The Charlatans Return Home To Manchester For A Special Night At Castlefield Bowl
Despite being a 90’s band, The Charlatans are still as relevant now as they were back then. They are a band who continue to produce on stage no matter where they play and the proof was there again as they return back to Manchester for a mammoth hometown show in the cities iconic outdoor arena, Castlefield Bowl for the send time in a decade on what was a sun kissed evening.
When they last played this venue in 2015, the line-up that night was stacked with talent, tonight is no different as they bring along two of the best bands to emerge from the 90’s Britpop scene. It’s nights like this that show just how important that era was in music history, the huge crowd that turned up for tonight’s show and sang their hearts out to all three bands is clear evidence that people from all ages still celebrate such an iconic time.
Kicking off the night was Liverpool legends The Coral. Performing to an unsurprisingly large crowd, they bring out the big guns throwing out classic after classic. The crowd were eating up every moment of this set singing and dancing in the fading Manchester evening sun and they were even treated with the added bonus of an incredible cover of ‘People Are Strange’ by The Doors. That cover kicking the atmosphere up just a little bit extra right on time for the remainder of the set as the kick of with ‘Jaqueline’ followed by mammoth fan favourites ‘In The Morning’ and ‘Dreaming of You’ rounding of what was a solid set - the love had for this band was certainly felt even in such an open space, the boys from just down the road still have it.
photo by Craig McInnes
Next up we turn our attention to another big name that made waves in the 90’s, Yorkshire icons Embrace. Quite like the band before, the 5-piece bring the party atmosphere with a set jam packed full of all time classics. The passion has clearly not left band after all these years, you can see the happiness spread across their faces as they belt out each song with fans singing back in unison - their live show is a memorable experience that’s just filled with stunning singalongs.
Getting to hear big tracks like ‘Natures Law’, ‘One Big Family’ and ‘We Are It’ was quite a special feeling having seeing this band for the first time live - growing up a 90’s kid and getting to see bands like this who shaped an era is quite special. The theme of a cover song continued during this set with the addition of Coldplay’s ‘Gravity’ got a great reception before their iconic ‘Ashes’ seen out the set.
photo by Craig McInnes
While we wait for tonight’s headliners, the entertainment was provided by passing trains on the tracks overlooking the bowl, fans on the ground waving as the drivers stop to look down over what was going on and try catch a glimpse of some live music as the wait.
It’s now time for the main event. The Charlatans are one of the greatest bands to come out of Manchester’s golden music scene, back then and even now, they still produce a live performance that captivates anyone who watches them and its exactly why so many people still show up to watch them at any given opportunity. They start strong taking things back with ‘Weirdo’ and ‘North Country Boy’ setting the standard for what was to come and leading the line with timeless classics.
“It’s good to be back” yells frontman Tim Burgess as they cement their big return to their hometown after quite a lengthy absence. Things just click perfectly with this band, over 30 years experience and a catalogue filled with iconic tracks that still mean so much to so many in 2025. The surroundings of Castlefield Bowl really is a stunning spectacle and adds to the live experience in this venue - I’m lucky enough to be here for the second time to witness this band take to stage and it’s just something special - this venue is made for big anthems like ‘Just When You’re Thinkin Things Over’ and ‘One To Another’, two iconic Charlatans songs that belong in big outdoor spaces filled with people who just want to vibe and sing their hearts out.
photo by Craig McInnes
photo by Craig McInnes
Tonight’s show came with the added surprising addition of two brand new songs ‘We Are Love’ and ‘Many A Day A Heartache’ sparking the excitement that there is more to come from this band in the way of a possible new record - with their last release being in 2017 in the form of ‘Different Days’, it’s welcome news that there is more music coming from this band because when you see just how tight they are on stage, they are far from done. They continue to fire out banger after banger with one of the biggest 90’s hits ‘The Only One I know’ that set off one of the biggest singalongs of the evening. ‘Blackened Blue Eyes’ and ‘How High’ set the fans into a frenzy all before the big hitter ‘Sproston Green’ concludes an epic night.
This whole set has been something special to witness but what took it levels above was the atmosphere that was carried from the fans - from the minute the band stepped on stage the whole feel around the place was electric. Fans old, young and even new all gathered together in this arena to sing and dance to their favourite band and it’s just something incredible to be a part of. The Charlatans are, as I’ve said one of the greatest bands to emerge from the Manchester music scene and from the British music scene as a whole. They have released albums that are still flying off shop shelves and being streamed to this date and they will forever be immortalised in music for years to come.
photo by Craig McInnes