Rock duo Royal Blood are back in Manchester this Friday after smashing the AO Arena in April last year and having not long dropped their new record, Back to the Water Below, on 1 September.
In fact, with their fourth studio album now out and four consecutive number-ones to their name, not to mention charting extremely well in the US and beyond, Royal Blood remain at the forefront of modern rock music all over the world.
With that being said, regardless of what music lovers might have made of that admittedly very awkward with the crowd in Dundee, they’re rockstars at the end of the day and die-hard fans wouldn’t have cared for more than five minutes before grabbing a ticket. Speaking of which…
Are there tickets left for Royal Blood’s O2 Apollo gig?
If you were looking to hop on the gig at the last minute, you’re in luck: although the show is technically sold out, there are some standing tickets up for grabs in both the stalls and in the circle seated section of the O2 Apollo — however, they are resales.
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The Brighton boys might be going for a bit of a smaller venue this time around but believe us, this place is already packed out and if you’ve ever been to a sold-out gig, you know it can be a proper cauldron.
You can secure a spot from £53.63 on Ticketmaster and, obviously, keep an eye on other reseller sites like Twickets and TicketSwap but, as always, we urge you to stay away from ticket touts — there’s no point in getting stung on a Friday night.
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Credit: Royal Blood (via Instagram)
Who’s supporting Royal Blood in Manchester?
As for Royal Blood’s support acts for the Manchester gig, you’ve just got one this time which, in our opinion, often means two very good things: firstly, that the one act the artist has chosen gone is so good they don’t need another warm-up and secondly, the sets usually last longer. Only good news.
On this occasion, the standalone support comes from Hastings-based three-piece HotWax, who are already making a name for themselves as one of the most exciting new names in the genre that you should keep your eye on.
The trio have been around since 2020 and literally just released a brand-new EP entitled, Invite me, kindly. If you’ve never come across them before, we can promise you at three things: lots of raw rock riffs that will have no trouble filling the room, plenty of harmonised vocals and some funky basslines — no wonder Mike and Ben like them.
Now, as for when you’ll be hearing these two brilliant bands, the Apollo’s doors open at 7pm on Friday, 21 October and the curfew is expected to be around 11pm as per usual.
The venue doesn’t usually announce the specific stage times until around 2pm the day of the event but we’ll update you as soon as we know more. That being said, you can probably expect Royal Blood to take the stage around 9pm.
It goes without saying that stage times are always subject to change, so make sure to keep an eye on both the band and the Apollo’s social media channels, as well as check the event page nearer to the time.
Setlist
Having not long wrapped up their North American shows, Manchester has the honour of being the first proper date on the UK leg of their tour (because of course it does) after just playing a handful of more intimate album launch shows back at the start of last month.
With that being said, Royal Blood could have changed up things since then but if we’re going off their most recent shows over in the States, Setlist.fm has the running order looking something like this:
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Mountains at Midnight
Boilermaker
Come on Over
Lights Out
Triggers
Trouble’s Coming
Typhoons
Pull Me Through
Little Monster (followed by drum solo)
How Did We Get So Dark?
Tell Me When It’s Too Late
Loose Change
Out of the Black
Encore:
Waves
Shiner in the Dark
Figure It Out
Travel and parking for the O2 Apollo
As for those of you who haven’t been to this legendary gig location before or might be travelling into town from elsewhere, it’s very straightforward to get there.
Your main train station is, of course, Manchester Piccadilly and the same goes for your nearest Metrolink tram stop. There are also plenty of buses from the city centre on the Bee Network, with 192, 201, 203, 204 and 205 all stopping right by the Apollo. You can check the TfGM website for more info and to plan your journey.
As for parking for those of you driving to the concert, there are two official car parks immediately adjacent to the building which will both cost £10.00 to stay there — strictly cash only and obviously on a first-come-first-serve basis.
With plenty of new tracks being played for the first time as well as the hits that put these two musicians on the map, this is sure to be an absolute rager of a gig in what remains one of our favourite venues.
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We’ll tell you another thing, there’ll be nothing disappointing or “pathetic” about the crowd’s performance here in Manchester, lads — you just make sure you put on a good show and we’ll do all the rest, don’t worry.
Fast-rising alt-rock cult favourites Keo announce Manchester gig on new UK tour
Danny Jones
Up-and-coming alternative rock band Keo have just announced a new UK tour and “most ambitious chapter yet” in terms of live performances, including a Manchester gig that we CANNOT wait for.
Combining the likes of post-grunge, garage rock and more, Keo are one of the most exciting and fast-emerging new acts in the space right now, having seen their recent run of half a dozen domestic shows sell out completely.
Pulling influences from artists of The Smashing Pumpkins and Soundgarden, as well as most notably fellow contemporaries and former tour partner, Wunderhorse, they’re well-positioned at the front of the guitar-driven revival and are bound for big things. We’re by no means the only ones banking on it either…
Having been described as “already that band” by Dork and delivering “a sound that has given UK guitar its biggest kick up the fretboard in years” by Rolling Stone, you can bet tickets for these shows will be snapped up in seconds, too.
UK and Europe spring 2026. Pre-sale: 03 Nov 2025 10AM GMT On Sale: 05 Nov 2025 10AM GMT pic.twitter.com/Xz1km0Z93O
Set to play their biggest Manchester venue to date, Keo will be playing the O2 Ritz on Whitworth Street next spring, and let us tell you, that sprung floor is not ready…
Co-fronted by two brothers, Finn and Conor Keogh (originally from Devon before ultimately getting their music careers underway in the capital), the now London-based group make quite a racket for just the four of them.
That being said, they also do quiet moments well, too, as seen in several of the ‘calm before the storm’ breakouts in songs like ‘Thorn’, ‘Fly’, ‘Crow’ and many more.
If you like anything close to grunge or even just shoegazey riffs, trust us, they’ll be right up your street.
One of the most exciting parts about this lot is how feverishly their fans have packed out their audiences all over the country, somehow learning every single word to every song before most of the material had even been released on any kind of platform. They’ve led with their live reputation – and it shows.
Case and point – the crowd at The Key Club in Leeds, where our mates over at The Hoot got to witness them up close and personal as the entire room erupted in a chorus of screams about a girl called Amber:
“To be playing venues like these with only five songs out still feels surreal”, says lead singer Finn Keogh. “We always imagined we’d reach this level after years of supporting other bands, but somehow we’ve skipped that step.
“It’s mad, come March, our biggest indoor shows will have been our own. Electric Ballroom [in London] is a special one for me personally; I’ve seen some life-changing gigs there. To be on that stage this time around is going to feel unreal.”
Listing a total of 16 live show dates up and down the country throughout March and April of 2026, it’s fair to say we Mancs are excited to see them playing their biggest room in our city to date, having absolutely smashed Gorilla this past October.
Tickets for Keo at the O2 Ritz in Manchester go on sale next Wednesday, 5 November at 10am; you can get ready to grab yours right HERE.
The debut release from Keo has delighted fans and critics alike, and their Manchester gig is sure to be a stormer.
IDLES frontman Joe Talbot set for ’10 Songs That Made Me’ interview at AO Arena
Danny Jones
Cult favourite frontman Joe Talbot of IDLES fame is set to for an eye-opening sit-down interview as part of AO Arena’s ’10 Songs That Made Me’ series.
The lead singer of the politically-charged post-punk band will be joining the in-conversation event opposite BBC 6 Music host and popular radio host, full stop, Chris Hawkins.
Having often drifted into hardcore, art rock and even spoken word at times, Joe Talbot and co. have become known for the cutting lyricism and insightful songwriting in general, so we can only assume that diving into his own musical influences will be just as riveting.
Joining his fellow audophile on stage at the city’s legendary live music and entertainment venue this November, Talbot and Hawkins will be running through the tracks that quite literally helped create the musician we know today.
According to the AO, the arena will host an in-depth chat with the provocative 41-year-old artist as he walks Chris Hawkins through “the most important musical chapters of his life, his stunning musical journey from resident DJ at one of Bristol’s hottest clubs, through to headlining Glastonbury festival.”
It is quite the career he’s had when you break it down.
They go on to promise “raw honesty and trademark wit” as Joe reflects on the record, acts and cultural moments that shaped him as a young performer before breaking onto the scene with IDLES.
As for the ’10 Songs That Made Me’ series itself, it may be what it says on the tin, but most interestingly, being in the crowd and hearing it from each different group/individual changes the experience entirely.
“More than a story of success—it’s a journey of resilience, passion, and community”, they go on to add. “Expect an evening of candid conversation, unexpected anecdotes, and deep dives into the music that has not only defined Joe’s career but also resonated with millions around the world.
If you’re fans of the band or Talbot, in particular, you’ll already know they’re great orators; plus, if you caught even a small clip from his own fledgling Oh Gatekeeper podcast, you’ll know he loves nothing more than diving deep into tunes that shape not just the audio landscape but people at their core.
Just casually getting the lead singer of The Strokes on for in the first season, as you do…
On a personal note, we’ve watched the IDLES x Grammy Museum interview on multiple ocassions at this point, and know how much artistry there is behind everything they do.
The same goes for Talbot, specifically – there’s no doubt about that.
If you’re interested in being part of the audience for Joe Talbot’s in conversation event with Chris Hawkins as part of ’10 Songs That Made Me’, tickets for the date at AO Arena on Tuesday, 25 November are live now, and you can grab yours via Skiddle right HERE.
Last but not least, special mention goes to the interviewing expert himself, whose recent chat with Tim Burgess about The Charlatans getting back into the studio is also well worth a listen.
Tune in to 6 Music from 1pm today, @Tim_Burgess is my very special guest and rumour has it that we might get to hear a brand new Charlatans track… pic.twitter.com/vzoGDnvS7G
Danny Jones -
19th October 2023 
