Rockocracy Inspires A 1,000-Pint Toast

Andy Rourke may have taken third billing to Morrissey and Johnny Marr in the Smiths, but the diffident bassist apparently kept the best contacts book. For this second annual charity concert, he recruited the crowned heads of Manchester's rock aristocracy plus distinguished visitors.

Ian Brown
Simian charisma: Ian Brown's grinning arrival boosted the party atmosphere

Mancunian Rourke, who recently lost a close friend to cancer, staged the first concert after learning that his home town has the country's highest death rate from the disease.

Last year, he persuaded Marr to perform with him for the first time since the Smiths' acrimonious break-up, so a packed MEN Arena was primed for some unique collaborations. Peter Hook guested with Echo and the Bunnymen on a poignant rendition of New Order's Ceremony, which the bassist dedicated to Tony Wilson, the Manchester impresario who is battling kidney cancer.

The Charlatans followed with a solid greatest-hits set that ignited with the entrance of Paul Weller. The angular Modfather strutted on stage and unleashed dazzling versions of the Jam's Town Called Malice and John Lennon's Power to the People - the Charlatans' floating keyboards providing an ample foil to Weller's stinging guitar.

Ian Brown's grinning arrival boosted the party atmosphere - what the former Stone Roses frontman lacked in vocal finesse, he made up for in simian charisma. Striking ironic Mr Universe poses and jogging on the spot, he shuffled through Golden Gaze and Time Is My Everything before the opening synth whooshes to his biggest hit F.E.A.R. sparked an ecstatic reaction.

With trademark contrariness, Brown closed by debuting two brooding orchestral tracks from his forthcoming album. Backed by Rourke on bass, he introduced Goodbye to the Broken by instructing the Manchester faithful to "keep off the class As".

Luckily, headliner Noel Gallagher only had to stroll on stage to send the arena back into overdrive.

In fine voice, and with backing from Oasis colleague Gem Archer and percussionist Terry Kirkbride, the 39-year-old led semi-acoustic, mid-tempo singalongs of Talk Tonight, Half the World Away, The Importance of Being Idle and Cast No Shadow, for which a thousand plastic pint glasses were held aloft.

Weller re-emerged to duet on a shimmering version of the Jam's The Butterfly Collector before leaving Gallagher to deliver a nod to Rourke's heritage with a faithful rendering of the Smiths' There is a Light That Never Goes Out, and a predictable but irresistible Don't Look Back in Anger.

The finale saw Ian Brown lead a joyously ramshackle I Am the Resurrection with a little help from Mani, the Roses-turned-Primal Scream bassist. Despite the fluffed cues, Manchester belted out the euphoric chorus to close the night triumphant.

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