Former Inspiral Carpets drummer and Manchester Music Tours owner Craig Gill photographed on the bridge used for Joy Division's best of album cover. Pic: Lee Boswell 16/9/11

The award-winning and internationally renowned Manchester Music Tours – created by Inspiral Carpets’ drummer Craig Gill is being relaunched in November a year after he passed away.

Craig built up a series of music tours over the years to reflect the popularity of some of Manchester’s most celebrated music exports. Tours across Greater Manchester included The Smiths, Oasis, The Stone Roses and Joy Division and they will now continue and evolve to honour his legacy to Manchester music.

Since 2005, music fans from all over the world have made the pilgrimage to visit dozens of locations that illustrate Greater Manchester’s rich musical heritage and significance – from Salford Lads Club to Sifters Records in Burnage.

A year on and Craig’s wife, Rose Gill felt that the time was right to to bring back the tours. Rose welcomes contact from anyone who have been on any of Craig’s music tours in the past to get in touch:

“As part of the Manchester Music Tours relaunch we would like to collate video/phone footage of Craig leading his previous tours. If you had the opportunity (pleasure) to attend any tours with Craig and you filmed anything, please send it to mancmusictours@gmail.com. We would like to play the footage on screens at the new starting point for the tours. We will be announcing further tour dates for 2018 in the next few weeks.”

When the tours return in November 2017, there will be new guest hosts/guides from the Manchester music scene (names to be announced shortly), the tours will commence from, Afflecks on Oldham Street in Manchester’s Northern Quarter.

So, once again, music fans will have the opportunity to enjoy these bespoke tours, on the streets of Manchester and beyond. The re-launch of the next official Manchester Music Tour will coincide with the release of Morrissey’s album ‘Low in High School’,featuring the iconic double-decker ‘Mozbus’.

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