The Stone Roses at Heaton Park. Image: Gigs and Tours
They can take away our pubs, gyms and cinemas. But one thing’s for certain, they can’t take away our music. And definitely not our memories.
Life’s hard at the min, right? That’s why it’s good to reminisce about the good times.
With such a rich creative history, it’s no surprise Manchester has been home to some of music’s greatest moments.
During a time when everyone is revelling in nostalgia – craving for live music – we’ve decided to look back at some of the most iconic gigs to grace the Manc stage.
The Beatles at the Oasis Club – 1962
Beatles ticket. Image: MDM Archive
The Oasis Club gig in 1962 was the first professional scheduled gig outside of Merseyside that The Beatles ever performed.
They’d visited Manchester before, but this was the first time on official band business.
An entry ticket cost the equivalent of £3.60 in old money.
Just before the gig, their new manager gave them a swift rebrand. He chucked out their scruffy jeans and leather jackets and got the boys suited and booted and looking the part – just as we recognise them now.
The owner of the Oasis Club at the time claims she doesn’t even remember the band. Back then, they were just another group of lads to play at the club.
Little did she know she’d helped plug the band’s success.
David Bowie at B&Q – 1972
The Hardrock flyer
Okay, okay, it wasn’t a B&Q at the time. But let’s agree it’s an amusing thought.
Bowie played on the opening night of The Hardrock in Stretford, just around the corner from Morrissey’s house.
The venue was turned into the DIY store in later years. Now, the site on Greatstone Road is derelict.
Oddly enough, David Bowie died in the same month that the B&Q closed down in January 2016.
The Sex Pistols at the Lesser Free Trade Hall – 1976
The Sex Pistols at the Lesser Free Trade Hall
This Sex Pistols gig has been widely documented as changing the UK music scene forever.
Only 40 people attended the show at the Lesser Free Trade Hall. Amongst the 40 people was a lesser known Morrissey, now with fire in his belly. He formed The Smiths shortly after.
Elsewhere in the crowd was a young Peter Hook who decided to form the band Joy Division that very night.
The bunch of students that organised the gig were also left wanting more. They got to work on forming their own band, Buzzcocks, after first seeing the Pistols.
Six weeks later, Ian Curtis, the Fall’s Mark E. Smith and a pre-Factory Records Tony Wilson all attended a second Sex Pistols show. They caused more ripples in this thriving local music scene that night.
To think, without the Pistols we could be without the Madchester scene that helped shape the city…
True, some say Sex Pistol’s Johnny Rotten experienced a slight fall from grace owing to his Country Life butter adverts a few years ago. But we’ll let that slide.
Madonna at The Hacienda – 1984
Madonna at the Hacienda
This was Madonna’s first appearance in the UK. It was recorded live and broadcast on The Tube, a popular rock music TV show at the time. In the performance, Madonna can be seen prancing around the dancefloor between the iconic hazard painted pillars.
But some say that the pop star was actually shit. There were even accusations that she mimed. Her pop sound, flailing arms and swinging hips were lost on the punk rock music lovers in the crowd.
She left the venue shortly after her performance, despite reports that she was asked to sing again later in the evening. Wrong crowd. Sorry, Madge.
But the wider UK public received the performance well.
Despite flopping with the Hacienda heads, Madonna has gone on to become one of the biggest pop stars in history. Props to her.
The Stone Roses at Heaton Park (The Reunion Tour) – 2012
The Stone Roses at Heaton Park. Image: Gigs and Tours
This iconic tour was the homecoming for The Stone Roses, nearly 20 years after their last tour.
They played three dates at Heaton Park in June and July 2012.
The shows became the fastest-selling rock gigs in UK history. A massive 150,000 tickets for the initial two shows sold out in 14 minutes.
Demand was that high that they added a third date to the bill straight away.
This took ticket sales to 220,000 in just 68 minutes.
One Love Manchester at Old Trafford Cricket Ground – 2017
One Love Manchester. Image: Getty Images/Dave Hogan
The fundraising concert One Love Manchester was held two weeks after the Manchester Arena bombing where 22 lives were taken and 500 people were injured.
55,000 people attended the gig and more than £17m was raised through donations, ticket sales and fundraising.
Performances from Take That, Coldplay, Liam Gallagher, Black Eyed Peas and Justin Bieber were broadcast all around the world, along with video messages from other notable musicians such as Paul McCartney, U2, Rita Ora and Chance the Rapper.
It was the perfect tribute to the lives lost.
What was the most iconic gig of your life? Let us know!
Audio
Popular noodle bar Chopstix to host ALL-NEW live music event in Manchester
Thomas Melia
Much-loved noodle box eatery Chopstix are hosting an all-new series of live music events, with the first kicking off at one of Manchester’s most popular venues.
Chopstix has become a foodie’s favourite in the city centre with its combo boxes and now they’re about to win over the musiclovers thanks to these brand-new live-performances.
The Asian restaurant chain is launching ‘Red Box Live’,a first-of-its-kind music event series taking place in some of the UK’s best independent music venues,, and it kicks off at one of the city’s most beloved music venues,YES.
These events will see a rising star headline slot, DJ’s, free drinks and of course, food, because it couldn’t be a Chopstix party without some of its iconic flavour-packed boxes.
Chopstix is known for serving up flavoursome feasts in their combo boxes.The Asian restaurant chain has chosen YES as the first spot for their ‘Red Box Live’ event.Credit: Supplied
Indie-pop artist Liang Lawrence is claiming the first headline spot and she’s definitely no stranger at frequenting some of the most famed stages in the country, having recently performed at Radio 1’s Big Weekend in Sefton Park on the BBC Introducing stage, following in the footsteps of Manc rap-talent Aitch.
The ‘Red Box Live’ music events build from the eatery’s previous music-focused series ‘Red Box Sessions’ which saw acts like Flames Collective and Grace Davies (X-Factor) in intimate studio sessions.
Rob Burns, Marketing Director for Chopstix, said: The launch of our brand new Red Box Live event series is incredibly exciting.”We’re bringing big, bold flavour and raw music talent together – serving up an unbeatable combo for our flavour craving crowd right here in Manchester.”
“We’re bringing BIG, BOLD flavour and raw music talent together – serving up an unbeatable combo for our Flavour Craving crowd right here in Manchester.”
Liang Lawrence will be performing at ‘Red Box Live’ organised by Chopstix.There will be free food and live music at this exclusive event.Credit: Supplied
The first ‘Red Box Live’ is taking place on 16 July with a headline performance from Liang Lawrence at YES in Manchester. Doors open from 7pm with a DJ set, and tickets are available to win for free on Chopstix’s website.
Featured Images – Publicity Pictures (via Supplied)
Audio
New FREE Oasis exhibition showing never-before-seen photos opens in Manchester next week
Emily Sergeant
A new free photography exhibition showing never-before-seen pictures of Oasis fans from the 90s opens in Manchester next week.
With a sensational summer of sound now firmly in our sights, and right as Manchester gears up to welcome Oasis back home once again, the city’s iconic Kimpton Clocktower Hotel has announced a new free exhibition that’s set to take music fans a trip down memory lane.
Opening next Wednesday, Oasis Fans – 1994-1997 will showcase a series of exclusive photographs by renowned photographer, Jon Shard, to the public for the first time ever, opening the door to a world before online sales, dynamic ticket pricing, and frantically refreshing a website to get the hottest ticket in town.
Renowned for his visually distinctive work across a number of fields, this was Shard’s first assignment for iconic music magazine NME.
The collection of photographs – which has been co-curated by the British Culture Archive – shows scenes of fans excitedly queuing up in the cold winter of 1996, hoping to get their hands on tickets for the band’s sold-out shows at Manchester City’s Maine Road stadium.
“Queuing in person had its charm,” admitted Jon Shard.
“I felt privileged to capture the dedication of fans willing to stay out all night and brave the cold. Getting the ticket was an event itself, almost a rite of passage for fans.”
Oasis Fans – 1994-1997 opens in Manchester for free next week / Credit: Kimpton Clocktower Hotel (Supplied)
Giving visitors a deeper insight into the world of sold-out shows, as well as the magic of Oasis and their music over the years, the new exhibition will also feature a ‘Fan Wonderwall’ with archive images from 1994-97 of fans attending gigs, spanning from pre-smart phone gig-videos, through to their latest performances.
“It’s a privilege to play a part in the city welcoming the Gallagher brothers home,” commented David Lockhart, who is the General Manager of Kimpton Clocktower Hotel, ahead of the exhibition opening next week.
“The photographs by Jon Shard offer a glimpse into a defining moment in Manchester’s music history, and we’re proud to share this with our guests and the city.”
Oasis Fans – 1994-1997 is open to the public from 7pm on Wednesday 2 July on the walls of Refuge at Kimpton Clocktower Hotel.
At to make it even more worth the trip, the first 50 visitors to the exhibition will also receive a free limited edition zine, so they can take a piece of Oasis history home with them.
Featured Image – Jon Shard (Supplied via Kimpton Clocktower Hotel & British Culture Archive)
Hannah Starkie -
23rd September 2020 
