Cerysmatic.Factory

Steve Martland Bursary Fund

2017-06-24T08:00:00.000+01:00

Sound and Music has launched a compelling appeal to raise £25,000 by July 2018 in order to create a much-needed bursary fund, in memory of the much-loved composer Steve Martland (1954-2013), offering financial support to young composers attending the annual residential Summer School for Young Composers.

Every year, 75 young composers aged 14-18 from all over the country arrive at the Sound and Music Summer School for a transformational week of music making. They learn from and work alongside a team of world renowned composers, professional musicians and experienced educators in developing their compositional skills, be it in writing for instruments, writing for film, writing for non-European instruments, writing for voice, or writing for a jazz ensemble. This is the only course of its kind in the UK and for many of the young people attending it is a truly life-changing experience.

For music to thrive in the future, there is an urgent need to ensure that the pursuit of music and composition as a profession is available to every young person who has the talent. Every year, at least a third of attendees at the Summer School need some level of bursary to be able to attend and in 2015 the idea of creating bursaries specifically in memory of Steve Martland was conceived, from which the current appeal has been born.

Steve's words feel more than ever relevant now: "Creativity is everything that is against what's going on in the world right now. It's to do with tolerance and understanding other people. With more creativity we wouldn't have these conflicts we're having. I know that's very idealistic, but if I didn't believe that I wouldn't be doing what I'm doing. It's about seeing the differences between people and celebrating them. That's what all music is about for me."

An exceptionally generous donation of £9,000 from Steve's publisher and friend Sally Groves, made in memory of her husband of Dennis Marks, has kick-started the appeal. Other supporters are now being sought to make the fund a reality.

The actual cost per pupil of attendance at the Summer School is £1,200, and the fee to parents (without a bursary) is £450. Donations received will go directly towards assisting young people to attend, and a fund of £25,000 means that Sound and Music can ensure the future of the Summer School’s ability to offer bursaries whenever they are needed.

More details and the facility to make a donation are available via soundandmusic.org.

The Record Peddler's Factory Video Guide Pt 3

2013-09-02T06:00:00.000+01:00

The final part of our guide to Factory Records promo videos with Mark @ The Record Peddler concludes with Fac numbers from 300 to the end plus a few bonus items.

Fac 302: Happy Mondays – Kinky Afro

This tape comes in a blue plastic box with a Factory TM black and white promotional cover which has Artist: Happy Mondays, Title: Kinky Afro, Release:8/10/90, Fac No: Fac 302 partly printed and partly handwritten A Signal Vision Typed label is on the tape. The full video starts from a black screen and features the band miming to the track in a TV studio setting with a group of female models dancing top of the pops style. The picture fades to black before the outro ends and the legend 'C Factory Communications Ltd 1990 appears at the bottom of the screen and fades to black. The full video lasts for 4mins 10secs.

Fac 306: Steve Martland - The World Is In Heaven

This tape comes in a blue plastic box with a Factory TM black and white promotional cover which has Artist: Steve Martland, Title: The world is in heaven, Planned Release: Is left blank, Fac No: Fac 306 partly printed and partly handwritten. A Signal Vision Typed label is on the tape.

The full video starts from a black screen and features a montage of scenes of the artist singing and posing, a ranting and raving man, street scenes, a scrap yard and an area of demolition etc. etc.

The video fades to black at the end and the legend 'C Factory Communications Ltd 1990' appears across the centre of the screen and fades to black. The full video lasts 4 mins 19 secs.

Fac 307: Cath Carroll – Moves Like You

This tape comes in a black plastic box with a Factory TM black and white promotional cover which has Artist: Cath Carroll, Title: Moves Like You, Planned Release: 5/8/91, Fac No: Fac 307 partly printed and partly handwritten A Signal Vision Typed label is on the tape.

The full video starts from a black screen and features a montage of scenes with Cath lip synching on a bed, in a canteen, on the streets. This is interspersed with flashing images of Cath dancing, fingers with flames coming from the fingertips etc.

The video fades to black at the end and the legend 'c Factory Records 1991' appears across the bottom of the screen accompanied by a flashing animated image. The full video lasts 4mins 20 secs.

Fac 308: Northside – Take Five

This tape comes in a black plastic box with a Factory TM black and white promotional cover which has Artist: Northside, Title: Take 5, Planned Release: 25th May1991, Fac No: Fac 308 partly printed and partly handwritten A Signal Vision Typed label is on the tape, which states that this is a 'C Format' version. The full video starts from a black screen and features the band miming to the track on a stage like setting, with newsreel footage projected onto the wall behind the band as a backdrop. The video fades to black before the legend 'C Factory Communications Ltd 1991', the full video lasts 3mins 17secs.

Fac 312: Happy Mondays – Loose Fit

This tape comes in a blue plastic box with a Factory TM black and white promotional cover which has Artist: Happy Mondays, Title: Loose Fit, Planned Release: 25 Feb '91, Fac No: Fac 312 partly printed and partly handwritten A Signal Vision Typed label is on the tape.

The video starts from a black screen and is an amalgamation of three different versions of the band miming to the backing track. The first is the band in a studio under electric white light, the second with more subdued red lighting and a naked flame backdrop. The flame occasionally flares up. The third scenario of the band miming sees the band members wearing long haired wigs ranging from Shaun as a Blonde (possibly with pink lipstick) and others in pony tails!!

The video footage continues for a few seconds after the music track finishes. This fades to black and is replaced by the legend 'C Factory Records 1991' across the bottom of the screen. The whole video lasts 4mins 8 secs.

Fac 313/400: Joy Division – Transmission Film

This tape comes in a black plastic box with a Factory TM black and white promotional cover which has Artist: Joy Division, Title: Transmission, Planned Release: Nov 91, Fac No: Fac 400 partly printed and partly handwritten. There is no label on the tape itself. NOTE that Fac313 was the number allocated to the clip, but 400 was used when released as a promo only tape to the TV stations. The footage starts, from a black screen, with a brief glimpse of people on an escalator whilst the soundtrack to the footage begins. This is due to the production of the original TV show footage. The track fades to black at the end before the music finishes, again, this is due to the following footage on the original show. This is the iconic footage of the band at Granada TV Studio's which was shown on the Television programme 'Something Else', a weekly programme giving viewers an insight into forthcoming events in the Manchester Area. It was fronted by Anthony Wilson. The full length of this video is 3mins 24secs.

Fac 327: Revenge – Deadbeat (From Gun World Porn EP)

This tape comes in a black plastic box with a Factory TM black and white promotional cover which has Artist: Revenge, Title: Deadbeat, Planned Release: 20-1-92, Fac No: Fac 327 partly printed and partly handwritten. A Signal Vision Typed label is on the tape.

The full video starts from a black screen and features footage of the band in black and white and in colour miming to the backing track. There is footage which looks to have been shot in a derelict, crumbling building. This has a female and a female child who play with numerous objects such as a grasshopper on a string, flowers, cakes, dolls etc. There are falling leaves also.

At the end, the video fades to a white screen and then black with the legend 'C Revenge Ltd. The full video lasts 5mins 8secs.

Fac 328: Electronic – Feel Every Beat

This tape comes in a black plastic box with a Factory TM black and white promotional cover which has Artist: Electronic, Title: Feel Every Beat, Planned Release: Sept 9.91, Fac No: Fac 328 partly printed and partly handwritten. A Signal Vision Typed label is on the tape.

The full video starts from a black screen and features a mixture of images in black and white, colour and negative. Bernard and Johnny Marr miming to the soundtrack, running along a corridor, on a rooftop etc. There is footage of people dancing on a dance floor, a person having water poured over their head (made red to look like blood?) images of Rooftops and Buildings, and many flashing images. The video ends and fades to a black screen before the legend 'Copyright 1991 Factory Communications Ltd.' Appears across the bottom. The whole video lasts 4mins 7secs.

Fac 332: Happy Mondays – Judge Fudge

This tape comes in a black plastic box with a Factory TM black and white promotional cover which has Artist: Happy Mondays, Title: Judge Fudge, Planned Release: 18.11.91, Fac No: Fac 332 partly printed and partly handwritten A Signal Vision Typed label is on the tape.

The video starts from a black screen and tells the story of a diamond heist. A truck on a highway has the legend 'Enter Access code... Judge Fudge' in computerised imagery imposed scrolling across the screen. The truck, in the rain, enters a secured area by Shaun cutting the padlock on a gate. The band are shown using torches to enter the building and with acetylene cutting gear to cut into something. Some of the band are wearing masks. This is interspersed with the band on a rooftop miming to the backing track in driving rain. There is a rare sight of Bez miming with a guitar! At times, the Co-operative Bank headquarters 'Pyramid' building can be seen in the background behind the band, suggesting that the outdoor footage was on the roof of a building adjacent to both this building in Stockport and the M60 Motorway. The footage then shows the band in more relaxed surroundings laughing and joking, popping the champagne corks and shows a tray of diamonds. The video is a mixture of black and white and colour.

At the end, the video fades to black and the legend 'C Factory Records 1991' appears across the bottom of the screen. The whole video lasts 4mins 7 secs.

Fac 362: Happy Mondays – Stinkin' Thinkin'

This tape comes in a black plastic box with a Factory TM black and white promotional cover which has Artist: Happy Mondays, Title: Stinkin Thinkin, Planned Release: 7.9.92, Fac No: Fac 362 partly printed and partly handwritten. There is a Signal Vision label on the videotape.

The full video starts from a black screen with a small leaflet floating along a rain filled gutter with the words 'Stinkin Thinkin' in black on green paper. A title 'Your Town' appears across the bottom of the screen. The subject of the video is the band miming to the track in a hotel room with some females dancing. Interspersed are several different scenes, from Bez and Shaun having breakfast in a café, In front of a refuse wagon, with Bez handling a white rat; In phone booths and even Bez dressed in a clowns mask dancing in front of school children and in front of a crowd of people whilst the full band steal a gentleman's document pouch! Bez and Shaun, and Rowetta, in the back of police cars handcuffed, etc. Throughout the video, there are cuts to black and white flashed messages with the words: Your town, Father, Home, God, Me, Mother, Happiness, Love, and Enemy. There are also shots of Photo fit pictures of the band members. The video ends with the rat in the gutter with a green leaflet by a grid; this one says 'Kinky Afro.

This fades to black and the words 'Stinkin' and then 'Thinkin' appear across the screen separately. This then becomes an animated credit s screen with the legends 'A wiz music film, C1992 Factory Communications Limited & Electra Entertainment, A division of Warner Communications Inc, which fades to black. The whole video lasts 4mins 50secs.

Fac 372: Happy Mondays – Sunshine & Love

This tape comes in a black plastic box with no details on the cover. A handwritten label has the legend 'Happy Mondays, Sunshine & Love, Fac 372, 9/11/92 written in black felt-tip pen on a white label. Note that this is as it was delivered to me when first released. This is 100% guaranteed genuine.

The full video starts from a black screen and features live footage of the band on stage with the studio soundtrack overdubbed. The footage is subjected to a number of different treatments, including a graining effect, black and white and colour. There is also footage of the crowd singing along. The video fades to a black screen at the end and the legend 'C Factory Records 1992' appears in pink lettering across the bottom of the screen. The full video lasts 3mins 32secs. However, if the tape is forwarded to around 11 minutes, there is a very brief section of footage from the video followed by a countdown clock with the legend 'happy mondays, "sunshine & love", duration 3min 20sec, date 31.10.92, 3DTV 101, Portland Mews London W1V 3FH Tel 071 439 1119. The whole thing looks like someone in an editing suite has recorded the above running backwards at a high speed as the countdown clock is running in reverse. At around 11mins 23secs, this goes to a black screen and then some standard colour bars appear and are present until about 19.30 seconds of this 20 minute tape. I had several copies of this tape at the time and all had this anomaly.

The Adventure Babies: Winter Plume / Adventure Baby

This is a promo video issued by the band. The tape comes in a black plastic box with a 'Tape to Tape' promotions company black and white cover which has ** The Adventure Babies** "Winter Plume", "Adventure Baby", Management Danny Macintosh 061-953-4088, Video Production Sparky and Chums 081-348-9003, VHS PAL 625 LINE, 139.91. The video tape has a typed label with the legend: The Adventure Babies, "Winter Plume", "Adventure Baby", VHS PAL 625 LINE. The label also has Tape to Tape, 0713710978/9 Fax 071371 9360 printed down the left and right hand sides.

The full video starts from a black screen with Winter Plume first. This is black and white footage of the band, mainly Maxine, miming to the soundtrack. Dry Ice is used and shots of the rest of the band are spliced into the footage, although they are out of synch and probably not playing the same track! There are also occasional shots of the sea on rocks. This track lasts 3mins 7 secs and fades to a black screen. Adventure baby is next. This again is footage of the band, in colour this time. The band are miming to the soundtrack in what could be a studio location. The track is interspersed with historical footage of what I assume is members of the band from 16mm home movies. This shows a baby in a pram, at the seaside on the sand and paddling in the sea, with what could be ice-cream all over its face, and toddling around a garden. This video lasts approximately 2mins 46 secs. The full video runs for from 6mins 33secs from start to end.

New Order: True Faith – Live in Paris 1987

This is from an unknown source and I don't know anything about its legitimacy. The footage seems to be professionally produced, with multi-camera angles, and comes from a gig in Paris on 8th December 1987. The typed insert in the black plastic box lists production as 'Structure Moderne' (which was a video production collective which also produced videos of The Durutti Column live in rehearsal at the Hacienda and Section 25 live in Minneapolis). This is also shown at the end of the track before it fades to black. The tape has a hand-written label on a Fuji tape sticker. At the start, there is a split screen and titles. The full video runs for 5mins 3secs.

New Order: Regret (London Promotions Label, NOT Factory)

This tape comes in a black plastic box with no cover details. The label on the spine of the tape is branded 'Tele Cine' with a company logo and the phone number 071 916 3711. The title details are New Order, "Regret", 17.04.93, VPL no: GB-F09-93-0010-0 VHS PAL STEREO, London Promotions. At the start of the tape, there is a countdown clock with the legend: New Order, Regret, GB F09 93 0010 0, R/T 4.06, Tele Cine (and logo), Telecine Mcr: 071-916-3720. The clock fades to a black screen.

The full video starts from a black screen. It is a montage of many images. The band members in separate rooms with their instruments and Steve putting together his drum kit and then the band miming to the soundtrack in isolation. This is interspersed with views of the city (Rome?)and statues, Steve as a tourist with a video camera and a multitude of split screen shots of Bernard, Peter, Steve and Gillian, a bride in a wedding dress, motor vehicles, Motel signage, movie theatres, the coliseum?, telephone booths etc. Throughout the video, there are some scripts in Italian and the video ends with a fire with smoke rising into the atmosphere.

The video fades to a black screen and the legend 'C 1993 Qwest Records' appears across the bottom of the screen. The whole video runs for 4mins 31secs from start to end.

New Order: Ruined in a Day (London Promotions Label, NOT Factory)

This tape comes in a blue plastic box with no cover details. The label on the spine of the tape is branded 'Tele Cine' with a company logo and the phone number 071 916 3711. The title details are New Order, "Ruined in a Day", 15.06.93, VHS PAL STEREO, London Promotions, GB-F09-0019-0. At the start of the tape, there is a countdown clock with the legend: 'Wiseman Digital Editing, New Order, Ruined in a Day, English Version, Dur: 3mins 53secs, GB F09 930 0190, London Records, Prod: Nira, Dir: Keith Allen, 9 June 1993, Stereo, Tel 071 439 8901, Fax 071 437 2481, MCR. 071 734 3200. The clock goes to a black screen.

The full video starts from a black screen and is set in a temple in the Far East. The band are in various guises with Bernard sat negotiating with a Monk, whilst Steven looks like a film producer with a video camera, Gillian is dressed in a white and black dress suit and Peter dressed as an explorer with a still camera. A group of Monks are playing 'Charades'. Bernard mimes to the music and Steven, Peter and Gillian join in the game with the monks, miming playing bass drums and violins. Bernard joins them to mime the last chorus. Throughout, the monks are guessing the title and their words are conveyed via sub-titles at the bottom of the screen. Eventually, the monks are called away by their leader and leave the scene, in conger like fashion, dancing to the music.

At the end, the video fades to black and the legend 'C 1993 London Records 90 Limited, The copyright on this film is owned by London Records Limited appears across the bottom of the screen and fades to black. The full video lasts 4 mins 25secs

New Order: World (London Promotions Label, NOT Factory)

This tape comes in a blue plastic box with no cover details. The label on the spine of the tape is branded 'Tele Cine' with a company logo and the phone number 071 916 3711.

The title details are New Order, "World", 15.06.93, VHS PAL STEREO, London Promotions, GB-F09-0019-0.

At the start of the tape, there is a countdown clock with the legend: Edit Suite One, 23/07/93, New Order, World, Dir: Baillie Walsh, Prod: Howie Nichol Anita Staines, Limelight Productions, ISRC: GBF099300240, Intro Dur 20 secs, Track Dur: 4mins 3 secs, Soho601, Digital Productions, Tel: 071-439 2730, Dol: 071-287 0813. Stereo. The clock goes to a black screen.

The full video starts from a black screen with black and white footage of the sea front at Cannes in the South of France. The camera follows an elderly female as she strolls along a pier to a seat at a restaurant table. She passes Peter sat at a table on the way. The camera pans to a gentleman getting up from a table and Bernard can be seen miming to the track as he approaches steps and ascends to the promenade and crosses the road passing a fire brigade putting hoses away. The next subject is a female entering a hotel lobby and the camera goes down a corridor filled with people including a couple who climb stairs and go into a room. Along another corridor, a male walks out of a room and passes the camera. The camera goes into the same room and shows a female wringing her hands and looking worried. She looks out to a view of the bay and the camera follows.

The video ends by fading to black and the legend 'C 1993 London Records 90 Ltd' appears across the bottom of the screen and fades to black. The full video lasts 4mins 48secs.

Steve Martland 1959-2013

2013-06-19T20:42:00.000+01:00

In celebration of the life of Steve Martland who sadly passed away on 6 May 2013 we present a full transcript of the Factory Classical promotional sheet for Steve which contains a mini-biography, a short piece by long-time collaborator Stevan Keane, Martland's own musings on Wolfgang and "The Critics" (plus a resumé of his output for the Factory Classical label).

Steve Martland

Steve Martland studied composition with Louis Andriessen in Holland and Gunter Schulier in the United States. His refusal to conform to the received stereotype of what a composer should be, and Martland's inclination to regard cameras as an invitation to strip, have raised more than eyebrows among classical critics. Similarly, his strong political views and outspoken criticisms of the British musical establishment hove made him a controversial figure.

Rejecting classical institutions (Martland has described the symphony orchestra as a mausoleum), he has chosen to work with such diverse artists as the post-punk band Test Department; the British jazz orchestra Loose Tubes; the Dutch street orchestra do Voiharding; the experimental Maarten Altena Ensemble and the ex-Communards singer Sarah Jane Morris, for whom Martland wrote the song cycle Glad Day. (Glad Day is available on CD single format by Factory Classical, Facd 306).

Drill, a work featured with Babi Yar on Martland's first recording for Factory Records (Facd 266), was choreographed by Graeme Murphy for the dance work Soft Bruising. It received its premiere at the Sydney Opera House. True Colour, an evening of dance and computer graphic art choreographed to Martland's music, toured Holland to great acclaim. His Re-mix won an international award after being choreographed by Aletta Collins for the BBC Dance House series. it follows the success of the Channel 4 commission Cult, a dance video filmed at Manchester's Hacienda club and screened In September last year. Other television projects have included the BBC commissioned Albion which, directed by Peter West, is a sustained attack on the cultural and social legacy of Thatcherism. Like Glad Day, and the video theatre work Terra Firma, Albion was the result of a collaboration with the writer Stevan Keane.

Steve Martland is a body builder.

Crossing The Border

The first recording of Martland's astonishing new composition for twenty-six strings, Crossing The Border was premiered on October 10th 1991 by the Baltic Philharmonic Orchestra In Gdansk, conducted by the composer.This album includes four other Martland compositions made available for the first time; Principia, American Invention, Re-mix and Shoulder To Shoulder.

The use of procedures found in earlier music, for example, the Baroque orchestration principle of instrumental families remaining in fixed groups, the medieval feature of repetition of melodic and rhythmic material, the locket techniques, the canonic and strict contrapuntal writing, the playing 'on' tonality, the rhythmic drive, and a preference for instruments and an attitude to performance outside the classical tradition, are all features common to the music on this recording. Anti-romanticism in concert with a self-conscious rejection of traditional classical ensembles is at the heart of the composer's musical/political stance.

Popular forms of music certaInly have an influence on his work. Witness the simple verse chorus structure of Principia. Without imitating — and thereby eviscerating — jazz Itself, jazz (and pop) instruments are used simply for their sound quality. This music demands hair-raising rhythmic accuracy, the capacity to count irregular meters, the ability to play in unison, and, not least, the stamina to sustain an almost constant loud dynamic. It Is therefore no accident that Re-mix, Principia and Shoulder To Shoulder were originally written for radical Dutch ensembles. That these ensembles prefer to perform in venues other than concert halls is in keeping with the composer's own desire to extend the audience beyond a privileged elite.

Compositionally the string orchestra piece Crossing The Border is a response to the Chaconne In D Minor for Solo Violin by Bach, one feature of which is a constant acceleration of rhythmic activity over a steady pulse. The title Crossing The Border, however, reflects a preoccupation with the social function of the artist. For Steve Martland, all stages of composition— production, reproduction and consumption—are as political as they are inextricably entwined. His ideal: to make the world a better place.

© Stevan Keane, London, February 1992.

Wolfgang

The Steve Martland Band perform Mozart's Serenade in C Minor K388, Serenade in E-fIat Major K375, and Martland's distinctive arrangements of six arias from Don Giovanni, The Magic Flute, and The Marriage of Figaro. in the 18th century life for a jobbing musician was as financially viable as it is now. To supplement their lamentable incomes, orchestral players would often form 'Harmonie' (wind) bands. Like human juke boxes, they'd perform operatic hits outside taverns and at court dinners. With arrangements by contemporaries of Mozart, such as Joseph Tribensee and Johann Wendt, they played some of the best music ever written to an audience that would otherwise never have heard it.

Wolfgang is my attempt to do the same thing, but having looked at Tribensee and Wendt's adaptations I realised they now had nothing to offer. Wind players I spoke to agreed so I made my own arrangements of six arias from three Mozart operas. In the circumstances it seemed irrelevant to be faithful to the original instrumentation. Consequently, each aria employs a different combination of eight instruments Including cor anglals, bass clarinet and soprano saxophone.

I hadn't actually heard half the numbers so I made piano reductions of the full scores and then re-scored the material for the band. Simple string parts found themselves becoming fiendishly difficult bass clarinet parts and the original vocal parts were often split between several instruments. The stratospherically high horn parts in the first aria of the recording — La ci darem la mano — would have been unheard of in Mozart's day. But all in all, with not a single note changed or excluded, the Mozart style is maintained.

Steve Martland. London, February 1992

The critics

'He looks like a construction worker—but isn't. He could be a nightclub bruiser, until you speak to him. He might be in a band named Incendiary Devices or Waspish Malefactors, yet he's not. Martland is a classical composer.'

A girl having a sexual fantasy

'Martland has become champion for a new generation of composers out to change the classical world.' The Scotsman

'A major talent.' The Guardian

The catalogue...

'The coupling of works by Martland for orchestra and for two pianos must be one of the strongest New Music records of the decades'

The Independent (on Babi Yar/Drill)

'... the most exciting two piano work since Messiaen's Vision de L'Amen.'

Q magazine on Drill

'One of the most gripping works the post- minimalist aesthetic has produced.'

New York Village Voice on Drill

'Someone should Drill a large hole and bury Steve Martland and his so-called music now to save posterity the troubl& Letter to Classic CD

Factory

Babi Yar/Drill; A Factory Classical Album, Compact Disc and Cassette; Fact 266, Facd 266 and Fact 266c. Glad Day: A Factory CIasscal Compact Disc Single; Facd 306.

Crossing The Border

A Factory Classical Compact Disc and Cassette; Facd 366 and Fact 366c.

Wolfgang: A Factory Classical compact Disc and Cassette; Facd 406 and Fact 406c.

--

With thanks to Mark @ The Record Peddler for the Martland info sheet

Steve Martland

2013-05-07T17:59:00.000+01:00

It is with sadness that we report the death of Steve Martland, the composer and instrumentalist who recorded for Factory Classical.

Please see BBC News for full details.

Tony Wilson Experience Running Order

2008-06-18T17:13:00.000+01:00

The full running order for Réification aka The Tony Wilson Experience has been announced [all times BST] starting 12:00 noon on Saturday 21 June 2008:

12:00 - Steve Coogan, Peter Saville, Alex Poots
13:00 - Mark Radcliffe Stuart Maconie
14:00 - Stuart Maconie, Steve Coogan
15:00 - Liam Spencer, Phil Griffin
16:00 - Frank Sidebottom
16:15 - Ben Kelly, Tom Bloxham (Emma Murphy host)
17:00 - Jayne Casey, James Barton, Peter Hooton (host Elliot Rashman)
18:00 - 'So It Goes' screening, Sex Pistols episode
18:30 - Clint Boon, Bob Dickinson in 'So It Goes' discussion
19:00 - Sue Woodward, Ray Gosling, Mike Spencer (Jim Hancock host)
20:00 - Matt Greenhalgh, Grant Gee, Peter Hook (John Robb host)
21:00 - Irvine Welsh, Paul Morley
22:00 - Kevin Cummins, Ian Tilton, Karen McBride (Emma Murphy host)
23:00 - Stephen Morris, Gillian Gilbert, Caroline Elleray (John Robb host)
00:00 - John Cooper Clarke, Stella Grundy, Alan Wise
01:00 - ACR live set on stage at Urbis
02:00 - Fashion slot (guests speakers tbc)
03:00 - Musicians slot (guest speakers tbc)
04:00 - Elliot Rashman, Steve Connor on Situationism
05:00-07:00 - Open mic session featuring some of the participants chosen for the event and the wider pool of experienced creatives attending
07:00 - Business Breakfast with the entrepreneurs - David Derbyshire, Gary McLarnan, Sarah Pearson, Elliot Rashman (Rose Marley host)
08:00 - Sir Richard Leese, Iain Bennett (Jim Hancock host)
09:00 - Simon Armitage, Steve Martland (Bob Dickinson host)
10:00 - Alan McGee, Tim Burgess, Belowsky
11:00 - Professor Brian Cox, Peter Saville, Stephen Morris (Bob Dickinson host)
12:00 - Mike Garry, performance poet reads St Anthony poem
12.05 - Finish

More info and links at the MEN.

Steve Martland / Endymion live @ Purcell Room

2006-07-07T14:07:00.000+01:00

On Wednesday, former Factory Classical mainstay Steve Martland played a rare UK concert at the Purcell Room (aka "the tomb" (c) Martland 2006) on London's South Bank. He was conducting the Endymion collective through a programme of original Martland and other pieces.

The small stage was filled with which he described as a "tomb" later) with grand piano, marimba, drums, electric bass, electric guitar, violin, trumpet, bugle, trombone, and 3 (count 'em) saxophonists.

Programme highlights included "Kick", originally written for Euro 96 (no idea why that was included ;-) though Martland made a cheeky comment that he was glad England didn't make it to the semi-final because there would've been a bit of divided loyalty from the audience, not least from your correspondent) and "Beating The Retreat", written as a response to the Criminal Justice repetitive beats legislation and commissioned by the BBC.

Martland does not play, preferring to compose for others. He also conducts in a rather athletic, dancing style. Indeed, during the talk which followed afterwards (unbilled, except for in th programme) it came out that he plays the piano badly and is a frustrated dancer. Apparently, he had wanted to become a dancer as a boy but, Billy Elliott-style, he wasn't allowed to by his dad(!).

From the beginning, the talk took on some quite serious overtones, touching as it did on death and life (in that order I think). Martland, now an Italian resident, bemoaned the UK's classical music establishment and explained why pop musicians should never be allowed to receive government subsidies (and why he's never got any either!).

And so may it remain...

Unforgiving, Unrelenting, Unforgettable

2006-06-24T14:59:00.000+01:00

The Purcell Room presents Endymion featuring Steve Martland – conductor and James Woodrow – guitar for a special performance on Wednesday 5 July. The programme includes five Martland pieces: Kick (1996), The Thistle of Scotland (1996), Beat the Retreat (1995), Damian Rees Saffron for solo electric guitar and tape (1999) and Martland Eternal Delight (1997)

Wednesday 5 July 2006
7.45pm (no interval)

Purcell Room
Belvedere Road
London SE1 8XX

Tickets: GBP 16/12 (concessions 50% off)
Available from the South Bank Box Office on 08703 800 400 or via www.rfh.org.uk

From Cerysmatic Factory With Love

2003-10-16T20:34:00.000+01:00

Inspired by Tony (or Anthony H) Wilson's All Time Factory Top Ten, Cerysmatic Factory presents one of its own.

1. Fact 45 Always Now by Section 25: Quite possibly the all time classic piece produced by Factory. Designed by Peter Saville.

2. Fact 75 'Power Corruption and Lies' by New Order: Along with the die cut Fac 73 'Blue Monday' sleeve, the first New Order covers of pure genius by Peter Saville.

3. James at Riverside Studios 12 May 1985: James had just finished a UK tour supporting The Smiths (who covered one of James's songs) this was great gig.

4. Haçienda 4th birthday poster by 8vo 1986: A stunning design assembled as a collage of many pieces of coloured paper.

5. New Order at Fac 51 the Haçienda Wednesday June 10th 1987.

6. Fact/d 144 'Domo Arigato' by The Durutti Column: A favourite 8vo sleeve for the video and compact disc of Durutti's Japanese concert.

7. Fac 318 'Classics In Motion' at Fac 51 The Haçienda, 16 October 1990: To celebrate the launch on October 29 of their five new releases on the Factory Classical strand 1990 there were five showcases, in Glasgow, Manchester and London. The Manchester involved The Durutti Column and Steve Martland. Classical music on the Haçienda dancefloor.

8. The artwork and advertising for Fact 275 'Technique' by New Order 1989: Factory turns into an advertising behemoth! Inserts in the NME, giant billboard posters, headed notepaper all featuring Peter Saville's dazzling artwork
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9. Fac 211 Wired documentary: Short television documentary centred around the re-release of Joy Division's Atmosphere and the Subtance 1989 compilation. Particularly splendid for featuring Alan Erasmus being interviewed whilst wearing a construction worker's hard hat!

10. Fac 281 'The Area': An afternoon's shopping in Manchester was not complete without a visit to the Area which was tucked away in a corner of Manchester's Afflecks Palace. Fiona Allen, who doubled as box office person at the Haçienda was always game for a chat over the latest Factory developments and a choice range of goodies was on offer. Prenez Votre Desirs indeed.