As June rolls around and we reach the middle of the year, it’s a good time to reflect on the fun we’ve had so far. Post COVID, we’ve been hit by a plethora of gigs from our favourite bands, induced by unavoidable radio listening during consecutive lockdowns (cheers, 6Music!), and June certainly isn’t putting a stop to that any time soon.
There’s an array of places to tap your toes and nod your head in sync with melodic synth-pop, Japanese experimental and early noughties nostalgia this month – so scroll on to see our round up of the very best shows!
P1 Caps, Ragoloco and Dj Rosh at Band On The Wall
Saturday 4th June
Inner City Waves returns at Band on the Wall. A free-entry showcase of local emerging future-facing urban artists curated by Berry Blacc, who will be taking over the brand new bar stage.
Public Image Ltd at O2 Ritz
Monday 6th June
Just off the back of the premier of Danny Boyle’s brand-new Pistols series, John Lydon will play Manchester next week with Public Image Ltd. Hopefully you’ll catch him in one of his better moods, as the once Sex Pistols frontman has strongly objected to the new series that provides insight into the band’s early years. If he’s feeling up to it, though, I’m sure you’ll be singing along to iconic tracks such as ‘Public Image’, ‘Rise’ and ‘This Is Not A Love Song’.
Run The Jewels at O2 Victoria Warehouse
Monday 6th June
Atlanta rapper Killer Mike and New York rapper and producer El-P, aka Run The Jewels, are back for their first UK headline shows since 2017, in support of their latest, blistering album, RTJ4.
YAANG at YES
Thursday 9th June
Salford’s electronic, post-punk trio, YAANG have a headline slot at YES next Thursday. The band shot to fame pre COVID with a performance at Macclesfield’s Bluedot festival, and after acquiring a brand-new member during lockdown, the band have subsequently released some mega tracks including the most recent ‘White Socks Yellow’. The track embodies chaotic vocals and Fall-esque riffs that capture the merge between the bygone and modern day musical spirit of Salford.
Glue70 & Mangetout at Band On The Wall
Friday 10th June
Ad Hoc Records are taking over Band On The Wall’s bar stage to host live sets from Manchester’s own Glue70 and multi-instrumentalist producer and DJ Mangetout alongside Ad Hoc resident DJs
Daði Freyr at Manchester Academy
Friday 10th June
Eurovision royalty will grace Manchester Academy this month! Icelandic musician, Daði Freyr was set to represent the country in the 2020 contest with the catchy ‘Think About Things’, but unfortunately it was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. That didn’t mean that his music wasn’t celebrated across the world though, as he returned in 2021 with ‘10 Years’, finishing in a respectable fourth place.
Deliluh at The White Hotel
Friday 10th June
Collaboration through Toronto’s DIY community forged Deliluh, a post-punk exploration of poetry through eerie vocals. Now just a duo, they are returning to the North West in support of new album ‘Fault Lines’, which is a record that has a circular sound, drifting through moments of menace and sonic seclusion to create an alternative album made to be performed at Salford’s infamous White Hotel.
Parklife at Heaton Park
Saturday 11th & Sunday 12th June
Parklife is back, baby! This time in summer, too, so we can hope and pray for a little bit of sunshine. We definitely deserve it. The line-up sees the likes of 50 Cent, Bicep, Peggy Gou, Carl Cox and The Blessed Madonna take to its stages across the 2-day weekend, which only has Sunday day tickets left, alongside Weekend VIP packages, so be quick if you’re thinking of stopping by!
Yama Warashi at The Talleyrand
Saturday 11th June
Yama Warashi is an experimental musician and artist from Japan. Her music is inspired by Japanese folk, dance and jazz that is heavily doused in psychedelia, creating unique soundscapes with outlandish and charming lyrics. She has lived in London since 2019, where she first garnered the ‘Yama Warashi’ pseudonym, and has been touring the art concept ever since.
Alicia Keys at AO Arena
Saturday 11th June
The multiple Grammy-winning songstress is bringing her soulful voice and adept piano skills to Manchester as part of her Alicia + Keys world tour.
Elvis Costello at The Opera House
Saturday 11th June
Once at the forefront of the Punk and New Wave scene of the 70s, Elvis Costello’s intelligent lyrics and bold multi-instrumental hits made an entire nation weak at the knees. Now in his late 60s, the singer is still touring and has recently brought out brand-new album, ‘The Boy Named If’, which he will be celebrating at The Opera House later in the month.
Parquet Courts at The Albert Hall
Sunday 12th June
American indie-rockers Parquet Courts have got a big gig at The Albert Hall this June. Hailing from New York City, the band garnered a cult following after the release of their first album ‘Tally All The Things You Broke’ and have since gone on to release an incredible discography of noisy punk records that were made to be experienced up close and personal!
Diana Ross at AO Arena
Tuesday 14th June
This is not a drill! Legendary disco queen, Diana Ross is landing in Manchester in a couple of weeks to perform as part of her ‘UK Thank You’ Tour. Armed with all of the dancefloor classics, the now 78-year-old icon will surely put on a gorgeous show celebrating everything stunning about her career, from incredible costume changes to karaoke hits.
Bo Ningen at YES
Tuesday 14th June
Embodying today’s art music scene, Bo Ningen fuse disparate sounds and influences into a psychedelic fusion of fierce and eclectic grooves that aren’t for the faint hearted! Very much inspired by the grunge scene of the 90s, alongside bands including The Fall and Primal Scream, the Japanese noise rock four-piece will no doubt blow the roof off YES’ Pink Room.
TLC at The Albert Hall
Wednesday 15th June
Girl power pioneers TLC will make their triumphant return to Manchester this month with a date at the Albert Hall. We all love belting out classic karaoke hits ‘No Scrubs’ and ‘Waterfalls’ in our favourite boozers at 1am, but in a couple of weeks we’ll all get the chance to hear these timeless tracks sung live by no other than Rozonda Thomas and Tionne Watkins themselves!
Tigers Jaw at YES
Thursday 16th June
A nostalgic glimpse back to being 14 and learning guitar for the first time, Tigers Jaw were one of the original ‘sad’ bands I found myself angstily relating to. The band are still going strong, bringing their melodic, uncategorised catchy songs to newest album ‘I Won’t Care How You Remember Me’, which is likely to be celebrated in full this tour, as it was released during lockdown.
FEET at Gorilla
Friday 17th June
Coventry clowns, FEET are back in Manchester this month with their incredibly catchy, satirical indie-rock. The band will play a gig at Gorilla, belting out tunes from their 2019 debut album ‘What’s Inside Is More Than Just Ham’ with the odd-stage dive thrown in there, too.
Pond at Manchester Academy
Saturday 18th June
Ex-Tame Impala royalty, Nick Allbrook now fronts Aussie psych band Pond who embody everything great about the cult Western Australian scene. Their collective take on sunshine-psychedelia has created incredible albums such as ‘Hobo Rocket’, ‘Man It Feels Like Space Again’ and the more recent ‘9’, which they’ll be bringing to the Academy at the end of the month!
The Avalanches at O2 Ritz
Tuesday 21st June
Masters of the sample, The Avalanches were a band that reinvented the 90’s dance scene, crafting never-heard-before music that sat atop multi-layered soundbites, string sections and electronica that was strongly influenced by the decade’s clubbing movement. They set the template for modern-day sampling, and will celebrate the 2020 album ‘We Will Always Love You’ in what promises to be a raucous evening at the Ritz.
Snail Mail at O2 Ritz
Thursday 23rd June
Snailmail aka Lindsey Jordan is finally back after a difficult period between the release of 2018s ‘Lush’ and 2021s ‘Valentine’. The singer struggled with addiction and, in November 2020, spent 45 days in Rehab. Valentine is an honest recount of her experiences becoming a nationally celebrated indie rockstar and all of the problems that it subsequently brought. Her eagerly awaited live return will hopefully be full of slow guitar melodies and beautifully matched vocals that sit on top of glittering synth pop sounds, everything we know and love about her music.
Suzanne Ciani at Band On The Wall
Friday 24th June
The five-time Grammy award-nominated composer and electronic music pioneer, Suzanne Ciani is known for her countless work in TV and film, alongside her 16 solo albums giving her legendary status as one of the world’s most creatively successful female composers. Her influence over the synthesiser has been epic, and her show at Band On The Wall is definitely not one to be missed.
St Vincent at Manchester Academy
Saturday 25th June
Annie Clark aka St Vincent is bringing her spectacular stage show to Manchester Academy at the end of the month. Her enigmatic, poetic music has won her a Grammy, alongside an admirable take on songwriting that crafts gorgeous melodies and heartwarming funk.
