Hailing from the musical capital of the world, Manchester, music has to be in Pale Waves’ blood, right?
Years and years-worth of bands have trodden the city’s stages and music venues before them, and yet this band is still pulling off something new, engaging and worthy of our attention – they really do tick a lot of boxes.
Making music within the indie-pop scene, the band are relatable on so many levels because personal lyrics and first-hand experiences often define the genre. And so, you’d be hard pressed to find a Pale Waves song that doesn’t resonate with you in some way.
So, keen to learn how the band do this so well and discover what we can expect for the year ahead, we caught up with lead singer Heather Baron-Gracie this week. From Neighbourhood Weekender, to album number three, there’s plenty to come.
Pale Waves will play Neighbourhood Weekender next May alongside other big Manchester names.
So, your music is really infectious and approachable, what do you think is the key to this?
I absolutely love big melodies so I think that may be one of the things that makes the songs quite instant. I just love pop music as well, so I think that feeds through to all of our music, even the more alternative tracks.
ADVERTISEMENT
What kind of themes and issues do you like to raise with your music?
We like to be very honest within our music so everything is written from a very personal perspective. Hopefully a lot of those experiences are shared with our fans and I like to think they can relate across the different subject matters. Whether that be love, loss, relationships, mental health, sexuality and anything else we are writing about.
Who and what have been your main inspirations over the years?
We really are influenced by a wide variety of artists. On album one we were very much influenced by a lot of 80’s artists, especially The Cure. But my love of the music I grew up listening to came to the fore more on album two, as well as artists I have discovered more recently like Liz Phair and Michelle Branch.
ADVERTISEMENT
We understand you’ve started work on your third album, what can you tell us about it?
We have! I have been writing it in LA for most of this year and we have just started recording with a great producer called Zakk Cervini. I won’t talk too much about the sound before it’s finished, but I love everything we have written so far and think they’re definitely the best Pale Waves songs to date. Really can’t wait for everyone to hear!
The band have started work on their third album.
After some time out for various reasons, the band are gigging once again. They already have a load of tour dates in the 2022.
Starting on February 11, they’ll embark on a 12-date UK tour, visiting all the major cities along the way, including London, Nottingham and Birmingham. But rounding the tour off in the biggest way, will be their headline gig at Manchester’s Victoria Warehouse on March 1 – one that the band are really gearing up for.
ADVERTISEMENT
What can we expect from your big headline gig at Victoria Warehouse in March?
We really can’t wait to get back out playing to our fans. Our life as a band has been all about touring and playing hundreds and hundreds of shows, so it’s obviously been a super hard two years not being able to play at all. I think it will just be a real celebration if us and our people all being back in a room together and having an amazing collective experience.
You’re also playing Neighbourhood Weekender in May, of course.
Yes! We love festivals and are always so welcomed in the north. This will be our first festival back so we’ll try to make it a memorable one for everyone!
Neighbourhood Weekender will take over Warrington’s Victoria Park once again on 28 and 29 May, where Pale Waves will join the likes of Courteeners, Kasabian, Blossoms and DMA’s on an incredible lineup of talent.
The festival is located just 20 miles from the city centre and has plenty to offer on top of the music, too. From grabbing a pint down the local at the ‘Neighbourhood Inn’, to stocking up on festival essentials at the Corner Shop Rave, to silent discos in ‘The Library’, there’s so much to experience.
Tickets for the festival are on sale now and you can find loads of information here.
Pussycat Dolls at Co-op Live – tickets, times and more for UK tour
Thomas Melia
American girl group Pussycat Dolls have reunited for a UK tour, stopping off at Co-op Live in Manchester with their powerhouse pop anthems.
Releasing their first LP in 2005, this pop girl group have a variety of radio hits to their name like ‘Don’t Cha’, ‘When I Grow Up’ and ‘Buttons’.
Over the years, the Pussycat Dolls lineup has gone through significant changes with this latest reunion comprised of Nicole Scherzinger, Kimberley Wyatt and Ashley Roberts.
The trio even released some brand-new material to coincide with the announcement of their UK and EU tour titled ‘Club Song’.
Now the girls are about to put their Doll Domination to the test as they bring their PCD Forever Tour in arenas across the nation.
Gig guide – Pussycat Dolls at Co-op Live, Manchester
Doors for Pussycat Dolls at Co-op Live open from 6pm with a start time listed of 7pm with Lil’ Kim and rising girl group Deja Vu kicking things off.
Co-op Live has a strict curfew of 11pm, meaning you can get home and loosen your ‘Buttons’, hopefully before the clock strikes twelve.
How to get to Co-op Live
Tram
For those of you heading to Co-op Live, you’ll be glad to know it’s right next door to a rather famous big blue stadium and its integrated Metrolink stop.
Head along the light blue or orange lines directly to the Etihad Campus or Ashton-under-Lyne, and you can get off the tram literally spitting distance from the arena. You can find the full map HERE.
Trams run frequently on the Ashton-Eccles line to the Etihad stop, with services leaving every six minutes from the city centre and until 1am on Fridays and Saturdays.
Bus
You can find the full list of bus routes HERE, with the one in closest proximity to the venue being the 53 bus, which runs from Cheetham Hill through to Higher Crumpsall, Old Trafford and Pendleton, leaving just a two-minute walk to Co-op Live.
Getting there by car and parking
If you’re driving, there is limited parking available at the venue, but this must be pre-booked ahead of time, and there are designated drop-off areas.
The postcode is M11 3DU, and you can follow the signs towards the wider Etihad Campus as you get closer; directions to the adjacent drop-off points will also be signposted.
Keep in mind that congestion on the roads close to the stadium is expected to gather around two hours prior to any event, so if you are travelling on the road, these are the suggested times they provide on event day, though estimates will obviously vary:
Alan Turing Way (both directions): plan an additional 20 minutes into any journey by road.
Hyde Road (eastbound): expect an additional 15 minutes to be added to your journey.
Mancunian Way (westbound): plan for an extra 10 minutes of travel time.
There are also three park-and-ride facilities near Co-op Live, but be advised that the Velopark and Holt Town stops will be closed post-event to help safely manage crowds:
Ashton West (Ashton line) – 184 spaces and 11 disabled spaces
Ladywell (Ashton-Eccles line) – 332 spaces and 22 disabled spaces
Walk/cycle
Lastly, Co-op Live is only a half-hour stroll from Manchester Piccadilly, and you could even walk along the canal all the way to the front door if you fancy taking the scenic route.
Greater Manchester now also offers the option to hire bikes on 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. There are hire points just near the south-west corner of the Etihad Stadium on Ashton New Road.
For more information on all travel options, you can check out the enhanced journey planner.
Nickelback announce massive Manchester gig on new world tour
Daisy Jackson
Nickelback have announced a massive world tour, which will include a night at the Co-op Live in Manchester.
The Canadian rockers will be performing here, with a setlist of their biggest hits as well brand-new music.
Nickelback have announced the Everything Under The Sun Tour in support of their upcoming 11th studio album of the same name.
The tour follows their record-setting Get Rollin’ world tour, and will once again take them to venues across North America, Europe, and Australia.
Formed in Hanna, Alberta, the band made up of Chad Kroeger, Ryan Peake, Mike Kroeger and Daniel Adair, have sold nearly 65 million albums worldwide.
Best known for rock anthems including Rockstar, Photograph and How You Remind Me, Nickelback have built up a huge global following over the course of their career.
The group have sold nearly 65 million albums worldwide, and achieved billions of streams across digital platforms.
The upcoming tour will see the band celebrate their new album, Everything Under The Sun, and they’ll be kicking off the UK leg of the tour in Leeds before performing in London, Birmingham, Glasgow, and eventually Manchester.
They’ll be supported on the tour by Don Broco, an English four-piece featuring Rob Damiani, Simon Delaney, Tom Doyle and Matt Donnelly, known for their genre-defying sound and dynamic approach to modern rock.
Tickets will go on sale via artist presale from 10am on Tuesday 13 October, before general sale kicks off at 10am on Friday 16 October HERE.
Hannah Starkie -
3rd November 2021 
