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You can book East 17 to sing their iconic Christmas song on your doorstep (for some reason)

They're promoting a new Christmas song, called 'Merry Quitmas'...

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson - 15th December 2023

Can someone please check on East 17, because their current promotional tour is so bizarre I feel like someone must have spiked my eggnog.

Not only are the 90s boyband legends currently promoting a new Christmas single they’ve made in collaboration with a vape brand (I KNOW), but they’re also doing a completely free tour of people’s doorsteps too.

The public will have the chance to book a free doorstep concert with East 17, who’ll rock up to sing Stay Another Day live and in person.

The trio are behind one of the country’s most popular festive tunes, which even beat Mariah Carey to the top of the charts the year of its release.

This year, they’re back in their giant white puffer jackets and hitting the streets around Greater Manchester, to serenade Mancs in their own homes.

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The stunt has been created in partnership with Ring, and anyone who manages to book East 17 for a performance will also win a Ring Battery Video Doorbell Plus and a lifetime subscription to Ring Protect.

More tickets are being released each day, so you’ll need to have your wits about you to grab one.

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East 17 are doing free doorstep concerts this Christmas.
East 17 are doing free doorstep concerts this Christmas.

The band, which currently consists of Terry Coldwell, Robbie Craig and Joe Livermore, are also promoting this year’s festive single… which is about quitting smoking (?!?!).

Merry Quitmas tells the tale of a Santa Claus whose lungs are too knackered to do his present deliveries – much to the annoyance of Mrs Claus and the reindeer.

At one point, Father Christmas is chastised by Dancer.

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Lyrics of ‘Merry Quitmas’ include gems like this: “I thought smoking was amazing and I would always be tokin’. The cigarette it would be blazing, like Rudolph’s nose would be glowing.”

East 17 comforting an ill Santa Claus in their video for ‘Merry Quitmas’

The chaotic music video also features a host of celebrity lookalikes including Elton John, George Michael, Cliff Richard, Noddy Holder and Ed Sheeran.

East 17 have released the song with Riot E-Liquid, a vape brand, and will donate proceeds to cancer charities.

Speaking of their doorstep concerts, East 17 said: “It never gets old performing a song that means so much to us, especially around Christmas time, where Stay Another Day really took off.

“We’re so excited to hit the road with Ring to perform to several of our fans, right on their doorstep!”

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So I guess the only question left is for East 17’s management. And it’s this… ARE YOU OKAY?!

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Featured image: Publicity picture

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Five Manchester artists we’ve been listening to this month | February 2026

Danny Jones Danny Jones Manchester music artists of the month February 2026

Well, hello again – glad to see you’re back here looking for more new music and rising artists from in and around Manchester.

Not to toot our own horn, but we’re confident you won’t be disappointed.

Obviously, everyone is busy wrapped up in BRITs fever, us included; however, we’ve also been having a very good time sitting in the comfort of our headphones and listening to the sound of our hometown.

Let’s get stuck in, shall we?

Greater Manchester music you should check out

1. Roukaya B

First on our list this month, what better place to start than Audio North‘s inaugural Artist of the Month, Roukaya B? Yes, she does happen to be a Manc (a nice bonus), but this new series – which has just debuted over on our dedicated music Instagram page – looks at talent all across the top of the country.

This soulful Salfordian and energetic singer-songwriter had a great musical education, and it shows, as there’s plenty of new school takes on rap and UK hip-hop, as well as plenty of familiar R’n’B flavour from down the years in her style too.

We recently got to chat with her following the release of her latest single, ‘HEAT’, but we love the rhythm behind ‘Out of Sight’ and ‘I Got It’ is still one of our favourites for that beat alone. Hear more from the woman of the moment and Audio North’s first-ever AOTM.

2. Fxsion

Next up is someone whose work still needs some refining, but we can’t deny that there’s something that keeps us coming back to check on him every few months or so, which means he must be doing something right. His name is Fxsion, and he’s been coming up on the local grime scene for years now.

We’re not going to try and claim we love every lyric, every flow and every track, but there’s definitely something to like in most of the tunes he’s released so far, and you can tell that the production levels and technical skill are improving not just in terms of audio, but the visuals that go along with it all too.

The first song we ever heard from Fxsion was ‘From The Ground’ with Yung Fume, and we still enjoy how he rides the beat, but his music has come quite a way since then, and we’d say two of his best examples at present are more recent releases like ‘Get With The Plan’ and ‘Brightside’.

3. Sâlo

In at number three is someone we’ve already written about this month, but couldn’t possibly pass up the opportunity of hyping for you all once again. We’re talking about Sâlo: also an up-and-coming, genre-bending, Salford-raised solo star who, like Roukaya, we’re expecting big things from in 2026.

Mixing in everything from drum and bass, as well as other electronic-influenced genres, with her classical piano training, jazz, neo-soul and more, to try and put her in just one category would be pointless. Try out ‘So I Stay’, ‘Give Me Time’, or ‘Yearning’, and you’ll get a different vibe every time.

The child of a family who fled her home country for the safety of Britain, we’d urge you not only to listen to her music but also to learn about her incredible backstory. You can read more down below.

The story behind Sâlo: the rising Georgian-born Salford artist set be one of the region’s next stars
It’s some journey she’s had already.

4. K-Klass

From the new kids on the block to those who’ve been at it for ages at this point, K-Klass ran so that a lot of these young artists could walk, and they’re still going all these decades later. These guys first made it big back in the 1990s, and they’re still showing people how a proper re-up is done.

While they might hail from the likes of Chester and Wrexham, they broke through right here in Manchester at the likes of the legendary Haçienda nightclub and have forgotten more about what it takes to make it in the city’s scene than most will ever learn.

Obviously, they’re still best known for mixes like ‘Rhythm Is a Mystery’ and ‘Let Me Show You’, but we’re glad to see that apart from performing live, they’re also enjoying another fresh period of productivity studio-wise. Case in point:

5. Lei Hope

And finally, on our list for February, our last pick of the month is Lei Hope, an alternative R’n’B artist who was born in Zimbabwe, raised in Leeds, and now based in Greater Manchester. Our aesthetic, if there is such a thing, is one he’s taken to like a duck to water

We love stories like this that put us in mind of other previous artists of the month like Nxdia and so many others who’ve blown up after arriving here. In the case of Lei Hope, a friend who also recently performed at city centre venue Low Four Studio put us on to him, and then we began our deep dive.

Starting with ‘Cranium’ and working backwards, there’s a wonderful softness to the youngster’s work so far; he loves a funky guitar and a fair bit of bass, and there’s definitely some indie-pop pulling focus away from some of those more obvious R’n’B traits. We’re big fans of ’21’, and ‘Day Job’ might be his best yet.

That’s it for Feb; we hope you enjoyed what we, or rather, this city’s incredible talents served up.

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It’s also worth noting that everyone on the lineup for this month has roots not only here in 0161 but all over the UK and beyond.

At a time when we need reminding that people of all colours, creeds and genders help contribute to the incredible creative culture we’re known for the world round, maybe more than ever, we’ll never stop being proud of all the different kinds of people that help put the great in Greater Manchester.

Last but not least, if you want to see who made it on our first round-up of the year, you can find a whole other batch of good listening down below.

Five Greater Manchester-based artists we’ve been listening to this month | January 2026

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For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images — The Manc Group/StreamGM (supplied)

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Bunny Jackson’s offer Foo Fighters and Mancs incredible deal if they play their stage after Ritz gig

Danny Jones Danny Jones

Beloved dive bar Bunny Jackson’s has offered the Foo Fighters and Mancunians alike an incredible deal, provided the legendary band if they play on their stage after their gig at the O2 Ritz.

As well as Manchester ramping up the 2026 BRITs Week buzz ahead of the awards at Co-op Live this weekend, a little-known American rock group called the Foo Fighters decided to announce a surprise gig here in town.

Some fans were left divided over ticket prices, but regardless, the show sold out in a flash, with people queuing up outside the venue this week to grab the box office-only tickets.

But the bigger story now, we’d argue, is that the city centre boozer – which serves as a regular go-to both before and after gigs – is offering free drinks if Dave Grohl and co. pop up to perform on their usual bandaoke platform. As in for EVERYONE.

Just imagine the scenes if this happens…

As explained by the Bunny’s boss, if the Foos make what is quite literally a minute trip down the road to OG Jackson’s wing joint and late-night watering hole after their Ritz gig is over, they’re promising to hand out free booze to all inside the venue.

Joking that they can quite literally “do anything” and may not even fit on their even smaller stage – with this being one of the tiniest of Manchester’s small-cap venues – it’s worth reminding that they wouldn’t be the first big name to surprise punters.

It was only a couple of years ago that both The 1975 and Olivia Rodrigo showed their faces, with the former getting behind the bar and pouring drinks themselves, and the latter even hopping on the mic herself – yes, really.

Just last March, members of Bilmuri also hopped behind the decks for a DJ set, and saxophone player Gabi Rose couldn’t resist hitting some horns live for the crowd, too.

You might want to be at Bunny’s even if you’re not going to the gig anyway. (Credit: Bunny Jackson’s)

So what we’re telling you is that this isn’t entirely beyond the realms of possibility. Keep absolutely everything crossed.

BJ’s was already hosting a pre- and post-curfew party for the big Manchester gig, as they often do, but just think how incredible it would be if the rock icons actually turned up in person. You can find out what else they’ve got planned on the night HERE.

Not only would it mean free-flowing beer for everyone in the gaff, but this would go down as one of the greatest stories in Greater Manchester music history.

If you want to up the chances of this happening, make sure you share it far and wide, getting @ing and pestering them, and hopefully we’ll see you at Bunny Jackson’s with the boys from Foo Fighters!

Oh, and lads, if you’re wondering why we all love it here, look no further:

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For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images — The Manc Group/Andreas Lawen, Fotandi (via WikiCommons)

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