4th March 2018 is a date that Olivia Bartlett will never forget.
It was the date that the then-17 year old took what she thought would be her last step, as she leapt off a bridge over a major road in Stockport and plunged 40ft to the ground in an attempt to end her own life.
But unlike the five others who’d jumped from the very same spot before her that week, Olivia survived.
The former trainee hairdresser from Gorton suffered a catalogue of horrific injuries from her fall – including serious damage to her head and spine, along with 15 other broken bones – and underwent two operations at Salford Royal, leaving her bed-bound for two weeks, before being subsequently diagnosed with bipolar disorder, anxiety and depression, and spending three months in a specialist facility to improve her mental health.
The hospital staff told her it was “a miracle” she was still alive.
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“[Struggles with] my mental health started at a young age, but I didn’t want anyone to know what I was going though daily.” Olivia told us.
“It was a battle everyday, especially with the thoughts I was getting [and] I was just so embarrassed [that] I didn’t tell anyone, [nor did I] understand why I even felt the way I did,
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“I didn’t even understand about mental health then.”
Olivia admits that her life “changed dramatically” after that day, and she has sadly suffered both short-term and long-term effects from the incident, ranging from apprehensions and embarrassment about going outside and re-integrating back into society shortly after being discharged from hospital due to “[having] all my hair shaved, as my head injuries were really bad to the point [that] you could see my skull”, to suffering with long term back pain – which makes walking and standing a challenge – the devastating decision to give up her job as a result of injuries, and even the loss of “a lot of friends and social circle”, who she believed just did not understand how to handle the severity of her mental health struggles and diagnosis’.
In December 2019, she also suffered the devastating loss of her uncle Paul to suicide, which she said “broke me, as he [had] seen everything I went through [and] was married [with] two children”.
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And it was then that she just knew she “didn’t want anyone else to go through what I had”.
Nowadays, Olivia – 21, who’s family and boyfriend of three years are supporting her “every step of the way” – is keen to advocate that “mental health matters” and that it should be prioritised just as much as our physical health, and it was this very urgency to promote better care that saw her story go viral on social media last year.
Olivia goes back to that same bridge as much as she can, but not to jump – to stop others from doing so.
She does this by regularly decorating the bridge with handwritten messages of support, words of encouragement, and vital contact numbers for anyone who may find themselves in the same position as she did all those years prior, in the hopes of proving that “better days will come”.
It was an act that, once shared to Facebook, saw her receive widespread support from all across the globe, with messages from strangers still coming in to this day.
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The viral post also miraculously reunited her with the man who she credits with “saving my life”.
Olivia continued: “During my recovery, I learned so much about mental health… [and] I thought I needed to do more to make sure people never feel like this again, [so] now I go to the bridge I jumped off to put notes and try and keep up with it as much as I can.
“If it stops just one person from doing [what I did], it would mean the world to me – I just want to help others [and] no family should go through what mine did”.
“I try to do everything I can for mental health, but sometimes I feel like I’m not doing enough,” Olivia admitted.
“I want to do more as it’s very important to me [and] mental health will always be a part of my life, so now that I have learnt how to deal with it, I want to help everyone I can.
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“No one should feel like this, and some people just need help dealing with their mental health issues”.
Olivia also expressed some concerns with the level of after-care she received following the incident, which she is keen to rectify, explaining that: “The hospitals didn’t do anything with me after, no talks, no therapy – I had to make myself better, but some people aren’t as strong to think like that.
“There’s not enough help for mental health and it’s so upsetting to see, but if my story gets out there, it might help others”.
As part of her reflection process, nearly four years after the attempt to take her own life, Olivia has now realised the importance of speaking out, especially after coming up against several negative comments as a response to her social media posts.
“I want to tell everyone that things do get better and so will you.” she said.
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‘I’m living proof of that, and it’s okay not to be ok, and mental health is normal [so] don’t worry that you are different to others. Try your hardest to be positive, even though it is so hard to do, and remember that there are people out there that love you.
“I also want to say to everyone to please just please be kind.
“I have had a lot of negative comments saying lots of sick things, but if I wasn’t as strong as I am, that could have broken me and I could do it again, so please just be kind [because] you could say horrible things to the wrong person someday, and you would be the reason they’re not here anymore.
“Most of all, I just want to tell everyone to stay strong”.
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If you or anyone you know is struggling right now, please know that you are never alone and there are many different places you can reach out to for support right here in Greater Manchester.
Suffering in silence never need be the way.
Manchester Mind – An organisation that has supported people in Manchester for over 30 years. Most services are now available over the phone, by email or video call. The number is 0161 769 5732 and the opening hours are Mon – Fri 10am – 2pm.
The GM Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust – The local NHS helpline is open 24/7 which you can call any time, day or night, if you feel your mental health is beginning to suffer: 0800 953 0285.
Andy’s Man Club – A group dedicated to starting conversations about mental health, assuring people that it’s ok to talk. You can contact them by email on: [email protected].
CALM – The Campaign Against Living Miserably supports people via phone and webchat. You can call 0800 58 58 58 or speak to a support worker online. Open 5pm to midnight.
Samaritans – The Manchester & Salford Samaritans offer emotional support by telephone and email. The phone lines and email support are available 24/7. Call 116 123 or visit the website.
The Manc Group is also here to help too.
There are real people behind our platforms, and our DMs are always open, so we encourage you to drop us a message should you ever need a chat and we will be more than happy to help point you in the right direction towards the best help possible.
We got this, Manchester.
Feature
Five Manchester artists we’ve been listening to this month | May 2025
Danny Jones
Oh, hey, didn’t see you there. Come looking for more top Manc tunage, have we? You’re in luck, because Greater Manchester just keeps pumping out top bands and artists all the time, hence why we do this.
If you’re new around these parts, first of all, welcome and secondly, the whole thing is very simple: every month, we round up some of the best talents coming out of 0161 and talk about why we like them. I know, groundbreaking stuff, right?
They don’t have to be born and bred in Manchester, but they do need to have made this their music home – the first the correct career decision they made, the second being working their way into our ears.
So, now all the housekeeping is done and dusted, let’s dive into some delightful new Manchester music, shall we?
Five Manc bands and artists we’ve been listening to recently
1. IST IST
This month we’re starting off with one of those Manchester bands that may not be new but still crop up for us at regular intervals to remind us of two things: first of all, that they’re brilliant and secondly, that they should have featured on our regular round-up of artists a long time ago.
We’re talking about IST IST, who returned with another live, multiple LP-spanning compilation (plus some extras) this past March, which we’ve had on plenty over the past month. It goes without saying that they sound brilliant live, and we feel bad for only just remembering how good and prolific they’ve been.
You always get plenty of New Order, but also White Lies and Editors; Future Islands, The National and lots of other baritone-driven bands that bring that element of melodrama to layer over the instruments themselves. ‘You’re Mine’ might be their biggest track, but ‘The Kiss’ and ‘Exist’ are also favourites.
2. Robbie Cavanagh
Now, we all know that country music is having a real moment right now and we, for one, couldn’t be happier about it, to be completely frank. Though arguably simplistic at times, it’s soulful, often impressively pared-back, and when something does impress you lyrically or technically, it sticks.
With that in mind, we recently realised that award-winning songwriter Robbie Cavanagh has been on somewhat of a comeback since 2023, and we hadn’t noticed until painfully recently. Returning after a six-year hiatus – bar some little ditties during lockdown – his latest project has some of his best work yet.
Fully tilting from folk into country and folk, the stunning vocalist belatedly blew us away with the bluesy single ‘Helpless’ and a gorgeous new collaboration with solo artist, Abby Gundersen (equally talented sister of Noah), but please still start with his 2016 Mahogany Session, where it arguably all began.
Named after Manchester city centre’s famously eclectic indie emporium, Afflecks Palace have never quite blown up in the way they way we thought they would when we first came across them years ago, but there’s still plenty of time and we’ll be damn it if they don’t deserve more regular listeners.
You’ll also be glad to know that, despite the name, they aren’t one of those trite, overly performative bands who wear a stereotypical Manc-ness on their sleeve that we sometimes come across; they’re just good and deserve a lot more recognition for their contribution to the neo-pysch genre.
As for where to start, we’ll admit we prefer their first album; ‘Forever Young’ is noodley and catchy, ‘Everything Is an Attempt to Be Human’ has those shoegazey guitars, but it just doesn’t get better than the incomparable ‘Pink Skies’, which still makes us feel some type of way – we just can’t quite describe.
We just love it. ‘Nu-Madchester’, or whatever you want to call it, its distinct sunniness never fails to tickle a part of our brains.
4. Findlay
Next up is Stockport singer-songwriter Findlay, who released more new music this past February, and has been making indie pop that ropes in plenty of other influences for more than a decade now.
That being said, she’s always experimenting with her sound, as her collabs with Blossoms, Miles Kane, Bill Ryder-Jones, Joris Delacroix have shown, and this latest iteration seems to have her tapping into everything from almost 50s and 60s female soul singers to slow electronic and more.
We love the smooth sexiness and sheer ambition of her latest single, ‘Stay Kinky’ and ‘Waste My Time’ always feels like a late-night chiller fit for music video set in a dingey bar, however, we still have a soft spot for her debut, ‘Your Sister’, with the riff that’s almost reminiscent of ‘Blockbuster’ by Sweet.
Last but not least, it’s the second time we’re featuring a returning artist and it comes in the form of young Alex Spencer, whose journey from busking around the streets of Greater Manchester to sold-out headlines shows and featuring on the likes EA Sports FC 25 (yes, FIFA) is a truly remarkable one.
The charming and still fresh-faced local lad from Droylsden is nothing short of proof that hard work and determination can pay off, and those ‘Bucket List’ dreams really are within reach. Obvious talent aside, this teenager has grafted his arse off and we couldn’t be more proudof how far he’s come already.
He last featured in this round-up back in April 2024 but even in the time between then, he’s released plenty and developed even further as musician, so much so that we’re not going to suggest which songs to try; instead, you can watch our most recent interview with him and relive his last year or so with us.
I’m Alex Spencer and This is my journey so far!
8 years of my music journey summed up in 1 minute 55😅 Thankyou to everyone who’s followed my journey so far, to anyone new or to anyone who doesn’t know my story, I made this video to show where it all started and how I got here❤️ pic.twitter.com/Hi3W7MHMxX
So, the next time you hear someone foolishly complaining that the Greater Manchester music scene ‘isn’t what it once was’, you can go right ahead of show them these bands and artists.
In fact, you could just point them in the direction of this very page and Audio North, in general, as we do this round-up every month and plenty more every week, meaning you’re headphones never dry up.
For instance, you can check out which Manchester bands and artists we were listening to back in April, both new, current and old, down below. We’ll see you again very soon.
Bruce Springsteen’s unforgettable final night at Co-op Live in Manchester – just wow…
Danny Jones
It’s rare you get to see legends in real life, especially this up close and personal, but there’s still just one key word that keeps coming to mind when we think of seeing Bruce Springsteen in Manchester at the Co-op Live last night: surreal.
We still can’t quite believe that he was here in Manchester, in the flesh, for three separate nights, but we do intend to replay it in our heads over and over again until it fully sinks in.
Springsteen, ‘The Boss’, Brucey, whatever you want to call him, there really is something to be said for someone who’s been going this long and still exerts so much energy at 75.
That goes for his desperately loyal and dedicated crowds, too. The legions that marched down ‘Thunder Road’ and back down the CityLink walking route and the Ashton canal in supreme spirits after all was said and done gave as good as they got.
We can only assume Springsteen was as incredible on the first night at Co-op Live as he was on the last. (Credit: Audio North)
From singing back every chorus to the chants of “Bruuuuuuuce!” between every single song, it was more apparent than ever that being a Springsteen fan is quite literally a way of life for these people; they know every line, every call and response, every micro-dance move and regular on-stage ritual.
Each show is roughly three hours long, by the way – he does have an absolute treasure trove of discography to work through, in fairness.
Put simply, there’s no messing about, just non-stop rock and roll of the highest order. Well, there are some brief pauses, but for good reason…
As a passionate political and philanthropic person throughout a career which spans more than six decades, he took the time to talk about America and the turbulent times they are once again facing.
He spoke about the craven billionaire class, poverty, uniting through art and, just as he did on night one in Manchester, Springsteen railed against a particular tyrant who happens to have found himself in the seat of power yet again back over in the States. He made sure to do this every single night.
‘Born in the U.S.A.’ (which he did decide to play, along with a plethora of the other biggest hits) now feels more like a protest song than ever. The war may no longer be in Vietnam, but there is one raging back home, and he’s even more wary of it than before.
He thanked those in the pit and the stands for indulging him, as well as the “wonderful space” of the Co-op and its “beautiful sound” for hosting him, but we have a feeling the New Jersey poet could have said just about anything and he’d still have 23,500+ in the palm of his hands.
All that being said, it wasn’t like this was a pseudo-rally or anything like that, nor was anything of this being foisted upon the audience, but there was a real sense of a congregation gathering in the church of Bruce to take in his sermon.
His followers have often been referred to in this way, and despite only previously considering ourselves a very casual Springsteen enthusiast, having now been to a sell-out arena gig with one of the biggest Boss fans we know, we can understand why millions of people around the world idolise this absolute icon.
It goes without saying that a huge amount of applause must go to The E Street Band themselves, who are just as much a part of what makes Springsteen sets so special as he is.
From the ever-charismatic Steven Van Zandt (still hard not to see him as ‘Sil’ from The Sopranos) to Jake Clemons on sax – who has been part of the group since 2012 and shared a touching embrace with Bruce as tributes to his predecessor and uncle, Clarence, played behind them – these lot are a family.
Our only minor gripe is that we sorely missed hearing ‘Atlantic City’, but what the concert did confirm is that much like the effect the recent Bob Dylan biopic had on us, we’re now more committed than ever to working through the Springsteen back catalogue from start to finish and seeing how obsessed we get.
To end on one final thought and echo the words of the man himself: “peace, love and freedom.”
Emily Sergeant -
28th January 2021 
