also offers the option to hire bikes through the Beryl scheme, with riders able to locate, unlock, get to their destination and then safely lock up the bike 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.
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For more information on all travel options, you can check out the enhanced journey planner.