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Versus Cancer
The third Versus Cancer rocked the M.E.N Arena on Saturday 23 February 2008 with The Enemy, The Fratellis, The Happy Mondays, Fun Lovin' Criminals, Athlete, The View, The Inspiral Carpets and The Farm.
Check out the review from the Manchester Evening News below >
"A
SUPERGROUP performance in tribute to Tony Wilson provided a fitting
finale to the third Versus Cancer concert.
The curtain was brought down on an eclectic night of music by a
band featuring Badly Drawn Boy singer Damon Gough alongside New
Order's Peter Hook, Versus Cancer organiser Andy Rourke and
former Revenge and Monaco guitarist David Potts.
"Rest In Peace Tony Wilson," said Gough - part of a band
which was a surprise addition to the M.E.N Arena line-up - during a
set which included The Smiths' classic Please, Please, Please
Let Me Get What I Want.
The group also performed a moving cover of Joy Division's Love
Will Tear Us Apart and led the crowd in a performance of John
Lennon's Instant Karma.
A picture of Tony Wilson - who lost his battle against cancer last
year - appeared on the venue's video screens.
Short of pulling off a minor miracle involving Morrissey and his
sworn enemies from The Smiths, curating the third installation of
Manchester Versus Cancer was always going to be a tough nut to
crack.
Most of the once-in-a-lifetime collaborations were ticked off in
years one and two, leaving organiser and former Smiths' bassist
Andy Rourke with something of a dilemma.
Yet he clearly had a few favours left to call in and the resulting
show was a slick and excellently executed display of acts good
enough to accept the call to arms.
They may have fit together like a set-list from a DJ who was
perhaps too eager to please every member at a family party - not
necessarily in the right order, and each managing to please some of
the people only some of the time - but it was all in a good cause.
The View, The Farm and Oldham favourites, The Inspiral Carpets, got
the show started.
Athlete proved themselves to be highly polished and talented
performers with a decent line in bed-sit background music.
The Fun Lovin' Criminals again proved themselves to be possibly
some of the coolest men on the planet, laying down their lazy lines
of funk with weathered smiles and indecipherable New York lyrics.
But the Happy Mondays were by far the biggest crowd pleasers of the
night and should really have headlined.
Mondays' dancer Bez and singer Shaun Ryder - who was sporting a
new Mohawk hairstyle - even entertained the crowd with a little
play fighting.
The biggest current names were The Fratellis and The Enemy, both of
them hot tickets in their own right.
And to show just how important that research is, one crew member,
who picked up the microphone and told the crowd that his beautiful
brother-in-law had lost his life to cancer only two days before.
Another roadie made clear his belief that cancer would be no match
for the ensemble.
If Versus Cancer returns as planned next year, he may even be
right."
