HE is synonymous with the Manchester music scene.

But Clint Boon says he feels just as much at home in Warrington where he has built many friendships and connections as a DJ over the years.

The XS Manchester presenter and Inspiral Carpets keyboardist is also a long-time supporter of Warrington Music Festival and will be warming up the crowd ahead of sets by Black Grape, The Farm and Fez on May 4.

Clint said: “I’ve done Warrington Music Festival several times and have some nice memories of it. The line-up is always brilliant

“To have something like that in the middle of a town and to have previously had the likes of Reverend and the Makers, Lightning Seeds and Happy Mondays there is a beautiful thing.

“It’s free as well which is amazing.

“You have to pinch yourself when you see something like that going on. I have a great relationship not just with the festival organisers but Warrington in general. I’ve got decades of connections from playing with Inspirals over the years and going to see a lot of gigs there. I seem to be DJing there every two minutes. I regularly perform at Friars Court and I’ve seen Catfish and the Bottlemen and The Tea Street Band play there.

“It’s a lovely bar. The feeling in the room is always really positive and the punters are just really lovely people.

“I’ve done the Neighbourhood Weekender, I’ve DJed at Parr Hall and I’ve done a lot of work with the Clone Roses who are from that neck of the woods. Warrington’s as much a part of home as the middle of Manchester is to me so I always look forward to it.”

Clint is also looking forward to catching up with his mate Shaun Ryder. The pair have a lot of history together.

The dad-of-five added: “At the beginning it was my band – Inspirals – and his – Happy Mondays – travelling the world. We never did the same tour but at the same time we were experiencing all those unique moments.

“Then Shaun and I became really close in the early 2000s when he wasn’t in a great place financially and it was low point in his career.

Northwich Guardian:

“We started doing some DJing together. I was doing a lot of DJ work and I suggested to Shaun that I could try and get him some work.

“So suddenly we found ourselves driving up and down the country in my little Saab. Since then Inspirals and Happy Mondays toured together a few years ago and I’ve interviewed Shaun a lot for various radio shows.

“We’re close friends now which is nice. The Happy Mondays are some of my favourite people and the same goes for The Farm.

“Our careers have gone in parallel in a lot of ways. We’ve always maintained a certain level of success. We’ve never gone stratospheric like people like Oasis have done but we’re still around.

“The Farm, like the Inspirals, are a bunch of real working class and very grounded people.

“We’ve both gone through that same experience of 30 years of the maddest journey a human being can go on. But we’ve survived it so it’s always nice to see Pete, Keith and Carl and the lads.”

Clint, now 59, who is an icon of that 90s era is not taking that for granted.

He said: “It’s surprising considering what was going on at the time and how hedonistic it was.

“There’s been a few we’ve lost along the way – our drummer Craig being one of them – but miraculously most of the crew are still around It’s quite something considering the intensity of that lifestyle. I’m not just talking about the substances, I’m on about the emotional and psychological side of what you experience.

“One minute you’re working in a mill in Oldham or Bolton, the next you’re touring in Japan and America for 10 years. It’s an incredible shock to the system so I’m just really glad most of us are still around.

“At the same time as going through the whirlwind of chaos, there’s a lot of pleasure to be had from writing songs, making records and taking those songs around the world to play them to people.

“There’s a lot of positivity with it and that’s probably what’s kept us young and alive and enthusiastic.”

Meanwhile, Clint and the Inspiral Carpets are still struggling to come to terms with the death of their drummer Craig Gill, who committed suicide, aged 44.

It has left the future of the band uncertain.

Clint said: “The main thing we’ve done since Craig passed away has been focusing on looking after his family the best we can.

“Any energy that would have gone on making a record or another tour has totally gone into helping his widow Rose and the kids.

“Watch this space. Anything can happen and we appreciate the fact that there is all that love out there for us to carry on.”

Also just on the horizon is Clint’s 60th birthday in June – so is a big showbiz party in the works with mates like Stone Roses’ Mani and Noel Gallagher on the guestlist?

He added: “My instant reaction was to put on some really exciting new bands that nobody’s heard of. I thought I might use that party to ‘pass on the baton’ a bit. I haven’t got a solid plan yet so we’ll see. Me and Mrs Boon have got a few ideas. We’re also talking about buying a motorhome and driving around Britain for a week and seeing what adventures that brings...”

Clint Boon will be warming up the crowd for Black Grape, The Farm and Fez at Warrington Music Festival at Golden Square on Saturday, May 4