Cerysmatic.Factory

The Biting Tongues 'Live It' Review by Iain Key

2019-12-05T10:25:00.000+00:00

Former Factory artist Biting Tongues have just had their 1981 limited cassette-only lost release 'Live It' reissued by Andy Votel's Finders Keepers Records.

Originally released on New Hormones, Biting Tongues' 2nd album was one of a series of three limited edition releases of just 500 cassettes (others by Ludus and CP Lee) that came with a booklet, badge, stickers and a sweatshirt offer. The 6-track release has now been expanded to 10 with the additional 4 tracks coming from rare cassette magazines released at the time.

The idea of releasing it on tape only appears to have been a financial one by the label despite them being in vogue (the Walkman being relatively new and cassette sales actually being equal to, if not greater than vinyl at the time). In his notes, Graham Massey explains, "New Hormones didn't have enough money to press it up on vinyl and so it became a cassette-only release, which felt like a bit of a disappointment. I always felt it buried some of our best work, compounded by the fact that we actually left off some of the best tracks from the session. These tracks lived on a cassette I've carried around for forty years, the tape slowly getting dull and wearing thin. In recent years I've been digitising Colin Seddon's cassette collection of Biting Tongues material and rediscovered a first-generation recording of the sessions on TDK SA tape."

Prior to listening to this reissue of 'Live It' I'd only previously only heard a handful tracks released on various Factory compilations and only had a very rough idea of the history of the band from their formation to provide a soundtrack to the saxophonist Howard Walmsley's film 'Biting Tongues' through to the initially unreleased 'Recharge' album so it was fascinating listening to this as a something new in 2019 and also trying to imagine how it would have fit in during those heady days of post-punk and New Romantics.

My thoughts on the first couple of listens were that it was very angular and abstract, not very easy listening, and improvised. Through Graham's notes which accompany this release it would appear my final thought especially was wide of the mark, with several mentions of demos being recorded and sent down to London for vocalist Ken Hollings to refine his lyrics before travelling up to Manchester to record them.

So improvised may be the wrong word; with repeated listens there is clearly a depth and structure to the tracks despite it occasionally sounding like band members are going off and playing at tangents with vocals being improvised. As Ken explained in an interview in 2008 there is a difference to how the band would record which gives it a unique sound and one was that odds with how many things would have been produced at the time, "We'd record a whole side of an album in one session with no breaks between the tracks and do a mix afterwards – nothing was ever re-recorded – we'd even leave in any slips of the tongue or mispronounced words I might have struggled with in the session, any stray pieces of sound that the microphone picked up, or we'd simply record straight onto two-channel tape, recording through the studio desk with the producer mixing and adding effects while we were performing in the studio – we wouldn't know what it sounded like until the playback – and because it was two-channel you couldn't correct it: you'd have to do the whole thing again, which we pretty much refused to do'.

I can hear some influences on this release from Talking Heads' 1980 release 'Remain In Light' but, for those listening in 1981, tracks such as 'Libreville' would have easily complemented releases such as 'To Each...' by A Certain Ratio where tracks such as 'Back To The Start' mix a variety of instruments, not always conventional over driving rhythms to create a danceable beat, but very different to the polished chart music at the time which was dominated by the likes of Adam and The Ants, Madness and Soft Cell.

In 2019 each listen brings something new, there is so much going on across the 10 tracks there's a sense of opening Pandora's Box that it begs for repeated listening, and although it maybe a little challenging at, first patience is paid off.

It's not often that something that's nearly 40 years old can sound as contemporary, interesting and challenging as this release does.

Biting Tongues 'Live It' out 29 November 2019

2019-11-08T07:00:00.000+00:00

'Live It', the long-lost second album by Biting Tongues, is released by Finders Keepers Records / Cache Cache on 29 November 2019. Previously only available on a mega-limited edition cassette it comes on vinyl, with two sleeve variations and extensive notes from Graham Massey and Ken Hollings.

Tracklisting

Evening State (The Wave State)
42
Reflector (Bootleg Studio)
Denture Beach (Relentless)
43
After The Click The Dialogue
Or With Eyes Closed (Relentless)
Libreville
Read This
Unhook That Boy

Catalogue number: CACHE02

Scream City 5 - The International Edition

2019-10-22T07:00:00.000+01:00

Scream City 5 was the last edition of the fanzine that I produced, back in 2010 after a 2-year gap from the fourth edition. I didn't know at the time that there wouldn't be any others. In fact, for quite a while after this edition I had an active concept for SC6 "the Video Edition" which would have delved into the world of Ikon, Doublevision, Play at Home, etc and probably come with a free VHS tape glued to the front cover (seriously, this was in the concept!). I did some tests for video titles and had some ideas for articles including the Ikonathon (a non-stop marathon of video-watching that would somehow morph into a critical masterpiece plus, on a more serious note, the extensive interview by Brian Nicholson with the late Malcolm Whitehead that eventually made it onto Cerysmatic (and which, in turn, inspired the whole Scream City digital archive).

Back to Scream City 5 and its international theme, starting with the cover and Buckminster Fuller's Dymaxion projection which has absolutely nothing to do with Factory but just seemed right for this edition. I stopped short of doing the fold-out inside front cover which would've enabled a build-it-yourself Dymaxion globe but I resolve to make the template available for those who are geometrically inclined. This, and other supporting materials such as alternate covers, source materials, etc will be made available once the main issues are published.

There were 10 different articles spread across 60 pages: Andrew James took a Factory Trip Around the World, I interviewed Fiona Allen about The Area and The Haçienda, James Nice presented an extract from his Shadowplayers book and discussed the background, David Quantick sleevenoted The Distractions, Ian McCartney gave us his magnum opus on Mozart vs Joy Division, Matthew Robertson had an exclusive interview with Andrew Penhallow of Factory Australasia, I talked to Mark Reeder, Ike Yard and Michael H Shamberg and David Nolan paid tribute to Larry Cassidy.

To top things off there was a limited edition compilation CD featuring Section 25, Ike Yard, Thick Pigeon, The Wake, The Names, The Durutti Column, Biting Tongues, The Distractions, Shark Vegas and Fidelity Kastrow & Spartak.

Phew! Enough fanzines already!!

To the outside of everything

2017-11-05T19:36:00.001+00:00

To the Outside of Everything is a 5CD box set with extensive liner notes which tells the story of how the UK's post-punk scene evolved from the spirit of 1977 and the arrival of key labels such as Fast, Rough Trade, Zoo, Factory Records and Cherry Red.

The Factory Records line-up is as follows:

Transmission – Joy Division
From the Cradle to the Grave – Crispy Ambulance
Sketch For Summer – The Durutti Column
Girls Don't Count – Section 25
My Mother was a Friend of an Enemy of the People – Blurt
Ceremony – New Order
Watching the Hydroplanes – Tunnel Vision
Heart Disease – Biting Tongues

To the Outside of Everything is available to pre-order now direct from Cherry Red.

Manchester North of England 2017

2017-06-02T08:31:00.000+01:00

James and The Railway Children featured on the original LP and cassette version back in 1988. Now, in 2017, Cherry Red Records and the Manchester District Music Archive promise us a souped-up 6-disc 17-year set with a veritable feast of Factory and Factoryesque material including 52nd Street, A Certain Ratio, The Adventure Babies, Albertos Y Lost Trios Paranoias, Biting Tongues, Crispy Ambulance, The Distractions, Durutti Column, Electronic, Frank Sidebottom, Happy Mondays, James, Jazz Defektors, Jilted John, John Cooper Clarke, Joy Division, Life, Ludus, Manicured Noise, Marcel King, Miaow, New Order, Northside, The Nosebleeds, Quando Quango, The Railway Children, Revenge, Section 25, Slaughter & The Dogs, Stockholm Monsters, Swamp Children, The Tiller Boys, The Weeds, X-O-Dus and Yargo.

The box set is expected later this year. The impressive tracklisting is still in the process of being confirmed but for more info check out the Facebook page.

Hommage au Fromage / Hollingsville

2013-10-18T08:30:00.000+01:00

Graham Massey has been busy under his Massonix guise and the latest fruits can be seen in a new "double A" collaboration with Bruno Spoerri for the ongoing Disposable Music series.

Swiss electronic jazz pioneer Spoerri's Hommage au Fromage seemingly defies most reasonable description but it is apparently based on an album originally commissioned by the Swiss Cheese Consortium (it says here) which is good enough for me.

Moving swiftly on to the Massonix portion, the music found on 'Hollingsville' was originally created for a 12-part radio series on Resonance 104.4 FM featuring writer (and one-time fellow Biting Tongues man) Ken Hollings. It uses pre-synth analogue machines extensively but, to the best of my knowledge, does not have any cheese connections.

Hommage au Frommage / Hollingsville is available for 14.99 GBP as an LP with download code via Finders Keepers Records.

You may also wish to investigate a non-Massonix Massey Mixcloud mix entitled Outer Planets that Graham has done for his segment of Manchester District Music Archive exhibition 'Defining Me (Musical Epiphanies in Greater Manchester)' (more on that in our next post). This charts Graham's interest in space music starting in the early 1960s with Joe Meek & Barry Gray and featuring Hawkwind, Gong, Sun Ra and much more. Trippy man!

The Record Peddler's Factory Video Guide Pt 1

2013-08-26T20:13:00.000+01:00

Factory Records released many retail videos but what about those hard-to-find promos they also did?
These were mainly one-track (with the odd compilation thrown in) original videos that were used as promotional tools for singles and other releases.

Many of these found there way onto the consumer market through one route or another. And if you were in Manchester, your go-to place for Factory product was, of course, The Record Peddler. Sadly the Peddler is long gone from Swan Street but the legacy lingers on and Mark from the shop has provided Cerysmatic Factory with detailed information on several releases which should help distinguish the genuine articles from the knock-offs. Catalogue numbers, credits, oddities and, in some cases, a brief description of the video itself are all here.

Factory's promo videos generally came as VHS tapes in in hard plastic cases with the release information specified in one or more of the following ways:

- chopped down sleeves from a 12" single inserted into the pocket on the case to create an impromptu cover
- generic Factory black and white sleeve with the title details hand-written
- a title sticker typed and adhered to the actual tape
- a typed title sticker adhered to the spine of the tape
- a countdown clock at the beginning of the video
- none of the above and are simply a VHS tape in a box with no identifying marks!

So, here we go with selected releases up to Fac 247...

Fac 73R: New Order – Blue Monday (1988 Breer & Wegman version)

Starts with colour bars and sound level continuous beep, then to black screen and video start. Full video and then to black screen. Tape is complete in clear plastic box. The tape has ANS International Video Ltd labelling to front and spine.

Fac 176: Happy Mondays – Tart Tart

Starts with Colour Bars and beep, then countdown clock with the legend 'Happy Mondays, Tart Tart, Fac 176, A film directed by Michael Avatar and Donald Guy, March 1987'. Full video finishes and fades to black screen. This tape comes in a genuine IKON black video box

Fact 180/1: Various – Factory Instore video No.1

This is a genuine original VHS tape, with glossy card title cover and IKON label on the tape. The box is a black IKON video box. The full tape lasts 63 minutes. Each track is preceded by a flashing IKON/Factory logo and black and white title. Following the William S. Burroughs final track, the legend 'The End' precedes the flashing IKON/Factory slide and the 'Factory Communications 1987' in white on a black background. This stays on the screen for several minutes before cutting to black.

Fac 183: New Order – True Faith

This is a genuine copy which comes in a black plastic IKON video box. It begins with a countdown clock with the legend 'New Order, True Faith, 4mins 22 secs, Factory Communications Limited, RX 14/7/87. The full video fades to scrambled lines on the screen and the legend 'Factory Communications ltd. 1987'. This is followed by slide titles: New Order True Faith / Director Philipe Decoufle / Producer Michael H. Shamberg / Executive Producer Anthony H. Wilson / Production, Paris Jean-Luc Ormieres for Titane / Production Glastonbury Anthony H. Wilson / Post production Mark Eskenazi, Craig Price (SVC London).

Fac 188: Biting Tongues – Compressor

Wrongly titled 'Compression' on the title card. Starts with a countdown clock and the legend 'Ikon Productions, Biting Tongues, Compressor, Dur: 4 min 52 secs, Media Communications. Bizarrely it also has a copy of ACR 'Shack-up' Video after the compressor video. This is complete from the mesh at the start to a still fade out at the end. I have no idea why this is. The tape and contents are just as I received them from a promoter.

Fac 192: Happy Mondays – 24 Hour Party People

This video comes in a 'Media Communications' box and the videotape has matching labels (wrongly labelled as FACT 192). The complete video from a still start to a fade-out at the end.

Fac 193: New Order – Touched by the Hand of God

Comes in a blue plastic box. The tape has a Media Communications labels on front and spine with title, date, etc (title is misspelt 'hands'). The video is full and continues after the music track ends, until Peter Hook kicks away some debris on the stage and comes to a still and fades. % minutes in total according to the label!

Fac 197: Fadela – N'sel Fik

Comes in a black plastic box with the title typed on the cover and label. There is also a promoters label on the tape. The full video of a 'belly dancer' with montage of middle-eastern life lasts approximately 3 mins 06 secs.

Fac 211: 'Wired' feature - Joy Division, Channel 4 documentary, July 1988

This is a TV copy, not a promotional copy from a Media Company.

Fac 212: Happy Mondays – "Wrote for Luck, the movies, work in progress by the Bailey Brothers for Happy Mondays and Factory Communications"

This video comes in a black plastic box with a cover featuring a cut-down 12" sleeve. The label on the front of the tape has all of the above titling printed in black on a lime green background. The video starts with the word 'Performance' appearing across the screen from left to right and flashing blue and pink. This fades to a nightclub setting and the legend 'Manchester, Legends, 191088'scrolls across the screen from left to right over the intro music of the track. The video continues with the band and adult friends on the dance floor of the club. The full video is followed by individual appearances of each of the band members, Paul, Shaun. Gary, Mark, Bez, and then the legend 'That's all folks' scrolls across the screen from left to right. The picture then scrolls to the right leaving a black screen. The whole video lasts approximately 4 minutes in length.

Fac 213: Joy Division – Atmosphere

Starts with the Legend 'Joy Division' with a plus sign above and a minus sign below. The full video fades in at the beginning and out at end. This is followed by a plus sign above a minus sign, which fades to black and the legend 'Copy write MCMLXV111, Factory Communications' Fades to black.

Fac 222: Happy Mondays & Karl Denver – Lazyitis

This video comes in a blue plastic box with a cover featuring a cut-down 12" sleeve. The tape has a Media Communications typed title sticker on the front. The full length video lasting around 4 minutes continues after the soundtrack finishes and fades from a view of a barbed wire fence in the rain

Fac 223: New Order – Fine Time

This video comes in a blue plastic box with a cover featuring a cut-down 12" sleeve. The tape has a Media Communications typed title sticker on the front. The full length video continues to fade after the soundtrack has finished and then the legend 'TM 1988 Factory Communications' appears across the bottom of the screen. The video lasts 3 mins 27 secs.

Fac 228: Karl Denver – Wimoweh

This video comes in a blue plastic box with a cover featuring a cut-down 12" sleeve. The tape has a Signal Vision typed title sticker on the front of the box and also on the tape. The video begins with an intro by DJ Alan Freeman and continues into the animated cartoon and costumed dancers fading to black at the end. The full version lasts 3mins 54 secs.

Fac 232: Happy Mondays – Wrote for Luck (Raw mix)

This video comes in a black plastic box with no cover but has a Media Communications typed title sticker on the front of the tape. The full video contains slightly different Legends footage to Fac 209, some sped up and is followed by individual appearances of each of the band members, Paul, Shaun. Gary, Mark, Bez, and then the legend 'That's all folks' scrolls across the screen from left to right. The picture then scrolls to the right leaving a black screen. The whole video lasts approximately 4 mins 7secs in length.

Fac 232: Happy Mondays – WFL (Vince Clarke Mix)

This video comes in a blue plastic box with a cover similar to the release, but on good stock paper and states 'The Vince Clarke Mix'. The tape has a Signal Vision (Different production company to the above) typed title sticker on the front of the cassette. This is a different version of the song and although the footage is from Legends as with Fac 209, some different footage is used during this video. The full length of the track is 3 mins 13 secs.

Fac 242: Happy Mondays – Hallelujah

This tape comes in a blue plastic cover with Signal vision typed labels on the front of the box and tape. Dated 24.10.89, The full sepia coloured video of the band in a warehouse, in slow motion and normal speed, with dry ice and feathers on the floor and falling from above and hand held flares lasts approximately 3mins 13 secs and fades to black at the end.

Fac 242R: Happy Mondays – Clap Your Hands

This tape comes in a blue plastic cover with Signal Vision typed labels on the front of the box and tape. The full length sepia coloured video of the band in a warehouse, in slow motion and normal speed, with dry-ice and feathers on the floor and falling from above and hand held flares lasts approximately 3mins 33 secs and fades to white at the end.

Fac 247: Revenge – 7 Reasons / Jesus I Love You

This tape comes in a blue plastic cover with Signal Vision typed labels on the front of the box and tape. The full length video of 7 Reasons, in a mixture of colour and black and white, features footage of an urban and suburban nature interspersed with footage of the band underwater with fruit and flowers! The full length video lasts approximately 4mins and 5 secs. The video for Jesus I Love You, whilst obviously shot at the same time and containing some similar footage does not have industrial images and has different footage interspersed with some footage from 7 reasons. Jesus lasts approximately 4mins and 5secs also.

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That's all for Part One but we'll be back with more later...

Many thanks to Mark @ The Record Peddler for info.

Peter Staessens Photography

2012-04-12T22:27:00.000+01:00

Check out peterstaessens.be for Factoryesque live photography featuring Section 25, The Names, Peter Hook, A Certain Ratio, Biting Tongues, Minny Pops, The Wake and more. The recently-updated site features pics the Plan K Factory nights in 2007 and 2009 plus and other European gigs.

Scream City 5 CDR tracklisting

2010-07-03T20:00:00.000+01:00

Scream City 5, the Factory Records fanzine, is out now and there are still copies available with the limited edition compilation CDR, the tracklisting of which is:

1. Section 25 Poppyfields (Live at Plan K) 5.12
2. Ike Yard Sweep 4.56
3. Thick Pigeon Merry Christmas 3.41
4. The Wake Something Outside (Live at Plan K) 5.35
5. The Names Zeroes 5.30
6. The Durutti Column Untitled Guitar Piece 1989 1.46
7. Biting Tongues Iyahbhoone (Live at Plan K) 6.09
8. The Distractions (I Thought You Were Dead) Josephine (Hollywood Mix) 2.02
9. Shark Vegas You Hurt Me (Radio Edit) 4.47
10. Fidelity Kastrow & Spartak Bad Love (Reeder's Playing the Game Radio Mix) 3.19

Scream City 5 (and a few copies of Scream City 4) are available to buy on eBay priced £3.00 plus Worldwide P+P.

Scream City 5 out now

2010-06-28T23:39:00.000+01:00

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.

Auteur Labels - Factory Records 1987

2010-05-07T13:13:00.000+01:00

News just in from LTM of a new instalment in the Auteur Labels series and the second in the Factory Records year. Auteur Labels - Factory Records 1987 includes choice cuts from New Order, ACR, Happy Mondays, The Durutti Column, The Wake, Section 25 and many more. It is released on 12 July 2010 via LTM.

Tracklisting

New Order - True Faith
A Certain Ratio – Bootsy (Racic Remix)
Happy Mondays – 24 Hour Party People
Quando Quango – Bad Blood
Biting Tongues – Compressor
The Durutti Column – Catos Con Guantes
Fadela – N'Sel Fik
Arthur Baker – Come On
The Hood – Salvation! (Nitro Dub)
Pleasure Crew – So Good
Meat Mouth – Meat Mouth Is Murder
Miaow – When It All Comes Down
The Wake – Furious Sea
Section 25 – Bad News Week (The Cough Mix)

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Title: Auteur Labels - Factory Records 1987
Label: LTM
Catalogue number: LTMCD 2555
Format: CD
Release date: 12 July 2010

Also available: Auteur Labels - Factory Records 1984.

Available from LTM Mail Order.

Larry Cassidy (1953-2010)

2010-02-28T18:16:00.000+00:00

We report with great sadness the death of Larry Cassidy, singer and bassist with cult Factory Records post-punk group Section 25. Larry was found at his home in Blackpool on Saturday 27 February, and though the cause of death has not yet been confirmed there appear to be no suspicious circumstances.

Born in Blackpool in April 1953, Lawrence John Cassidy decided against joining his father’s family business (Casdon Toys) and opted instead to study art in London, gaining a first class degree in 1977. Inspired by psychedelia and Krautrock, and by exposure to punk at the Roxy club, Larry decided to form a band back home, recruiting younger brother Vin on drums, and guitarist Paul Wiggin. The name Section 25 referred to a clause in the Mental Health Act allowing for involuntary detention. Thanks to early mentors Joy Division the group joined Factory Records in 1979, recording their first single (Fac 18) with Ian Curtis and Rob Gretton producing.

Their debut album Always Now (1981) was recorded with producer Martin Hannett, and came packaged in a costly and elaborate pochette sleeve designed by Peter Saville. "I did get a fascinating brief from Larry," explains Saville on one of his finest works, "I seem to remember he wanted something quite European, but psychedelic - and with some Oriental influences. After that, I was on my own!"

Saville also designed the cover of From the Hip, their third album from 1984. Co-produced by Bernard Sumner of New Order, From the Hip saw a successful transition from abrasive post-punk to smooth electronics, best heard on the proto-techno club single Looking From a Hilltop. By now Larry’s glamorous young wife Jenny had joined the band, Tony Wilson having failed to interest a pre-Smiths Johnny Marr from taking over on guitar following the departure of Wiggin.

Both Wilson and Gretton found Section 25 frustrating at times, not least their lack of orthodox management. Indeed Gretton joked that the band were unmanageable, and that their sole gimmick was that they had no gimmick. A charismatic curmudgeon, and slightly older than most other musicians on the label, Larry sometimes found it hard to balance the aesthetic satisfaction of being a Factory band with the scant financial rewards. ‘You have to stand there out in the desert, holding on to your own little truth, waiting for the boat to come in.’

Section 25 effectively split in 1986, Larry afterwards running a light industrial unit, and retraining as a schoolteacher. Plans to reform the group were upset by the tragic loss of Jenny Cassidy to cancer in November 2004, naturally also a devastating personal event for Larry, but three years later Section 25 released a new album, Part-Primitiv, followed by Nature + Degree in 2009. The Guardian also listed From the Hip as one of ‘1000 albums to hear before you die’. As appreciation of Section 25 and Factory continued to increase, the group again found themselves in demand as a live attraction, visiting Germany, Italy and the United States in 2009, and joined by Larry and Jenny’s daughter Beth Cassidy on vocals and keyboards. Larry played what proved to be his last show with Section 25 at the historic Plan K venue in Brussels on 12 December 2009, along with fellow Factory pioneers A Certain Ratio, Biting Tongues, The Names and The Wake. At the time of his death a remix album, Retrofit, was almost complete.

Larry leaves a partner, Lesley, and two children, Nathaniel and Bethany.

Peter Hook, the Joy Division/New Order bassist who joined Section 25 for several shared dates in 2008, said: "I am so deeply shocked to hear about Larry, and very upset."

Says Vin Cassidy: "My brother Larry wasn’t always the easiest person to be in a band with, but he was the best."

John Robb, writer, musician and fellow Blackpool native, writes in his blog: "Section 25 were leagues ahead of everyone else in Blackpool. They were organized and had invented their own sound – a deceptively doomy, powerful, stripped-down, bass driven, dissonant, postpunk that combined the nihilism of the times with Larry’s art school cool. Another great lost genius. Maybe Larry’s death will wake everyone up to how great his band was."

- James Nice, LTM, February 2010

Graham Massey Q&A @ NOISE lab, Manchester

2010-02-23T00:20:00.000+00:00

Hot on the heels of the Hooky Q&A, Graham Massey (808 State, Biting Tongues) is confirmed to appear in another of NOISE Lab's Workshops / Talks / Performances on Sunday 28 February at 3.30pm.

"As part of Flux Magazine’s February residency at the NOISE Lab, the team present Graham Massey (808 State, Homelife, Toolshed) who'll be hosting a workshop, talk and performance based on his colourful musical career."

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Sunday 28 February 2010
15.30-16.30

Graham Massey Q&A

Noiselab
Market Street
Manchester (formerly Shelly's)

Encore un fois

2009-12-15T21:32:00.000+00:00

The Names (with strings), The Wake, Biting Tongues, Section 25 (with Beth Cassidy) and A Certain Ratio (without Denise Johnson) tore it up late into the Brussels night at Plan K (La Raffinerie) the former sugar refinery in the wilds of Molenbeek on Saturday night.

A hitch with the lighting meant that the doors opened late. Fortunately those waiting outside were eventually let at least into the lobby so they didn't freeze to death in the creeping Brussels winter. Once inside everyone warmed up with James Nice's "black and white art film", Umbrellas in the Sun, turned monochrome specially for the evening.

The main bands were ably supported by the Kevin Cummins / Graham Massey A/V presentation of Manchester Looking for the Light through the Pouring Rain, Re:Order, and DJs Graham Massey, Tom Moderne, plus much more.

Copious (rather too much in some cases) amounts of beer were purchased quite literally with (yellow) beer tokens and drunk with abandon. Various stalls plyed their wares including James Nice's LTM, Parklife, gig posters, and second hand records.

Big Cerysmatic shouts to Caesar, Philippe Carly, Vin Cassidy, Kevin Cummins & Susan Ferguson, DoJo, Frédéric Cotton, Jez Kerr, Marc and Michel from The Names, Mark Rutter, Graham Massey, (The Real) Mathieu, Bruce Mitchell, Mr Moscrop, Liam Mullan, Norbert Dewender, James Nice, Paul Pledger & Ameta, Tony Quigley, Iain Smedley, Ronald & Anya klein Tank and Hans Joerg Zopp (and anyone else who knows me).

And finally, a big apology to the lovely lady in the upstairs bar for taking those tasty sandwiches. However, seeing as this was the only thing we ate all night it turned out to be a good move!

The event page will be updated idc but in the meantime:

- discuss on the Cerysmatic Factory Message Board

- check out my photos on Facebook (viewable even if you don't have a Facebook account).

- read Paul Pledger's review at allgigs.co.uk.

- read Caroline Dunski of LeSoir.be's review (in French) of the night featuring photographs by Philippe Carly.

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ACR setlist: Choir/Waterline, Do The Du, Wild Party, And then again, Flight, Mind Made Up, Heart and Soul, Forced Laugh, Feel Light / Fox, Wonder Y, Knife Slits Water, Shack Up, Si Fir Mir

A Factory running order (and then again)

2009-12-09T19:51:00.000+00:00

Here is the running order for this Saturday's A Factory Night (And then again) at Plan K in Brussels.

Doors open at 18:00 and The Names will be on stage at 19:00 so don't be late. Their show will be filmed and recorded for a forthcoming release. So be on time!

18:00 Doors open
18:10 Projections
19:00 The Names (with strings)
19:50 The Wake
20:50 Biting Tongues
21:30 Projection: Manchester, looking for the Light through the Pouring Rain (Kevin Cummins & Graham Massey)
21:50 Section 25
23:10 A Certain Ratio

00:10 Graham Massey (DJ set)
01:10 Re:Order (live)
02:10 Tom Moderne (DJ set)
03:10 DJ sets: Cypher (TAT), Gore (Cruise CTRL), X-Pulsiv (Pilgrimage)
06:00 Curfew

Roll call on the Cerysmatic Factory Message Board.

A Factory Night (And Then Again) again

2009-11-19T00:11:00.000+00:00

There are just over three weeks until A Factory Night (And Then Again) at Plan K in Brussels on Saturday 12 December 2009 and there's still time to bag your ticket for a (long) night of top notch Factory Records action including ACR, Section 25, Biting Tongues, The Wake and The Names.

Plus there are photographic exhibitions featuring the work of Kevin Cummins, Philippe Carly and Daniel Oeyen.

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Anthêsis, Charleroi Danses and LTM Recordings present A Factory Night (And Then Again)

Concerts

A Certain Ratio
Section 25
Biting Tongues
The Wake
The Names (with strings)

Exhibitions and Projections

Kevin Cummins - Manchester: Looking For The Light Through The Pouring Rain
Philippe CARLY (New Wave Photos - new book)
A Certain Ratio (Daniel Oeyen)

Afterparty & DJ sets

Graham Massey (808 State/Biting Tongues)
Tom Moderne (LTM/Crépuscule)
Re:Order (A Tribute To New Order)
Gore (Cruise [CTRL]), Muffin (Code(s)), X-Pulsiv (Pilgrimage)

Venue

Plan K / La Raffinerie, Brussels Rue de Manchesterstraat
21-1080 Brussels
Belgium

Time

Saturday 12 December 2009 18:00 to Sunday 13 December 2009 05:00

Price

25 / 30 Euro

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More info at lefantastique.net/factory and on Facebook

Photographing the unphotographed

2009-11-10T22:54:00.000+00:00

The Roundhouse in London was the perfect venue for last night's audio-visual book event for Manchester: Looking for the Light through the Pouring Rain by Kevin Cummins. There was a notable absentee in the form of a certain Mr Noel Gallagher but there was a notable substitute in the form of Stephen Morris. Paul Morley, having originally thought he was going to get out of hosting duties was called on to resume this familiar role.

The evening began with a 20-minute presentation of Kevin Cummins's photos set to original music by Graham Massey (Biting Tongues, 808 State) which set the evening off on the right note.

Paul Morley then steered a lively panel and audience discussion session which touched on influences, Manchester, architecture and fantasy bands.

Stephen Morris observed that Kevin Cummins had single-handedly romanticised Manchester the way it's never been romanticised before. That, and he made Joy Division look like they came from Eastern Europe...

On those famous "snow photos" Kevin reminisced that he feared that by setting the band so far away in the shot with the Manchester landscape in the background he feared that the best the shots would get in the NME would be that the Top 50 singles would be listed over the foreground. Fortunately the shots were used unfettered at first and it wasn't until Christmas that the Top 50 singles were added.

Afterwards Messrs Cummins, Morris and Morley signed copies of the book which was being sold in the foyer.

The Kevin Cummins tour continues on 21 November in Den Haag, 22 November in Antwerp (both with Paul Morley), comes back to London on 1 December at the Cochrane Theatre, London (with Paul Morley, Mike Pickering and Bez) before the year's events finish at A Factory Night (And then again) at Plan K, Brussels on 12 December.

ACR @ Plan K & Concorde 2

2009-10-11T23:44:00.000+01:00

There are two A Certain Ratio gigs coming up - one old and one new:

On Saturday 12 December they return to Plan K after 30 years to headline A Factory Night (And then again) at Plan K in Brussels. This unique night also features Section 25, Biting Tongues, The Wake and The Names plus much more at one of Brussels' most historic venues.

Plan K / La Raffinerie
Rue De Manchester
Brussels
Belgium

12 December 2009 from 18.00
EUR 25

And then ACR play alongside the godfather of UK Acid house, Danny Rampling & Justin Robertson, Transformer and many more at the Concorde 2 in Brighton on 7 March 2010.

Concorde 2
Maderia Shelter Hall
Maderia Drive
Brighton

Doors: 17.00
£15

Kevin Cummins @ Salts Mill, Saltaire

2009-09-20T19:30:00.000+01:00

The Richard Goodall Gallery in Manchester are kindly lending Salts Mill in Saltaire the Kevin Cummins exhibition to go with the publication of Manchester: Looking for the Light through the Pouring Rain so that the white and red roses can be united and Yorkshire folk can gaze in awe at Manc musicians in the beautiful roof space at Salts Mill. We will have iPods with specially created play lists for people to listen to as they walk round the exhibition and the austerity of the photos will sit beautifully against the cavernous, poetically delicate space. Admission is free and the gallery is open daily from 11am to 4.30pm from Wednesday 30 September to Friday 16 October.

On Sunday 11 October 2009 there will be special event where Kevin Cummins will be in conversation with Kevin Sampson (Stars are Stars / Awaydays / Powder) about photography, music and the North. This is a ticketed event (£5/£3) and begins with a film about Kevin's work with a specially commissioned soundtrack by Graham Massey (Biting Tongues / 808 State) and ends with a book signing. Tickets are available by calling 01274 587377.

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Salts Mill
Shipley
Saltaire
West Yorkshire
BD18 3LA

A Factory Night (And Then Again)

2009-09-20T11:19:00.000+01:00

Anthêsis, Charleroi Danses and LTM Recordings present A Factory Night (And Then Again)

Concerts

A Certain Ratio
Section 25
Biting Tongues
The Wake
The Names (with strings)

Exhibitions and Projections

TBA

Afterparty & DJ sets

Graham Massey (808 State/Biting Tongues)
Tom Moderne (LTM/Crépuscule)
Re:Order (A Tribute To New Order)
Gore (Cruise [CTRL]), Muffin (Code(s)), X-Pulsiv (Pilgrimage)

Venue

Plan K / La Raffinerie, Brussels Rue de Manchesterstraat
21-1080 Brussels
Belgium

Time

Saturday 12 December 2009 18:00 to Sunday 13 December 2009 05:00

Price

25 / 30 Euro

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More info at lefantastique.net/factory and on Facebook