An old clip of The 1975 frontman, Matty Healy, making an appearance on some vintage British telly in what looks to have been his first-ever TV interview has been unearthed on social media and he even shows off some of his early dancing chops.
The London-born, Wilmslow-raised and still regularly Manchester-based singer, songwriter and guitarist is one of the biggest music names around and The 1975 is, without doubt, one of the biggest bands on the planet right now. They’ve come a long way from playing this city’s intimate venues back in the day.
However, it would seem the equal parts charismatic and often controversial frontman knew he was always destined for a career in entertainment all the way back in 1999 when he appeared on the BBC show, This Is Your Life.
I mean, having two well-known actor parents definitely didn’t hurt but even still, you could tell this lad was born for the stage.
Sat in the studio audience with family as he watched on at his father Tim Healy (Auf Wiedersehen, Pet, Beniform, Waterloo Road) and mum Denise Welch (Coronation Street, Hollyoaks, Celebrity Big Brother), a then nine-year-old Matty was quizzed by host Michael Aspel about his designs on showbiz.
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Quickly confirming, “Well yeah actually, I do, but Dad, I might not be as good as you at acting but I’m simply a better dancer”, his father was quick to agree, “You certainly are, son”.
The long-running biography show, which ended all the way back in 2007 after 43 series, then rolled a VT of Healy doing his best Michael Jackson impression in a white shite, black trousers and black shoes and a black fedora as he danced along to the King of Pop’s iconic track ‘Bad’.
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While he hadn’t quite mastered the moonwalk just yet (that came later), you could see the same kind of showmanship then as he has gone on to relish today, with his mum giggling and applauding throughout and dad Tim quick to give him a kiss and a cuddle. They shared a similar moment 25 years later when his dad joined him on stage for a surprise performance.
After seeing Matty Healy as a kid, several joked in the comments below the video, “our little nepo baby”, “The way he still has some of the same mannerisms and moves when he dances on stage”, and, “Imagining the future of my Aries child if I encourage his little ego…”
In fact, this wasn’t the only time the British public saw a Matty Healy on telly as a kid, as even before he scored himself a little cameo on Waterloo Road like his dad, he once again appeared on another episode of This Is Your Life a year later when the programme returned to focus on mother, Denise.
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Speaking then, he told the programme that he’s made “pretty good progress playing the drums” — the role he used to play in the very early days of The 1975’s formation — and was hoping to buy his mum “a new Bel-Air mansion” once he became successful.
You can see more from both that episode down below and his first appearance in full HERE.
Young Matty Healy didn’t just like dancing, he also wanted to be a ‘top-class musician’.
A ‘disco for grown ups’ party is coming to Manchester this year
Thomas Melia
A disco party for ‘grown ups’, centred around 70s, 80s and 90s music, is making its way to Manchester this year.
The wildly popular Discos for Grown Ups will be heading to town in May, encouraging some serious boogie action with its playlist of soul, disco, pop and dancefloor from across the decades.
The night out has been created for those who feel ‘too old to go clubbing, but still love to dance’, with people your own age, and with a sensibly early finish time.
When the night is still young but you might not be, you can let loose under a light and laser show featuring the fabulous Discos for Grown Ups stage dancers.
Whether you’re a ‘Material Girl’ who craves the spotlight or or a shy dancer who comes out of their shell after catching a case of ‘Night Fever’, this night will be spoiling you with its array of tracks.
Credit: Supplied
Discos for Grown Ups was founded by Simon Stanford after discovering there was nowhere for a ‘grown up’ to go that played the music he loved.
Simon Stanford from Discos for Grown Ups says: “We are really looking forward to bringing our Discos for Grown Ups 70’s 80’s 90’s Disco Party back to the O2 Ritz Manchester this year.
“Our first show was an incredible night of dancing and sold out very quickly, so we can’t wait to bring our full production with dancers, lights and lasers back – it’s going to be another amazing night of boogie!”
Expect a night of fun-filled dancefloor bangers spanning three golden decades of music.Credit: Supplied
Self Esteem drops new single along with huge UK tour full of double headers
Danny Jones
Rising Northern star Self Esteem has just dropped the new single from her forthcoming new album along with a bunch of big new UK tour dates, including two nights right here in Manchester.
The singer-songwriter, also known simply as Rebecca Lucy Taylor, has seen her popularity skyrocket in the last few of years, winning BBC Music’s Introducing ‘Artist of the Year Award’ back in 2021 and being nominated for the Mercury Prize less than 12 months later.
Fast forward to 2025 and not only has she recieved plenty of critical acclaim for her first two records but her live presence on stage has also been heavily praised and now the 38-year-old is gearing up for her next album cycle.
Announcing her latest single, ‘If Not Now, It’s Soon’, which has quickly selected as BBC Radio 1’s ‘Hottest Record’, the new track has also dropped along with 14 major UK tour dates, with a string double headers in multiple cities.
Born and bred in Rotherham but with strong ties to nearby Sheffield, her journey began as one half of folk pop duo Slow Club. They formed back in 2006 but split in 2017 as both she and bandmate Charles Watson parted ways to pursue their respective solo projects.
Set to release her third studio LP A Complicated Woman on 25 April, these latest tour dates are some of the biggest she’ll have ever played – including a massive Yorkshire homecoming gig at the Utilita Arena which will be a momentous show for our friends The Sheff to make the most of.
Discussing the new project, Taylor says: “Personally, you have to wait and one day you’ll get somewhere less painful. But the world will hopefully get somewhere less painful too. It’s about hope, perseverance and patience.”
As for those who’ve been lucky enough to get an premature listen of the album in full, the early reviews are looking seriosuly strong.
Described by The Guardian as “her best yet”, it features the likes of Nadine Shah, Moonchild Sanelly and Sue Tompkins from Life Without Buildings; Meatball and even Lancashire actor, Julie Hesmondhalgh, best known for playing Hayley Cropper in Coronation Street. Now that’s what we call a feature.
Self Esteem comes for a two massive nights at Manchester Academy on Saturday and Sunday, 27-28 September later this year.
Her previous raft of dates for A Complicated Woman Live – an ambitious quasi-theatrical experience of the album in person and on stage at The Duke of York’s in London – sold out in a flash, and you can expect plenty of that same production value when it comes to her upcoming concerts.
Fans get an exclusive pre-sale code for all UK and Ireland dates by pre-odering the album before 1pm GMT on Tuesday, 25 March 2025, and as for general admission, you’ll have to join the queue like the rest of us when they go live (still TBC).
In the meantime, you can join us in being as obsessed with her other recent release as we are:
Danny Jones -
12th September 2023 
