This past weekend, people online began pulling together to try and find a fan after they stole a drum from a major music artist’s concert at the AO Arena on Sunday night.
When you say the words, “I’ll never forget that gig”, it usually means you had a really great night and, for this fan in particular, we think it’s fair to say that they be forgetting this night anytime soon – you know, many because they took a piece of the set home with them.
That’s right, following Twenty One Pilots’ massive Manc gig at AO Arena as part of their ongoing world tour, some fans were practically frothing at the mouth as the alternative duo did what they do best.
In fact, one individual clearly loved the concert so much that they just had to claim a keepsake, to such an extent that they want as far as steal band member Josh Dun’s drum directly from the stage.
As far as merch and memorabilia go, that might just be the biggest souvenir we’ve ever seen someone swipe from a rock show.
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In terms of the night itself, the highly anticipated return to Manchester was a huge success, with the band playing out to flurries of red, orange, yellow and black, thanks to fans sporting the same colours as Twenty One Pilots‘ latest album cover, Clancy.
In the video, the drum – which features the band’s logo on a red-splattered drumhead in the Clancy aesthetic – can be seen being carried out of the venue by a fan from the general standing floor area.
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As a result, not only did people on social media quickly begin sleuthing and trying to find the drum thief, but they’re also questioning why fans near the culprit weren’t doing more to get it back to the band.
One user wrote, “Ok but like I would have stopped her?” while another commented, “So I was scared to even take too much confetti with me and she casually STOLE THE DRUM??”
The fan who originally uploaded the video online aid in a subsequent post, “Guys, please, don’t put us to blame for not stopping her, we did all we could but literally no one around us cared about it.” They went on to add: “You’re not putting the blame of her stealing the drum on us, I’m sorry but I’m not having it.”
As you can see, the instrument was eventually located, with Twenty One Pilots’ videographer Sax uploaded a picture to his Instagram profile along with the caption, “We have the drum”, thanking fans for all their efforts in helping track down its whereabouts.
Featured Image –Ashley Osborn (publicity picture /@tillitaint (via X)
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The biggest rock band on Earth is coming to Manchester, with hundreds of musicians on stage
Daisy Jackson
Rockin’1000 will be heading to Manchester next spring, with the biggest rock band on Earth performing timeless anthems.
And when we say it’s the biggest rock band on Earth, we’re not being sensationalist – there’ll be 300 musicians performing together.
Guitarists, bassists, drummers, keyboardists, singers, and even an orchestral section will all play together for a rock concert on a scale the UK has never seen before.
The AO Arena is set to host Rockin’1000 in March next year – and musicians of all skill levels are being invited to apply to perform.
There are more than 100,000 musicians as part of the band worldwide, and if you’d like to be one of them before the show arrives in Manchester you can register HERE.
Rockin’1000 began in 2015 with a viral performance of 1,000 musicians playing a Foo Fighters song in Cesena in Italy.
Since then, it’s grown into a worldwide community of musicians and has sold more than 300,00 tickets to large-scale and ambitious rock concerts in 20 different countries.
Rockin’1000 will come to the AO Arena in Manchester
Despite being one of Europe’s largest venues, the indoor nature of the AO Arena means that the number of performers will be reduced to 300, who will fill the floor of the arena.
Fabio Zaffagnini, Founder of Rockin’1000 said “The UK’s music culture is unrivalled, and Manchester is one of the world’s great music cities.
“Bringing 1,000 musicians together under one roof creates a powerful emotional connection for everyone involved, on stage and in the crowd.
“We cannot wait to share this experience with UK fans.”
Rockin’1000 will be at the AO Arena in Manchester on Saturday 7 March, with 300 musicians performing together at once.
Tickets will go on sale from 10am on Friday 5 December HERE.
Peter Hook announces special career-spanning city centre show, with a veteran Manc band supporting
Danny Jones
Local music legend Peter Hook and his live touring partners, ‘The Light’, have announced a special career-spanning anniversary gig right here in Manchester, chronicling his incredible music career.
The former Joy Division member and subsequent New Order co-founder is celebrating 50 years in the business next year, and is marking the occasion with a comprehensive and retrospective live show come the summer.
Arguably one of the most influential musicians to have ever come out of the region, the Salford-born bassist and now lead singer of his own solo outfit (still playing countless hits from his extremely lengthy discography, of course) is now 69 years old and still going strong.
In fact, that’s exactly what they’ll be doing for the landmark live show: playing some of the biggest and best tunes from his various projects over the decades he’s spent in the studio and on the stage.
Suitably shared in Haçienda/Sex Pistol-coloured announcement poster, not only will Hook be revisiting Joy Division’s seminal debut album, Unknown Pleasures, but he’ll be going back through everything from Power Corruption & Lies by New Order to his lesser-known works.
Be it his 1995 side project, Monaco, or the recently unearthed Freebass collab with the likes of Andy Rourke, Tim Burgess, and the late, great ‘Mani’ from the Stone Roses, fans of the avid audiophile and prolific live performer are in for a real treat.
Having toured this storied material extensively, Peter Hook and the Light have now amassed over 800 concerts as a band. For the Greater Manchester native himself, it’s an incredible feat to make in the music industry, full stop, let alone reach half a century in it.
As for the Pistols connection, ‘Hooky‘ just happened to be one of several future Manc icons like half of The Smiths and The Fall, Factory Records’ own Tony Wilson, John Cooper Clarke, and even his then-soon-to-be Joy Division bandmate turned New Order lead singer, Bernard Sumner.
It’s a fairly safe bet you’ll find the post-punk veteran and plenty more of his peers in the crowd for another major music milestone in 2026.
It’s this particular date the group are toasting that motivated Hook to go out and buy a guitar.
Even more fittingly, this 50th anniversary gig will also see the group joined by another veteran rock band from the region, as fellow local punk sons, The Buzzocks from Bolton, who also formed after THAT very same gig at Lesser Free Trade Hall in ’76.
Early access tickets for the exclusive show at Manchester Academy next June go on pre-sale this Wednesday, 3 December; general admission will be available from Friday, 5 December.
We had the honour of chatting with the man, the myth, the legend, once again back in February 2024, when our Audio North arm was still known as ‘The Manc Audio’.
Thomas Melia -
12th May 2025 
