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Watch as The 1975 bring on Taylor Swift in London and the crowd absolutely lose their minds
This tour just keeps getting more bonkers by the minute.
As The 1975 slowly work their way back towards Manchester on their massive world tour, they played the first of two stunning sold-out shows in the capital on Thursday night.
However, those lucky enough to get a ticket to the gig at London’s O2 weren’t just treated to The 1975 ‘At Their Very Best’, as the band also had a very special surprise in store as well.
Yes, not only did the audience fans get to see Matty Healy and co., but they also had their minds blown as the band just casually dropped a Taylor Swift guest appearance in their laps.
As you can imagine, the reaction was utterly ridiculous. Here is the moment The 1975 bring on Taylor Swift to thousands of unsuspecting fans, just because they can. Headphone users beware…
This one is by far the best. A pure meltdown.
Rumours of both Swift and Harry Styles being spotted in and around the venue, but no one could have prepared themselves for this.
Set to embark on a fresh tour herself in March following the release of her new album Midnights back in October, she decided to pop up with a little acoustic set as The 1975 lads watched on from the wings.
As well as doing her own cover of ‘The City’ from Wilmslow‘s outfit Facedown EP and self-titled debut album, Taylor also played her latest hit single ‘Anti-Hero’ live for the first time.
Again, the reaction was as ecstatic as you expect:
The surprises didn’t just stop there either. Guitarist Adam Hann’s wife Carly Holt finally got her moment in the spotlight too, as she joined the band on stage for only the second time to perform ‘About You‘.
Holt sings the bridge on the penultimate song on the group’s latest album, Being Funny in a Foreign Language, with the track and her section, in particular, becoming a bit of a cult favourite among their fan base.
The clamour on social media for her to become part of the permanent setlist has been massive and it seems the band have been listening. This is rather sweet, isn’t it?
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American fans attending during the American leg of the tour were also treated to a surprise appearance by Phoebe Bridgers back in November and whilst it hasn’t been a staple of their shows, historically, fans are starting to wonder who else might step out on stage before the full run of shows is done.
With their homecoming gig at the AO Arena just around the corner (20 January) and a certain ex-One Direction star already having been spotted at that gig, some are starting to wonder whether they’ll be seeing some extra Style for Manchester date.
Either way, the pandemonium, controversy and unlimited supply of memes this tour has sprung really is quite something. We don’t see there being a future 1975 gig without “don’t like menthols” hanging over it for some time.
For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.
Featured Image — @mewlancholia (via Twitter)/ben37as (via TikTok)/The 1975 (via IG)
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All-girl K-pop powerhouse aespa book MASSIVE Manchester arena show
Danny Jones
All-girl K-pop group, ‘aespa’, are coming to Manchester for some of their largest performances to date as part of a new global tour.
If you know anything about the K-pop scene, you’ll know that most acts are even bigger than you could ever imagine.
Manchester has gained a steady supply of gigs from artists within the genre over the past year or so, and now aespa are the latest to book the AO Arena for a headline show.
Rest assured, these tickets will fly…
Dubbed the ‘SYNK : Complæxity World Tour’, this follows on from their last live iteration, ‘æXIS LINE’ shows, which began back in August 2025 and, technically, have only just ended this April.
As per an official press release, “Produced by Live Nation, the tour will bring aespa’s acclaimed live production and immersive performance experience to arenas across Asia, North America, Latin America, the UK, and Europe.”
There are actually just two shows in the entirety of Britain (the other being down in the capital), and Manchester has the good fortune of kicking off not only being the first of both, but the inaugural date of the entire European leg.
Consider us honoured.
Made up of a talented quartet – Karina, Giselle, Winter, and Ningning, the rising South Korean stars – this female-led phenomenon is arguably one of the fastest rising acts in the world of K-pop.
Having now been to a couple of these shows for ourselves, we’re starting to understand that these artists might have some of the most passionate followings on the planet.
Kicking off the latest run of performances back in their home country’s capital of Seoul, they’ll hit multiple continents before wrapping things up in Paris.
aespa EU tour dates 2027
- 14 January – AO Arena, Manchester
- 16 Jan – London
- 19 Jan – Amsterdam
- 22 Jan – Stockholm
- 24 Jan – Copenhagen
- 26 Jan – Berlin
- 29 Jan – Milan
- 31 Jan – Barcelona
- 2 February – Paris
If you’re a fan or are interested in throwing your hat in the ring for a first K-pop gig experience, you can register by signing up for their exclusive pre-sale window.
As for general admission, tickets to see aespa at the AO Arena in Manchester will go live at 3pm on Wednesday, 6 May; you can get ready to grab yours HERE.
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Featured Images — David J Lee (via Flickr)
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Music industry rallies around pub and music venue as it’s hit with ‘malicious’ noise complaints
Daisy Jackson
A much-loved pub and live music venue is struggling with a series of ‘malicious’ noise complaints, prompting a huge outpouring of support from music industry insiders.
The Golden Lion over in Todmorden is facing uncertainty amidst the complaints from ‘some random’.
Matthanee ‘Gig’ Nilavongse, who runs the venue and its live music offering, said he’s ‘had enough’ and believes The Golden Lion is being targeted, The Hoot reports.
It echoes a similar situation in Manchester city centre several years ago, when Night & Day Cafe faced closures based on noise complaints from a resident in a nearby flat.
Gig stressed that nothing in the venue – the sound system, sound proofing, or anything else in its set-up – has changed since the noise complaints started.
He also added that people have been travelling from across the UK and even further afield to attend its events, benefitting the wider community of businesses and local economy.
He added: “Bank holiday next weekend and I’II not tolerate the threat from anyone.”
Hundreds of people, including industry names like Sacha Lord, Luke Cowdrey, and Hot Chip’s Joe Goddard, have voiced their support for the grassroots venue.
Sacha Lord offered his help fighting the complaints, then added: “I’m sick to death of these NIMBYS who threaten businesses and jobs.”
Chelsea Teesdale, head of marketing for the Warehouse Project and Parklife, said: “Sorry you’re going through this. The golden lion means so much to many. I go to all kinds of gigs and venues, nothing is quite like the magic of your home.”
And Nite School Manchester wrote: “So sorry to hear you’re going through this. What you’ve built at The Golden Lion for the people of Tod (& far beyond!) is a guiding star to us Gig, and we’ll be doing everything we can to support you & the team.”
Following on from this heartwarming display of affection for the venue, Gig added: “Thank you for all supports near and far, you’re close to my heart.
“The show must go on, I’m not back down until the door is close.”
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Featured image: The Manc Group
Danny Jones -
13th January 2023 
