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The Black Keys are coming back to Manchester for their Castlefield Bowl debut

Comfortably one of the biggest acts Sound of the City has ever secured. (this article contains affiliate links)

Danny Jones Danny Jones - 2nd December 2024

Legendary blues band, The Black Keys, are heading back to Manchester next year, set to play Castlefield Bowl for the very first time. This one’s a biggie.

As the latest headliner announced for Sound of the City 2025, the soulful Ohio rock and alternative duo are returning to 0161 for the third year running, having swapped the AO Arena for Co-op Live this past May, but now they’re set to tick another huge Manc venue off their list.

Confirmed amongst plenty of other big music news released on Monday, 2 December, The Black Keys will be heading to the Bowl as part of a new UK and European tour, with many of the dates including festival slots all over the continent.

While Manchester’s annual outdoor festival has seen some big names in the past, getting an act that boasts this kind of prestige and influence is a huge coup for Sound of the City (SOTC), the lineup for which already looks pretty stacked as it is.

The Black Keys released their 12th studio album, Ohio Players, back in April: a record heavily inspired by the vibe of band members Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney’s ongoing ‘record hang’ parties, which have become just as big a deal as their live shows themselves.

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Hailed by Rolling Stone, who wrote, “Whether they set their retro-rock wayback machine to Memphis in the Sixties, the Midwest in the Seventies, or Manchester, England, and L.A. in the Nineties, it all flows together like a beautifully paced DJ set”, their latest here took place at YES over on Charles Street.

The album itself – met with vast critical acclaim (including Audio North‘s humble opinion) – was re-released as an expanded Trophy Edition on 15 November and features collaborations with everyone from our very own Noel Gallagher to Beck, Greg Kurstin, Juicy J and more, earning another Grammy nod too.

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Even more excitingly, their latest collab on tour will see the mighty Miles Kane join them on the road for all three UK dates, meaning Castlefield Bowl will welcome the Birkenhead-born solo artists and Last Shadow Puppets star too. What a billing that is.

The other two shows held here on British shores will be at Alexandra Palace Park in the capital and over at Millenium Square as part of Leeds’ Sound of the City lineup for next year.

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With a new music video for their latest single ‘Sin City’ having just debuted too, it’s well and truly going to be a Black Keys-heavy day on the office playlist.

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General admission goes live this Friday, 6 December at 9am but fans can also get exclusive presale access which will begin at the same time on Wednesday morning (4 Nov).

You can get ready to grab your tickets to see The Black Keys at Castlefield Bowl and what will no doubt be one of the biggest shows of the summer on HERE – we’ll see you there.

Meanwhile, Manchester’s month-long music series over at its iconic amphitheatre just keeps getting better, with a whole host of UK and global favourites now confirmed for SOTC 2025.

Dance legends Basement Jaxx are coming to Castlefield Bowl next summer

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images — Larry Niehues/Press Image (supplied)/The Manc Group

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Oasis release trailer for Don’t Look Back In Anger documentary – watch it here

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson Oasis release trailer for Don't Look Back In Anger documentary - watch it here

A new trailer for the upcoming Oasis documentary, ‘Oasis: Don’t Look Back In Anger’, has been released today.

The highly anticipated documentary follows the iconic Manchester rock band as they reunited for a series of epic comeback gigs last summer.

The Gallagher brothers broke up the band 15 years prior to the Live ’25 shows, then returned in spectacular fashion for gigs including five sold-out nights at Heaton Park in Manchester.

The band were followed throughout their triumphant comeback tour by film crews, for the documentary film ‘Oasis: Don’t Look Back In Anger’.

Fans will see never-before-seen snippets of rehearsal, backstage, and onstage, as well as the first joint interview with Liam and Noel in more than 20 years.

It will also explores the profound impact that the reunion had on fans, and chart the global phenomenon that was Oasis Live ’25.

One of the people behind the new documentary is Steven Knight, of Peaky Blinders fame.

Oasis: Don’t Look Back In Anger will be released in the UK on Wednesday 9 September and you can book tickets HERE.

Watch the full trailer for Oasis: Don’t Look Back In Anger below:

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Featured image: Supplied

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Elbow get behind campaign to save Jodrell Bank from closure

Danny Jones Danny Jones Elbow and celebs backing

Manc band Elbow are among the latest to get behind the campaign to save Jodrell Bank Observatory from closing permanently.

The Greater Manchester natives famously played a sold-out gig at the important scientific and cultural landmark for a very special live album recording well over a decade ago, and know all too well the site’s national and, indeed, global heritage.

Choosing the Observatory and the rare chance to perform a show in the shadow of the world-renowned James Lovell Telescope, it probably remains one of their most significant standalone UK date ever.

With that in mind, the local lads have been left just as worried by the news of its impending closure as everyone else, and have therefore issued a fresh appeal to help keep it open.

Posting a timely statement on social media, the group wrote: “Jodrell Bank has long been close to elbow’s heart. In 2012, the band played beneath the Lovell Telescope for one of the most memorable shows in our history.

“The recent news that funding for the e-MERLIN radio telescope network is set to end in 2028 puts the future of the scientific work at Jodrell Bank under serious threat. It is a remarkable place, with an extraordinary history, and one that continues to play an important role in science, culture and education.”

In addition to reliving clips and images from the historic live set all the years later, they also pointed people towards their ‘elbow – Live at Jodrell Bank‘ album documentary, which has now been made available online for the very first time as part of wider efforts to raise awareness around the cause.

Directing people to key online resources shared by the institution and astrophysics centre itself following their unfortunate update late last month, the push to not only find the funding but sustain support for the facility continues to ramp up throughout the world of science, arts and industry.

For anyone who somehow missed the news – 2028 being the current deadline handed down as per budget cuts across the sector – concerned parties here in the North West and all over the country have since started petitioning to save Jodrell Bank Observatory from shutting down for good.

Brits start petition to save Jodrell Bank Observatory from closure amid budget cuts
Jodrell Bank won’t go down without a fight.

In addition to being described as a “huge blow” to the field by the Royal Astronomical Society (RAS), some have even gone so far as to describe the decision as a form of “vandalism” when it comes to research and British culture as a whole.

Having also served as the host venue for the annual bluedot Festival since 2016, the multi-genre science and arts celebration could soon be forced to find a new home.

The battle is far from over yet, and the community has time to rescue Jodrell Bank Observatory from its fate, but it will take lots of money and more notable public figures to make it happen.

Once again, you can do your bit by signing the petition mentioned above right HERE.

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Featured Images — Emma Farrer (via Wikimedia Commons)/The Manc Group

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