My mistake Liam did not cameo, it was a lookalike. I wrote up this little blog afterwards with my views on it:
On paper it sounded ludicrous, and in practice it was even more so. Good Friday, 2006 a project is undetaken to re-create the crucifixion in Manchester in a modern setting, punctuated with the music of Manchester musicians (Smiths, Joy Division, New Order, Oasis etc). The role of Jesus is performed by James (remember them?) singer Tim Booth, who seems to performed something of a resurrection himself after being AWOL for a number of years. St. Peter is by Anthony Trueman from Eastenders, and playing the narrator and Pilate is none other than Keith Allen.
That's right Keith Allen. Member of Fat Les, The Comic Strip and notorious hellraiser Keith Allen. He opens up the proceedings telling us of what's to come, and is out guide to the gospel. In the role of Mary is a black woman (who knows what the Vatican would think of that), who opens with M-People's 'Search for the hero inside yourself'. We then see Dr. Trueman by a kebab van flanked by Mr. Anthony H. Wilson, as Jesus prepares his 'Last Supper', presumably the holy bread has now been replaced by the pita bread from his donner, and the wine by a few tinnys that may have been obtained from the local Spa. He then serenades his apostles with a pleasent enough version of Love Will Tear Us Apart.
This is just the opening. Fact is though, you can't really hate the people doing this despite the daftness of it all. There is something so very Manchunian, and perhaps even Tony Wilsonesque about this idea. Watching them try and pull the story off to build awareness and response in a community is a fair enough goal for a Christian out there I suppose, but in this way it is utter insanity. Thing is you almost end up being warmly fond of Allen, Booth and whoever organised this event, as you would be for Wile E. Cyote or Larry David, a loveable fool blundering into an event out of their control. Oh, and let's not forget that none of these covered acts are christians or even remotely religious. In fact most of them seem to stand for hedonism and rampant infedility! Not the most obvious role models for potential God-worshippers. Reckon Keith Allen did this for free? I don't think so!
We then see Judas, who is a bit pissed off after selling out Jesus. To show us how pissed off he is he breaks into The Smith's 'Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now' in a stunningly bad performance so utterly hilarious in its poor deliverty and total inappropriateness it has to be seen to be believed. Then old Boothy has his moment as he sings James' anthem 'Sit Down' presumably because he has gotten restless having not sung it for a few years.
Judas returns and we are then treated to a duet of New Order's classic 'Blue Monday' which surprisingly works really well! No I'm not just saying that becase its New Order, but it does prove to be one of the less embaressing moments. It is then followed by The Stone Roses' 'I am The Resurrection', which misses the famous chorus, but more of that later. Next, good old Keith then dons a suit and brings out a guy from Corrie as Barrabas, as he tries Jesus, before launcing into another duet, this time of 'Wonderwall' which does not fare quite so well. Not least because of Allen's tuneless singing, which sounds like he is at a pub karoke.
Oh yes the crucifixtion moments. Well as much as I would like to see Tim Booth being flogged and having nailes battered into his wrists, especially after the James Greatest Hits has returned to the Silverscreen shop playlist, he is taken away with a bag over his head, whilst dressed in an orange prison suit. This has the intended, but slightly alarming effect of making him look like a prisoner from Guantanamo Bay. Allen tells us that in those days executions would be done in public, but now it's secret and behind closed doors, so instead he describes the entire procedure to us aided by a few paintings. Pretentions seems like too mild a word to use in this case!
'Mary' then sings the obviously ghastly 'Angels' by the man who I unfortunately share the same surname with. At which point Booth re-appears at the top of Manchester Cathedral, singing "I am the resurrection and I am the light" fair enough, but then he continues on to the baffling, innapproprate, and surely rather un-christian "I couldn't ever bring myself to hate you as I'd like". After a reprise of 'Angels' the credits role.
The Manchester Passtion, as it is called is one of the most hilarious, hair-brained, daft, baffling, pretentious, ludicrous, insane events I have ever witnessed on the small screen. I have it taped if anyone has to watch it. Don't worry about the religious aspect as I'm not religious by any strech of the imagination, but you will be bowled over by its sheer sillyness, and ultimately a strange kind of likability. It really has to be seen to be believed.
So he's alive after all..
A CRUNK of shit? That sounds heavier than "dropping the kids off at the pool" more like dropping a lead torpedo!
