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“Once you get used to all the kitsch and explosiveness of Justin Timberlake’s live show, you’re in for a wild ride.”
There was a time, I’m pretty sure, when Justin Timberlake was the coolest man in pop music.
The Tennessee native is a triple threat: He can sing, dance and act (…okay, that last one is debatable. We’ve all seen In Time).
There may be more memes about him than he’d like to admit lately (“What tour? The world tour”), but put him back on a big stage and you’ll quickly remember why Justin is often referred to as the Prince of Pop.
He has over 30 years of fame behind him, producing non-stop pop hits and arena tours, as well as many years spent as part of legendary boy band N SYNC.
In the early days of Justin Timberlake’s solo career, I was a teary-eyed teenager with his poster on the wall. I even got a mug for my 16th birthday that said “Born to be Mrs. Justin Timberlake” and I still drink a beer out of it today.
The chance to see my first celebrity crush live on stage for the first time, and that with the breathtaking Co-op Live Arena, triggered a kind of giddy shudder that I thought I had left behind about the time I stopped writing “DJ luvz JT” in my school planner.
We have a fantastic view of the whole thing from the venue’s new hangout area, which is high up in the building, where you basically sit at the bar and watch the concert.
Justin Timberlake is obviously not quite the same pop star I fell in love with all those years ago.
During the UK leg of his The Forget Tomorrow World Tour, there are definitely moments where he comes close to being embarrassing, like when he insists on starting drum solos with a full stop and a shout of “DRUMS!” It’s so aggressively American that I feel like we all have to say the Pledge of Allegiance to get in. I’m constantly vacillating between disgust and wanting to throw my bra on the stage.
But once you get used to all the kitsch and explosiveness of Justin Timberlake’s live show, you’re in for a wild ride.
His older hits like “Cry Me A River,” “Senorita,” and “Summer Love” blend seamlessly with material from his most recent album, “Everything I Thought It Was,” with a dash of family-friendly chart hits like Trolls’ “Can’t Stop the Feeling!”
Throughout the show, true to the spirit of the 1990s boy band bible, Justin spends almost as much time dancing as he does singing, with at least one perfectly executed dance break in every single song.
He also goes the extra mile: rather than sneaking to his smaller B-stage, he instead takes his time dancing and singing his way through the crowd, taking a heartwarming amount of time to give those seated in the accessible section a front-row seat.
His audience participation mainly consists of being nice to kids and wooing women with birthday songs. His natural charisma does the trick. At one point he asks who in the room is single and I let out an enthusiastic “WOOOO” even though my husband is waiting for me at home.
The production is full of surprises (unless you’re on Tiktok): an entire section of the big screen breaks off and floats away from the stage, twisting and tilting as it goes.
During the encore of “Mirrors,” Justin rides the big screen like a giant glowing surfboard, then it folds up like a Murphy bed and takes him with it. Will he have to rappel down the other side? Who knows.
There really aren’t many artists in the industry who have been so successful for so long.
And that’s why, in 2024, I will still proudly drink from my mug that says “Born Mrs. Justin Timberlake.”
Featured image: The Manc Group
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Tickets for the 20th anniversary of the Kendal Calling Festival are now available and selling out quickly
Danielle Jones
After another hugely successful year for Kendal Calling, tickets for the 20th anniversary of the popular Northern festival have gone on sale and are already selling out quickly.
2024 was sold out for the 19th year in a row, and you can bet Kendal calls Tickets for 2025 are also going faster than you think.
With more than 40,000 people flocking to Lowther Deer Park in the Lake District every 24 hours during the four-day music and arts festival, it is one of the biggest and best festivals in the region.
Let’s put it this way: We’ve definitely had a lot of fun over the last two years.
To put it in context for you, in numbers, the festival suddenly makes the town the third biggest town in Cumbria, thanks to the hordes of new visitors, families and returning fans who come to Lakes just for the party.
Described by many as the “Little Glastonbury of the North”, the organisers have already built up a remarkable reputation and attracted big names over the years.
From Bastille, elbow and Snoop Dogg; Catfish and the Bottlemen, Blondie, Chase and Status; Public Enemy, Calvin Harris, Tom Jones and countless others, Kendal Calling has a remarkable track record and is only set to get bigger and better as it approaches its 20th anniversary – a huge milestone for any festival.
Viral moments from this year’s legendary lineup included Declan McKenna’s iconic set on opening night on Thursday, Manchester’s own Corella jumping into the crowd on the main stage and of course Gary Neville wowing the crowd with a DJ set amusing antics on stage for us Mancs.
It is moments like these that explain exactly why tickets sell out every year and why they will not be sold out even a week after the end of the 2024 edition.
It must also be remembered that the festival is about much more than just the music.
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After this year’s festival, Kendal Callings co-founder Andy Smith said: “From Paolo Nutini to Gary Neville, Noel Gallagher’s high-flying birds from Dick and Dom, to packed fields for the Sugababes and The Reytons, to the legendary Barrioke, forest adventures and swashbuckling parades… even a special visit from the Fury family backstage.
“The history books are still being written and 19 years of them could well have been our best yet! As festival goers head off for another year and we return the fields to the wildlife that call them home, we would like to say a huge and heartfelt thank you to each and every one of you who make Kendal Calling the magical place that it is!
“The exuberance, community and indescribable feeling of joy permeates every corner of our site and we owe it all to you!” They have ensured that this gratitude continues to be repaid by freezing ticket prices and even offering payment plans from just £15 per month.
With tickets already on sale for the 2025 20th Anniversary Festival, we can only urge you to give it a go. The festival runs from July 31 to August 3. Early bird adult passes with camping for the whole weekend are available from £184.95 including fees.
The full list of options can be found HEREWe hope to see you in the fields next year and you can read our full report on Kendal Calling 2024 below.
Who else had an absolute blast at @KendalCalling this year? 🙌#KendalCalls #KendaCalling2024 | ADVERTISEMENThttps://t.co/WmslFIAYNu
— The Manc (@TheMancUK) 5 August 2024
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Featured images – The Manc Group/Abbie Jennings (courtesy)
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Honors for Manc legend and Piccadilly Council dancer “Tommy Trouble”
Daisy Jackson
Piccadilly Council legend Tommy Piggot, known to many as Tommy Trouble, has died.
Tommy is a familiar face to most Mancians thanks to his years of performing with the Piccadilly Rats, a well-known busking and street band.
He was often seen dancing in Piccadilly Gardenswore his characteristic police helmet and once opened the main stage of the Parklife Festival with the group.
They were even the stars of a music video by Tameside rock band CABBAGE.
The Piccadilly Rats have not performed for several years since the death of their frontman Ray Boddington, who was killed in a collision with a tram in 2019.
Tommy Trouble died on Monday evening at the age of 82 from the effects of a seizure, his family said. He had previously battled cancer, dementia and epilepsy for years.
Tributes are pouring in for the beloved Manc icon, who will be “sorely missed.”
One person wrote: “So sad to hear of the passing of Tommy from the Piccadilly Rats. He was wonderful.”
Nathan Cunningham, director of the documentary “The Piccadilly Rats: Live in Moderation”, described Tommy Trouble as “a crazy, funny, loving and caring man”.
He said: “RIP Tommy Trouble. A Manc folk hero and friend who shared his life with me for six years during the filming of the Piccadilly Rats movie.”
“A crazy, funny, loving, caring man. He made me laugh, he made me cry. God bless his soul as he dances with Ray in heaven.”
RIP Tommy Trouble. A Manc folk hero and friend who shared his life with me for 6 years whilst filming the Piccadilly Rats movie. A mad, funny, loving, caring man. He made me laugh, he made me cry. God bless his soul as he dances with Ray in heaven 🙏 pic.twitter.com/xLdu7BNpSK
– Nathan Cunningham (@NathGeese78) 7 August 2024
Someone else wrote on Facebook: “Just read that Tommy Piggot (known in the Piccadilly area as Tommy Trouble) passed away on Monday. He was well known in the Market Street area as he was always dancing wearing a police helmet mainly outside Primark Manchester.
“He used to travel by bus recently, collecting armfuls of free newspapers and handing them out around Piccadilly. I would stop and have a few words with him and slip him a tenner. He will be sorely missed by all who knew him.”
In a tribute to the MEN from his family, it says: “He loved to just go out on the town, dance and bring joy to other people. That was what he loved to do.”
Rest in peace, Tommy Trouble 🥲
The Piccadilly Rats were the best buskers in the world!
I dance with Tommy!
Now he’s dancing up there with Ray. Love you both xxx 💔#ThePiccadillyRats #TommyTrouble @GPiccadillyRats 🐀 pic.twitter.com/dICwcimd6Q
– Rachel Doyle 🐝 (@Rachel_Doyle72) 7 August 2024
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Featured image: KOHL