Better than the Queen's message by far.

This year In The City - the UK’s international music convention - launches the new all-signing, some-dancing, open to the public ITC Live - bringing 150 bands over 3 days to the streets of Manchester.

The legendary ITC Unsigned section of ITC Live has now been announced, and features 32 of the best new bands around as chosen by the esteemed ITC A&R panel. ITC Unsigned will take place in venues on Peter Street, Manchester - in stumbling distance from ITC HQ at The Midland.

In addition to these bands, showcases confirmed include NME Radar, BBC Introducing, Gold Dust, SJM Concerts, Now Wave, Big Scary Monsters, The Art Of Agency, Swn, Front Magazine, Love Music Hate Racism, High Voltage, Same Teens, Future Sounds, Drowned in Sound, Rock Sound, Fierce Panda, Sentric and Murkage.

We are delighted to announce the next wave of bands confirmed to play at In The City 2009. They include: Rogues, Apples, The Northwestern, My Tiger My Timing, Ezra Bang & The Hot Machine, Unicorn Kid, Lion Club, Brute Chorus, Twin Atlantic, Jamie Ley, Fangs, Bright Light Bright Light, Pocketknife, Shaair + Func, Islet, Minnaars, Wu Lyf, The Jessie Rose Trip, Citadels, Panama Kings, Cordelier Club, All Forgotten, The Plight, Outcry Collective, Kirsty Almeida, Esther O'Connor, Ship To Shore, Brides, Deaf Havana, The Tides, The Moi Non Plus, Wonderswan, The Federals, Dirty Goods, Envy, INvasion, Tigers That Talked, Cuba Cuba and limited free entry to see Groove Armada at The Warehouse Project.

Bands already confirmed include: Frightened Rabbit, Televised Crimewave, Esben and the Witch, Ou Est Le Swimming Pool, Bicycle Theives, Crystal Fighters, The Drums, Clues, Hatcham Social, Munch Munch, NewIslands, Underground Heroes, Sharks, Telegraphs, Spycatcher, Cate Le Bon, Simon Lynge, Asakusa Jinta, The New 1920, Attack Attack, Twin Atlantic, Bear Driver, Me Vs Hero, Saving Aimee, Young Guns, Futures, Wall St Riots, Taxi! Taxi!, The Molotovs, Goldheart Assembly, Capital, The Neat, The Sport, MAY68, Young British Artists, Visitor, Tek One, Cars On Fire, Wounds, Swound!, Wild Palms, LR Rockets with more added every day.

And all this for the early bird price of £20 plus booking fee. 

Buy Now

*Access to venues is subject to capacity and lineups are subject to change.

Friday, 21:00 on BBC Four

By Daily Mail Reporter
Last updated at 11:44 AM on 08th October 2009

A Conservative MP's assistant was arrested on suspicion of theft at at the Tory Party conference for taking a £150 bottle of Champagne.

Philip Whittington, 27, was held at the Midland Hotel where many Conservatives have been staying throughout their week in Manchester.

The parliamentary researcher for Tory MP John Baron was in custody overnight on Monday and quizzed by officers.

Mr Whittington was eventually released at 6am on Tuesday after insisting there had been a mix-up and he was happy to pay for the bottle.

Carousing: Tory party members drinking champagne at the Midland Hotel on Monday night, the same evening Philip Whittington was arrested

The arrest will come as an embarrassment to Conservative Party chiefs, who had ordered a Champagne ban to avoid offending recession-hit voters.

Mr Whittington, from London, has now been banned from going to any more conference events and could face disciplinary action by the party.

He was arrested at the four-star hotel after attending a fringe meeting and was taken to a police station in nearby Salford.

Staff at the hotel called in the police when they allegedly saw a man attempt to take a bottle of Champagne from a fridge.

They claimed he had already taken and consumed one bottle, which was priced at £150.

Mr Whittington, who also works for the party's Social Justice Policy Group, reportedly said the fridge was near a free bar area so he had assumed he could take it.

During his interview with police, the Tory insisted he would reimburse the hotel for the alcohol.

A police source said: 'He was clocked by hotel staff taking another bottle and they called the police.

'He was adamant that he was going to pay for it and there was no evidence that he wasn't going to pay. He had apparently drunk one bottle and was about to drink another.'

Tory Party leader David Cameron caught out sipping Champagne at a reception hosted by the Spectator magazine

A Conservative Party spokesman said: 'We have banned the individual from attending any further conference events and are considering what further action may need to be taken.'

The police said in a statement: 'A 27-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of theft following an incident at a city centre hotel. The man was questioned by officers and it was decided that no further action should be taken.'

Mr Whittington is believed to be a member of the Poplar and Limehouse branch of the Conservative Party in London's East End.

The Midland Hotel declined to comment.

The incident is the latest embarrassment for the Tories involving Champagne.

Party chairman Eric Pickles had instigated a 'bubbly ban' and ordered members to be 'humble' because of the recession.

But a string of Tory MPs and party workers openly flouted the ban by downing bottles of Champagne in the conference bars.

Even party leader David Cameron was caught out when he was photographed with a glass of Champagne at a party at the Radisson Edwardian Hotel.

Emma Watson interviewed at the Burberry party at London Fashion Week, 22 September 2009.