Acclaimed Irish singer CMAT has been forced to postpone the rest of her current UK tour due to an upcoming emergency surgery.
CMAT – full name Ciara Mary-Alice Thompson – was due to play a number of sold-out shows at renowned UK venues throughout this month, including one at Leeds' O2 Academy this Sunday 5 October.
But sadly, due to unforeseen health-related circumstances, the 29-year-old has had to make the decision to call off the rest of the tour.
Other major UK cities the genre-bending artist was due to play in this month include Manchester, Sheffield, Glasgow, Birmingham, and Bristol, as well as the capitals of London and Cardiff.
CMAT has postponed the rest of her sold-outUK tour ahead of emergency surgery / Credit: CMAT (Instagram) | Raph_PH (via Flickr)
Explaining her decision to call off the rest of her UK shows this October, CMAT wrote in an emotional statement on Instagram yesterday: “I am devastated to say that due to an infected wisdom tooth, I need to reschedule all of my upcoming dates of the October UK tour.
“I woke up today with a throbbing pain in my jaw and booked an emergency visit with my dentist. He has booked me in for surgery to remove both lower wisdom teeth next week and given me antibiotics to help with the infection.
“I am told the recovery period for my surgery is two weeks to allow me to heal, with a following short period to allow me get back to full health.
“We are working to reschedule dates and will provide information on this as soon as possible.”
CMAT, who recently just released her third studio album, EURO-COUNTRY, last month to widespread critical acclaim – including being nominated for the prestigious Mercury Prize 2025 – assured fans that her team is ‘working hard’ to reschedule the postponed dates and will provide information on this as soon as possible.
“Your ticket will be valid for the rescheduled dates, and if you’re not able to make the new date, please contact your point of purchase for a refund,” she added.
Trying to remain positive and make light of the situation, the singer – who is known for her humour and comedic lyrics – asked fans for ice cream and soup recommendations, as she currently ‘can’t even chew any food for the foreseeable’, let alone talk or sing
“I realise that this will cause difficulties for so many of you who may have made plans to travel to these dates, and for this I can only say I am so so sorry,” she concluded in her statement.
Veteran Manchester rock and blues band Proud Mary recently announced a limited run of UK reunion shows, including one right here in Leeds.
The seasoned Northern outfit may have seen plenty of lineup changes and a long hiatus of sorts, but now they’re returning for just a small handful of comeback gigs across the country.
Ahead of their seminal debut album turning 25 years old this year, 2026 also seems them steadily creeping up on the best part of three decades as a group in some form or another.
For anyone uninitiated, the native 90s and early noughties name was the first band signed to Noel Gallagher’s Sour Mash Records in 2001.
Their first-ever LP, The Same Old Blues, still remains their most revered work to this day.
Dubbed by the older Burnage brother and legendary Manc musician as “a lesson in songwriting” in an interview with the NME way back when, they started out as long-time friends and turned into fellow studio peers.
As well as supporting the likes of Oasis, Neil Young, The Stereophonics, Paul Weller, Ocean Colour Scene, Ryan Adams, Noel’s High Flying Birds and more on various tours over the years, they also famously headlined Isle of Wight Festival in 2004.
Having collaborated with the likes of another Britpop legend, Gem Archer, as well as The Smiths’ Andy Rourke, not to mention gaining plaudits from so many other contemporaries, they’re likely one of your favourite bands’ old faithful bands.
Moreover, in regional terms, rising local indie rock quintet Rosellas are also joining them on the road for their shows.
Proud Mary will be playing at The Warehouse in Leeds on Friday 8 May and you can grab your tickets HERE.
Featured Images — Proud Mary (press shots supplied via Sonic PR)
Audio
New grassroots music space aiming to make DJing and music more accessible opening in Headingley this month
Clementine Hall
A new grassroots music space is opening in Headingley with a mission to make DJing, vinyl and music culture more accessible.
Meanhood Studios, founded by long-time LS6 residents Jim and Katie Young, will combine a professional DJ rehearsal studio, record shop, performance space and tuition hub all under one roof.
Their aim is simple, "to level the playing field in a scene that has often felt exclusive and gatekept.”
Meanhood started as a guerrilla pop-up record shop in lockdown when Jim started selling records from his personal collection.
Built solely on quality and word-of-mouth reputation, the venture quickly grew into a respected local record spot known for its carefully curated vinyl selection.
Images: Supplied
Jim’s roots trace back to Manchester’s late-90s free party scene, he began DJing at 17 and from Hyde Park house parties to residencies at legendary clubs, he went on to host nights featuring artists who would later become major names in UK dance music.
Katie grew up in rural Cumbria, discovering music through pirate radio, library tapes and out-of-town raves. After moving to Leeds for university, she built a 20-year corporate career while supporting events, fly-posting for club nights and working behind the scenes.
“DJing is so much more than pushing buttons,” says Jim. “You’ve got to love it when no one’s watching. We want to share that knowledge and remove some of the barriers we experienced.”
Meanhood Studios will open on Friday 13 March and will offer access to equipment, rehearsal space, vinyl records and tuition for aspiring DJs and music lovers.
It's more important now than ever to support grassroots music venues, and we can't wait to check out this new space.
Emily Sergeant -
2nd October 2025 
