Fontaines D.C. have announced details of a huge UK and Ireland tour, set to kick off later this year.
31.03.2024 - 18:03 / manchestereveningnews.co.uk
To thousands of Mancunians, he was the legendary pub landlord at the helm of one of the city's most significant venues. But there was another side to Andy Martin.
While he was devoted to The Star and Garter, fatherhood gave Andy a new purpose. He loved family life so much that he would tell wife Helen Kitchen that he 'could do it for a living'.
Andy tragically died on Friday (March 29), aged 52, leaving behind Helen and their two young daughters - Jasmine, five, and Georgina, three. "He apparently said to a friend he 'didn't know who the f*** he was' before having the three of us," Helen, 41, told the Manchester Evening News.
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"Everybody would say to us that they had never seen him this happy. We were this family unit, with so much love in this house. Nobody could really hurt us. Honestly, it was just a dream."
The couple first met in 2009. Like so many others, Helen went on a night out at The Star and Garter, and soon became a regular.
But on one occasion, as she sat in the car park smoking with friends, she noticed Andy walking towards them and told her pals: "There's that bouncer." After being corrected about the 'manager' by a mate, Helen gave Andy a look, and he went on to tell her how he 'fell in love with her at that point'.
The pair became close friends, often watching TV together, and in April 2010 Helen began working at the bar after losing her job. "We were on the phone all the time," she said.
"I would have my close friends saying 'when are you and Andy getting together?'. I'd say 'it's not like that, don't be ridiculous' - then after 18 months or two years, we did get together."
The pair soon realised they had
Fontaines D.C. have announced details of a huge UK and Ireland tour, set to kick off later this year.
Details have been announced for the funeral of one of the most popular figures in Manchester's music scene. Andy Martin, licensee of The Star and Garter, died aged 52 following a short illness last month.
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Andy Martin, landlord of Mancunian institution The Star and Garter, died in hospital four days after being admitted following a suspected stroke. The 52-year-old dad-of-two was suffering with an ear infection before his condition deteriorated.
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IDLES have announced their support acts for their upcoming 2024 UK/Ireland tour – check out all details below.The Bristol band have just released their fifth album ‘Tangk‘ and are set to tour the album across the country from July this year. Now, the band have taken to social media to reveal a swathe of support acts who’ll join their tour with them.First, Australian genre-bending master Genesis Owusu, along with Brighton punk rockers Lambrini Girls have been announced to perform with IDLES.
Suede’s Brett Anderson has teamed up with Nadine Shah for a moving version of Mercury Rev’s ‘Holes’ – check it out below.The collaboration has come about as part of a project led by Paraorchestra, and their founder and artistic director Charles Hazlewood, who have put together the album ‘Death Songbook’.The 12-track record features original compositions and new versions of “iconic songs exploring love, loss and transcendence” by artists including Depeche Mode, Suede and Japan.Watch Anderson and Shah’s live performance of ‘Holes’ here:‘Death Songbook’ will be released on April 19 via BMG, and you can pre-order it here.There will also be two live performances of songs from the album, at London’s Roundhouse on April 24, with Shah and Gwenno joining Anderson and Paraorchestra. Gwenno will also join them at Manchester’s Factory International on April 26.
The Enemy have announced details of an ‘Indie Til I Die’ UK tour, set to kick off later this year. Find ticket details below.Announced today (March 25), the shows come following the British indie rock band reforming back in 2022, and going on to play a number of festival slots across summer 2023.
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There may be temporary feelings of unease on Monday as the lunar eclipse comes around, according to the MEN's resident medium. Stuart Cassels, from Stockport notes that although the eclipse won't be visible with the naked eye, it's effect on people will still be prevalent.