A 12-year-old from Manchester has won the inaugural Johnny Marr Award from the Salford Foundation Trust. Get in there, lad.
Salford schoolkid, John Denton, has played the guitar since the age of eight and has been developing his skills ever since, busking on the rainy streets of the city centre and even playing gigs at Salford Lads Club.
Now the aspiring teen has been presented with a prestigious honour by one of his musical heroes, as the foundation dished out their first-ever Johnny Marr Award to the dedicated young performer.
Having met the legendary Smiths guitarist and songwriter previously at a signing of his last album, Fever Dreams Pts 1-4, where he asked his idol for advice about starting a band, we dare say this latest development is up there with one of the highlights of his career so far.
I’m pleased to be announcing John Denton as the winner of the @TheSalfordTrust ‘Johnny Marr Award’. It’s a privilege to be supporting a dedicated young musician. Well done John. pic.twitter.com/HoYXIY0IVY
Issuing a message of support on the Salford Foundation’s website, Marr said: “It’s a pleasure and privilege to give some assistance to a young musician especially when they’re as dedicated as John. Well done brother.”
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John has been delighting the streets of Salford and Manchester city centre for some time now and regularly pulls in sizeable crowds with his covers of songs by popular local bands — The Smiths being one of them.
With videos of his performances often being shared online and regularly gaining thousands of views across various social media platforms, he has already started to build a passionate following.
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Come rain or shine, he still belts it out all the same:
The Johnny Marr Award is chosen by a panel made up of members from the trust which supports talented young people in the city. The scheme will run for three years, selecting another young musician from Salford each year for financial assistance, each of whom will be awarded £1,000.
Peter Collins CBE, from the Salford Foundation Trust, said: “There couldn’t be a more worthy recipient of the Johnny Marr Award. Even though John is only 12 he’s already proven he’s committed to making a future in music and we’re delighted the Trust can give him a helping hand on this journey.”
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John has said he will be putting the funds towards more singing and guitar lessons and future music projects, as well as hopefully levelling up his performances.
Better still, after his first chat with Marr, John has since formed his own band called, The Height – named after an area in Salford near where he lives – and the group released their first single, ‘Go’ just before Christmas. Well in, boys.
John’s dad Phil said of his son’s award: “John’s ambition is to have a career in music. He will be using the funding to have music lessons to help both his guitar playing and his singing. In these tough times, it’s a massive help and means that he can progress in his passion.
“Music is not a hobby for John but just who he is and a creative outlet he hopes to enjoy for the rest of his life. He is incredibly grateful to Johnny and the Salford Foundation Trust who have provided this opportunity.
“It is a real privilege to get this award and he is determined to make the very most of the opportunity he has been given.”
Speaking on BBC Radio Manchester following the well-earned recognition, Denton told John Sweeney that after having started out asking cafes to let him play, “it’s going great now” and that he has another gig lined up in March.
“Not being big-headed but we hope to be like Johnny Marr and go on tour and get a big following.”
We wish you and your band every success, John — go out there and keep killing it.
We are absolutely loving how much this city is doing for its wonderful pool artists at the minute.
Featured Image — Johnny Marr (via Instagram/Twitter)
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Disney are bringing a live music crossover tour featuring three cult favourite films to Manchester
Danny Jones
The latest Disney Concerts live tour is coming to the UK and Ireland in 2027, bringing a music crossover of three straight-to-TV teen movie favourites to Manchester and more.
For any fans of the old Disney Channel films of the noughties and the 2010s, this next musical adaptation might be right up your street.
Set to land at the AO Arena early next year, the ‘Disney Worlds Collide Concert Tour’ will be embarking on its first-ever run outside of North America, where it’s already proved to be a big success.
Here’s a trailer from the start of the tour just a few months ago:
They’re bringing the singalong, and the crowd helps bring the energy.
Throw a kids’ cult classic like Camp Rock into the mix, and you’ve got a great lineup with nostalgia spanning across multiple generations.
Sharing the news on social, Manchester’s legendary venue wrote: “Ready for THE family pop show of the year?! The Disney Worlds Collide Concert Tour is coming to AO Arena next year, bringing the cast from Descendants, ZOMBIES, and Camp Rock together live for the first time!
That’s right, linking up with a talented cast of live singers bringing the 2015 and ’18 Disney flicks to life, respectively, songs from 2008’s Camp Rock will also be performed to what we’re sure will be an audience of various different ages.
Famously featuring the likes of young Demi Lovato, the Jonas Brothers and more familiar ‘Disney kid’ faces, people remain super nostalgic for the musical/coming-of-age Disney film; even the memes have gone on to enjoy a life of their own.
As for the concerts themselves, these live shows will include stars from the original theatrical releases, too, such as Malachi Barton, Liamani Segura and Dara Reneé; Mekonnen Knife, Hudson Stone, Swayam Bhatia, Kiara Romero, Alexandro Byrd and more.
Having first hit US stages last year, it didn’t take long for this new Disney production to receive positive reviews, notching sold-out arenas in over 40 huge venues, and being named in the ‘Top Family Tour of 2025’ by Billboard Magazine, not to mention being nominated for ‘Top Family Tour’ of 2025 by Pollstar.
For British and Irish fans who might fancy going along to one of these dates, general admission tickets and VIP packages go on sale this coming Friday, June 12, from 10am.
Featured Images — Publicity pictures (supplied via Deacon Communications/AO Arena)
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Take That at Etihad Stadium, Manchester – setlist, stage times, merch, support, and more
Daisy Jackson
Take That will be arriving in Manchester very soon for FOUR huge shows at the Etihad Stadium.
The much-loved pop trio are bringing The Circus Live back to stadiums across the UK, recreating their record-breaking 2009 tour.
Gary Barlow, Mark Owen, and Howard Donald are bringing back all the over-the-top, circus-themed madness of the hit tour, more than 17 years later.
And now that the tour has kicked off, we’ve got a good idea of what Take That will be bringing to Manchester – non-stop entertainment.
Expect a hot air balloon, a huge mechanical elephant, clown face paint, acrobats, unicycles, fireworks, sparkly costumes, and loads more.
Take That said upon announcing their Etihad Stadium shows: “The Circus tour was one of our favourite experiences as a band and, in the years since, we’ve talked many times about how much we’d love to do it again one day. Well, that time has come!
“We’re so excited to welcome audiences old and new across the UK and Ireland to the spectacle of The Circus Live next summer. See you out there!”
What dates are Take That performing in Manchester?
Friday 19 June
Saturday 20 June
Sunday 21 June
Wednesday 1 July
Tickets for Take That at Etihad Stadium
Take That are back in Manchester for four stadium shows. Credit: Jason Hetherington
None of Take That’s Manchester gigs have totally sold out yet, but some nights have better availability than others.
Availability for opening night is still decent, with plenty of space in both seating and standing, and it’s similar scenes for Sunday 21 June.
For Saturday 20 June, the Etihad Stadium is down to only single seats (unless you grab an official resale ticket).
And if you can wait til Wednesday 1 July, there’s a really good mix of tickets still available, including seats from just £49.25.
Do What U Like / Promises / It Only Takes a Minute / Take That and Party
Said It All
Never Forget
Patience
Relight My Fire (Dan Hartman cover)
Encore
Hold Up a Light
Rule the World
Take That merch prices
Take That have got a massive range of merch available on The Circus Live Tour, including t-shirts, football tops, totes, jumpers, and even elephant stuffed toys.
The big hitters seem to be their bomber jackets, and the football-inspired shirts and scarves – but your wallet will take a hit too…
Take That t-shirts – £45
The Circus Live football top – £85
Take That bomber jacket – £170
Take That striped t-shirt – £55
Oversized tote bag – £35
Take That striped jumper – £90
Take That hoody – £90
Official tour book – £25
Elephant plushie – £50
City-specific posters – £20
Football scarf – £35
Headband – £20
Key ring – £15
Car air fresheners – £10
Stage times
The Etihad Stadium hasn’t announced the exact stage times for Take That just yet, but based on previous shows on the tour, it should be something like this:
Take That have gathered some incredible support acts for the entire The Circus Live Tour, including their four nights in Manchester.
They’ll be supported by American singing legend Belinda Carlisle, whose solo hits include Heaven Is A Place On Earth, I Get Weak, and Leave a Light On.
Then warming up the crowd even more will be The Script, the beloved Irish pop rock band who are responsible for huge songs like Hall Of Fame, The Man Who Can’t Be Moved, and Breakeven.
Danny Jones -
1st February 2023 
