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Sleep Token announce headline UK arena tour, including massive Manchester gig
The genre-bending, masked metal band are heading straight to Manchester's newest and biggest venue.
The fast-rising and genre-bending rock group Sleep Token have announced their biggest-ever headline tour in the UK and will be coming to Manchester later this year — and wait until you find out where they’re playing.
For anyone yet to discover the progressive metal band, the masked outfit is probably providing one of the most unique and sprawling sounds in the industry right now, fusing everything from heavy rock and jazz to alternative electronic music and straight-up piano ballads.
Having built a steady but solid cult following since 2016, very little is known about the mysterious metalheads other than the fact they’re from London and have been blowing up worldwide on platforms like TikTok.
While this isn’t their first visit to the UK by any stretch, their recent surge in popularity has seen them skip more than a few steps on the way up to playing the biggest venues around the world and are now set to play none other than Manchester’s brand-new Co-op Live Arena.
Scoring a slot at what is set to be Europe’s largest and most sustainable indoor entertainment arena when it opens is no mean feat and just serves as more proof that Sleep Token are absolutely massive. Their legions of ‘worshippers’ would argue they already are.
Part of the obsession with them is the distinct look, culture and relationship with the fans; many of them have fully bought into the very specific mystical and gothic aesthetic, often likened to a religious following as opposed to a straightforward crowd.
With a whole subset of lore and mythology erected around them and their deity-like frontman, ‘Vessel’, for a lot of people, listening to this band is more than just popping in some headphones and pressing shuffle — so much so that they helped get them to number three in the UK and saw their latest record
Set to play Co-op Live on Tuesday, 26 November — being one of the first to be given the honour of kicking off its first year of events — the Manchester date is just one date in a small handful of five shows which also includes London, Birmingham, Glasgow and Cardiff. Again, huge.
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Estimated to play in front of more than 75,000 fans over the course of the limited run, this will, without doubt, be one of their biggest tours to date anywhere, and if you haven’t listened to them before now might be the time.
It’s not for everyone, that’s for sure, but if you’re into your heavier stuff and want to hear a band doing stuff like very few other artists on the planet are right now, maybe give them a go.
Tickets for Sleep Token’s 2024 UK tour and their Manchester gig go on general sale this Friday, 9 February at 10am and you can grab yours HERE, or you can go for presale by signing up to the mailing list from Wednesday, 7 Feb.
We know we say this a lot but, trust us, these things are going to sell out in the blink of an eye.
For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.
Featured Images — Press Image (via Co-op Live)/Drew de F Fawkes (via Flickr)
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Lola Young shares first public statement since cancellations and stepping away from the spotlight
Danny Jones
UK pop star Lola Young has shared her first public statement since cancelling the remainder of her tour and stepping away from the spotlight.
Lola Young, 24, took a break from her still-burgeoning career after numerous concerning incidents on stage, including throwing up and even passing out in the middle of a performance.
The BRIT School graduate announced the unfortunate cancellation of her upcoming shows “for the foreseeable future”, including a gig here in Manchester, at the end of September.
Breaking her silence after the best part of three months, the London-born singer-songwriter took to social media in a fairly brief but heartwarming statement.
As you can see, the time away from the public eye certainly seems to have been beneficial, telling her followers that “it has helped more than you will ever know”.
In addition to embracing ADHD – even labelling her hit song ‘Messy’ as an “ADHD anthem” in multiple anthems – she was also diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder at just 17.
The latter can include symptoms such as psychosis, hallucinations, intense mood swings, bipolar mania, depression and more.
Prior to calling off the rest of her headline shows, Young also had to pull out of her then-biggest festival slot to date, Parklife, though this was reportedly due to a scheduling conflict.
All that being said, we’re glad to hear that she’s on the mend; we saw her back in March, and you could tell from the crowd that she’s already got a very passionate cult following.
Both conditions and their associated obstacles have obviously affected her, but have equally helped influence her music and lyrical material, certainly, too.
Responding in the comments, fellow artist SZA wrote: “Love you, starfire angel. Your music is FULL of longevity and substance! We’re so grateful for you”.
Joining in support, ‘dark pop’ musician Carter James added, “Your wellbeing comes before anything. So excited for your next chapter whenever it arrives!”
We hope she’ll be doing better enough soon to get back on stage when she’s ready.
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Featured Images — Audio North/Jamsterdodger (via Wikimedia Commons)
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Fans are preparing to pay tribute to Mani from The Stone Roses ahead of his funeral service
Danny Jones
Stone Roses fans and Greater Manchester locals alike are getting ready to pay their respects to the late, great, Gary ‘Mani’ Mounfield, following his tragic passing last month.
As well as details surrounding his funeral being announced earlier this week, the iconic Manc musician’s cause of death has also finally been revealed.
Mani was sadly confirmed dead on 20 November, aged just 63, just over a month on from attending fellow local legend and friend Ricky Hatton’s memorial and public procession.
While Hatton’s service featured a high-profile cortège which started all the way from his hometown of Hyde, past multiple landmarks and ending at the Etihad Stadium, those local to Mani’s family home on the edge of Stockport are also being welcomed to help send him off.
It has now been confirmed that Mani – born in Crumpsall but raised in Moston and Failsworth – unfortunately passed away from long-term respiratory issues.
He had been struggling with emphysema for some time; he was declared dead at his home in the suburb of Heaton Moor, and is said to have died peacefully in his sleep.
As you can see from the posters put in various places around the area, residents wishing to pay their own tributes to Mani before his private funeral service at Manchester Cathedral are encouraged to line the long street leading down from St Paul’s and Heaton Moor United Church as he heads towards the city.
Departing Parsonage Road from 10am on Monday, 22 December, before turning right onto Heaton Moor Rd, then Wellington and eventually on to the Cathedral, you can expect plenty of people to show up.
One of those people will be his former bandmate and another influential guitarist, John Squire, who is one of many famous musical names to have honoured him in their own way over the last few weeks.
Other members of The Stone Roses, as well as Primal Scream (who he joined in 1996), are expected to join the close family and friends at the service itself.
Nevertheless, we have no doubt that plenty will be observing the funeral in their own way.
So, for those of you also looking to honour him, you know what to do; and to quote the poster itself, “together we can show this local legend and his family that he was truly adored.”
Rest in peace.
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For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.
Featured Images — @gachayatta (via X)/@aktivioslo (via Flickr)
