Well hello there, you fine music-loving folks. If you’re here it’s because you love good tunes and are always on the lookout for new local artists and, lucky for you, Manchester is always full to bursting with ’em.
All that being said, it’s a good job you’ve just stumbled across a new regular series from The Manc Audio, where we’ll be spotlighting all the best Manc music we’ve been listening to over the course of each month throughout 2024.
We’re in the privileged position of being able to keep in the loop when it comes to the sheer wealth of 0161’s up-and-coming bands, solo artists, DJs and more, and we’re all about sharing the wealth as the saying goes.
So, let’s not faff about any further, here are five Manchester artists we’ve been listening to this January and we hope you’ll like them too. Let’s ‘av it, shall we?
Manc bands we’ve been listening to over the past month
1. Sugarstone
First up on the list is Sugarstone, an alternative rock band originally from Preston but now based in Manchester who are spearheading the synth-punk movement here in 0161.
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They’ve gone through a bit of a makeover and sound change recently, moving away from the glam approach over the last 18 months or so and opting for a slightly heavier but still with lots of distorted sounds and plenty of electronics remaining in the mix.
Each month we’re going to pick out three tracks we reckon you should start with and for this first entry, we’re spotlighting ‘Hostile’ and ‘Tender Hook’ off their latest EP for that more in-your-face approach they’re leaning towards lately, as well as ‘Can’t Help My Machine’ for keeping the digital presence alive.
Alternative electronic at its finest as we see it. Porij are pretty popular in The Manc office and for good reason: they sprawl in their variety of sounds, can somehow suit almost every mood imaginable and seem to draw influence from almost every genre and culture you can think of.
Some call it art pop but all we know is it’s dancey and we LOVE it. And we’re not the only ones: they’ve collaborated with the likes of Metronomy, as well as Greater Manchester locals Interplanetary Criminal and rising spoken word artist Antony Szmierek, not to mention being ripe for remixers.
We’re slightly obsessed with their current single ‘My Only Love’ released earlier this month but ‘Nobody Scared’ is undoubtedly their biggest track and it’s not hard to see why (the chillest of bops) and so many could come in the third but we’ll settle on ‘Lose Our Minds’ for now. Ask us again later and it’ll change.
In at number three is Balancing Act. They’ve got everything from third and fourth record Arctic Monkeys, and frontman Kai Jon Roberts certainly exerts plenty of that Alex Turner swag here and there, to moments of Cage The Elephant or maybe even Radiohead in parts.
There isn’t any other place to start with these lads than their most popular track, ‘A Little More Time’ — the kind of tune that feels like you’re sat smoking a cigar and sipping a drink in a cabaret bar — ‘Cheshire Smile’ it’s probably our second favourite and more of indicative of their indie roots and then the beautiful ‘Rabbit Hole’. That should you a little taste of everything.
Like any band with the potential to go far, these guys still feel like they’re doing plenty of experimenting when it comes to their sound and, if anything, we’d say it’s in those moments when they shine the most.
Now these lot just make us so happy. Well, sad-happy to be more specific. The indie girl band have absolutely nailed those often upbeat and catchy melodies with slightly less jolly lyrics that always make for a great song.
If you’re looking for comparisons, you’ll get a bit of HAIM in the all-girl and often bass-driven funk but with the harmonies almost closer to something like The Staves. You get more of the latter the further you go back, having first started out in 2021, but they quickly draw other parallels with The xx and The Corrs.
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Having not long finished up a short run of shows with the lovable Leigh local, The Lottery Winners, they’ve got a lot of love among other Manchester artists. As for the songs we’re picking out, you can’t argue against arguably the best known ‘Bad Tattoo’ with Alex Amor, ‘Yellow and Gold’ was one of their first tracks we ever heard so it’s going in there, and the immensely catchy ‘How About It?’.
Last but not least, we’re finishing with a bunch of absolute ragers in the form of Witch Fever, who never fail to deliver that more aggressive brand of post-punk, grunge and all-around reliable rock. Lead singer Amy Walpole has labelled everyone from the Cancer Bats to Sugarstone themselves as influencing the band’s sound and there’s plenty more in there too, believe us.
We don’t think it’s getting too far ahead of ourselves to tip this furious four-piece for big things, having toured with fellow hardcore lovers Hot Milk and scored some decent festival slots over the past couple of years. Walpole’s voice alone is almost as if Dolores from The Cranberries loved screaming her head off even more over even heftier guitar riffs and had the added attitude of early Wolf Alice.
If that doesn’t sell you, these aren’t for you. The title track from their debut album Congregation is just immense; ‘In Birth’ is a perfect slope towards their heaviest stuff, and we have a real soft spot for 2019’s ‘Bezerk(h)er’, which incidentally happens to be one of our favourite track titles for a long time — and we usually hate it when artists mess with punctuation.
And that’s it for your first edition of our new monthly look at the best up-and-coming Manchester artists that are getting us very excited.
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2023 was an absolute belter for new music in our region and across the North West in general, for that matter, and we can’t wait to see what this year has in store for us.
Finally, the best part about this series is that we want you to let us know about all the best new tunes you come across too; this is a collective effort, guys — don’t let us down.
See you in Feb and be sure to keep tuned into our Audio page this year if you know what’s good for ya’.
Richard Ashcroft announces all-North West lineup of support acts for Alexandra Palace headliner
Danny Jones
Wigan’s finest, Richard Ashcroft, has announced an all-North-Western lineup for his upcoming headline show at ‘Ally Pally’.
The former Verve frontman is not only riding a fresh wave of popularity thanks to supporting Oasis on their incredible Live ’25 world tour, but also recently released his long-awaited new album, Lovin’ You.
Not just a Manc music icon but one of the biggest names to have come out of his borough, specifically, the legendary lyricist is finally getting more like the kind of recognition he deserves, and is making sure to pay that exposure forward in the best way possible.
He could have picked from all manner of big British acts as supports at Alexandra Palace, but Richard Ashcroft has chosen to keep flying the regional flag by picking a group he’s spent the last few months with, as well as a fellow Greater Manchester act.
That’s right: as well as signing up Liverpool’s very own Oasis Live ’25 openers, Cast, as one of the warm-up acts, the 54-year-old has also chosen another native Wigan artist in the form of The Lathums to join him for the momentous headline show.
Much-loved not only in their hometown but across Manchester and beyond, the indie favourites – who also released their latest studio LP, Matter Does Not Define, back in February – the young band are only getting better and becoming more established as time goes on.
Having already played the likes of the AO Arena here in Manchester and booked numerous big festival slots of the past few years, we reckon you can pretty much bank on them headlining this historic and bucket list venue for themselves in the future.
In terms of Cast, the scousers continue one of the busiest years for touring in their career by supporting ‘King Richard’, having followed up supporting ‘LG’ in 2024 to both Gallagher brothers over the summer.
As for Ashcroft himself, we’re glad to see him back releasing new music, and can confirm his seventh record is a great listen.
By no means our favourite, but just a taste of his latest sound.
Now, if you were wondering why we’re talking about this show over any of the other gigs (namely the Northern ones) on his upcoming UK run, it’s because most of the tour has now sold out.
His Co-op Live date was obviously the first to go, with Cardiff’s Principality Stadium going shortly after, and extra dates being added in the likes of London, Liverpool and over in Leeds.
If you do happen to be in the capital already or are willing to make a trip to London for the show, there are still some tickets left for Richard Ashcroft at Ally Pally in July 2026.
Cannot wait to hear how this sounds in that storied room:
Featured Images — Press shots (supplied)/Audio North
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HAIM at Co-op Live, Manchester – tickets, times, setlist, and more for UK tour
Thomas Melia
Rock trio HAIM are gearing up to play their first ever arena show in Manchester next week.
Sisters Este, Danielle and Alana – more widely recognised by their surname, which also doubles as the title of their group, HAIM – are about to perform their biggest Manchester show to date.
This should come as no surprise, with the band amassing a cult following of fans and almost seven million monthly listeners on Spotify – thanks to huge tunes like ‘The Wire’, ‘Now I’m In It’, and ‘Don’t Wanna’, as well as newer single released like ‘Relationships’ and ‘All over me’.
The band have already recently played to a near 70,000 fans, thanks to their longtime friend and musical collaborator Taylor Swift, who brought the band out as a special guest on her global phenomenon The Eras Tour last summer.
But now, HAIM are going it alone.
They’ll be stringing up their guitars, and warming up their vocal chords to sing their angsty and fiery hits over at Manchester’s biggest entertainment venue, Co-op Live.
HAIM are bringing their ‘I quit’ tour to Co-op Live in Manchester on 30 October / Credit: Supplied
HAIM – UK Tour Dates 2025
Friday 24 October – Nottingham, UK – Motorpoint Arena
Saturday 25 October – Cardiff, UK – Utilita Arena
Sunday 26 October – Brighton, UK – Brighton Centre
Tuesday 28 October – London, UK – The O2
Thursday 30 October – Manchester, UK – Co-op Live
Friday 31 October – Glasgow, UK – OVO Hydro
Tickets
No need to ‘Pray to God’, as there’s still a good selection of tickets available for any Manchester HAIM lovers to grab HERE.
If you’re feeling a bit fancier, however, and fancy watching HAIM while ‘Spinning’ the night away in a premium seat, then you can find a handful of tickets up for grabs over on SeatUnique, starting from £25 HERE.
Setlist
Gone
All over me
Take me back
My Song 5
Cry
Spinning
Don’t Wanna
The Steps
Gasoline
Blood on the Street
Hallelujah
Summer Girl
Want You Back
Relationships
Now I’m in It
The Wire
Down to be Wrong
What are the stage times for HAIM in Manchester?
Co-op Live has a strict curfew of 11pm, and with doors opening at 6:30pm and a start time of 7.30pm, this rock trio certainly won’t be working to ‘The Wire’ to cram in all their hits, meaning you can get home before the crack of dawn.
Bedroom pop musician Dora Jar supported the girls throughout the North American shows, however there’s no official artist confirmed for the UK leg so far.
Rock trio HAIM are gracing Manchester, London, Glasgow and more on their UK tour / Credit: Supplied
How to get to Co-op Live
Tram
For those of you heading to Co-op Live, you’ll be glad to know it’s right next door to a rather famous big blue stadium and its integrated Metrolink stop.
Head along the light blue or orange lines directly to the Etihad Campus or Ashton-under-Lyne, and you can get off the tram literally spitting distance from the arena. You can find the full map HERE.
Trams run frequently on the Ashton-Eccles line to the Etihad stop, with services leaving every six minutes from the city centre and until 1am on Fridays and Saturdays.
Bus
You can find the full list of bus routes HERE, with the one in closest proximity to the venue being the 53 bus, which runs from Cheetham Hill through to Higher Crumpsall, Old Trafford and Pendleton, leaving just a two-minute walk to Co-op Live.
You also get free Bee Network travel with any valid event ticket.
If you’re driving, there is limited parking available at the venue, but this must be pre-booked ahead of time, and there are designated drop-off areas.
The postcode is M11 3DU and you can follow the signs towards the wider Etihad Campus as you get closer, and directions to the adjacent drop-off points will also be signposted.
Keep in mind that congestion on the roads close to the stadium is expected to gather around two hours prior to any event, so if you are travelling on the road, these are the suggested times they provide come event day, though estimates will obviously vary:
Alan Turing Way (both directions): plan an additional 20 minutes into any journey by road.
Hyde Road (eastbound): expect an additional 15 minutes to be added to your journey.
Mancunian Way (westbound): plan for an extra 10 minutes of travel time.
There are also three park-and-ride facilities near Co-op Live, but be advised that the Velopark and Holt Town stops will be closed post-event to help safely manage crowds:
Ashton West (Ashton line) – 184 spaces and 11 disabled spaces
Ladywell (Ashton-Eccles line) – 332 spaces and 22 disabled spaces
Walk/cycle
Lastly, Co-op Live is only a half-hour stroll from Manchester Piccadilly, and you could even walk along the canal all the way to the front door if you fancy taking the scenic route.
Greater Manchester now also offers the option to hire bikes through the Beryl scheme, with riders able to locate, unlock, get to their destination and then safely lock up the bike all through an easy-to-use app. There are hire points just near the south-west corner of the Etihad Stadium on Ashton New Road.
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For more information on all travel options, you can check out the enhanced journey planner.
Danny Jones -
31st January 2024 
