NEW ORDER LIVE JANUARY 28th 2006 at Manchester V Cancer Live music event

Manchester v Cancer is the idea of ex-Smith, Andy Rourke, following news that his manager’s sister and father had been diagnosed with cancer. Andy and his new company, Great Northern Productions Ltd decided to group together to raise £1million to fund cancer research at Manchester’s Christie Hospital, Europe’s largest cancer treatment and research centre.

Manchester v Cancer tickets will go on sale in December. Artists include New Order, Doves, Andy Rourke, Mani, Badly Drawn Boy, Stephen Fretwell. Much more to be announce

www.manchestervcancer.co.uk

Magic magazine is announcing the release of the DVD 24 Hour Party People which includes a special issue of 65 pages on Factory Records - New Order / Joy Div / Happy Mondays.

French people and foreigners can order it there :
http://www.magicrpm.com/visu/hors_serie_en_kiosque.php?idEnkiosque=135
 

The Manchester legends played an hour long set in the main hall of Oakwood High School at about 4.30pm.

The show was organised by head teacher Janis Triska at the school which deals with pupils with learning difficulties and specialises in arts, technology and music.

Ms Triska was inspired to organise the show after the school received an ‘Outstanding’ rating in its Ofsted report.

New Order treated pupils at the Eccles school to all the classics including ‘Blue Monday’, and ‘Bizarre Love Triangle.’

Afterwards Bernard Sumner told reporters, “Probably half the kids didn’t know who we were.

“It was still brilliant. We came to make people feel special, but they made us feel special. Creativity wasn’t big when me and Hooky were at school in Salford.”

Janis Triska told The Guardian afterwards: “It's been fabulous. I can't begin to describe what's happened. The children have had a whale of a time and it's so richly deserved for them and the staff who have worked equally as hard for the Ofsted inspection.

"The roadies are coming back in to do a talk to Year 10 and 12 about jobs in the industry and Bernie said he'd be coming back.

“The kids might not have known who they were before, but they all certainly do now."

The band - two of whom are from Salford - played at the city's Oakwood High School after being inducted into the UK Music Hall of Fame on Wednesday.

The school, which caters for pupils with complex learning difficulties, was praised as "a very good school" by inspectors from Ofsted.

Singer Bernard Sumner said he hoped the gig made the pupils "feel special".

"I come from this town and it can be a very rough place at times and if you've got some sort of disability or problem, you can times that by many times growing up here," he added.

I don't know if we made them feel special but they made us feel special   Bernard Sumner

"We wanted to come to make these kids feel special, not special needs, but special, and to try and raise their self-esteem.

"When they all got up after the second song spontaneously it was fantastic and you couldn't want a better litmus test than playing to a bunch of kids who probably don't know you're stuff.

"I don't know if we made them feel special but they made us feel special."

Headteacher Janis Triska said the gig was to help the children celebrate the school's Ofsted report.

"It seemed sensible to bring a Salford band to give a concert to the children," she said.

"Fortunately Bernard came to visit the school and was so pleased with it he said they'd give a concert.

"A lot of them probably won't have known the band but after today they're enthralled."

This afternoon Manchester legends New Order took up that invitation and played a surprise gig for the school's pupils and the media. Bernard Sumner, the band's guitarist and singer, visited the school earlier this year and was so impressed he reportedly told Ms Triska he'd do whatever they wanted to help.

Oakwood high in Ellesmere Park, Eccles, is a special school for pupils with learning difficulties. Its Ofsted report this summer praised the school's breadth of curriculum, community links and the relationships between staff and pupils.

This afternoon Ms Triska was dancing in the assembly hall to New Order classics such as Blue Monday and Bizarre Love Triangle.

"It's been fabulous. I can't begin to describe what's happened. The children have had a whale of a time and it's so richly deserved for them and the staff who have worked equally as hard for the Ofsted inspection," she told EducationGuardian.co.uk after the gig ended. "The roadies are coming back in to do a talk to Year 10 and 12 about jobs in the industry and Bernie said he'd be coming back. The kids might not have known who they were before, but they all certainly do now."

Once the band had agreed to the gig, their management brought in public relations consultant Sara Teiger who had the tricky job of telling the world about the gig. The school specifically asked for publicity to promote its success following the Ofsted report, but could not release the news until after New Order had left the school at 4.30pm today for fear that they would be mobbed.

The Prime Minister paid tribute to the Eurythmics

Posthumous places went to John Peel and Jimi Hendrix while Prime Minister Tony Blair led praise for the Eurythmics.

But Ozzy Osbourne, whose band Black Sabbath were also honoured, stole the show with a bottom-baring performance.

"That was a lot of fun," he said after mooning at the crowd which gave him a standing ovation at the London event.

Wednesday's show was the second annual Hall of Fame ceremony, after the likes of The Beatles, Madonna and U2 were honoured last year.

Ozzy moons

"Considering the amount of talent that comes out of this country, it should have been done 20 years ago," Osbourne said.

Black Sabbath were presented with their award by Queen guitarist Brian May, then Osbourne went on to moon at the Alexandra Palace crowd.

Pink Floyd were honoured after reforming at Live 8 in July.

Ozzy Osbourne bared his backside to the crowd

"It's nice to be loved and for one's contribution to be recognised in some way," singer and guitarist Dave Gilmour said.

"I suppose I agree that we have had an influence on modern popular music."

Gilmour accepted the award with drummer Nick Mason. Roger Waters was live on screen from Rome, where his opera Ca Ira is being staged.

The tensions between Gilmour and Waters rose to the surface when Gilmour thanked "all the passengers on this fabulous ride we've been on".

Waters responded: "I confess I've never felt like a passenger."

Gilmour played down suggestions of a further reunion, saying: "The Live 8 moment was a wonderful moment.

"But we've all moved on and there are lots of other things to be thrilled about these days."

Peel inspiration

Mason said there were "no plans" to get back t