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Sam Fender confirmed for Sounds of the City 2022

It's the fourth date added to the Sounds of the City calendar next summer.

Hannah Starkie Hannah Starkie - 7th October 2021

Singer songwriter Sam Fender has just dropped the dates for his upcoming ‘Seventeen Going Under’ tour – and it finishes with a special one-off Manchester date.  

On Wednesday 6 July, the singer will take on Castlefield Bowl as part of Manchester’s annual gig series, Sounds of the City. 

This year, the series returned to the open-air venue for six nights of incredible gigs played by some of the UK and Ireland’s biggest bands and artists. The likes of Dermot Kennedy, The Streets, Kaiser Chiefs, Snow Patrol and more each headlined an evening.  

Organisers have already confirmed three dates for Sounds of The City 2022. Starting with Lewis Capaldi on Tuesday 28 June, Foals on Wednesday 29 June and Crowded House on Thursday 30 June, Sam Fender’s gig on 6 July is now the fourth official date in the diary. 

Sam’s Manchester date will follow an eight-night stint around the UK and Ireland. Across these dates his arena tour will stop off at London’s Wembley Stadium, Dublin’s 3Arena and Glasgow’s SSE Hydro Arena to name just a few, making it his biggest UK tour date.  

Sam’s new album ‘Seventeen Going Under’ is out tomorrow.

Last week, the Geordie singer dropped his new single ‘Spit Of You’, taken from his new album ‘Seventeen Going Under’ which is out 8 October. The release comes just as he and his band are about to embark on a seven date, sold-out UK tour at the end of the month, with dates in Leeds, Newcastle and London along the way. 

So, to get access to pre-sale tickets which go on sale at 9am on Wednesday 13 October, you need to order the new album before 5pm on Tuesday 12 October from his online store. You’ll then receive your code and ticket link via email.  

General tickets for the tour and Sounds of The City will then go on sale at 9am on Friday 15 October.  

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Featured image: @jamie_macmillan_photos/IG

Audio

Full lineup for Manchester’s city-wide summer art trail Music for the Senses announced

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant

The full lineup for a city-wide art trail with more than 80 artworks, murals, mosaics, and installations celebrating Manchester’s music scene has been announced.

It’s no secret that Manchester is a musical hub, with countless well-known artists getting their start here or calling our city home over the years, and in a fitting way to celebrate this incredible lineup of musical talent, an all-new multi-sensory art exhibition will be taking over the streets of the city centre this summer.

The new exhibition, which is titled Music for the Senses: an art arrangement for a musical city, is a collaboration between global art producer Wild in Art – the creators of the famous Bee in the City project – and Manchester City Council.

It’ll be running across the city centre from early July until the end of August.

Music for the Senses takes over Manchester city centre this summer / Credit: David Oates (via Supplied)

Celebrated musical acts including Busted, Doves, Elbow, Mani, New Order, Oasis, PINS, and Pixies have donated precious instruments to display in windows across the city at locations like Aviva Studios, Piccadilly Records, Band on the Wall, New Century, and many more

Manchester artist Liam Hopkins, known as Lazerian, will also create an interactive installation down on King Street called ‘Guitar Street’ that lovingly-repurposes donated guitars, as well as creating another similar how-stopping installation on St Peter’s Square called ‘Cathedral of Sound’ from 7-20 July, before it moves on to Mayfield Park from 25 July – 31 August.

Meanwhile, more guitars donated by the public have been painted or adorned by a talented collection of professional artists, turning them into individual artworks to be displayed in a wide range of shop windows and venues all across the city.

Music for the Senses
More than 80 artworks, murals, mosaics, and installations will be dotted around the streets / Credit: David Oates (via Supplied)

There will also be four brand-new murals by internationally renowned street artists Lei-Mai LeMaow (Etihad Campus tram stop), Nomad Clan (Oxford Road Train Station), and .EPOD and AKSE (Great Northern).

And all along the trail, visitors can get involved with Manchester Music Mooch – an interactive journey through the locations of the grassroots music community, with exciting interactive AR experiences at five locations around the city.

“Manchester has always been a place for music and we’re delighted to unveil Music for the Senses,” commented Ben Reed, who is the Head of Creative Development at Wild in Art. “It’s our first ever guitar trail, and we think that there is something really magical about repurposing musical instruments into stunning works of art.

“This is also the first time we’ve put together a trail showcasing brand new art while at the same time highlighting some of Manchester’s iconic music inspired artwork.

“It has enabled us to explore creativity in a range of different art forms including new murals around the city by some of the very best street artists in the business.”

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When the art trail draws to close at the end of August, all the guitars featured will be auctioned off for charity, with the funds raised going to support grassroots music projects and venues across Greater Manchester.

Music for the Senses: an art arrangement for a musical city will run from 7 July – 31 August.

Featured Image – David Oates (via Supplied)

Audio

Review | Dua Lipa had Anfield levitating on her first night in Liverpool

Thomas Melia Thomas Melia

British-Albanian performer and prolific pop star Dua Lipa is halfway through her first-ever international stadium tour, and it’s nothing shy of a spectacle – night one in Liverpool living, breathing, levitating proof.

To say I wasn’t singing more than half of this setlist verbatim would be a lie; the setlist for Lipa’s Radical Optimism tour is stacked with hits upon mega hits.

Her commanding single ‘Training Season’ kicks things off and besides getting the whole stadium hyped up, it sets the tone for the night ahead, one Dua has full control of, and also features a firework or two.

Within 15 minutes of stepping onto the stage, the unofficial anthem of Anfield’s resident football club and recently re-crowned Premier League champions, Liverpool FC, was played.

Dua Lipa performing 'Physical' at Anfield Stadium, Liverpool.
Dua Lipa performing ‘Physical’ at Anfield Stadium, Liverpool.
Smiles all round at the 'Radical Optimism' tour in Liverpool.
Smiles all round at the ‘Radical Optimism’ tour in Liverpool.
Credit: Audio North

In fact, ‘One Kiss’ was met with an unmatched electric energy that she ended up playing it again later on, because why the hell not? 

This isn’t just a song: it’s a beast. When you’re playing a song that’s spent eight weeks at No.1, has 2.5 billion streams and at an arena with a legacy like Anfield‘s, there was simply no way these fans were going to be tame. 

Similarly, partway through the second act, Lipa had the audience wrapped around her fingers once more as she played the dance-inducing smash ‘Levitating’. In that moment, we were all her “sugarboos.”

Already seven songs in, Lipa managed to cram another one in with a helping hand from local legend and The Zutons frontman, Dave McCabe, who joined the star to duet another classic, ‘Valerie’.

This was a proper crowd-pleasing moment. To be honest, they all were.

As we strut our stuff into the third act, we’re met with another dancefloor filler, ‘Physical’, fans were ready and waiting to chant “let’s get physical” with the superstar. 

The fourth act, on the other hand, was much more relaxed. Ms. Lipa took some time to show her love to some of the album’s deeper cuts; I greatly appreciated being able to belt out “How looong?” as she played ‘Falling Forever.’

She finished this segment with the song that started it all, one she’s never forgotten to play since bursting onto the music scene back in 2015: ‘Be The One.’

Dua, let us tell you something, you’ll always be the one.

Dua Lipa and Dave McCabe (The Zutons) performing 'Valerie'.
Dua Lipa and Dave McCabe (The Zutons) performing ‘Valerie’.
The superstar taking pictures with fans at Anfield Stadium.
The superstar taking pictures with fans at Anfield Stadium.
Liverpool is in for a treat if the second Dua Lipa show is even half as good as night one at Anfield.

The encore felt like the epitome of all things Dua Lipa. It’s like when you hear that one ABBA megamix that has you shouting, “Oh, I know this one… and I know this one too!”

And rightly so, with a back-to-back, four-song medley spanning from ‘New Rules’ and ‘Dance the Night’, to ‘Don’t Start Now’ and ‘Houdini’. Perfect, perfect, perfect.

Special mention to ‘New Rules’, which was unexpectedly mixed with Bicep’s breadwinning hit ‘Glue’ – just like we saw at last year’s Glastonbury Festival – resulting in a crossover us losing our minds.

After this medley, night one of the ‘Radical Optimism’ tour was over, but we and the fans were certainly left feeling radically optimistic.

Come on, how can you not be when the timeless classic ‘I Wanna Dance With Somebody’ by Whitney Houston is soundtracking your concert exit?

Lipa had the crowd well and truly in her fingertips.
Lipa had the crowd well and truly in her fingertips.
Dua gave quite the performance at Anfield Stadium.
Dua gave quite the performance at Anfield Stadium.
An increasing master of not just pop songs but stagecraft too. (Credit: Audio North)

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I have one last question for anyone who hasn’t splashed the cash for one of her shows yet… if you’re not watching Dua Lipa live, then ‘Whatcha Doing’?

Meanwhile, back here in Manchester, another global pop music sensation is heading to Co-op Live for her second night.

Who’s ready?

Tate McRae at Co-op Live, Manchester – tickets, times, setlist and more for ‘Miss Possessive’ tour
Dua Lipa has done Anfield and Tate McRae is doing Co-op Live – AGAIN.

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Featured Images – The Manc Group

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