It’s been an absolutely unreal 12 months for The Lottery Winners and to top it all, they rounded out the year in style by bringing out not one, not two, but three UK music icons for their recent run of Manchester gigs: ‘Boy George’, Bez from Happy Mondays and the Reverend himself, Jon McClure.
The high-flying indie pop group and local legends from Leigh toasted an unbelievable 2024 with their ‘Burning House Party’ residency, playing three consecutive nights at Manchester Academy.
Better yet, with their new album KOKO (Keep On Keeping On) set to release in the new year with several tracks including some rather big feature artists once again, they decided to bring out a few of those famous faces as special guests this past weekend.
The Greater Manchester band genuinely caught everyone by surprise when guitarist Robert Lally did the classic Stars In Their Eyes walk-off and was reintroduced as Boy George himself.
‘Boy George’ and Bez join Lottery Winners on stage
Well played indeed.
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The former Culture Club lead singer went on to perform alongside the Wigan outfit as they played their track, ‘Let Me Down‘. Well, not really… it turned out to be his very talented lookalike ‘Boy Gorgeous’ but ah well, still a crowd-pleaser nonetheless.
As mentioned, Boy George is just one of many impressive feature artists that The Lottery Winners have notched over the past year or so, having previously worked with Frank Turner, KT Tunstall and even fellow Manc, Shaun Ryder.
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The Happy Mondays star featured in the music video for their song ‘Money’ on their last record, ART (Anxiety Replacement Therapy), and was arguably their biggest coup to date next to Turner, who has now worked on several tracks with the four-piece and played live with them on multiple occasions.
As another surprise on night two at Manchester Academy, frontman Thom Rylance might not have been able to bring out Ryder in the flesh, but he did rope in some hype-man help from long-standing band partner and best mate Bez to delight the crowd and shake his trademark maracas throughout.
Lottery Winners Keep On collabing
But it doesn’t stop there either.
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Set to release in February, their upcoming fourth LP will not only see the return of Frank Turner for his third studio collaboration with the band, but they’re adding even more names into the Northern music mix for this latest record.
As well as songs featuring Rick Witter of Shed Seven and even Chad Kroeger of Nickleback (yes, we said Nickelback) their lead single also features Sheffield favourite Jon McClure of Reverend and the Makers.
Their uplifting track ‘You Again’ has enjoyed plenty of radio play since it was released back in September and the Yorkshireman also made an appearance during their city centre residency.
These lot have such a lovely, collaborative thing going on are we are absolutely here for it.
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As if things weren’t massive enough already, having supported massive bands like Nickelback and headlining festivals like Kendal Calling this year, 2025 looks set to get even bigger for the gang with a potentially game-changing support slot.
Beyond The Music moves to MediaCity for the first-time ever
Danny Jones
Greater Manchester arts festival and conference Beyond The Music is back for 2026, but this time it will be heading to MediaCity for a Salford debut.
The long weekender is still a relative newcomer when it comes to the Manc events calendar, but it’s quickly gathered plenty of repute not just in the North West but within the industry as a whole.
Holding just its third edition later this year, Beyond The Music ’26 is set to be the most ambitious yet, spread across the three days and promising an impressive lineup both in terms of live performers, but also speakers, industry experts and wider activities.
With MediaCity and dock10 hosting their inaugural Beyond The Music, it’s another big win for the second city, with Sports Personality of the Year sticking over Salford way for the foreseeable future, along with other events like the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) Awards moving to the Quayside.
Much of the BBC’s World Cup coverage is also being hosted at their Salfordian studios and main Northern base this summer, too.
Given that so many big annual dates have now made the switch to central Manchester – the BRITs and the MOBOs, just to name two recent examples – you could say it only makes sense to spread things out across the surrounding boroughs and their equally rich heritage.
Not that you should need reminding, but Salford isn’t just part of the region: it’s a city all of its own right that boasts an immense amount of pride over what is nothing short of a sterling musical history.
As for the 2026 Beyond The Music programme, besides both the local artists and more international creatives than ever, there’ll be keynote conversations, industry showcases, and wider networking opportunities for anyone looking to immerse themselves deeper in this world.
You’ll have to wait a little while longer for a full live music lineup, but watch this space…
Mayor Andy Burnham and friends help launch Beyond the Music at MediaCityUK (Credit: Mark Waugh)
Sarah Pearson, Co-founder of Beyond The Music, said in an official statement: “Beyond The Music’s mission is to seize this moment, to come together and drive meaningful and lasting change in the music and content industry.
“It’s undeniable that the impact and importance of music and content are stronger than ever, but this is not reflected in their perceived value.
“The ethical and economic infrastructure of the music and content industries demands urgent attention and bold reform… It is our responsibility to protect creativity in order to ensure it doesn’t just survive but thrives. Things may feel difficult, but they are still possible.”
Mayor Burnham added: “Greater Manchester has always been at the forefront of cultural innovation, and Beyond The Music is a vital opportunity for the sector to come together and address the challenges and opportunities facing music and content creation…
“With its move to MediaCity and a bigger-than-ever programme, Beyond The Music is helping to cement our city region’s place at the centre of the creative economy.”
Taking place between 7-9 October 2026, you can register for early bird tickets right HERE. Roll on an even more extensive festival season than ever.
Unknown Mortal Orchestra at the Albert Hall Manchester – groovy, hazy and effortlessly cool
Clementine Hall
Unknown Mortal Orchestra at the Albert Hall proved exactly why they’ve built such a cult following over the past decade.
Formed in 2010 by frontman Ruban Nielson, the band first broke through with their scrappy, lo-fi self-titled debut and since then, they’ve become known for their signature blend of psychedelic rock, funk, and warped pop.
I first saw the band back in 2023 at Glastonbury, and yes sorry I am one of those annoying people that bring it up all the time.
They’re the perfect band to close your eyes, sway your head and tap your foot to – and that’s exactly what the crowd were doing in unison last night at the Albert Hall.
Image: The Manc Group
From the second they stepped on stage, there was no rush – just that signature hazy groove met with enough stage lights to sink a ship.
You could barely see them on stage, but that made it even cooler. And you can only imagine how gorgeous the Albert Hall looked with hundreds of spotlights in different colours whizzing all over it.
Early tracks simmered and pulled us in before the band stretched out into crowd pleasers like ‘Multi-Love’ and ‘Hunnybee’. What an absolute tune by the way.
Image: The Manc Group
There wasn’t much crowd interaction but, again, there didn’t need to be. They let the music do the talking and by treating us to some of the most epic guitar solos we’ve ever heard (no, seriously), we’ll forgive them for not talking to us.
Each song melted into each other as the band oozed effortless charm and talent throughout the almost two hour set, which is no mean feat.
Of course, a sea of phones shot up for ‘So Good at Being in Trouble‘, their most popular track which prompted a harmonious audience singalong. Not very harmonious by me, admittedly.
It was a fantastic ending that left the audience feeling united by the laidback brilliance of Unknown Mortal Orchestra, and I hope they don’t leave it too long to come back this time.
Danny Jones -
30th December 2024 
