Ian Curtis's memorial stone, stolen from Macclesfield Cemetery at the beginning of July, has been replaced.

The font is now sans serif.

Stephen Morris is quoted in the Macclesfield Express article as saying: "I am glad there is a replacement as I often go to visit the cemetery but it was a shock that the old one had gone".

The search goes on for the original, "But since a fruitless raid on a house in Winsford there have been no new clues as to its whereabouts".

Thanks to Alexandra.

Labels: Ian_Curtis, Macclesfield

"DECASIA'S TONY WILSON/FACTORY RECORDS TRIBUTE ON SUNDAY AUGUST 10TH AT THE GEORGE TAVERN - a retrospective on Factory bands plus Decasian Records' very own Jon Jones and the Beatniks Movement EP launch party!!

BANDS WILL PLAY SETS THAT INCLUDE A FACTORY COVER SONG OF THEIR CHOICE AND DJs WILL SPIN FROM FACTORY'S EXTENSIVE BACK CATALOGUE AS WELL AS FACTORY-INFLUENCED POST-PUNK SUCCESSORS.

ALL proceeds from the event will be donated to a cancer charity. Line up includes Jon Jones and the Beatniks Movement (covering New Order's 'Temptation', The Tamborines (covering Joy Division's 'Transmission') Maria & The Mirrors (covering A Certain Ratio's 'Crippled Child'), An Experiment On A Bird In The Air Pump (covering Happy Monday's 'Step On'), S.C.U.M (DJ) The Ruling Class (DJ), Dan Waks Records (DJ), Sonic Mcluskey (DJ) and The New Thing (DJ)! PLUS spoken word from Decasia's resident beat poet, Robert Monk!!

LIVE FOOTAGE OF FACTORY BANDS AND FILMS WILL ALSO BE SCREENED"

4pm-Late, Sunday 10th August 2008, The George Tavern, 373 Commercial Road, London E1 0LA. Entry GBP 4.00.

http://www.myspace.com/decasia

Labels: A_Certain_Ratio, Factory_Records, Joy_Division, New_Order, Tony_Wilson

Two more dates have been add to the Peter Hook/Section 25 tour.

Confirmed tour dates as follows:

6.11.08 Elysée Montmartre, Paris, France
7.11.08 Ancienne Belgique AB Box, Brussels, Belgium
8.11.08 Groene Engel, Oss, Netherlands
9.11.08 Kulturfabrick Krefeld e.V., Krefeld, Germany

Kevin Hewick will be supporting on all dates.

http://section25.com/

Labels: Kevin_Hewick, Peter_Hook, Section_25

The Hydro Connect Festival at Inverary Castle on the banks of Loch Fyne, Argyll, Scotland on 29-31 August seems to have immersed itself quite freely in the spirit of Factory Records.

For a start there are stages called Guitars & Other Machines and Unknown Pleasures and the food area is called The Circuses & Bread Field.

A glance down the bill reveals that amongst the acts set to play are Friendly Fires and Kinky Afro.

Throw in some Andrew Weatherall and Neil Landstrumm for good measure and one begins to wonder if there is a secret plan...

Labels: Factory_Records

Here are details of the special limited edition commemorative CD produced by Section 25 to celebrate their 30th Anniversary.

The limited edition cd was given away free at The Beat Club in Blackpool on 20 June 2008. All copies were signed by the band and it was limited to a run of only 30 copies.

The actual disc is an enhanced cd combining a regular cd audio track with mp3 content.

The CD audio comprises a full-length interview with the band which was first broadcast on BBC Radio Lancashire 13 June 2008.

The separate MP3 folder on the disc contains 11 tracks as follows:

1. Hit (Radio 1 Peel Session)
2. One True Path (Radio 1 Peel Session)
3. Babies In The Bardo (Radio 1 Peel Session)
4. Softhouse (Jenny Cassidy vocals/keyboards recorded T.O.D. Studios 2001)
5. Elevate (Fostex home recorded demo/mix overdubs T.O.D. Studios 2008)
6. Off The Hilltop (Looking From A Hilltop remix)
7. Over The Horizon (New Horizon remix)
8. Dirty Disco III (Dirty Disco remix)
9. Ambient Preston Leads To Argument
10. Wipperwills Windmill
11. Paul Tired

Notes: Tracks 1-3 from Radio 1 Peel session recorded Maida Vale 1980. Tracks 7 and 8 recorded and mixed Sawmill Studios 2005 additional vocals on track 7 by Caroline Murphy). Tracks 9, 10 & 11 recorded and mixed T.O.D. Studios 2008.

The package was rounded off with photos and other archive material. Full details and imagery coming soon.

Labels: Section_25

It seems the new and as-yet-untitled album by A Certain Ratio will eventually come out on French record label Le Son Du Maquis. Last year the label also released Radiator by Big Arm.

Following their appearance at the Tony Wilson Experience, ACR are also preparing to play live at the Brighton Beach Festival on 24 August and then in Norway on 5 and 6 September (www.numusic.no).

Meanwhile, here is the setlist from ACR's 14 June Voodoo Lounge (Edinburgh) gig:

Choir/Waterline
Do The Du
I Feel Lite
And then again
Flight
Rialto
Mind Made Up
Way To Escape
Everything is good
Wild Party
Wonder Y
Shack Up
Turn Me on
--
Down Down Down
Si Fir Mi

With thanks to Mr Moscrop, Hans and upnorth on the Cerysmatic Factory Message Board.

Labels: A_Certain_Ratio, Tony_Wilson

Art Vinyl, the pioneers of showcasing the aesthetics of vinyl records, have linked up with Joy Division / New Order bass player Peter Hook to launch a limited edition framed T-shirt commemorating Fac 51 The Haçienda.

The package will be launched with a Peter Hook DJ set at a special launch party at the Art Vinyl Gallery on East London's Broadway Market on 31 July 2008 which will also see the launch of an exhibition centred around Fac 51 The Haçienda and Hooky's exploits over his 30 years in the business.

With Art Vinyl's gallery to be decked out and transformed with authentic Haçienda decor and in the style of the Whitworth Street Club, the exhibition is set to feature original T-shirts and materials from the Haçienda, Joy Division and New Order alongside classic records made famous in the Haçienda's heyday in the last 80's and early 90's.

Art Vinyl's official FAC 51 The Haçienda Art / T-shirt package includes a T-shirt featuring the club's iconic "Use Hearing Protection logo" in a vivid "Haçienda Yellow" t-shirt contained in a specially-packaged Art Vinyl Play And Display frame.

Each one of the 501 individually numbered packs features the legendary yellow and black stripes synonymous with the Haçienda.

The T-shirts – all in size large – are wrapped around a transparent yellow plastic "Use Hearing Protection" 12" x 12" art print, meaning buyers can still enjoy the artwork as well as removing the t-shirt from the frame for wearing. The limited edition packs will retail for 105 GBP and the first 100 orders will be individually signed by Peter Hook.

Peter Hook, a founder and co-owner of The Haçienda, who now owns said, "What Art Vinyl have done is put together a great souvenir of a club which became my life really and means a huge amount to me, to Manchester and to the development of British music. Art and the design of our work was always central to what we did at the Haçienda and Factory and for Art Vinyl to put such effort and care into this piece shows that the influence of what we did is still strong today which makes me very happy."

Art Vinyl founder Andrew Heeps said, "The Haçienda was the cradle of for the dance culture which followed it. This is a unique piece of memorabilia which defines a new use for the Play & Display frame. Early indications are that it will sell out quickly."

Heeps created the Art Vinyl Gallery initially to showcase the art of vinyl records. The Gallery has featured exhibitions by labels such as Mute, Sonar Kollektiv and International DJ Gigolos.

Out of that grew the need for a frame which showcased vinyl records to their best advantage. The unique feature of the Play & Display frame is that the contents can be removed and exchanged while the frame is still fixed to a wall.

Said Heeps, "The Haçienda pack promises to open up a whole new category of memorabilia and merchandising. We are already talking to other bands and labels about further editions."

--

Exhibition: The Art Of Fac 51 The Haçienda and Peter Hook
31 July 2008 to 27 August 2008

Thursday 31 July 2008
from 6pm onwards
FAC 51 The Haçienda comes To Art Vinyl
Peter Hook (DJ set) and guests
20 Broadway Market
London E8 4PH
Tel: 020 7241 4129

Labels: Factory_Records, Joy_Division, New_Order, Peter_Hook, T-Shirt

Peter Saville will be talking about his career and work with critic Alice Rawsthorn at the Victoria and Albert Museum Lecture Theatre on Friday 19 September 2008.

--

Talking Design
Friday 19 September 2008
19:00-20:00
8.00 GBP

Manchester District Music Archive has teamed up with electrofunkroots to bring a marathon celebration of Manchester's 1980s Electro-Funk and B-Boy scene to Islington Mill on Saturday 30 August 2008 from 4pm to 3am.

The event, led by pioneering DJ and producer Greg Wilson, will explore the impact of this seminal underground movement through films, talks and music.

Greg will be hosting Q&As with key figures from the era, including Hewan Clarke, Colin Curtis, Chad Jackson and Mike Shaft, followed by the first ever public screening of Tim 'Bones' Forde's life-affirming film, 'The Birth of the British B-Boy', a 40-minute documentary about Manchester's legendary breakdance troupe Broken Glass Street Crew.

The event will climax with a club night from 10pm-3am, featuring some of the scene's most important DJs and dancers.

Daytime: Free admission from 4pm
Club night: Ticket only after 10pm

Tickets are on sale now from:

www.quaytickets.com (0870 428 0785), Vinyl Exchange, Piccadilly Records and Fat City.

Labels: Greg_Wilson

30 John Dalton Street, the building that once housed musty record shop Rare Records - one-time workplace of shop assistant Ian Curtis - has undergone a GBP 4 million refurbishment to become Ithaca - a bar/restaurant aimed at 'high net-worth individuals'.

Though not without being touched by the hand of god: objections by Canon Dennis Clinch of nearby 1848 church St. Mary's 'the hidden gem' (venue of Tony Wilson's funeral service) have restricted Ithaca's opening hours to 01:00 am rather than their requested 04:00 am (more on this at manchesterconfidential.com).

A pale imitation of the John Dalton Cafe - with Krug Clos Du Mesnil at a mere GBP 1000 per bottle.

Step inside...

Labels: Tony_Wilson

The current issue of excellent London art and music magazine Art&Music carries an article by Ikonand co-conspiritor Jamie Holman talking to and about Malcolm Whitehead and Jon Savage and their contributions to the recent Joy Division documentary, illustrated with a series of previously unpublished stills.

In 'From the End to the Beginning: The Joy Division Films', Holman focuses on 'Joy Division: A Film by Malcolm Whitehead'. Shot on Hannimex/Agfa 8mm film and interspersing Bowdon Vale Youth Club gig and JD rehearsal room footage with Malcolm's prescient political warnings of the British fascism to come, it became an integral part of the Joy Div doc. A "film within a film":

"A film in which Joy Division appear as themselves, or as us, or as we wanted to be, while outside Manchester looms, cold and decrepit, unrecognisable to the tourists on the Factory Records bus tour" (Jamie Holman).

"Well, a bloke rang me up from Berlin and, honestly, I was so innocent then I sent him the actual film. They played it and played it, god knows how many showings they did. Luckily i'd swamped it in film preserver and scratch resister" (Malcolm Whitehead).

"It captures the mood of impending doom, or, as Malcolm says in the documentary 'bad moon rising': Thatcher, Anderton etc." (Jon Savage).

Art&Music Issue 2 >> Summer 2008 is now available, free of charge, at selected London venues.

"...legal issues dictate that you will never see the film as it was originally intended".

Many thanks to Gemma at Art&Music, and Brian for the heads up.

Labels: Factory_Records, Joy_Division

In follow up to the release of the custom Zune digital media player commemorating the 'Joy Division' documentary DVD, Zune Marketplace is now featuring exclusive Joy Division content including a 3-part video podcast that is available for free download.

In an exclusive interview, the band's former bassist Peter Hook talks about Joy Division's tremendous influence on modern music and youth movements in addition to offering some very personal reflections about moving on without Ian Curtis.

As companion elements to the video podcasts, Zune Marketplace is also featuring the full Joy Division catalogue, as well as two unique Peter Hook-curated Guestlist features. The Guestlists contain music hand-picked by Peter himself, and reveal songs that inspired the original Joy Division recordings as well as modern music that inspires him today from bands like LCD Soundsystem, Perry Farrell's Satellite Party, and Peter Bjorn and John.

Check out the Exclusive Peter Hook Interview and Peter Hook Guest Lists [1] and [2].

--

Discuss this posting on the Cerysmatic Factory Message Board.

Labels: Joy_Division, Peter_Hook

Text of flyer follows:

Creamfields
2008 10th Anniversary
Sat 23 & Sun 24 August

HOSPITALITY

PETER HOOK
MIKE PICKERING
GRAEME PARK
DAVE HASLAM
JON DA SILVA
(W CHRIS CROOKS PERCUSSION

To coincide with this years 10th annIversary celebrations we have brought together the I best of the best to bring you a festival experience of a Iifetime and no dance festival would be the same without a presence from, the legendary Haçienda, a club that inspired a musical generation, defined a scene and put dance music firmly on the map in the UK. So we are pleased to announce that The Haçienda and Cream will be hosting this year's Hospitality enclosure, bringing some of the originals together for a musical reunlon of the highest order including Peter Hook, Mike Pickering, Graeme Park, Dave Haslam and Jon Da Silva to name a few. All will be delivering some hair-raising, classic tracks, guaranteed to get even the coolest of Creamflelds guests off the leather sofas and polishing the dancefloor. This limited edition ticket is for those who like their festival experience with a touch of luxury.

HOSPITALITY FEATURES

Fastrack Entry Into Cream VIP / Car Parking / Exclusive access to the Hospitality Area / Complimentary Hot & Cold Buffet / Fully stocked Bar / Cocktail Bar / 'Fully Furnished' Marquee / Luxury Toilets / Indoor & Outdoor Seating Areas

"For me this brings Manchester and Liverpool closer than ever and it's a wonderful thing! I had a fantastic time at the last Creamfields and I'm looking forward to this already." Peter Hook.

Tickets: 0844 888 4416
www.ticketline.co.uk
FAC51 THE HACIENDA
www.thehaciendamustbebuilt.co.uk

--

Get your FAC 51 Platinum Credit Cards ready.

Labels: Dave_Haslam, FAC51_The_Hacienda, Peter_Hook

Richard Goodall Gallery is offering a Central Station Design Faç Off Mini Set of 12 Prints for 50.00 GBP (or 5.00 GBP if bought individually).

The set features 12 silk screen prints, each approximatley 10.5 by 15cm (A6). The set is the 6 prints that are in the signed and numbered edition, and their inverses. The mini prints are also limited edition. The fluorescent colours really shine, and the silvers, golds and blues are metallic. Includes the black and yellow, and yellow and black Haçienda colours.

--

* Rehaçhed, repackaged and indeed resized. (That's enough alReady! Ed.)

Labels: Central_Station_Design

The Magnetic Fields, back from their European tour (check out The Independent's review of their Cadogan Hall date), are happy to announce that they will be traveling stateside once again to play a short string of dates this October. The shows kickoff Friday 10 October 2008 in Minneapolis and end with a run up the East Coast that will include a return stop to the New York City area. A limited number of pre-sale tickets for most shows will be available starting Tuesday, July 15 through Music Today:

General advance sales will start on or around 18 July 2008, with tickets available in most cases at the venue's box office as well as at Ticketmaster and some third-party outlets. Please visit the House of Tomorrow calendar for specific details on pricing, onsale dates, and ticket sellers:

The Magnetic Fields October 2008 Tour Schedule

10 (Fri) Minneapolis, MN, The State Theater
11 (Sat) Madison, WI, Capitol Theater at Overture Center for the Arts
13 (Mon) Dallas, TX, The Majestic*
14 (Tue) Austin, TX, The Paramount Theater*
15 (Wed) Boulder, CO The Boulder Theater
17 (Fri) Atlanta, GA, Symphony Hall at the Woodruff Arts Center
18 (Sat) Raleigh, NC, Meymandi Concert Hall at Progress Energy Center
23 (Thu) Jersey City, NJ, Leows Jersey Theatre
24 (Fri) Columbus, OH, The Southern Theatre
25 (Sat) Philadelphia, PA, The Merriam Theater**
26 (Sun) Washington, DC, Lisner Auditorium at George Washington University

* Music Today pre-sale not available
** Music Today pre-sales start 4 August

Labels: Magnetic_Fields

Found-object-as-art is often a tricky one. Art may be where you find it, it might be in the eye of the beholder, but how do you convey to the visitor/viewer that the brass ornament fly, bought from the local charity shop and crudely inserted into the brass ornament frog, is art?

Peter Saville has the answer.

Revealed at the recent Q&A session at Manchester's Cornerhouse to mark the Manchester release of his book Estate, Peter Saville described 'flatpack plinth' as his "most important work since the cover of [New Order's] Power, Corruption and Lies".

The inspiration came during the installation of his 2005/6 solo archive exhibition at the Migros Museum für Gegenwartskunst in Zürich on which Estate is based.

Running out of space on a table displaying an array of his own 'found objects', Saville asked the gallery to provide him with a plinth on which to display an "interesting" plastic bird door chime.

The result so impressed Saville as to realise that the act of placing the bird onto a plinth elevated it to the status of art object: "the plinth actually formalised why the bird was interesting".

Realising the potential of such a mass-produced "universal accessory... to empower people's judgement", the Saville-designed, white cardboard 'flatpack plinth' is now in production with a limited initial run of 2000 expected to be available in September 2008, priced at GBP 40.00.

'Plastic Bird Door Chime' is available from Funky Lighting, priced GBP 12.99.

'Frog Eat Fly' (moist, 2005) is not for sale.

Labels: New_Order

A (proper) live version of what could be Factory's greatest release: 'You're No Good' (FAC 34) by New Yoik punkfunksters ESG has been posted to YouTube:

"99 Records artists E.S.G (EMERALDS, SAPPHIRES & GOLD) perform You're No Good at Danceteria when Video Mix Danny & Jessica did the video there this is a fixed ceiling camera and but good audio from the board! 1984 I think"

Thanks to Tim B.

Labels: ESG, Factory_Records

In typical New Order fashion, an insert in the US version of the Live in Glasgow DVD contradicts Peter Hook's earlier statements about the content of the coming remastered New Order albums, and just which albums are being re-issued.

"Coming Fall 2008, New Order Collector's Editions, Remastered and Expanded in a 2-Disc Set with Non-Album Singles, B-Sides, Remixes, New Liner Notes, and More!" (The covers of Power Corruption & Lies, Low-Life, Brotherhood and Republic are pictured, with "Collector's Edition" tags added to the artwork. [Hmm, where are Movement and Technique? And now Republic pops up.])

Whether this applies to all versions worldwide, or just the US Rhino editions remains to be seen...

Thanks to Chris D for spotting.

Labels: New_Order, Peter_Hook

Hats off to Russ for spotting the Peter Saville Q&A session at The Cornerhouse next Thursday 10 July 2008.

The talk will cover "Saville's groundbreaking work for Factory Records in the late 1970s, through to his most recent explorations of art and design's role in the highly commodified, visually hyperliterate, early 21st century."

To be followed by the 'launch' of his latest book Estate in the Cornerhouse bookstore (complimentary drinks!).

I have just booked my ticket (GBP 3.00 Full, GBP 2.50 concession) by telephone on +44 (0)161 200 1500.

Labels: Factory_Records

Urban Splash have published a basic PDF factsheet outlining plans for their Ben Kelly-designed apartment/office/retail/leisure development Stubbs Mill.

Ben Kelly himself has remarked on the likeness of the roof to the original Factory logo (didn't the original idea for 1 Charles Street involve adding such a roof and a chimney to the original structure in order to physically realise the corporate branding? Imagine...).

Given the current state of the 'market' in Manchester "flats for tw@ts" (see 17th February 2008) one wonders if this development will see the light of day.

Fac 101 (1984) anybody?

Labels: Ben_Kelly

According to the BBC (and cerysmatic messageboard correspondents): "The gravestone of former Joy Division frontman Ian Curtis has been stolen from a Cheshire cemetery".

Labels: Joy_Division

The final New Order project (for now), the Live in Glasgow DVD, has just hit the stores (in the UK & US). The Glasgow show on disc one is interspersed (yes, between the performance tracks) with after-the-fact solo interviews with Sumner, Hook, Morris & Cunningham. Disc two is culled from various live performances throughout New Order's career.

Tracklist Disc 1:

Crystal
Turn
True Faith
Regret
Ceremony
Who's Joe
These Days
Krafty
Waiting for the Sirens Call
Your Silent Face
Guilt is a Useless Emotion
Bizarre Love Triangle
Temptation
Perfect Kiss
Blue Monday
Transmission
Shadowplay
Love Will Tear us Apart

Tracklist Disc 2:

(Celebration 1981)
Ceremony
I.C.B
Chosen Time
(Glastonbury 1981)
Senses
Procession
The Him
(Rome 1982)
Ultraviolence
Hurt
(Cork 1983)
Leave Me Alone
Everything’s Gone Green
(Rotterdam 1985)
Sunrise
As It Was When It Was
The Village
This Time of Night
(Toronto 1985)
We All Stand
Age of Consent
Temptation
(Shoreline 1989)
Dream Attack
1963
(Hyde Park Wireless)
Run Wild
She’s Lost Control

Labels: New_Order

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