The Biting Tongues 'Live It' Review (2019)

Review done for the Cerysmatic blog in December 2019..

https://cerysmatic.factoryrecords.org/2019/12/the-biting-tongues-live-it-review-by.html

Former Factory artist Biting Tongues have just had their 1981 limited cassette-only lost release 'Live It' reissued by Andy Votel's Finders Keepers Records.

Originally released on New Hormones, Biting Tongues' 2nd album was one of a series of three limited edition releases of just 500 cassettes (others by Ludus and CP Lee) that came with a booklet, badge, stickers and a sweatshirt offer. The 6-track release has now been expanded to 10 with the additional 4 tracks coming from rare cassette magazines released at the time.

The idea of releasing it on tape only appears to have been a financial one by the label despite them being in vogue (the Walkman being relatively new and cassette sales actually being equal to, if not greater than vinyl at the time). In his notes, Graham Massey explains, "New Hormones didn't have enough money to press it up on vinyl and so it became a cassette-only release, which felt like a bit of a disappointment. I always felt it buried some of our best work, compounded by the fact that we actually left off some of the best tracks from the session. These tracks lived on a cassette I've carried around for forty years, the tape slowly getting dull and wearing thin. In recent years I've been digitising Colin Seddon's cassette collection of Biting Tongues material and rediscovered a first-generation recording of the sessions on TDK SA tape."

Prior to listening to this reissue of 'Live It' I'd only previously only heard a handful tracks released on various Factory compilations and only had a very rough idea of the history of the band from their formation to provide a soundtrack to the saxophonist Howard Walmsley's film 'Biting Tongues' through to the initially unreleased 'Recharge' album so it was fascinating listening to this as a something new in 2019 and also trying to imagine how it would have fit in during those heady days of post-punk and New Romantics.

My thoughts on the first couple of listens were that it was very angular and abstract, not very easy listening, and improvised. Through Graham's notes which accompany this release it would appear my final thought especially was wide of the mark, with several mentions of demos being recorded and sent down to London for vocalist Ken Hollings to refine his lyrics before travelling up to Manchester to record them.

So improvised may be the wrong word; with repeated listens there is clearly a depth and structure to the tracks despite it occasionally sounding like band members are going off and playing at tangents with vocals being improvised. As Ken explained in an interview in 2008 there is a difference to how the band would record which gives it a unique sound and one was that odds with how many things would have been produced at the time, "We'd record a whole side of an album in one session with no breaks between the tracks and do a mix afterwards – nothing was ever re-recorded – we'd even leave in any slips of the tongue or mispronounced words I might have struggled with in the session, any stray pieces of sound that the microphone picked up, or we'd simply record straight onto two-channel tape, recording through the studio desk with the producer mixing and adding effects while we were performing in the studio – we wouldn't know what it sounded like until the playback – and because it was two-channel you couldn't correct it: you'd have to do the whole thing again, which we pretty much refused to do'.

I can hear some influences on this release from Talking Heads' 1980 release 'Remain In Light' but, for those listening in 1981, tracks such as 'Libreville' would have easily complemented releases such as 'To Each...' by A Certain Ratio where tracks such as 'Back To The Start' mix a variety of instruments, not always conventional over driving rhythms to create a danceable beat, but very different to the polished chart music at the time which was dominated by the likes of Adam and The Ants, Madness and Soft Cell.

In 2019 each listen brings something new, there is so much going on across the 10 tracks there's a sense of opening Pandora's Box that it begs for repeated listening, and although it maybe a little challenging at, first patience is paid off.

It's not often that something that's nearly 40 years old can sound as contemporary, interesting and challenging as this release does.

Praxis XL - A Factory Anniversary Exhibition Review (2019)

Exhibition Review done for Cerysmatic

https://cerysmatic.factoryrecords.org/2019/11/praxis-xl-factory-anniversary.html

Recently opened at The Modernist Society's premises on Port Street, Manchester, Praxis XL is an understated exhibition to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Factory's first release.

Whilst Jon Savage and Mat Bancroft's recent display at Chelsea Space (coming to Manchester in 2020) focused on the first 50 Fac numbers and the ephemera linked to the early days, Praxis XL showcases the whole legacy of Factory.



It's been curated and designed by Trevor Johnson (a stalwart of Factory's design team) and his brother Craig. On display are 40 of the label's most familiar and sometimes interesting items from the likes of Peter Saville, Central Station, 8vo, Ben Kelly as well as Trevor himself.

The Modernist Society is tucked away in the Northern Quarter, close to where the Buzzcocks' New Hormones office and the Roadhouse once stood, slightly off the beaten track, just a short trip up Newton Street from Piccadilly. The Society, until a few months ago had only held pop-up events and exhibitions before renting this unassuming building.



It's quite small and as you may imagine quite minimalist but perfectly formed, with the items on display allowed to breathe and not cramped.

My son and I went along on the morning of Saturday 9th November and we were surprised that we were the only 2 visitors upon arrival. However, this meant we had plenty of time to peruse and study the 40 items on display on the ground floor as well as read the accompanying notes.



For Factory fans and aficionados there are plenty of heart-warming familiar items on display, such as the original Factory Club poster, A Factory Sample, Unknown Pleasures, Blue Monday, etc.

Where this exhibition comes into its own, in my opinion at least, are the more unusual, and seldom seen items, the original rough layout for the Leigh Festival Poster, the 'Say No To London' T-Shirt design and of course Fac 191, the Haçienda Cat (a picture, not a real living cat).



Personally, the one item I would have liked to see included, but isn't is FAC 268, Northside's 'Shall We Take A Trip' - not only for people to realise that "the one with the apple on the cover" actually has a plum, but to remind people that Happy Mondays weren't the only successful band in the final years of the label.

After exhausting the items downstairs we moved upstairs to the smaller space on the first floor (greeted on the way up by a classic cheeky image of Rob Gretton with his tongue out) where there are selected photographic works of Kevin Cummins. Most will be familiar to fans but they really come to life when blown up from the A4 size people will most be familiar with. My personal favourite is the distance shot of the Factory Club alongside one of the infamous Hulme crescents.



Whilst we were watching part of the loop of Factory-related videos, the musical pioneer that is Graham Massey arrived with a small entourage who were out on a walking tour around key locations of the city, with Graham recollecting his personal experiences and involvement in Manchester's music heritage.



I can't guarantee that you will bump into a bona fide Manchester music legend if you visit Praxis XL but I can guarantee you'll be met with a warm welcome and an exhibition that will reinforce Factory's legacy of being a key cultural force which is recognised worldwide, and not just as a record label.

- Iain Key for Cerysmatic Factory

Happy Mondays - The Early EPs Review (2019)

Written for the Cerysmatic website in November 2019

https://cerysmatic.factoryrecords.org/2019/11/happy-mondays-early-eps-review.html

Maybe I'm flying in the face of conventional wisdom but the early years of Happy Mondays' lengthy career have always been my favourite. I'm not one of those who obsess about a band having a limited underground following and selling just a handful of records until they become mainstream and then accuse them of selling out.

I genuinely believe there is something really special about the run of releases by Little Hulton's finest from 1985 to 1989 (up to the 'Madchester Rave On' EP) where you hear a band and their lyricist experimenting (not just with pharmaceuticals) whilst growing in confidence which set them apart from other indie bands at the time and still keeps them sounding fresh today.

This remastered, limited, coloured vinyl box set release featuring the 12" releases in their colourful Central Station sleeves from 1985's debut 'Forty Five' EP through to 1987's call to arms '24 Hour Party People' highlights this best.

In Shaun Ryder's 'Wrote For Luck' book containing selected lyrics he practically dismisses the first two of these, saying "some of our early recordings shouldn't have made it on to vinyl really, 'Kuff Dam' and 'Tart Tart' were the first tracks we managed to record in the studio that I felt truly captured the sense and potential of the Mondays".

I can understand his view to a point but I would make the case for 'Forty Five' and 'Freaky Dancin'.

The Mike Pickering (post Quango Quango, pre M People) produced 'Forty Five EP', featuring 'Delightful', 'This Feeling' and 'Oasis' was released in late 1985.

When you look at some of the 'C86' bands and the scene created by the NME which they were actively promoting with their 22-track cassette 6 months later, any of the songs on this EP could quite easily have held its own against them and honestly would have probably fit better... it's perhaps fortunate however that this didn't happen though as it could have stalled the group's career before it really began.

What you do hear is a band, with emerging talented musicians, with elements of label mates James and Shaun borrowing lines for the first time with Oasis liberating lines from Les Reed and Gordon Mills, previously made famous by Tom Jones.

Personally I have a soft spot for the 2nd single 'Freaky Dancin' after hearing it at DeVille’s in Manchester. It would have been early in 1987 and one of the first nights out I'd had in the City Centre. I'd have only been 17 at the time and for some reason we though the infamous indie club with the bucking bronco in the connected 'Lazy Lil's' would be a good place to hang out...

At the time I'd been listening to John Peel sporadically really getting into a lot of the aforementioned C86 scene such as The Bodines, Mighty Lemon Drops, Wedding Present and only been to a couple of gigs; The Primitives and the Soup Dragons both at Manchester International on Anson Road, Longsight. I suspect anyone reading this will be familiar with the legacy of the club so I won't go into detail, although I will tell you I bought a copy of Dave Haslam's 'Debris' fanzine on my second visit which had a flexi-disc attached featuring Inspiral Carpets.

Anyway, the Bernard Sumner-produced track really impressed me as there was a shambolic confidence to it which I don't think ever copied. Whilst it had elements of the jangly guitar bands of that era, there is something fresh about it too. It isn't a full-on aural attack like some tunes of the era, it has space in it and it breathes.

What's more, it made people dance. (Well, shuffle a little quicker).

Worth noting, and mentioning it's great that the B-side 'The Egg (Mix)' which has a wonderful swagger about it is being reassessed due to this release and the accompanying promo video/clip to promote it

The 3rd single, 'Tart Tart' sees the band move up another notch with production by the legendary John Cale (I'm not sure why I'm saying that as I'm confident most people reading will know that already).

Whilst musically the style hadn't changed but the vocals appeared higher in the mix and clearer.

The first two verses are apparently about Martin Hannett, this then leads on to verses about Paul Ryder, before closing with the songs title character, an amphetamine dealer from Chorlton who had befriended Shaun and Bez but sadly passed away suddenly.

This was followed by the debut album, 'Squirrel and G-Man Twenty Four Hour Party People Plastic Face Carnt Smile (White Out)' a month later.

By the time the 4th single, 'Twenty Hour Party People' came out in late 1987, indie dance had become a thing and was crossing over from the pages of the NME to Smash Hits, with MARRS' 'Pump Up The Volume' spending a couple of weeks at No 1 in the Official UK Top 40. The Mondays themselves though were still quite underground but it’s clear something was about to happen.

Despite being a live favourite, I don't think the song every really reached the public conscious and received the acclaim it deserved until the release of the film of the same name 15 years later.

It's interesting to note that despite the hedonistic lifestyle attributed to the band since the early days, the releases on this box were all before ecstasy had hit Manchester with the tracks fueled by heroin, weed and speed...

Not quite days of innocence, but a great snapshot of the birth of an era.

- review by Iain Key for Cerysmatic Factory


--

Happy Mondays - The Early EPs (London, 2019)

FAC 129 - Forty Five EP 12" - Green Vinyl
FAC 142 - Freak Dancin' 12" - Orange Vinyl
FAC 176 - Tart Tart 12" - Blue Vinyl
FAC 192 - Twenty Four Hour Party People 12" - Yellow Vinyl

Use Hearing Protection Factory Records 1978-1979 review (2019)

Review done for the Cerysmatic website of the mammoth box-set released to commemorate/celebrate the 40th Anniversary of Factory Records...

https://cerysmatic.factoryrecords.org/2019/10/use-hearing-protection-factory-records.html

Where do you start?

It's big? 15" x 15" x 5" is a little oversized for the average shelf.

It's quite expensive? Yes, but with some justification.

It has limited appeal? Maybe, but those who are invested will love it.

It's breathtaking.

When this box was first announced in August, I had no hesitation in ordering it. Whilst costing more than I would normally spend (I thought the deluxe version of 'Movement' a little on the high side) the contents, the book, the music, the posters, the CD and DVD promised a treasure trove of riches most could only dream of owning, despite being copies.



It's worth noting on this point that where things are facsimiles, they are to the highest degree, for example, FAC-2 is in a proper heat sealed sleeve rather than a card or paper one. FAC 6 is in a replica black-on-black thermographic braille sleeve. Clearly no expense has been spared in the production of this box celebrating greatest of all record labels.

Opening the high quality box very carefully the first thing you see is the 12x12" 60-page paperback book. With new text by the curator, James Nice, and some rare full-size photographs mixed with quotes from various sources, this focuses on the content of the box and reprints an original 1979 article by the future filmmaker and screenwriter Mary Harron. My initial intention was to have a quick skim through the book before moving on to the contents of the box, but found myself being drawn in and studying it in detail for a long time.



Nestled between the book and the first couple of pieces of vinyl are the 3 posters and other paper-based artefacts (FAC 1, FAC 3, FAC 4, FAC 7 and FAC 8).

The posters I've not opened out yet and, to be honest, I'm a little scared of doing so as I don't want to damage them at all as I am contemplating having them framed. The stationery is interesting, especially the copy of the 'History of Factory' double-sided piece of A4 originally typed up by Tony Wilson. When it comes to Linder Sterling's Factory Egg Timer print it's something of a curio. Indeed it's probably something that will get passed over during the first examination by most people, but it's essential as not only is it one of the first 10 items with a Factory catalogue number, it's so off the wall you can't imagine any other record company encouraging the idea of such a thing… which in itself is what makes Factory so special.

Moving on to the vinyl, as mentioned these are facsimiles of the originals. A Factory Sample, All Night Party, Electricity, Unknown Pleasures and the previously unreleased 3-track 12" by Tiller Boys. Other than the Joy Division album (the 2015 master), all of the other tracks have freshly been remastered at Abbey Road this year from the original tapes.

I must confess, that when listening to 'A Factory Sample' I realised what a bad 'fan' I am. Other than the Joy Division and Cabaret Voltaire tracks I'd never actually heard the other tracks on the debut EP, never having owned it before. Whilst I was listening to the first disc I looked at what was in the charts on 24 December 1978 when it was released… Boney M were No 1 with 'Mary's Boy Child' in the singles and the 'Grease Soundtrack Album' was holding off all pretenders in the album chart. Those Martin Hannett-produced tracks sound light years away from what was in the mainstream at the time, as would the Cabs. Curiously the 3 tracks by John Dowie don't sound that dissimilar from something the likes of the Barron Knights may have performed, who had a single in the Top 5 at the time.



I'm not sure how the bonus Tiller Boys 12-inch would have been received if it had been released as originally planned. It's interesting to hear, but to my ears is basically a set of instrumental jams, and not something that would have necessarily been comparable to the opening salvo of ACR, OMD and Joy Division, although again, the fact that this was considered is typical of the label.

Hidden under the seven-inchers are the final treasures in the box, the first of which is the rarely seen and recently remastered 'No City Fun'. Accompanied by 3 Joy Division tracks, the film is almost exclusively filmed on the 42 bus route through Withington to Manchester City Centre. For me this was fascinating as it took me back to my youth, as it was about a journey I vaguely remember making as a 9-year-old complete with orange double-decker buses and Piccadilly Radio 261.

The final item contains 2 CDs worth of an interview / conversation with the aforementioned Mary Harron. This comprises ninety minutes of conversation between Mary, Tony, Rob Gretton and the members of Joy Division whilst eating out in Manchester. I had an idea this would be interesting, but I didn't realise HOW interesting. The conversation covers everything from the birth of punk and the Sex Pistols in Manchester to the formation of Joy Division and Factory. There’s all this and Tony Wilson really pushing a new Mexican restaurant (which probably would have been one of the first) in Manchester City Centre and explaining what a taco is to those listening.

Unlike myself and the Factory Sample, I imagine anyone reading this, or thinking of buying the box will have heard or own the contents of the box. They may also have seen much of the printed material in books or behind glass at exhibitions.

The box is a gorgeous artefact, lovingly curated and a truly a sum of its parts. For me personally, it's an audio/visual time capsule of a period which I missed out on by around 10 years and it offered me an opportunity to immerse myself in the late 1970s Manchester. Incidentally I am currently reading Gareth Ashton's brilliant 'Manchester: It Never Rains’ book which covers this period via eye witness accounts and adds additional context from outside of the Factory bubble.

Yes, this is expensive, but I'd say worth it as it's a quality item, which has been made to the highest possible specifications and overseen by those that have been keeping the Factory legacy alive.

Saying it's the perfect tribute for the 40th Anniversary of Factory, and to the memory of Messrs Curtis, Hannett, Gretton and Wilson, or a celebration of Saville and those who remain doesn't seem enough, but that's exactly what it is.

- Iain Key for Cerysmatic Factory

CP1919 by The Brooklyn Foundation (2019)

2019 saw the 40th Anniversary of Joy Division's 'Unknown Pleasures', the cover of  which features a pulsar sound-wave, the diagram of which was entitled 'CP1919'

n Burke

The audio of this sound wave was made available by Jodrell Bank on the 40th Anniversary and I shared this with a friend, and musician, Alan Burke, who chose to create a unique piece of music linking the pulsar and the sound of Joy Division... 

This piece was written for the Cerysmatic website to celebrate this

https://cerysmatic.factoryrecords.org/2019/09/cp1919-by-brooklyn-foundation.html

To celebrate the 40th Anniversary of Joy Division's 'Unknown Pleasures', Jodrell Bank released the pulsar sound wave [->] which was famously used by Peter Saville on the cover.

As his own homage to the album, Alan Burke, aka The Brooklyn Foundation, used the sound wave as a starting point before layering this with his own dark electronic tones and ghostly vocal clips of the late Ian Curtis

The CP1919 sound wave was perfect as a percussion element. Detuned and processed, then turned into a rhythm part alongside a recreation of the famous Roland TR808 kick drum and a digital recreation of the Linn LM1 drum machine (see also: Prince, The Human League).

Alan Burke explained that he wanted huge spaces in the piece so big reverbs were obviously required and used in abundance. Alongside hardware synthesisers by Roland and Arturia, he used Logic Pro X for a bass part and building elements of the tune. The whole thing was recorded in 1 day!

Alan has been a musician for over 36 years with varying degrees of success. Having enjoyed some notoriety in the 90s, he's worked with many musicians and vocalists supplying "his own brand of musical and technical nonsense".

More recently, Alan was asked to record 3 tracks as a tribute to the artists on the Mute record label. He chose 3 tracks by the seminal English electro due, Yazoo. He says he enjoyed the challenge and the tunes were "very well received, very well thankfully".

All of The Brooklyn Foundation's music is written and recorded in Alan's home studio in Salford, Greater Manchester, which I'm sure has no bearing on his love of Joy Division or New Order!

That Factory Tune by Vincent Davies (2019)

Not one of my own pieces

I was proud thought to facilitate this getting published on the Cerysmatic website for my mate Vinny

The poem was written specifically for the 40th Anniversary Celebrations of Factory Records

https://cerysmatic.factoryrecords.org/2019/09/that-factory-tune-by-vincent-davies.html

'That Factory Tune' is a poem by Vinny Davies which was commissioned by Councillor Chris Paul from Manchester City Council in liaison on the Factory side by Esther Ford.

March from Middleton, descend from Hulme
Walk from Withington to the factory tune
Mooch from Moston, do the Ancoats sway
We're all gone move in a Curtis way
Leave time to get from Levenshulme
Or rush from home
Dawdle from Didsbury, to the sound that we own
Hurry up from Urmston, or thumb it from Hyde
Not far from Ardwick, just one bus ride
Bounce down from Beswick, see what people say
Push boundaries, and soundaries in a Wilson way
It's black and it's yellow, it's played on the moon
That Manchestic, Majestic Factory Tune

- 'That Factory Tune' by Vincent Davies

'New Dawn Fades' Play Review (2019)

A review of Brian Gorman's play about Joy Division which I went to see at 'The Dancehouse' in Manchester

Written for Cerysmatic

Was particularly chuffed when I found that Joe Walsh has actually used what I'd said about his portrayal of Ian Curtis on his 'Spotlight' page... 

https://cerysmatic.factoryrecords.org/2019/09/the-proper-good-new-dawn-fades-play.html

"A Play About Joy Division and Manchester"... I'd imagine that most if not all the audience in attendance tonight are well versed in the short history of the band and and are familiar with the music released between 1978 and 1980. It would be easy to suggest that the writer and producers are pushing against an open door... but in effect I think the opposite is actually true.

There is so much love for the legacy of the band and the characters portrayed in this performance celebrating 40 Years of Unknown Pleasures that the stakes are actually higher along with people's expectations.

This was the 2nd performance of the 3 night run in Manchester before moving to Sheffield and London, and for the 2nd night the performance finished with a standing ovation... and boy was it deserved.

Every actor involved nailed their part.

Alan Donohoe effortlessly portrays Tony Wilson, coming across as the "TV Tony Wilson" I grew up with on Granada TV rather than the slightly larger than life caricatures in the two films produced about Factory and Joy Division.

Joseph Walsh delivers a complex and tortured Ian Curtis which also highlights the artistic and fragility of the man. His chaos and confusion portrayed in the Derby Hall scene especially is heart-breaking.

Leah Gray is wonderful as Deborah Curtis, moving from doting girlfriend to angry jilted wife and mother. Although not on stage quite as much as the male characters, Leah delivers a couple of the of the most powerful scenes in the whole play, the first being just 2 words, one line, a question... "Who's Annik?" which cuts through the silence in the auditorium, people almost holding their breath. The second, comes just before the tragic conclusion as Debbie and Ian trade lines from 'Love Will Tear Us Apart' giving the audience a sense of the genuine pain and frustration being felt in Macclesfield in 1980 by the young couple

Harry McLafferty, Bill Bradshaw and Matthew Melbourne play Bernard, Hooky and Stephen to great effect, all having the character traits you'd expect if you've seen the numerous interviews and portrayals of the would be New Order. The trio are often found bouncing off each other and have some of the best lines and put downs but also get their own 'deep moments' especially when coming to terms with the issues which had been faced by their singer.

Directors Sean Mason and Giles D. Bastow also appear, the latter as Rob Gretton who channels the late manager of the band as well as Paddy Constantine in 'Control' and as recognisable as the man himself from the footage and interviews that can be found in the likes of 'New Order Story'. The former actually takes on 11 roles throughout the play, many as comic relief and the butt of jokes. However, he's a superb as producer Martin Hannett (clearly taking joy in the immortal line "play faster... but slower.")

Writer Brian Gorman appears in cameo roles via filmed inserts as Roman General Julius Agricola and also Dr John Dee helping Alan's Tony Wilson to provide the history of our wonderful Northern City.

But it's not just the acting… as you may expect, the sound and lighting play a massive part and are also spot on. With the stage set being quite sparse, other than the band's equipment and a few crates and chairs and the occasional microphone, The deft audio and visuals really put focus on the actors and allows them to really excel in their roles and take the audience on a journey through the highs and lows to the inevitable end.

Whilst not taking anything away from '24 Hour Party People' or 'Control', 'New Dawn Fades' feels like 'THE' authentic telling of the Joy Division story. This maybe because it's delivered "live and direct" rather than on a screen. There are scenes that uncomfortably come to life, such as those when Ian first has a fit, or as mentioned previously Debbie and Ian trade lyrics as their marriage crumbles really hit home.

I would highly recommend people catch this if they get a chance in this short run.

I attended with my 12-year-old who loves Joy Division's music and has seen the films (OK so there is a fair bit of swearing and death in the play but he already knows the story and hears worse at football) and a friend of my age.

My son wants to see it again at some point in the future and enjoyed it because it "felt real" and "like it was there".

My friend's review (which you'll be glad is significantly shorter than mine) was... "Proper good".

Go and see it if you can.

- review by Iain Key for Cerysmatic Factory

FACT 37 Joy Division 'Here Are The Young Men' (2019)

This piece was written after a conversation with John Cooper at Cerysmatic

Brian Nicholson (former IKON) employee also kindly added to it following comments made in my initial piece

https://cerysmatic.factoryrecords.org/2019/08/fact-37-joy-division-here-are-young-men.html

I was late to discover Joy Division. I'd heard 'Love Will Tear Us Apart' on the radio and vaguely remember hearing 'Transmission' but it wasn't until a slightly older friend, learning that I had liked New Order's then recent output leant me a copy of the 'Ideal For Living' book, sometime in late 1984, did I join the dots between the 2 bands.

The book was extremely detailed regarding gigs and releases and built up a mystique around the band and 'the myth' which has been somewhat dismantled over more recent years with the number of biographies and autobiographies produced that cover the lifespan of the band

One of the most interesting discoveries being that a video existed with footage of the band... although I had no way of knowing how or where to get it. This was 1984, however, and to a 14-year-old living in the West Midlands surrounded by Duran Duran and Frankie Goes To Hollywood fans just knowing the name Joy Division and a little of their legacy felt like being a member of a secret club.

The following year I moved back to Manchester, albeit the suburbs, and enjoyed trips into the city centre with friends. Although initially venturing into the likes of HMV or Virgin at the bottom of Market Street, or Our Price at the top. After buying what official releases I could find I was quickly turned on to the bootleg stalls in the Underground Market and the Corn Exchange.

I was amazed at the hundreds of tapes available of gigs (this was slightly before CDs were a thing) from around the world, but was dumbstruck when I saw the massive lists held by the traders of Joy Division and New Order recordings. It was when looking through these that I remembered this VHS release.

I asked around and eventually got an address to order it from, from memory it was less than £20 including postage, which was a lot, but worth it for what would be my first 'view' of Joy Division (other than a rare sighting of 'Love Will Tear Us Apart').

When the video arrived the first thing that struck me was the lack of detail (other than band name and song titles) but the same stylish design of other Factory Releases, this time a simple gold lettering on black. It wasn't for many years I learnt that the Fractured Music logo was the band's publishing company and not a Factory Records logo. Pouring over the song titles I recognised some but not all and eagerly put it into the bulky top-loader for the first viewing...

Hopefully I'm not speaking out of turn but my first impression was that I'd been sold a dud, at worse a bootleg. The quality of sound and vision was not what I had naively expected. These were the days before the Internet so other than being able to speak to someone who had heard or seen something there was no way of googling through online customer reviews or just searching YouTube.

Inside the box (the plastic one and not the original flip top) there was a piece of paper with the name of 'IKON Video' on... and a phone number... 061 928 7387.

I'll never know who answered the phone the day I called, possibly it was Malcolm Whitehead* who was responsible for much of Factory's video output... whoever it was, when I questioned the quality of the tape I'd received initially laughed. I guess they must have sensed some disappointment in my voice, and for the next few minutes explained the background to the material and how it'd had been shot "amateurishly" and in all honesty I should be grateful for what footage existed (in hindsight that may have been more of a "fuck off and leave us alone" than the way I took it).

Watching it occasionally now (albeit from a copy I have transferred onto DVD) I am indeed extremely grateful that an hour of Joy Division performing live does exist alongside the few TV appearances.

I wish they were clearer, I wish the sound was better, I wish there were more...

No matter what has been written by band members or associates over last 20 years or so, for me 'Here Are The Young Men' returns some of the initial mystique that surrounded Joy Division through the shadowy, blurred footage, and for the majority of us who weren't old or fortunate enough it's one of our only opportunities to see Ian Curtis in action.

We should all be extremely grateful.

- Iain Key for Cerysmatic Factory

* - Brian Nicholson (ex-Ikon) comments: "I've heard similar tales of woe before. There was a return VHS marked up "poor quality" with a covering letter from Harrods that was displayed proudly on the office wall (sadly I can't find it). It wasn't Malcolm on the phone and it wasn't me either. In 1984 Ikon still occupied the large middle room at Palatine Road, the room with all the boxes of vinyl! (That's another story) It may have been Tim Chambers but more likely Mike Scott who did all the office work. There's a great NME review, referring to it as FAC 23 Here Come the Young Men, "...they're (Factory) still marketing the sort of stuff that most people would throw in the bin."

--

Catalogue entry details via factoryrecords.org [->]

VHS: UK 1982 (Factory FACT 37) [PAL/NTSC]
BETA: UK 1982 (Factory FACT 37)

3:10 Decades
6:12 Dead Souls
3:37 Love Will Tear Us Apart
3:33 Shadowplay
4:28 Day of the Lords
2:25 Digital
2:24 Colony
2:23 New Dawn Fades
3:00 Auto-Suggestion
3:07 Transmission
4:46 Sound of Music
3:42 She's Lost Control
2:28 Walked in Line
8:30 I Remember Nothing
3:26 Love Will Tear Us Apart *

* Official promo video



Many thanks to Iain and Brian.

RIP Tim Walsh (2019)

Written for Cerysmatic at the invitation of John Cooper in August 2019

Possibly one of the most difficult things I've had to write. It probably could have been better, it is very brief...  but it was from the heart...

https://cerysmatic.factoryrecords.org/2019/08/rip-tim-walsh.html

Pic credit: AJ Barratt, NME, 11 May 1991

It came as a shock to hear that Tim Walsh, lead guitarist of Manchester band Northside had passed away suddenly on the evening of 19 August 2019.

Most people will have heard of Tim due to his time during the early 90's as a member of Northside.

The band signed to Factory Records, released 3 successful singles and a Top 20 Album, 'Chicken Rhythms' and, for those of a certain age in the North West, provided the music for 'Granada Soccer Night'.

The band toured extensively across the UK, Europe, America and the Far East building a loyal fanbase who rapturously welcomed the band back to the live circuit in 2014.

I met Tim on a number of occasions and always found him to be friendly with a great sense of humour, very humble and almost unaware of the natural talent he had.

As well as being a accomplished guitarist he was also a highly skilled sound engineer, working for over 25 years for Mersey TV, initially on 'Brookside' before moving onto 'Hollyoaks'.

There have been many tributes over the last 24 hours on Social Media, from the band, musicians, and fans. This one from a member of the Hollyoaks cast says it all...

"So shocked and sad, we lost and amazing, gentle generous, cool great guy today. So many people will truly miss you."

RIP Tim, gone too soon.

Microdots - Press Release (2019)

Press Release done as a favour for a new Manchester act...



Microdots are a new Manchester duo who have been described as ‘Psychotomimetic’.

For those of you without  Google to hand that means “relating to or denoting drugs which are capable of producing an effect on the mind similar to a psychotic state”

Seeing and hearing Chris and Mark perform it’s easy to understand why… their Electronic House sound is heavily influenced by the likes of their home cities rave pioneers 808 State alongside other renowned ‘rave’ duos such as Orbital and Chemical Brothers with a decent drop of Prodigy thrown in for good measure

Although live performances have been limited so far, Microdots have begun to find an audience who appreciate what they do, or ‘playing funky hop breaks, some post punk and mad psychedelic sounds’.

Last year saw them on the bill for the Lancashire based Austerlands Festival supporting respected Manchester Hip Hop Collective ‘The Mouse Unit’ on a bill which also featured legendary Hacienda and Boardwalk DJ Dave Haslam as well the official 808:30 AfterParty

There are selective gigs and festivals coming up during the Summer as the boys prepare to unleash new material on to the unsuspecting public

Microdots ultimate aim is to get people dancing whether it be in a warehouse or a field, as Chris says ‘there is no bigger buzz’…

Listening to them they’re sure to hit the target