CityLife

CityLife's 2009 Big Gig Guide

WALK IN THE PARK: Oasis 1 / 5 images

THERE’S no denying 2009 has a lot to live up to.

Surpassing Bruce Springsteen’s three-hour stadium rock tour-de-force (who will ever forget the sight of the tub-thumping 58-year-old knee-sliding the full length of the Old Trafford stage?), Radiohead’s intense, majestic and, at times, blissful display on 2008’s warmest summer evening or Kings Of Leon’s epic M.E.N. Arena performance where they emphatically dismissed any misgivings they were only pretenders to U2’s global crown – will take some doing during the next 12 months.

A quick glance at the schedule though reveals much promise though.

As is tradition, the action gets underway in earnest with the annual NME charabanc, the ShockWaves Tour.

Attempting to sashay where The Killers, Arctic Monkeys, Bloc Party, Franz Ferdinand, The View, The Cribs and our own Ting Tings have shimmied in their skinny jeans before this year will be Glasvegas (Academy 1, Feb 6/7, £15.59 – first night sold out, 0161 832 1111).

2008 was a remarkable year for the melancholic Glaswegian rockabilly outfit: two albums, numerous sold out tours and a widespread fawned from press and public alike, topping it in 2009 will take some doing.

In what is one of the hottest line-ups in years, frontman James Allan and Co will be ably supported by Friendly Fires (presumably putting off their move to Paris a little while longer), White Lies (look out Editors they're coming for your Joy Division-inspired crown) and Florence And The Machine (kooky 6Music favourites) – for what should be two splendid nights of rip-roaring new music.

Slushy, sentimental, schmaltzy? Not this Valentine’s Day as uber-cool post-punksters Magazine have reformed for a handful of shows, with Howard Devoto and the boys playing twice in their home town (Feb 14/17, £23, both sold out, call 0161 832 1111 to check for returns) – expect to see every old punk descending on Oxford Road venue, doting girlfriend or not.

The shortest month of the year will draw to a close with one of the world’s loudest acts, when the indomitable force that is Metallica return to Manchester.

Despite serious ructions in the camp in recent times (a life coach was hired during one ill-tempered rockumentary) and various members confining themselves to different countries in order to help maintain a sense of cordiality – Lars Ulrich and the gang remain one of rock music biggest live draws, expect fireworks when they bring Death Magnetic to town (February 28, M.E.N. Arena, £40, call 0844 847 8000 to check availability).

If the current crop of NME tour hopefuls need any indication of what can be achieved after gracing the jaunt, just look at The Killers.

The flamboyant Las Vegas quartet will bring their Day & Age road show (epaulettes and all) to Manchester for two sell-out shows in March.

And while their super-poppy new offering, is just too saccharine for some (including me), glittering tracks like Neon Tiger should have more bite in a live setting, plus if they do fall flat, Brandon and the boy’s stellar back-catalogue should more than compensate (March 9/10, M.E.N. Arena, £31.81, call 0844 847 8000 to check for returns).

The artist Beyonce owes her bootylicious career to, true soul survivor Tina Turner will return to the live fray this spring to show even on the brink of her 70th birthday, she can still shake it with the best of ‘em.

It’s not a fleeting visit either, as the Nutbush girl born Anna Mae Bullock will play four shows in Manchester alone (March 30 and 31, April 3 and 4, M.E.N. Arena, £5- £100, call 0844 847 8000 to book).

If Metallica don’t manage to rock the arena to its very foundations, then AC/DC will have a fair stab at completing the job in April.

Back in black and back on form – their comeback LP, Black Ice, has been universally hailed – expect Angus Young to treat the stage and a sell-out crowd to the full repertoire of his signature duck walking (April 21, M.E.N. Arena, £39.15, call 0844 847 8000 to check for returns).

Take That aside (more of whom late), the greatest pop phenomenon of the 21st century will play the first of four dates in the city in April.

Coupling their sass with Brian Higgins unerring ability to regularly churn out genuine pop nuggets, no one it seems is exempt from Girls Aloud's musical charms.

The question of course is, will they be able to hang on to newly crowned queen of TV, our Cheryl? (April 24, May 16, 17 and 29, M.E.N. Arena, £30, call 0844 847 8000).

Christened God long before Robbie Fowler was even in short trousers, Eric Clapton will be aiming to show blues upstarts like John Mayer, he’s still the king of white blues guitar.

The former Yardbirds and Cream master will trawls through his enviable back catalogue at the arena (May 17, M.E.N. Arena, £45, £55, call 0844 847 8000).

May 22, 1948 – ring any bells? For Smiths’ fervently cultish fanbase, that date will forever be etched on the brain as the day a certain Steven Patrick Morrissey came into the world, and following the release of his 10th studio LP (Years Of Refusal) the former frontman of the seminal indie outfit will celebrate his 50th birthday here with two shows (May 22/23, Apollo, sold out, call 0161 832 1111 to check for returns).

June will see the city’s two biggest acts of all-time go head-to-head in outdoor extravaganzas.

Up first, Oasis have eschewed the usual haunts (City Of Manchester Stadium, Old Trafford Cricket Ground, M.E.N. Arena) to make their debut in north Manchester’s Heaton Park.

With a new LP, Dig Out Your Soul, under their belts, a new drummer, Chris Sharrock, in their midst and Kasabian and The Enemy on the support bill -  the biggest municipal park in Europe will play host to the biggest rock ‘n’ roll party it's ever seen (June 4, 6 and 7, £45, call 0844 412 4638 to check availability).

Sensibilty allowing a couple of weeks for the city’s resources to recover, Take That will quite literally bring The Circus to town on June 24.

The four-night run at Old Trafford Cricket Ground promises to combine Cirque Du Soleil-esque theatrics with old-fashioned pop gems, which frontman Gary Barlow seems to knock out more accomplishedly with age.

Who’d have thought that only a matter of years ago Mark Owen needed to resort to entering the Big Brother house to raise his profile, quite the turnaround indeed (June 24, 26, 27 and 28, £45, £55, call 0871 2200 260 to check for returns).

Finally, after delivering their thoroughly refreshing and enchanting take on what an arena should be last December, Coldplay will attempt to replicate the success of their Viva La Vida shows outdoors in September.

Chris Martin and the boys must feel fairly confident of the weapons in their armoury though, hip-hop megastar Jay-Z has been booked as the support (September 12, Old Trafford Cricket Ground, £45, call 0871 220 0260).

All in all then, it’s not a bad year in prospect is it?