You could see his distinct and unshakeable smile from space and recognise that softly-spoken voice anywhere. September’s Manc of the Month is none of other than Oldham’s very own Brian Cox.
The world-renowned physicist is the proud holder of an MBE and an acclaimed member of the Royal Society Fellowship whose fascinating but accessible work in science and particle physics, specifically, has seen him become a beloved TV personality and pop-culture icon.
Brian Cox: the physicist and celebrity astronomer
He’s been a familiar face on our TV screens for over a decade now. From Wonders of the Universe and Wonders of Life to Forces of Nature, Stargazing Live and more, Brian Cox has helped bring the world of science to millions watching at home.
His TV appearances aren’t just limited to documentaries though. He’s been on everything from late-night talk shows and Dr Who to becoming one of the very few Brits to appear on the controversial Joe Rogan’s podcast. He truly is the Carl Sagan of the 21st century.
The 54-year-old might share his name with another familiar TV face, but there’s no mistaking his quiet yet captivating ruminations for anyone else. Have you ever ever heard him explain time?
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Speaking of podcasts, his award-winning show, The Infinite Monkey Cage Podcast – co-hosted by comedian Robin Ince – is now into its 24th series and has become one of the most successful audio series not just in the UK but on podcast platforms across the globe.
The informative but entertaining concept has become a live show and has featured special guests such as astronomy colleague Neil deGrasse Tyson, Sarah Pascoe, Eric Idle and many, many more.
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The former musician
Though many people will have seen his face on the box or heard him on the radio in the past decade or so, there are plenty that are still unaware he has been on the airwaves long before he was the science guy.
Yes, that’s right, before he was Britain’s favourite brainbox, Mr Brian Cox was a rather successful musician in not one but two bands throughout the mid to late 80s and well into the 90s.
First came Dare, a rock band formed in his native town of Oldham by former Thin Lizzy keyboardist, Darren Wharton; they went on to record two albums during his time in the band. Look out for the guy in the back.
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Beginning his studies shortly after, he then took another run at music fame by joining pop-rock and dance outfit D:Ream in 1993. Having contributed on two albums, the group eventually disbanded in 1997 playing with them until 1997 and he began his journey to becoming an instantly recognisable pop physicist.
Cox had already secured a first in physics from his alma mater back in 1995 and in 1998, not long after leaving the music biz, he got his PhD in High Energy Particle Physics for his work at the Hadron Elektron Ring Anlage (HERA) in Hamburg.
An academic through and through
All that being said, his various entertainment exploits have never stopped him from making a direct impact on the world of academia, as he remains a Professor of Particle Physics in the School of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Manchester, running courses every year.
During the pandemic, specifically, he also did his part to keep students, kids and those stuck at home in general engaged with his Lockdown Learning and Lecture series. Very cool and very digestible; we might be back to walking free and learning normally but they’re still well worth giving a watch.
Just a year before he was made a lecturer at UoM in 2005, Brian even had the privilege of working on the Large Hadron Collider at CERN in Switzerland (you know, the Big Bang machine), acting as a senior physicist and co-spokesperson for a key research and development project between 2004 and 2009.
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He played an important role in the ATLAS experiment which is still running and investigating everything from the Higgs Boson particle discovered in 2012, to dark matter and even alternate dimensions. In case it wasn’t abundantly clear at this point, the bloke is very smart.
In fact, Cox’s influence on the UK’s intellectual reputation across the globe and efforts to improve interest in subjects like physics is so strong that in 2016, he was recognised by the Royal Society and named the Professor for Public Engagement in Science.
Still making moves in Manchester
It’s not an exaggeration when we say Brian has already done a lot for both UK and global science, especially in helping bring it further into the public eye. But more importantly for us Mancunians, he’s continued to be an active and important presence in the 0161 area.
As well as continuing to lecture hundreds of domestic students at the university that helped launch his career, his international and celebrity appeal draws thousands of applicants from all over the world to the Russell Group institution every year.
Moreover, his ‘Brian Cox: Horizons’ World Tour – which expands on his intellectual, highly entertaining and often comedic lecture format with an immersive audio-visual experience – came to Manchester earlier this week, much to the delight of his fans.
Taking the stage in front of thousands of people at massive arenas like the AO, he and podcast partner Ince dive deeper into astronomy and cosmology in a way that brings you closer to some of the most mind-boggling concepts in the universe.
Better still, even amidst a world tour, he somehow managed to find the time to speak to global news outlets on the biggest news in science, such as the stunning new images captured by the James Webb Space Telescope.
Gig review | Catfish at Heaton Park, Manchester – are the Bottlemen properly back?
Danny Jones
10 months on from their last gig and more than a year since they officially ended their hiatus, Catfish and the Bottlemen finally returned to Manchester for a sold-out show at Heaton Park, and while the reviews online have been mixed, we had a blast heading back to the fields again.
Making their Manc comeback just hours before this year’s Parklife Festival got underway, the beloved Welsh band had stirred lots of worry leading up to the day itself and, in truth, even in the moments leading up to (and after) their stage time.
Apart from their huge headline slot at Reading and Leeds, 2024 was the year of cancellations and controversy, so their fans had plenty of reason to be concerned. Nevertheless, we had faith and kept our spirits high, especially with the weather holding out.
Local legends and indie rock veterans James certainly helped on that front, delighting both die-hards watching from up on the hill and younger gig-goers who may have only heard a few of the big hits like ‘Sit Down’ – though they certainly didn’t heed that message, there was merely jumping up and down.
Some great computer-generated imagery backdropped the set.We watched this thing like a hawk.You can read our recent interview with them HERE. (Credit: Audio North)
Once the main support act had wrapped up their pretty perfectly timed set, we’ll admit, standing on that grass felt like an eternity, especially considering Catfish had us waiting an extra 15 minutes beyond their expected arrival at Heaton Park.
You could call it fashionably late, but in this case, it saw several people around us uttering, ‘they’re not coming on any time soon’, and some even beginning to walk off.
However, they did eventually arrive just over a quarter of an hour past schedule, and the eruption of cheers from the crowd and a fair few screams from those nearest the barrier signalled what summed up the entire night: we were just so happy to have them back.
We’ve heard people debating the sound quality and taking issue with parts of Van’s performance, but we’ll just leave this here and let you decide for yourselves:
One thing’s for sure: the energy was immaculate from start to finish.
From kicking things off with ‘Longshot’ for a limb-worthy intro, to hearing a fully acoustic version of ‘Hourglass’ as the lead singer stood alone on the dramatically lit main stage, soon to be followed up by a plethora of Parklife acts, we’d wager you they’ll remain a tough act to follow all weekend.
Other highlights included an entire park’s worth of people belting every word to ‘Kathleen’, ‘Fallout’, ‘Pacifier’ and pretty much every track they played, as well Van having the crowd repeat the chorus of ‘Cocoon’ as he hung up his guitar from the stand to deliver an ice-old mic drop.
We would’ve loved to hear a fuller set filled with the extended live versions of ‘Oxygen’, ‘Heathrow’ and ‘Glasgow’ too, especially given how many sections of pure instrumentation felt like they were going to transition into another track, but you can’t have everything, I guess.
Inflatable crocodiles and cracking flagsCredit: The Manc GroupEyes and arms wide openWe’re here to urge you not to be drawn in by TikTok reviews – as far as we’re concerned, Catfish were made to headline Heaton Park.
Sure, there might have been a few minor fluffed vocal notes and slightly over-lengthy solos here and there, but after all, it’s a rock show: we want a bit of mess.
The same goes for Van McCann himself, too; we worry that people are starting to forget what a proper rockstar is, and we’re not talking about contriving some kind of Hollywood lifestyle, but certainly getting lost in the music and trashing your guitar so hard that your face is draped in nothing but hair and sweat? Absolutely.
All in all, we think Catfish and the Bottlemen‘s massive outdoor show at Manchester’s Heaton Park and de facto ‘comeback after the last comeback’ was a triumph and even when they’re not absolutely 10/10, they’re still bloody good value live.
As for the question of ‘are they back?’ We think so and certainly hope that ‘Showtime’ wasn’t just released as a way of signalling fans to come along for one last ride before the final curtain call.
Gig review | Lionel Richie leaves Manchester dancing on the ceiling after Co-op Live debut
Thomas Melia
American multi-hyphenate Lionel Richie paid Manchester a visit last night and gave the 23,500 fans in the crowd all of his ‘Endless Love’.
Richie needs no explanation, being a household name, this artist had the crowd in the palm of his hands as soon as he stepped foot onto the stage, just like he has been doing since he burst onto the music scene over 50 years ago.
When you’re about to watch a legend strut his stuff in various tailcoats ‘All Night Long (All Night)’, you know you’re in for a mini workout.
We tried out Co-op Live’s Backstage Club before the show to fuel up with a pizza and grab a drink to ensure that we could dance ‘All Night Long (All Night) as much as the main man himself.
‘Breezy like a Sunday Morning’.Soaking up the fun at Co-op Live’s Backstage Club.You really do get the VIP treatment.Credit: Audio North
As well as boasting an intimate area with music history covering all four walls, this location had a photobooth, pool table, its own merchandise vendor and a live band.
For tonight’s show, it was only right that the band soundtracking Co-op Live’s Backstage Club were aptly named The Pennies and the signature drinks were equally fitting, ‘Say You, Say G&T’ and a cocktail offering labelled, ‘Breezy like a Sunday Morning’.
Glasgow solo star Brooke Combe – a favourite of ours from past Neighbourhood Festivals – gave the crowd our first taste of music for the night, playing highlights of her debut album ‘Dancing at the Edge of the World’, which only dropped back in January.
Her songs ooze soul, from the infectious ‘Shaken by the Wind’ to the instantly catchy ‘The Last Time’ and fan favourite, ‘Are You With Me?’. Combe’s stage presence was nothing short of contagious.
It’s no surprise, really, considering she’s already practised and perfected her craft at Glastonbury back in 2022 among countless other massive slots. Make sure you catch her the next time she’s in Manchester.
The legendary performer knew he had to kick things off in true Lionel Richie style, it’s only obligatory that he opened the show with his greeting-titled hit ‘Hello’.
Lionel welcoming fans with ‘Hello’ and being greeted with equally impressive roars from the crowd.Richie slowing it down for a moment, performing Commodores classic, ‘Easy’.Credit: The Manc Group
As the chorus approached, the American superstar hailed “Hello” and the audience immediately exclaimed in synch, “Is it me you’re looking for?”.
Social media might’ve been non-existent when the performer first reached our ears, but this didn’t stop Lionel Richie from inadvertently turning last night into a mini ‘Throwback Thursday’ playing his 1977 Commodores swooner ‘Easy’.
If you had told me that Lionel Richie would directly address me and my brother mid-performance, I would’ve laughed in your face, but last night the star adopted the both of us. Life complete.
The American singer came up the catwalk, soaking up all the cheers and love from the Co-op Live crowd, and then pointed directly at me and my brother and gave us a little shoutout.
Before playing the anthem that is ‘We are the World’, Mr. Richie expressed, “Alright, I’ll just tell ‘em” before admitting to the whole arena, “These are my cousins right here”.
I guess when we sang “Hello, is it me you’re looking for?” earlier in the show, it really was me (and my brother) he was looking for.
Getting called 'cousins' by @LionelRichie was not on our 2025 bingo card, but it has made our entire year. 😭💀
Just like his opening track, the final slot also has its fixed placement in Richie’s setlist; of course, that song is none other than the essential party number, ‘All Night Long (All Night)’.
Richie recites the line, “We’re going to party, Karamu, fiesta, forever”, and the crowd understood the assignment as by the time he sang, “Come on and sing along / All night long”, everyone was up.
This tune is nothing less than cathartic, and for the five minutes it played, everyone was side-stepping, swaying, singing, dancing, not a single inhibition in sight.
Lionel Richie might know his way around writing smash hits and commanding a crowd, but it’s the audience’s joy for the music that made this concert such a special night.
Did we tell you? Lionel Richie called us his cousins.Richie amidst a flurry of flashlights from the Manc crowd.Credit: The Manc
Danny Jones -
23rd September 2022 
