(Don Arden photographed by Frederick R. Bunt) Don Arden, the most notorious of all British pop-rock music managers, has died in Los Angeles after a long illness aged 81. In a career that spanned 60 years, he promoted and managed some of the biggest names in pop music. His ruthless business dealings and willingness to intimidate both his charges and his competitors earned him the nickname "the Al Capone of pop". Arden was born Harry Levy in Cheetham Hill, Manchester. He would describe the neighbourhood as "a Jewish ghetto" and recall "my family were good Yiddisher folk - poor but very hard-working". He left school aged 13, determined to work in show business and adopted the name Don Arden to avoid encountering anti-Semitism from bookers. During the second world war, the teenage Arden found work as a stand-up comic and singer on the vaudeville circuit, entertaining the troops before he was drafted. Read the rest of The Guardian's detailed obituary here. (Source: Garth Cartwright/The Guardian) The organisers of the Dpercussion festival have confirmed that despite this year's promising to be the biggest in the event's history, it will also be the last. Held for the first time in 1997 as a defiant response to the Manchester bomb the year before, 10 years on the event will be held on August 4. Unfortunately though, the organisers, Ear To The Ground, have decided to call time on the much-loved event. Speaking to Xfm Manchester about the decision to finish after this year's programme, Steve Smith, one of the people behind the event said: 'Getting sponsors for the event is very hard and to turn Dpercussion into a paid-for event would be against its ethos’. So with 150 live artists scheduled to perform across nine stages, 80,000 people are expected to attend and give the Manchester institution the send-off it deserves. (Source: MEN) Click here to see the line-up. Arctic Monkeys played the biggest headlining gig of their career on Sunday night (July 28th) at Old Trafford cricket ground. Taking to the stage at 8.45pm to the 'Rocky' theme and deafening cheers, the band confidently launched into current single 'Fluorescent Adolescent'. However, echoing their sound problems at Glastonbury, the sound cut out midway through 'Balaclava' as the band played on unaware aware of the hitch. But, eventually triumphing over the technical issues, there was a celebratory feel in the air as the Monkeys - and the crowd in good voice - concluded the gig with 'A Certain Romance'. "It's been a pleasure," declared Turner as the band left the stage. "I won't forget it!" (Source: NME.com) Whitworth Street club Legends has once again turned back the clock to the golden era of the Twisted Wheel. Friday night (July 27th) saw the second in a monthly revival night run by Northern Soul veteran Pete Roberts. Read the full story here or visit the Twisted Wheel website for details of the next talc-filled extravaganza. (Source: MEN)