Dave Sweetmore's Blog

Pauline Town MBE is a Tameside hero and a legend. As landlady of The Station Hotel in Ashton, she has made the respected British pub much more than that, it's also a hub for the homeless, victims of domestic abuse, families in need, and those facing poverty in this area.

Its three years since Stereophonics last toured, and last week the band announced their biggest ever UK and Ireland stadium tour which will take place in 2025.

When we started our Local music Spotlight feature on Tameside Radio and across the Not Really Here Group media outlets back in January 2023, I knew what an important feature it would be for local bands and artists, but I don't think anybody could have predicted just how successful it has been.

Two days before Oasis's debut album 'Definitely Maybe' celebrated its 30th anniversary, the news broke that 15 years since splitting up, Liam and Noel Gallagher would be getting the band back together next year. If you had asked me a few years ago if i would like them to get back together, I probably would have said no, leave it in the history books just as The Beatles and The Jam did

Rock n Roll Star, National Treasure, Musical Icon, Manchester legend, and TV hero Shaun Ryder next week begins a huge UK theatre tour which runs until May 2025, telling stories and tales of his life as one of music's most iconic and wildest frontmen

Tameside's Steve Clarke may not be a known name to music fans generally, but in the world of music he is one of the most sought after and highly respected guitar technicians and valuers in the world.

Legendary Liverpool band Cast tonight (Thursday August 8th) play at Holmfirth Picturedrome, following the release of their seventh studio album 'Love Is The Call'. The band, who formed in 1992, were one of the most important bands in my life growing up, and to this day remain one of the best live bands around.

Since bursting onto the local music scene with their catchy rock songs, unique stage presence, and infectious humour, The Sprats have quickly become a band who surely have to be on the verge of the next step up in the world of new music. It's a real buzz to see that at every gig or festival they play at, large or small, they gain a whole new army of fans each time without fail.

One of Manchester's best loved, and perhaps most underrated, underground Punk Rock bands have finally released a greatest hits album, 46 years after forming. The limited edition "Singles Plus" CD by Eddie Mooney and the Grave features all the singles from 1979 to 2024, 16 tracks in total, which have been recently remastered.

As far as influential bands with longevity go, The Farm can easily be classed as one of our all-time great British bands. Over 40 years since forming the journey continues, with the recent news that the band have now been signed to the highly respected Modern Sky label.

We are well and truly into festival season, my favourite time of the year, and this Sunday I'll be DJing at one of the North West's most popular three day events, as this weekend will see the hugely popular Foodies Festival return to Cheshire's iconic Tatton Park.