Scream City, the Factory Records fanzine from the people who brought you Cerysmatic Factory plus special guest contributors, is back (finally) with its fifth (and biggest ever) issue. Scream City is still an old school fanzine and is made from paper, ink and staples.

Scream City 5 (60 pages in colour and black & white) is priced 3.00 GBP + Worldwide postage and packing via eBay (Buy it Now with Paypal only).

- A Factory Trip Around The World - the art of international collecting by Andrew James
- An interview with FAC 51 The Hacienda's (and Smack The Pony's) Fiona Allen
- The Distractions by David Quantick
- An exclusive extract from James Nice's new book about Factory Records 'Shadowplayers' plus a Q&A with Mr Nice
- Closer, Karamazov and K550 by Ian McCartney
- Looking From A Hilltop... at Lytham St Annes (or "When Interviews Go Wrong") - a salutary lesson about the dark art of the interview and a touching tribute to Larry Cassidy by David Nolan
- An interview with Shark Vegas man and remixer extraordinaire Mark Reeder
- Matthew Robertson talks to Factory Australasia man Andrew Penhallow
- Factory Over America - Scream City talks to the US wing of Factory Records with new interviews with Michael H Shamberg and Ike Yard's Stuart Argabright and Michael Diekmann

Initial copies come with a free 10-track compilation CDR featuring live / rare / unreleased material by Section 25, Ike Yard, Thick Pigeon, The Names, The Wake, The Durutti Column, The Distractions, Biting Tongues, Shark Vegas and Fidelity Kastrow & Spartak (produced & remixed by Mark Reeder).

The tracks by Section 25, The Wake and Biting Tongues were recorded live at Plan K in December 2010.

The CDR is a strictly limited edition of 160 copies available on a first come first served basis.

Labels: Biting_Tongues, Ike_Yard, Larry_Cassidy, Mark_Reeder, Scream_City, Shadowplayers, Shark_Vegas, The_Distractions, The_Durutti_Column, The_Names, The_Wake, Thick_Pigeon

An extra date has been added to Section 25's previously announced autumn tour and it's at The Factory in Manchester on Saturday 20 November.

The full tour itinerary is:

Thu 16 Sep - The Musician, 42 Crafton Street, Leicester, LE1 2DE
Fri 22 Oct - The North Bar, Town Hall Street, Blackburn, Lancs, BB2 1AG
Sat 20 Nov - The Factory, Manchester
Sat 11 Dec - The Beat Club, 22 Corporation Street, Blackpool, Lancs, FY1 1EJ

Labels: FAC251_The_Factory, Section_25

We are shocked and saddened to hear of the death of true music and comedy legend Frank Sidebottom (aka Chris Sievey). As recently as last January Frank (and Little Frank) had been touring with John Cooper Clarke but he had also been diagnosed with cancer. He died at his home in Hale near Manchester after suffering a heart attack.

Sievey's unique comedy persona Frank Sidebottom developed following a pop career as The Freshies (who were on Manchester's Rabid Records and produced by Martin Hannett). The Freshies were best known for the single I'm In Love With The Girl on the Manchester Virgin Megastore Check-Out Desk (the title of which was subsequently changed following the intervention of Virgin - though it wasn't shortened!).

Rest in peace Frank.

Labels: Frank_Sidebottom

Win a copy of Shadowplayers: The Rise and Fall of Factory Records by James Nice plus other goodies in Cerysmatic Factory's new competition.

The winner will receive a copy of the book, the Shadowplayers DVD from 2006 and to complete the impressive prize list the limited edition new vinyl album reissue of Section 25's Always Now by Drastic Plastic in the US. The 180 gram vinyl features a facsimile of the original Peter Saville pochette envelope.

To be in with a chance of winning this, ahem, factastic prize answer the following question (courtesy Mr Nice):

"On the DVD version of Shadowplayers, a pedigree Weimaraner dog can be seen running back and forth in the background during Tony Wilson's interview at his Little Peter Street loft in 2005. The dog made quite a mess in the hall... What was his name?"

Entries by email please. The competition closes 10pm Sunday 27 June and the winner will be pulled out of the Cerysmatic hat shortly thereafter. Usual competition rules apply: only one entry per person please and the winner will be notified by email.

Good luck!

Labels: competition, Section_25, Shadowplayers

FAC 51 The Hacienda August Bank Holiday Special

Sankeys, Manchester
Friday 27 August 2010
10pm to 5am

Tickets £12 Earlybird / £15 Advance

Line Up – Todd Terry, Graeme Park, Peter Hook, Dave Haslam, DJ Woody and Rowetta (Live PA)

Tickets available from www.ticketline.co.uk, www.sankeys.info, www.skiddle.com and in person, from usual outlets including Piccadilly Records, Eastern Bloc, Gaffs (Fallowfield).

"The Hacienda returns to Sankeys for an extra special August bank holiday party that sees US House legend Todd Terry back in Manchester for the first time since his last sell out show here with The Hac two years ago.

"A true pioneer of dance music and a name synonymous with quality house music, "Todd The God" (as they call him) headlines proceedings alongside Hacienda resident Graeme Park downstairs. Meanwhile upstairs at Sankeys Temperance Club's Dave Haslam will showcase his newest project "Sweet Sensation" along with sets by Peter Hook and a very special Hacienda scratch set from DMC mix champion Dj Woody and they will also be joined by Rowetta (Happy Mondays) for a special and exclusive PA."

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Facebook event page

fac51thehacienda.com

Labels: Dave_Haslam, FAC51_The_Hacienda, Peter_Hook, Rowetta

Three live dates have been announced by Section 25 which are the first since the death of Larry Cassidy. The shows start in Sept to coincide with the release of the Retrofit remix album and more are expected to follow.

Vin Cassidy told Cerysmatic Factory: "It's kind of scary but at same time exciting as it's a new chapter for us and things will be very different with new material and also severely revamped older material. But we will keep to the same guide principles. Bethany will be doing front vox, but everybody else will also be doing some vox."

Thu 16 Sep - The Musician, 42 Crafton Street, Leicester, LE1 2DE
Fri 22 Oct - The North Bar, Town Hall Street, Blackburn, Lancs, BB2 1AG
Sat 11 Dec - The Beat Club, 22 Corporation Street, Blackpool, Lancs, FY1 1EJ

Labels: Section_25

Apologies for the hiatus in FAC-related activities round these parts but we haven't just been watching the cricket and the World Cup. In that respect we are pleased to announce that Scream City 5 (remember that?) will be published very soon via eBay.

Stand by for further details.

Labels: Scream_City

Freebass made their London live debut last night at a sold out (yet oddly quite roomy) 100 Club in that London.
An eclectic intro tape featuring Popcorn (by Hot Butter) and Mouldy Old Dough (by Lieutenant Pigeon – ha ha!) set the night up nicely.

Freebass took the stage just after nine to a rapturous welcome. Hooky positioned himself stage left in front of the big 100, Gary Briggs centre stage, Mani rear right (hidden by the huge pillar) and sadly there was no Andy Rourke. Hooky made a Viking-related quip and we were off.

The Freebass live sound is a hairy beast, featuring unsurprisingly a mixture of classic New Order / Stone Roses with a bit of early Foo Fighters thrown in for good measures. The only thing missing, perhaps inevitably due to Rourke's absence, was a Smiths tinge.

When Briggs delayed at the beginning of one song, Hooky quipped "Fookin' ell get yerself sorted out! You're in a proper band now!". And so he is.

After a set lasting approximately one hour they were off, returning for one encore of She Said and then they were gone.

Setlist

Plan B
Not Too Late
The Only Ones
Lady Violence
Kill Switch Pt 141
World Won't Wait
Secrets And Lies
Sister Surrender
The God Machine
--
She Said

The Freebass tour continues tonight at The Factory in Manchester.

Labels: Freebass

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