Metrolink has announced that Liam Gallagher will be this week’s surprise voice for Manchester’s tram announcements.
The former Oasis member and Manchester music legend is set to take over the tram announcements in celebration of the Bee Network, Greater Manchester’s integrated public transport system, and Beyond the Music festival. Gallagher will be announcing the stops as they go via some pre-recorded snippets.
Beyond the Music Festival is a new fest and change-making conference that is set to take place in Manchester from October 11-14. Its focus is on new music, grass roots venues and developing talent and infrastructure support for the city region that will make an impact on the music and content sectors across the UK and beyond.
Speaking about the opportunity in a press release, a spokesperson for Gallagher said: “Liam’s doing his bit to get behind the festival and encourage people to get into the city and support new up and coming talent.
“When the request was first made by Bee Network champion Andy Burnham, Liam loved the idea of surprising tram users by doing the announcements and he was given the chance to choose his favourite line. You’ll have to get onto a tram into the city to find out which it is!”
Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham added: “It means a lot to us that Liam has agreed to do this and show his support for his home city. Supporting our music venues and giving people cheaper and better public transport to and from our gigs is what we’re all about. I am sure that Liam’s dulcet tones will wake up a few early-morning commuters, brighten up many a journey and produce a lot of smiles along the way.”
Beyond the Music Festival is set to host more than 100 artists will be performing at 17 grassroots venues across the city – including an entire day of free concerts in partnership with Lush, titled ‘Music for Everyone’ – culminating in a secret gig sponsored by The Face. Visit here for tickets and more information.
In other news, Peter Kay recently suggested that he has been banned from presenting at the BRIT Awards following his feud with Gallagher.
The comedian hit headlines in 2010 after calling the former Oasis frontman a “knobhead” while hosting that year’s ceremony.
Writing in his new biography TV: Big Adventures On The Small Screen, Kay reflected on the incident, writing (via The Mirror): “Liam Gallagher won an award. He swaggered on stage to collect it, then threw it into the audience and walked off.
“He could have hit somebody in the face with it. What a knobhead, I thought. So I said just that when I walked back to the mic ‘what a knobhead.’”
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