A star-studded line-up took over the 02 Apollo earlier this week for a charity gig brimming with legendary artists, hosted by BBC Radio 6's Chris Hawkins and two of the region's footballing greats - Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher.
The former Manchester United right-back and Liverpool defender were joined by Poet Laureate Simon Armitage, performing with his band Lyr, as well as Mancunian and Liverpudlian bands popular from the football terraces to dancefloors across the North West - including Slow Readers Club, and The Farm.
Some had travelled from other parts of the country, February 27, for the opportunity to see some of their favourite artists perform in a unique setting, with a full orchestral backing. One man, who had travelled from Cannock to see members of 90s rock group James play, went as far as to say it was the best £200 he could have spent on tickets and accommodation.
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But then, that was in part due to the fact that he had been able to hang out with the full band in the pub beforehand. He said: "Where else are you going to be able to do that?"
This reflected the wide sections of society that had come together for the charity gig, with football fans mixing with poetry lovers and music-heads for the good cause. Whether they were there to belt out The Farm's anthem 'All Together Now', or nod to Simon Armitage's lyrical poetry on love, loss, and memory.
The stand out performance of the evening from Joe Duddell and his orchestra, giving depth to many of the evening's star-studded performances - whether it was the trance DJ set of Chicane, or the masterful vocals of Slow Readers Club's Aaron Starkie.
The Music Feeds Live concert, which was organised by James guitarist Saul Davies and his partner Vanda Guerreiro, also featured Starsailor, First Breath After a Coma, The Reads, Ellen Beth Abdi and Lanterns on the Lake. It was the second iteration of the concert, which was started in the pandemic as an online concert.
Between each of the short sets, the hosts took to the stage to champion the work of the Trussell Trust in feeding poverty-stricken families across the region, as well as a smattering of football-related banter. At one point, Neville spoke on the rivalry between Manchester and Liverpool, saying: "Our biggest rivalry is over our two great football teams, but anyone from either city can enjoy Scouse or Manc music."
Speaking on the food poverty afflicting families across the region, Carragher said: "This is a problem across our two wonderful cities in the North West. This is a problem all over the country, so thank you to everyone for turning out and raising money to fight food poverty."
And later, when asked about his former club, Carragher added to whoops of support: "And I cannot wait for Jurgen Klopp to f*** off."
