26 Apr 2011
Hacienda Records online label launch 
A new digital download site containing all Man Ray and Freebass releases to date (including lesser known remixes by Arthur Baker and others) has launched at www.fac51thehacienda.com.

To celebrate, Man Ray's new EP, Tokyo Joe (HAC 006) is released today exclusively on the site. A version of this track was originally recorded for the opening of The Factory in February 2010 but this new version has been reworked with vocals and a selection of remixes completing the package.

The digital-only release schedule continues with The Light's debut EP, 1102/2011 on Monday 9 May. The tracks Atmosphere (with Rowetta on vocals) and the unreleased Joy Division track Pictures In My Mind will be given their first ever radio plays on Friday 29 April on BBC 6 Music's Radcliffe And Maconie Show.

Following 1102/2011 Hacienda Records will issue new material by new and established artists on the first Monday of each month starting with the This Tiny Universe EP by Humanizer on Monday 6 June and the Baum... / Titten EP by Richie G on Monday 4 July.

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That Hacienda Records Discography so far in full:

HAC 001 - Man Ray - Summer 88 EP (Jan 2010)
HAC 002 - Freebass - Two Worlds Collide EP (Apr 2010)
HAC 003 - Freebass - It's A Beautiful Life Album (Sep 2010)
HAC 004 - Freebass - You Don't Know This About Me (Arthur Baker Remixes) (Nov 2010)
HAC 005 - Freebass - Fritz Von Runte Reconstructed EP (Dec 2010)
HAC 006 - Man Ray - Tokyo Joe EP (Apr 2011)
HAC 007 - The Light - 1102/2011 EP (May 2011)
HAC 008 - Humanizer - This Tiny Universe EP (Jun 2011)
HAC 009 - Richie G - Baum.../Titten EP (Jul 2011)

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12 Jan 2011
You Don't Know This About Me 
The Arthur Baker remix of the Freebass track You Don't Know This About Me is being used in the trailer for the new US chat show Piers Morgan Tonight which replaces the long-running and much admired Larry King Live on CNN from next Monday 17 January.

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27 Oct 2010
Three free Freebass gone 
Thanks to everyone who joined in on the great Freebass It's A Beautiful life album giveaway in which three lucky readers got to win a copy. The album is still on sale via all good retailers.

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15 Sept 2010
Hooky on Manigate 
A few days after Mani's Twitter outburst and subsequent apology, Cerysmatic Factory caught up with Peter Hook in the heart of that London's Soho to get the latest.

On Mani

He's paying for it now and he was very upset about it. He apologised immediately and like I said to him, it's forgotten, it's over. As far as I'm concerned, me and him are fine. Unfortunately with the power of the internet it fucking lasts forever! Anyway, I am happy and he's happy. And we're back to normal and that's it.

On The Light and Freebass

You know what happened, which was really weird, was that The Light and Freebass both came to fruition at the same time. The Joy Division thing started because Macclesfield were gonna do that celebration thing in May. We were gonna do a gig at Macclesfield Town Football Club and they wanted me to help organise it with Steve (Morris) and to get people to sing Joy Division songs with a backing band to celebrate Ian's life. And I thought it really was well overdue because Macclesfield had studiously ignored Ian.

We went for a few meetings, not together, but we went for a few meetings and it was coming along quite well. And then they didn't get the money they wanted, and I thought it was an exorbitant amount of money, and it fell off. I thought the saddest thing in the world was that as New Order we never celebrated anything to do with New Order, 30 years, 25, 20, 10, 1, 6 months, nothing, we never celebrated it and I thought it was well overdue.

On playing Unknown Pleasures

Because I've got The Factory and because I did the opening night and then I read an article by Bobby Gillespie talking about Screamadelica, and I thought "Ding!" I'll do Unknown Pleasures and I'll get the vocalist who stood in for Ian at Bury to sing it. I'll play bass, purely selfishly and we'll have a great time. Alan Hempsall didn't wanna do it. I think he was a bit wary of the internet criticism and Simon Topping was too nervous. He was really nervous. He said "I'll do Transmission but I'm not doing any more". I never thought Simon would be nervous.

So anyway, then I thought, fuck it, "I'll sing it". Don't ask me why I decided that. I needed a bass player then cos I had a great guitarist in Nat, Kehoe's a great drummer, Andy's a great keyboard player (he worked with all of Monaco and Freebass) and then I thought "Jack". Getting your son to play bass and he's exactly the same age as I was when I started Joy Division. So I thought how could you miss an opportunity like that. I looked round and I saw meself thirty years ago. Which is fucking freaky!

Anyway, it was like trying on your wedding suit and it fitted and not only did it fit but it looked fucking great and everybody said "You look fucking great!". And that was what it was like playing the Joy Division stuff. All of a sudden going back to that overshadowed Freebass. Starting a new band is really fucking difficult and even though Bernard and I both seem addicted to it every time New Order got somewhere we always fucking nixed it and started again. It's hard starting a new band and I was just enjoying the Joy Division stuff too much.

And I think that Mani reacted against that. Which is understandable but you can't help it can you!? It's just the way it is. I mean he's going off to do Screamadelica so I said why don't we just leave Freebass, get the record out, you go and do Screamadelica and I'll do Joy Division and we'll see how we feel when get back. It was as simple as that. I think it must've took the hump. But it doesn't matter now, we're fine. I must admit that whilst I was shocked when I saw it, it didn't sound like him to me. I mean, I'm fine now, it's over. It's cool.

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The full interview with Hooky will be published on Cerysmatic Factory at a later date.

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13 Sept 2010
Ever fallen out of love 
Mani today apologised to Peter Hook regarding his recent comments on Twitter:

"I wish to apologise unreservedly to Peter Hook and his family regarding comments made on a social networking site which was totally out of character for me. It was a venomous, spiteful reaction to a lot of things that are going on in my life right now and I chose to vent my frustrations and anger at one of my true friends in this filthy business, and ventured into territory which was none of my concern. The Freebass thing has tipped me over the edge and became the focus of my bilious rants. Twenty two years of being tripped up, face down in the mud and being kicked in the face with an iron boot will do that to the most stable of men. I hope I haven't blown a great friendship forever. Sorry Pete."

"In a funny way my outburst might make want people want to check the record out. I'm proud of what we achieved really. It's not often bass players get to step out of the shadows and create something from scratch, and between us we've managed it. A bumpy ride but we got there..... give it a listen."

"I hope I'm not turning into a bitter and twisted old rocker, that's not what I'm about as anybody who knows the real me will be happy to confirm."

Gary "Mani" Mounfield, September 2010

"Mani is a great friend of mine and he always will be. I have the utmost respect for him as a person and musician. Have none of you ever fallen out with somebody you love. Hooky."

Peter Hook, September 2010

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9 Sept 2010
End of the Mancunian Union of Bassists 
An official Freebass statement reads:

"It is with great sadness that just prior to the long awaited album release of It's A Beautiful Life we have to announce that the much anticipated Mancunian union of bassists, Freebass, is no longer a functioning group.

"Recent events have made Freebass entirely unviable as a band, and with this in mind, it has been decided that the project should be shelved, rather than placed on hiatus while members pursue their other interests.

"The band would like to take the opportunity to thanks friends and fans for their support and interest, especially on the UK tour in June 2010. We also hope that people will enjoy the album, which concludes five years of work and treat it on its own merits.

"No third parties were involved or harmed in the break up."

The announcement follows Andy Rourke leaving the group earlier in August and Mani's recent comments on Twitter.

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29 Aug 2010
It's A Beautiful Life available to pre-order 
The debut album by Freebass, It's A Beautiful Life, is available to pre-order online at Play, HMV and Amazon.

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16 Aug 2010
Freebass - It's A Beautiful Life out 20 Sep 
The debut Freebass album, It's A Beautiful Life will be released in the UK on Monday 20 September 2010 on Hacienda Records / Essential Music. The CD version (which follows the download from earlier this year) will come with three extra unreleased tracks and a bonus disc of instrumental versions of the whole album.

Tracklisting

CD One

1. It's Not Too Late
2. The Only Ones Alone
3. Lady Violence
4. World Won't Wait
5. Kill Switch pt 141
6. Stalingrad
7. Secrets and Lies
8. She said
9. The God Machine
10. Plan B
- plus additional unreleased tracks -
11. Bury Me Standing
12. Sister Surrender
13. Believer

CD Two

Instrumental versions of all tracks listed above

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2 Jun 2010
How can I leave this behind? 
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
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She Said

The Freebass tour continues tonight at The Factory in Manchester.

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29 May 2010
Freebass Live 
A reminder that ("the long awaited Mancunian supergroup of rockstar bassists") Freebass play a short stint of dates across the UK this week:

Mon 31st May - York - The Duchess
Tue 1st June - London - 100 Club (Sold Out)
Wed 2nd June - Manchester - The Factory
Thu 3rd June - Glasgow - King Tut's
Fri 4th June - Carlisle - The Brickyard
Sun 6th June - Middlesborough - Town Hall

featuring Gary Briggs (vox), Mani/Hooky/Rourke (basses), Nat Watson (guitars), Phil Murphy (keys) and Bo Walsh (perc).

Listen to tunes at the new Freebass website, purchase them from www.fac51thehacienda.com.

See you there!

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24 Apr 2010
Download Freebass LP It's A Beautiful Life 
The debut album from Freebass, It's A Beautiful Life, is available to download now at fac51thehacienda.com.

Tracklisting

Not Too Late
The Only Ones Alone
Lady Violence
The World Won't Wait
Kill Switch Pt. 141
Stalingrad
Secrets and Lies
She Said
The God Machine
Plan B

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3 Apr 2010
Full Live Shows at The Factory 
A full line-up of Factoryesque live shows has been confirmed at The Factory over the coming months, starting tomorrow with Shaun Ryder's Full Live Show (please note that the running time for this is now 10pm to 4am):

Sun 4 April - Shaun Ryder Full Live Show [featuring Happy Mondays / Black Grape / SWR]
Tue 18 May - Unknown Pleasures live with Hooky and Friends [on the 30th Anniversary of Ian Curtis's death, Hooky and Friends play Unknown Pleasures in its entirety]
Wed 2 June - Freebass [the Manchester debut of Hooky's new supergroup]
Sat 3 July - A Certain Ratio
Sat 1 Oct - Northside

Tickets available via factorymanchester.com.

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26 Mar 2010
Download Two Worlds Collide by Freebass 
The official release of the debut Two Worlds Collide E.P. [HAC 002] by Freebass is available from Monday 29 March 2010 as a digital download only via fac51thehacienda.com. The release is available as both the complete six-track EP and as individual tracks.

Tracklisting

1. Intro
2. You Don't Know (This About Me) [Vocals By Tim Burgess]
3. The Milky Way Is Our Playground [Vocals By Pete Wylie]
4. Dark Starr [Vocals By Howard Marks]
5. Live Tomorrow You Go Down [Vocals By Peter Hook]
6. That's Life

Instrumental versions are also available at www.fac51thehacienda.com.

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Freebass live @ The Factory MCR 2 Jun 2010 
Tickets for the live Manchester debut of Freebass on Wednesday 2 June 2010 @ The Factory will now go on sale on Monday 29 March 2010 via factorymanchester.com. There was some confusion over the date of the gig, with it being listed in some quarters as 3 June so the original on-sale date has been postponed.

Tickets for the London date @ the 100 Club on Tue 1 June went on sale today as planned and are still available at the time of writing via TicketWeb, GigsAndTours and other outlets priced 12.50 GBP.

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24 Mar 2010
Freebass live in London & Manchester 
Tickets for the long-awaited first Freebass gigs go on sale Friday 26 March 2010:

June

Tue 1 - 100 Club, London [tickets available via gigsandtours.com]
Wed 2 - The Factory, Manchester [tickets available via factorymanchester.com]

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Freebass on Facebook

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19 Feb 2004
Supergroup 
According to this story from NewOrderOnline.com, as well as working on the next New Order album, Hooky is writing songs for his side-project with Mani (The Stone Roses, Primal Scream, all-round geezer) and Andy Rourke (The Smiths).

Apparently the group will be called Freebass (three bass players, geddit?) or Stalingrad but they "haven't decided yet...".

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