Manchester’s music legacy is undeniable. Outside of the currently unavoidable Oasis reunion which is everywhere you could look right now, the wealth of music history in the city is rich from The Smiths to The Courteeners and The Happy Mondays to The Verve.
Being fellow Mancunians themselves, nu metal / alt-rock outfit The Fear wanted to salute their hometown by covering one of it’s most iconic indie songs. You will all know James’ mega hit single Sit Down – well you’ve not heard it quite like this before!
The Fear’s cover of Sit Down is out now (24th of July), and the band invite you to stream it now! They have also given a fantastic nod to the original music video in their own video for the track, with just the right mix of homage and originality.
To tell the story a bit more about why they chose to cover James’ legendary track Sit Down, here’s The Fear’s Benj Ashmead:
“We chose ‘Sit Down’ because it’s an iconic track — a real sing-along anthem that resonates deeply. James are an incredible band with a lasting legacy, and paying tribute to that just felt right. We also had a blast making the video — we didn’t want to take ourselves too seriously, and hope that energy comes through.“
Meanwhile, frontman Mick Satiar wanted to add in about The Fear putting a little twist on such a legendary song:
“‘Sit Down’ is a Manchester classic, and as a Manchester band, we wanted to put our own stamp on it. The breakdown is our addition — it brings a touch of The Fear to this anthem and makes a pretty bold statement“
Your first chance to see The Fear perform their excellent new cover live in the flesh is next month, where they will be supporting US nu metal veterans Snot on their August 2025 UK tour. The full dates are as follows:
9th August – London – The Underworld, Camden Town
10th August – Southampton – 1865
12th August – Glasgow – Slay
13th August – Manchester – Academy 3
14th August – Wolverhampton – KK’s Steelmill
The tour is getting very close to selling out, but any remaining tickets can be purchased from Ticketmaster on this link.