Oh! My Hometown One

Friday 9th June 2023, was for many people in the UK just another Friday, however for over 100,000 thousand music fans it would be a significant day indeed. Courteeners fans caught trams, buses, taxis and walked to Heaton Park. Arctic Monkey's followers descended to Hilsborough to watch the bands first Sheffield gig in 5 years. The Geordie Springsteen, Sam Fender would step out on stage for the first time at St James Park with an all star support line up.

The concerts, were a huge significant indicator of just how important and prominent 'guitar music' still is in the UK. All three gigs were sold out, and there was nearly 50,000 people at each one. Each gig also had a full support line up, with some indie legends for example The Hives supporting Arctic Monkeys but also the next generation of bands, Inhaler, The Snuts, Holly Humberston, Brooke Combe, The Mysterines and even DMA's.

A mix of genres, and more importantly genders. These lineups have had more diversity than the vast majority of festivals this summer. 

They were more than just concerts though, hometown gigs always are. Each of these artists is a symbol of where they are from, in both who they are as people and the music that they write record and produce. Sam Fender's two albums are tales of working class life, Sheffield flows through each Arctic Monkeys album, always ever present from direct references in the first two records to more niche colloquialisms in later records. St Jude and the records that follow are ingrained in Manchester as are Courteeners themselves. 

Three Northern bands, gave three Northern Cities a party that they will never forget. That is quite something.

To all those doubters (yes even you Noel Gallagher) last night seemed to prove that guitar music really isn't dead. Rock's new voice Sam Fender made the jump into stadiums. The band of the 00's came home and highlighted just how great their discography is! Liam Fray and his band slotted into the lineage of great Manchester bands if they hadn't done that already.

Thank you for reading x