Full details of the limited edition prints by Kevin Cummins of his portrait of Tony Wilson that is on display in the National Portrait Gallery are now available online at www.kevincummins.co.uk.

Labels: Kevin_Cummins, Tony_Wilson

Mark Reeder has released another unseen picture of Ian Curtis, to promote Control and Katja Ruge's book 'Fotoreportage 23 - In Search of Ian Curtis'. It is on the front cover of the December edition of INTRO magazine.

Mark's photos also grace both the front and back covers of Katja's book. More info on her MySpace.

Labels: Mark_Reeder

Control won 5 awards including Best Independent Film and Best Director last night at the British Independent Film Awards or BIFAs, reports The Guardian and the BBC.

Anton Corbijn won Best Director and Best Debut Director, Sam Riley won Best Actor for his portrayal of Ian Curtis and Toby Kebbell (playing Rob Gretton) won Best Supporting Actor.

The Salford premiere of Grant Gee's Joy Division rockumentary took place last night at Vue cinema in the Lowry shopping centre - a tram stop away from JD's first rehearsal room above The Black Swan pub in nearby Weaste (A thing that certainly isn't there).

Original band members Peter Hook, Steve Morris and Terry Mason were joined in the packed cinema by Gillian Gilbert, Twinny, Natalie Curtis, Alan Hempsall, Mick Middles, Lindsay Reade, Leroy Richardson, Martin O'Neill, Rebecca Boulton, Brian Nicholson, David Nolan and many others.

The film was followed by a mini-Q&A session covering such diverse topics as whether JD ever played live on a Liverpudlian TV show (no), whether the band have any further JD recordings to release (they have an early Warsaw gig, but not for release) and what drugs to take when listening Unknown Pleasures (next question).

Thanks to Mick for the wine (!) and Cath for the beers. Review (still) to follow.

Labels: Joy_Division, Peter_Hook

The new edition of The Wire magazine has a nice illustrated one-page article about the cover of Another Setting by The Durutti Column. Thanks to AJ for info.

Labels: The_Durutti_Column

Haçienda Xmas Party
29 December 2007
Sankeys

Basement:
David Morales

Graeme Park
Jon Da Silva
Rowetta (Live PA)

Temperance Club:

Dave Haslam
Peter Hook
Jason Boardman

Greg Wilson's Funk Room:

Greg Wilson
Tom Woodward
Scott Carey
Gareth Brook

Tickets: 15 GBP advance available now from www.ticketline.co.uk / www.skiddle.com

Address:

Sankeys
Radium Street
Manchester
M4 6JG

Tel: 0161 661 9668

--

www.myspace.com/fac51thehacienda

Labels: Dave_Haslam, ESG, FAC51_The_Hacienda, Peter_Hook

Andrew (Marc) Berry was a resident DJ at the pre-house Hacienda, set up a Factory Records hairdressing salon - Swing (FAC 98) - in the Hacienda's dressing room which quickly became the hub of daytime Haç-tivity, and also formed an excellent band The Weeds.

Andrew now lives in London, England and runs the Viva! salon de coiffure in London's Soho district.

Labels: Factory_Records

Part 5 of The Guardian's 1000 albums to hear before you die yielded no more Factory entries and neither did the wash-up/complaints section in today's paper. Still, 11 entries out of the 1000 total is not a bad representation of the significance of Factory Records in the history of popular music.

Labels: Factory_Records

The Joy Division film documentary is being screened at the International Documentary Festival Amsterdam tonight.

Dutch poet Bart Chabot, speaking about the film to Dutch public broadcasting company VPRO said "This is what all important art does. It creates a moment where everything splits open, everything changes... The music forces you to essential and existential questions. The lyrics immediately 'bring a knife to the table'."

Thanks to Tonie for translated info.

Labels: Joy_Division

The Guardian's 1000 albums to hear before you die continues its inescapable path to a date with 'Z' with the reaches the letters 'M' to 'S' today. Factory entries are slightly thin on the ground (and the first entry seems to be a bit of a cop-out too). The FACts are:

New Order 'Substance' (1987)

"A superb sashay through one of British pop's most sublime catalogues, this collection outlines New Order's progression from scratchy post-punk uncertainty (Ceremony) through glacial electro classicism ('Blue Monday', 'Thieves Like Us') and on to euphoric, disco-fied pop ('True Faith'). A copy of 1989's 'Technique', though, is its essential companion."

Section 25 'From the Hip' (1984)

"Although the former Blackpool guitar band's pulsating 'Looking From a Hilltop' became an unlikely hit in New York clubs, their Bernard Sumner-produced electronica experiment was initially ignored. However, sampled by Orbital and the Shamen, From the Hip's trance states and 303 drum machines now sound like an accidental prototype for techno."

Labels: Electronic, New_Order, Section_25, Substance

A summary of most of the recent external links posted here in the blog now appears on the Links page courtesy of those clever guys at del.icio.us and FeedBurner.

Andrew Weatherall talks to the Guardian's Louis Pattison about the things that saved (and raved) his life including remixing Hallelujah for Happy Mondays with Paul Oakenfold - "I'd never really been in a studio before, I didn't know how the machines worked. But we went in with some good ideas and samples, and it worked.".

Labels: Happy_Mondays

The Manchester Evening News reports that Tony Wilson was honoured at the Royal Television Society North West Awards in Manchester on Saturday night. He was awarded the Judges' Award and also the Best Presenter award (for his work on the Politics Show).

Labels: Tony_Wilson

The Guardian's 1000 albums to hear before you die continues with parts 2 and 3 covering the letters 'D' to 'M'.

The FACts are:

The Durutti Column 'The Return of the Durutti Column' (1978)

"Former punk turned avant-garde jazz-classical guitarist Vini Reilly and veteran jazz drummer Bruce Mitchell were one of music's oddest but most inspired couplings. Their Factory debut combines fragility, melancholy, birdsong and electronic effects to produce soundscapes of breathtaking, fragile beauty."

ESG 'A South Bronx Story' (2000)

"A compilation that shows how three sisters from the Bronx in the early 80s tried to play slick funk but ended up sounding like a wonky African-American version of Joy Division. With congas. It nevertheless sounded hypnotically brilliant, and set the template for every subsequent strand of mutant disco and punk funk."

Happy Mondays 'Bummed' (1988)

"The work of two drug-addled geniuses - frontman Shaun Ryder and Factory Records' resident producer, Martin Hannett - this second Mondays album bettered most of the Madchester explosion it preceded. Bummed is a record of thrillingly raw white-man funk, built on menacing grooves, surefire pop hooks and Ryder's surreal drawls."

James 'Stutter(1986)

"Before Madchester, and before the Horlicks rock of Sit Down became ubiquitous, James were an invigorating prospect: a folk-pop band apparently engaged in a bout of pro-wrestling with their instruments. Their debut album clangs like a grand piano tumbling downstairs - leaving singalong melodies in its wake."

Joy Division 'Closer' (1980)

"The arrival of Joy Division's second album in the aftermath of Ian Curtis's suicide brought with it a shadow of death that disguised Closer's expressions of life: the clattering energy of Atrocity Exhibition, the metallic pop of Isolation and the virtuosity of Curtis's baritone. Still, its final songs, The Eternal and Decades, are untouchable in their manifestations of abject despair."

Magnetic Fields '69 Love Songs' (1999)

"Stephin Merritt's meticulous modernisation of the Great American Songbook is an absurd folly - a giddy explosion of wit, whimsy, inspiration and ambition that is matchless in its achievement. Every imaginable romantic experience is refracted through every imaginable genre of music, with moods and sounds glittering like mirror-ball lights across a disco floor."

--

Special mentions for 808 State's excellent Ex:El (on which Bernard Sumner guests on vocals) and the ground-breaking 'My Life in the Bush of Ghosts' by Brian Eno and David Byrne. Peter Saville designed the cover and he talked about working with Eno on that project in the recent Creative Review blog interview.

Labels: A_Certain_Ratio, books, Electronic, ESG, Factory_Classical, Factory_Records, Happy_Mondays, Joy_Division, labels, Magnetic_Fields, Peter_Hook, Stephin_Merritt, The_Durutti_Column

The Telegraph reports on how Audi commissioned Peter Saville to produce a series of five artworks to commemorate the launch of the A5. Under the title 'Light and Motion', the five photographs were created using long exposure photographs of the Audi A5 being driven round Battersea Power Station at night.

The design process is further fully documented at Audi.co.uk and in a television programme which is being screened tonight and Thursday 22 November on the Audi Channel (Sky Digital 884).

The Telegraph article also includes a competition to win exclusive limited edition 'Light and Motion' prints.

Speaking of Thursday, design agency Thoughtful have posted footage of the whole Ben Kelly/Peter Saville design lecture: Factory and the The Hacienda on their excellent blog site.

Labels: Ben_Kelly, FAC51_The_Hacienda

Peter Saville made several references to a recent working visit to the Bauhaus during the course of Thursday evening, which made your Northern correspondent ponder how one might go about getting such sabbaticals.

Simple. Get asked by a flagship BBC weekly arts programme to contribute a piece to the current series and the doors will surely be opened for you.

Peter Saville's Bauhaus busman's holiday is scheduled to be shown on The Culture Show Saturday 24 November 2007 at 19.10.

There's hope yet for the moist visit to the Roland museum. If it ever exists.

Cerysmatic is pleased to confirm that the new Lawrence Weiner exhibition 'AS FAR AS THE EYE CAN SEE' at the Whitney Museum of American Art, in New York, NY includes at least some of his work for Factory Records, namely the posters he did for Section 25 at The Ritz and New Order at Paradise Garage.

We await confirmation of the presence of his sleeve for Thick Pigeon's Too Crazy Cowboys.

Check the visual evidence in the first photo in this review in the New York Times (be sure to also check the slideshow in the multimedia sidebar).

Labels: Factory_Records, New_Order, poster, Section_25, Thick_Pigeon

The Guardian's 1000 Albums to Hear Before You Die commences with (rather appropriately) Early (2002) by ACR.

"Named after a Brian Eno lyric, ACR fused jagged Wire guitars and George Clinton beats to create the now commonplace sound of punk-funk. They were too far ahead of their time to be successful, but Early compiles the 1978-85 cuts that influenced everyone from former ACR support acts Talking Heads and Madonna to, more recently, LCD Soundsystem and the Rapture."

Representing the letter 'B' we have Blurt - The Best of Blurt, Vol 1 (2003)...

"Blurt have been fronted by puppeteer-turned-eccentric-saxophonist Ted Milton since 1980 - perhaps the epitome of warped genius. His nearly tuneful squawks and lyrics shouted like a newspaper seller are as extraordinarily inspired as his song titles, which include My Mother Was a Friend of an Enemy of the People."

Cabaret Voltaire kick off the letter 'C' with 'The Original Sound of Sheffield 83/87' (2001).

"The 78/82 companion to this album traces the Cabs' pioneering Burroughs/cut-up experiments in industrial/electronic music, but this traces their equally influential but more accessible dancefloor period. The 12in mixes of their singles are sinister, cold but deliriously sensual electrothrobs a few years ahead of techno."

Still to come later this week - the letters 'D' - 'Z'.

Labels: A_Certain_Ratio, Blurt, Brian_Eno, Cabaret_Voltaire

From HookySpace:

"The tribute band The Complete Stone Roses will be releasing a double a-side single for charity Cancer Research UK early next year, the two tracks will be the band's song 'Tell Me Moses' which was written by the tour manager, using only titles from the Stone Roses catalogue. The second track will be a Stone Roses-style version of 'Love Will Tear Us Apart' which both the band members from New Order & their publishers Universal Music Publishing have agreed to donate all royalties made from this version, also to the charity. And if that wasn't enough, Hooky is also producing and guest appearing on the single itself.

As part of the promotions for it they will be shooting a music video to accompany the release and are on the lookout for concert audience members to participate in the filming.

The shoot will happen in a city centre music venue in Glasgow on the afternoon of Saturday 8 December 2007. We cannot pay people for this as it's for charity and we need to keep costs to an absolute min however, we will supply refreshments along with a free ticket/guest list space to the Carling Academy show,later that night (all profit from this show to go to Cancer Research UK also) seeing as you will have done your bit for charity.

Any interested individuals should either reply to this post or send an email in the first instance to the bands management at office@stoneroses.net (or press the "contact" tab on he left hand side of the home page at www.stoneroses.net) Detailing your age, your location and of course, your contact email address. We will then get back to you with further details on this project.

We need around 150 people to take part so if you are interested then get back to us ASAP."

Labels: Joy_Division, New_Order

Luke Bainbridge, writing on the Observer Music Monthly, reports that a photographic portrait of Tony Wilson by Kevin Cummins is set to be hung in the National Portrait Gallery as Portrait of the Month for December. After that, it will form part of the permanent collection. The photo, featuring AHW in amongst the pillars of the Haçienda dancefloor, was chosen from many submitted since Wilson died in August.

In addition, limited edition prints with proceeds going to charity are available as follows:

"With the blessing of Wilson's partner Yvette Livesey, Kevin Cummins is producing a limited edition of signed prints that will be sold with proceeds going to Manchester Royal Infirmary (Kidneys for Life charity) and Christie's Hospital (which was were Wilson himself was treated).

The prints are handmade 16 x 20 inch gelatin silver archive photographic prints in an edition of 30, signed by Kevin Cummins. The prints cost 450 GBP (incl VAT) each plus 10 GBP P&P (in the EU). Anyone interested should email kevin@kevincummins.co.uk

Labels: Kevin_Cummins, Tony_Wilson

Well, almost. Laurent (of the family) Garnier has given an extensive interview to Miami New Times to promote a rare Florida appearance this evening.

Though Laurent talks about his time in Manchester he neglects to mention his stint as short-order chef in Dry Bar, before running what was effectively The Hacienda Paris and going on to become a well-reknowned international DJ and musician.

Pick up!

Labels: FAC201_Dry, FAC51_The_Hacienda, Laurent_Garnier, New_Order

The small confusion over who was supposed to be selling the tickets for the special preview screening of Joy Division, the film documentary, has now been resolved. Tickets are available from the Vue Cinema in Salford Quays. There is also a ticket hotline - 0871 224 0240 and an enquiries number - 0161 872 5811.

Labels: Joy_Division

Ben Kelly and Peter Saville entertained a real (Urbis - sold out) and virtual (Second Life) audience last night as part of the ongoing Urbis Hacienda exhibition.

Both delivered short presentations on their oeuvres before answering questions from the floor.

The title of Peter Saville's presentation: 'Changing the here and now instead of going somewhere else', referred to the socio-geographical phenomenon of a country's talent naturally graduating to the capital city and beyond - which was challenged in the late seventies by a group of individuals ("a solar system") orbiting around Tony Wilson ("a large, heavy body"), who decided to stay in Manchester "changing the here and now". Saville himself quickly moved to London, readily admitting to "probably [being] one of those people that goes somewhere else".

Having quickly (re)visited his early Factory designs, Saville handed over to Kelly at the point where their designs first converged: the seminal Joy Division 'Love Will Tear Us Apart' single, based largely on the front cover of Kelly's dissertation "Metal Lined Cubicle".

Ben Kelly - 'The Photo Kid' - reviewed his own early involvement with Malcolm McLaren in London: designing a rehearsal room for The Sex Pistols, 2 x offices for Glitterbest and the Seditionaries clothes shop; and Tony Wilson in Manchester: the 'Ben Kelly triangle' of The Hacienda, Factory Records HQ and Dry Bar. Future projects were revealed: Urban Splash have commissioned a design for their New Islington 'Stubbs Mill' project and the new owners of the old Factory Records HQ have approached Kelly to redesign the interior as a night club/venue.

The truly though-provoking Q&A session which followed generated both interesting observations:

"There can be a point to a former industrial city"
"A lot of what we did is responsible for some terrible things"
"Art and Design need to be taken out of popular culture now"
"Be careful what you wish for"
"the engagement with business (specifically borrowing around GBP 750k against future earnings - which had never been necessary before) ultimately brought Factory down"

and some very revealing asides:

- whilst working on the Glitterbest office Ben Kelly took the call from Tony Wilson inviting the Sex Pistols on to the Granada TV 'So It Goes' programme
- The Factory Records name itself only came about when some form of record label identification was needed on the back of the first 'Factory Sample' single
- Factory Records bought the Factory HQ building for around GBP 300k without actually seeing its interior!

There was even a (serious) question about situationism from, er, Second Life. Post-ironic indeed.

Photo gallery

Labels: Ben_Kelly, FAC51_The_Hacienda, Factory_Records, Joy_Division, Tony_Wilson

From the Creative Review blog:

Subway Sect is a new radio series, produced by Maria Bartolo and CR's Eliza Williams, which is airing on Resonance FM, London’s art/experimental radio station, over the next six weeks. The shows aim to explore the complex relationship between art and music and take the form of a series of conversations between artists, musicians, writers, designers, DJs and music video directors.

The shows go out each Wednesday at 1pm on Resonance (104.4 FM or online at www.resonancefm.com) and we'll also be bringing you transcripts of highlights from the shows each week on the CR blog.

Today on Subway Sect, designer Peter Saville is in conversation with Frieze magazine critic and writer, Dan Fox. The two discuss Saville's design work for Factory Records, including his sleeves for Joy Division and New Order, as well as his more recent experiences in the contemporary art world. The show was recorded at Frieze’s offices in London earlier this year.

Labels: Factory_Records, Joy_Division, New_Order

There seems to be a case of the left hand not knowing what the right hand's doing with the allocation of tickets for the screening of Joy Division at the Salford Film Festival. The tickets are meant to be reserved through the Vue cinema but it seems the cinema folk think that the Film Festival folk should be dealing with it. Thus, as of this early afternoon no tickets have been reserved, nor are they able to be reserved. Far from selling out fast it therefore seems they are selling out very slowly. More info when we have it.

Labels: Joy_Division

Paul Morley facilitated a masterclass devoted to the making of the Grant Gee film Joy Division on the last day of the Sheffield DocFest, Sunday 11 Nov, in the Hallam University Pennine Theatre.

Featuring director Grant Gee, producers Tom Astor and Jacqui Edenbrow, and editor Jerry Chater (no Atencio, no Hook, no Savage) the masterclass took the form of informal chat, Q&A session and the showing of three clips from the film itself.

Although there were a great many insights into the thought processes that drove the creation of the documentary (some of which will be contained in a later cerysmatic review of the film), only the cheap and cheerful potential headline-grabbers are presented here:

The film was privately financed by Toms Atencio and Astor, with a budget of just GBP 300k. Many backers were sought, including the BBC, none supplied.

Nearly all the interviews contained therein were conducted by John Savage, thus enabling director Grant Gee to "keep away from the firing line".

Bernard and Hooky's interviews were shot in the same place, on the same day, with a suitable space in between!

Peter Saville used Ian Curtis as the embodiment of 'Manchester: Original, Modern' in his pitch to Manchester City Council.

AHW was more interested in a film about the rebirth of Manchester than a documentary about 'that bloody band'.

Paul Morley doesn't want to give away the ending, "but the singer dies".

Labels: Joy_Division, Peter_Hook

The History of the World Backwards is a splendid new comedy television programme from Rob Newman which on BBC4 on Tuesdays. Although it's pretty much a one-joke show, it's a damn good joke. The history of the world is told, erm, backwards to great comic effect. And, in this parallel world, the plane used in the bombing of Hiroshima, the Enola Gay, was named after the Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark hit single. For good measure, in another sketch he namechecks Blue Monday.

Northside play a couple of north-west dates in December

15 - North Bar, Town Hall Street, Blackburn, Lancs, BB2 1AG (Tel: 07891 854390)
18 - Moho Live, 21-31 Oldham Street (although the entrance is on Tib Street!), Manchester, M1 1JG

Check with venues for more details.

Labels: Northside

Blurt play at Café Saki in Manchester on 18 January 2008

--

Saki Bar
2 Wilmslow Road
Manchester M14

Robert Booth in The Guardian reports on the plans of eminent architect Will Alsop for a huge regeneration of Croydon.

Where's the Factory connection there you ask? Fear ye not, for there is a quote from Peter Saville, the Creative Director at Manchester City Council, responsible for the, hush, rebranding of Manchester, and he says:

"All I know about Croydon is that you go through it on the way to Gatwick and there's lots of 1960s municipal architecture there. When you hear they are rebranding Croydon you can't help but smile in a cynical way. I am very sceptical about the notion of rebranding places."

Linder Sterling's solo retrospective show moves to the Stuart Shave / Modern Art gallery in east London, starting with a private view from 6pm on Thursday 15 November. The exhibition proper runs from 16 November to 21 December. The exhibition ran at at P.S.1. in Long Island City, NY, USA earlier in the year.

--

Stuart Shave/Modern Art
10 Vyner Street
London E2 9DG [map]
Opening times: Thursday — Sunday, 11.00-18.00, or by appointment

The 4th Salford Film Festival present a special preview screening of 'Joy Division' with an introduction and Q&A with Peter Hook on Tuesday 27 November 2007.

This event is presented in association with Manchester District Music Archive.

Tickets are selling out fast so get in there quick.

--

Date: Tue 27 November
Venue: Vue Cinema, Salford [map]
Start: 20:30 GMT
Admission: 6.50 GBP

Labels: Joy_Division, Peter_Hook

A reminder that Peter Saville and Ben Kelly deliver a "keynote lecture" to an Urbis audience (both real and virtual) as part of their ongoing Haçienda exhibition this coming Wednesday:

Design Lecture: Factory and The Haçienda

Wed 14 Nov
6-8pm (uk time) 11am - 1 pm (Linden Time)

SOLD OUT - But still available in Second Life Urbis

Don't miss this chance to catch up with two design gurus and members of the original Haçienda crew, Peter Saville and Ben Kelly in this Urbis talk and question and answer session. So get on down and find out how things were done the first time around. Any (sensible) questions may be put to our guests...so if you have any burning questions you would like answered from the good old days, then this is your chance!

This event is sold out in real life, but we will be streaming it into the virtual Urbis in Second Life. Our guests are also hoping to field some Second Life questions, so if you have any burning design issues to discuss, now is your chance!

click here to see more Second Life Events and instructions

To download Second Life, please visit Secondlife.com.

Click here if you have SL already and want to teleport straight to the event.

Labels: Ben_Kelly

Jon Dasilva's band The Virgo Mechanically Replayed are putting together a winter set of dates, currently comprising:

24 Nov 2007 20:00 Dry Bar Manchester
8 Dec 2007 20:00 Trash Leeds
13 Jan 2008 20:00 Cella Bar Blackburn

More details to follow.

"Musicians from the A Team soundtrack kicking back"

More FAC cover action and this time Radiohead perform Ceremony live from the confines of their studio in a performance which originally appeared via live webcast from www2.radiohead.tv.

The MOJO 169 letters page (Theories, Rants, etc) contains a choice contribution on the subject of Anton Corbijn ("if his pictures had ever been in focus, I might have some respect for the man, and what scraps remained dissolved with your feature [MOJO 168].").

Meanwhile, in the MOJO Playlist, LCD Soundsystem's cover of Joy Division's No Love Lost (speedier... with extra 303 burble) is at #1. Find it on a limited edition US-import split single with an Arcade Fire cover of Serge Gainsbourg on the flipside.

Labels: Joy_Division

Sonic Youth's Thurston Moore talks to Pitchfork in their 'Guest List' strand about, amongst other things, 'Control' and how he bought tickets to a US Joy Division gig days before Ian Curtis's death (before losing it when he got evicted from his apartment 6 months later).

Labels: Joy_Division

Such was the popularity of the event and the resultant demand for tickets, last night's European premiere of the Grant Gee Joy Division documentary at the Sheffield Doc Fest was shown in two cinemas simultaneously to over 500 delegates, punters and guests - before being shown again shortly afterwards.

Among the audience were Richard Kirk, Jon Savage, Peter Hook, Rebecca Boulton and the Lord and Lady Mayoress of Sheffield.

Immediately following the 97 minute HD showing of the excellent documentary, Savage and Hooky were joined onstage by members of the production team - Grant Gee, Tom Astor, Jerry Chater and Jacqui Edenbrow - for a short Q&A session.

Hooky pontificated as to how the documentary was the "perfect answer to Control", that the interviewing of the band before Control went into production and marketing had been important, that New Order playing old Joy Division songs was "like being given a new toy", and that as a result of the recent Joy Division activity he had realised how good they actually were.

"Tell that to the Arctic Monkeys!"

Jacqui Edenbrow revealed that the documentary was to go on cinematic release in early 2008 and had been sold in 15 territories, with The Works distributing in the UK and the Weinsteins in the US.

Many thanks to Hooky and Jacqui for the ticket and Sheffield Doc Fest themselves for hosting the event - the opening night of a programme of screenings that made this contributor wish he had a full delegate pass and five days holiday! (example)

See earlier posting for details of other related events. Review to follow.

Labels: Joy_Division, New_Order, Peter_Hook

Grant Gee's 94 minute documentary 'Joy Division' has its European premiere at the Sheffield DocFest tomorrow night (Wed 7th November 2007).

Written by Jon Savage, the documentary "explores the profound legacy of the band’s collective musical genius and singular vision, as well as their continued influence over thirty years."

The DocFest premiere (Wed 07 Nov 2007 19:00 - Showroom Cafe) will feature the premiere of the film itself.

A later screening will include a Q&A session with Tom Astor, Tom Atencio, Jerry Chater, Jacqui Edenbrow, Grant Gee, Peter Hook and Jon Savage (Wed 07 November 2007 21:45 - Showroom 4)

The final screening will also include a Q&A session with
Paul Sturtz, Grant Gee, Tom Astor and Jerry Chater (Fri 09 November 2007 22:15 - Showroom 4).

The final day of the festival will feature 'The Making of Joy Division': a masterclass involving Tom Astor, Jerry Chater, Jacqui Edenbrow, Grant Gee, Peter Hook, David Martin and Paul Morley (Sun 11 November 2007 15:00 - Pennine Theatre).

Tickets can be reserved by credit card via the box office on +44 (0) 114 275 7727.

Labels: Joy_Division, Peter_Hook

Rhino is releasing two Collector's Editions of Happy Mondays' 'Bummed' and 'Pills 'n' Thrills & Bellyaches'.

Each album is remastered and expanded with non-album tracks and rare mixes, plus a bonus cd on 'Bummed' and dvd featuring video 'Best Of' on 'Pills 'n' Thrills & Bellyaches'.

Tracklistings

Bummed Collector's Edition

Disc 1

1. Country Song
2. Moving In With
3. Mad Cyril
4. Fat Lady Wrestlers
5. Performance
6. Brain Dead
7. Wrote For Luck
8. Bring A Friend
9. Do It Better
10. Lazyitus
11. Hallelujah
12. Holy Ghost (aka `Mad Guitar')
13. Clap Your Hands
14. Rave On (Club Mix)
15. Boom (B-side of `Wrote For Luck')
16. Mad Cyril (Hello Girls)
17. Wrote For Luck (12" B-Side)

Disc 2

1. Wrote For Luck (7' Version)
2. Hallelujah (Club Mix)
3. Wrote For Luck (12" Version)
4. Hallelujah (MacColl Mix)
5. Lazyitis (One Armed Boxer) (Feat. Karl Denver)
6. WFL (Think About The Future)
7. Hallelujah (12" Version)
8. Kilamenjaro (aka `Rave On')
9. WFL (Vince Clarke 12" Mix)
10. Hallelujah (Deadstock Mix)

Pills 'n' Thrills & Bellyaches Collector's Edition

Disc 1

1. Kinky Afro
2. God's cop
3. Donovan
4. Grandbag's Funeral
5. Loose Fit
6. Dennis And Lois
7. Bob's Yer Uncle
8. Step On
9. Holiday
10. Harmony
11. Step On (Twisting My Melon Mix)
12. Kinky Afro (7" Euro Mix)
13. Loose Fit (12" Version)
14. Bob's Yer Uncle (12" Version)
15. Tokoloshie Man

Disc 2 (dvd)

1. Tart Tart - Produced and directed by Michael Atavar and Donald Guy, London October 1986
2. 24 Hour Party People - Produced and directed by the Bailey Brothers, December 1987
3. Lazyitis - Produced and directed by the Bailey Brothers, May 1989
4. Wrote For Luck - Produced and directed by the Bailey Brothers, September 1989
5. Hallelujah - Produced and directed by the Bailey Brothers, December 1989
6. Clap Your Hands - Produced and directed by the Bailey Brothers,December 1989
7. Step On - Produced and directed by the Bailey Brothers, March 1990
8. Kinky Afro - Produced and directed by Keith Jobling of the Bailey Brothers, October 1990
9. Loose Fit - Produced and directed by Philip Shotton of the Bailey Brothers, February 1991
10. Judge Fudge - Produced and directed by the Bailey Brothers, November 1991

Labels: Happy_Mondays, Karl_Denver

Vidal hairdressers were no strangers to certain nights at The Hacienda, but regulars may recall one in particular: Nick Arrojo was a popular attendee and would occasionally turn DJ alongside Pickering and Sasha.

"It was 1987 and Manchester was transforming into 'Madchester'" and it was an exciting time" he recently told the Manchester Evening News (not available online). "I did the hair for the members of Happy Mondays and New Order - happy days!".

Moving Stateside, Nick now runs his own salon - Arrojo Studio - in New York's SoHo district and is resident hairdresser on TLC America's version of 'What Not To Wear'.

Arrojo Product - his new "easy to understand" hair stuff ("Defrizz Serum in eight words: eliminates frizz, controls fly-aways and eases excess volume") - is now available online and will be available in the UK through Space nk in January 2008.

"We're expanding our premises to create an Arrojo academy, Arrojo products store and a creative office. The design concept has been inspired by the Factory Records office in Manchester - functional, seminal and iconic".

Will the cerysmatic budget stretch to a 500 buck consultation with the man himself?

Labels: FAC51_The_Hacienda, Factory_Records, Happy_Mondays, New_Order

From the House of Tomorrow Newsletter:

"The Magnetic Fields are touring! We're looking forward to playing a few US shows in early 2008 following the January release of our new album, "Distortion." Tickets are available starting this week, with a limited number of advance pre-sale tickets for select shows available now through MusicToday. Tickets are also available at venue box offices and other online agents. (Note: Venue box offices and offline resellers always have lower ticketing surcharges.) Ticket availability dates, costs, and surcharges vary by location, so please visit our website's calendar page for further details. All shows are all-ages."

Schedule

February 2007

Mon 11 & Tues 12 - Iron Horse Music Hall, Northampton, MA
Thu 14 & Fri 15 - Somerville Theater, Somerville, MA ***
Fri 22 & Sat 23, Town Hall Theatre, New York, NY ***
Thu 28 & Fri 29, The Herbst Theatre, San Francisco, CA ***

March 2007

Sun 2 & Mon 3 - The Henry Fonda Theatre, Los Angeles, CA ***
Thu 6 & Fri 7 - Town Hall Seattle, Seattle, WA ***
Fri 14 - Sun 16 - Old Town School of Folk Music, Chicago, IL (Two performances per night - six shows total)

*** - these shows now on pre-sale through MusicToday

Labels: Magnetic_Fields

Peter Hook will be your host for the JD Set, a series of 24 intimate gigs across a number of UK venues, including four two-night events detailed below (which are also being covered by Channel 4).

London
Luminare
8 November 2007 - Air Traffic, Lightspeed Champion, Friendly Fires
9 November 2007 - Vincent Vincent and the Villains, The Courtneers, The New York Fund

Belfast
Spring & Airbrake
30 November 2007 - line-up tbc
1 December 2007 - line-up tbc

Newcastle
The Cluny
24-25 January 2007 - line-up tbc

Manchester
Night and Day
21-22 February 2007 - line-up tbc

Labels: A_Certain_Ratio, Peter_Hook

Anton Corbijn will be talking to Jools Holland about Control and other things on this coming Friday's edition of Later. Battles and Roisin Murphy are also in the line-up.

Blackpool-born actor Craig Parkinson, who played Tony Wilson in Control, will be answering questions following a screening of the film at the Blackpool Odeon tonight according to an interview entitled 'Magic memories of a musical icon' by Robin Duke in today's Blackpool Gazette.

Labels: Tony_Wilson

manystuff.org reports that Peter Crnokrak (aka 'plusminus') has produced 'Love Will Tear Us Apart Again', a new poster artwork which details of all the cover versions of Joy Division's 'Love Will Tear Us Apart'.

Additional: it would appear that the original story on this derives from Creative Review (more pics and details too).

Labels: Joy_Division, poster

Not that this is becoming a sports blog or anything but Cerysmatic was intrigued to hear Blue Monday playing on the PA yesterday when Andy Murray beat Fabrice Santoro in the 3rd round of the Paris Masters.

What will it be if he beats Gasquet in today's Quarter-Final!? Something by The Wendys perhaps...

Labels: The_Wendys

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