Madchester Reprise!

So Sally can wait

She knows it's too late

As we're walking on by

Her soul slides away

But don't look back in anger

I heard you say

Noel Gallagher – Don’t Look Back in Anger

I’m in the wonderful city of Manchester this weekend. For those of you that have followed the blog and have very good memories, I wrote a post in August 2019 about being really excited because a friend invited me to go to Greece with them after another friend couldn’t go last minute. My friend lives in Manchester and we flew from there and, as it was the city we settled in when we first came over to England from Ireland, I did a post about the city. This is the first time I’ve been there since 2019, apparently there’s a bug going around!?!!

One of the things I wrote about was the Culture and Music Manchester has contributed to the world, did you know the city has more music venues for every 100,000 people than anyone else in the UK. It has produced some of the most iconic bands in the world, from Herman's Hermits and the Hollies in the 1960s, through to The Bee Gees, The Smiths, The Verve, New Order, Simply Red, Thin Lizzy, 10cc, Take That, Joy Division, The 1976, James, The Stone Roses, Oasis to icons of today such as Tom Walker, Harry Styles of One direction and Aitch. No matter where you are in the world you will have at one point listened to some of the music from Manchester! Ever been “Rick Rolled”? Yep, that’s right, those unexpected Rick Astley tones – straight from Newton-le-Willows, a small town in Greater Manchester.

I wouldn’t be so bold as to rank the bands and acts of Manchester in order of favouritism, that would be like choosing a favourite child! I will this week however, write a little about some of the bands that have shaped me as a music lover!

The Smiths

Hugely influential Manchester indie band formed by Johnny Marr and Stephen Patrick Morrissey in Bowdon, Hale, after being introduced to each other by Billy Duffy of The Cult in 1982. Their political and locally-influenced lyrics summed up living in the city during the Thatcher-era better than anybody in songs like "Rusholme Ruffians" and "The Headmaster Ritual", whilst they also namecheck Whalley Range (in "Miserable Lie") and The Holy Name Church on Oxford Road ("Vicar In A Tutu"). "Suffer Little Children" also chronicles The Moors Murderers. The 1987 album, "Strangeways, Here We Come", was to be their final recording.

If you’ve never listened to the Smiths try Panic, not quite as morose as some of their other songs!

Take That

A bit of a guilty pleasure however, I did go to see one of their stadium concerts and it was AMAZING! A Manchester boy band manufactured by Nigel Martin-Smith in 1989 and initially targeted at the Canal Street gay scene. After splitting on 13 February 1996 (a date etched into the memory of many Mancunian women!!), they made an incredible record-breaking comeback in 2016 with the "Beautiful World" album, which included the song "Mancunian Way". The band also famously launched the career of Stoke-born Robbie Williams (who would make No.6 on this list if, unlike us, you're including him). Droylsden-born Howard Donald famously wore his Manchester United shirt whilst performing at Crumpsall-born Jason Orange's beloved City of Manchester Stadium. Like Gary Barlow (from Frodsham), Oldham-born Mark Owen supports Liverpool despite having trials at United and Rochdale as a youngster, whilst playing for Chadderton FC, who knew!

Never listened to a Take That Tune, try Rule the World, iconic TT ballad which builds beautifully through the song!

The Chemical Brothers

Londoners Tom Rowlands and Ed Simons started their musical career (as the Dust Brothers), whilst studying at the University of Manchester between 1989 and 1992, (so they qualify as a Madchester band okay!!), running their own club nights. Attracted to the city by their love of New Order, Joy Division and The Hacienda, they lived at 237 Dickenson Road, Rusholme. With six UK no.1 albums to their name, they've kept a close relationship with Manchester, with guest vocalists including Tim Burgess, Noel Gallagher, Richard Ashcroft and Bernard Sumner!

Never listened to the Chemical Brothers? Try Hey Boy, Hey Girl, always guaranteed to get me on the dance floor!

The Stone Roses

The band that kicked off the "Madchester" scene in 1988 were formed in Altrincham in 1980. Guitarist John Squire was an animator at nearby Cosgrove Hall studios, (They made Danger Mouse & Count Duckula – I know!!!). Whilst drummer Reni was once a ball boy at Maine Road, Ian Brown, John Squire and Mani are season ticket holders at Old Trafford, where Manchester United enter the field every game to their track "This Is The One"

Best Introduction to the Roses, try Waterfall, just a great, great tune and VERY Manc!

Elbow

UK Album Chart-topping Mercury Music Prize winning band formed at Bury College in 1990. Amongst many Manchester-inspired songs, including "Station Approach" and "Jesus is a Rochdale Girl", their hit "Grounds For Divorce" was written about The Temple of Convenience bar on Oldham Street and "The Seldom Seen Kid" was a tribute to late Bury songwriter Brian Glancy (who was also David Gray's Best Man).

New To Elbow, you have to have a listen to One Day Like This, one of those songs that really inspires me!

Bee Gees

You mean you didn’t know the Bee Gee’s were a Madchester band, of course they are!!!? Born in the Isle of Man to Mancunian parents, brothers Barry, Maurice and Robin Gibb started their incredible career when the family returned home, living at 51 Keppel Road in Chorlton-cum-Hardy (1955-1958) and on Northern Grove in Whalley Range (1958).

After attending Oswald Primary School, their first performance (under the name "The Rattlesnakes") took place in December 1957 at the Gaumont Cinema (now Co-op Funeral Care).

They also played the Palatine Picture House in Didsbury (demolished) and the Princess Ballroom in Chorlton (now McDonalds), as well as the Russell Club in Manchester, where their father was resident drummer. Their mother was a barmaid at The Royal Oak in Chorlton.

Younger brother Andy, who had huge chart success in America before his untimely death, was born in Manchester but moved with the family to Australia as a baby, (Barry was aged 12, twins Maurice and Robin, 9).

The brothers bought back their old family home on Keppel Road in 2002 (Barry, who was knighted in 2018, now rents it out).

Before his death in 2003, Maurice said about The Bee Gees success, "To me, we are still the three kids from Manchester who wanted to be famous and just wanted to make music... I'm still that kid. I don't see ourselves as legends." His twin brother sadly died in 2012

If you’ve been living under a stone your entire life, try Stayin Alive, absolutely ICONIC song from the movie Saturday Night Fever

I could go on, and on but I’m going to finish here with one of my favourite bands of all time, the theme tune to my formative school days and beyond, I’m talking about……

Oasis

The rock band formed in Manchester, 1991, by Burnage brothers Liam and Noel Gallagher still ride high in the UK album charts and worldwide on Spotify. Their original Mancunian line-up ended in 1999, when rhythm guitarist Paul "Bonehead" Arthur and bass player Paul "Guigsy" McGuigan quit. Levenshulme drummer Tony McCarroll had already been fired in 1995. Based in London, they continued until 2009 with non-Mancunian replacements before their infamous sibling rivalry split the band for good.

In the infamous Blur v Oasis Britpop Chart Battle of 1995, billed as "London v Manchester", Blur's "Country House" beat the Mancunian's "Roll with it" to No.1 by 270,000 sales to 220,000. Oasis got their revenge though, heavily outselling their London "rivals" over their 18-year career.

After the split in 2009, Liam teamed up with Eric Cantona, the Manchester United football Icon, for the video to his "Once" solo single. It is the United legend's quote which probably applies to Oasis more than most bands on this list: "Perhaps time will separate us, but nobody can deny that, here, behind the windows of Manchester, there is an insane love of football, of celebration and of music!" I love that quote but honestly, before I researched this article, I had no idea it was by Eric Cantona, and why would I, he’s from Marseille, France!!

Never heard an Oasis song, I am going to choose one but, the same analogy from earlier applies, that of choosing a favourite child, but amongst my favs is Don’t Look Back in Anger, cried my eyes out when Chris Martin and Ariana Grande, (honorary Mancunian so, actually, she could get on the list!), sang it together at the One Love concert, a celebration of the lives of the 22 beautiful people that were cruelly and mindlessly taken away in the Manchester Arena bombing in 2017. So, apologies to Oasis, this is the version I’m hoping people will watch with hearts full! Don’t Look Back in Anger

What’s on this week?