Mark Kaye’s music column

The last couple of weeks have been crazy and as Christmas draws close I get the feeling the next two weeks might be just as mad.

Through following my team Man United, I have experienced two firsts in the last fortnight. The first was watching the game against Chelsea in a box (never again!) and the second watching the Benfica game from the upper tier in the west stand. I have sat on the back row of the north stand, front row of the east stand and right behind the dug out in the south stand but until this week I have never sat in the Stretford end. I can die a happy man now!

Last week Xfm Manchester crowned Billion Babies winners of Rock school and on Friday they will open up the Winter Wonderland at the Apollo for the Magic Numbers, Badly Drawn Boy, Liam Frost the Manic St Preachers and many more. I will be doing my show live from backstage before it all kicks off at 7pm. If you didn't manage to get a ticket you can hear it all live on Xfm Manchester.

If you are not sure what presents to buy for your friends and family this year check out the Xfm website and try to win some cool ones that you could then pass off as your own if you win them. You need to sign up as a member to Xfm plus - don't worry it's free - and then just check out the advent calendar. Follow the easy instructions and you could be winning ipods, concert tickets, a shopping spree at a cool department store in town, an Xbox and even the chance to live like Gareth Brooks for a month which would involve going to Man United games even though you support Man City and getting drunk at Tiger Tiger every friday whilst pretending to work.

Finally a quick word about the Xfm exclusive gig with Noel and Gem from Oasis.

Amazing! What an early Christmas present to the four hundred fans who won tickets and to all the fans that listened to it live on Xfm Manchester. Who knows what would have happened if Clint Boon hadn't fired Noel as roadie to the Inspiral Carpets… twice!

Mark Kaye