The Bard of Salford John Cooper Clarke came to Salford Lads Club for an intimate conversation event with BBC broadcaster Nihal Arthanayake with all monies from ticket sales going to the Salford Lads Club, and with a packed hall I should imagine a fair amount of much needed money was raised.
John spoke openly about his life and career, he lived above Freedmans chemist on the corner of Bury New Road and Great Cheetham Street from his window he could see the Rialto Cinema which he would visit several times a week with his Mother, I remember John telling me that his Father was a pub person, who took him on one occasion, when the curtains opened and the MGM Lion would roar , he said,”I’ve seen this” and walked out.
Supporting bands like the Clash, Sex Pistols conquered his fear of audiences and amazingly he asked Bernard Manning who owned the Embassy Club if he could do a spot, Bernard asked him what was his act, when told poetry. Bernard replied, “that’s fine half the f*ckers in here can’t read anyway….”
John regaled us with tales of music hall heroes, Harry Champion and his favourite Stanley Holloway, films, he loves Westerns but his favourite film of all time is White Heat the James Cagney classic, Beatnik cafes in Manchester and one hilarious anecdote about a girl he fancied who sadly had a lisp and was worried about the state of affairs in Rhodesia…go on say it with a lisp…he wasn’t being cruel , he just found the memory of it being funny…
In the second half, Phil Jones his long suffering manager was brought on, the man who John says, saved his life by reviving his career and getting him in rehab, he seemed like a caring Uncle looking after a naughty boy and there was a great repartee between them.
I loved the tale that John told about leaving rehab for the second time, he had put on two stone in weight through healthy living and no drugs, only problem his clothes didn’t fit him apart from his pyjamas! He gave Alan Wise a £100 to get him a suit so he could leave, he returned with a suit which John said would have looked great on Little Richard but not him.
We heard tales of living with Nico and John Cale, he said neither of them were a help in his struggle to give up drugs but added how many people could say they have shared a flat with two fifths of the Velvet Underground?
His late Road Manager, Johnny Green came up in conversation and you could see the visible upset, he said there is not enough years left in his life to stop grieving, such was their friendship, I was lucky enough to have been friends with Johnny Green for many years and I can only echo John’s sentiments, a cruel and terrible loss.
I have not enjoyed myself in such a long time, well since I saw him at the Coop Arena in March, John is a national treasure and I am certain he would hate that term, but in my eyes he is that and more and we should celebrate the fact that John is still with us and long may it remain, I think it’s fair to say that Salford loves him…I do.
Big thanks to all the volunteers who gave up their time to ensure the concert ran smoothly, Leslie Holmes for the use of the venue, Alison Bell who told me that it took her about five years to pull the strings together following a conversation she had with Phil Jones, Jon and Becky Drape at a Christmas Party not long after the in conversation with Noel Gallagher at the Salford Lads Club, caps doffed Alison, and finally Nathan Harrison who had to endure being sat next to me throughout the concert.
Salford so much to answer for.
