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S Club 7 announces massive 25th anniversary reunion tour – and they’re coming to Manchester

Ain't no party like an S Club party.

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant - 14th February 2023

All the rumours are true – S Club 7 are back, and they’re heading out on a massive arena tour of the UK and Ireland later this year.

Fans were absolutely overcome with excitement after reports emerged and rumours began circulating earlier this year that S Club 7 were set for a “massive reunion tour” – but now, after months of speculation, it’s finally been confirmed that the iconic 90s pop group is returning for a reunion tour in celebration of their 25-year legacy.

Unlike some previous reunions of fellow 90s and 00s pop groups in recent years, the S Club 7 Reunited tour will actually see all seven members – Bradley, Hannah, Jo, Jon, Paul, Rachel, and Tina – come together for an 11-date arena tour across the UK and Ireland.

The group says the reunion tour is an opportunity for S Club 7 fans of every generation to come together and re-experience the hits that soundtracked the British charts for five years.

Formed all the way back in 1998 by Spice Girls manager Simon Fuller, S Club 7 quickly rose to prominence, and went on to become one of the most successful British groups of all time by dominate the world of pop music.

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In their five short years together, the group had four UK number one singles, one UK number one album, and a string of hits, including ‘Reach’, ‘Bring It All Back, ‘Don’t Stop Movin’, ‘S Club Party’, and ‘Never Had a Dream Come True’.

They had four studio albums, released 11 singles, and sold 10 million albums worldwide.

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S Club 7 announces massive 25th anniversary reunion tour of UK & Ireland / Credit: S Club 7

In 2002, the group sadly began to fracture and success started dwindling after Paul Cattermole left due to “creative differences”, which left the remaining members having to fight and deny a raft of rumours presuming they were about to split up – until they finally announced in April 2003 on stage during a live performance that they were calling it quits.

But now, with a string of multi-platinum selling albums, and international hit singles to their name, S Club 7 are “a household name once again ready to rise”.

“After eight years, it feels amazing to announce that we’re reuniting and performing together again,” the band said ahead of the tour.

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“We’re so excited to bring the S Club Party back to our fans across the country to celebrate 25 years of S Club 7. We can’t even believe it’s been so long! Music and friendship have always been at the core of everything that we’ve ever done. 

“We hope everyone can join us for one big party.”

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S Club 7 will play a massive headline show at the AO Arena in Manchester as part of the UK tour on 21 October 2023, with tickets set to go on sale this Friday 17 February at 10am.

Grab them from Ticketmaster and Gigs & Tours.

Featured Image – Supplied (via Tim Roney/Getty Images)

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Gig guide | Lady Gaga at Co-op Live – tickets, times, setlist and more for ‘The Mayhem Ball’

Thomas Melia Thomas Melia

Pop champion Lady Gaga is heading to the notable Manchester music venue, Co-op Live, for two nights of her spellbinding ‘Mayhem Ball’ this October.

Little Monsters, “It’s time to cast your spell tonight” as ‘Mother Monster’, a.k.a. 14-time Grammy-winning singing sensation, Lady Gaga, is treating us lucky lot here in Manchester to not just one but TWO theatrical performances.

This pop mastermind has soundtracked many over the past two decades, and her latest LP, Mayhem, continues this streak with the success of its enchanting and harsh-pop lead single, ‘Abracadabra.’

Gaga has cultivated a worldwide following thanks to hits like ‘Poker Face’, ‘Telephone’, ‘Bad Romance’ and ‘Die With a Smile’, which will all receive a huge reception when across the two nights at Co-op Live.

Lady Gaga is playing Co-op Live in Manchester twice on 7 and 8 October as part of her Mayhem Ball tour / Credit: Supplied
Lady Gaga is playing Co-op Live in Manchester twice on 7 and 8 October as part of her Mayhem Ball tour / Credit: Supplied

Most recently, the US vocalist found her hit ‘Bloody Mary’ trending alongside the coming-of-age Netflix series Wednesday, which led to her creating ‘The Dead Dance’ for the show’s second season.

Now we’re ready to see our much-loved monster in the flesh

Lady Gaga at Co-op Live, Manchester – all you need to know

Lady Gaga UK tour dates

  • Mon 29 September – London, UK – The O2
  • Tue 30 September – London, UK – The O2
  • Thu 2 October – London, UK – The O2
  • Sat 4 October – London, UK – The O2
  • Tue 7 October – Manchester, UK – Co-op Live
  • Wed 8 October – Manchester, UK – Co-op Live

Lady Gaga tickets for Co-op Live gig

If you want to see this ‘Perfect Celebrity’ through your own eyes, you’ll have to act fast, as there’s only a handful of seats left to witness the star in action. Get ready to ‘Just Dance’ the night away with tickets HERE.

After avoiding all the ‘Paparazzi’? Then why not treat yourself to exclusive tickets in one of Co-op Live’s luxury boxes on Tuesday 7 October and enjoy premium seats, a dining experience and more HERE.

Lady Gaga ‘Mayhem Ball’ setlist

  • Bloody Mary
  • Abracadabra
  • Judas
  • Aura
  • Scheiße
  • Garden of Eden
  • Poker Face
  • Perfect Celebrity
  • Disease
  • Paparazzi
  • LoveGame
  • The Beast
  • Killah
  • Zombieboy
  • The Dead Dance
  • LoveDrug
  • Applause
  • Just Dance
  • Shadow of a Man
  • Kill for Love
  • Summerboy
  • Born This Way
  • Million Reasons
  • Shallow
  • Die With a Smile
  • Speechless
  • Hair
  • Vanish Into You
  • Bad Romance
  • How Bad Do U Want Me
The Mayhem Ball marks pop heavyweight Lady Gaga's first time returning to Manchester in over 10 years / Credit: Supplied
‘The Mayhem Ball’ marks pop heavyweight Lady Gaga’s first time returning to Manchester in over 10 whole years (Credit: Supplied)

What are the stage times for Lady Gaga in Manchester?

Co-op Live has a strict curfew of 11pm, meaning that Mother Monster won’t get the opportunity to ‘Marry The Night’ – however, this does mean fans can get an early night.

There is no official support act listed for any date across her UK tour, with doors set to open from 6:30pm and no start time for the show, but her London dates did kick off around 8:30pm.

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 until 1:00am 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.

Getting there by car and parking

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; 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:

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  • 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 Moss (Ashton line) – 183 spaces and 12 disabled spaces
  • 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 on the Beryl app, 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.

For more information on all travel options, you can check out the enhanced journey planner.

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Featured Images – Press Shots (via Supplied)

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Self Esteem at Manchester Academy – a night of pure energy and immaculate music

Kristen MacGregor-Houlston Kristen MacGregor-Houlston Self Esteem in Manchester

A Complicated Woman – the name of Self Esteem’s album, she is currently touring around the UK and Europe. While she may be complicated, there is nothing complicated about how absolutely sensational a performer is.

I only ‘got into’ Self Esteem (Rebecca Lucy Taylor) this year. I kept hearing others talk about her and her music, but I’d never really given her a listen until we saw her on the line-up for Glastonbury. A Complicated Woman had just come out, so that was my intro, and I immediately became a massive fan.

I was lucky enough to watch her set at Glastonbury, which brought tears to my eyes for being both an incredible performance and thematically. When the opportunity then came to see her again, but at home in Manchester, I practically bit the promoter’s hand off.

The energy is palpable at Manchester Academy; everyone is just buzzing with a joyful energy that’s incredibly infectious.

Unfortunately Moonchild Sanelly, the collaborator on ‘In Plain Sight’ and Self Esteem’s support act on this tour, was unwell, so the delightful Tom Rasmussen stepped in at the last minute.

Fresh from a family christening and pulling in some last-minute pals, he delivers a delightfully camp and moving show, getting everyone pumped up.

The lights went down at 9pm, and the audience was met with a wall of handmaids, and then Rebecca walked out on stage to a huge eruption from the crowd. Her fans (myself included) clearly love her. She opens with ‘I Do And I Don’t Care’ which brings a tear to my eye once again.

This is more than just a ‘gig’. It is a full, theatrical experience with dancing and storytelling the whole way through.

Whilst Taylor is very clearly the focus, her team of performers are an essential element of the whole show: they’re so much more than just simple backing singers/dancers. They’re so in sync with each other, and there is so much joy on stage as they shine together – a very clear bond ripples through with such love.

The show flows almost as different ‘Acts’, with the running order not following the album order itself, with a mix of songs from her current album and the 2021 album, Prioritise Pleasure. ‘Mother’ gets the crowd grinding away as she moves onto ‘Lies’ and ‘69’ – which always gets a chuckle from the crowd.

We are fixated on her. She just draws you in and holds you there throughout the whole gig. Nobody is shifting around to go to the loo or get a beer; everyone is just glued to their spot and basking in her sensational energy. Despite some of the themes during the gig, everyone was abuzz with energy.

Credit: Audio North

When ‘Fucking Wizadry’ comes on, every single person sings (or screams) along, and Taylor and her onstage posse absolutely lap it up. 

With Moonchild Sanelly being unwell during our gig, when ‘In Plain Sight’ is performed, Self Esteem still moves to the side of the stage when the recording of Moonchild is played, giving space to where she would have been. Hopefully, she is feeling better for her further dates, because her presence would have been a powerful addition to the song, and I’m gutted to have not experienced it.

When ‘Cheers To Me’ came on, the party really began; the audience went utterly MAD for it when the inflatable men (like the ones you see at car garages) appeared. It is honestly so hard to describe the feeling of euphoric joy that is just blasting through the crowd – it is a sight and sensation to behold.

Now you may or may not know, but Self Esteem is personal friends with Julie Hesmondhalgh – yes, as Hayley Cropper from CORRIE! – in who appeared on stage on night two of her three-night gig in Manchester.

She admits to us that on night one, she forgot that Julie was only doing night two and had shouted to introduce her during ‘If Not Now, It’s Soon’, which had apparently caused a bit of a stir with some of the night one’s audience.

Making light of it, she asked if the crowd wanted her to shout Julie Hesmondhalgh again, so we all felt equal – of course, we did.

The show goes from strength to strength, “finishing” with ‘The Deep Blue Okay’ which perfectly encapsulates the raw emotion and talent of Self Esteem. The crowd is beside itself with cheer as they erupt in applause, deafening just about everyone around them as the stage empties and the lights dim.

Self Esteem returns to the stage alone initially, and chats to us about two important charities she is raising money for, the Schools Consent Project, which goes into schools and teaches kids about consent, and the other is X – helping relocate people displaced as a result of conflicts around the globe.

She then moves into ‘I Do This All The Time’, joined by her troupe again on stage, and finally finishing on ‘Focus Is Power’. Emotions are incredibly high. There isn’t a single person who hasn’t been moved and hyped by the whole show.

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Self Esteem is truly a force to be reckoned with, an absolute star and show woman, yet I feel like not enough people know who she is.

A hidden gem on display in front of everyone waiting to be noticed, and she should be, because she is absolutely, boneshakingly sensational. 

Tickets are still on sale for her show in Sheffield, and you would be absolutely mad to miss her. I will be there – I’d better see you there too…

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images — The Manc Group

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