Chris Hawkins (BBC 6 Music) Awesome Friends Presents Brògeal

Chris Hawkins (BBC 6 Music) Presents Awesome Friends with Brògeal, The Rooks & Bean Magazine

BBC 6 Music’s Chris Hawkins hosts ‘Awesome Friends’, a night dedicated to finding the freshest sounds and championing the acts you need to watch. Since relaunching in Manchester in January 2026, Awesome Friends has already hosted three sold-out dates with an array of rising artists.

On Monday 25th May, Awesome Friends will host Brògeal, The Rooks and Bean Magazine at Manchester’s Night & Day. Tickets are available from Friday 17th April at 10am via https://gigst.rs/AFBrogeal.

Chris Hawkins says: "Awesome Friends is all about discovering the best new acts and supporting them on their journey to main stages. The night is an amazing opportunity for music fans to get up close with incredible emerging artists and fall in love with new favourite bands. Manchester’s music scene is fantastic shape and introducing the next generations on stage is a massive thrill."

Awesome Friends brings the next wave of future success stories to legendary venues around Manchester. Keep an eye out for further locations and dates.

No stranger from finding new talent, Chris Hawkins has a standout show on BBC 6 Music championing alternative anthems and fresh sounds. Chris was an early supporter of emerging acts Sam Fender, Wet Leg and The Lathums, now all headline performers. Awesome Friends previous line-ups have also included names such as Wunderhorse, Corella, The Ks and Lime Garden.

Serving as a platform for the emerging, grass roots acts and those destined to be our future musical heavyweights, Awesome Friends has the potential to be the next Manchester Lesser Free Trade Hall in ‘76, Glasgow’s King Tuts Wah Wah Hut in ‘93 or The Grapes Pub Sheffield in ‘03 – and you’ll be able to say you were there when it all began.

Acclaim for Awesome Friends:

‘The night was an unforgettable display of how much talent is circling the music industry at the moment. With so many exciting promises of bands that demand to be heard, there is much to look forward to in the future of music, and endless reason to tune in to Hawkins’ iconic show on BBC Radio 6.’

– Adrenaline Mag

‘With an ear for the next big artists in music, BBC Radio 6 Music DJ, Chris Hawkins has established a reputation for uncovering talent and providing a huge platform for them to be heard. The likes of Sam Fender, Wet Leg and The Lathums are just a few of the name Chris tipped very early on in their careers, so it is no surprise that music fans are always keen to listen to his suggestions.’

– Northern Chorus

About the May 25th 2026 lineup:

**Brògeal**

The rambunctious Celtic folk of The Pogues, the story-telling charm of The View, the lush pop harmonies of Teenage Fanclub, the jangly delicacy of the Smiths, the yearning of a classic Oasis B-side and a Scottish brogue as defiant as the Proclaimers…  Brògeal have it all – and make it their own. A bubbling cultural cauldron set to boiling point, the sound overflows with accordion, banjo, bouzouki, mandolin and perky penny whistle, where ancient folk tradition meets an indie Gen Z sensibility and laughs, sings and dances in the face of 21st century darkness. The death of the swaggering good-time band has been greatly exaggerated.   

From small-town Falkirk in central Scotland the folk-punk-indiepop five-piece have big ideas, with a reputation as one of the best live bands in Britain, their communal, sing-along, delirious anthems igniting mosh-pit madness throughout the UK, Ireland and beyond. Everybody loves them.   

For the last 18 months they’ve toured relentlessly, throughout the UK and Ireland, gathering ecstatic fans, have supported Paolo Nutini, The Mary  Wallopers and The Lathums, found fans in both 6 Music’s Huw Stephens and Line Of Duty actor Martin Compston, been eulogised in Rolling Stone UK, Dork, The Independent, Tenement TV, Clash, NME, DIY, The New Cue and So Young.    

**The Rooks**

There is a specific kind of electricity that hums through Glasgow when a band is on the verge of something massive; it is the sound of a grassroots movement turning into a roar. For The Rooks, that roar has become deafening. Rapidly ascending from local favorites to Scotland's most anticipated breakthrough act, the band has cultivated a reputation for high-octane, anthemic rock that balances the raw energy of British rock’s golden eras with a white-hot vibrancy that is entirely their own.

The industry has already taken note of this meteoric rise. Stephanie Cheape of BBC Introducing remarks that the band’s uprising feels "reminiscent of Gerry Cinnamon and The Snuts," whilst Mark Sutherland (The Money Trench) describes their debut EP, Noise Confusion, as a "boisterous affair" featuring "seven-minute epics with hints of Oasis and early Stereophonics." As Sutherland succinctly puts it: "Expect these Rooks to take flight any day now."

This momentum culminated in a definitive statement of intent on December 20th, when The Rooks sold out Glasgow’s iconic 500-capacity Art School. The show served as proof of concept, proving that the band has already outgrown their local roots and is ready for the national stage. As they charge into 2026, The Rooks aren’t just looking for a seat at the table—they are ready to take it over.

**Bean Magazine**

Bean Magazine area Brisbane based rock trio, fusing their unique style of grunge gaze with raw rock energy to create an unforgettable live show. Henry Creamer (guitars and vocals), Gabrielle Beiers (drums) and Seb Baren (bass) effortlessly blend punk energy, sensitive lyrical sensibilities and classic rock riffs to create songs that will never leave your head. With musical influences ranging from The Pixies, Radiohead and The Beatles, shaped by artists like Elliott Smith and Smashing Pumpkins, the result is something that is unequivocally Bean Magazine.

Presented by SJM Concerts.

This is an 18+ event