Music for Cities, a musical extravaganza, involving top Manchester rock bands, together with talented young musicians, was sold out a couple of hours after the information came on-line.
The event, which will take place at the Manchester Cathedral on 15 November, is designed to show the young people of the city that there is a future for them. The funds raised will be used to set up projects, which will be created by the young people who live there.
The concert is organised by three Manchester-based charities. The United Estates of Wythenshawe (UEW) a social enterprise based in an area rife with social inequality. The charity helps young people to develop a sustainable future that does not involve gang membership, violence or substance abuse. It is part of Initiatives of Change UK’s Sustainable Communities programme.
Says Greg Davis, CEO of UEW: 'We grew up on a tough inner city estate. We build youth clubs for kids who don't go to youth clubs, we take the energy and commitment that is needed to create and develop a youth gang and we exchange it for positive social enterprise. We are the United Estates; every tough estate should have one.'
To organise the concert, UEW has joined hands with Reclaim, an award winning leadership and mentoring project, which empowers young people to make positive change in their communities and Chethams School of Music, the largest specialist music school in the UK.
Among the bands, who will be performing voluntarily, are:
Terry Hall - ex of the Specials and Fun Boy Three. He is a cult figure in the music industry, his tracks Ghost Town and Too Much Too Young are acknowledged as era defining classic tracks form cult status albums. The Specials are the true kings of the 'Ska' era.
A Certain Ratio - Manchester (Madchester) Legends, First band to perform at the Hacienda and signed to the great Factory Music label. A Certain Ratio were central to the Manchester Music Scene of 80's and 90's and produced the legendary era defining track Good Together (Factory Records)
Puressence - A well-established Manchester band with a massive following.
Peter Hook and the Light - He was the bassist for the English post-punk band Joy Division, and New Order. Since 2007, Hook has kept himself busy with his new band The Light and has toured around the world to play Joy Division’s first album Unknown Pleasures live.
Tim Burgess, Salford-born and best known as the singer with Cheshire band the Charlatans since the late 80s, will headline the night accompanied by the strings and choir from the Chetham's School of Music. 'We heard about the plans at Manchester Cathedral and it was too good to miss. Such an iconic venue and a brilliant idea for a gig,' says Tim.
The event will be compered by MC Tunes, a well-respected artiste and music entrepreneur, who had massive tracks out in the eighties and nineties with Tunes Splits the Atom and The only Rhyme that Bites. .
There are also a number of support acts included on the bill.
This unique musical charity event brings with it a range of exciting opportunities for sponsorship and engagement.
Manchester Cathedral holds profound importance for the North West of England and in particular to the cities of Manchester and Salford.
According to Reverend Rogers Govender, Dean of the Manchester Cathedral: 'The concert will celebrate the very best musical talent our city has created, while providing a platform for the next generation of musicians to showcase their creativity. Our hope is that through this event, we can become the birthplace of some astonishing musical careers.'
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