The Courteeners

Making his name as a singer-songwriter at solo acoustic shows around Manchester, Liam Fray started writing songs while working in a Fred Perry clothing store, inspired by the shop's soundtrack of The Strokes, The Beatles and Motown. Teaming up with schoolmates Michael Campbell, Daniel Moores and Mark Cuppello in 2004 (aka The Courteneers), the band quickly built up a large local following before working with Blur and The Smiths' producer Stephen Street on debut album St. Jude (2008). It proved a big success, reaching Number 4 in the UK album charts, and included Top 20 singles What Took You So Long and Not Nineteen Forever. The band went on to play Glastonbury, T in the Park and V Festivals before two huge homecoming gigs at Manchester Apollo. Buoyed by praise from their hero Morrissey, second album Falcon (2010) received an 8/10 rating from the NME and the lads were set to fill the void left by Oasis as the unofficial "band of the people" - in Manchester at least.