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.
Manchester’s very own Interplanetary Criminal announces major headline Warehouse Project show
Daisy Jackson
Interplanetary Criminal will play a major headline show this autumn, taking the stage at Warehouse Project in his hometown.
Manchester’s very own rising star producer, who has been a driving force behind the global resurgence of UK garage, will play his biggest headline show to date.
Interplanetary Criminal will be joined by a huge line-up that includes ANZ, Joy Orbison, Jyoty, HAAi, and more.
He’ll be returning to his home city for a Warehouse Project gig on Saturday 10 October – his only Manchester appearance of the year.
As well as taking over the illustrious Depot Mayfield, including Depot, Concourse and Archive stages, there’ll be a special WHP Records takeover at the iconic Star & Garter pub too.
Manchester’s very own Interplanetary Criminal announces major headline Warehouse Project show
The line-up has been curated by Interplanetary Criminal himself and spans house, garage, techno and beyond, with a series of surprise B2Bs in the works too.
There’ll be key names on the bill like ANZ, Joy Orbison, Jyoty, DJ Seinfeld, HAAi and Skin On Skin, alongside a deep roster of emerging and established talent.
Pre-sale tickets for Interplanetary Criminal at Warehouse Project in Manchester go on sale from 10am on Thursday 30 April, priced at £35 plus booking fees – you can sign up HERE.
General sale is from 10am on Friday 1 May.
Interplanetary Criminal at Warehouse Project A-Z line-up
All-girl K-pop powerhouse aespa book MASSIVE Manchester arena show
Danny Jones
All-girl K-pop group, ‘aespa’, are coming to Manchester for some of their largest performances to date as part of a new global tour.
If you know anything about the K-pop scene, you’ll know that most acts are even bigger than you could ever imagine.
Manchester has gained a steady supply of gigs from artists within the genre over the past year or so, and now aespa are the latest to book the AO Arena for a headline show.
Rest assured, these tickets will fly…
aespa SYNK : COMPLæXITY
Catch the LIVE TOUR in Manchester at @AOArena on Thu 14th January 2027!
Register by [Wed 29 Apr at 6AM PT / 8PM CT / 9AM ET] for access to the artist presale: https://t.co/JuWFFMCE8Q
Dubbed the ‘SYNK : Complæxity World Tour’, this follows on from their last live iteration, ‘æXIS LINE’ shows, which began back in August 2025 and, technically, have only just ended this April.
As per an official press release, “Produced by Live Nation, the tour will bring aespa’s acclaimed live production and immersive performance experience to arenas across Asia, North America, Latin America, the UK, and Europe.”
There are actually just two shows in the entirety of Britain (the other being down in the capital), and Manchester has the good fortune of kicking off not only being the first of both, but the inaugural date of the entire European leg.
Consider us honoured.
Made up of a talented quartet – Karina, Giselle, Winter, and Ningning, the rising South Korean stars – this female-led phenomenon is arguably one of the fastest rising acts in the world of K-pop.
Having now been to a couple of these shows for ourselves, we’re starting to understand that these artists might have some of the most passionate followings on the planet.
Kicking off the latest run of performances back in their home country’s capital of Seoul, they’ll hit multiple continents before wrapping things up in Paris.
aespa EU tour dates 2027
14 January – AO Arena, Manchester
16 Jan – London
19 Jan – Amsterdam
22 Jan – Stockholm
24 Jan – Copenhagen
26 Jan – Berlin
29 Jan – Milan
31 Jan – Barcelona
2 February – Paris
If you’re a fan or are interested in throwing your hat in the ring for a first K-pop gig experience, you can register by signing up for their exclusive pre-sale window.
As for general admission, tickets to see aespa at the AO Arena in Manchester will go live at 3pm on Wednesday, 6 May; you can get ready to grab yours HERE.
Daisy Jackson -
4th September 2024 
