In a gig we waited seven years for, Sampha proved he is the master of his craft.
Celebrating his second album, LAHAI, Mercury Prize-winner Sampha headlined his first Manchester show in nearly seven years last night.
And it was well worth the wait.
As one of only two UK stops on his 2024 tour, we felt extremely lucky to watch the UK breakout star take to the stage at Aviva Studios.
Taking place in the formidable warehouse space, excitable crowds flocked in a circular motion to secure their spot around the stage.
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For such a vast space, performing in-the-round created a real sense of intimacy that wouldn’t have been made possible in any other venue.
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Gazing onto the stage filled with electronic keyboards, synthesisers and drums – the anticipation to see someone who’s since grown to be a global icon since last in the city was truly immense.
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But we didn’t have to wait long as the London-born singer songwriter plunged us straight into the deep end with emotive hit Plastic 100°C.
An honest reflection of both love and fear, Sampha and his incredible band had us enamoured from the very start and we knew we were in for a great night.
His new album, LAHAI, shows just how much he’s grown since first breaking out on the music scene back in 2017.
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From what was first heart-wrenching meditations of discovery now had sounds of acceptable and joy throughout, and truly it was a joy to hear.
Making his way through the album we of course were treated with tender ballad (No One Knows Me) Like The Piano, and even as the first chords were struck there was a communal sigh amongst the audience.
There were most definitely some wet eyes amongst the crowd as Sampha wistfully opened up his heart to us.
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But it wasn’t all melancholy meditations, Sampha and his crew jumped around the stage interacting with the audience, at one point communally banging a drum in the centre of the stage.
The new tracks took unexpected twists and turns, introducing flavours of jazz, soul, rap, dance and jungle which the band and himself merged seamlessly with their already mastered R&B genre.
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Highlights included the vocally layered Suspended and piano-heavy Dancing Circles, both of which I’m sure many of us played through our speakers as soon as we got in (myself included).
Ending triumphantly with Blood On Me, the lights turned red on Aviva Studios as we danced as a singular and were reminded just what a talent Sampha truly is.
And we left hoping he wouldn’t leave it another seven years until he comes back.
New data estimates that 7.3m Oasis fans are set to miss out on 2027 tour tickets
Emily Sergeant
New data has revealed that as many as 7.3 million Oasis fans could be set to miss out on tickets to the band’s 2027 tour.
In case you need bringing up to speed a little, it was announced earlier this week that, following the unprecedented success of the reunion tour, Oasis Live ’25, last year, including five nostalgia-drenched gigs at Manchester’s Heaton Park, Oasis would be hitting the road once again in 2027, and this time around, they’re going BIG.
We’re talking 11 nights at the Etihad Stadium and a return to the iconic grounds of Knebworth for four special shows there too, kind of ‘big’.
The iconic Manchester band will also be taking to a range of other world-famous stages across the globe, including five nights at Glasgow’s Celtic Park, and major cities like Barcelona, Amsterdam, Paris, Rome, and Las Vegas.
But despite the elevated number of dates the Gallaghers and co will be performing, some new data has unfortunately revealed that millions of fans may still not be lucky enough to snag a ticket.
The ticketing system for Oasis Live ’27 is not what it was for the last tour, nor will it be similar to many other tours of a similar scale in the past either, as this time, the band and their promotors are taking necessary measures to ensure ‘genuine fans’ get their hands on the tickets and that dynamic pricing doesn’t creep in.
Instead of going into detail on that now though, you can read our full guide on how to get tickets for the Manchester and Knebworth shows here.
Experts at online ticketing platform TicketSource have analysed the scale of demand for Oasis tickets by comparing the 10 million fans worldwide who queued for the initial release of 1.4 million tickets for their 2025 tour, with the newly announced 2027 tour dates and stadium capacities.
With an estimated 2.67 million tickets available across 38 dates and 11 locations between 21 May and 19 September 2027, Oasis could still face huge demand from fans hoping to see them live.
But research reveals the band would need to play 112 Wembley-sized shows to accommodate everyone who tried to get a ticket in 2025.
The 2027 tour would accommodate just 26.7% of those who tried to get tickets last time, meaning almost three-quarters (73%) of them could miss out, leaving a shortfall of more than 7.3 million fans.
Fingers crossed you’re among the lucky lot that secure tickets, though.
Featured Image – Joshua Halling (Press Image – Supplied)
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Iconic Manc movie 24 Hour Party People is set to return to cinemas for its anniversary
Emily Sergeant
One of Manchester’s most iconic movies is set to return to the big screen next month.
Remastered in 4K and returning to UK cinemas to mark 24 years since its original release, Michael Winterbottom’s 2002 biographical comedy drama film, 24 Hour Party People, tells the story of Manchester‘s popular music community from 1976 to 1992 – specifically about Factory Records‘ founder Tony Wilson.
The film begins with the punk rock era of the late 1970s, before moving through the 1980s into the rave and DJ culture, and of course, the ‘Madchester‘ scene of the late 1980s and early 1990s.
The narrative largely follows the career of Tony Wilson, played by Middleton-born actor Steve Coogan, while also covering the careers of the major Factory Records artists – especially Joy Division and New Order, as well as A Certain Ratio, The Durutti Column, and Happy Mondays.
If you haven’t seen 24 Hour Party People before, it’s a dramatisation based on a combination of real events, rumours, and urban legends, as the film is sure to make clear.
Coogan is joined by a cast by a mixture of big names and, at the time, rising stars like Paddy Considine, Shirley Henderson, Lennie James, John Simm, Ralf Little, Andy Serkis, Sean Harris, John Thomson, and even Peter Kay, alongside cameos from other figures connected to the Manchester music scene.
Before it returns to cinemas, the film will first open music and media festival/conference, Beyond The Music, at MediaCity in Salford on 6 October.
The screening at the festival will also be followed by a Q&A with Coogan, Winterbottom, and producer Andrew Eaton.
24 Hour Party People will then be re-released in UK cinemas from 9 October, and you can check your local cinema for screening times and book tickets online now.
Clementine Hall -
16th February 2024 
