A pair of the North West’s biggest and brightest up-and-coming acts, The K’s and The Lottery Winners are teaming up for the return of the Newton Music Festival, celebrating the best new music from around the region.
The loud and much-loved indie rockers have emerged as two of the fastest-rising artists in the genre, not to mention a pair of bands with heaps of personality that have made them firm favourites amongst countless fans as their names have grown.
Starting with our wonderful Wiganers, they have headlined multiple festivals, achieved a number-one album and even supported the likes of Noel Gallagher and Nickelback – and that’s just in the last 12 months or so.
Looking to build on their meteoric rise and keep the momentum going, The K’s have decided to set up a brand-new music festival in their hometown of Netwon-Le-Willows, and have invited our very own lot from Leigh to join them for a very special evening of music.
Appearing alongside the two North West big hitters will be Manchester’s Meduulla, The Rolling People from Stockport, as well as a local duo of acts, Asian Blonde and Malarkey, who’ll be flying the flag for the North West town that also the legendary Rick Astley.
Newton Music Festival will be The K’s first homecoming event off the back of reaching number three debut in the UK with their smash-hit debut album, I Wonder If The World Knows, which was released earlier this year and proceeded a sell-out album tour.
After playing to nearly 4,000 at Victoria Warehouse and embarking on a raft of summer festivals, including playing to a 12,000-strong crowd at Glastonbury’s iconic Woodsies stage, the Earlestown-formed four-piece are absolutely flying and now looking to bring some mates along for the ride.
Ryan Breslin, guitarist from The K’s said: “We’re all absolutely buzzing to be playing our hometown for the return of Newton Music Festival. Heading back to the park we grew up on, it’s come full circle. The lineup this year is class and the support we’ve had from our town so far has been unreal, we can’t wait – see you there!”
With mainstage gigs at Reading and Leeds this August and support slots for Liam Gallagher’s highly-anticipated Malta Weekender this coming September, they’ve got plenty on the cards but this just might be the most exciting announcement yet.
What we’re hoping will be the first of many Newton Music Festival takes place at Mesnes Park on Saturday, 3 August, and if the headliners weren’t exciting enough, you’ll be treated to lots more North West talent on show to boot.
Thom Rylance, lead vocalist with The Lottery Winners said of the event: “Not only are The K’s our good friends, they are one of the most exciting bands out there at the moment, when they asked us to support them as special guests at their hometown festival which is just down the road from us it was an absolute no-brainer”.
Newton Music Festival takes place at Mesnes Park, Newton-Le-Willows on Saturday, August 3rd from 5-10pm and tickets are priced at just £20. You can grab yours HERE and we hope to see you there.
Oasis merch prices as huge flagship stand opens in Manchester city centre
Daisy Jackson
An official Oasis merch stand has opened in the heart of Manchester, selling all the Gallagher-printed wares your heart could desire.
The Oasis Live ‘25 Touring Flagship Stand has sprung up on St Peter’s Square today, where it will remain for the duration of the Manchester reunion shows.
Stacked with everything from band tees to bucket hats, plus posters, tote bags, and that exclusive adidas x Oasis collection, the merch stand is already pulling in some serious queues.
And with a few days still to go until Oasis Live ‘25 hits Heaton Park (those dates, if they aren’t burned into your brain, are 11, 12, 16, 19 and 20 July) there’s still plenty more time to shop.
The merch stand has opened in addition to the official merch fan store across town in Spinningfields.
And it’s at the heart of the Music for the Senses art trail, which has seen painted guitar artworks installed all over the city centre.
Back to that Oasis merch stand in Manchester though – there are pieces from their adidas collection, including a sky blue (obviously) three-stripe long-sleeved jersey for £55, a tour jacquard football jersey for £85, and a classic Firebird track top for £90.
Event-specific merch like t-shirts in various colours emblazoned with the Oasis Live ‘25 artwork will set you back £40, and you can choose from photos of the brothers back together in 2025, or back in their pre-split heyday.
Oasis merch prices as huge flagship stand opens in Manchester city centre
There’s also a £70 black hoody with the tour dates on the sleeve, plus a What’s The Story blue-tone hoody for £70, and a blue tone sweatshirt for £50.
A range of posters starring Liam and Noel are priced at £40 apiece.
There’s an Oasis Live ‘25 tote bag for sale at the merch stand in town, which costs £20.
Then the most Manc item of all – a reversible bucket hat (black on one side with the Oasis logo in the centre, or a collage of Oasis logos on the other side) – is £35.
The stand is home to city-specific event items, exclusive adidas lines, and other exclusives.
The Oasis Live ’25 Touring Flagship Stand is open from 10am to 8pm Monday to Saturday, and 11am to 6pm on Sundays, then 10am to 7pm on Oasis show days.
Levi’s are the latest fashion brand to launch an Oasis collection
Danny Jones
In case you missed it amid the tidal wave of merch currently flooding our feeds and shops everywhere, global fashion brand Levi’s has become the latest label to launch an Oasis collection.
With the Live ’25 world tour now officially underway, it feels like not only are Oasis back on top, but that there’s a large-scale Britpop revival happening here in the UK and overseas.
In terms of fashion, the 1990s and early 2000s style has been steadily making its way into contemporary culture once again in recent years, but with seemingly every big name trying to hop on the marketing machine that is the Oasis reunion bandwagon, you can’t move for crossover.
Be they official collaborations like the one with Manchester City, adidas Originals; American fashion brand Abercrombie & Fitch bashing out merch, or a local t-shirt maker on Bury Market, that famous logo is absolutely everywhere – cue Levi’s latest launch:
Releasing just five or five main pieces (not including individual item variations), Levi’s Oasis gear has been kept pretty straightforward, simply relying on a less is more philosophy and the quality that the denim specialists are renowned for.
Nevertheless, there is an undeniably 90s feel to the approach.
As well as the standard Oasis band tee design, available in the brand’s main red, white and blue colour, as well as black, white and light blue – the Manchester City influences never stray too far, after all – there are a couple of other types of tee.
However, while we’re sure plenty of people might have a penchant for the parka, the undeniable star of the show for us is the Type II Trucker Jacket with the group’s name and ‘Live Forever’ stitched on the breast pocket.
Still, at £170, these sure-to-be collectors’ items don’t come cheap, and that’s not even the most expensive in the Levi’s x Oasis collection. Regardless, if you fancy treating yourself, you can find them here in Manchester and at the likes of The Trafford Centre.
Any of it pique your interest?
Don’t worry if not because, as mentioned, there is absolutely tonnes of Oasis clobber at various different price points all over the place at the minute.
Danny Jones -
28th July 2024 
