Tom DeLonge, Mark Hoppus and Travis Barker, a.k.a. the original blink-182 as we know and love them, made a final pitstop on the European leg of their world tour on Monday night at the AO Arena here in Manchester.
Having established themselves as pop-punk royalty a long time ago, fans lined up in the cold to claim their spot at the front of the venue to witness the classic blink-182 line-up following bassist Mark’s recent battle with lymphoma and DeLonge’s long-awaited return to the band once again.
In front of a sell-out crowd of Mancs who were once teenagers listening to the band’s iconic sound for the first time, the trio emerged and delivered rip-roaring performances of classics such as ‘All The Small Things’ and ‘The Rock Show’, along with new material ahead of their new album release this Friday.
The SoCal rockers sent out waves of nostalgia, with everyone waiting to hear ‘What’s My Age Again?’ and, of course, ‘I Miss You’, leaving screaming fans asking themselves why they grew up in the first place — us included.
Credit: The Manc Group
Travis Barker showed off an already bloody, bandaged hand to the camera after taking drumming to a whole other level as per usual, going on to be hoisted 50 feet into the air and continue his stand-out performance as his bandmates lovingly declared him “the best to ever do it”.
You’ll hear no argument from us.
There was fire, profanity, toilet humour (no surprise there) and just about everything else you could expect from the band who have been causing trouble for over 30 years now, with founding member Mark giving the crowd a heartfelt thank you for “saving his life for a second time.”
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We knew it would be somewhat of a throwback evening filled with plenty of adolescent abandon and memories of our youth flooding back, but we don’t think we were quite prepared for how emotional a night it ended up being.
After performing the bulk of the good stuff, the band departed the stage before re-emerging for their encore with a new song fittingly titled ‘One More Time’. A stripped-back, tear-inducing ballad centred on the band’s newfound understanding of the importance of friendship, notably with each other.
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With 20 shows in Europe done, it’s time for the band to head back to the warmer climates of the US, with a big gig in Las Vegas the next stop.
Let’s hope this is the beginning of a new era for Blink-182 and that Manchester leaves them with enough love to come back One More Time…
James Blunt announces huge Manchester gig on new European arena tour
Daisy Jackson
Singer-songwriter James Blunt is heading back out on tour next year, and has announced a massive Manchester gig as part of his run of arena shows.
The singer, perhaps best-known for his iconic 2005 pop ballad ‘You’re Beautiful’, is hitting the road again in 2027.
The newly-announced European tour is in celebration of his new album Airplane Mode, which is set for release this autumn.
James Blunt will kick off his tour in Leeds next spring, before heading over for a night at the almighty Co-op Live in Manchester.
Then he’ll head to more cities including Newcastle, Birmingham and London.
His new album, Airplane Mode, is being released on 6 November and will, according to his press release, be ‘exhilarating’.
James has already released the first single, ‘Tastes Like Summer’, and ‘Weight Of It All’, with 10 more songs to come on the record.
Airplane Mode was recorded with James’ brilliant long-standing live band, who’ll be back on tour with him next year.
Speaking of the new album, and recording in Pig Music Studios, he said: “Somewhere back there, I lost my way, but found it again in a studio in Banbury.”
James Blunt will be at the Co-op Live Arena in Manchester on 3 April, 2027. Tickets go on sale from 10am on 9 September.
Major pop star crowns humble rice and three cafe as ‘Jewel of Manchester’ ahead of sold-out gig
Thomas Melia
A beloved city centre takeaway has been given the title of ‘Jewel of Manchester’ by chart-topping UK singer Sam Smith.
Known for hits like ‘Stay With Me’, ‘I’m Not The Only One’ and more recently ‘Unholy’, UK pop-ballad act Sam Smith also likes to drop a food review every once in a while.
Currently on the road with a run of shows in Manchester and London for their ‘To Be Free’ live shows, Sam Smith is stopping off at some of our city’s much-loved spots.
On their food-reviewing account titled ‘Sam Served’, where they adopt the aptly-fitting nickname ‘Ham Smith’, Sam has visited restaurants across the globe – and most recently turned their attention to Manchester’s own This & That.
Smith decided to pop in and grab a cheeky rice and three from long-standing backstreet food business This & That, and it certainly went down a treat.
After sampling their amazing selection of meat, vegetable and vegan curries, the musician crowned this family-run Indian takeaway a ‘Jewel of Manchester’.
The hitmaker described this Northern Quarter Indian eatery as ‘Everything food should be’ and definitely enjoyed all the curries on offer ‘leaving belly and heart full’.
This & That prides itself on affordable and comforting food with its ‘Rice and Three Curries’ starting from just £6 – not bad for a city centre foodie spot.
Sam has racked up an impressive 490k followers via their ‘Sam Served’ profile, with famous faces like Lily Allen, Denise Welch and CMAT all wanting to know the superstar’s foodie thoughts.
After enjoying a curry or three, Sam Smith also made sure to feed their soul to by venturing down to Afflecks and getting lost in the music at Mars Tapes.
Recognised as one of the UK’s only cassette and tape shops, Mars Tapes lets you flick through their crates of physical media and even preview tracks before you buy with its dedicated listening areas.
It’s safe to say that Smith has ‘Latched’ onto Manchester’s independent business scene and we’re here for it.
The London-born artist has just released their latest album Hazel Eyes and is currently amid a UK residency tour with two dates in Manchester’s Albert Hall and eight shows set for London Coliseum.
The Manc Audio -
17th October 2023 
