Barry Adamson in conversation: Up Above the City, Down Beneath the Stars

Saturday 13 November 2021

Join BARRY ADAMSON in conversation with Roisin Dwyer after which Barry will treat our ears to a short solo set.

 

In Up Above the City, Down Beneath the Stars, the enigmatic Barry Adamson shines a probing light into his own heart of darkness.

Born in the black and white world of post-industrial Manchester, Adamson saw music as a chance to turn his world technicolour. Propelled into punk via Magazine, he was the founding bass player in Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, before stumbling too far down a dark, drug-induced path.

Adamson steers the reader through a mix of harrowing, tragic, funny and often life-affirming straights. Throughout it all, music – be it bass lines, melodies or film soundtracks – is the glue that binds a myriad of memories.

Written in Adamson’s distinctive and cinematic noir style, and including personal photographs throughout, Up Above the City, Down Beneath the Stars is an original and powerful memoir, full of suspense, humour and candour.

Event and Book combo tickets available (UK carriage included) as well as Event only options – attend in person in Manchester or join our livestream wherever you are around the globe!

There will be a dedicated Book-Signing event immediately afterwards. For Attend In Person tickets, books will be available for collection at the event.

 

Barry Adamson is a musician, composer, writer, photographer, actor and filmmaker. He started his music career playing bass in Magazine and Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. His debut solo release, Moss Side Story, was a critically acclaimed imaginary soundtrack. His second studio album, Soul Murder, was nominated for the Mercury Music Prize. He has worked on soundtracks with directors such as David Lynch, Derek Jarman and Oliver Stone.

More Manchester Listings MORE

Manchester Tuesday 24 June

Reimagine Local Government 2025

Change has become the new normal in local government, with councils across the country navigating a perfect storm…

Manchester Wednesday 2 - Sunday 20 July

Liberation

How does a revolution begin and who are the people that keep it going?   Inspired by true…

Manchester Thursday 3 - Saturday 5 July

THE HERDS

A monumental puppet migration through Manchester and beyond – where public art meets planetary emergency What happens when…

Manchester Friday 4 - Sunday 20 July

FALE SĀ / SACRED HOUSE

Critically acclaimed queer Indigenous collective FAFSWAG take over HOME during MIF25 with a bold, immersive programme of digital…

Manchester Friday 4 July

THE HERDS: Heywood

Public art meets climate action in THE HERDS – a breathtaking migration of 70 life-sized puppet animals travelling…

Manchester Saturday 5 July

THE HERDS: Pennington Flash

Public art meets climate action in THE HERDS—a monumental, continent-spanning migration of puppet animals making their way from…