That’s just about as good as it gets for a Manc; not to go over the top right from the off but Liam Gallagher’s first night at the Co-op Live arena is comfortably up there with one of the best gigs we’ve ever been to.
We could end the review right there and we’re sure you’d understand (we don’t think it needs explaining why seeing Definitely Maybe played live in full to a home crowd all these years later is so special) but we’re going to carry on anyway.
We also could spend time bigging up the supports and how great they were, which is entirely true – there’s also a lot of understandable excitement about Liam’s son Gene Gallagher and the opening warm-up act, Villanelle – but, honestly, we just want to relive last night.
First things first, it’s probably fair to start off by saying that regardless of the palava when it first opened or rather struggled to, Co-op Live is quite a sight to behold.
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There are plenty of people who have taken aim at the ‘big black box’ now sitting right next to Manchester City’s stadium and the wider Etihad Campus, but once you see it in the evening, lit up with its digital hoardings and especially in the bowl itself, it’s pretty impressive, it has to be said.
Obviously, the location felt fitting for such a massive Blue and LG made sure to have his beloved football club represented on stage, however, it more just highlighted how this man could fill a room of pretty much any size.
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As we waited for his arrival whilst the roadies rolled back the years (quite literally) and recreated the Definitely Maybe album cover for the set, you couldn’t help but be blown away by the scale of everything as roughly 23,5000 people poured in to celebrate Oasis‘ timeless debut album 30 years on.
People were jumping to rock classics and cheering a clock ticking backwards before the gig had even started. (Credit: The Manc Audio)
And that’s what it was: a pure celebration. From the moment he kicked the arena into gear with ‘Rock ‘N’ Roll Star’, the place barely stopped bouncing except for the likes of ‘Whatever’ and ‘Half The World Away’, as they were too busy being a choir in those moments.
He even dedicated the latter to its original singer and his big brother Noel, as well as tackling the likes of ‘D’Yer Wanna Be a Spaceman?’ and ‘Lock All The Doors’, which the older Gallagher already dug out of the archives with High Flying Birds – though it was interesting to see how the two versions differed.
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We will always be envious of those who were there at the very start; for the likes of the Knebworth and Maine Road gigs, as we can only imagine how nuts the atmosphere must have been at the very height of Britpop, but if this is the closest we ever come to recreating that we will absolutely take it.
Getting to hear those “cheeky” B-sides from that seminal record was a treat too, mainly because as was often the case with Oasis, they were just as popular as the official tracklist and not a single lyric was missed. Manchester hasn’t even come to moving past its best-ever band and probably never will.
Liam Gallagher celebrated everything we know and love about rock and roll on his first night at Co-op Live. (Credit: The MancGroup)
What made this gig even more staggering is that we’d just seen Foo Fighters light up the Emirates Old Trafford on Thursday and knew they were playing again at the same time we were all doing our best ‘sunshyiiiiiine’, but there wasn’t a single part of us wondering which was the better gig. Sorry, Dave.
Is the local bias taking a good chunk of the wheel here? Absolutely. Do we care one bit? Not even a little.
We’ve seen Liam play his own stuff and some old favourites before; we’ve seen Noel fill Wythenshawe Park and play as many Oasis tracks as he likes, but nothing comes close to seeing the album that started it all being played in Manchester at its newest and biggest venue.
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Liam said that he wanted to “put this arena on the map” before he kicked into ‘Cigarettes & Alcohol’ and he didn’t just do that, he blew the roof off the place. And that’s an expensive bloody roof…
Not exaggerating when we say Liam Gallagher at Co-op Live Night One felt like a cultural moment for Manchester. (Credit: The Manc)
What’s more, the 51-year-old proved two things: this is exactly why he’s one of the greatest frontmen of all time, even if his voice isn’t quite as crisp as it once was (it’s still one of the most distinct on the planet), and that Oasis are still the best thing since sliced bread. The bee’s knees. The absolute b*****ks.
We’re not going to start arguing over where they fit among the greatest of all time – we know even Liam Gallagher himself would say, ‘Don’t talk daft, it’s The Beatles’ and so on – but we’re not sure we’ll ever be able to describe just how much Oasis are intrinsically part of what makes Manchester what it is.
Banging on about a reunion year after year feels pretty useless as we know it would take some extraordinary circumstances for it to happen, but all we’ll say is that at this point Noel is just missing out on playing some of the best shows you could ever hope for.
That being said, watching Liam Gallagher give Co-op Live its biggest gig yet was a privilege and until they both kiss and makeup to give the fans what they want, we’re here for these nostalgic nights and you best believe we’ll be going to the (What’s The Story) Morning Glory? anniversary tour if it happens too.
Jane McDonald announces huge new arena tour, with gig in Manchester
Daisy Jackson
National treasure Jane McDonald has just announced a brand-new arena tour, including a show here in Manchester.
The singing sensation has shared details of a new UK tour and album for 2026, with the Living The Dream tour hitting 19 stages.
Jane McDonald, star of stage and screen, will be performing at the AO Arena in Manchester next September, following the release of her new album in the spring.
Living The Dream is her 11th studio album, and boasts nine original songs plus four re-workings of country classics.
Jane has been a British icon ever since she appeared in the BBC docusoap The Cruise back in 1998.
Since then she’s sold out some of the world’s most iconic venues, including the Royal Albert Hall and the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
As well as her singing and stage career, she’s known for her TV work including the BAFTA Award-winning Channel 5 series Cruising with Jane McDonald, Celebrity Gogglebox with best friend Sue Ravey on Celebrity Gogglebox, and her starring position on Loose Women.
She’s also recently launched her sold-out cruise charter, Cruise with Jane McDonald, with a seven-night round-trip for 1,400 fans planned for next October.
Before heading out on tour, TV audiences will also see Jane undertaking an ocean expedition for Jane McDonald: From Pole to Pole, where she’ll be travelling from the Antarctic to the Arctic.
In May 2026 Jane will headline the main stage at Mighty Hoopla festival in London in her first ever festival headline appearance.
Making the announcement, Jane said: “It’s true, I am officially Living The Dream so what better way to celebrate that than with a new album and a new tour.
“I love Country music and I love partying with you so I want to bring that together by bringing you some exciting new music along with the songs you know and love.
“We had brilliant fun on the last tour and we’re stepping it up a notch this time to visit even bigger venues so buckle up and let’s make even more memories together.”
Jane McDonald will play the AO Arena in Manchester on Thursday 10 September.
Tickets will go on sale at 10am on Friday 28 November HERE, but you can pre-order Jane’s album HERE for access to the pre-sale.
Bastille at AO Arena – A night of nostalgic throwbacks
Dec Kelly
A night like this – when Bastille took to the stage at the AO Arena – reminds you exactly why live music matters.
It felt like travelling back to our early teens – windows down, speakers up, yelling Bastille lyrics like our lives depended on it. That familiar rush came flooding back the moment we stepped into the legendary AO Arena.
And honestly, the whole experience, from securing tickets through AXS to walking into one of Manchester’s best venues, was seamless and stress-free, setting the tone perfectly for the night.
The band opened with a classic from their debut album Bad Blood. A single orange beam flickered across the stage, almost like a fire dancing in the dark, creating an intimate calm before the storm. Dan Smith’s slow, acoustic rendition of ‘Things We Lost in the Fire’ pulled the entire crowd into silence. It was raw, emotional, and the perfect way to kick off a night dedicated to the anthems that shaped a decade.
From there, the pace picked up. The show unfolded like a living scrapbook of Bastille’s 15 years of music, skipping through albums and eras with effortless precision. Every transition felt like rediscovering a memory of songs we’d forgotten we loved, songs we never stopped playing, and songs that hit harder live than they ever could through headphones. It was a rollercoaster of indie brilliance, nostalgia, and the kind of energy only Bastille can create.
Credit: Bastille at the AO Arena in Manchester
One of the biggest highlights of the night was the VS. (Other People’s Heartache) segment. We genuinely don’t talk enough about what a masterpiece that project is. The band stripped back their setup as two DJ decks rolled out centre stage, transforming the arena into a full-blown Bastille club experience. It was unexpected, refreshing, and showed off the band’s ability to bend genres without ever losing their identity. The lighting, the bass, the crowd reaction everything came together to create a completely different vibe, proving just how dynamic and experimental Bastille can be.
And then came ‘Pompeii’ and ‘Happier’ , two songs that feel almost woven into modern music culture at this point. Hearing thousands of voices echo those choruses back at Dan Smith was genuinely spine-tingling. It’s moments like that when you realise how much Bastille’s music has grown, evolved, and connected with fans over the years. Their audience now spans generations, and you could feel that unity in the room of parents with teens, old fans, new fans, and everyone in between, all sharing the same unforgettable moment.
What also stood out was the atmosphere. There’s something special about AO Arena: the acoustics, the crowd energy, the lights that sweep across the entire venue. Every detail enhances the performance, making even the quietest moments feel grand and the biggest hits feel monumental.
And honestly, the whole experience was made so much easier by AXS. Keeping track of gigs, managing tickets, and discovering upcoming shows is all right there in the app. No stress, no scrambling, just tap, book, go. It’s the perfect way to make sure you’re always one step ahead and never miss out on seeing your favourite artists live.
Last night wasn’t just a concert, it was a reminder of why we fell in love with Bastille in the first place. A celebration of their past, a showcase of their growth, and a promise that they’re not done surprising us yet.
And if this tour is anything to go by, your next best memory might be only one AXS tap away.
Danny Jones -
16th June 2024 
