James play a warm-up for their April 2008 tour at the St George's Hall in Bradford on Tuesday 8 April. Tickets go on sale tomorrow Friday 1 February at 9am via gigsandtours.com, the venue's Box Office on 01274 432 000 or the 24hr credit card hotline on 0871 2200 260.

The tour proper starts in Derby on 10 April and ends in Aberdeen on 25 April. Full details at wearejames.com. The new James album is released on 7 April.

Thanks to George on the Cerysmatic Factory Message Board.

Labels: James

A chance listen of the podcast of the Jonathan Ross Radio 2 show from Saturday 26 January revealed an interesting Factory Records-related gem.

Thom Yorke of Radiohead was one of the special guests and the topic of conversation turned to In Rainbows and the manner of its release on the internet as an official pay-as-much-or-as-little-as-you-like download. Ross said how much he liked the disc box version (the 40 pound-odd all-formats version with full packaging) and remarked how it reminded him of "the good old days of Factory Records who always used to come up with loads of extra bits and pieces". To which Thom Yorke replied "They're our heroes, Factory, and Warp Records".

Labels: Factory_Records

Factory Records: Manchester from Joy Division to Happy Mondays, the documentary film screened on BBC4 last year, is being repeated on BBC2 on Saturday 2 February 2008 from 23:10 to 00:40am.

Labels: Factory_Records, Happy_Mondays, Joy_Division

No. 14 in Damon Gough's "Pieces of Me" (a collection of personal items) in today's Guardian is a pair of FAC 51-Y3 trainers which were auctioned off at the opening of the FAC 491 Urbis Haçienda exhibition last year.

He says "Clare had a few drinks and bid against Shaun Ryder at the opening of the Haçienda exhibition last year for these prototype Haçienda trainers. If Tony Wilson and the Haçienda hadn't happened, there wouldn't have been a scene for someone like me to emerge into."

Labels: Tony_Wilson

from john-metcalfe.co.uk:

"We have an outing at Ginglik on the 9th February. Described by Time Out as "An ace bunker bar chokker full of warmth and character", it's in Shepherd's Bush, London. Should be on around 9.30 and it's only a fiver. Hope to see you there."

Labels: John_Metcalfe

Several film festivals are screening the Joy Division film documentary over the coming weeks as follows:

1 February - 24 April - Ambulate Gira de Documentales [Mexico]
14 February - 3 March - !f Istanbul [Turkey]
16 & 27 February - Film Comments Selects at Lincoln Center [New York, NY]
25 February - 2 March - ZagrebDox [Zagreb, Croatia]
28 February - 2 March - True|False Film Fest [Columbia, MO]
7-15 March - SXSW [Austin, TX]
26 March - 2 April - Ljubljana Documentary Film Festival [Slovenia]
8-20 April - Buenos Aires Film Festival [Argentina]
23-29 April - Independent Film Festival of Boston [Boston, MA]
1-9 May - Jeonju International Film Festival

The trailer is also available to view on YouTube.

The UK cinema outing looks set for early May, at least at the Odeon Covent Garden.

Labels: Joy_Division

Welcome to the new site! Hope you like it; it's been a long time coming.

With extra special thanks to OMNY.

Cerysmatic Factory will be relaunched with a new design on Thursday 24 January 2008.

The site will be unavailable between 22:00 and 00:00 GMT on Wednesday 23 January 2008 to allow for the site roll-out.

Thank you for your forebearance.

Dave Haslam has written an in-depth article about Paul Morley and Kevin Cummins for www.theconsole.co.uk [click on the cassette tape on the front page].

Labels: Dave_Haslam, Kevin_Cummins

Me old mucker Davyth Hicks (Lavolta Lakota, Revenge) guest DJs at a free Music Musiek Musique party this coming Friday night, January 18th 2008 (from 21:30 till late) at Smouss Cafe Rue du Marche au Charbon 112 Kolenmarkt Brussels 1000.

"rewind to the future"

Word (Feb 2008) cover star Morrissey is the subject of a special whereby five different writers recall their personal encounters with the GLM.

Cath Carroll recollects the early days of meeting Morrissey (aka The Gooch) in the Hacienda in 1982, going round for tea (with fanzine co-writer Liz Naylor) to meet Mozzer and Linder right through to their emotional denouement in the Hacienda (again) in November 1983.

Labels: Cath_Carroll

With the new Magnetic Fields album 'Distortion' getting (generally) good reviews, Roy Wilkinson interviews Stephin Merritt in London for the February 2008 edition of The Word.

We learn that Merritt calls his dog Irving Berlin ("big ears, big nose, cute, not very big" with the proviso "he doesn't write musicals") and that he thinks Psychocandy by The Jesus and Mary Chain is "the last significant production in modern music".

Meanwhile, in the reviews section the 'Distortion' album is likened, favourably, to "a Phil Spector Christmas record remade by Galaxie 500". The London Metro free paper also made it their album of the week.

Labels: Magnetic_Fields, Stephin_Merritt

Manchester's great and the good were out in force last night at Urbis in Manchester to take a further step on the road to deciding what the city should do in tribute to Tony Wilson, reports the Manchester Evening News.

The main proposal was for a cultural summer school for young people in Manchester to be created in Wilson's honour. Steve Coogan, who played AHW in 24 Hour Party People, said "What we can't do is institutionalise this project, because if anything Tony was anti-institutional."

Peter Hook said "There was a fantastic array of people there. It was a great compliment to Tony to get so many influential people together. Things are still in the planning stage but I think we all agree we've got to do something."

Others in attendance in Happy Mondays' manager Elliot Rashman, Paul Morley and Peter Saville.

Labels: Happy_Mondays, Peter_Hook, Tony_Wilson

Kooky Records T-Shirts are now available in two designs while stocks last direct from Kooky. All are screened Fruit of the Loom Premium T-Shirts.

The Live Life Right T-Shirt takes its name from the title of a track by The Durutti Column.

Labels: T-Shirt, The_Durutti_Column

The Magnetic Field's new album 'Distortion' is available to stream via their MySpace for a limited period.

Happy Mondays have been confirmed for this year's Versus Cancer and the MEN Arena in Manchester on 23 February 2008 according to the MEN.

Labels: Happy_Mondays

A couple of Factory-themed New York DJ nights have just been announced:

"Manchester Meets New York: Factory Nostalgia Night"

DJ Shred, DJ Mojo and Martin Moscrop of ACR spin post-punk, funk, Factory favorites and more.
Friday 1 February 2008
10pm-4am

Sound Fix Records
110 Bedford Ave
Williamsburg
Brooklyn

No cover

Bands: Deleted Scenes (8pm), Frank Pollis (9pm), Great Lakes (10pm)

More info on 718-388-8090

www.soundfixrecords.com

--

"Disorder"

An evening of post-punk, funk and more at Club Midway

Saturday 2 February 2008
10pm - 4am
No cover charge

Club Midway
25 Avenue B & East 3rd Street
NYC NY
[F V train to 2nd Ave]

DJ Shred and Martin Moscrop of A Certain Ratio spin Factory Records nostalgia, dance music and more. No cover. Bands downstairs: $10 cover.

More info: 212-253-2595
www.clubmidway.com

Labels: A_Certain_Ratio, Factory_Records, New_Order

Many thanks to Joy Division Central for forwarding the following message:

"I was visiting Tony’s grave in Southern Cemetery yesterday and decided to call in on Martin and Rob (especially since they were part of the reason Tony chose to be buried there).

I had to get help from the office for location but found them both – and was horrified to discover that Martin Hannett – this genius and legend of our time – is lying in a totally unmarked grave (actually there was an empty plastic bottle of lemonade on it which I removed).

It is well known that Martin had no money when he died, neither did his wife and he had waived his royalty rights when he settled his legal case with Factory.

I cannot let this state of affairs remain. So much money has been made thanks to him!!

I would like to start a fund and wondered if you could help through your website? (I think engraved headstones probably cost in the region of GBP 1000).

There must be some quite wealthy fans out there who might want to contribute?

Best wishes Lindsay Reade"

Further details to follow.

Labels: Joy_Division

The Bays and The Heritage Orchestra with composers John Metcalfe and Simon Hale will tonight play a unique improvised gig reports Pascal Wyse in The Guardian.

The improvised music played by The Bays will be fed into a computer and analysed by a program called Sibelius. Metcalfe and Hale will then write orchestral parts as the piece progresses. John Metcalfe says "There's an element of danger, that's for sure. It's scary, but I'm looking forward to it. I think what we do will affect how the Bays play - they will have to make fewer changes, and perhaps evolve the music more gradually; otherwise we might get left behind. One composer will do woodwind and brass, the other strings. Halfway through, we'll swap."

Bays drummer Andy Gangadeen (who also plays in Metcalfe's live band) says "It's a bit like the TV show Curb Your Enthusiasm. There is a huge amount of improvisation in there, but I didn't realise it at first. After knowing that, somehow it makes it more special."

It all sounds pretty good. Pret-ty pret-ty pret-ty good.

Labels: John_Metcalfe

John Harris in The Guardian gives 'Distortion' by The Magnetic Fields only a 2* review. The aptly-titled album pays "slavish homage" to The Jesus and Mary Chain and indeed Harris says that Stephin Merritt said that he set out to "sound more like the Jesus and Mary Chain than the Jesus and Mary Chain".

Labels: Magnetic_Fields, Stephin_Merritt

Our mate Colin at Vinyl Revival (the one true record shop in Manchester) is planning to release a single by Macclesfield's Rambo and Leroy.

Colin says, "Matt and Jake from the band are currently working with Bernard and Steve on the Bad Lieutenant project and they gave me a sneak preview the other week. Sounds interesting. Not as much Electronic as I thought and a lot less New Order without the bass."

Bernard has also agreed to feature on the second Rambo and Leroy release which will be released around May/June time. The releases come out under the Vinyl Revival label name, with the first single being released on 25 February 2008.

--

Rambo and Leroy MySpace
Download 'Last One Standing' (iTunes)

Labels: Bad_Lieutenant, Macclesfield, New_Order

Jon Dasilva's excellent TVMR play Blackburn's Cellar Bar next weekend, Saturday 12th January 2008 and at The Ruby Lounge in Manchester's 'Northern Quarter' on Sunday 10th February 2008.

See you there.

I Fagiolini, the former-Factory Classical vocal combo, play at Manchester's Royal Northern College of Music on February 19th 2008.

The Renaissance and contemporary solo-voice ensemble, described by RNCM as "early music megastars", will perform their latest programme of 16/17th Century music by Claudio Monteverdi entitled Flaming Heart.

Labels: Factory_Classical, labels

The dvd (Region 2, PAL) 'Control' will be released on 11 February 2008 in the UK. The single-disc edition has special features which include a "Making Of" documentary and a Director's Commentary by Anton Corbijn.

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