The Smiths

Manchester and The Smiths; two elements that are deeply entwined. The band that only lasted together for less than a decade, yet had a everlasting influence on the city where we call home.

Controversial frontman Morrissey remembers growing up witnessing "squalor and decay" in his surroundings at that time. The avant-garde guitarist Johnny Marr recalls, "I was the only kid in my neighbourhood in the inner city who had a guitar," while speaking of his childhood. Before working together, the two had first met five years earlier at Manchester's famed "the Apollo Theatre." Morrissey’s other favourite spots consisted of the “Salford’s Lads Club” and the “Southern Cemetery”, whilst Marr’s were the “Hacienda nightclub” (now an apartment complex) and the “Russell Club”. When the band formed in 1982, the band’s first rehearsal space was above a chip shop in Manchester called Crazy Face. They played in small, humble venues; “The Ritz” and “the Boardwalk”, and recorded debut album in Stockport in 1984 at Pluto Studios. Manchester undeniably had a wealth of talent, but there were significant socioeconomic barriers as well. Despite all the odds against them, these four lads swiftly rose to prominence as one of Manchester's most well-known musical exports with the assistance of Andy Rourke and Mike Joyce, working class culture influencing their music .

The band's presence can still be felt in the city, despite the fact they disbanded 35 years ago. Take "The Ritz," which was the band's first performance venue. A place where Mancunians may go to hear the legacy of music that is still strong. Among countless other instances, The Smiths' iconic song "Vicar in a Tutu" makes reference to the "Holy Name Church" on Upper Brook Street. In 2012, University of Salford even made The Smiths Room, filled with memorabilia and their archives from their time there. Though they weren't the first or last major band to emerge from Manchester, it is undeniable that The Smiths, via the power of melody and lyricism, immortalized the city's essence in rock music forever.

Clampdown Records

In an attempt to become more involved in the local music scene, I looked up record stores in Manchester and I can definitely say that Clampdown Records offers everything! Hidden away with a grungy exterior, as soon as you enter you are greeted with warmth and an exceptionally cosy atmosphere. The store is solidly organised and stocked with rare vinyl records, CDs, and cassettes that larger chain record stores would not often carry—even for well-known musicians. The store's sections dedicated to local Manchester artists demonstrated the owner's concern for providing the greatest possible browsing experience for clients with distinctive categories. Plus, the branded mini tote bags are TO. DIE. FOR. I felt very cool wearing it with my little CDs of local Manchester artists inside.

When I asked the owner for recommendations from the local music scene, he was really friendly and approachable. He happened to be listening to "The Seldom Seen Kid," by Elbow, an album which I was going to purchase that very morning. "The Fix" was his favourite track on the album. In addition, he gave me recommendations for other musical hotspots, such "Star and Garter" and the woman-themed mural situated by the Roadhouse, at which Blink-182 and Muse preformed.

I will write more about my musical discoveries and some notable tracks on the next page. But the reason I discovered all of these gems in the first place is because of this record store. Whatever your purpose for buying, I highly recommend you check this place out!

Horsebeach

Multi-instrumentalist Ryan Kennedy, who began as a one-man band, chose to take a yearly leave of absence from his position at Piccadilly Records in order to pursue his own musical endeavours. Afterwards, he brought in the current lineup, which includes Matt Booth (drums and backing vocals), Tom Featherstone (guitar), Tom Critchley (bass), and himself on lead vocals and guitar.

I find it surprising that this band is so underappreciated. It's likely that you are not familiar with this band, unless you follow the local scene closely, which is unfortunate because their musical layering is quite intricate. Featherstone's guitar riffs are incredibly memorable and give you the same earworm as vocals from mainstream pop songs; Critchley's bass lines are intricate, but they don't overpower the other layers of the songs' complexity; Booth's drumming also sounds complex but soft, thanks to Kennedy's production of the song; Kennedy and Booth's vocals blend together like butter, so softly too, making the listening experience soothing. This is precisely what makes this band so refreshing—each member gets their turn to shine equally and does it smoothly to avoid any awkward collisions.

Their dreamy guitar-pop album "The Unforgiving Current" transports you to a world without words; put on your headphones, close your eyes, and enjoy a selection of instrumental and vocal tracks. "Net Cafe Refuge," their hazy opening track, foreshadows the pleasant voyage you're about to go on. On this album, each song is immersive. The melodic and structural variations keep the musical style interesting and never grow monotonous. The top three in my opinion are: 1) "The Unforgiving Current" 2) “Dreaming” 3) "Yuuki," with a particular emphasis on "Mourning Thoughts" and that incredible guitar opening! If you enjoy slow, atmospheric, primarily instrumental music that draws inspiration from Joy Division, I highly recommend listening to this album.

Misty Dixon

My first exposure to Misty Dixon was through a collaborative album/CD from Manchester; "Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About Twisted Nerve" (2001). The album cover caught my attention, and the song "Headlights (and When We Drive)" instantly resonated with me.

A distinctive fusion of blues, folk, and indie music, Misty Dixon performed in Manchester during the 2000s before breaking up in 2004. Maintaining a shroud of mystery, the only material available about them on the internet consists of brief interviews regarding their gigs, in which they withhold details about their identities and social media usage. Their sound is distinctly their own, and it's unfortunate that there's no opportunity to listen to them perform live or learn more about their history and musical influences. They are the definition of underappreciated, with their slow-paced, whimsical vocal style, raw, melancholic lyrics, and dreamy guitars that are reminiscent of the shoegaze genre. Their poignant narratives, catchy dark rhythms, and sophisticated guitar work that sticks in your head long after you listen to it gave the local music scene a refreshing dose of authenticity. They played at iconic music places like The Roadhouse and Night & Day Café.

One of the band's vocalists, Jane Weaver, is still performing and pursuing a solo career. It's interesting to observe how her sound has changed over time and how she continues to experiment with layering various sounds into her compositions. Despite the fact that the band no longer performs live, they still have a legacy that inspires the local music scene and any music heads who deep-dive into Manchester’s music scene like me.

Hidden

Manchester's Hidden nightclub is situated close to Strangeways Prison in an industrial neighbourhood. Following the trend of transforming former factories into energetic nightclubs, Hidden focuses in house, disco, and techno nights. Advance ticket purchases often run between £10 and £15.

Featuring a basement, blue room, courtyard, hangar area, and eerie, interconnecting alleyways, Hidden is a spacious venue complex with 650 capacity.

Having personally visited this location before, I was genuinely impressed with the ambiance and mood across the numerous rooms, which offered a wide variety of genres for everyone to choose from. In addition, while being mostly frequented by students, it's a really welcoming place that accepts individuals of all ages.

If you're searching for an unrestricted night out, I personally suggest going to Hidden because, in my experience, you never know what to anticipate.

Soup Kitchen

Formerly known as Soup Kitchen, now being just soup, is situated in the corner of Stevenson Square. This establishment strikes the perfect balance in everything. It's stylish but unpretentious, the food and drink menu is excellent but reasonably priced, and the industrial-style basement actively promotes Manchester talent while also luring international names.

During the day, Soup is a good spot to go for a Northern Quarter, communal meal. In the evening, the ground floor transforms into a vibrant bar, while the basement holds some absolutely amazing music and party nights. As a room, it's a little dark (after all, it's a basement), but it comes to life when 150 people cram inside, all clamouring for a glimpse of the current hype band.

There is a lot of competition for small music venues in Manchester, but soup more than holds its own, being the perfect location for a night out as well as a lunchtime meal.

Joy Division

The iconic Mancunian band celebrated by goths and emos everywhere, who proudly adorn the album cover of Unknown Pleasures (widely agreed to be the worst of their two studio albums among fans) upon t-shirts and posters layered to their walls. More than an album cover, it has now become almost an emblematic symbol for an entire subculture.

Internationally recognised as one of the driving forces behind the post-punk, new wave movement and having been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, it would be a far stretch to describe them as an underground band today, however, before Ian Curtis’ famed suicide, there was once a time in which his haunting poetry and low, shaky vocals did not reach the masses; bassist Peter Hook recalls a time in which they had to fight to get gigs.

The first iteration of Joy Division, Warsaw, formed in 1976, after founding members Peter Hook, Terry Mason and Bernard Sumner attended the revolutionary Sex Pistols performance at Manchester’s Lesser free trade hall; impressed by their unapologetic, nihilistic attitude and apparent deconstruction of the rock and roll facade, they were immediately inspired to go out, buy instruments and form a band. Their unique style started to take shape when Ian Curtis was brought on, introducing his brand of dreary existentialism to the mix.

The influence of producer Martin Hannet cannot be understated, instrumental in crafting the sound of Joy Division, despite members initially expressing dissatisfaction with his work - especially with his dumbing down of Hook’s abrasive acoustic style. In creating his meticulous arrangements, Hannet went as far as to insist Stephen Morris record each drum individually, so as to maintain ‘sound separation’ and achieve greater creative control.

Joy Division

Curtis’ struggle with depression and worsening condition of epilepsy, alongside a failing marriage, became increasingly difficult for him to bear and, at the age of twenty-three on May 18th, 1980, he took his own life – merely a night before Joy Division’s first scheduled American tour.

Accusations of self-indulgence in misery within their music are not unwarranted and the influence of a romanticisation of suicide in their success cannot be denied; were it not for Curtis’ suicide, we would likely not be talking about them today; however, it would be reductive to entirely dismiss the band’s talent. Particularly between Hannet’s expert production, Hook’s powerful basslines and Curtis’ haunting lyricism, their talent is undeniable. The legacy of Joy Division is a story of success which stands them amongst the likes of James Dean, Van Gogh and Nick Drake. Perhaps part of the band’s allure comes from the temptation to apply oneself to the romantic, almost American idealism that failing artists everywhere cling to; that arrogant cliche, ‘they’ll love me when I’m dead’.

The Reno

Located on the corner of Moss Lane East and Princess Road, The Reno was a more unsung element of Manchester’s rich music history. It was pivotal throughout the sixties and seventies especially, in providing a sanctuary for black and mixed-race communities during a time in which members recall being denied entry from Manchester’s more popular clubs.

Throughout its twenty-five years of business between 1962 and 1987, funk and soul could be heard playing late into the night, long after many of Manchester’s central clubs had closed, making it especially popular amongst those not yet ready for the night to end.

It has the legacy of having been attended by celebrities such as Muhammed Ali in 1971, actor Ray Winstone and is rumored to have been visited by Bob Marley. As well as this, it is known as the location in which Tony Wilson hosted his stag party. He would later source DJ Hewan Clarke from there to join The Hacienda.

In 2016, renowned playwright and former Reno regular Linda Brogan initiated an excavation project to unearth the sites’ artefacts and history, the finds were later collated into a display at the Whitworth Art Gallery. Despite this, not a shadow of the club remains to be seen today; on the site on which it once proudly stood, now sits a single billboard amongst an overgrown bed of weeds.

The Haçienda

Instrumental in the Madchester music scene, and legacy of several iconic bands, The Haçienda nightclub is a seminal element of Britain's music history. It hosted such legendary names as New Order, Happy Mondays and The Stone Roses - and it also hosted The Smiths. These artists are synonymous with the term ‘Madchester’, encompassing a genre of high-energy beats and a postmodern culmination of sixties’ psychedelia with indie, pop and post-punk sensibilities. The term itself was coined by none other than Factory Records co-founder and television personality Tony Wilson, who stood at the helm of it all as the Haçienda’s founder and manager.

Its introduction was made possible largely due to the success of New Order’s single ‘Blue Monday’, reaching ninth in the UK singles charts and credited as the best-selling 12” single of all time. The band was persuaded to part with the profits and invest them in the innovative nightclub, which helped to subside its substantial losses.

The club’s downfall was driven in part by the uptake of violent crime, damaging its reputation, and also by the increasing popularity of drugs such as ecstasy, outcompeting alcohol and damaging sales. Bassist of Joy Division and New Order, Peter Hook, estimates that the Haçienda lost approximately eighteen million pounds during its last years.

The Haçienda

In its heyday, it was marked as the location of Madonna’s debut UK concert and recognised for its innovative early championing of house music. On July 19th, 1989, within the club, Clare Leighton, at the age of sixteen, became the first victim of an ecstasy related death in the UK. This marked the definitive decline of the already doomed Haçienda. Amidst the struggles of frequent violent crime, drug use and financial loss, it was finally forced to close its doors for good in 1997.

The name was inspired by radicalist Ivan Chtcheglov’s quote “You'll never see the hacienda. It doesn't exist. The hacienda must be built”. The Haçienda was built. And then it was destroyed. You cannot see it and it does not exist anymore. The building was torn down, sold piece by piece - in aid of charity – and replaced with a block of flats. The name was kept.

Simply Red

In the aftermath of the Frantic Elevators, Mick 'Red' Hucknall and his manager Elliot Rashman brought together a group of musicians and after going through a variety of band names, decided on the name Simply Red, an accomplished band focused on pop and soul. It's said that the name Simply Red is linked to the lead singer's distinct red hair and also his connection to Manchester United as a devoted supporter of the club since the age of eight

After a variety of group member changes and the adoption of a new sound profile more catered towards more of a commercial success rather than music critics, Simply Red found a huge success in 1989 with their version of "If You Don't Know Me By Now", originally performed by the Philadelphia soul group Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes, which I recently heard featured in the Netflix heist drama show 'Kaleidoscope' and also a success with "Something Got Me Started" which I heard featured in the in-game radio of the massively popular video game 'Grand Theft Auto V'

After some group member changes and the release of its tenth album 'Stay' in 2010 it was announced that the band was to be disbanded after 25 years, after a final concert held at London's O2 Arena, but then after 4 years the band went on a reunion tour and is still releasing music to this day

Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young

After Crosby's departure from the Byrds over songwriting disagreements, he met up with Stills through Cass Elliot, a prominent folk rock artist and began performing together informally, shorted after they were joined by Nash, another commercially successful rock artist and began a band known as CSN (Crosby, Stills, Nash), and released their self-titled debut album which was a instant success, propelling them into fame later being presented with a Grammy Award for the album in 1969

After the initial success of their debut album, Young joined the group, and with Young's guitar skill, it helped propell their first album as CSNY, Deja Vu attain the number 1 spot on several international chart ratings in 1970 remaining as their top selling album

However the band experienced a turbulent period, often leading to rushed releases and ab-libbed sections caused the band to drift apart, leading to a breakup of the band until a reunion in 1974. The band broke up and reformed several times due to issues surrounding ad-libbed sections/ rushed releases and arguments between original members of the band

Young wasn't against future collaborations with the band back together as he said in a interview in 2017 'that the band had every chance of getting back together again' Nash wasn't against the idea of a reunion saying in a 2021 CBS interview that 'it's very difficult to glue the ends together'.