Band’s message from fans
“IF you can think you can beat us, you don’t know who we are.”
That was the message from Courteeners frontman Liam Fray to the 50,000 crowd who packed into Old Trafford cricket ground.
The rock band are one of the most Manc bands around and shared the stage with up-and-coming Stockport outfit Blossoms.
The Bank Holiday concert was a longawaited highlight - but the terrible events of Monday gave the event huge significance.
The big gig was a cathartic moment for the many fans who lived through the horrors of this week.
The thousands of people who gathered were determined to do what our city does best - enjoy music, have a drink and, most important of all, come together.
Dressed in a white coat, Liam took to the stage and read out a moving poem ahead of their set.
“We f ****** needed this Manchester,” Fray told the crowd. “Thanks for being brave and coming down... it can’t have been easy.”
The Courteeners showed why they are the band of a generation.
Tracks including Bide Your Time, Not Nineteen Forever and What Took You So Long have become folk songs intertwined with the city’s consciousness.
Another emotional moment came when Fray played an acoustic version of Don’t Look Back in Anger, after mourners sang the Oasis classic in St Ann’s Square this week.
“I’m incredibly proud of us Mancunians this week,” he said.
The Courteeners were quick to confirm their intention to carry on with this week’s gig after Monday’s atrocity - but many gig goers were admittedly concerned.
However, dozens of police - smiling but professional - helped provide reassurance to the crowds.
Support band Stockport’s Blossoms displayed with effervescent cool and, of course, The Charlatans brought out the hits that soundtracked a city.