James at Castlefield Bowl - stage times, support, setlist, parking and how to get there

Thirty years almost to the day, James will celebrate one of their most legendary gigs with a huge homecoming show at Castlefield Bowl. The band famously played to 30,000 revellers at Alton Towers back on July 4, 1992, in a concert broadcast live with Chris Evans on Radio 1.

Now the Manchester-formed band will bring back the spirit of that night by playing the original setlist in full at the Castlefield gig, part of the ongoing Sounds of the City series. That Alton Towers night created many a ‘I was there’ moments for James fans, and naturally the gig sold out within hours of being announced last year.

It’s a testament to the band that the 30 year old set list includes such massive anthems. The likes of Come Home, Born of Frustration, Say Something, Ring The Bells, Sound and Sit Down as well as continued live favourites like Stutter, Johnny Yen and Hymn From a Village in addition to rare gems like Goalie’s Ball, Live A Love of Life, America and Next Lover which haven’t been performed in decades.

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Bassist Jim Glennie remembers of the Alton Towers gig: “It was a crazy day that was nearly defeated by the weather and the gig was all the more celebratory due to the near miss. Come and celebrate 30 years since that iconic day and this time with guaranteed sunshine!”

He may joke about the weather, but early indications are for another near miss - with rain forecast in the day, clearing to bright sunshine by the time the first support acts are due on stage on Saturday night. Here's all the information about the gig you need if you're heading along - including that setlist in full.

Music fans will want to get down to Castlefield Bowl early on Saturday