Stockport indie stars Blossoms have announced a special affordable bus service to help get fans to and from their own massive Wythenshawe Park gig this summer.
And in typical Blossoms fashion, they did it with a funny little video starring none other than themselves.
Announcing the limited bus service exclusively for their massive day-long mini-festival at Wythenshawe Park, following in the footsteps of Noel Gallagher who debuted the field as the latest live music venue last year, the Blossoms boys are helping natives from their hometown keep travel arrangements simple.
Working in partnership with the Bee Network, the dedicated service will run exclusively from the recently opened Stockport Interchange and take fans all the way to the Moor Road stop outside Wythenshawe Park, with buses running all the way up until the early hours.
As lead guitarist Josh Dewhurst and piano player Myles Kellock explain in the comical clip, the bright yellow buses will run from Stockport Interchange to the venue at least every six minutes from 4-8pm on the day of the gig.
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As for the trip back, the same six-minute service will be taking giggoers from Moor Road back to Stockport town centre between 10pm and 1am. Better still, the journey is a short but sweet 20 minutes.
As the bus driver says (no, he’s not fully qualified), tickets will cost you just £3 for a single or £6 for a return, and they’re also pay-as-you-board meaning there’s no need to panic over pre-booking.
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If you’re a Blossoms fan it’s about to be the best and most stress-free bank holiday weekend you could have possibly hoped for.
With two new singles out, the new record Gary (best album name ever) now announced and a music video featuring Sean Dyche that we simply cannot stop watching, 2024 really is shaping up to be the year of the Blossoms.
Better yet, with a full day of music featuring other big names like Inhaler, Shed Seven, The K’s and more, anyone going along to their landmark Wythenshawe show is in for a massive music moment they’ll remember for years to come.
James Blunt announces huge Manchester gig on new European arena tour
Daisy Jackson
Singer-songwriter James Blunt is heading back out on tour next year, and has announced a massive Manchester gig as part of his run of arena shows.
The singer, perhaps best-known for his iconic 2005 pop ballad ‘You’re Beautiful’, is hitting the road again in 2027.
The newly-announced European tour is in celebration of his new album Airplane Mode, which is set for release this autumn.
James Blunt will kick off his tour in Leeds next spring, before heading over for a night at the almighty Co-op Live in Manchester.
Then he’ll head to more cities including Newcastle, Birmingham and London.
His new album, Airplane Mode, is being released on 6 November and will, according to his press release, be ‘exhilarating’.
James has already released the first single, ‘Tastes Like Summer’, and ‘Weight Of It All’, with 10 more songs to come on the record.
Airplane Mode was recorded with James’ brilliant long-standing live band, who’ll be back on tour with him next year.
Speaking of the new album, and recording in Pig Music Studios, he said: “Somewhere back there, I lost my way, but found it again in a studio in Banbury.”
James Blunt will be at the Co-op Live Arena in Manchester on 3 April, 2027. Tickets go on sale from 10am on 9 September.
Major pop star crowns humble rice and three cafe as ‘Jewel of Manchester’ ahead of sold-out gig
Thomas Melia
A beloved city centre takeaway has been given the title of ‘Jewel of Manchester’ by chart-topping UK singer Sam Smith.
Known for hits like ‘Stay With Me’, ‘I’m Not The Only One’ and more recently ‘Unholy’, UK pop-ballad act Sam Smith also likes to drop a food review every once in a while.
Currently on the road with a run of shows in Manchester and London for their ‘To Be Free’ live shows, Sam Smith is stopping off at some of our city’s much-loved spots.
On their food-reviewing account titled ‘Sam Served’, where they adopt the aptly-fitting nickname ‘Ham Smith’, Sam has visited restaurants across the globe – and most recently turned their attention to Manchester’s own This & That.
Smith decided to pop in and grab a cheeky rice and three from long-standing backstreet food business This & That, and it certainly went down a treat.
After sampling their amazing selection of meat, vegetable and vegan curries, the musician crowned this family-run Indian takeaway a ‘Jewel of Manchester’.
The hitmaker described this Northern Quarter Indian eatery as ‘Everything food should be’ and definitely enjoyed all the curries on offer ‘leaving belly and heart full’.
This & That prides itself on affordable and comforting food with its ‘Rice and Three Curries’ starting from just £6 – not bad for a city centre foodie spot.
Sam has racked up an impressive 490k followers via their ‘Sam Served’ profile, with famous faces like Lily Allen, Denise Welch and CMAT all wanting to know the superstar’s foodie thoughts.
After enjoying a curry or three, Sam Smith also made sure to feed their soul to by venturing down to Afflecks and getting lost in the music at Mars Tapes.
Recognised as one of the UK’s only cassette and tape shops, Mars Tapes lets you flick through their crates of physical media and even preview tracks before you buy with its dedicated listening areas.
It’s safe to say that Smith has ‘Latched’ onto Manchester’s independent business scene and we’re here for it.
The London-born artist has just released their latest album Hazel Eyes and is currently amid a UK residency tour with two dates in Manchester’s Albert Hall and eight shows set for London Coliseum.
Danny Jones -
7th June 2024 
