Last night, American duo The Black Keys graced the fine people of Manchester with irresistible rockand bluesy ballads at the AO Arena and it was nothing short of phenomenal, showcasing the exceptional talent that’s made them one of the most prolific bands of the last two decades.
Their ‘Dropout Boogie Tour’ was supported by fellow rockers Spoon and found them in the UK for a limited run of just three shows, London, Glasgow and, of course, Manchester. This was all on the back of their latest album release in 2022, which gained modest reviews.
Whatever you made of their last record, there isn’t much you can question about their live performance. Straight from the go, the show was electrifying, with the opening song ‘I Got Mine’ leaving the crowd screaming for more — I was definitely one of them.
The Black Keys brought a slice of that quintessential southern American blues-rock to the AO on Thursday night, taking us on a real sonic journey, weaving through different styles and more rock and roll sounds to those deeper, swampy tones that we’ve explored throughout their decorated career.
Their retro-inspired sound harkened back to a golden era of American music as they even covered some proper classics like ‘Crawling King Snake’ by delta-blues singer, Big Joe Williams, as well as ‘Have Love, Will Travel’ — which may only rattle around in your head has an advert song, but was originally recorded all the way back in 1959 by R&B singer, Richard Berry.
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They really leaned into those unmistakable bluesy, rock and roll roots and it really paid off because the whole vibe and reaction from the crowd was absolutely infectious.
The guitar mastery and soulful vocals displayed by lead singer, Dan Auerbach, were nothing short of awe-inspiring, but towards the final few songs he had to cut one short to call out, as Dan called him, a “beefcake”, that was being aggressive, pushy and putting a general “negative energy”.
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Dan said he’s not about that and neither are we or any of the Mancs who went along to watch, and he was met with rapturous applause when he declared: “That’s not how we do it at a rock and roll show”. Big respect to him for that.
By the time the encore came around, there was a single person not up on their feet and partying. They began with their 2011 track, ‘Little Black Submarine’ — which seemed ominously fitting considering the latest news headlines — starting slow but ending heavy and leading perfectly into the final jam and iconic hit, ‘Lonely Boy’.
It was obviously always going to end like that, being their most popular song, and for good reason. The show had already reached a euphoric climax which meant everyone was dancing and singing their hearts out. By the time the song finished, I truly wished I could’ve done it all over again.
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What a gig and what a night. It was truly an unforgettable experience that will be etched in my mind forever. The night wasn’t over for everyone, though, as the band actually headed to YES for their popular record hang after-party, where they DJ’d on vinyl into the early hours of the morning.
Sadly, for us, it was bedtime — some of us have work in the morning and we’d already partied plenty all night long. We will most definitely be seeing The Black Keys again the next time they’re in Manchester.
Featured Image — The Manc Group/The Black Keys (via Instagram)
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Embrace announce intimate live show in beloved Bury music venue
Danny Jones
British alternative veterans Embrace have announced another intimate show here in Greater Manchester, only this time it’s over in Bury at a stunning small-cap arts venue.
It’s not often you get to see such a long-standing band play outside of the city centre so far into their career, especially in gorgeous grassroots spaces like this one.
A fellow Northern outfit, they’ve often been lumped in with that ‘post-Britpop’ era of music, and plenty throw around the so-called ‘dad rock’ label, but honestly, we couldn’t care either way: they remain among the UK’s perennially underappreciated underdogs that never get old, as far as we’re concerned.
Revealing a handful of new live dates for their album launch this summer, they’ll be making just two appearances in the North West on the run.
Writing in the post, the group said: “We’ve lined up a run of exclusive UK dates in venues that are some of the smallest we’ve played in years. It’s going to be special, but capacity is extremely limited.”
As you can see, besides the Jacaranda Baltic in Liverpool, the only other place in this region where they’re set to play for this mini tour is The Met over in Bury.
One of the most beautiful gig spots, not just in the town but in all the 10 boroughs, for our money, the room only holds around 400 standing and roughly 250 seats.
For seasoned artists like this lot, who are more used to playing big festival stages and big domestic headline tours – which they’re also doing later this year – it’s sure to be a special night.
Toasting the release of their ninth studio LP, Avalanche, this spin-off on the tried and tested in-store format wouldn’t be possible without the help of local record store, Wax and Beans, who are promoting and hosting the show.
But we can’t lie, there’s something about the idea of seeing them decades on from when they first tightly-packed out crowds of this size.
If you want to be part of the Embrace album launch tour, you can get ready to grab your tickets at 10am this Friday, 27 March, right HERE. And speaking of great record shops…
Niall Horan is heading back to Manchester with a massive arena show just announced
Daisy Jackson
Niall Horan will be back in Manchester this year on a huge newly-announced European arena tour.
The former One Direction star (and chart-topper in his own right) has just announced his Dinner Party Live On Tour tour.
The tour comes in support of his upcoming fourth solo studio album, Dinner Party, which promises to be ‘cinematic and organic’.
Niall Horan will be performing at the Co-op Live in Manchester this September, along with gigs in other UK cities including Sheffield, Glasgow, and Newcastle.
He’ll then head right across Europe, playing music from his multi-Platinum-selling songbook.
Niall first shot to fame as one-fifth of One Direction, but has one of the group’s strongest solo careers, with three chart-topping albums and massive hits like Slow Hands, Heaven, and Our Song.
Niall Horan is heading back to Manchester with a massive arena show just announced
He’s also worked on some exciting collaborations with the likes of Anne-Marie, and most recently Myles Smith.
£1 from every ticket sold for Niall Horan’s Dinner Party tour will be donated to the LIVE Trust, which is dedicated to protecting, expanding, and supporting grassroots music across the UK.
Niall Horan will be at the Co-op Live in Manchester on Friday 25 September.
Tickets will go on sale from 10am on Thursday 2 April HERE.
Dean Hadcock -
23rd June 2023 
