John Gilman's A year in perspective 2024

Man of the hour...

We at Heads Up North Manchester would like to thank and congratulate Mr John Gilman for all his efforts this year and can't wait to continue working with him in 2025...

Here is his review on 2024... We love you John!

2024: A Year in Gigs – Retrospective

63 gigs. 181 bands. Two festivals. What a year! From nostalgic singalongs to bruising pit mayhem, this whirlwind of live music showcased the vibrancy of the North’s music scene and beyond. Here’s a look back at the highlights, sprinkled with excerpts from my reviews on Heads Up North Manchester.

Top Gigs & Bands of 2024

1. Idles (x2)

“Idles delivered ferocity and catharsis in equal measure. The energy in the pit was primal, with frontman Joe Talbot commanding the chaos like a poet of the apocalypse.”

Both sets were unforgettable, and their second show hit another level, leaving us all battered and euphoric.

2. The K’s (x3)

“Local heroes The K’s feel like they’re on the cusp of something massive. Each time, they brought the house down, with ‘Sarajevo’ and ‘Picture’ turning the crowd into a single throbbing mass.”

With three high-octane gigs, their rise is unstoppable.

3. Limp Bizkit

“Fred Durst still knows how to work a crowd. The nostalgia was palpable, but the band felt fresh, with a setlist that united old-school fans and newcomers.”

Nothing like a little 2000s chaos to reignite that teenage angst.

4. Bob Vylan

“Few acts can mix rage and wit so effectively. Bob Vylan’s incendiary performance was an unrelenting assault on the senses—and a wake-up call for anyone not paying attention.”

An essential voice of rebellion and easily one of the most impactful sets of the year.

5. Soft Play (x2)

“Soft Play proved why they’re festival staples. With anthems like ‘Kerb Stomp’ ‘girl fight’ ‘F**k the hi hat’ and ‘Pub Feed,’ they ignited the crowd into a frenzy both nights.”

No-frills punk-rock perfection.

6. The Pixies (x2)

“The Pixies remain untouchable. Black Francis’s haunting vocals and Joey Santiago’s searing guitar created a spellbinding atmosphere that felt like a masterclass in alternative rock.”

Two nights of perfection from one of the most influential bands in history.

7. Sex Pistols (Tribute)

“Not the real thing, but you wouldn’t have known from the energy in the room. A blistering run through the classics brought punk’s fury and rebellion roaring back to life.”

A chaotic, sweaty night that did justice to the legends.

8. Bowling for Soup (x2)

“Texas’s pop-punk stalwarts were in fine form. Jaret Reddick’s humor and the band’s anthemic tracks ensured everyone left with a smile—and probably a sore throat.”

Guaranteed good vibes every time.

9. Sum 41 (x2)

“The end of an era. As they prepare to disband, Sum 41’s gigs were a bittersweet farewell filled with crowd-surfing, singalongs, and tears.”

A poignant and exhilarating goodbye to a pop-punk institution.

10. Les Misérables (Arena Tour)

“Les Misérables was an epic spectacle. Alfie Boe and Michael Ball’s performances were spine-tingling, while Bonnie Langford stole the show with unexpected comedic flair.”

A stunning theatrical experience that transcended its musical roots.

Key Moments Across the Year

• Nostalgia Overload: The Black Crowes, Stiff Little Fingers, Sex Pistols , The The and Deacon Blue brought heartwarming throwbacks. “The Black Crowes felt like a shot of whiskey straight to the soul.”

• Pit Chaos: Whether it was the raw aggression of Creeper (“A masterclass in modern emo-punk”) or the carnage of Wargasm, Amyl & the sniffers, Idles,Bob Vylan and Skindred, the pits were relentless this year.

• Rising Stars: Acts like Dead Pony, The Lottery Winners,the lilacs, Shambolics, the kairos and Villanelle left lasting impressions, especially The Lottery Winners as “the pride of Leigh, destined for much bigger stages.”

• Festival Fever: Two festivals packed in unforgettable moments, including scene-stealing performances by Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes,Soft Play,Hanabie and that unforgettable performance from Limp Bizkit.

2024 was nothing short of spectacular—a year that celebrated every facet of live music. “There’s something magical about the North’s ability to bring people together through music, whether it’s punk mayhem, heartfelt indie, or arena-sized drama.”

2024 band List: Dirty Blonde, Reverend and the Makers, The Lottery Winners (guest list), Dear Superstar, Rubicon, The Treatment, Buckcherry, The Vandoliers, Less Than Jake (pit), Bowling for Soup (pit), Mouth Culture, Dead Pony (pit), The Blackout (pit), Boy’s Shorts, Alison Goldfrapp, Chicane, Tom A Smith, First Breath After Coma, Rosellas, Starsailor, The Farm, Slow Readers Club, James, T’Pau, The Pale Light (barrier), The Pixies (pit), The Pale Light (barrier) night 2, The Pixies (pit) night 2, As Everything Unfolds, P.O.D., Skindred (pit), Buddy, Ben Ottewell & Ian Ball (Gomez), Glen Matlock, Stiff Little Fingers (pit), Cirque De Soleill, Mammoth WVH, Slash & Myles Kennedy, The Skids, From The Jam (pit), Sky Ferreira, Jonathon Hulton, Myrkur, The K’s (pit), Villanelle, Alex Spencer, Seb Lowe, The Rolling People, The Clause, The K’s (pit), Lancashire Hot Pots, The Jimmy Jones All Stars, The Black Crowes, Camens, Echobelly, Thirty Seconds to Mars, Oh My God It’s the Church, Old Dirty Brastards, Holocene, Hanabie, Those Damn Crows, Scene Queen, All Them Witches, Soft Play (pit), Black Stone Cherry, Royal Blood (pit), Queens of the Stone Age (pit), Bambie Thug, Wargasm (pit), The Hunna, Frank Carter & the Rattlesnakes, Babymetal, Enter Shikari, The Offspring (pit), Fall Out Boy, Code Orange, Creeper (pit), Kerry King, Bowling for Soup (pit), Sum 41 (pit), Limp Bizkit, Avenged Sevenfold, Demob Happy, Death From Above 1979 (pit), Car Bomb, Dirty Loops, Graphic Nature (pit), Hail the Sun, Heart of a Coward, Ithaca, Kyros, Seething Akira, The Fall of Troy, Conjurer, TesseracT (pit), Malarky, Asian Blond, Medulla, The Rolling People, The Lottery Winners (pit) 100, The K’s (pit), Dead XIII, Combichrist (pit), Kyle Daniel, Reed Southall, Ten56, Novelists (pit), Northlane (pit), The Bites, The Treatment, The Dead Daisies, Ariel Salad, Meryl Streek, Sultans of Ping FC (pit), The Kairos, The Sex Pistols (pit), Gary Clail, Pop Will Eat Itself (pit), The The, Anna B Savage, St. Vincent, Urban Heat, Molchat Doma, Panic Shack (pit), Soft Play (pit), Echobelly, Jesus Jones, EMF, The Bronx, Sum 41 (pit), Moth Slut, Creeper (pit), Arkayla, The Crooks, The Lilacs (pit), CLT DRP, Hyphen, Bob Vylan (pit), Uno Mas, Token Honey, Spinn, Obituary, Jinjer (pit), Sepultura (pit), Upchuck, Amyl & the Sniffers (pit), Natalie Imbruglia, The Corrs, Essential Logic, Penetration, Danny Clements, Embrace, Jeremiah Ferrari, The Lilacs, XG, The Fear, InMe, Alien Ant Farm, Jack Jones, Stereo MC’s. Bilimuri,Sleep token,Mayflower,Better joy,Hard fi,Lambrini girls,Idles,Halflives ,From fall to spring,Smash into pieces,Willie J Healey ,Idles (PIT), Soapbox,Gallus ,Dead pony (pit), Black Lace, Showaddywaddy, Lancashire hotpots, The Shambolics, Tom Meighan, les miseráblès.(arena tour with Michael ball/Alfie Boe & Bonnie Langford)

63 gigs

181 bands

Two festivals.

Top 10

1- Idles x2

2- The K’s x3

3- Limp Bizkit

4-Bob Vylan

5- Soft Play x2

6- The Pixies x2

7- Sex pistols

8- Bowling for soup x2