TJ Chambers
I was prompted to draft the following by a social media reminder that on the 8th June 1987, Sonic Youth performed in Manchester, which triggered some memories.
Hulme 1979
Once a upon a time, I lived, loved, studied, and played in Manchester.
Arriving in the autumn of 1979, during the daytime I attended a design degree course at the School of Art, Manchester Poly – previous notable students included Malcolm Garret (https://www.malcolmgarrett.com/), Peter Saville (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Saville_(graphic_designer)), and Linder Sterling (‘Danger Came Smiling’ – https://www.southbankcentre.co.uk/whats-on/linder-danger-came-smiling-on-tour/) amongst others – and for the first year worked nights at the Canadian Charcoal Pit, Wilmslow Road opposite the Fallowfield student campus as I had wasted a year elsewhere (but that’s another story involving failed A Levels, not-the-LSE but Portsmouth Poly, trains to London to attend various concerts, ‘Jah Shane’ with his red-green-and-gold garden shed, and an inappropriate relationship with a lecturer, before being asked to leave the course).
So, I had headed to Manchester, in part for the chance to start-again, and because it seemed to be a place where things were ‘happening’.
The reality was initially a little different, with four-five evenings and nights a week being a short-order grill chef i.e. flipping-burgers, as I had no support or grant for the first year. And then after the shift ended in the early hours of the morning walking back along the seemingly never-ending Wilbraham Road to my rented room in Chorlton. Apparently, I would fall asleep during lectures, but I don’t remember.
But I also started to attend whatever concerts I could by local bands at the Cyprus Tavern, the (old) Poly SU, Factory I (Russell Club), Factory II (New Osborne Club), Mayflower Club, Rafters, Oozits at the Beach Club, etc. and following the changeover in editorial direction at City Fun under Liz Naylor (+ sister Pat), Cath Carroll, and Bob Dickenson I had found my first connection to the city.
Liz and Cath semi-indulged my aspiration to become a critic (as opposed to a journalist), so long as I helped fold, bundle and dispatch newly printed copies of the fanzine, and buy a round of drinks, whilst Richard Boon (New Hormones / Buzzcocks) also enabled support and mentorship.
City Fun, January 1980 © Jon Savage https://www.mdmarchive.co.uk/
By the summer of 1980 I had moved to Hulme and loved my time in the Robert Adam Crescent (despite once being mugged for 38p) and following the end of my course in May 1982 I started work at Fac51-The Haçienda alongside Howard ‘Ginger’ Jones, Mike Pickering, Penny Henry (https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/article/2024/jun/17/penny-henry-obituary), DJ Hewan Clark, Suzanne Robinson, Angela Matthews, Leroy Richardson, Fiona Allen, Teresa Allen, and others (see, ‘I Thought I heard You Speak. Women At Factory Records’ Audrey Golden, White Rabbit Books – https://store.whiterabbitbooks.co.uk/products/i-thought-i-heard-you-speak), and then met with Malcolm Whitehead (https://cerysmatic.factoryrecords.org/2019/09/malcolm-whitehead-rip.html) Claude Bessy (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claude_Bessy_(writer)), and Linda Dutton (with Brian Nicholson who joined later and eventually became the sort-of custodian of the video archive), and together we formed IKON FCL (but that’s definitely a longer story for another time).
A Factory Video (FACT 56) Track listing: Section 25 – New Horizon / New Order – Ceremony (Live) / A Certain Ratio – Forced Laugh / Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark – Electricity (Live) / Cabaret Voltaire – No Escape / Durutti Column – The Missing Boy (Live) / Kevin Hewick – Ophelia’s Drinking Song / The Names – Nightshift / Crispy Ambulance – The Presence / New Order – In A Lonely Place (Live) / Stockholm Monsters – Soft Babies / (Unlisted) New Order – 586 (Primitive)
A couple of years later (after various emotional moments with IKON, Tony Wilson, Mark E. Smith + Brix and The Fall, Thin Line Records and the early days of the Stone Roses), I was a neighbour of Dave Haslam just off Greenheys Lane opposite the taxi office that also served Jamaican rice n’peas.
I had occasionally scribbled a few words for his Debris fanzine and we shared friends in the still small village-like Manchester social scene including Sue Ferguson, TOT, Carol Morley (https://manchestermill.co.uk/carol-morley-set-out-to-capture-her-lost-years-instead-she-captured-manchesters/), Paula Greenwood (Playtime Records) and others.
Separately I also knew Paul Smith from his days in Nottingham when he had arranged a Factory ‘Video Circus’ evening, then forming Doublevision with Cabaret Voltaire (first VHS / NTSC release: https://www.discogs.com/release/210755-Cabaret-Voltaire-Doublevision-Presents-Cabaret-Voltaire), before launching Blast First, the record label for Sonic Youth, Big Black, Butthole Surfers, Band of Susans and many others (https://www.discogs.com/label/2500-Blast-First), and together with Richard Thomas (promoter extraordinaire and legend – read the Jo Bartlett interview for a introduction: https://indiethroughthelookingglass.com/2023/07/04/promoter-of-new-order-nick-cave-the-fall-creation-records-many-more-richard-thomas-qa/) they were looking for someone to promote a Manchester date for Sonic Youth + Firehose + A.C. Temple.
Over to Dave …’Sonic Youth between 1985 to 1987 were brilliant, undoubtedly the best rock band I’ve ever seen. As usual I couldn’t stop at just being a fan. With Nathan McGough, I promoted their gig at the Boardwalk in Manchester in May 1986 at the Boardwalk and then, with Tim Chambers, in June 1987 at the Ardri Ballroom in Hulme. Two of the best nights of my life. After the Ardri gig the band slept on the floor of my flat in Hulme. How freakin’ brilliant is that? – Dave Haslam (https://www.davehaslam.com/Old/Old/Sonic_youth.html)
Sonic Youth 08.06.87 setlist: Schizophrenia / (I Got A) Catholic Block / Tuff Gnarl / Pipeline/Kill Time / Expressway To Yr Skull / Pacific Coast Highway / Kotton Krown / Stereo Sanctity / Beauty Lies in the Eye / Torn Violence / White Kross + Hotwire My Heart (Crime Cover).
The New Adri was an Irish bar and music venue, cheap to hire, with the right capacity, and had a low stage at one end of the hall. Enough people attended for it to achieve breakeven+, and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves.
Dave also got the title for a book out of the adventure (‘Sonic Youth Slept on My Floor; Music, Manchester & More’ Little Brown – https://www.davehaslam.com/sonic-youth-slept-on-my-floor/), albeit my recollection is that Kim stayed at Dave’s whilst Thurston stayed up most of the night with my flatmate Bernard smoking dope and working their way through his vinyl collection – everything from Joe Walsh, Todd Rundgren to Madonna. Whatever.
We also did a Butthole Surfers concert (another ‘favour’ for Paul) which was less enjoyable, but the following year (November’86) Dave and I also collaborated on a Big Black performance in a gay bar in an archway in Whitworth Street West – and that was a truly great gig.
Anyway. Nostalgia. Sonic Youth 08.06.87
Until next time.
TJ_Chambers 