Without music, there is no Manchester as we know it because the buzzing atmosphere in our great city was built by roaring guitars, scratching vinyls, shimmering strobe lights and booming microphones.
It’s no secret that the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has flipped life as we once knew it on its head, and the satisfying, rhythmic hum that once used to echo through the city air on a daily basis has been ground to a halt over the past couple of months.
Not only has it been sorely missed by Mancunians, but it’s also come at an unfortunate cost.
Live music in Manchester and across the UK is on life support and the industry needs our help. Without it, 30-50% of the live music workforce will become unemployed, 90% of grassroots venues will close, and the industry will lose at least £900 million.
A coalition of live music artists, venues, concerts, festivals, production companies and industry figures successfully launched the campaign last month to highlight the importance of the sector to the UK’s economy and it’s recieved widespread support on social media.
ADVERTISEMENT
Today we join together once again with our friends & colleagues in the music industry to call for action to help protect the live music industry. Please show your support and share the message #LetTheMusicPlaypic.twitter.com/wMx6eEG951
We're proud to continue supporting the #LetTheMusicPlay campaign, highlighting the importance of the live music sector to the UK Government. We need to protect our venues, our workforce, and the infrastructure and companies that make up this business. pic.twitter.com/K8pZSfzqwQ
Today we once again join together with our friends and colleagues in the music industry to call for action to help protect the live music industry. Please show your support and share the message #LetTheMusicPlaypic.twitter.com/CE1GwEWDne
Let The Music Play is hoping to achieve the following three aims:
A clear conditional timeline for reopening venues without social distancing.
An immediate comprehensive business and employment support package and access to finance.
Full VAT exemption on ticket sales.
And they’re working – but the fight is still a long way from over yet.
After witnessing the traction that this campaign has been gaining over the past couple of weeks, and with the intent to keep the conversation continuing, it prompted us to begin reflecting. Here at The Manc, we always want to know where you stand and in this case, we want to experience the wonders of our city’s live music culture through your eyes.
ADVERTISEMENT
A chance to fondly reminisce.
So, we took to our social platforms this week – Facebook, Twitter and Instagram – to ask you, our loyal audience of Mancunians – ‘What’s your favourite Manchester gig memory?.
Here’s what you said:
___
Facebook
Live music is a staple in Manchester and the entire industry needs our help getting through this crisis. Show your support and share your favourite moments with us ? #LetTheMusicPlay
Live music is a staple in Manchester and the entire industry needs our help getting through this crisis. Show your support and share your favourite moments with us ? #LetTheMusicPlaypic.twitter.com/lddpG83bDS
We received hundreds of replies to our question across all social platforms, so we unfortunately haven’t been able to include every single one in this article. Instead, we chose to feature a few that seemed to resonate the best with our audience and received the most interactions overall.
Are you keen to have your say? Do you have a different view? Got a musical memory you’d like to share?
Well, there’s still time to chip in, so make sure you head on over to The Manc on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to take part, leave your thoughts and discuss with other Mancunians in the same position as you.
Don’t forget to follow The Manc Audio – @TheMancAudio on Instagram – for all the latest musical news in Manchester.
Find out more and keep supporting the #LetTheMusicPlay campaign here.
Audio
Fast-rising rock band The Guestlist announce headline tour and landmark Manc gig
Danny Jones
Up-and-coming Manc rock band The Guestlist have announced some of their biggest shows to date with a full UK tour later this year, including a hometown gig right here in Manchester.
Having earned nods from BBC Radio 6 Music’s Chris Hawkins, support slots with Two Door Cinema Club, The Wombats, Inhaler, Blossoms, Seb Lowe and more
The five-piece made up of frontman Cai Alty, lead guitarist Tom Quigley, bassist Sid Wallace, drummer Angus Gilchrist and rhythm guitarist Leio Hunter are rapidly growing a cult following – hence why they’ve been able to book such big venues so early into their music career.
Manchester will be the best date, naturally, because there’s nothing quite like playing to a crowd on your own turf, is there?
Growing a strong presence online over the past 12 months or so, with 400,000 followers across all social media platforms and nearly 8 million likes on TikTok, their monthly listeners are creeping up.
And it’s no wonder why given their sound – which we can vouch for as recent fans ourselves.
We described them as “five mates making very good indie rock with a more old-school vibe that’s almost reminiscent of the early 2000s and a general swagger way beyond their years.”
It feels rather fittingly, then, that a year from publishing that quote they’ll be playing one of their biggest headline shows yet at none other than the wonderful New Century Hall. He’s a taster of the reception they got at Band on the Wall earlier this month:
With festival slots at the likes of Kendal Calling, NBHD Weekender, Truck Fest, Y-Not and more, it’s going to be a big year for the boys.
The Guest List make their way back to Manchester for what is sure to be a massive milestone show on Friday, 21 November and you do not want to miss seeing these lot live.
Tickets for the New Century Hall show and all other dates go on sale at 9am on Friday, 14 March.
Featured Images — Press Shot (supplied)/Audio North
Audio
Anaïs, Molly and Gene Gallagher share the screen in a new phone advert
Danny Jones
The Gallagher kids have enjoyed a little reunion of their own as Noel’s daughter Anaïs, as well as Liam’s oldest and youngest children, Molly and Gene, have been doing a little bit of light acting in a new advert.
It’s been just over half a year now since Oasis broke the internet and British brains everywhere after confirming their comeback and ‘Live ’25’ world tour and we’re now just a few months out from seeing it in person a decade and a half since they last played together.
The family feud is one of the most famous in all of showbiz but one thing we’ve always wondered is how much of an impact it had on the Gallagher kids, especially now they’re adults.
Well, it turns out that since their dads have put their brotherly differences aside, their offspring look to have done the same.
The advert itself is for Samsung and their new Galaxy S25 Ultra model and, more specifically, its new ‘Auto Trim’ video editing feature.
Set at what looks to be a dinner party, the two previously estranged Gallagher daughters can be seen sending messages back and forth; meanwhile, Liam‘s youngest son Gene is merely in the background other than calling the whole thing “cringe”.
He’s already far too rock and roll for all this clearly.
After all, he and the rest of his Villanelle bandmates are starting to gain some traction and might have some of those reunion shows to get ready for. 25-year-old Anaïs still maintains he didn’t even hear anything about it from dad Noel until the announcement itself.
Either way, the main thing is that the gang are all back together. Wouldn’t ‘r Peggy be proud?
Yes, LG Jr. might be opening up for his dad as one of the support slots.
It’s worth noting that the advert isn’t the first time the Gallagher kids have been pictured with each other since the reconciliation, though.
Molly, Anaïs, Gene and Liam’s eldest Lennon – who wasn’t part of this cosy little commercial for whatever reason – were all spotted at London Fashion Week together back in September 2024.
Despite plenty of choice words having been shared across the family tree over the years, it looks as though all is said and done and now we just have to pray everyone stays friends until July. If the ‘plum story’ has taught us anything, it’s that is a very delicate ecosystem.
After a more recent and seemingly legit picture of the two seemingly getting on together surfaced online (they must have had at least one little spat by now, surely?), it’s feeling more and more real as the five nights at Heaton Park and all the other dates edge closer.
Not that half of us in the office even managed to get tickets, mind you…
The Manc -
7th August 2020 
