Manchester International Festival Director Alex Poots talks to Matt Keating in Saturday's Money Guardian about five men who have inspired his artistic view, including Tony Wilson.

Alex recalls: "In my spare time I also managed a classical composer who was signed to a classics offshoot of Factory Records (Factory Classical). Prior to my first meeting with the company's founder, Tony Wilson, I'd phoned to say I needed a fax machine to help me work. Tony arrived wearing an Armani suit and trainers, and had a fax machine tucked under his arm for me. Evidently he had just ripped the Factory records machine straight out of the wall.

Tony cut through all the bureaucracy to find out what his artists wanted. In this instance it was just a fax machine, but I learned a lot from him, including how to help artists create an uncluttered area that allows them to work. I also learned his can-do attitude and easy approach to people."

Labels: Factory_Classical, Factory_Records, labels, Tony_Wilson

- - - -