31 Mar 2011
Jez Kerr live @ De Bees, Winsford 
Jez Kerr follows last Monday's gig at The Social in London (check out the photo gallery on Facebook) with an appearance gig at De Bees in Winsford.

Jez's band comprising Si Wolstencroft (The Fall) on drums, DJ Tintin (New Order) on keyboards and Winsford's own Keo Martin (Treatment, Latin Rascals) on guitar and keyboards will all be present and correct and everyone attending will receive a link to an exclusive download remix of Jez's new single Play Sumthing Fast.

Doors open at 7pm and a regular club night will follow on after the gig from 10pm.

Tickets priced £5 are available via wegottickets.com

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De Bees
19 Market Place
Winsford CW7 3DA

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30 Mar 2011
Kevin Hewick live @ The Musician, Leicester 
Kevin Hewick plays The Musician in Leciester this Sunday 3 April from 7.30pm. He joins a line-up which includes Viv Albertine (ex-The Slits) and Jude Rawlins (Subterraneans). Tickets are £7.00/8.00

The full line-up is:

Viv Albertine (The Slits)
Jude Rawlins (Subterraneans)
Debbion & James Burkmar(Club O)
Kevin Hewick

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The Musician
Clyde Street
Leicester LE1 2DE

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28 Mar 2011
Jez Kerr live @ The Social tonite 
A final reminder that Jez Kerr plays in London tonight with his full live band at The Social near Oxford Circus. Support comes from Rebecca Collins and Jez is due on stage at 21:30.

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Tickets are £5 on the door.

The Social
5 Little Portland Street
London  W1

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Greg Wilson's Reels of Steel 
Stretch Disco returns to present the first ever Greg Wilson's Reels of Steel night featuring a 3-hour set by the globally-acclaimed ex-Hacienda DJ at the Band on the Wall in Manchester on Saturday 16 April 2011. Reels of Steel will be a feast of audio-visual action; Greg has spent the last year digging through his extensive music video archive to compile a show-reel of delights that will be projected to accompany his sounds. Greg will also be spinning cuts this time through two of his trusty Revox reel-to-reel tape machines and computer. Expect an eclectic-retrospective assault on the senses while Greg keeps it reel!

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Stretch Disco presents Greg Wilson's Reels of Steel

Greg Wilson
Dan Soulsmith (Stretch / Northern Groove / Unity Radio 92.8FM)

Band on the Wall
25 Swan Street
Northern Quarter
Manchester M4 5JZ

Saturday 16 April 2011
9pm - 3am

10.00 GBP entry
 
Set times:
12am – 3am: Greg Wilson
9pm – 12am: Dan Soulsmith
 
10.00 GBP Tickets available from bandonthewall.org | skiddle.com
Tel: 0845 250 0500
Buy tickets on your mobile instantly by texting 'stretchapr' to 82028 or In person from the Band on the Wall Box Office (Open from 5pm on concert days only), Eastern Bloc, Piccadilly Records, Eastern Bloc & Kingbee Records Chorlton.
 
The club night will begin at 11pm but Band on the Wall's Picturehouse Cafe Bar will be open for drinks and good times from 5.30pm.
 
More Greg Wilson info at: gregwilson.co.uk | electrofunkroots.co.uk | soundcloud.com | facebook.com | twitter.com | myspace.com
More Stretch Disco info at: Facebook - Page | Group

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27 Mar 2011
From Manchester To Japan With Love 
Following the postponement of their Japan tour due to the recent earthquake, The Hacienda decided to recast its Easter event in aid of the country.

From Manchester to Japan With Love is a special benefit night at Sankeys in Manchester on Good Friday 22 April 2011 featuring Basement Jaxx (DJ set), Justin Robertson, Delphic (DJ set), Peter Hook, Jon Dasilva, Dave Haslam, 808 State (DJ set), Rowetta (Live PA) and much more.

All proceeds from the night will be going to disaster relief charities and the night looks set to be a major Manchester occasion. We are also raising money via just giving for people who cannot attend the event via Just Giving.

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FAC 51 The Hacienda presents From Manchester To Japan With Love x

Basement Jaxx (DJ Set)
Justin Robertson
Delphic (DJ Set)
Peter Hook
Jon Dasilva
Dave Haslam
808 State (DJ Set)
Rowetta (Live PA)
Herbie Saccani
Oli Furness
DJs from Zutech and Micron

Good Friday 22nd April / 10pm to 5am
Sankeys, Radium St Manchester, M4 6JG

Tickets Advance £15

All Proceeds Go To Disaster Relief Charities In Japan

Online Donations now live at JustGiving.com

More info at Facebook | www.sankeys.info | www.fac51thehacienda.com

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21 Mar 2011
13 
FAC 13 Transmission

Thank you for your support.

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17 Mar 2011
Jez Kerr live @ The Social, London 28.03.11 
Jez Kerr out of A Certain Ratio continues his ongoing series of live solo dates with a headline show at The Social in London on Monday 28 March 2011.

Jez will be appearing with his full band comprising Si Wolstencroft (The Fall, Ian Brown) Drums, Tintin (New Order) Keyboards and Keo (Higuera) Guitar, Keyboards.

Tickets are £5 on the door.

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More info at Facebook

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Close Up feat. Bernard Sumner @ MIF 2011 
The Close Up series is part of True Faith - a celebration of established and emerging talent hosted by the Manchester International Festival 2011.

On Monday 4 July 2011, Bernard Sumner will be the Close Up guest, interviewed live onstage by Dave Haslam in the Festival's Pavilion Theatre in Albert Square.

The event starts 7pm, and will last approximately 80 minutes.

Tickets priced £5 go on sale at 10:00 GMT on Friday 18 March 2011 via MIF.co.uk.

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More info at Facebook

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The Durutti Column live at Bridgewater Hall 
This is a reminder that tickets are still available for The Durutti Column's showcase gig in the amazing surroundings of the Bridgewater Hall in Manchester on 30 April 2011.

The band's as-yet-untitled biographical album is being released on the night and will also be played live in what will be a World Premiere. Expect to also hear live tracks from the band's enormous back catalogue of over 30 albums. The album will also include a selection of Vini Reilly's photographs.

Buy your tickets now online direct from the venue. Prices start at £18.00.

There are still some premium tickets available priced £29.00 (available by calling the Box Office on +44 (0)161 907 9000 only - subject to availability) which will include a free copy of the new album. Please note this offer is not available for online bookings.

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Becoming The Wraith 
Peter Hook guests on a track off Self Help for Beginners, the new album by dark electronic pop act autoKratz which will be available on CD and digital download from Monday 30 May 2011 via the band's own Bad Life Records. The album also features Primal Scream guitarist Andrew Innes and producer Jagz Kooner.

Hooky, who has previously worked with other dance acts such as The Crystal Method, Hybrid and Arthur Baker, said of the new track Becoming The Wraith, "I was delighted to be asked by autoKratz and to hear their music I understand why. Playing on the track was very easy and the boys made it very enjoyable. I've just listened to the track and then gone for a walk and found myself singing it over and over again - it's a great track".

Obviously Hooky's dance direction is not a recent thing but rather goes way back to his dance days with New Order. Hooky explains thus:

"I was very lucky to be there during a few revolutions in dance music, from what was happening in the US with Blue Monday via Arthur Baker with Planet Rock and Confusion to acid house to the Madchester crossover to what's happened with dance music over the last twenty years. That's why I love DJing so much because I have so much to choose from. I think it’s very healthy. There's some very good artists out there: Delphic, Example, Jamie XX, Four Tet, Caribou, The Field, Radio Slave and more which is really encouraging."

autoKratz in turn explain what it was like having Hooky in the studio: "It was really inspiring to work with Hooky on this track as someone whose legacy has had such a profound impact on us, and the music we make. It really was a privilege. As soon as he picks up the bass it sounds like no-one else, and he brings a unique melody to the track in a way no-one else could."

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Title: Self Help for Beginners
Label: Bad Life
Catalogue number: BL5
Format: CD and Digital Download
Release Date: Monday 30 May 2011

More info at Facebook | MySpace

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12 Mar 2011
Factory Exhibition @ The Ducie Bridge, MCR 
The first ever UK display of the full Factory Records discography in the music medium, including all releases & variations on all formats, plus test pressings, etc will be held at The Ducie Bridge Pub in Manchester on 7 & 8 May 2011. The event will be opened and attended by relatives of Ian Curtis. Congratulations to Col for putting on the big show!

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The Ducie Bridge
152 Corporation Street
Manchester M4 4DU

Sat & Sun 7 & 8 May 2011, 10.00am - 4.30pm

Facebook event page

Official website

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7 Mar 2011
Closer to Hooky - The Interview 
Peter Hook talks to Cerysmatic Factory about the just-announced 1102/2011 E.P., Closer - Live, the black arts, post-nuclear attack and, er, chapeaux:

CF: The vibe of Closer is at times spooky. This would have been the case regardless of what came to pass. But what I want to know is, were any of Joy Division or the people present at the recording of the album involved in any... er, occult activities? There is a whiff of brimstone in there, whether or not it's intentional.

PH: An interesting question........... we have all dabbled with the black arts at one point or other but i can safely say that at this point only Martin Hannett was not of this planet. The whiff you smell is not brimstone but possibly worry and confusion.

Martin Hannett's production on Closer still sounds incredible. Was there some kind of breakthrough before or during the recording that made it sound that way, or did the sound naturally emerge?

As is the way of great men, you never know whether they know what they are doing or not? As my mother you to say: "If you can't fight, wear a big hat". He had a very big hat on. I think he knew what he wanted to try and after all the early Factory stuff and 'Unknown Pleasures', he must have been quite confident in his abilities. The interesting thing with 'Closer' was that some of the songs were sketchy so he had much more input into the music, the keyboards specifically. He taught Bernard how to layer and think outside the box in a way. He was also experimenting more with the early ARP sequencers for drums and early ARP Quadra synthesisers.

Did Hannett favour any band members over the others? [I know nothing about recording studio politics, so maybe it's a non-question. In an interview for Scream City 4, John Dowie said that Martin Hannett seemed as if he was 'behind a wall of very thick glass'. This may have been a joke, Dowie talking about the glass in the studio, or maybe he meant that Martin was somehow present and yet remote in his dealings with him.]

No, he treated us all with the same disdain. He was a very obtuse man. It was his way. He had a wicked sense of humour that only he seemed to understand. He was good with Ian though but on 'Closer' he hated me and Barney because we were working to get our ideas in. The portrayal in 'Control' was correct: Bernard and I would take it in turns to suggest things which he took as criticism. I know what Dowie means........

When New Order started producing their own stuff, it seemed like a new magic started to happen. Did you use techniques learnt from Hannett? If so, which ones?

Bernard and I learnt all we could from Martin. As his behaviour got worse we knew we couldn't carry on working with him so we soaked it up like a sponge and used his tricks and techniques as much as possible. What he did teach us was not to be afraid to experiment and believe in what you're doing. Bullshit baffles brains, etc, etc. Go for it. I think we took it further really. I would work on the production with Mike Johnson our engineer and Barney would come up with the mad ideas. We were a great team on the early LPs. I won't get too technical about it though.

Did Tony Wilson provide any guidance during the recording of Closer? And after the recording was finished, did he criticise any of it?

Him and Rob were always there, Rob in particular. Rob much preferred being with the musicians wherever they were rather than be in an office. I think they were both confident that between us we would do a good job. To my knowledge the only criticism was from me and Barney. I got a shock when I learnt of the letter from Ian saying he wasn't happy with it. I thought he was.

How aware were you at the time just how phenomenally far the band had developed in the few years between the time it started an the release of Closer? And after Closer, was there any fear of failure?

Yes, I think we knew we were writing better songs, we had seen that develop. To be honest the songwriting in Joy Division was always easy but we were not thinking about being successful. We were happy doing what we were doing but our main fear throughout 'Closer' was Ian's illness.

The new E.P. by The Light features the 'lost' track 'Pictures in my Mind'. How did that come about and how far developed was the track from all those years ago when you rediscovered it? What kind of state was the tape in and did any vocals by Ian exist?

Yes there were vocals on it. I plan put the original on the fac51thehacienda.com so people can compare it. To be honest it had all the elements needed to finish so it so I can't understand why we didn't.

The tape in question was lent to someone in trust by Rob Gretton. I don't know the details but the guy copied it and passed it round a rather elite bunch of Joy Division bootleg fans and then someone in the inner circle leaked it and a nice American kid called Seth passed it back to me. He also transcribed the lyrics for me. Thanks Seth. All I did was sing it and make it make sense bar and order wise. The lads in The Light helped me with it and Jack plays bass on it. I don't know where the tape is or even what format it was on: cassette, reel to reel or what?

How did you decide the other Joy Division tracks to include on the E.P.?

That was easy. Rowetta has been helping me out since the start. I think she does a beautiful job and I'm always trying to get her to sing more so I can play bass. A lot of people had been asking her to record them so the idea was there. The problem is it's hard to justify the expense of recording because you do not earn the money back. Nevertheless I'm glad to be doing it. The sleeve is great. It's done by a graphic artist called James Chadderton who specialises in post-nuclear attack drawings of Manchester and it was recorded on the 11 Feb 2011 hence 11022011 as somebody pointed out the date was a palindrome and it worked as a concept.

After the Unknown Pleasures gigs, Closer is the obvious progression but what new challenges does playing the whole of Closer present?

'Closer' is more delicate and uses the 6-string bass a lot so it's a different vibe. When I began with 'Unknown Pleasures' I never thought we would pull it off but Nat, Andy, Paul and Jack along with Phil worked really hard and we did. I know we will do the same with 'Closer'.

What kind of approach will you take to playing the whole of what is overall a very dark album? Will you be faithful to the original or take a new direction?

What I do is take our original and incorporate Martin Hannett's sound in the performance. It's our songs with a shared sound. I do use a lot of Martin's effects so it sounds like the record. I am very, very aware of the respect that people hold for these records and I would never insult their intelligence by doing it half arsed. 'Closer' is one of my favourite records ever made alongside Nico 'Chelsea Girls', Lou Reed 'Berlin', Ian Dury 'New Boots and Panties'. And John Cale 'Paris 1919'.

Are you going to add any other non-Closer tracks that weren't done on the Unknown Pleasures into the set on this tour?

Yes. Dead Souls, Exercise One, Incubation, From Safety to Where, Autosuggestion, Ice Age, Walked in Line.

Of all the people who've approached you to say that they're a Joy Division fan, who's been the most unlikely?

I am so happy whenever anyone says it to me i dont think that way. I now get young and old, male and female. I don't care... It's a great compliment to all four of us that people hold the group and the music in such high regard.

CF: Manchester: since the death of Tony Wilson it feels like a different place. No better, no worse. Just different. Statue? I say, no thanks. Tony, to me, was a kick the statues kind of a guy. What do you think?

I think he would be secretly pleased. Please do one of me though when I've gone and come and kick it!

We're already 14 months into a new, as yet unnamed/uncharacterised decade. Any plans?

I am happy at the moment. The past rears its ugly head but the people I work with make me strong. It's great to be playing the songs again. As for the world I'm sitting here in Doha Airport on my way back from Jakarta and watching the Middle East crumble is a frightening prospect that will mark the decade. Love Hooky '11.

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Thanks to Hooky and James. Special thanks to Cerysmatic's Size 7¼ Closer Consultant Ian McCartney.

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Peter Hook and The Light play Closer live 
Peter Hook's The Light perform Closer - Live at The Factory on Wednesday 18 May 2011 with guest vocalist Rowetta. This, the 31st anniversary of the death of Ian Curtis, will be the first time that Joy Division's masterpiece Closer has been performed live in its entirety.

Tickets priced £20.11 (Includes charity donation to Mind & The Keith Bennett Appeal) go on sale from Thursday 10 March 2011 at factorymanchester.com.

The Light's performance of Closer at The Factory is being recorded by Ronnie Lane's mobile recording studio for a vinyl only release later in 2011.

Meanwhile, The Light (with Rowetta on selected dates) continue to play Unknown Pleasures live at dates around the World in March, April and May.

March

9 - La Carene, Brest, France

10 - Le Trabendo, Paris, France

11 - Big Band Cafe, Caen, France

17 - Astro Hall, Tokyo Japan

18 - Zepp, Tokyo, Japan

19 - Creative Centre, Osaka, Japan

25 - Helsinki, Finland

27 - Oslo, Norway
30 - Rosso, Manchester (Nordoff Robins Charity Event)


April

23 - Scala, London [w/Rowetta]
30 - Liquid, Edinburgh [w/Rowetta]

May

7 - Festival Donorte, Pontevedra, Spain

18 - The Factory, Manchester
 [w/Rowetta]
28 - Den Haag, Holland

29 - Eindhoven, Holland

[Please note that all of the above dates apart from 18 May The Factory, Manchester, see The Light perform Unknown Pleasures]

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Insight on the 1102/2011 EP by The Light 
Peter Hook's The Light featuring Rowetta will release their debut EP digitally via Hacienda Records on Monday 2 May 2011. The palindromically-titled 1102 / 2011 EP was recorded by the band and Rowetta on 11.02.2011 at Blueprint Studio in Salford. It features the first ever recording of a previously unfinished Joy Division track Pictures In My Mind with vocals by Peter Hook and three tracks which highlight Rowetta's unique vocal talents: Insight, New Dawn Fades and Atmosphere.

Tracklisting

1. Pictures In My Mind (vocals by Peter Hook)
2. Insight (vocals by Rowetta)
3. New Dawn Fades (vocals by Rowetta)
4. Atmosphere (vocals by Rowetta)

Pictures In My Mind was an unfinished Joy Division track which was unearthed by the band's "bootleg society" from a rehearsal tape stolen in 1977, setting it between Warsaw and Unknown Pleasures. The track was first performed by The Light at the opening night of The Factory in February 2011 with Hooky mindful of Ian Curtis's maxim that one started a song should always be finished, he takes the vocal himself to finish up the track.

Having performed with the band consistently since 2007 at events such as Versus Cancer, 1234 Festival, Vintage and The Factory gigs, The EP features The Light's regular guest vocalist Rowetta, across three of the classic Joy Division tracks which she has been consistently singing live with the band, Insight, New Dawn Fades and Atmosphere.

Having received great reviews for her vocal performances from Joy Division fans, Factory aficionados and her own fan base, Hooky decided to record Rowetta's unique renditions of these tracks late last year, and she joined the band at Blueprint to lay down the vocals in February 2011.

Peter Hook's The Light features Peter Hook on vocals and bass, Jack Bates on bass, Nat Wason on guitar, Andy Poole on keyboards and Paul Kehoe on drums.

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More info at www.fac51thehacienda.com and www.peterhook.co.uk.

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3 Mar 2011
From Heaven To Heaven 
Following on from the numbered edition of 100 only, hardback copies, published in February 2010 and priced at £95, From Heaven to Heaven, New Order Live - The Early Years (1981-1984) at Close Quarters, with forewords by Peter Hook and Stephen Morris, will now receive a full publication, mid-2011.

Author, Dec Hickey says, "The new edition is likely to be paperback only, it will be very slightly edited and different in format to the limited edition, but 99% the same book, content-wise... and substantially cheaper.".

Watch this space for more info as we have it.

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1 Mar 2011
Replicas 
Replicas
Replicas
Replicas
Replicas

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