This past weekend, The Manc Audio had the honour of going along to one of the North West’s biggest and, for our money, one of the UK’s best festivals in Kendal Calling 2023 and boy did we have an ace time — so, naturally, we wanted to put together a little review.
Spoilers: it was really, REALLY good. To quote the organisers themselves, “There was something very special in the air this year”. They weren’t wrong — you could feel it.
Nestled in a little valley behind the lush treelines of Lowther Deer Park near Penrith and the Lake District, Kendal Calling music and arts festival returned for 2023 quite literally bigger and better than ever, boasting a sellout crowd of 40,000 and some of the best names the weekend has ever hosted.
Started way back in 2006 with less than a thousand people attending, Kendal Calling has not only become Cumbria’s largest festival but a Great British favourite and after going along for the first time, it didn’t take us long to figure out why.
One of the most live music scenic settings you could hope for
Us busy Manc worker bees were still bustling away on Thursday, so we unfortunately couldn’t make it along to see the handful of artists who played the opening night but, luckily, we had a few friends who all went along to confirm it was just as wonderful as it looked.
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With the likes of Scouting for Girls, Gengahr and Black Honey getting things started before the legendary Nile Rodgers & Chic polished off a class first night, the hordes of gig-goers began trickling into the site and by the time we arrived on Friday, the party was in full swing.
As we battled our way up the big hill from our parking spot to the festival entrance (bring a trolley, guys — don’t be muppets like us), we got a second wind when we heard Example playing through the forest and raced to pitch our tent, crack that first tin and start enjoying ourselves.
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But even before we made it to where the music was, we couldn’t help but take in the gorgeous Cumbrian countryside dappled with every colour imaginable — and that was just people’s bucket hats. Seriously though, seeing the sea of tents, flags flying high, music lovers sharing booze and tunes and just generally having a good time was a real antidote after a long week.
Credit: Abbie JenningsCredit: George HarrisonCredit: Tom Martin
The Northerners showing everyone how it’s done
By the time we got into the festival proper, we couldn’t have asked for better timing and a warmer welcome than the wonderful sound of Wigan‘s very own, The Lathums, serenading the packed-out main stage. Dreamland stuff.
That felt like the case throughout the festival, in fact; every hour or so it felt like we were treated to either a Manc band or a nearby North West favourite on one of the nine stages. The crowd felt like it was largely comprised of people from the North too, which gave the whole weekend an added layer of familiarity.
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Be it the Happy Mondays, The Lottery Winners, Mel C or Reverend and the Makers, up-and-coming Manc artist Phoebe Green, the Kaiser Chiefs, Circa Waves or the one and only Rick Astley, just to name a few, there were countless Northern acts to enjoy and it came as no surprise that they smashed their slots harder than anyone.
It was only fitting that probably the biggest moment of the weekend came when the Mayor of Greater Manchester himself, Andy Burnham, surprised everyone on stage by introducing Blossoms for the headline set, celebrating the North and Stockport, specifically, on Saturday night.
Come rain or shine, the British festival spirit was unshakeable
Much to our delight, the sun was shining as well; in fact, we were treated to plenty of it throughout the weekend considering the forecast we were facing on the drive up, and you know what Brits are like when the sun is and they’ve had a beer or two.
Yes, the wind and rain eventually came and made it feel like a proper UK festival — people rushing around after flying tent pegs and trying not to slip on the increasingly muddy walk from the campsite to the arena simply becoming part of the routine — but it was genuinely all part of the fun.
As our new mates from Leigh said during their dynamite set on the main stage, “We don’t mind a bit of rain do we!?”. We didn’t, not one bit, especially when the lineup was stacked with so much talent.
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Putting our regional bias aside, some of our top picks would have to be post-punk outfit DEADLETTER, who were simply insane (we still have the bruises to prove it), the mighty Frank Turner — who joined The Lottery Winners on the main stage in a truly unforgettable moment — The Hunna and, of course, Kasabian because their Friday headline set was absolutely dynamite.
Kendal Calling after dark was quite the experience…
And then came the late-night DJ sets, after parties and all-round craziness that ensued after the headliners finished their respective slots at 11pm, which we’re pretty sure we’ll never be able to fully put into words, so that should give you enough of a hint.
One thing we loved about Kendal Calling 2023 so much was how mixed the crowd was, with people of all different ages and cultural backgrounds turning up to enjoy the festivities. There were so many young families there having the time of their lives and what a way to introduce kids to the festival scene.
However, if you didn’t have little ones to put to bed and fancied staying up until the early hours in a forest lit by neon, multi-coloured lanterns and, or raving in a tent to one of the most unique electronic sets we’ve ever heard by DJ Yoda, you could — it was all there for you.
There was even an acoustic guitarist called Matthew One Man recreating club classics with an acoustic guitar and loop pedal whilst a truly indescribable musical theatre company called the Rimski’s Yard performed around him and some bloke with a big afro shoved a firework up his arse. Yes, of course, we have video evidence:
The truth is, we probably didn’t even scratch the surface when it came to experiencing everything this festival had to offer but based on what we did get to see during our time at Kendal Calling 2023 left a huge impression and we know what we’ll be doing again this time next year.
Oasis finally confirm ‘private ballot’ ticket information for reunion tour
Daisy Jackson
Oasis have just announced more information about how tickets will be sold through a ‘private ballot’ for their extra reunion tour dates.
The group added two additional shows at Wembley Stadium after their initial 17 gigs across London, Manchester, Dublin, Edinburgh and Cardiff generated huge demand and sold out in a day.
Oasis and Ticketmaster came under fire though for the use of dynamic pricing, which saw ticket prices shoot up by hundreds of pounds by the time people made it through the online queues.
For these additional reunion tour dates at Wembley, ticket sales will look a little different.
They’ll be using a ‘private ballot’, which will give first dibs to those who missed out on the first ticket sale.
You’ll only be invited to register for the sale if you signed into your Ticketmaster account on Saturday 31 August, and joined a queue for a specific show.
And you’ll only receive an invitation if you DIDN’T manage to bag tickets the first time round.
THEN you’ll be able to register for the actual ballot, which still doesn’t guarantee you a ticket but does at least get you into a (hopefully less lengthy) queue.
“Invitations to enter the private ballot will be sent overnight tonight (Saturday) to eligible fans we have been able to identify.
“If you signed into your Ticketmaster UK account on Saturday, 31st August, and were able to join a queue for a specific show, but didn’t get a ticket-then you may be eligible to take part and will receive an email on how to register for the ballot.
“Keep an eye on the inbox associated with your Ticketmaster account, and don’t forget to check your junkmail.
“Once successfully registered, you will be entered into the ballot for a code for access to the final Wembley on sale.
“Due to the demand for the shows and to avoid last week’s long queues, codes will be strictly limited. Entry to the ballot does not guarantee you will receive a code.
“The ballot is only open to invited fans. You must register with the email to which your invitation was sent and which is registered with your Ticketmaster account.
“All other entries will be discounted. If you do not receive an email then unfortunately you will not be eligible for the ballot.
“You will be automatically discounted from the ballot, even if you go through the registration process.”
Featured image: Simon Emmett
Audio
Olly Murs announces Manchester show on huge arena tour – with Blue as support
Daisy Jackson
Olly Murs has just announced details of a huge arena tour, including a stop here in Manchester.
He’ll be playing the city’s biggest arena, the Co-op Live, as part of his 2025 tour.
The news comes fresh off the back of his nationwide tour supporting Take That on their massive This Life on Tour tour.
He’s announced a massive support act for himself too, bringing along British boyband favourites Blue.
Olly Murs first rose to stardom when he placed as runner-up in 2009’s The X Factor competition (though his career has soared past winner Joe McElderry’s).
Since then, he’s released seven solo studio albums, including last year’s Marry Me.
His massive hits include Heart Skips a Beat, Dance With Me Tonight, and Troublemaker, and he’s worked with the likes of Rizzle Kicks, Snoop Dogg, Demi Lovato and Flo Rida.
Olly Murs is now heading back out on the road for an all-singing, all-dancing arena tour.
It will include dates in Manchester, Leeds, Sheffield, Liverpool and loads more.
Olly said: “Celebrating 15 unbelievable years doing what I love best will be truly special. But to top it off I’m taking a band with me who I was obsessed with in my college years, BLUE!
“No doubt the pranks and banter will be free-flowing but most importantly it’s going to be a great night for the fans to enjoy, I can’t wait.”
Blue said: “We were really delighted when Olly asked us to join him on his Arena tour next year and can’t wait to get on the road with him in the Spring!
“We are going to have a whole lot of fun and look forward to making him an honorary Blue boy! We’ll be singing the biggest hits and maybe the odd joke here and there – watch out Olly!”
Tickets will go on sale on Friday 13 September at 10am – you can get yours here.