Wilko

Wilko plays The Lowry on Friday 13 and Saturday 14 November, presented by Manchester Wire. It's not a gig in the usual sense — it's a play with live music that charts the life of Wilko Johnson, the founder of Dr Feelgood.

If you're not familiar with the name, Johnson was the driving force behind the pub-rock sound that defined a particular era of British guitar music. The show follows him through a terminal cancer diagnosis, his unexpected recovery, and the remarkable second act that followed. It's a story about a man who'd effectively stepped away from the limelight, only to find himself back in it when the odds were stacked against him.

Because it's a play with live music, you get the narrative alongside the songs, and the two work together rather than one just illustrating the other. The music is the thread that runs through the whole thing, and the live element means it's performed on stage rather than played from a recording. It's presented by Manchester Wire, who've brought it to The Lowry for these two dates.

With two nights to choose from, you can catch it on Friday 13 or Saturday 14 November at The Lowry in Salford. It's a story of a career that didn't end where it seemed it should, and the music that kept it going.