I swear I was there

[mozmal]

This is a very highly recommended book by David Nolan and is all about the Sex Pistols infamous gig at the Lesser Free Trade Hall, Manchester in May, 1976. This was without being overly dramatic, one of the most important gigs in musical history! In the small audience that night was Morrissey and members of the yet to be formed Buzzcocks, Joy Division, The Fall, etc. Morrissey gets several mentions throughout this highly entertaining read, but unfortunately, there's no input from the man himself. The author does note that he has a framed letter from Moz's lawyer hanging in his toilet! There's actual photos of the audience, but it's unclear if Moz is identifiable. This was the gig that he wrote to the NME about in 76. If you're old enough to remember punk and appreciate just how important it was, then this is an essential read.

 

[Walkers Crisp]

I read The Buzzcocks were newly formed, and they invited The Pistols to play in Manchester....on June 4th, 1976.

To cite David Nolan: "The photographs from that gig show people with long hair and cheesecloth shirts. Anyone who claims to have had spikey hair and a leather jacket is probably a liar."

"There is a lot of confusion about who was actually there, and who was at the second one. Either people genuinely did go or it has suited their purposes to say so. Diggle, Devoto and Shelley - definitely there. People think Mick Hucknall was there but he wasn't. Hooky [Peter Hook], Morrissey and Paul Morley..yes. Some have questioned whether Tony Wilson was there. Alan Hempsall of Crispy Ambulance says he remembers speaking to Wilson at the gig, but other people like John The Postman and Pete Shelley don't remember him being there, and as a TV presenter Tony would have been the most famous person in that room."

The second gig was on July 20th, 1976.

 

[Jones]

I'm sure in that interview he did with Joni Mitchell Morrissey said he wasn't at that gig but he saw them shortly afterwards somewhere else.

 

[nightandday]

I'm sure in that interview he did with Joni Mitchell Morrissey said he wasn't at that gig but he saw them shortly afterwards somewhere else.

When did he say that?! I've listened to the audio files of that interview, the two of them only mention Pistols once and he says he saw them when they weren't famous yet and liked them. If he hadn't been there, why did he write letters about it to music magazines the next day?!

 

[Walkers Crisp]

Where's John The Postman these days? He'll shed some light...

 

[nightandday]

I read The Buzzcocks were newly formed, and they invited The Pistols to play in Manchester....on June 4th, 1976.

To cite David Nolan: "The photographs from that gig show people with long hair and cheesecloth shirts. Anyone who claims to have had spikey hair and a leather jacket is probably a liar."

"There is a lot of confusion about who was actually there, and who was at the second one. Either people genuinely did go or it has suited their purposes to say so. Diggle, Devoto and Shelley - definitely there. People think Mick Hucknall was there but he wasn't. Hooky [Peter Hook], Morrissey and Paul Morley..yes. Some have questioned whether Tony Wilson was there. Alan Hempsall of Crispy Ambulance says he remembers speaking to Wilson at the gig, but other people like John The Postman and Pete Shelley don't remember him being there, and as a TV presenter Tony would have been the most famous person in that room."

The second gig was on July 20th, 1976.

I read that too, it's from the Q Classic Manchester special, right? Tony Wilson must have been there after all - Howard Devoto says he invited Wilson and Wilson came. I think that Mick Hucknall might have been at the second Pistols gig - at least Tony Wilson claims that. The future members of The Fall weren't at the first gig, they were at the 2nd. they say that Buzzcocks were the first punk rock band they ever saw live (because they played first, followed by Slaughter and the Dogs and Sex Pistols). MES says they saw Pistols and thought 'we can do better than them!"

Those 2 Pistols gigs are thought to have kickstarted the entire Manchester punk.post-punk scene.

 

[nightandday]

Where's John The Postman these days? He'll shed some light...

I've bought Dave Haslam's book "Manchester, England" recently on a sale (very cheap - I also found Willy Russell's 'Wrong Boy' - I couldn't believe my luck! ) - there's a lot about John The Postman in it!

speaking of those legendary gigs - a few days ago I downloaded a video of Buzzcocks performing 'Boredom' in Lesser Free Trade Hall in July 1976 from Soulseek! it says some guy called Mark recorded it with his camera. There must be more video footage out there!!

 

[Walkers Crisp]

nightandday, yes..that's what was written in the mojo special.

Did you see "24 Hour Party People"..? There was quite a good scene depicting the first Pistols gig, apparently only 42 people were in attendance..but there were only 12 at the last supper

"Louie, Loouiee...""

I was 9 at the time...hmmm....

 

[nightandday]

nightandday, yes..that's what was written in the mojo special.

Did you see "24 Hour Party People"..? There was quite a good scene depicting the first Pistols gig, apparently only 42 people were in attendance..but there were only 12 at the last supper

"Louie, Loouiee...""

I was 9 at the time...hmmm....

But as far as I remember, the scene wasn't very true to the facts! They said that Mick Hucknall was there, as well as Mark E.Smith. They mixed the 1st and the 2nd gig! And there was no mention of Morrissey. I suppose they just cut him entirely from the movie after he didn't allow them to use the Smiths songs.

 

[Walkers Crisp]

Moz prohibited all contributions after he found out that Linder was supposed to be shown in a bad light.

Uncut May 2006:

WHAT DID YOU MAKE OF 24 HOUR PARTY PEOPLE?

"I really enjoyed it, but Tony Wilson was enraged with me because I refused permission for "This Charming Man" to be used. I refused because my compatriot Linder Sterling was badly depicted in the script and she took legal action to have her bits taken out - which they eventually were, but during the time her litigation was underway it would have been wrong for me to be compliant with them in any way.".

 

[nightandday]

Moz prohibited all contributions after he found out that Linder was supposed to be shown in a bad light.

Uncut May 2006:

WHAT DID YOU MAKE OF 24 HOUR PARTY PEOPLE?

"I really enjoyed it, but Tony Wilson was enraged with me because I refused permission for "This Charming Man" to be used. I refused because my compatriot Linder Sterling was badly depicted in the script and she took legal action to have her bits taken out - which they eventually were, but during the time her litigation was underway it would have been wrong for me to be compliant with them in any way.".

Yes, that's what she said:

The Independent on Sunday, 2004:

"Who would play you in the film of your life? And who would be your nemesis in the last reel?
Somebody almost did play me in a film - 24-Hour Party People. A researcher telephoned one day to ask how I used to do my make-up. Eyebrows were raised. Then I saw a shooting copy of the script and I had no choice but to call in the lawyers and erase myself from the film. However, Jim Carrey often seems to waste his brilliance on the most undemanding of roles, and if he's handy with eyeliner and can hold a tune, I think he'd be just right to play yours truly. I would choose Clint Eastwood as my nemesis, if only to meet him formally. "

Maybe some other people should have done the same as she did... members of A Certain Ratio for starters. They basically showed them as a crap loser band nobody liked. And chances are, most of the moviegoing public who don't know much about the Manchester scene will only know them in that light. I bet there are also people who go: "Howard Devoto? who?... oh, you mean the guy who f***ed Tony Wilson's wife in the loo... or didn't?"

 

[Life_Is_A_Pigsty]

speaking of those legendary gigs - a few days ago I downloaded a video of Buzzcocks performing 'Boredom' in Lesser Free Trade Hall in July 1976 from Soulseek! it says some guy called Mark recorded it with his camera. There must be more video footage out there!!

Theres a great little Buzzcocks/Magazine mini documentary on Dimeadozen called 'B'dum B'dum' with some excellent footage included

 

[Sister]

I just finished reading it: great book indeed, highly informative and entertaining.

The author however doesn't seem to be particularly fond of Morrissey (maybe the framed letter in the loo is to blame) and refers to him as coming into favour again in 2004 with
the album Irish Blood English Heart and bringing middle aged men to tears in the large-ish venues near your town.

However, he also gives the link to www.morrissey-solo.com as the source for the further reading, calling it something like a wonderfully chatty, catty place full of Moz obsessives. (Maybe someone with the book at their hands can provide a precise quote).

After reading this book, I could fully appreciate, how the Free Trade Hall is Manchester was almost the most important venue in the world in terms of musical history.

It's funny enough how I've chosen to stay at (what was before) the Free Trade Hall on my first ever visit to Manchester, and on the few following, not even knowing the history of the place.

It was only revealed to me afterwards by The knowledgeable Goat.

 

[nightandday]

Theres a great little Buzzcocks/Magazine mini documentary on Dimeadozen called 'B'dum B'dum' with some excellent footage included

What's Dimeadozen?

 

[mozmal]

Glad you read it and liked it! The exact quote for this site is "Fabulously catty site largely populated by mean-minded Moz obsessives. Snidey, self-aggrandising and wonderful". I really don't think you could find a better description. I really wish Morrissey had contributed to the book, it would have made it absolutely complete. I suppose he will cover it in his autobiography, if that ever happens. Cheers.

 

[Life_Is_A_Pigsty]

What's Dimeadozen?

www.dimeadozen.org

It is a file sharing site using torrents. Registering is tricky but keep at it

 

[The Goat]

These Things Take Time

Dave Nolan, the author of the book, is a producer at Granada TV.
There was a one hour programme of the same name that was shown in 2001 and he also went on to produce the Smiths documentry in 2002 'These Things Take Time' and an Echo and the Bunnymen documentry too. All 3 were only shown on Granada and Yorkshire TV.

The Goat

 

[nightandday]

Re: These Things Take Time

Thanks, Life Is A Pigsty.

Dave Nolan, the author of the book, is a producer at Granada TV.
There was a one hour programme of the same name that was shown in 2001 and he also went on to produce the Smiths documentry in 2003 'These Things Take Time' and an Echo and the Bunnymen documentry too. All 3 were only shown on Granada and Yorkshire TV.

A Granada producer? That's interesting, because (though I haven't read the book) it's obvious from his comments that he doesn't like Tony Wilson much.

 

[nightandday]

www.dimeadozen.org

It is a file sharing site using torrents. Registering is tricky but keep at it

Oh, now I see what you meant by 'tricky'... Would 'impossible' be the more suitable word?

 

[Sister]

And there was no mention of Morrissey. I suppose they just cut him entirely from the movie after he didn't allow them to use the Smiths songs.

There is a scene with morrissey in the DVD extras. He gets into Tony Wilson's car with some record and Tony asks him: So what's your name? - Steven Morrissey. How old are you, Steven Morrissey? - Seventeen.

A Granada producer? That's interesting, because (though I haven't read the book) it's obvious from his comments that he doesn't like Tony Wilson much.

Which comments?

He said that every time the see each other Tony acts like they've never met before. (although they even worked in one open-plan office for a while).