City Centre

Review | Some of the most fun you can have at a theatre – Jeff Goldblum and The Mildred Snitzer Orchestra

Danny Jones Danny Jones

On Wednesday night, we did something we hadn’t done in a long time: we went to a concert almost completely blind and walked in without having heard a single second – because how many times in life are you going to get the chance to say you’ve seen Jeff Goldblum music live in Manchester?

We can comfortably say it wasn’t just one of our favourite shows of the year so far, but it might be one of the best decisions we’ve made, maybe ever…

Honestly, there’s not even a whiff of exaggeration in that statement; within minutes of the headline date starting, a long, hard day suddenly melted away in the smooth, sultry, stylish and unapologetically silly atmosphere created by Jeff Goldblum and the truly wonderful Mildred Snitzer Orchestra.

For starters, we were pleasantly surprised to see ‘Bonnie Scotland’s very own Liverpool-based singer-songwriter, Brooke Combe, opening up for the man himself, whose soulful, 1960s, 70s and Motown influences made for a perfect fit to warm up the crowd.

jeff goldblum live jazz shows
brooke combe supporting jeff goldblum
mildred snitzer orchestra
Not a single note for anyone. (Credit: Lucy Elson-Whittaker)

With the North West favourite – who we recently caught once again at NBHD Weekender late last month – even getting a perhaps initially hesitant and very possibly more Theatre-leaning audience inside the Palace to relax with some fun vocal exercises and Scottish banter, we were off to the races.

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But in truth, this show turned out to be so much more than we were expecting – and by that we don’t mean when Brooke joined him on stage for a spell and had him try his first Irn-Bru…

In our heads, we were kind of expecting to see Goldblum, 73, playing his beloved piano as other members of the jazz band got to enjoy a few moments centre-stage as those who sat watching admired their sheer technical ability.

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Where we actually landed was somewhere between a live and just the right amount of chaotic stream-of-consciousness stand-up show, interlaced with a series of effortlessly charming and loose bits of crowdwork as if he were compèring, and, of course, the incredibly cool musical arrangements.

It may not have been entirely free-form (it’s clear that a lot of time, effort and tireless rehearsal go into this shindig), but it did have the feeling that things were unfolding organically as the night went on, the perfect example being specifically for Manchester, with each local reference getting a rousing reception.

His latest LP is going down a treat with the critics in the early reviews, too, and having now heard a few samples, we’re not surprised.

As Jeff said at the top of the show, the best bit about this music is watching these marvellous musicians effectively jamming and playing call and response, not only with each other but you down below – not to mention with the man himself vamping over the top and enjoying plenty of solos on the keys.

Aside from crowd-pleasing arrangements of contemporary and well-known tracks like ‘Lover’ by Taylor Swift and even his own bittersweet and oh-so-gentle take on ‘Over The Rainbow’, it felt not just like an intro to some cult favourites from within the genre, but a serviceable broad-strokes education at times.

Personally, we’ve always liked to think of ourselves as open to anything, sonically, albeit fairly limited when it comes to jazz, but we left feeling like we knew more about the mechanics and flow of a jazz gig than ever; we’re now eager to learn more and dive deeper into the syllabus curated by this superfan.

One very special mention also has to go to session singer Khailah Johnson, who recently shone in the & Juliet production on Broadway and is now currently on tour with Jeff on his Night Blooms run.

Believe us, she’s not merely performing ‘beside’ anyone; when you have a voice and presence that’s so big and has such range that you generate enough star-power for people to genuinely forget that a Hollywood actor is there right next to you, you KNOW you’re beyond talented. Simply spellbinding.

jeff goldblum band
The whole crew had a lovely, laid-back quality that was just infectious. (Credit: Lucy Elson-Whittaker)

And then we have the A-lister himself, who clearly doesn’t only have the gift of the jab and a natural penchant for pageantry, but looks so at home up there that we would happily trade ever seeing him in a film again if it meant we could have the next few decades watching him be the live showman that he is.

For anyone who feared Jeff Goldblum’s music career might just be a famous bloke indulging himself in a side project and cashing in on fandom simply because he can, fret not: this man has as much passion, love and aptitude for jazz and this particular side of showbiz as any role we’ve seen him play, if not more.

Whether it be playing movie trivia games with those in the stalls, thanking fans he bumped into at his hotel, or inviting people there for a special occasion backstage, he ticked almost every box you could have asked for, from the cabaret vibes and Jurassic Park puns to simply playing his socks off.

The new album that gives its name to this current slate of live shows is much more than a play on words. Be it the soft and warm hues of the coloured spotlights, the off-the-cuff comedy interludes, or even the pure giggle-fits in the audience, the Palace Theatre was bursting with joy, life and vibrancy.

We sincerely hope Jeff Goldblum has grown as fond of the city as he claims, and that we get to watch him play a Manchester venue every year.

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What an ensemble. (Credit: Supplied)

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Featured Images — Lucy Elson-Whittaker (supplied)

City Centre

DMA’S announce latest UK and Ireland tour, including a pair of Manchester dates

Danny Jones Danny Jones DMA's Manchester gigs dates tickets

Aussie trio and adopted Mancs, DMA’S, have officially announced a brand-new headline tour across Great Britain and Ireland, confirming not one but two nights here in Manchester.

We’re also the only city getting double dates, because they clearly love us as much as we love them.

The Sydney-formed indie and alt-rock favourites have always had plenty of success in this part of the world, and with DMA’S getting ready to release a new self-titled studio album – their fifth up to this point – they’re obviously getting ready to tour it.

Having just dropped the latest single from it entitled ‘Hurracane’ (they spell things however they want, as we know), they have now revealed a full list of UK and IE live dates.

Speaking on the fresh track, lead guitarist and secondary vocalist Matt Mason said in a press release: “Hurracane has a recurrent musical motion that’s a nod to the song lyrically, and we used the idea of a displacing storm to tell the story, leading into a style that we hadn’t recorded ourselves before.”

Meanwhile, the latest LP is set to drop this August; we’ve already heard the lead single in ‘My Baby’s Place’ and the second song, ‘Heatin Park’, all of which have gone down well with fans.

The early reviews of this third track and accompanying music video also look to be largely positive, with the almost folky mandolin riffs showing a different kind of approach from the group.

As for their upcoming tour dates, besides a pair of Manchester gigs, they’ll also be playing the likes of the Olympia in Liverpool, Sheffield’s Octagon Centre, and the Barbican in York, just to name a few.

Their popularity up here in the North was only further proved by how many people came along to NBHD Weeekender 2026 (review HERE) seemingly just for them.

For those looking to grab tickets, you can obviously secure early access by pre-ordering their album and signing yourself up for the band’s mailing list.

General admission to see DMA’s in Manchester on Friday, 5 and Saturday, 6 February 2027, as well as all other domestic tour dates, will be available from 10am on 12 June, 2026; you can get ready to grab your tickets right HERE.

All we’ll say is that after we saw them on their Hills End anniversary tour earlier this year, you have to make sure you go to at least one of these shows.

Roll on more nights like this…

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Featured Images — Audio North/Roman Jody (supplied)

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