A brand-new project, Side by Side, launched at the weekend with the aim of providing a platform and exposure for typically underrepresented communities within music.
The special compilation album has been curated by record label Come Play With Me (CPWM) and is entirely compiled of songs by women and LGBTQIA+ artists in the area. And amongst the artists involved is Manchester-based Tyron Webster.
A graduate from the Leeds College of Music, Tyron has already become an exciting name within the Manchester scene, with performances at Manchester Pride and a headline show at The Castle.
He’s set about using his music and experiences of the industry so far to show why it’s important for projects like Side By Side to exist.
“I wanted to get involved as a black queer artist as I really do understand that importance of representation,” he told Audio.
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“CPWM have always been pioneers of a fair music game and they really do want to rep people so genuinely and not in a tokenistic way which is why I was so keen to get involved as they’ve always shown me love.
“Representation is so, so, so important. It’s good for the young musicians that are woman, people of marginalised gender or part of the LGBTQIA+ community that think the industry isn’t for them.”
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Looking back at his own experiences, Tyron says underrepresented communities such as these are often overlooked and usually have to work that bit harder to be seen and heard. So much so, he’s found himself questioning his own place in the industry in the past because of who he is.
Not wanting others to go through the same, Tyron hopes the project will restore a sense of self-assurance for artists and prove to everyone that they have the right to be there just as much as the next.
Naturally, it’ll unlock opportunities and build a new level of confidence for them to express themselves and have their music heard by the masses.
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Tyron Webster
With a multi-ethnic background, Tyron grew up with all kinds of musical influences. From a young age he was surrounded by all the wonderful Caribbean sounds with the reggae, calypso and ska that were played at family gatherings. Meanwhile, pop, rock and R&B were always at the forefront of his own music tastes.
But without being able to really pin down a moment that he knew music was the career for him, he recalls it just being a part of him for as long as he can remember.
“I used to watch Prince – Purple Rain movie on repeat all day, every day when I was little. Music has always been an escape for me, so I’d sing for family and in school shows,” said Tyron.
“Then I took it seriously from college where I studied it and then when I went to university to do music is where it really became a career. So, I can’t really recall a time where I thought this is it, I’ve always just done music.”
Regardless of his influences, Tyron’s own music is packed with soul and personal experience, making it pretty easy to connect with.
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His track on the Side by Side compilation – ‘Love Ya, Pt. 2’ – is a sequel to ‘Love Ya Pt. 1’ that he wrote with his producer Chris Durkin earlier this year.
Themes of heartbreak, break ups and pain set the tone for both instalments. But overall, Tyron wants the message that ‘love is love’ to come across loud and clear. Because no matter what our sexual orientation, love is the same for us all. This is something absolutely everyone will have in common. So for inspiration, Tyron draws on that common ground to show we’re all human.
“The song is a self-love, self-discovery song,” he said.
“I felt at the time there was so much pressure to be in love and find your ‘soul mate’. I met a guy who on paper was great, amazing and perfect for me, but I knew I had work to do on myself for me to be able to let him in and to be able to genuinely love him.
“I know too many people that will just settle – especially in the gay community due to the pressure from society so I took inspiration from that. All of my songs are written on personal experiences. Part. I is more of an R&B production, while Part. II is a ‘sad boi’ violin stripped back moment to really bring the message and emotion of the song across.”
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Elsewhere on the album there’s a healthy mix of genres, with all kinds of pop, R&B and hip-hop productions making up the 12-track collection. But also on there is Manchester-based The Elephant Trees, whose track ‘Day 42’ is an ode to the repetitiveness of lockdown and the mental health implications that come with it.
To add to the occasion, CPWM have made 500 vinyl copies of the compilation using repurposed wax from the pressing factory that would otherwise be binned. Not only does this make them more eco-friendly, but means each one is completely unique using different colours.
Side by Side is out now where you’ll find Tyron’s track ‘Love Ya, Pt. 2’ at track one. Check it out below and drop Tyron a follow here.
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Music
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.
Manc music legends James announce MASSIVE hometown show
Danny Jones
Greater Manchester music legends James have just revealed a massive hometown show here in the city centre as part of a landmark domestic arena tour.
Daisy bucket hats at the ready.
James is arguably the epitome of what it is to be the understated, underdog British band; they’ve gone about the business of making quality music somewhat quietly for several decades now, but they’ve had a fresh wave of interest over the past year or so
Having opened up for the likes of Catfish and the Bottlemen’s comeback shows, not to mention playing multiple big festival slots in recent months alone, they’ve now announced a huge run of UK arena shows – and nowhere does a James crowd quite like us Mancs.
Details have been announced for our 2026 UK arena tour, and we’re delighted to be joined by very special guests @dovesmusicblog with tickets going on general sale this Friday at 9:30am. Access the ticket pre-sale on Wednesday via our official store: https://t.co/DwpGrAUESZ NBL x pic.twitter.com/A4CWVpCooL
Announced as part of the celebrations around their Nothing But Love ‘best of’ LP, which pulls tracks from James’ whopping 18 studio albums, the new run of UK arena shows in 2026 follows on from numerous noteworthy shows this calendar year.
In addition to the aforementioned outdoor gigs, like their stunning sold-out night at The Piece Hall in Halifax – not too far from frontman Tim Booth’s hometown in Yorkshire – the indie veterans also celebrated a huge landmark in 2025.
Surpassing the milestone of 40 years as a band, with a lineup that’s remained largely intact and only really grown in terms of live session players and touring bandmates.
The new “definitive” greatest hits record also includes two brand-new songs in ‘Wake Up Superman’ and ‘Hallelujah Anyhow’, both of which are produced by Leo Abrahams, who worked with the band on their long-awaited number one album Yummy in 2024 – a feat loooong overdue if you ask us.
As evidenced by the sheer amount of new material they continue to put out and the almost non-stop touring, they remain one of the most prolific artists in the country. FACT.
You can see the rest of James’ upcoming tour dates, including a healthy number of Northern stops in the likes of Liverpool, Leeds and more.
James UK arena tour dates 2026
Fri 2 Birmingham Utilita Arena
Sat 4 Leeds First Direct Bank Arena
Tues 7 Aberdeen P&J Live
Wed 8 Glasgow OVO Hydro
Fri 10 Newcastle Utilita Arena
Sat 11 Liverpool M&S Bank Arena
Mon 13 Cardiff Utilita Arena
Tues 14 Nottingham Motorpoint Arena
Fri 17 London The O2
Sat 18 Manchester Co-op Live
With James returning to Manchester for their Co-op Live arena debut next April, along with a sensational support slot from fellow local legends, Doves (I know, how lucky are you lot?!), you can bank on this one selling out quickly.
General admission goes on sale this Friday, 10 October at 9:30am, so you’d better be ready to grab yours in a flash.
You can find the ticket link HERE, and we’ll see you in the crowd for a good ol’ singalong.