CityLife

Great to see a legendary Manchester band pulling out the stops and I think it's doubly heartwarming that The Buzzcocks are letting the support act go on last!

Its good to see that whilst a rightfully seminal piece of work is being honoured on its twentieth anniversary, the fact that this album is "cited by many for kick-starting the Nineties and the halcyon Britpop period" and thereafter the mass commercialisation of 'indie' music by the ravenous corporates is also being celebrated in a recession friendly triple release scam thereby ensuring a dent of potentially up to £200 in hardened fans/collectors' bank accounts and a nice fat Christmas bonus for the record company. Hoorah, you've put a pound sign on our youth once again. Music industry 1 Music fans 0. (Yes I am cynical, and so ought you to be too). Classic music but how much do we really have to spend on 1 bloody album in our lives? Pearl bastard's before swines indeed!

It's sad, or laughable depending on your standpoint, that Robbie's once slyly smug and subtly disrespectful attitude to his former band and colleagues appears to be a case of 'the arses you kick on the way up will be the ones you have to kiss on your way down'. Take That have worked very very hard to recreate themselves as a relevant and contemporary musical force and their classy 'adult' pop has not only won a whole new legion of fans but their rebirth is genuinely attractive to their original fans who lets face it are a lot older now and expect something a little more mature. Unlike Robbie who, following his head swelling multi-million pound deal and dismissal of musical mentor, arranger and co-songwriter Guy Chambers over a disagreement concerning exclusivity (ie Guy rightly wanted to work with other people - not just Williams), has seen his success dwindle due to his mostly failed and vague attempts to fashion himself as some sort of British Timberlake with bewilderingly peurile results - Rudebox anyone? When you see Take That's stage show now, you witness evidence of a creatively unified and tightly knitted four-piece where each member has something unique but appropriate to bring to the performance. To have some cretinous balloon leaping around vying for as much attention as possible like in the old days ('ooh look at me and my dyed red skinhead, isn't it rebellious') would be to undo all the time and effort Gary, Mark, Howard and Jason have spent in the last few years. A pointlessly charitible act executed only for the sake of appeasing a spent and irritatingly needful force. I imagine the fans arn't that bothered either. Robbie was alwasy 'too big' for Take That and now ironically, there just isn't room for him.

I dunno Anonymous 76, I think the label interest could be true - as the singer says 'It's like they all want to make a quick buck, before they get found out and indie music stops being in fashion'. That notion goes for the industry as well as the bands ha ha! Irony not lost there then! So, a Manc band heavily influenced by Morrissey and redolent of The Libertines then? Great! The Courteeners part 2. Just what the world needs! (Followed by heavily sarcastic weary sigh and no doubt scores of people going 'you don't know blah blah, they sound nothing like blah blah, its what the scene needs blah blah etc etc etc). Anyway, good luck boys, keep namechecking the Moz one, ya never know, it worked for Liam Fray - support slots a gogo!

Seriously, is this actually news? You'd think the Local Authorities would be more concerned with ensuring that their constituent locals are able to (heaven forbid), get home from work easily, go about their business as much as normal etc, than the fact that their European mandate might be at risk! Still, its all about the people isn't it ha ha. I'm sure it'll be the usual chaos on the day - you know the way Manchester grinds to a halt if there are more than 5 people in or (passing through the city and its outlying areas) than usual. Better get the Metrolinks fitted with roofrack seats, and Pat Karney, you make sure Tescos arn't selling too much beer - this is why we pay our council taxes goddammit! :D Have fun!