News
Legendary Salford Poet Dr John Cooper Clarke announces MASSIVE gig at Co-op Live next year
I wanna be your vacuum cleaner.
Thomas Melia -
14th October 2024 
Poet and Greater Mancunian legend Dr John Cooper Clarke is playing a landmark gig at Manchester’s newest entertainment venue next year.
Throughout his career, Clarke has played many venues including theatres and festivals. However, this Manchester city centre gig is set to be his first arena show and first of its kind as he will become the first poet ever to headline an arena.
The literary great has many achievements under his belt including performing alongside some of the UK’s biggest punk bands like Joy Division, New Order and The Buzzcocks just to name a few.
Now, in his 75th year on earth, Clarke is still breaking records and spreading his poetry to the world, this time performing to an audience of literary lovers at Co-op Live. Clarke has done gigs in a variety of places, last year, he even put on a show underground in Peak cavern.
He will be performing material from his latest body of work ‘WHAT’ with a special guest joining him at every venue he stops off at.
Linkton Kewesi Johnson has been chosen to set the stage in Manchester. He’s also a notable figure in the written world being the only black poet to be published in the Penguin Modern Classics series.
The tour announcement follows the release of John Cooper Clarke’s latest poem ‘Proper Sound’ a partnership between Co-op and the poet, with lines like ‘a town is not a proper town without the old Co-op around’.
He is a homegrown talent being born and raised in Salford with his work really dominating the punk-air of the 70’s. In 2023 he was granted freedom of his own city after all his great writing efforts.
In 2013, Clarke saw his work elevated to further heights as Sheffield rock band Arctic Monkey’s turned his poem into song with the release of their cult classic single, ‘I Wanna Be Yours’.
Since its release 11 years ago, the song has racked up over one billion Spotify streams and has significantly boosted the profile of both Alex Turner’s band and the Salford poet.
That same year, Dr John Cooper Clarke received an honorary doctorate from his hometown education institute as Salford University awarded the literary genius for his services to arts.
The poet has had many a profile and interview over the years, in recent chats, he has been persistent about his digital detox.
Clarke is set on not owning a mobile phone or various electronic devices, and why would he? After all, this Doctor is the epitome of rock ‘n’ roll.
Dr John Cooper Clarke and his special guest Linkton Kewesi Johnson are stopping off in our beautiful city on Saturday 29 March 2025.
Tickets for Dr John Cooper Clarke and his poetry guests go live to Co-op members on 16 October at 10am. General on-sale is happening on 18 October at 10am HERE.
Read more:
- John Bishop vows to keep tickets at £25 as he announces two massive Manchester comedy shows
- How to get your Coldplay fix if you missed out on stadium tickets
- MTV EMAs nominations announced ahead of star-studded Manchester award show
Featured Image: Jody Hartley
