Is it April Fool's Day? No? Then pinch me, because I've got to be dreaming. According to the Guardian, and the MEN website manchesteronline, the BBC is planning a bizarre sounding Easter procession featuring members of The Stone Roses and The Happy Mondays, as well as songs by Joy Division, New Order and The Smiths. Bez is said to be involved, as is Ian Brown, plus Black Grape saxophonist Martin Slattery.
Media Guardian says that the character of Jesus in the parade is all set to sing Joy Division's 'Love Will Tear Us Apart' before performing a nice duet with Judas of New Order's 'Blue Monday'. A little later Christ will burst into a chorus of The Smiths' 'Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now' as he is flailed by Roman soldiers. He'll also have a duet with Pontius Pilate, of Oasis' 'Wonderwall'.
Canon Robin Gamble of Manchester Cathedral, commented: "I wouldn't know a Buzzcock from a ballcock so I couldn't really comment on the music. It is going to be challenging and shocking and is going to get things rumbling - it's going to be brilliant."
Frankly, men of the cloth talking about buzzcocks and ballcocks is disturbing, and hardly likely to convince me that this story is actually true.