After what feels like an eternity, everyone’s favourite Geordie is back: Sam Fender’s new album looks like it’s on the way but we’re getting a massive UK arena tour first.
Literally three whole years since his smash-hit sophomore record Seventeen Going Under and having gone without any new releases from Sam besides an exciting feature on Noah Kahan’s ‘Homesick’ back in January, Fender fanatics have quite rightly been losing their minds.
You can consider us firmly included in that group.
Initially confirming the announcement at 10 on Friday, 18 October after a series of teasers online, the 30-year-old has finally shared details of the new ‘People Watching’ tour, suspected to be the name of his upcoming third studio album.
Fans have already heard glimpses of the heavily rumoured title track ‘People Watching’ both in the short social media clips and out on the road, as the North Shields-born indie star and his band have been playing new songs at a handful of gigs at the likes of this year’s Boardmasters festival back in August.
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Although live versions of other as yet unreleased tracks like ‘Nostalgia’s Lie’ and ‘Love is a Long Road’ are out there on the internet, it became clear which song he was going to release first after he posted the lyrics, “I people watch on the way back home”, on his accounts.
He also shared posters outside some of the UK’s biggest venues, like Manchester’s Co-op Live and Leeds’ First Direct Arena, and told fans to get ready with a countdown page on his website.
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Having now dropped the series of dates, we’re buzzing to find out that ‘Sam Fender 3’ and his UK tour are coming sooner than we expected – the gigs themselves as early as December in fact.
As was pretty much inevitable, he then announced that another Manchester date would be added due to “phenomenal demand”, meaning that us Manc fans have an extra chance to be in that crowd, as will those in London and Glasgow. Consider this the best early Christmas present ever!
Set to play Manchester’s Co-op Live on 6 and 7 December 2024, as well as a special hometown gig in Newcastle later that month, he will be launching into the rest of his European dates in March next year. It’s hard to believe this is his first UK tour since spring 2022.
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Better yet, the incredible Wunderhorse will once again be supporting him and £1 from every ticket sold for the UK dates will be donated to the Music Venue Trust in support of grassroots venues. Love this boy.
We’re so glad to have him back and after watching him live a few times now, including at Castlefield Bowl back in 2022, we can confirm he really is one of the best in the country.
General admission tickets go on sale from 10am on Friday 25 October HERE.
We still don’t know the album name for sure or the release date, but we know that ‘SF3’ is coming and we can’t wait to hear the new songs as well as all the hits live. Roll on December!
So good to be back at it!!! We loved sharing some new tunes! Thank you X
Featured Images — Raph_PH (via Flickr)/Press Image (supplied)
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The Pogues announce Manchester gig on first tour since death of frontman Shane MacGowan
Danny Jones
The Pogues have announced their first UK tour since the death of former frontman, Shane MacGowan, with Manchester one of just half a dozen cities chosen.
Nearly a full year on from his death at just 65, the Anglo-Irish favourites best known for their eternal Christmas classic, ‘Fairytale of New York’, are gearing up for their first outing since their iconic lead singer’s passing as a celebration of his life and their seminal second album.
It’s been 13 years since their last headline tour shortly before their split and it will be 40 years since the release of Rum Sodomy and the Lash by the time they hit the road along with special guests.
Safe to say it’ll be an emotional series of shows for everyone involved.
The Pogues return in 2025 for their first UK Tour since 2012 to celebrate 40 years of Rum Sodomy & the Lash Ft James Fearnley, Jem Finer, Spider Stacy & special guests. Tickets go on sale 9:30am Fri 22 Nov. Sign up at https://t.co/PxhZ8bnwBA by 5pm on 19 Nov for presale access ⚓️ pic.twitter.com/hFACjdf7yc
Revealing just six shows here in the UK, the long-standing band are set to play their sophomore release in full as well as a selection of their greatest hits.
The tour will feature remaining original members James Fearnley, Jem Finer, and Peter Richard ‘Spider’ Stacy, as well as a series of support that are yet to be confirmed.
Speaking on the upcoming dates, The Pogues said: “After the uproarious bash which was the 40th anniversary of our first record, Red Roses for Me, in 2024, we wanted to do it again, but with Rum Sodomy & the Lash.”
The music veterans are remaining tight-lipped about who they’re bringing along but they have promised their selections have been “thoughtfully chosen”.
With MacGowan, lead guitarist Philip Chevron (2013), bassist Darryl Hunt (2022) and long-time collaborator Kirsty MacColl (2000) now having passed away, the band will be roping in plenty of help on vocals and instrumentation.
Even though the gigs themselves will be coming at the of next spring, you can rest assured you’ll get to hear your beloved festive ballad.
Kicking off the tour in Leeds, The Pogues will play their first Manchester show in over a decade – and without Shane MacGowan front and centre – at the O2 Apollo on Wednesday, 7 May 2025.
Featured Images — Press Images (supplied)/Mordac (via Flickr)
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Khruangbin at the O2 Apollo Manchester – a masterclass on how to be really, really cool
Clementine Hall
Khruangbin, meaning ‘airplane’ in Thai, is a rather fitting name for a group who take their fans on a voyage across genres and styles through their funky, melodic tones.
Their second night in Manchester was no exception, as the first snow of the season began to fall outside the audience was psychedelically transported to sun-soaked places with Khruangbin’s celestial and enchanting melodies.
The set was laid back and minimal, featuring three arched windows and a white staircase that the band members travelled up and down smoothly throughout.
It’s fair to say that bassist, Laura Lee Ochoa, might just be one of the coolest people we’ve ever laid our eyes on.
Khruangbin in Manchester. (Credit: The Manc Group)
Sporting sequin black trousers that twinkled under the stage lights and a matching sequin headband, we’ve already started planning our Christmas party looks accordingly.
Accompanied by guitarist Mark Speer, both were of course wearing their iconic chunky black fringed wigs that shimmied side to side with every key change and with every understated, choreographed movement.
The first half of the evening was dedicated to their latest album, A La Sala. It’s a chilled album that features Ochoa’s soft vocals drifting over soothing drum work and ambient guitar.
With every track, the colour scheme of the windows behind them changed and Ochoa pinpointed each bass line with a point of the toe, a dip in her step, a quick turn of the head. The entire audience were left completely mesmerised, united in a syncopated head bop from the start.
Khruangbin’s psychedelic tones left us in a magical trance, and so the second half which featured more funky tracks from the trio was very much welcomed.
Playing fan favourites such as ‘White Gloves and People Everywhere (Still Alive)’, the audience couldn’t help but throw a few shapes and so did Ochoa and Speer.
Their choreography was so carefully considered and in synch, even their sips of water were in perfect harmony.
Encore songs ‘Evan Finds the Third Room’ and ‘Maria Tambien’ showed off quintessential guitar-driven Khruangbin melodies, providing the perfect end to their final night in Manchester.
Seeing Khruangbin live is a very unique experience, let alone in a venue like the O2 Apollo; I entered with an amateur knowledge of their songs and left eager to deep-dive into their vast catalogue.
Danny Jones -
18th October 2024 
