British music royalty Robbie Williams has come out to declare Matty Healy the only pop/rock star “who is willing to be something other than beige” in a recent social media post.
The former Take That singer and pop icon has come out with plenty of big claims of late – including that he believes he’s being targeted by aliens to be a messenger for them on Earth due to his fame – but his latest Insta-rant has also seen him give Matty Healy a bit of a peculiar compliment sandwich.
Crafting a lengthy paragraph on his page, Williams not only called Matty Healy “the only commercially viable pop/rock star that I can see who is willing to be something other than beige” but also “unhinged” and “willing to upset”.
Reiterating that he believes The 1975 frontman is “super smart and super talented”, he also went on to say that the local artist has a propensity to be “upsetting for a cause”. We’re not going to pretend we know exactly what Robbie’s on about but the gist seems to be that he thinks he’s good and provocative.
The 50-year-old, who has been no stranger to a headline or two himself over the years, went on to add that he sees Healy as prone to “Upsetting for a cause. The cause being a complicated inner life a rebellious streak and boredom.”
2023 was very much the year of The 1975 not only in terms of the music industry and their commercial success within it but also because of Healy’s multiple controversies.
From sucking fans’ thumbs in the crowd and being labelled sexist and racist by Rina Sawayama for insensitive jokes made on a podcast, to beefing with Noel Gallagher after he told him to “stop marding” with his brother; dating the other biggest name on the planet in Taylor Swift and more, he’s been absolutely everywhere.
Even in his apologies for comments such as those flagged by labelmate Sawayama, he still couldn’t resist the urge for some added pageantry and turned his response into a fake mental advert for the BetterHelp online therapy company. It’s this kind of stuff that we’re guessing Robbie is referring to.
Elsewhere in his speech, the Stoke-born singer solo artist asked, “How boring is the music scene right now?”, caveating that while he’s not attacking the music itself, he does believe there’s been a “death of friction, danger, personality”.
Holding his hands up to becoming more ‘vanilla’ in an attempt to stay with the times, he conversely said: “No one knows what you’ll say that will get you cancelled. So many people to offend… I’ve gotta get some of that energy back in my musical life… I hope I have time to fit them all in. It’s time to take the p*ss again… and I’m looking forward to it.”
While we by no means advocate anyone making art simply for the sake of trying to ‘p*ss people off’ and we make no qualms about the likes of Matty Healy being a divisive figure in music, to say the least, it’s impossible to deny there aren’t some seriously huge fans of The 1975 as creatives and performers.
Do you agree that most modern pop/rockstars are ‘beige’ or are there any performers you think are also pushing the boundaries in the contemporary music scene?
A much-loved Manc drinking spot is handing out FREE spritzes to Sounds of the City gig-goers
Danny Jones
Popular Manchester city centre drinking spot, Society, is handing out free spritzes to gig-goers heading to this year’s Sounds of the City festival.
The annual series of live music events returned at the start of the month, with Castlefield Bowl once again being turned into one of the best amphitheatres in the country – not that we’re biased, or anything.
And since we’re in a month packed with outdoor gigs (pretty sure there’s some local band on at Heaton Park), what better drink to help you get a bit loose before the party starts than a refreshing spritz in the sunshiiine?
Better yet, if you fancy copping a complimentary one, Society beer and food hall are handing out freebies for those going to Sounds of the City 2025.
As you can see, the deal is simple: turn up to the beautiful Society beer garden or equally lovely indoor space and show your ticket to the bar staff to get your hands on a free spritzer.
Now, there is a catch, as they’re only promising 100 free drinks in total across all seven concerts this July, and three of them have already been – which could be a blessing or a curse – and they’re available on a first come first serve basis from 4pm on each event date.
However, we’ll admit we were a little late to the news on this occasion, so there’s a chance plenty of others haven’t heard about the offer either, meaning you could still be able to sort yourself a free Sarti or Aperol Spritz (only 50 of each available).
Salivating.Sounds of the City is just a short walk from Society.Credit: The Manc Eats/Audio North
With 2025 season openers, Elbow, having kicked things off in true Manc style, as well as The Charlatans and Shed Seven having already played, the word may have gotten out, but it’s still worth a crack. Besides, Society is still a brilliant summery drinking spot regardless.
The deal is available across all remaining concert dates:
Wed, 9 July – The Black Keys, with support from Miles Kane
Thurs, 10 July – Bloc Party, with support from The Royston Club
Fri, 11 July – Rizzle Kicks, with support from Maverick Sabre and Abbie McCarthy
Sat, 12th July – Basement Jaxx, with support from Mike Skinner (DJ Set) and Storm Mollison
Oh, and if you’re wondering what SOTC 2025 has been like so far, the neighbouring balconies have been full as always, Castlefield Hotel has been packed, and we got Guy Garvey to wave at a train driver…
Featured Images — The Manc Group/Society (supplied)
Audio
Oasis merch prices as huge flagship stand opens in Manchester city centre
Daisy Jackson
An official Oasis merch stand has opened in the heart of Manchester, selling all the Gallagher-printed wares your heart could desire.
The Oasis Live ‘25 Touring Flagship Stand has sprung up on St Peter’s Square today, where it will remain for the duration of the Manchester reunion shows.
Stacked with everything from band tees to bucket hats, plus posters, tote bags, and that exclusive adidas x Oasis collection, the merch stand is already pulling in some serious queues.
And with a few days still to go until Oasis Live ‘25 hits Heaton Park (those dates, if they aren’t burned into your brain, are 11, 12, 16, 19 and 20 July) there’s still plenty more time to shop.
The merch stand has opened in addition to the official merch fan store across town in Spinningfields.
And it’s at the heart of the Music for the Senses art trail, which has seen painted guitar artworks installed all over the city centre.
Back to that Oasis merch stand in Manchester though – there are pieces from their adidas collection, including a sky blue (obviously) three-stripe long-sleeved jersey for £55, a tour jacquard football jersey for £85, and a classic Firebird track top for £90.
Event-specific merch like t-shirts in various colours emblazoned with the Oasis Live ‘25 artwork will set you back £40, and you can choose from photos of the brothers back together in 2025, or back in their pre-split heyday.
Oasis merch prices as huge flagship stand opens in Manchester city centre
There’s also a £70 black hoody with the tour dates on the sleeve, plus a What’s The Story blue-tone hoody for £70, and a blue tone sweatshirt for £50.
A range of posters starring Liam and Noel are priced at £40 apiece.
There’s an Oasis Live ‘25 tote bag for sale at the merch stand in town, which costs £20.
Then the most Manc item of all – a reversible bucket hat (black on one side with the Oasis logo in the centre, or a collage of Oasis logos on the other side) – is £35.
The stand is home to city-specific event items, exclusive adidas lines, and other exclusives.
The Oasis Live ’25 Touring Flagship Stand is open from 10am to 8pm Monday to Saturday, and 11am to 6pm on Sundays, then 10am to 7pm on Oasis show days.
Danny Jones -
4th April 2024 
