FINALLY, some Hac memorabilia

 "This one's signed by Ian Curtis so I'm charging an extra grand ferrit"

In case you missed Tuesday 29th June's North West Tonight, D from Manchester fills us in:

"Last night, NW tonight featured an item on Peter Hook and the acquisition of his new bass guitar.

Not just any bass guitar. He's had a custom instrument made, crafted from the boards of the hallowed Hacienda Dancefloor, decorated in stripes coulored yellow and black (both colours of which Peter has bought exclusive ownership of) and with the numbers 5 & 1 adorned (again Peter owns exclusive rights to both of these two numerals)"

more info here

Frank Sidebottom RIP

Fuck all this squabbling. Really sad news reaches FUC51.

Frank Sidebottom has passed away after collapsing at home. Chris/Frank was a really lovely bloke and our thoughts go out to his family and everyone close to him.

Full story at the MEN here

A Fac-ing Treasure Hunt!

The Hac DJ booth. Oh, if wood could tell a story. All the greats. Jack leads. A mixer. A box of miscallaneous wires. The last record played within its confines (2 copies of Jamiroquai's 'Cosmic Girl', so the legend goes).

And then... well, it got flogged, along with everything else in the building (and a bunch of stuff that wasn't, so we hear). Where did it end up?

A source (who may or may not have owned it once) tells us it was 'last seen on the land behind The Mackintosh Building near The Ritz. It's an 11ft x 18ft shed sat under some blue tarpaulin. Maybe it could be auctioned off to some idiots and you could go out drinking for a few days'.

CAN. YOU. IMAGINE? 

Imagine getting your hands on that thing!  Oh, the things you could do with it...

According to our calculations, that could comfortably hold  a Qualcast Easitrack 320,

The Black and Decker Wm301 Workmate, 

  A Hornby Cornish Pullman train set,

AND a stack of DeConstruction promos that won't shift on eBay.


Somebody find it, before Hooky does! 

[disclaimer: someone was telling us earlier where they'd last seen the DJ booth. If you're looking for some kind of point, perhaps try another post on here]

Elevated Pub Rant vrs Elevated Pub Rock

John Robb gave us a mention on his personal blog after reading FUC51's Guardian piece. It was only a matter of time wasn't it?

He wrote: "I don’t know if anyone saw that rant in the Guardian about Manchester living in the past by Fuc51 but day by day I’m hearing band after band that proves this rather elevated pub rant wrong."

John has a point. There are loads of cool things going on in the city.

However, the irony doesn't escape us when being chided by someone who fawned over Freebass recently and gave us the literary delights of 'The Stone Roses And The Resurrection Of British Pop', 'The Charlatans: We Are Rock', 'The Nineties: What The Fuck Was That All About' and 'The North Will Rise Again- Manchester Music City 1976-1996'. Oh, and that lovely article about vital new Manchester act Rowetta in the Guardian.

Death To Trad Rock, eh?

Hac-Beens

 

One commentator said to FUC51 that, if we actually bothered to go to Fac251, we'd "see that it's actually packed full of teenagers having a great time to new bands or modern tunes". Yes, we know they have a dubstep night.

Alas, this point isn't exactly helped by this poster, spotted this weekend promoting a veritable array of Hacienda Dad's Army types.

Allister Whitehead (CHECK!) Hooky (CHECK!) Elliott 'last record at the Hacienda' Eastwick (CHECK!) Greg Wilson (CHECK!) Graeme Park (CHECK!) Martin Moscrop (CHECK!)

Arthur Baker, in case you'd forgotten, is credited with teaching Hooky to do his trademark 'ride the bass EQ like a champion jockey' DJ move, as mentioned on his Myspace:

"Im messing with the eq. on the desk , as taught to me by the great Arthur Baker, to emphasise rolls hand claps effects etc, then you sneak the bottom end out then bring it back in suddenly for added frisson. Shit he will kill me for telling you!"

See this 'secret weapon' in action here.

Ian Brown, Peter Hook and "pink faces in faded Stone Island"

We wrote a piece for the Guardian Guide on the forthcoming Ian Brown Platt Fields gig.

Our fee has been donated to the proper Manchester heroes at Christie Hospital.

Factory Foundation Recordings

What's this? A label set up by the late Tony Wilson and Esther O'Callaghan before he died, called Factory Foundation Recordings? Oh fucking hell - this is going to be hilarious, bet they're putting out 'Pills and Thrills' again inside a massive ltd-edition black and yellow E, right?

Wait, what's this? Silverclub? Aren't they a new band? But, but, they're new...? And we hear a band called Suzuki Method are next up to release something? But they weren't even there! Shurely shome mishtake? Nope, they really are putting out releases by new bands, and there's a not a press release full of stale Hac anecdotes anywhere to be seen.

The profits from the label also go back into providing free music workshops for disadvantaged children and young people. Let it never be said we're not positive on this blog, and here's heritage being used for the powers of good. Good on them.
(yes, we know the Foundation's been going since 2003, but the label's a new thing)

FAC251 to honour Manchester's musical heritage!

We've been slating Hooky and Co (not be confused with Legs & Co) for rolling around in Manchester's 20 year musical heritage like a pig in shit, but we can't fault his latest foray into the past as it has been announced that Factory251 is to host an evening in tribute to Maurice Gibb.

Peter Hook's Extraordinary Stories!

Some wag has been showcasing some of Hooky's amazing stories that he shares when he's "out and about".

Called Peter Hook's Extraordinary Stories, we see the Freebasing Manc' at his mercurial best! Click here to see them all!