Manchester Nostalgia Time(line)

18.10.11: Seminal Manchester band the Stone Roses announce at a specially convened press-conference that they are to reform the following summer, and will confound received wisdom that lightning never strikes twice in the same place by performing 3 consecutive nights at Heaton Park. They then humbly expect ‘To shake up the world’

18.01.12: Manchester’s own Spinal Tap outfit Happy Mondays make a similar announcement with their original line-up financially placated back into place. An immeasurably complicated man-management manoeuvre considering that Paul ‘Horse’ Ryder had barely spoken to his brother Shaun in over a decade, and guitarist Mark ‘Cowhead’ Day had quit the music business altogether swearing,

‘Never again’

The band also confirm their support act will be none other than Madchester bedfellows Inspiral Carpets, recently reformed with their original singer Stephen Holt back in place of Tom Hingley

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05.01.12 - 26.02.12: NME photographer legend Kevin Cummins exhibition ‘Exemplar: Joy Division’ @ Manchester Photographic. Responsible for the iconography of this incandescent group, and many others besides, as his excellent (2009) weighty tome testifies ‘Manchester: Looking For the Light Through the Pouring Rain’ (Faber & Faber)

http://www.manchesterphotographic.com/portfolio/exemplar-by-kevin-cummins/

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25.04.12: Ian Tilton: ‘Manchester Maverick’. The other man-of-the-hour & major Madchester documenter, more often than not associated with the Stone Roses gives an exposition @ Contact

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03.05.12 – 29.05.12: It’s that man again. Ian Tilton shows off his collection of images taken at the legendary nightclub the Hacienda as one of three 30^th anniversary celebration events ‘Hacienda 30 XXX’ @ Manchester Photographic

http://www.manchesterphotographic.com/portfolio/hacienda-30-xxx-the-haciendas-thirtieth-anniversary-exhibition-2nd-29th-may/

03.05.12 – 19.05.12: That same night Happy Mondays kick-off their 1^st UK tour for 13 years in Newcastle. Next day it’s Glasgow. Day after is their Manchester homecoming gig (they should’ve remembered the songs by then eh?) but unfortunately out of bed again to play Sheffield. 48 hours recovering before Bournemouth, Brixton (twice) & Birmingham. Sunday off; over to Dublin (twice) Ireland; A day off, then Leeds, Nottingham, Brixton (again)

Coming out of retirement may be profitable but it’s also clearly hard work

18.05.12: Peter Hook & The Light @ Factory (FAC251) On the anniversary of Ian Curtis’ suicide his former band-mate & bass player performs Joy Division 3^rd LP ‘Still’ with his own band. Last year their posthumous classic ‘Closer’ and the year before that the entirety of debut ‘Unknown Pleasures’  was performed. 3 years, 3 different LPs but the same date, same place (Factory Records former offices), same morbid anniversary

An emotional, touching tribute to a former friend? Or a rather cynical attempt at milking the cash-cow; flogging a dead horse; kicking the rock-pig? (OK I made that one up) You decide. Check out the last 3 years of extensive tour dates on his website

21.05.12: Hacienda 30 X1: You couldn’t make this up, it’s so unbelievable! As first part of the Hacienda 30^th anniversary lots of old faces (K-Klass, Graeme Park, Jon Da Silva, Hewan Clarke, Div Arslam) come together for a one-off party in the now underground car-park of the Hacienda Apartments block!!

http://examplemagazine.com/features/post/1063/So-Much-To-Answer-For

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23.05.12: the Stone Roses  @ Parr Hall Warrington. Just two days later the Roses play a surprise warm-up gig. To try to ensure only true fans are treated to this up-close-&-personal performance, and avoid extortionate touting, your attendance was only confirmed on production of an item of Stone Roses memorabilia

(30.05.12) 31.05.12 – 31.07.12: Private View for (guess who?) Ian Tilton ‘Set In Stone’ @ Manchester Photographic, replacing previous ‘Hacienda 30 XXX’ exhibition contributions with his images of the Stone Roses & Spike Island, soon to be published by Omnibus

http://www.manchesterphotographic.com/news/set-in-stone-a-photographic-exhibition-by-ian-tilton/ 

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02.06.12: Hacienda 30 X2 @ Sankeys: Celebrating 30^th anniversary of its’ opening Laurent Garnier brings his ‘Live Booth Sessions’ to MCR for the 1^st time. DJ support comes from Justin Martin (DirtyBird) & Oli Furness

04.06.12: Hacienda 30 X3 @ Sankeys: this Hacienda Classics event boasts original residents from key Hacienda nights: Graeme Park (Nude), Kevin Saunderson (Inner City), Tom Wainwright, Alister Whitehead. Upstairs we got Jon Da Silva (Hot), 808 State & MC Tunes. In the bar Sir Dave Booth OBE (Temperance Club), Justin Boardman (Paper Records / Afficiando), Div Arslam & Peter Crook

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12.06.12: the Stone Roses @ Heineken Music Hall, Amsterdam. English fans start to get jittery when it is reported that drummer Reni did not come back on-stage for an expected encore leaving singer Ian Brown to explain to the crowd, 

"The drummer's gone home. I'm not joking. What can I say? The drummer's a cunt"

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Next 2 weeks Manchester sits back & skins up while everyone else (esp. you media whores) holds their collective breath. Most people won’t inhale again until Bob Marley’s ‘Redemption Song’ eases them away into the night

29.06.12: the Stone Roses / The Wailers / Primal Scream / The Vaccines / Kid British @ Heaton Park 

http://examplemagazine.com/features/post/1041/Heaton-Park-[Ex]clusive

30.06.12: the Stone Roses / The Wailers / Beady Eye / Professor Green / Hollie Cook @ Heaton Park: 

http://examplemagazine.com/photos/post/1059/300612-Heaton-Park-AfterParty-@-South

01.07.12: the Stone Roses / The Wailers / Plan B / Justice Tonight / Dirty North @ Heaton Park:

http://examplemagazine.com/photos/post/1060/010712-Heaton-Park-AfterParty-@-South

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People in Manchester talked about little else for many weeks. This was definitely a monumental event in peoples’ lives.

Sadly, one fan never did make it home. RIP Chris Brahney

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http://contactmcr.com/whats-on/exhibition/8-ian-tilton-manchester-maverick/

13.09.12: However... ‘Manchester Maverick’: Examples from the portfolio of rock’n’roll photographer Ian (Mam!) Tilton @ Contact still on display until this date. Go check out the Manchester myth-makers people!