Blossoms have announced details of a new tour around the UK and Ireland this year, including two huge gigs here in Manchester.
The Stockport boys will be back on home turf for a pair of gigs at the Manchester O2 Apollo.
The extensive tour will take them to 20 different towns and cities during November and December.
Blossoms’ massive summer so far has included supporting The Killers on their stadium tour, and performing a headline set at Y Not? festival, plus their Glastonbury appearance with a cameo from Spice Girl Mel C.
The newly-announced tour comes in support of their recent chart-topping album, Ribbon Around the Bomb.
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Their fourth studio album was produced by James Skelly and Rich Turvey, with creative direction from Edwin Burdis, who worked with Arctic Monkeys on their Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino and AM albums.
Blossoms first formed in Stockport in 2013, named after their local pub, The Blossoms.
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Blossoms. Credit: Publicity Picture
Their phenomenal music career has seen their self-titled debut album top the album charts for two weeks, going on to earn them a BRIT Award and Mercury Music Prize nominations.
Their massive singles have included There’s A Reason Why (I Never Returned Your Calls), Charlemagne, and I Can’t Stand It.
11 November – Bristol – O2 Academy 12 November – Nottingham – Rock City 13 November – Aylesbury – Waterside Theatre 15 November – Cambridge – Corn Exchange 16 November – Portsmouth – Guildhall 18 November – Exeter University – Great Hall 19 November – Bournemouth – O2 Academy 20 November – Newcastle – O2 City Hall 22 November – Glasgow – O2 Academy 23 November – Edinburgh – O2 Academy 25 November – Doncaster – Dome 26 November – Cardiff University – Great Hall 27 November – Liverpool University – The Mountford Hall 29 November – Birmingham – O2 Academy 30 November – Norwich – The Nick Rayns LCR, UEA 2 December – Brighton – Dome 3 December – London – O2 Academy Brixton 5 December – Belfast – Telegraph 6 December – Dublin – Olympia Theatre 8 December – Manchester – O2 Apollo 9 December – Manchester – O2 Apollo
Featured image: Publicity picture
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Iconic Salford music venue and nightclub The White Hotel is closing
Daisy Jackson
The White Hotel, one of Greater Manchester’s most cutting-edge and best-loved nightlife venues, is closing its doors for good.
The White Hotel is a go-to haunt for Mancs seeking a late-night (or indeed, all-night) dance, with a packed programme of music running year-round.
The independent arts venue opened inside a former garage in Salford, just outside Manchester city centre and in the shadow of HMP Manchester.
Not only has The White Hotel defined Greater Manchester’s modern nightlife scene, but it’s become known globally as one of the best underground nightclubs on the planet.
Known for its raw DIY atmosphere and boundary-pushing line-ups, the Salford venue up there among the UK’s most respected club spaces.
But despite ‘continuing to draw full houses’, The White Hotel will close in January, according to The Guardian.
Ben Ward told the paper that the venue has found itself in a flood-risk zone, saying: “Basically, it’s a swamp.”
He added that it was better ‘to go out on our own terms, long before we became a museum’.
When The White Hotel opened in 2015, they planned to stick around for a year, then move to LA – but now a decade on, it’s cemented itself on Manchester’s club scene.
The area where The White Hotel stands will become a wetland park.
Neither artistic director Austin Collings nor Ward are ‘sentimental about losing the premises’, The Guardian wrote, quoting Ward as saying: “It’s come as a surprise that it’s lasted this long anyway.”
Festival-goers urged to stop taking wheelie bins full of booze
Daisy Jackson
Festival-goers have been warned not to take wheelie bins full of alcohol to festivals with them this summer.
The warning has come ahead of this year’s Download Festival, which takes place next month and kicks off the summer’s biggest run of festival dates.
But a major train operator has said there have been incidents in the past of passengers trying to travel to festivals with wheelie bins and luggage trolleys.
Passengers have had to be reminded that wheelie bins are not permitted on board, and they should instead only carry as much luggage as they can comfortably carry.
The warning comes from East Midlands Railway, one of the key services that will whisk people to Download Festival between 10 and 14 June.
Customers returning from the festival are also encouraged to use boot-cleaning brushes provided at stations to help remove mud before boarding trains.
Philippa Cresswell, customer experience director at East Midlands Railway, said: “We’re encouraging customers to travel light.
“Last year, some festive goers tried to board services with wheelie bins or festival trolleys full of beer. While it might seem like a great idea for getting your supplies to the festival, it just isn’t safe or possible to bring them onboard train services.”
Festival-goers urged to stop taking wheelie bins full of booze
EMR has also warned customers to plan journeys in advance, with engineering work taking place at various locations on the Midland Main Line, near where Download Festival takes place.
She continued: “We’re advising customers travelling to Download Festival to plan their journeys in advance and be aware that essential engineering work will affect services across the weekend.
“As a result, some services will be reduced or amended, and passengers should check before they travel and allow extra time.”
Daisy Jackson -
2nd August 2022 
