Manchester

I remember my first gig. I was 14 and a few of us got the bus to town, then off to the City Hall in Newcastle. I think the biggest worry I had that night was whether I fell over and crushed my 10 Regal King Size. Skip forward the best part of 40 years and I wonder what is happening in this world. My feeling of horror when I first heard the news about this atrocity has not lessened. Music has the power to evoke so many strong emotions, bring back memories and make you feel good. For many young people who went to their first gig, music will now evoke memories of death and panic.

In Manchester we have seen the very worst in humanity, but thankfully also the very best. Communities coming together to help strangers, taxi drivers turning off their meters to make sure people got home safely, medical staff turning up to help in hospitals and being turned away because there were already too many volunteer staff there, strangers running towards danger to help others... people of all colours, nationalities and beliefs coming together with a common purpose - to help those in need.

It saddens me to look at social media and see posts from the ill informed, ignorant and racist who have immediately seized on this as being another reason to 'kick out the immy grants', or to 'get rid of the muslins' (why is it that racists can't spell?). But it also gives me hope when I see the resilience and positivity of many.

Fortunately I have not been touched by terrorism directly and hope I never will. I know many who have experienced it though, and many who have risked their lives to protect us from it. Because of this I know one thing for certain - you cannot change the way you live because of terrorists - that means they have achieved their aim.

So Manchester, be safe, but go out, see bands, go to the theatre, have a drink. Don't let these warped people with warped beliefs change your life. Yes - be vigilant and careful, but don't do anything different. And if you see a copper on the beat with a gun or a soldier patrolling, be thankful they are there to protect you so that you are able to carry on with your normal life.