Andy Burnham has slagged off Liverpool while declaring Manchester as “the capital of the coolest music on the planet”.
And can you disagree? Manchester‘s music scene is as alive and thriving as ever in 2024.
While it may seem like a slightly unnecessary hit at our North West neighbours, the bold claims about our city’s musical excellence from the Greater Manchester Mayor haven’t entirely come out of the blue, as his comments are aimed at Liverpool City Region Mayor Steve Rotheram ahead of the pair going head-to-head in another charity DJ battle tonight (2 February 2024).
In case you missed it, following what was the headline-grabbing showdown between the two Northern mayors last year here in Manchester, where both ended up claiming a victory, Andy Burnham and Steve Rotheram announced last month that they would be going for round two.
This time around, Rotheram has invited Burnham over to his neck of the woods, and the pair will be taking to the decks at Camp and Furnace in Liverpool city centre.
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And of course, it’s all in the name of charity too.
Andy Burnham and Steve Rotheram are going head-to-head in another charity DJ battle / Credit: Shaun Peckham
Liverpool and Greater Manchester will face off in what is being described as a “good natured music battle for a worthy cause”, with all the proceeds from the event going to local homeless charities.
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It’s not just the two mayors in action tonight either, as there’s also some local and international stars set to make an appearance too.
Rebecca Ferguson, Peter Hooton, and LFC and England footballer (and rapper) John Barnes are some of the names joining the so-called ‘home side’, while Stockport indie favourites Blossoms, former Coronation Street actress Sally Lindsay, actor and DJ Craig Charles, M-People’s Heather Small, and BBC Radio 5 Live presenter Nihal Arthanayake will be on our Andy’s team.
The two Northern mayors will face off in Liverpool at the start of next month / Credit: Supplied
Ahead of the mega showdown tonight, Burnham and Rotheram have been getting into the lighthearted pre-match spirit of firing joking insults at one another.
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Speaking to the BBC on Manchester’s chances of clinching the win ahead of the event, Mr Burnham said: “It’s going to be pretty easy for us, because obviously, Steve Rotheram has only got one band, whereas we’ve got a wealth of talent, and a wealth of musical riches to choose from.”
He then went on to claim that Liverpool is “the home of cheesy music”, in reference to its hosting of the Eurovision Song Contest last year, whereas Manchester is “the global capital of the coolest music on the planet”.
Of course, Rotheram hit back, and said the statistics were on Liverpool’s side.
The DJ battle will be streamed live online from 7pm tonight / Credit: Shaun Peckham
“Liverpool’s bands and artists have produced more number ones than Manchester’s,” he claimed. “We have had more weeks in the charts, more global fame, and we’re a Unesco World City of Music. We’ve had many decades of chart success in comparison with ‘Madchester’, we beat Manchester to hosting Eurovision, and – and this is a big ‘and’ – we produced the greatest band ever to walk the earth.”
The Manchester v Liverpool Mayors DJ Battle is happening over in Liverpool tonight from 7pm, and is also being streamed live for anyone unable to make it down.
You can tune in to watch the pair live in action on The Manc’s Facebook page here.
Featured Image – Shaun Peckham
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Iconic Manc movie 24 Hour Party People is set to return to cinemas for its anniversary
Emily Sergeant
One of Manchester’s most iconic movies is set to return to the big screen next month.
Remastered in 4K and returning to UK cinemas to mark 24 years since its original release, Michael Winterbottom’s 2002 biographical comedy drama film, 24 Hour Party People, tells the story of Manchester‘s popular music community from 1976 to 1992 – specifically about Factory Records‘ founder Tony Wilson.
The film begins with the punk rock era of the late 1970s, before moving through the 1980s into the rave and DJ culture, and of course, the ‘Madchester‘ scene of the late 1980s and early 1990s.
The narrative largely follows the career of Tony Wilson, played by Middleton-born actor Steve Coogan, while also covering the careers of the major Factory Records artists – especially Joy Division and New Order, as well as A Certain Ratio, The Durutti Column, and Happy Mondays.
If you haven’t seen 24 Hour Party People before, it’s a dramatisation based on a combination of real events, rumours, and urban legends, as the film is sure to make clear.
Coogan is joined by a cast by a mixture of big names and, at the time, rising stars like Paddy Considine, Shirley Henderson, Lennie James, John Simm, Ralf Little, Andy Serkis, Sean Harris, John Thomson, and even Peter Kay, alongside cameos from other figures connected to the Manchester music scene.
Before it returns to cinemas, the film will first open music and media festival/conference, Beyond The Music, at MediaCity in Salford on 6 October.
The screening at the festival will also be followed by a Q&A with Coogan, Winterbottom, and producer Andrew Eaton.
24 Hour Party People will then be re-released in UK cinemas from 9 October, and you can check your local cinema for screening times and book tickets online now.
Featured Image – Altitude
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Bury actress Kate O’Flynn wins big at 2026 Emmys with record-breaking comedy show
Emily Sergeant
Did you know that one of the big winners at the 2026 Emmy Awards last night was actually an actress from Bury?
In case it wasn’t on your radar, American television‘s biggest night, the Emmys, took place yesterday evening over in Los Angeles, and several records were broken in the process – including Apple TV’s comedy horror Widow’s Bay taking home the most Emmys ever for a single series of a comedy show, with 14 of them.
Widow’s Bay tells the story of mayor Tom Loftis, played by Welsh actor Matthew Rhys, who is trying to boost tourism on his rugged New England island, but must navigate several strange events that suggest it might be cursed.
Created by Katie Dippold, and executive produced and directed by Hiro Murai, Widow’s Bay was released in late April to widespread critical acclaim.
At the 78th Primetime Emmy Awards last night, the show scooped a record 14 awards, including for Outstanding Comedy Series, several acting wins, and wins for directing and writing too.
One of those acting wins was Kate O’Flynn for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series – an actress who hails from the Greater Manchester town of Bury.
Kate stars as Patricia Moyer, mayor Tom’s eccentric assistant in the show.
She grew up in Holcombe Brook near Ramsbottom, and was educated at Bury Grammar School, before she went on to train at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in London, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Acting in 2006.
Taking to the stage to accept her award last night, Kate said in her speech: “I want to thank our mayor [Matthew Rhys] and all the residents of Widow’s Bay, in front and behind the camera – you’re amazing. This is the role of a lifetime, thank you Katie and Hiro for trusting a Lancashire lass to play a sassy broad like Patricia. And thank you Apple [TV] for saying yes.
“Thank you Nicky and Tony for looking after me, my family back home, my mum and dad, and the loves of my life, my husband and our darling daughter – another sassy broad in the making.
Emily Sergeant -
2nd February 2024 
