Bolton comic Peter Kay was treated to a standing ovation from thousands of fans at the Manchester Apollo this weekend as the Bolton comic made his big comeback at a charity show.
The star of Phoenix Nights and Max and Paddy’s Road To Nowhere returned to the stage for the first time since 2017 for two Q&A sessions in aid of the Doing it for Laura charity on Saturday (7 August).
The fundraisers were organised for University of Manchester student Laura Nuttall – who was diagnosed with aggressive brain cancer glioblastoma multiforme in October 2018.
Kay knew the family (having met Ms Nuttall’s mother during her time working at Granada studios 20 years ago) and had “called up out of the blue” to ask how he could help.
Ms Nuttall’s sister Gracie introduced Kay to the audience and said her family was “eternally grateful” to the comic and attendees for “potentially saving my sister’s life”.
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Thousands queued in bucketing down rain to see the comedian’s live performances – with both Q&A sessions selling out in minutes last week.
Kay enjoyed a rousing reception and joked: “I’ve never in my life had a standing ovation when I came on… I’m going to go away for four more years.”
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Answering questions submitted by fans, Kay said he was now “too embarrassed” to buy garlic bread from stores after a joke he made years ago has been widely quoted ever since.
Kay also revealed that he had written two Christmas specials of Max and Paddy with Paddy McGuinness, but the duo had never got round to making them.
Kay – who has been crowned as Mancunians’ favourite ever comedian – stepped back from the limelight in 2017, abruptly cancelling tours and projects due to “unforeseen family circumstances”.
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He has only appeared sporadically in the past four years – including the 2018 finale of his sitcom Peter Kay’s Car Share and as a guest on Cat Deeley’s BBC Radio 2 show back in January.
Featured image: Wikimedia Commons
Gigs & Nightlife
Circa Waves on their new album, unreal tour lineup, a big health scare and ‘the best band’ around right now
Danny Jones
With Circa Waves announcing a new album and a brand new UK tour early next year, we were very kindly given the privilege to chat with one of the most consistent indie bands of the past decade.
Sitting down with lead singer and rhythm guitarist Kieran Shudall, we were buzzing with questions about their upcoming record, what we’re dubbing as one of the best indie tour lineups in years, what they’re making of the UK music scene right now and, of course, why the North West is the best.
For anyone unaware, it’s been a pretty intense period for the Liverpool lads and their frontman, especially, after a health scare early last year, so we’re more grateful than ever that they’re back and looking in true fighting form ahead of their shows come February 2025.
You can read our full interview with Circa Waves down below.
Audio North interviews Kieran from Circa Waves
Circa Waves live in Kobetamendi, Bilbao at BBK Live 2017.Kieran gave us a really great, in-depth chat.Credit: Dena Flows/The Manc Group
Right off the bat, the sixth studio album is coming out, Death & Love Pt. 1. It’s a big, bold title – what can you tell us about it without giving too much away?
Well, ‘Death and Love’ was basically the first song I ever wrote for Circa. It was back in 2012 or something, but it never got released and it was just a title that was always lying around.
We were trying to think of a title for this record and with what I went through – like a big sort of health scare and then came out the other side and feeling very grateful for life – that seemed like a really appropriate title and I feel like it grabs your attention a little bit.
Feel free to move on if it’s too personal but if you would you mind telling us about the health scare?
We had to cancel a bunch of tours; I got told you have to sign this form that says you have a 100% chance of dying on the operating table, so that’s not cool. It was just mad and I kind of came through the other side feeling super grateful and happy to be alive and in a band, you know
I feel more fortunate now that I’ve got through it all, so a lot of the record is about getting through that and the fears that came along with it. It gave me some good material haha.
For sure, that trauma always serves great art at least. There’s obviously a part one in there too, so is the second done and was this a double album experience in the recording process?
I’m still doing it – finishing it right now actually. We kind of just had too many songs and thought let’s just split it into two. I guess back in the day it’d be like a double album but yeah, the first one is nine songs and this one I’m still deciding. Maybe 10?
There’s just had a lot of ideas and we thought, well, why not? In this day and age, it’s so easy to kind of put music out and people consume music so fast that it felt like we just may as well.
Absolutely. So where do you think you’ve pushed things sonically this time – is it more of an evolution or a continuation?
I feel like we’ve landed on our feet in what we’re about now, certainly what I think Circa Waves should sound like, so it’s kind of similar to the early records, I guess.
A lot more guitars, sort of raw, scrappy drums, and they feel like festival songs to me but obviously the subject matter is like 10 years on from the first record, so your life experience makes the lyrics different, but I hope that it sort of feels like a refinement of sorts.
And have you guys got a favourite track that you’re particularly excited for people to hear or a personal favourite?
The thing about band members is everyone just likes it when their instrument’s the loudest. I don’t know, there’s a track called ‘Hold It Steady’ which is quite different to anything we’ve done before; I’m excited for that one to be heard but I think they’re all bangers.
We’ll absolutely take that haha. For the tour, you’ve got an unreal lineup of support acts with Peace and our fellow Mancs, Corella – we’ve seen both of them this year and they were great – how did you go around picking your warm-ups?
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Peace was a funny one, I sort of have liked them for a long time and I went to the old NME Tour that they were on in probably 2011 or something but I remember watching them being like, ‘Oh wow and man I’d love to do the NME Tour.
Circa Waves didn’t exist at the time and then a few years later we did it ourselves, so they were sort of a big inspiration for me to play indie music, so it was cool to have them on. And then Corella are just ones that have been cropping up every two minutes on my Instagram feed and they’re just like a really good indie band right now.
Peace at Kendal Calling 2024Corella had a pretty iconic moment on the main stage too…
So it all felt like a good fit and we kind of want to just make the night feel like a big festival of music that people will love that type of music really. It’s just a proper guitary indie night, you know?
Lovely, can’t complain about that. In terms of venues, you’ve got some great Northern institutions on there: The Academy in Leeds, Victoria Warehouse here in Manchester and your massive hometown show. How much do you love those dates as North West locals?
Yeah, I love it, man. I mean, there’s nothing better than playing up North and I know that sounds like something that people say to just please people from there but it really is the best.
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Liverpool, obviously, for me is such a big one and my family all go to those ones, so it’s cool for that reason but Manchester’s always been an amazing crowd. I don’t know what it is about Manchester – Manchester, Leeds, Glasgow and Liverpool are always just amazing.
Bang on, and as for that hometown gig, how special is that Olympia show gonna be and do you have any special treatment up your sleeve?
You know what? I haven’t thought about it. There’s always the temptation of asking someone to get up with you. [Yeah, maybe get Jamie Webster on the go?] Yeah, I’ve been writing with Jamie and Miles [Kane] quite a bit but I don’t know. We’ll keep it all secret anyway.
Yeah let’s not spoil anything. Another one we’re always curious of is how much you consider that famous Manc vs Scouse rivalry in music. Do you buy into it at all?
I don’t know, I think in my life when you have like really p***ed up conversations with someone who’s more into the Manc scene than the Liverpool scene I just think we’ve got The Beatles, so we always win.
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I do think, you know, you’ve got your Joy Divisions and your Smiths and your Oasis and all this – they’re amazing bands, but we’ve got The Beatles. So it’s just you can’t like. [Like the ultimate Top Trumps card] Yeah, in Pokemon, it’d be shiny Charizard.
Fair enough. What about other Northern acts you’re particularly excited by at the minute?
I mean, there’s so many but it’s too hard but the band I think are the best at the moment is Wunderhorse. I met Jacob [Slater] a while ago when he was doing Dead Pretties and I was like obsessed with his writing and he sent me a bunch of acoustic stuff and I was just like man, “You are f***ing annoyingly talented.”
Then when Wunderhorse came out and I was just blown away. It’s amazing to watch it just become this big thing now. It’s cool to see people on TikTok sharing clips of ‘Teal’ and just seeing kids getting into proper music. So yeah, love them, man – I’m so excited to see where they end up.
He’s not wrong, by the way. Their Manchester Academy gig in October was one the best of our lives and not to sound like needy cool kids but we’ve very much backed them from day one.
Hacienda Classical announces record-breaking show at Castlefield Bowl next summer
Emily Sergeant
Hacienda Classical is set to make yet another triumphant return to the historic Castlefield Bowl next summer.
Manchester’s iconic celebration will mark its record-breaking ninth appearance at the Sounds of the City festival when it arrives in the city centre next July, and will once again be captivating local audiences and travelling fans alike.
In case you’re unfamiliar with the groundbreaking musical project, Hacienda Classical fuses a unique blend of classic dance tracks and orchestral arrangements, with the unmatched spirit of the legendary Hacienda, garnering rave reviews from critics and fans along the way.
Resident DJ Graeme Park carefully curates a selection of iconic anthems from the late 1980s and early 1990s, which are then reimagined with orchestral arrangements by the Manchester Camerata Orchestra.
The not-to-be-missed experience featuring powerful vocals and special guests has sold out multiple shows at prestigious venues worldwide.
At next year’s Castlefield Bowl date, the voice of M People, Heather Small, will join the show, along with house legends K-Klass performing a full live set, while DJ Paulette and Tom Wainwright also join as resident DJs for the night.
Curator Graeme Park will also take to the decks before the show too.
“I am already beyond excited that Hacienda Classical is returning to Castlefield Bowl in the heart of Manchester for the ninth time,” Graeme Park said.
“No other live act has performed so many times at this superb outdoor venue and it’s an honour to be part of this incredible journey that is now a major highlight in my diary and yours too. I can’t wait to bring the love next July.”
Hacienda Classical returns to Sounds of the City at Castlefield Bowl on Saturday 5 July 2025, and tickets officially go on general sale this Friday (8 November) at 10am.
The Manc -
8th August 2021 
