Without music, there is no Manchester as we know it because the buzzing atmosphere in our great city was built by roaring guitars, scratching vinyls, shimmering strobe lights and booming microphones.
It’s no secret that the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has flipped life as we once knew it on its head, and the satisfying, rhythmic hum that once used to echo through the city air on a daily basis has been ground to a halt over the past couple of months.
Not only has it been sorely missed by Mancunians, but it’s also come at an unfortunate cost.
Live music in Manchester and across the UK is on life support and the industry needs our help. Without it, 30-50% of the live music workforce will become unemployed, 90% of grassroots venues will close, and the industry will lose at least £900 million.
A coalition of live music artists, venues, concerts, festivals, production companies and industry figures successfully launched the campaign last month to highlight the importance of the sector to the UK’s economy and it’s recieved widespread support on social media.
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Let The Music Play is hoping to achieve the following three aims:
A clear conditional timeline for reopening venues without social distancing.
An immediate comprehensive business and employment support package and access to finance.
Full VAT exemption on ticket sales.
And they’re working – but the fight is still a long way from over yet.
After witnessing the traction that this campaign has been gaining over the past couple of weeks, and with the intent to keep the conversation continuing, it prompted us to begin reflecting. Here at The Manc, we always want to know where you stand and in this case, we want to experience the wonders of our city’s live music culture through your eyes.
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A chance to fondly reminisce.
So, we took to our social platforms this week – Facebook, Twitter and Instagram – to ask you, our loyal audience of Mancunians – ‘What’s your favourite Manchester gig memory?.
Here’s what you said:
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Facebook
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Twitter
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We received hundreds of replies to our question across all social platforms, so we unfortunately haven’t been able to include every single one in this article. Instead, we chose to feature a few that seemed to resonate the best with our audience and received the most interactions overall.
Are you keen to have your say? Do you have a different view? Got a musical memory you’d like to share?
Well, there’s still time to chip in, so make sure you head on over to The Manc on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to take part, leave your thoughts and discuss with other Mancunians in the same position as you.
Don’t forget to follow The Manc Audio – @TheMancAudio on Instagram – for all the latest musical news in Manchester.
Find out more and keep supporting the #LetTheMusicPlay campaign here.
Audio
Manchester’s Co-op Live arena postpones The Black Keys and Peter Kay (again)
Daisy Jackson
The Co-op Live has announced it is postponing both The Black Keys gig and Peter Kay’s performance.
Both shows were set to take place this week as the huge arena finally opens in Manchester.
Co-op Live went ahead with a test event with Rick Astley last Saturday, albeit with a capacity that was reduced at the eleventh hour.
But the huge venue was hit with ‘power supply issues’ and took the ‘difficult decision’ to postpone Peter Kay.
It’s now gone one step further and pushed back The Black Keys – meant to be their first proper live music event – as well as Peter Kay AGAIN.
In a statement shared today, the Co-op Live said it has been ‘undertaking an extensive protocol of testing critical procedures to ensure all areas are ready for fans’.
It said that the shows are being rescheduled to ensure they can ‘run safely’.
The 23,500-capacity arena said this will give them ‘the extra time we need to continue testing enhanced emergency communications thoroughly’.
The Black Keys will now perform on 15 May, and Peter Kay on 23 and 24 May.
As for the Bolton-born comedian, he sounds somewhat in disbelief himself:
Co-op Live’s statement reads: “Since making the difficult decision to postpone the live shows at Co-op Live due to take place this week, we have been undertaking an extensive protocol of testing critical procedures to ensure all areas are ready for fans.
“To ensure that we can run all shows safely, regretfully we have now had to take the decision to reschedule the planned The Black Keys and Peter Kay shows.
“Both The Black Keys and Peter Kay have graciously agreed to reschedule their shows. The Black Keys will now perform on 15 May 2024, and Peter Kay will now perform on 23 and 24 May 2024.
“All tickets remain valid and ticket holders will be contacted by their point of purchase. Refunds will be available for those who can no longer attend.
“We deeply appreciate the impact this will have on excited fans, and sincerely apologise for the inconvenience that this change will undoubtedly cause.
“Rescheduling Peter Kay and The Black Keys will give us the extra time we need to continue testing enhanced emergency communications thoroughly.
“This is vital to satisfy the rigorous set of guidelines and protocols that are necessary for a venue of this size to ensure that our fans, artists and staff have the safest experience possible.”
Co-op Live boss resigns just days before venue’s official opening
Daisy Jackson
The boss of Co-op Live, Manchester’s enormous, ground-breaking new arena, has resigned from his position just days before the venue is set to open.
The enormous music-first arena has been taking shape beside the Etihad Stadium for several years, and was due to welcome its first official audiences this week, but has been hit with last-minute challenges.
And now Co-op Live‘s boss Gary Roden has quit the mammoth project, with the news of his resignation announced late Thursday evening.
Oak View Group, which Co-op Live is part of, said in a statement that they would like to ‘thank Gary for his help bringing the UK’s newest arena to live entertainment fans’.
Stepping into his shoes as interim general manager will be Rebecca Kane Burton, who previously ran the U.K.’s highest-grossing venue, London’s The O2 arena.
Gary has previously come under fire for saying that some grassroots music venues ‘poorly run’ – a statement that OVG has now distanced itself from.
A separate statement said that ‘neither Co-op Live nor Oak View Group share the sentiment expressed by former Co-op Live General Manager Gary Roden regarding the grassroots industry’.
It continued: “As OVG Chairman and CEO Tim Leiweke has repeatedly stated, Co-op Live remains committed to grassroots music in Manchester and beyond, including teaming up with Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham on the Artist of the Month campaign, and as a founding partner of Beyond The Music.
“Co-op Live also donates over £1m a year to the Co-op Foundation to support communities and empower young people to take social action through its new Young Gamechangers fund.
“Oak View Group and Co-op Live remain happy to meet with grassroots organisations once the venue is fully operational.”
The news of the venue’s boss stepping down comes at a time when all eyes are on Co-op Live, the opening of which has been delayed.
The venue did host a test event with Rick Astley last weekend, but even that faced difficulties, with thousands of tickets cancelled to reduce capacity just hours before showtime.
It’s now set to officially open this Saturday 27 April with a performance by rock group The Black Keys.
The full statement from OVG about Gary’s resignation said: “Gary Roden has decided to resign. We’d like to thank Gary for his help bringing the UK’s newest arena to live entertainment fans and wish him the best for the future.
“Rebecca Kane Burton has been named Interim GM, effective today. Rebecca is a seasoned veteran of venue management and live entertainment in the UK having served as VP/GM of The O2 from 2012-2016 and CEO of LW Theatres from 2016-2021.