Here Come the Young Men
As I sit and write this post, the 15th of June 2024. It has been five years, since Courteeners, James, DMA’s and Pale Waves stepped out on stage at Heaton Park.
I think the five year anniversary is a good time to sit and reflect on that gig because I feel like there’s a lot to talk about, in perspective of the band as well as the fans.
Heaton Park 2019 was the second time the band had played the venue. However where it differed from the bands debut in 2015 is the capacity. 2015 saw them play to 25,000 people. 2019 was double that at 50,000. The gig sold out really quickly, and I remember it being a bit of a mad rush to get tickets. I sat and bought mine in university halls. Having watched the announcement video just says before.
The band had played to 50,000 people two years previously at Lancashire County Cricket Club.
However the circumstances in which that gig took place, made it more than just a party. It was a moment for the city of Manchester to rally. Following the attack on the Arena just five days previously.
The band acknowledged this on stage, by saying ‘two years ago at the cricket ground we weren’t allowed a proper party really, tonight’s a proper fucking party.”
It was exactly that, a setlist that covered all eras of the band, even with some looks to the future. The band played three unreleased songs that night, with ‘Better Man’, ‘Heavy Jacket’ and ‘Hanging Off Your Cloud’.
It was a celebration but also a look to what was coming. The band reinforced themselves as one of the best musical outfits from Manchester. Selling out Heaton Park is not something to be sniffed at.
A setlist that had all of the indie bangers we’ve come to expect. ‘Are You Love with A Notion’ opened the set. An encore of ‘Cavorting’, ‘Modern Love’ ‘Not Nineteen Forever’ and ‘What Took You So Long’ brought proceedings to a close. ‘Van Der Graff’ made a welcome come back. ‘The Opener’ saw the band sing a love letter to the city of Manchester and its people. A real poignant moment in a brilliant set.
That sort of thing is usually reserved for Oasis, The Stone Roses, multi day festivals. Yet Courteeners and their army of loyal fans managed to sell it out.
As a fan it felt like a special gig, going into it. We were 19, going out was still relatively new to us, we were at university and had very little responsibilities, and we were all making that journey to Manchester for one of the biggest gigs of that year. It seems cliche now but at the time, this was the closest thing we had to Spike Island, Knebworth, Glastonbury.
Travelling to Manchester, drinking socialising with Courteeners fans. Thousands of us making our way to Heaton Park, to watch a band that many of the critics had written off. That’s the thing with Courteeners they don’t feel like a big band, they still have that connection with the fans. They’re not yours they’re ours.
As for the gig, from where we were stood, it didn’t live up to the expectations we had put on it. But I don’t think it ever could. We’d built it up so much, and in typical Manchester fashion it absolutely chucked it down. Which did put a damper on it. However it was still one of the most important gigs we ever attended. One of those that we still look back on fondly.
A gig that left us soaked, muddy but yet provided us one of the best adventures of our teenage years. A gig that taught us a lesson.
What Liam Fray said in 2008 is so true.
‘Your Not Nineteen Forever’
Thank you for reading
For Sean, and Archie x