Were you a blue, green, yellow or red hoody? Aston, Marvin, JB and Ortise are back, better than ever before with their hits tour ‘Everybody Say JLS: The Hits Tour’ and were smashing them out at Manchester’s AO Arena last night singing.
Not only did hearing all the classics live again make me extremely happy — being one of the girls who had all the posters on my wall and, of course, the blue Aston hoody — but I couldn’t think of a better way to describe this gig than pure nostalgia.
The runners-up of X-Factor 2008, JLS (Jack the Lad Swing, for any of you who always wondered) came back together once again to bring all the nostalgia of the noughties to a packed-out Manchester crowd.
With five number-one hits, six million records sold worldwide and four multi-platinum albums, it’s easy to forget just how big a thing these boys were in their heyday but there was never any doubt they were going to sell out the Arena — and that they did.
It isn’t the first time JLS have played Manchester’s AO Arena, but it somehow still felt like the old days (Credit: The Manc Audio)
Kicking off the night was the fabulous Persian-American pop star, Shab, who is supporting the band across all their UK dates. The passionate and outspoken singer is a rising star in the pop world and whether or not people were familiar with her beforehand, she certainly left an impression.
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Playing through singles including ‘Indestructible’, ‘Sexual’, her latest hit ‘VooDoo’ with rap veteran Fat Joe and what had to be my favourite, ‘Ain’t Thinking Bout You’, she kicked off the night with plenty of vibey pop music to get everyone going.
Dipping back into those high-school memories even more, British rap and fellow pop icon Tinchy Stryder came out next, walking out to the tune of ‘Seven Nation Army’ as people chanted, ‘Ohhh, it’s Tinchy Stryder’.
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Bringing back all of his classics like ‘Take Me Back’, ‘Never Leave You’ and, of course, finishing on ‘Number 1’ (still as much of a bop as you remember it), we knew from this point on how much of an enjoyable trip down memory lane this night was going to be.
Shab, Tinchy Stryder, JLS and a few Manc’s took centre stage at the AO Arena on Thursday night.
And then they arrived. There was A LOT of inaudible screaming, to say the least. Starting off with ‘Eyes Wide Shut’ — whipping out their original dance routines, no less — they made it clear this really was the ‘Greatest Hits Tour’ from the very off.
‘Hottest Girl in the World’, ‘One Shot’, ‘Do You Feel What I Feel’ and the first single from their last album in 2021, ‘Eternal Love’ (written by none other than Ed Sheeran); they even brought fans on stage for ‘I Know What She Like’.
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Shout to Paige, wherever you are, as she was not letting that moment go for anyone, dancing all around the stage and hugging the lads so tightly that Ortise and Aston had a handful trying to get her sat down. Brilliant.
And then it happened… The moment we’d all be waiting for — the meme all JLS die-hards and the majority of Brits know regardless of whether they’re a fan or not: JB SAID MERRY CHRISTMAS! Met with cheers and laughter in equal measure, all I could think was, ‘How can it get better from here?’
Of course, there were some tear-jerking moments as well, such as Ortise telling the crowd how the moving story of a family illness motivated him and his brothers to chase their dreams, before going on to build an even bigger family with the JLS boys.
Whenever an act asks the crowd to hold up their lights you know it’s going to be an emotional one too. As they played ‘Close to You’ and ‘Make Me Proud’, you could see all the friends hugging in the crowd as a magical sea of lights sparkled across the AO.
With a quick costume change, they came back out to ‘The Club Is Alive’ and this is where I knew we were going to get our next big moment and they didn’t disappoint: a trademark backflip from Aston because why the hell not? After all, this was a celebration of all things JLS and more.
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Speaking of which, the four-piece were intent on reliving the very best of their era, bringing out a set of DJ decks and facing off against each other with their favourite tracks from that beloved period of pop.
From Rihanna’s ‘Umbrella’ and ‘Baby’ by Justin Beiber to ‘Super Bass’, ‘All I Do is Win’, ‘Bonkers’ and so many more, the crowd was absolutely bouncing. But the fun didn’t stop there either, as they also brought out special guests Fleur East for her hit ‘Sax’ and The Wanted’s Max George singing ‘Glad You Came’. Trust us, glad doesn’t even begin to cover it.
We knew they had to end on a high, playing ‘Love You More’ as the penultimate track before disappearing into the floor in a blast of fireworks second to last, with fireworks, and then they disappeared into the ground before reappearing for the encore.
The AO Arena lit up in blue, red, green and yellow as if to call upon a team of pop music Power Rangers, we all knew what was coming as they polished off the show with ‘Everybody in Love’ — and believe us, absolutely everyone’s hands were up as confetti scattered across the sky.
As a girl who grew up loving JLS, whether they were part of your adolescent music taste or not, I can honestly say that the celebration of all things Noughties made it one of the best shows I have been to in a long time. I’ll be keeping one eye on summer in the hopes of another tour and more massive Manc dates.
Manchester nightclub clamps down on no-phones policy after ‘disappointing’ rule breakers
Daisy Jackson
Amber’s, a nightclub in Manchester with a strict no-filming policy inside, has shared a strict new set of rules to prevent people using their phones.
The venue says it’s seen an ‘increased amount of phones on the dance floor’ despite its very clear policy against such a thing.
That’s included a recent set from Fred Again, where videos of his show were all over social media the next day.
Amber’s has said it’s ‘disappointing’ to see people flouting the rules of the space, leading to the venue introducing a zero tolerance policy.
Fans who are caught filming on their phones will be asked to leave Amber’s on the spot – no second chances.
There’ll even be extra members of staff patrolling the venue, to protect the ‘vibe of the space’.
“If you are spotted at any point across the night using your phone to record, you will no longer be permitted inside Amber’s,” they shared.
Amber’s wrote in a statement today: “Since our launch back in December, we have made it very clear that we are a No Phones venue. We want to create an experience for everyone where they are present in the moment and not distracted by phones.
“While the majority of people that attend Amber’s keep their phones away, there are a select few that don’t.
“This is of course disappointing.
“Over the recent weeks and months, we have seen an increased amount of phones filming on the dancefloor and we are aware of numerous videos shot on phone appearing online.
“To those that come to Amber’s and respect our house rules, thank you, you are contributing to an incredible vibe in the room.
“For those that don’t, we ask that you think about the space and the people around you before removing your stickers.
“The rules previously have been that if you are seen filming on your phone, you are politely asked to stop, if you are seen again, you are asked to leave the venue.
“From now on, as a renewed pledge to our No Phones policy, if you are seen recording in the venue, you will be asked to leave, there will be no second chances.
“There will now be extra members of staff patrolling the venue, ensuring that the vibe of the space is protected and if you are spotted at any point across the night using your phone to record, you will no longer be permitted inside Amber’s.
“Open your mind. Honour the concept. Respect the space.”
Katy Perry at AO Arena, Manchester – stage times, setlist, tickets and more
Daisy Jackson
Katy Perry will be playing a huge arena show here in Manchester this week, with a sold-out night at the AO Arena imminent.
The popstar is bringing her The Lifetimes Tour, which features an extravaganza of props and pyrotechnics, to town on Wednesday 8 October.
The Roar singer will be heading to the AO Arena this week, alongside shows in Sheffield, Glasgow, Birmingham and London.
Whether you’re going to watch hits like ‘California Gurls’, ‘Hot ‘N’ Cold’ or excited for the newer tracks like ‘I’m His, He’s Mine’, it’s sure to be one of the biggest gigs to hit the legendary arena all year.
Perry has the second most Diamond-certified singles in for a female artist in the U.S, four guiness world records and five UK number one hits.
Her latest album ‘143’, which is a numeric synonym of ‘I love you’ and the singer’s angel number, came out last year and stormed straight into the top 10 on the UK album charts.
If you’re heading to Katy Perry at the AO Arena tonight, we’ve rounded up all your essential information.
Stage times for Katy Perry at the AO Arena
The AO Arena hasn’t yet confirmed exact stage times for tonight’s show, but we do have enough information to give you a good estimate.
Doors will open at 6pm, with a show start of 7.45pm.
That will mean the support act should wrap up around 8.15pm and Katy Perry is likely to take to the stage between 8.30pm and 8.45pm.
For her Manchester show, Katy Perry will be supported by singer-songwriter Goldie Boutilier.
Goldie, who has also performed under monikers Kay, My Name Is Kay, and Goldilox during her career, will be joining Katy on most of her UK dates, before handing over the reins to Au/Ra and then Becky Hill.
Tickets for Katy Perry at the AO Arena
Katy Perry has completely sold out the AO Arena with The Lifetimes Tour, with no general tickets left at all.
However, there are a few tickets remaining on Ticketmaster’s resale platform, which are priced between £78.73 and £131.18 each.
Expected setlist
Katy has split her show into sections she’s calling ‘Levels’, as a nod to the video game inspiration behind the tour.
Each one is absolutely packed with pop bangers, as you’d expect.
Here’s the latest setlist from her most recent show in Glasgow.
Level 1: Artificial
ARTIFICIAL
Chained to the Rhythm
Teary Eyes
Dark Horse
Level 2: Woman’s World
WOMAN’S WORLD
California Gurls
Teenage Dream
Hot n Cold
Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)
Peacock
I Kissed a Girl
Level 3: Nirvana
NIRVANA
CRUSH
I’M HIS, HE’S MINE
Wide Awake
Level 3.5: Choose Your Own Adventure (fan requests)
For those of you heading to AO Arena, luckily, it’s connected to Manchester Victoria Station, and it has an integrated Metrolink stop to make your life even easier.
Head along the pink, light blue or yellow lines directly to the Victoria stop, and you can get off the tram literally spitting distance from the arena. You can find the full map HERE.
Train
Considering this live entertainment venue is situated right in the middle of one of Manchester’s most frequented stations, concertgoers should find no problem getting to the arena, wherever they are.
Bus
A variety of buses cover AO Arena andVictoria Station on their route, such as the 2 bus, which stops just a one-minute walk away from the venue.
A full list of buses and their routes can be found HERE.
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Getting there by car and parking
The Arena has its own official CitiPark, with 958 car parking spaces, including 40 Blue Badge parking bays, which can be booked in advance.
Alternatively, anyone attending a gig can park at their nearest train station and jump on a train service or the various Metrolink park and ride facilities.
Walk/cycle
Greater Manchester now also offers the option to hire bikes through the Beryl app, with riders able to locate, unlock, get to their destination and then safely lock up the bike all through an easy-to-use app.
The Manc Audio -
3rd November 2023 
