Radio X Is Ten Live with Škoda: Blossoms play headline set with surprise appearance from Liam Fray

4 November 2025, 00:22 | Updated: 7 November 2025, 12:44

By Radio X

@RadioX

Radio X celebrated its 10th birthday at the O2 Apollo Manchester with a headline performance from the Stockport band and an unexpected appearance from the Courteeners frontman.

Radio X Is Ten Live with Škoda took place on Monday 3rd November at the O2 Apollo Manchester.

The event - which celebrated a decade of Radio X on the airwaves - played host to a stellar line-up of acts, with Stockport five-piece Blossoms at the top of the bill.

Kicking off proceedings was Radio X's own Sunta Templeton, who warmed up the crowd with a DJ set of indie bangers- the perfect entrée to an evening of amazing music.

Hailing from down the road in Liverpool, Circa Waves took to the stage after an introduction from Radio X presenter Issy Panysis. Kieran Shudall and co's opening song, Do You Wanna Talk, provided a sprightly start to their set, garnering an enthusiastic response from the crowd.

The band - who rounded off 2025 with the release of their album Death & Love Pt 2 - treated fans to their recent single and former Radio X Record of the Week, Old Balloons. Like Radio X, the band are marking a decade in the business and their brisk, energetic set was rounded off with their evergreen hit from 2015, T-Shirt Weather. It may not be T-shirt weather outside, but it certainly was getting sweaty at the heaving Grade II-listed building by the time they finished their performance.

Watch the band play T-shirt weather below:

Circa Waves - T-Shirt Weather | Radio X Is Ten Live with Škoda

Circa Waves at Radio X Is Ten Live with Škoda setlist:

• Do You Wanna Talk
• Old Balloons
• Carry You Home
• T-Shirt Weather

Over the past ten years, we've seen Jake Bugg's music mature and grow as he's tackled new subjects, experimented with different genres and taken on new styles- as evidenced by his set, which provided a potted history of his story so far.

Introduced by the star of Radio X breakfasts, Chris Moyles, the Nottingham born singer-songwriter launched into the unmistakable Trouble Town- his 2012 single, which provided the theme tune for the hit crime series Happy Valley. After an affecting rendition of his 2024 track Zombieland, Bugg treated fans to a rousing performance of Two Fingers from his self-titled debut, before launching into his most recent single Oblivious. But of course, no Jake Bugg song strikes a spark more than his stirring single, Lightning Bolt- providing the perfect ending to his stripped-back yet passionate set.

Jake Bugg - Lightning Bolt | Radio X Is Ten Live with Škoda

Jake Bugg at Radio X Is Ten Live with Škoda setlist:

• Trouble Town
• Zombieland
• Two Fingers
• Oblivious
• Lightning Bolt

Radio X may have been celebrating ten years of activity, but for Hard-Fi, 2025 marks two full decades since the release of their debut album Stars Of CCTV. It was Radio X DJ Dan O'Connell who had the task of introducing the Staines massive to Manchester on the night, whose fans had shown out in full force to hear their best-loved hits.

Arriving in style with their indie floor-filling anthem Hard To Beat, Richard Archer and co very much delivered a dose of noughties nostalgia during their set, while last year's Don't Go Making Plans brought things right up to date.

"Manchester's always been great to us," said a clearly fired-up Archer, adding that the band played their first ever gig at the 2003 In The City event. Finishing their set with the hedonistic anthem Living For The Weekend, the band almost made the crowd forget it was still only Monday as the chant of "Going out tonight" filled the room...

Hard-Fi - Living For The Weekend | Radio X Is Ten Live with Škoda

Hard-Fi at Radio X Is Ten Live with Škoda setlist:

• Hard To Beat
• Don’t Go Making Plans
• Cash Machine
• Suburban Knights
• Living For The Weekend

It wouldn't be a birthday party without at least one surprise, and our very own Johnny Vaughan was on hand to provide one. An unannounced and unbilled Liam Fray treated a delighted crowd to a very special - and unexpected acoustic set. The Courteeners frontman and the Middleton legend walked on stage to a vocal hometown hero's welcome, pleasing the crowd with a perfectly-pitched solo set.

Fray kicked off his intimate performance with a stripped-back rendition of St. Jude favourites How Come and No You Didn’t, No You Don't. “I’d like to take this moment to say thank you to Radio X for supporting us forever," said Liam as he went into Pink Cactus Cafe, the title track from Courteeners' 2024 album, while also acknowledging Blossoms bassist Charlie Salt for contributing to the record.

Ending his mini-set with St Jude's enduring indie anthem Not Nineteen Forever, the Mancunian star provoked a mass-singalong in the packed out Apollo crowd. "It's an honour to be here," the musician admitted. And it was indeed an honour to witness it.

Watch Liam Fram play Not Nineteen forever below:

Liam Fray - Not Nineteen Forever | Radio X Is Ten Live with Škoda

Liam Fray at at Radio X Is Ten Live with Škoda setlist:

• How Come
• No You Didn’t, No You Don't
• Pink Cactus Café
• Not Nineteen Forever

After Liam Fray's surprise appearance, the stage was primed for Stockport's finest Blossoms to cap the night off with a dazzling set.

Introduced by Radio X presenter and Manchester's own Adam Brown, Tom Ogden, Charlie Salt, Josh Dewhurst, Joe Donovan and Myles Kellock arrived on stage to a rapturous response, kicking off their performance with the infectious single Your Girlfriend.

In the decade since they appeared on the scene, the youthful band have honed their craft into pure pop perfection, with tracks like Honey Sweet, I Can't Stand It and There’s A Reason Why (I Never Returned Your Calls). But there's always an passionate core to Blossoms' music - the strangely melancholic The Honeymoon shows the emotional depths the group are capable of, while their breakthrough hit Charlemagne takes us back to their indie core.

Ahead of their performance, the band remarked how playing Radio X's special birthday show just "makes sense" - and tonight's set certainly made sense felt like the Stockport lads were coming home.

And as the band brought this homecoming celebration to a close, nothing made more sense than finishing their set with their much-loved hit, Gary, which was accompanied by the appearance of the eight-foot tall fibreglass gorilla statue that first inspired the song.

Thanks Blossoms! Thanks Gary! And Happy Birthday Radio X!

Blossoms - Charlemagne | Radio X Is Ten Live with Škoda

Blossoms at Radio X Is Ten Live with Škoda setlist:

• Your Girlfriend
• Perfect Me
• Oh No (I Think I’m In Love)
• I Can’t Stand It
• The Honeymoon
• Honey Sweet
• If You Think This Is Real life
• I Like Your look
• There’s A Reason Why (I Never Returned Your Calls)
• Charlemagne
• Gary