Up all weekend in Manchester.(Dooley's Diary)

Remember where you heard it: The gossip and rumour of last week was inevitably dominated by events in Manchester, where In The City gathered for the 12th time. The buzz was certainly good, as many delegates returned to the event for the first time in a few years...

Sanctuary dominated the weekend, with Andy Taylor staging a keynote on the Sunday and Beyonce manager Mathew Knowles doing the same the day before. Knowles proved to be a real trooper after the Saturday night's Urban Unsigned postponement; be returned to the Radisson after the cancelled show to spend time talking to the Urban performers wile had hoped to catch the attention of the Destiny's Child manager ... Misfortune befell Jonathan Shalit's latest charges, the Charles Family, immediately before ITC. Having been followed around for weeks by a TV crew who are putting together a documentary on the act which was to climax with a performance at ITC, the family were involved in a car crash 10 days ago, leaving the two sisters in hospital Best wishes to the girls on their recovery ... Asked by Tony Wilson whether Alabama raised Knowles feels America is still a racist nation, the manager paused for what seemed like minutes. "Being a politically correct person," he said, obliquely, "could it be that's why these storms keep going to Florida?" ... Former major label honchos talked frankly about adjusting to life outside the corporate bosom. "When you discover that backstage passes don't just drop into your in tray out of the ether, it's a bit like finding out that Santa Clans doesn't exist," noted 511 manager Howard Berman ... Meanwhile, during his keynote interview, new IFPI boss-elect John Kennedy finally revealed how he was able to appear as an expert witness for Sony in its court case with George Michael, not long after acting for the Stone Roses in their case against Zomba. "If there's money involved, I'll do absolutely anything," he confessed. And Dooley always thought he was so principled... He also admitted that sometimes artists can be unique beasts. "I have sat down with Van Morrison--who is a very grumpy man--and thought 'how did you write Have I Told You Lately That I Love You?'. It does my head in--I just don't see where it comes from" ... Meanwhile, during his own keynote interview, Atlantic managing director Korda Marshall revealed why he got his first job as a drummer in the now long forgotten new wave act Zero 1. "I could roll a joint and play the drums at the same time," he boasted ... He had perfected other skills by the time be tried to raise ...