Courteeners

Courteeners bring their Manchester-bred indie rock to Victoria Hall, Stoke-on-Trent, on 23 July 2026. Led by singer and songwriter Liam Fray, the band formed in 2006 with Michael Campbell and Daniel Moores, later joined by producer-bassist Joe Cross and keyboardist Elina Lin. Rooted in post-Britpop and post-punk revival, their songs are direct and melodic, with lyrics front and center.

From debut St. Jude (2008) and Falcon (2010) to Anna (2013) — the moment they trimmed the name to Courteeners — the group has steadily widened its palette. Concrete Love (2014) and Mapping the Rendezvous (2016) folded in a sharper, synth-tinged edge without dropping the guitar backbone, a path continued on More. Again. Forever. (2020) and Pink Cactus Café (2024). Regulars on major UK stages, they’ve appeared at Glastonbury, Reading and Leeds and TRNSMT, and shared bills with Morrissey, The Stone Roses, Kings of Leon and Noel Gallagher. Expect a set that spans the catalogue, from early anthems to their more recent, sleeker cuts, with the tight, no-frills energy that’s become their signature.