Burnham is currently on his first visit to Ukraine as Prime Minister, and yesterday (Monday August 24) he went to the country’s military and artistic unit, who perform on the front lines, in hospitals and at rehabilitation centres.
While visiting the unit’s mobile recording studio, Burnham was handed a guitar by a soldier and began to play the riff from ‘Rusholme Ruffians’, from the band’s iconic 1985 album ‘Meat is Murder’.
Soldiers also sang an Oasis song for Burnham, as per the Independent.
Burnham said during his visit that music can help “lift spirits” on the front line. Watch the moment below.
Burnham has spoken about his love of music – particularly the Manchester music scene – many times over the years, and even got permission from Oasis to use their hit song ‘Some Might Say’ in a by-election campaign video.
Back in 2021, the MP also gave a shout out to The Courteeners during his Greater Manchester mayoral election victory speech, quoting ‘Not Nineteen Forever’ and telling the crowd: “God bless the band.
Last month, he also ranked his favourite bands, which included The Smiths, Oasis and Wolf Alice.
Around the time Burnham entered 10 Downing Street, the government revealed a new ‘Music Plan’, designed to bolster their growth package by £15million to a total of £45million.
MPs said that it would benefit over 40,000 artists and businesses, 2,000 projects and millions of children over three years – hopefully enabling more people from working class backgrounds to enter the world of music.
Burnham has been widely supportive of grassroots music venues over the years and has also backed the call for a £1 ticket levy to be introduced on gigs at arena level and above, paying back into the pipeline for rising artists and grassroots spaces.
Radiohead’s Thom Yorke, members of Massive Attack, and Robert Smith of The Cure and more have also recently called on Burnham and the UK government to block the proposed development of the controversial new Rosebank oil field in the North Sea.
The world's defining voice in music and pop culture: breaking what's new and what's next since 1952.
When you purchase through affiliate links on NME.com, you may contribute to our site through commissions. Learn More.
NME Networks, a part of Caldecott Music Group. All rights reserved.
For Quiet Light, duality is a fact of life: “Everything is way more connected than we think”.
Yeon Sang-ho: South Korea’s zombie king tells us the secret to K-horror’s success.
NCT 127 – ‘Blingy’ review: down a few members but definitely not out.
Madra Salach are remoulding traditional Irish folk to their own blistering tune.
Why we should leave ‘The Inbetweeners’ in a more innocent era.
Fontes
Informação baseada em material público de NME, reescrito pela redação ULTRA NOTÍCIAS.
