ALEX JAMES - BRITPOP CLASSICAL - THE PIECE HALL

19th July 2026

Story by Ben Avery

22/07/2026

For one night, The Piece Hall became the centre of the Britpop universe as Alex James resurrected the soundtrack of the '90s with his ambitious Britpop Classical show.

Joined by the Manchester Concert Orchestra, the Blur bassist transformed a parade of era-defining anthems into sweeping orchestral epics without losing any of the swagger that made them festival favourites in the first place. The result was less a nostalgia trip than a joyous celebration of one of British music's most enduring movements. The evening burst into life with Ocean Colour Scene's The Riverboat Song, made all the more special by the arrival of frontman Simon Fowler, whose unmistakable vocals immediately lifted the historic courtyard into full voice. From there, the hits barely stopped coming. Joy Division's Love Will Tear Us Apart, The Stone Roses' I Wanna Be Adored, Happy Mondays' Step On and The Verve's Bitter Sweet Symphony were reimagined with cinematic flourishes, proving these songs remain as timeless as ever. Unsurprisingly, it was the run of Oasis classics that prompted some of the loudest singalongs of the night. Rock 'n' Roll Star, Don't Look Back In Anger and Wonderwall echoed around the Grade I-listed venue as thousands of fans enthusiastically embraced every word. The guest appearances kept coming. Republica frontwoman Saffron injected explosive energy into a thunderous rendition of Ready To Go, while Reef singer Gary Stringer had the entire courtyard bouncing during a raucous performance of Place Your Hands. There could only be one closer. As the opening notes of Blur's The Universal rang out, the night's special guests returned to the stage for a euphoric finale that perfectly captured the communal spirit of Britpop at its peak. Part concert, part celebration and part love letter to one of British music's greatest eras, Alex James' Britpop Classical once again proved that these songs have lost none of their power to bring people together. In the stunning surroundings of The Piece Hall, it felt like the closest thing yet to reliving Britpop's golden age.