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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Today we join together once again with our friends & colleagues in the music industry to call for action to help protect the live music industry. Please show your support and share the message #LetTheMusicPlaypic.twitter.com/wMx6eEG951
We're proud to continue supporting the #LetTheMusicPlay campaign, highlighting the importance of the live music sector to the UK Government. We need to protect our venues, our workforce, and the infrastructure and companies that make up this business. pic.twitter.com/K8pZSfzqwQ
Today we once again join together with our friends and colleagues in the music industry to call for action to help protect the live music industry. Please show your support and share the message #LetTheMusicPlaypic.twitter.com/CE1GwEWDne
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
Live music is a staple in Manchester and the entire industry needs our help getting through this crisis. Show your support and share your favourite moments with us ? #LetTheMusicPlay
Live music is a staple in Manchester and the entire industry needs our help getting through this crisis. Show your support and share your favourite moments with us ? #LetTheMusicPlaypic.twitter.com/lddpG83bDS
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
Liam Gallagher apologises on Noel’s behalf for brother’s ‘p*ss poor’ Joy Division cover
Emily Sergeant
Liam Gallagher has issued an apology “on behalf of [his] family” for his brother’s cover of a song by another legendary Manchester band.
Stop the presses, breaking news – the Gallagher brothers are slagging each other off again.
In what will be a shock to absolutely no one, Liam Gallagher has hopped onto his favourite social media platform Twitter once again this week to take another unprovoked aim at his beloved older brother – and this time, call him out for his recent cover of the iconic 1980 hit ‘Love Will Tear Us Apart’ by fellow Manchester band Joy Division.
Noel Gallagher recently performed a rendition of the Joy Division classic on BBC Radio 2 as part of the radio station’s popular Piano Room series, and was accompanied by his band, High Flying Birds, for the track, alongside the BBC Concert Orchestra.
The former Oasis co-lead vocalist and guitarist explained that he had chosen to cover the song as he would often play “this version of it at home down the years”.
But Noel did reveal to host Vernon Kay that he was cautious about doing so, and went on to express some initial trepidation about performing his rendition and putting it out into the world, mainly because “it’s such an iconic song, and being from Manchester… well, this is going to be tricky.”
The 56-year-old admitted he kept asking himself “How can I get away with that?”
He continued: “But now I’ve got my own studio, I went and did a little demo of it and I was like ‘you know what? I think I might be able to pull this off.”
One person who clearly didn’t think Noel could “pull this off” was his brother Liam, though.
Reacting to the cover in typical Liam Gallagher fashion, the former Oasis frontman wrote in a now-viral tweet yesterday evening: “I must once again apologise on behalf of my family for r kid’s p*ss poor and damn rite blasphemous version of Joy Division’s Love Will Tear Us Apart.
“Tut f***ing tut SORRY.”
I must once again apologise on behalf of my family for Rkids piss poor and damn rite blasphemous version of joy division’s love will tear us apart tut fucking tut SORRY
And unfortunately for Noel, the comments underneath BBC Radio 2’s post of a snippet of the cover on its official Instagram account appears to show that a fair few others agree with Liam on this one.
“If you wanna win a race, choose NG as a competitor. The only one that’s been able to destroy Oasis, his band, the music. Terrible cover,” one person wrote.
“That’s a terrible terrible cover,” another person simply stated.
A third wrote in the comments: “Kinda sounds boring doesn’t it? I love Noel, but this cover ain’t it chief,” while a fourth added: “I hope he realise by himself that this is one of his worst covers ever,” and another, at least politely, claimed it was: “Definitely a bit different to the original.”
Of course, there are two sides to every story though, and there’s also plenty of positive comments and reactions under the video too to balance out the less-than-favourable takes.
So for now, this exchange will just get added to the seemingly never-ending Gallagher row saga.
Featured Image – BBC
Audio
Craig David to take to the stage at iconic racecourse for outdoor summer gig
Daisy Jackson
Craig David has been added to the star-studded line-up for this year’s The Jockey Club Live summer series, which takes over racecourses across the north west.
The singer, whose career launched 23 years ago with his debut album Born To Do It, will be taking to the stage with his live band at Haydock Park on Saturday 24 June.
Craig’s impressive career has included an astounding 23 UK top 40 singles, nine UK top 40 albums and over five billion streams worldwide, plus multiple BRIT Award and Grammy nominations.
He’s also the proud owner of four MOBO Awards and three Ivor Novello Awards.
The star catapulted back into the charts in recent years with a string of chart hits that have filled dancefloors.
Craig is the talent behind the legendary TS5 parties, which combine old school anthems with R&B, garage, and bashment, alongside plenty of contemporary hits.
Craig David. Credit: Publicity picture
He’s part of the bill of huge outdoor concerts announced for The Jockey Club Live, which also includes Nile Rodgers & CHIC, Pete Tong, and an epic Faithless DJ set from Sister Bliss.
Molly Dingwall, general manager at Haydock Park Racecourse said: “Craig is one of the icons of the UK music industry and a real voice of a generation – we’re so excited to have him at Haydock Park this Summer for a show that’s sure to be a highlight!”
Craig David said: “From my TS5 shows in Ibiza to sets at festivals like Glastonbury, there is nothing quite like an outdoor summer show! I can’t wait to bring the party to Haydock Park in June with my live band – bring it on!”
The Jockey Club Live events blend an exciting evening at the races with spectacular live music, in some of the most beautiful and iconic racecourse settings in the world.
Tickets for Craig David at Haydock Park on Saturday 24 June are on sale now, priced from £36.25 for adults and £16.80 for children.