Bleary-eyed passengers sleepwalking through their commutes on Manchester’s Metrolink tram network recently may have been in for a shock: in place of the usual recorded announcements was the distinctive drawl of Liam Gallagher, letting them know where their tram was off to and where it might be stopping next.
All this was a publicity stunt – an effective one, apparently, since I’m writing about it – to promote the Beyond the Music festival, which saw 100 artists perform at 17 grassroots venues across the city region. Normally I’d raise an eyebrow at claims that the idea of getting the ex-Oasis singer involved came from Andy Burnham himself; but having been at his mayoral campaign launch event back in 2017, with its Manchester tarts, eccles cakes and all-Madchester playlist (Elbow, Inspiral Carpets, Lisa Stansfield et al), I can actually sort of believe it.
