Friday 30 October 2020

Goodbye to red@Retro (2009)

This piece was originally posted on Facebook on 12th April 2009 and I'd forgotten all about it until it popped up in a random search the other day.

A short piece but one written out of love for a 18 month period where I 'moonlighted' as a doorman at club night in Manchester.

It was an incredible night which lasted for a relatively short period of time but so many lasting friendships and memories come from it...

All photos by Justin Johnson


Goodbye to red@Retro 

What started on 10th November 2007 wasn't about money. It was about someone who genuinely loves music putting on her favourite bands for herself and others to enjoy, a community of like minded souls coming together to enjoy themselves and having a bloody good night out.

Retro Bar isn't in a fashionable part of Manchester, Retro Bar probably has never been fashionable. The downstairs venue dark, tired, carpets sticky, door sticking (thanks Chris) but it was home for the last 18 months Maybe in the future when legends are written red@Retro will become as an important people in some bands history as the Russell Club was to those who played the original Factory Club. So many bands and artists, from ska and punk to indie and acoustic in the mix... The Score, Broadcast, Satellite Towns, Orphan Boy, Danny Mahon, Sun and Moon, Music for Aborigines, Cosmic Daisy, Kni9hts (The Number), The Drainpipes, DILE, Sicknurse, Elgazelle, Seaside Riot, The Kirkz, John Herring, The 66, Syd Bosco, The Naughtys and of course Twisted Wheel (who headlined the first red@Retro way back on that November night and had people queueing around the block release their debut album next Monday)... and so many more And the tunes... reggae, Northern Soul, 'Madchester'... Aretha & Donna, Stone Roses, Happy Mondays, James, Buzzcocks, Clash, Paris Angels, Stereolab, Gorillaz... but of everything, the classic, all powerful 'Swamp Thing' by the Chameleons stands head and shoulders above the rest... "I can already hear your tune..." But the music was only part of it, it was a community too, a community of the bands that played and supported each other, and all those involved that regularly attended, am including myself in that, along with Little Red (without who nothing would have happened); Mooch, DJ Justin, Sean, Thumper, Emma, Nat and Shell, Twink, Fi and Willy, Johnny J Last night was the last one. It didn't get boring, it didn't get old, it just stopped. Because the time was right. Thank you Reet








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