A new mini documentary will take a deep dive into the personal experiences and stories of Manchester’s musicians over the past 50 years – putting focus on one particular musical instrument.
Each musician taking part in the Manchester’s Guitar Project movie is being invited to play a track using the custom-made one-of-a-kind guitar as they share their stories – and there are already some huge names involved.
Peter Hook, Buzzcocks’ guitarist Steve Diggle, Badly Drawn Boy, Happy Mondays’ Rowetta, Slow Readers Club and The Stone Roses guitarist Aziz Ibrahim have all played a tune with the strings whilst being interviewed.
Co-founder of Joy Division and New Order, Peter Hook, playing the custom-made guitar for the project. Image: Trust A Fox
The project’s manager, Dan Pinder, told Audio: “It’s been great working with some of the legends from the Manchester music scene – and we’ve been amazed by the support we have received to help put this project together.
“Many of these legends have been interviewed by Phil Brennan from our team and the stories that have been told give a great insight to their backgrounds and what has shaped them into the people they are today.
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“There will also be plenty of great music included and a very special cover of an iconic Manchester song to close the documentary.”
The guitar itself has been hand crafted by Martyn Heeks using six different types of wood and has taken more than 300 hours to put together. It was then donated to the project by Graham at the Manchester Scooter Centre – there’s even a silhouette of a scooter on the back of the guitar, too!
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Badly Drawn Boy being interviewed for the documentary. Image: Trust A Fox
Following the documentary’s release, the guitar will be given back to Manchester for museum display as a token of the music scene.
The whole project is in aid of n:gl, a not-for-profit community organisation based in Stockport which works with vulnerable teenagers and young adults who have fallen through the cracks in the system.
n;gl provide support, advice and mentorship to young people, and with facilities like a martial arts centre, recording studio, photography studio and a gym, they’re offering a fresh start for youngsters with the opportunity to develop new skills and discover a new hobby.
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The aim is to open up a n:gl centre in each of the ten Greater Manchester boroughs. This’ll mean the whole city can benefit from the great things the charity does.
People are also being invited to donate whatever they can through the n:gl’s donation page where proceeds go directly to charity.
Whilst there’s no release date for the documentary yet as it’s still a working progress, you’ll be able to catch snippets of it so far at the vinyl fair that they’ll be hosting. This’ll take place at Factory on July 18. Plus, you’ll be able to see the guitar up close and personal there too!
Head to Manchester’s Guitar Project’s Instagram to find out more.
Featured image by Trust A Fox.
Music
Peaky Blinders creator set to produce a documentary of the upcoming Oasis reunion tour
Danny Jones
If you had any doubt that the upcoming Oasis reunion shows weren’t going to be heavily documented, you’re an absolute fool. However, we’ll admit we weren’t expecting to hear the creator of Peaky Blinders‘ name connected to the tour.
Yeah, as in the Brummies with the flat caps on the telly – them ones.
That’s right, the same man who brought Tommy Shelby and Birmingham’s most infamous gang to our screens is apparently overseeing a major documentary project which will chronicle the return of the Gallagher brothers and put the best bits on film.
As announced by the band themselves this week, Steven Knight has been confirmed as the creator and producer of the Oasis ‘Live ’25’ world tour documentary movie.
The brain behind Peaky Blinders is creating the second Oasis doc after 2016’s Supersonic. (Credit: Taylor Rooke/BBC/IMDb)
It’s worth noting to begin with that besides the BBC’s blockbuster gangster series, which is soon to be followed up with the franchise’s first feature film on Netflix, Knight does have some background in music-related media.
The 65-year-old created the six-part BBC drama, This Town, which revolves around the rise of ska and the ‘two-tone’ revival movement in the Midlands during the 1970s; he also wrote the script for the 2024 opera biopic, Maria, starring Angelina Jolie.
Other names involved in the Peaky Blinders boss’ Oasis documentary are joint directors Dylan Southern and Will Lovelace, who made the LCD Soundsystem film, Shut Up And Play The Hits, which covers frontman James Murphy’s final gig as part of the band at Madison Square Gardens.
Although we are obviously yet to get a release window at this early stage – they’ve got to get through all 41 dates first (touch wood) – more details are expected soon.
Who’s managed to grab tickets? (Credit: Press Image)
The bedlam around ‘Live ’25’ becoming a reality may have died down a little as now just have to play the waiting game and gear up for those first gigs in July, but there have still been plenty of exciting announcements since then.
As well as Richard Ashcroft and Cast being confirmed as the two support acts for the tour, the full reunion band has also reportedly been revealed, with another member of the original 1991 lineup set to make his own comeback.
We’re still way too far away from seeing leaks of the setlist and what they’ve been playing in rehearsals etc., but we
After all, as much as love debating the best Oasis songs of all time, we’ll just be glad to hear any of them being played by the Burnage boys, together again in the flesh, for the first time in 15 years.
James Arthur to play massive Manchester show on UK arena tour next year
Emily Sergeant
James Arthur is the latest act to announce a massive UK arena tour, and he’ll be paying a visit to Manchester next year.
On the day that Manchester’s newest live entertainment arena,Co-op Live, is set to welcome one of the world’s current biggest pop star, Sabrina Carpenter, another major pop act is set to take to that very same stage around this time next year, as James Arthur has today announced a huge arena tour.
The former X Factor winner is heading out on an 11-date tour of the UK in early 2026, and that includes a visit to our city in mid February.
After performing in some of the UK’s biggest cities in the days prior – including London’s O2, the bp pulse LIVE in Birmingham, and shows in other northern cities such as Sheffield and Liverpool – the will 37-year-old singer-songwriter will stop off Manchester to close out his impressive tour.
He’ll be performing at Co-op Live on Saturday 21 February 2026.
The announcement of next year’s UK tour next year’s coincides with the upcoming release of Arthur’s highly-anticipated next studio album, PISCES.
In recent years, Arthur has cemented himself as one of the biggest names in contemporary pop and soul, amassing 11 Platinum hit singles, more 38 million monthly listeners on Spotify, and two UK number one albums along the way – including his most recent release, Bitter Sweet Love, which was celebrated with a sold-out UK and Europe arena tour, culminating in a historic performance in his hometown of Middlesbrough to an audience of 25,000 fans.
James Arthur UK arena tour dates 2025
3 February – Nottingham Motorpoint Arena
4 February – Glasgow OVO Hydro
6 February – Newcastle Utilita Arena
7 February – Aberdeen P&J Live
10 February – Birmingham bp pulse LIVE
11 February – Bournemouth International Centre
13 February – Sheffield Utilita Arena
14 February – Liverpool M&S Bank Arena
16 February – Cardiff Utilita Arena
18 February – London The O2
21 February – Manchester Co-op Live
James Arthur is playing a massive Manchester show on his UK arena tour next year / Credit: Wikimedia Commons
With the upcoming release of PISCES on 25 April, Arthur is said to be ‘diving deeper into his personal struggles’ to create a collection of songs that is ‘as introspective as it is sonically adventurous’.
Tickets to James Arthur’s 2026 UK arena tour, including the Manchester Co-op Live gig on Saturday 21 February, go on pre-sale next Wednesday 19 March at 9am, and then on general sale on Friday 21 February at 9am.
Hannah Starkie -
8th June 2021 
