Last night we had to bid an emotional farewell to one of the true GOATS of the rock and pop-punk scene, and also a big part of our childhood and adolescence, as Co-op Live Arena hosted Sum 41 for their last-ever Manchester show on their final world tour.
Sum 41 have been going since 1996, which for those who’ve always had a penchant for thrashy guitars, pounding drums, devil horns and bleach-blonde haircuts, probably explains why they’ve managed to play a part in many people’s youth and formative music years over multiple generations.
The Canadian outfit announced their split after 27 years back in May 2023, much to the heartbreak of their fans all over the globe, but we’d like to think of this conclusion not as a break-up but more of a long goodbye, as by all accounts the members left on stage still have a lot of love for each other and us.
Put simply, they’ve just come to a natural conclusion and after the best part of three decades of jumping up and down, shredding guitar solos, touring the world and some very well-known ups and downs, they’re tired – but thankfully not so exhausted that they couldn’t give us one last party. Exhibit A:
Now, if you’re thinking this was just the crescendo and that they saved the best songs, lights and effects for last, you’re dead wrong.
All Killer, No Filler was Sum 41’s highly-anticipated debut way back in 2001 and even to this day, with eight studio albums to their names, a cult favourite 1998 demo tape and a compilation album of their Solid Gold Hits, that title still sums up – pun obviously intended – what they’re all about.
Even with members coming in and out of the band, record label rivalry, frontman Dereyck Whibley’s very widely publicised battle with boozing, his path to reaching an incredible 10 years of sobriety and alarming revelations in his new memoir, they never put out a bad record despite the ups and downs.
Whibley, 44, said as much on stage too; we lost count of how many times he ended one of their many standout tracks by shouting “STOP!” and a sudden cut to black but also the number of moments in which he paused to reminisce and say thank you to the Sum 41 family.
For a man who literally paid £41,000 (of course) to get back his first guitar decades after it was stolen from his house, brought it out on stage, and played the oldest of the old Sum 41 tracks to a delighted Manchester crowd inside the Co-op, taking the time to be nostalgic clearly means a lot to him and us.
Some start.Lots of bells and whistles.Our review of the final ever Sum 41 live show in Manchester. (Credit: The Manc Group)
Whether it was old favourites like ‘The Hell Song’ and ‘Motivation’, the ever-underappreciated middle years of ‘Underclass Hero’ or their heavier metal era, their first-ever EP Half Hour of Power or their most recent and still celebrated singles like ‘Dopamine’ and ‘Landmines’, it all felt intensely reflective.
It also surprised us just how much of their music we retained even after all this time, as we’re not going to pretend that we’ve been across every release over nearly three full decades of their career, but one thing we will tell you is that no matter how old their audience has grown they haven’t forgotten the words.
More importantly, we loved that although there was a mixed-age crowd and even some very young kids in the stands clearly brought along by the parents who grew up on this stuff, as far as we could tell the main mosh pit was full of late 20s to 30-somethings rolling back the years just like the band on stage.
In a current music moment where a fair few bands have recently cancelled shows or the entire remainder of their tours due to fatigue and various other reasons, there was something about a bunch of middle-aged men still dressed as punks and giving every last ounce of their energy on their umpteenth gig that brought a smile to our faces.
Deryck is still fit and fighting.Pyros instantly improves any rock show.Vocals didn’t disappoint even after all this time, guitar and drum solos were on point and who doesn’t love fire?
For this particular music fan, Sum 41 is genuinely one of the earliest music memories I can recall: sitting cross-legged in front of a big old Panasonic box telly with my brother and watching the iconic ‘In Too Deep’ video and both nodding our heads to that timeless riff as if to confirm it was the coolest thing ever.
Seeing them live at the end of their journey felt super emotional and rather full circle too. I have no interest in rolling out in the ‘it’s not a phase’ meme on this occasion and I won’t dare spoil much more of this very special show in case you’re heading to another date, just make sure you stick in there until the very end as you’ve done so faithfully for all these years.
Sum 41 managed to turn their Co-op Live debut but final Manchester gig from a bittersweet goodbye that we’d been dreading for months into a fond farewell where we had to remind ourselves, ‘Don’t be sad it’s over, just be glad that it happened’ and that we were alive to be part of it.
On that note, we have nothing left to say other than ta-ra, thank you for the memories and for playing such a big role in so many people’s early years spent dreaming of being a rockstar.
The Sum 41 live audience made it a night to remember.There were some very real tears around us.We hope to see you again someday.
Diana Ross at Co-op Live, Manchester – tickets, times, setlist and more for UK tour
Thomas Melia
It’s true, the Queen of Motown Records, Diana Ross, is coming to Manchester, and she’s bringing The Hallé Orchestra with her too.
Diana Ross and her band are making their way to Manchester for a night of glitz and glam, but they’re also making room for the much-loved Manc-based music collective
You can expect this Pop and disco diva to perform lots of other timeless classics such as ‘I’m Coming Out’, ‘Ain’t No Mountain High Enough’, ‘Chain Reaction’, she really is ‘The Boss’.
Diana Ross gig guide – everything you need to know
Diana Ross, her band and The Hallé Orchestra are coming to Co-op Live Manchester on 26 June.Credit: Crisco 1492 (via Wikimedia Commons)
This living legend is a bucket list gig for many, but we’re sure if you’re fast enough, you’ll be able to secure a ticket for yourself and your ‘Baby Love’.
Diana Rosshas racked up 58 top 10 hits and we’re sure she’ll play a hefty amount of these at Co-op Live.Credit: DVROSS (via Flickr)
Diana Ross setlist
I’m Coming Out
More Today Than Yesterday
Baby Love
You Can’t Hurry Love
Come See About Me
Stop! In the Name of Love
Touch Me in the Morning
I’m Still Waiting
Chain Reaction
He Lives in You
Good Morning Heartache
Love Hangover
Ease on Down the Road
Home
The Boss
Endless Love
Reach Out and Touch
Upside Down
Tomorrow
Count on Me
Just in Case
If the World Just Danced
Why Do Fools Fall in Love
Theme From Mahogany (Do You Know Where You’re Going To)
Ain’t No Mountain High Enough
Amazing Grace
I Will Survive
Thank You
What are the stage times for Diana Ross in Manchester?
The supreme space that is Co-op Live has a strict curfew of 11pm, so you’ll be able to dance your socks off without having to ‘Stop! In the Name of Love’, while still making it back to bed before the early hours.
Anyone attending can expect the doors to open at 6:30pm with a kick-off time of 7:30pm and no official announcement regarding a support act.
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, and until 1am 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:
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 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.
This will be Diana’s first time performing at Co-op Live in Manchester.Credit: Crisco 1492 (via WikiCommons)
Featured Images — Publicity Picture (supplied)/Wikimedia Commons/Flickr
Audio
A limited number of additional Oasis tickets to be released in three UK cities on Live ’25 reunion tour
Danny Jones
Britpop fans, brace yourselves because Oasis have just announced that they will be releasing more tickets for three UK reunion dates – and yes, we can confirm that one of those set for an extra is their massive Manchester homecoming at Heaton Park.
Get ready to scrap in the digital queue again, folks.
With the Oasis Live ’25 reunion world tour now less than a week from kicking into gear (cannot believe it’s gone that fast), people are still scrambling around and trying to do whatever they can to get a last-minute ticket.
That being said, the Burnage boys and their promoters look to have given Oasis fans even more of a lifeline besides the hope of last-minute spares and re-sales, as a small release of additional tickets will be made for Manchester and two other cities available this week.
Posting on their social media accounts, the band confirmed: “As the shows are getting closer, Oasis promoters may be able to release a very limited number of additional tickets for sale once final sight lines are checked and the production is fine-tuned.”
Besides Heaton Park, Cardiff and Edinburgh are believed to be the other two shows tipped for the extra ticket allocation.
The update goes on to add: “These final production releases will happen over the coming days. If you are an Oasismynet [fan website] member, keep an eye on your inbox for an email from your regular Oasismynet or Ticketmaster correspondence address.”
Naturally, they’ve also urged would-be recipients to double-check all emails are correct and legitimate before following links or sharing any purchase information”, scammers having been rife ever since the tour broke the internet.
Amusingly, many of those who saw the latest news from the Gallagher brothers online immediately feared the worst when they spotted the lengthy block of white text on a plain black background.
“Got scared they had a falling out for a second because of the long message”, and “Omg this looked like a statement saying they’d fallen out again”, being just two examples.
But don’t worry; touch wood, rehearsals are now well underway and as far as we know, the Manc music legends are getting on fine and even spent a recent bank holiday together, according to LG himself.
If among the lucky few to be selected for the final ballot, those who attempted to get tickets last time around should receive a code via email, with the tickets available at 8am BST sharp tomorrow (Thursday, 26 June). So, you’d best get checking your inboxes, people!
It’s not just the return of Oasis mania out there, Britpop fever has well and truly gripped the nation with Robbie Williams currently on tour, Pulp back together too, not to mention Blur announcing a surprise new album this July. Time to clobber up and pretend it’s the 90s again.