There’s no one quite like Bez, aka Mark Berry, the maraca-wielding dancer best-known for writing around on stage with the Happy Mondays.
But if you’re a little bit like Bez, there’s a job ad that you’re going to want to take a look at…
Happy Mondaze, a Happy Mondays tribute band, are on the hunt for a new Bez look-a-like (and dance-a-like) to join the group.
The tribute act regularly plays across the UK at massive music events, and have performed for crowds up to 15,000-strong before.
Shortly after announcing their huge gig at Heaton Park this summer, part of the Clone Roses 25th anniversary concert, Happy Mondaze posted a job ad to help them recruit a new member.
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Happy Mondays tribute band Happy Mondaze performing together. Credit: Supplied
The new ‘Bez’ will play some shows in December, including a New Year’s Eve gig.
There are a few requirements for the chosen dancer – beyond looking and dancing like Bez.
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They’ll need to be based in or around Manchester, be available for weekend shows, and be available on the 9th, 10th, 16th and 31st December.
Happy Mondaze also said the successful candidate will need to be ‘confident in front of an audience and happy to engage in audience interaction/banter’.
The actual Happy Mondays group sadly had to cancel a huge run of tour dates earlier this year following the tragic death of Paul Ryder, bassist and founding member.
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They then went on to release a charity EP to raise money for charity MusiCares, chosen by Paul’s daughter Amelia that ‘helps people in the music industry who are struggling with addiction issues’.
Anyone who thinks they could be ‘Bez’ in the Happy Mondaze should get in touch, along with a photo, at [email protected].
Featured image: Happy Mondays
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Lewis Capaldi at Co-op Live Manchester – tickets, setlist, support and more
Daisy Jackson
Lewis Capaldi will be hitting the stage in Manchester this week for two huge sold-out gigs at the Co-op Live arena.
The Scottish singer-songwriter is currently on a sold-out 17-date UK arena tour after a two-year hiatus for his physical and mental health.
The much-loved performer took the decision to step out the limelight after his Glastonbury 2023 performance, where he struggled with his vocals, anxiety, and Tourette’s syndrome as the set went on – with the huge crowd stepping in to sing for him.
Lewis then made a triumphant return earlier this year with a surprise set at Glastonbury, proving he is once again back on top form.
He then released a new single, Survive, which stormed to the top of the UK singles chart, and an arena tour to go with it, adding a second Manchester date due to phenomenal demand.
His single Someone You Loved remains the most-streamed song in the UK, even seven years after its release. Us Brits love him.
Lewis Capaldi will be performing at Co-op Live on both Saturday and Sunday night this week, and we’ve rounded up all your essential info below.
And if you miss him this time, he’s just announced an outdoor summer show at Wythenshawe Park next year, tickets for which go on sale HERE on Friday 19 September.
Tickets for Lewis Capaldi at Co-op Live
Lewis Capaldi. Credit: Alexandra Gavillet
Did we mention that people really love Lewis Capaldi? So yeah, the show is fully sold out on both Ticketmaster and See Tickets.
However, you can still get through the doors by booking a VIP or hospitality package with Seat Unique, which are on sale HERE.
Your best bet at getting your hands on a pair of general admission tickets now will be to keep an eye out for resale tickets, but make sure you’re using a reputable resale site.
Face value ticket prices ranged from £32.10 up to £113.25 for seats, with standing tickets also coming in at £113.25 with fees.
Support acts
Lewis Capaldi has lined up a pair of excellent supports for his tour, including his Co-op Live shows in Manchester.
His main support act will be Skye Newman, a rising star singer-songwriter from South East London, who you probably know from her hit debut single Hairdresser and its top-five follow-up single, Family Matters.
Also warming up the crowds will be Aaron Rowe, an Irish musician with a hell of a voice who’s inspired by American soul legends as well as British bands like The Stone Roses and Oasis.
What are the stage times for Lewis Capaldi at Co-op Live?
Exact stage times haven’t been announced yet but we do know that general admission doors open at 6.30pm, and the show is set to start at 7.30pm.
That should mean Aaron Rowe will be on first, followed by Skye Newman around 8.15pm, and Lewis likely to start his show around 9pm.
If any official stage times get announced, we’ll update this article.
Lewis Capaldi setlist
The below is the setlist Lewis has been using for most of his shows so far.
Survive
Grace
Heavenly Kind of State of Mind
Forever
Wish You the Best
Love the Hell Out of You
Almost
Bruises
Pointless
Something in the Heavens
Leave Me Slowly
Forget Me
The Pretender
The Day That I Die
Before You Go
Encore
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How I’m Feeling Now
Hold Me While You Wait
Someone You Loved
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 until 01:00 on Fridays and Saturdays.
Bus
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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.
Getting there by car and parking
If you’re driving, there is limited parking available at the venue,e 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; 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 vary, obviously:
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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 via 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. There are hire points just near the south-west corner of the Etihad Stadium on Ashton New Road.
For more information on all travel options, you can check out the enhanced journey planner.
Multi-genre American artist MGK is coming to Manchester
Danny Jones
Machine Gun Kelly, a.k.a. MGK, is coming to Manchester for his biggest show in this city to date, and tickets go on sale very soon.
Rumblings of the genre-hopping American hip-hop artist, singer, songwriter and pop-punk revivalist announcing a big slate of gigs already began circulating earlier this month, but now it’s official.
MGK – real name Colson Baker – has just announced his Co-op Live debut early next year, and he’s even bringing along fellow rapper Wiz Khalifa along with him on ‘The Lost Americana World Tour’.
We have a feeling this one is going to sell out quickly.
‼️ The Lost Americana World Tour ‼️ more countries and dates coming soon
The laundry list of live dates comes in support of his most recent record of the same name, lost americana, which just dropped back in August.
Featuring yet more genre-bending, the new MGK album sees him returning not only to the familiar well of rapping and radio-friendly rock vibes, but is also arguably his poppiest LP yet.
His latest material also sees the 35-year-old delivering perhaps some of his most traditional vocal performances ever, too, even sprinkling in plenty of country vibes amid the resurgent moment it’s having in the music industry.
In fact, if we were to compare him and the sound itself to anything, it’s very akin to Post Malone‘s increasingly fluid feel – especially on his recent country-pop outing, F-1 Trillion.
That being said, he’s still sprinkled in old-school boom bap chillers like his most recent single, ‘tell me what’s up’, which has already proved to be a crowd favourite.
You can see the music video down below.
As for ‘The Lost Americana World Tour’ itself, it’s an absolutely massive globetrotting trek across multiple continents and some of the biggest venues on the planet that begins later this year.
In total, MGK has confirmed a whopping 66 live shows already, before adding on Instagram: “Dates and countries still being added, don’t worry, but here’s part 1.”
So far, there are just two shows here in England, one being in London and the other at the Co-op Live arena on March 7, 2026, which will be far and away the biggest venue he has ever played in the region.
The pre-sale window begins next week on Monday, 22 September, and fans can sign up for early access via the mailing list on his website.
Meanwhile, general admission will be available to the public from the following Thursday (25 Sep) at 12 noon. You can get ready to grab your tickets for MGK in Manchester when they go live HERE.
We can’t wait for Colson to deliver these kinds of communal vibes amongst his biggest ever Manc crowd.
Daisy Jackson -
8th November 2022 
