ANDY ROURKE TO TAKE ON CANCER

Inspired by his manager's sister and dad being diagnosed, former Smiths boy Andy Rourke has organised a huge anti-cancer concert called 'Manchester versus Cancer' for January 28th. The winner will go on to take on Liverpool in the finals.

The line includes - oh, it's Manchester, we're sure you can draw up a list yourself: Badly Drawn Boy; baggy survivors The Charlatans; the odd former Stone Rose (Mani, in this case) and Peter Hook.

Rourke has decided this will be an annual event, too:

"It will bring together people and bands that have made Manchester famous. It will be huge and the idea is that this will be the start of an annual event to raise money for charity whether it is helping cancer or arthritis. It will be bigger and bigger each year, the highlight of the musical calendar."

Let's hope medical science doesn't screw things up by finding a cure for all known ills.

music andy rourke the smiths the charlatans peter hook badly drawn boy