Sandwich Technician
AJ Handley-Rowe -
10th November 2021
AJ Handley-Rowe -
10th November 2021 Review | Leigh-Anne at Albert Hall, Manchester – the best version of her
Thomas Melia
Leigh-Anne visits Manchester for her second gig since becoming a solo artist, dominating Albert Hall as part of her My Ego Told Me To Tour.
Opening with lines like ‘You want a revival?’, before commanding Manchester to ‘look into my eyes’ and ‘tell me what do you see’, Leigh-Anne isn’t just walking onto stage – she’s setting a precedent.
The start of the show sees the rebirth of Leigh-Anne, from former Little Mix member to solo pop act, and Dead and Gone helps deliver this with its powerful message.
The choruses are simple but impactful, especially when paired with harder hitting lines like ‘Five fingers to your face ’cause you know it slaps’, and ‘Can’t keep a good woman down’.
Don’t Say Love gives the Manchester crowd major Throwback Thursday energy (even though it’s Wednesday), taking fans right back to where it all started with her drum and bass-pop debut single.
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As soon as the intro to Most Wanted starts, it awakens something in the crowd and the 2,000 capacity of Albert Hall Manchester intuitively get ready to bust a few moves.
This is a song that’s been on repeat for me since the album’s release and it certainly lives up to the high-energy of its studio recording in a live setting.
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After hearing this track live and witnessing some of the shapes me and the crowd were throwing as a result, the song’s title makes a lot of sense – Sorry Mum.
Been A Minute is exhilarating with the “What you’re waiting for? / Put your back in it” background vocals courtesy of its Denise Belfon ‘Work’ sample.
The dancehall-pop track is the catalyst for Leigh-Anne’s independent artist journey as well as the first taste fans got of her debut album My Ego Told Me To.
This almost four-minute banger set the precedent for the whole project, establishing the album’s soundscape as a fusion of the star’s Jamaican heritage and pop prowess.
On her latest LP My Ego Told Me To there’s a cute interlude which features the voices of Leigh-Anne’s grandparents titled ‘You ARE a Star’ and it’s safe to say the crowd agrees.
The High Wycombe-born singer ends her show on a high, playing one of her biggest tracks to date, My Love, a collaboration with Afrobeats artist Ayra Starr.
For fans like myself, closing with this will come as no surprise as Leigh-Anne originally intended for this to be her first ever single as a solo artist, but was deterred by her label at the time.
Now, the former Little Mix star gets to set the record straight and enjoy her music career just how she intended – or in her words, how her ego told her to.
Read more:
- Niall Horan is heading back to Manchester with a massive arena show just announced
- Myles Smith announces HUGE arena gig in Manchester this year
- The Pussycat Dolls announce major comeback with huge global arena tour
For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.
AO Arena are hosting an ‘Evening 4’ Ricky Hatton in memory of the legendary Manchester boxer
Danny Jones
Manchester is set to host a night of remembrance and celebration in honour of the late, great, local boxer, Ricky Hatton.
Coming this summer, the AO Arena – where Hatton enjoyed so many of his iconic moments – will be holding the first-ever ‘Evening4Ricky’ later this year.
Held at the legendary sports and live entertainment venue just in time for summer, we still know very little about what the actual event will entail.
One thing’s for sure, this will be special.
Sharing the news on social media, AO Arena said: “Join us for an unforgettable night of entertainment as Manchester comes together for Evening4Ricky.
“This will be a spectacular, unique celebration of the life, spirit and legacy of one of the city’s most beloved icons – Ricky ‘The Hitman’ Hatton.”
With seats priced at £25, fans are being encouraged to join the early bird sign-up to secure access to discounted tickets.
They go on to add: “Hosted at the legendary AO Arena, home to so many of Ricky’s big fights, featuring a superstar cast of legends from the worlds of boxing, music, comedy and entertainment.”
So, we do at least know there’ll be some famous faces coming along to help make it a memorable Manc moment, just a few months on from the city and beyond uniting for his public funeral procession.
Ricky was beloved not only by the Greater Manchester community but was a popular figure and friend to many in the sporting and showbiz industries.
The homegrown ‘Pride of Hyde‘ tragically left us on 14 September 2025 at the age of just 46, but his passing has once again helped reassert the importance of having more conversations around wellbeing, suicide prevention, and most specifically, men’s mental health.
You can find more information and see how to grab tickets right HERE.
This isn’t the only charitable in memoriam event happening across the region in the coming weeks, either, as Mancs will be gathering to pay tribute to another fellow inspiring sportsman.
Read more:
- Greater Manchester’s World Cup warm-up – how to get ready for the tournament this summer
- Tommy Fury announces huge fight against former World’s Strongest Man Eddie Hall
- A live orchestral football chant concert is coming to Manchester city centre
For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.
Featured Images — Wikimedia Commons
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