Audio
Paul Heaton receives wave of praise after calling out homophobic abuse at London gig
Depressing that this kind of stuff is even still happening in this day and age.
Paul Heaton is receiving a raft of appreciation and support online after calling out an instance of homophobia at his recent London O2 Arena show.
Heaton and Jacqui Abbott played their packed-out show in the capital on December 17, 2022 and despite the majority of the over 12,000-strong audience enjoying themselves, two women had their night spoiled after being subjected to unacceptable behaviour from a select few members of the crowd.
After being made aware of the incident, Heaton took to social media to address the issue, identifying that four men chose to target the innocent pair.
His message to the culprits and their like was simple: “If you can’t show respect, then keep your filth away”. The majority seemed to share the sentiment.
He also urged his followers and fans of live music in general to notify security in future if/whenever they come across similarly unacceptable behaviour.
Responding to the tweet, one fan remarked, “Well said Paul… thank you for calling this out”, another wrote, “Disgusting behaviour well said Paul” and a third simply labelled the abusers “weak and cowardly.”
Like most of the people in the comments, we’re still saddened to hear that this kind of stuff is still happening in 2023, but we’re also received to see that most majority of people are not only sound but are reiterating that live gigs are about bringing people together and sharing the love of music.
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It is unclear whether an official complaint has been filed with the venue or the authorities at this time but we, of course, urge those attending concerts or live events of any kind to flag any and all inappropriate conduct.
The Beautiful South duo have received further praise from their fans in the last 12 months after announcing they would also be capping tickets for the tour in question at £30, calling out the industry for increasing greed and price-throttling.
Paul and Jacqui have also been confirmed on this year’s Neighbourhood Weekender line-up on Saturday, 27 May. You love to see it.
Well in, you two — we look forward to seeing you again in the summer.
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Featured Image — Paul Heaton (via Twitter)
Audio
Inspiring new 360° immersive David Bowie experience to open in Manchester
Emily Sergeant
Music lovers will get a glimpse inside the mind of a creative genius when a new immersive experience opens later this year.
Factory International has this week announced its programme of events for the upcoming autumn-winter season, and by far one of the stand-outs on the list has to be the return of Lightroom for a new 360° experience called David Bowie: You’re Not Alone – which is set to immerse audiences in the iconic performances and creative mind of one of the world’s most visionary and influential artists.
Bringing together a wealth of visual material from a wide range of sources, the experience combines rare performance footage, photography, drawings, lyrics, personal notes, and audio recordings from the late Bowie himself.
You’re Not Alone will showcase some of Bowie’s landmark performances that redefined popular culture, using a mix of iconic, rarely seen, and even never-before-exhibited material.
Selected from thousands of hours of film in the vaults of the David Bowie Archive in New York, you can expect to see everything from Space Oddity and Diamond Dogs, through to Heroes, Black Star, and more.
Each track has been newly reconfigured by multiple Olivier and Tony award-winning sound designer, Gareth Fry, to utilise Lightroom’s specialised spatial audio system.
The 360° experience is set to be both a multimedia spectacle and an intimate self-portrait in one, giving audiences a unique insight into Bowie’s perspective on the subjects that were most important to him, like theatricality, spirituality, songwriting, and the transformative power of creativity.
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David Bowie: You’re Not Alone is being made in close collaboration with, and has been authorised by, the David Bowie Estate.
It’ll run at Aviva Studios from 8 December 2026 through to 10 January 2027.
Featured Image – Supplied
Audio
Parklife has quietly added a major DJ set from Happy Mondays’ Bez
Daisy Jackson
Parklife has quietly added a DJ set from Bez this afternoon, joining an already stacked festival line-up.
Eagle-eyed users of the Parklife app (aka, us) have spotted that as the big weekend nears, a few new stages have popped up on the plans.
And that’s included a new Beatbox Stage, which on Saturday will host a mega set from the icon that is Bez, from Happy Mondays.
Bez isn’t the only nostalgic name who’s been added to the line-up for Saturday – the Beatbox Stage will also host a set from Artful Dodger.
The 2000s garage icons will be taking to the stage at 3pm for a set that will hopefully include their massive hits like Moving Too Fast, Re-Rewind (with Craig David), and Woman Trouble.
On Sunday, the newly-added Beatbox Stage will be hosting DJ Fat Tony, who you might know for getting stuck into the middle of the Beckham family feud – but he’s also one of the most in-demand A-list DJs, having spun for icons like Madonna, Prince, and Elton John.
Parklife has also quietly added a few secret sets to the bill, which we’ll be keeping a close eye on.
They join existing Parklife headliners including Calvin Harris, Zara Larsson, Chris Stussy, Sammy Virji, Skepta, and East End Dubs.
On Saturday 20 and Sunday 21 June, thousands of music-lovers will be flocking to the fields of Heaton Park ready for this year’s instalment of Parklife.
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Featured image: The Manc Group
Danny Jones -
4th January 2023 
