STARS of the music and media worlds and former Bolton School pupils Mark Radcliffe and Tony Wadsworth CBE took centre stage for unique and intimate event, on Wednesday.

The BBC Radio broadcaster and former chairman and CEO of EMI and Parlophone record labels gathered at Manchester Art Gallery for an evening of rock'n'roll reflections, compared by their fellow Bolton School alumnus, BBC's Adam Woolley.

The gallery takeover evening was part of Bolton School's alumni networking events and efforts to celebrate creative arts at the school.

Over the evening tantalising anecdotes and answers were teased out of Mark and Tony, as Adam posed questions recollecting their school days and careers as well as looking to the future.

The two giants of their industries spoke freely about their failed attempts to become rock stars and their successful, if self described as "serendipitous", careers in the music world, recalling their long and often fortuitous journeys from Bolton via T-Rex, university, and radio cricket updates.

In two of the most illuminating questions of the night Tony and Mark were asked which bands and celebrity interviews they would respectively take to a desert island.

Tony said that, based on his dealings with them he would take The Pet Shop Boys, Radiohead and Blur.

While Mark finally settled on interviews with Paul McCartney in Abbey Road Studios, David Bowie backstage at the Hammersmith Odeon, and Kate Bush at her home following her self-imposed exile from music as she concentrated on being a mother.

The conversation soon turned to the future of digital media, and despite the rise of streaming sites like Spotify, Mark declared he still believes DJs are needed to steer people to music the may like, suggested podcasts might be a way to shake up the radio industry.

Both also spoke of their delight that vinyl is making a come back and that music sales are rising.