Manchester reacts to death of Craig Gill

TRIBUTES to Craig Gill, drummer of Inspiral Carpets and passionate champion of Manchester music and culture, continue to flood in following his death on November 22.

The news broke via a statement from the band on Twitter, which referred to Craig as “the beating heart of the Inspirals in more ways than one.” See the full statement below:

Band statement. pic.twitter.com/vIQ7XQSt1O

— Inspiral Carpets (@inspiralsband) November 22, 2016

Many icons of Manchester music took to twitter to offer tributes to Craig, including Inspiral Carpets band mate Clint Boon, ex-Oasis frontman Liam Gallagher, Peter Hook of Joy Division/New Order and ex-Smiths drummer Mike Joyce. See some of those tweets below:

Thank you for all your words. Craig’s family & ourselves are overwhelmed with the wave of love coming our way. Much love xxx @inspiralsband

— Clint Boon (@therealboon) November 24, 2016

https://twitter.com/liamgallagher/status/801035083591229440

Craig Gill was 1 of happiest smiliest people I'd ever met in this business. Saw him not long ago his usual happy self, can't believe it. RIP

— Peter Hook (@peterhook) November 22, 2016

Just heard the awful news about Craig Gill. Our love and thoughts go to his family, his friends and all Inspirals Fans ❤️x

— Liam Fray (@What_Liam_Said) November 22, 2016

So sad to hear about the passing of Craig Gill, our thoughts are with his family, friends and band mates ❤️ https://t.co/KmtyObjtO6

— B L O S S O M S (@BlossomsBand) November 22, 2016

Shocked by the devastating news of Craig Gill passing away. Great bloke and a great player.

— Mike Joyce (@mikejoycedrums) November 22, 2016

Gill joined the Inspiral Carpets in 1986 when he was only 14 years old and continued to play with the band throughout their long career, including on their hits Saturn 5 and This Is How It Feels.

Despite holding iconic status himself, Gill was a vocal supporter of the world famous Manchester music scene, establishing Manchester Music Tours in 2005. Drawing on his own experiences in the ‘Madchester’ scene, Gill gave guided tours of the city, telling the stories of some of Manchester’s most revered acts including Oasis, The Smiths, Joy Division and The Stone Roses.

Response to the tours was universally positive, with Trip Advisor awarding them a certificate of excellence in 2015. One attendee of the tour, Emma, 17 from Salford, said that “meeting Craig in Manchester was great. He was really nice and I loved hearing all his stories. I loved how he was doing the tour because there’s so much to learn about all the big Manchester bands.”

But it’s not just musicians who are saddened by the news. Institutions from across the music world have offered their support, such as the iconic Salford Lads Club.

Very sad to hear of death of our friend Craig Gill @inspiralsband @McrMusicTours our thoughts are with all his family and friends

— Salford Lads' Club (@salfordladsclub) November 22, 2016