Beloved northern band Reverend and the Makers have cancelled their upcoming tour, with frontman Jon McClure sharing a heartbreakingly honest statement.
The acclaimed Sheffield band were set to perform at venues across the UK in support of their seventh studio album, Heatwave In The Cold North.
Their tour in November included a final night at the Academy here in Manchester, as well as at venues in Holmfirth, Leeds and Liverpool.
But Reverend and the Makers have now sadly decided to put their live tour on hold while Jon takes time to ‘grieve properly’ following the sudden death of his father, he wrote.
The star said that he ‘tried to record an album’ while his dad was ill, but said that he was ‘distracted the whole time’ and now needs to re-record the music.
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He wrote that his ‘head was in the hospital ward’.
Jon said: “I owe it to myself and to my Dad to make it as good as it can be.”
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His statement then went on to say that the band are no longer able to tour in November, with Jon adding that he ‘can’t go out with no new music’.
He wrote: “I need that time to be in the studio but also to grieve properly. My heads been all over the shop to be truthful. I’m a bit done pretending otherwise.”
Reverend and the Makers frontman Jon McClure shared this photo of his late dad. Credit: Facebook
“I’m out here asking for your patience and understanding whilst I get all my ducks in a row for 2025,” he added.
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Jon’s full statement on the upcoming Reverend and the Makers tour says: “Gonna try and say this as honestly as possible. My Dad got super poorly and subsequently passed away suddenly earlier this year.
“I didn’t want it to affect me. Stupidly, I tried to record an album whilst nursing him through his final days. But the truth is I was distracted the whole time. The songs are brilliant -The best I’ve ever written.
“But I wasn’t paying enough attention to how it sounded. My head was in the hospital ward.
“And so regrettably, I need to take a few months to re record a bunch of stuff. I owe it to myself and to my Dad to make it as good as it can be. All your preorders are still valid so no need to stress.
Support floods in for Reverend and the Makers as they cancel tour to ‘grieve properly’. Credit: Steve Schofield
“But i guess it does mean that I can’t tour in November now. I can’t go out with no new music. I need that time to be in the studio but also to grieve properly. My heads been all over the shop to be truthful. I’m a bit done pretending otherwise.
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“I get I’ve messed everyone around a bit here but I want this record to be a masterpiece so I’m out here asking for your patience and understanding whilst I get all my ducks in a row for 2025.
“We have some incredible things in the pipeline so please stay tuned. Peace and love.”
Us here at The Manc, The Sheff and The Hoot are sending all the love to Jon and the band and will be back at the front when they are ready to tour again.
Andy Burnham’s favourite Manchester pub, restaurant, neighbourhood and Sunday roast
Daisy Jackson
Andy Burnham’s favourite pub, restaurant, neighbourhood, and Sunday roast have been revealed – and the man’s got taste.
Old footage of now-PM Andy Burnham chatting to content creator Isaac Likes has been doing the rounds again, and while the interview dates back to before Andy left us and headed down to the big smoke, his Manchester recommendations still stand.
From his go-to neighbourhood and favourite pub to where he heads for a Sunday roast, and even the song he likes to play when he gets behind the decks, Burnham gave us a glimpse into his ideal Manchester day.
First up, there’s the Northern Quarter, which Burnham reckons has to be his favourite neighbourhood in the city.
He said: “Got to be the Northern Quarter. It’s the place where it’s all happening.”
When it comes to food, he singled out Firehouse, sitting on the edge of the Northern Quarter, as one of his favourite places to eat. He also gave a shoutout to its sister venue Ramona, where he’s been known to get behind the decks.
Andy said: “On the edge of the Northern Quarter, Firehouse is a place I love to go. Ramona Pizza, I’ve DJ’d there – if the mayor DJs there it’s gotta be alright.”
For a proper pint, Burnham’s choice is a little more traditional, saying his favourite pub is the ‘proper old school’ Peveril of the Peak.
The beautiful tiled pub was recently named the best in the UK, just days before its legendary landlady Nancy passed away.
When Sunday rolls around, Burnham said he has a couple of options up his sleeve. The Wharf in Castlefield gets a mention, as does Edinburgh Castle up in Ancoats.
The Peveril of the Peak pub in ManchesterThe Edinburgh CastleFirehouseSome of Andy Burnham’s favourite places in Manchester. Credit: The Manc Group
He said: “We love our gravy, we drink it by the pint in Manchester.”
Of course, no conversation with Burnham about Manchester would be complete without talking music.
Asked to name the best Manchester band of all time, he offered a few contenders – The Smiths, New Order, and, ultimately, The Stone Roses.
“The band I think are quintessentially Manchester is The Stone Roses. That was peak Manchester,” he said.
Fontaines D.C. announce massive return to Manchester on new European tour
Daisy Jackson
Fontaines D.C. have just announced their biggest headline tour to date, including a massive arena gig here in Manchester.
The wildly popular Irish rock band are set to play a whopping 20 arena shows across Europe and the UK this autumn.
The tour has been announced in celebration of their upcoming fifth studio album, Dopamine Chamber, which is set for release this October.
Fontaines D.C. will hit the road just five days after the album drops, kicking off their European tour in Lisbon on 21 October.
Then they’ll make their way over to the UK, with shows in Manchester, Leeds, Liverpool, Glasgow, Birmingham and London.
Fans in their home country of Ireland are told to stay tuned for live news very soon.
As we speak, Fontaines D.C. are warming up to play one of the country’s biggest festivals, with headline slots at Reading & Leeds Festival.
They’ve already released Marianne, the first single from their new album, and frontman Grian Chatten says of the album: “The album itself is a dopamine chamber. You step inside and we test these different mind- or mood-altering pieces of music on you.”
The new record has been recorded between London, the English countryside, and Palermo, where Chatten recorded vocals in a makeshift booth built from mattresses and cushions.
He said: “There’s a poignant sense of us being on the brink of some other kind of form of humanity, or non-humanity.”
Tickets will go on general sale at 10am on Thursday 3 September, with pre-sale live from 10am on Tuesday 1 September.
You can access tickets for Fontaines D.C. in Manchester HERE.
Fans who pre-order Dopamine Chamber from the official store by 6pm on Monday 31 August will gain access to the UK pre-sale.
Fontaines D.C. UK tour dates in full
Friday 20 November – Liverpool, UK – M&S Bank Arena
Saturday 21 November – Manchester, UK – AO Arena
Sunday 22 November – Glasgow, UK – OVO Hydro
Tuesday 24 November – Leeds, UK – First Direct Bank Arena
Wednesday 25 November – Birmingham, UK – Utilita Arena
Daisy Jackson -
4th September 2024 
