Mancunian poet Mike Garry and New Order shared a stage with an exciting array of musical legends including Iggy Pop and Patti Smith at New York’s iconic Carnegie Hall this week.
Our poet laureate of the North West performed at the 24th annual benefit concert for Tibet House at Carnegie Hall, New York on Tuesday at the invitation of legendary composer Philip Glass.
The Tibet House benefit annually gathers influential figures from the world of music in order to raise awareness and money for the people in Tibet.
And Garry was delighted to have been part of it, reading a four minute version of his poem St Anthony, written in tribute to late Factory Records boss Tony Wilson.
He said: “I think Tony will be looking down and thinking ‘Manchester in New York. It seems to work so well’. I think he would have been incredibly proud that Manchester and Salford will be sharing the stage with international artist like Philip Glass, Patti Smith and Iggy Pop.”
The new version of St Anthony has been set to music by composer and fellow Mancunian Joe Duddell and is soon to be released as a charity single with all proceeds going to Christies Charitable Foundation.
“St Anthony is a prayer and poem in one. It mourns the loss of one of our city’s greatest sons and celebrates the landscape of our geography and culture,” said Garry after his performance.
There is a video being shot presently to accompany the song, featuring friends of the music mogal Tony Wilson, and some other music legends.
New Order’s highly anticipated set also paid tribute to the late Wilson, with whom they founded the world famous Hacienda nightclub.
Iggy Pop joined them on stage for a couple of Joy Division classics and lead singer Bernard Sumner and a string section played a touching instrumental rendition of Your Silent Face from Power, Corruption & Lies.
The benefit ended with a group number from all of the night’s performers, including Tibetan monks, intertwined onstage for a rendition of Patti Smith’s People Have The Power.
Image courtesy of Seddontv, via YouTube, with thanks.
