In the North West of England, within the country's second biggest larger urban zone, is the city of Manchester. It is a place with an influential musical heritage that has produced many of the country's most popular names in music. Oasis and Joy Division are just a few of these names, but a list of all the popular musicians from this city cannot do justice to its contribution to the UKs, even the world's, music scene.
It started in the 60s when bands such as the Bee Gees, the Hollies and Wayne Fontana put Manchester on the map. Top of the Pops, the BBC weekly musical low down, was also recorded in the city at this time. The early 1970s saw names such as Barclay James Harvest and 10cc populate the charts too. However, it was in the latter part of the 1970s that Manchester really became integrated into the history of the UKs music scene.
On the 4th June 1976, at the Lesser Free Trade Hall in the area of Manchester called Castlefield, there was a gig that would go down in history. Less than 42 people stood to watch The Sex Pistols, and though it was a small crowd, in it were names such as Tony Wilson (creator of Factory Records), Bernard Summer of Joy division and New Order, Morrissey of The Smiths, and Paul Morely who subsequently became an influential musical journalist.
Along with the release of the first independent label punk record 'Spiral Scratch EP' by the Buzzcocks, this show was Manchester's claim to fame as a key city in the birth of the 70s punk movement. The late night Granada Television show called So It Goes featured the Sex Pistols before London Weekend Television, and was hosted by Tony Wilson who went on to put on the Factory night at the Old Russell Club in Hulme, Manchester. This grew into a record label of the same name, which put albums out by the likes of Joy Division.
In the 1980s the Smiths were Manchester's greatest offering to music, and they included their place of origin in many of their songs, such as 'Rusholme Ruffians' and 'Suffer Little Children'. The opening of the Hacienda night club and the introduction of the drug Ecstacy brought a big change to the music scene at the end of the 80s. The Happy Mondays and the Stone Roses rose to fame on the back of this scene which was the subject matter for Michael Winterbottom's comedy '24 Hour Party People'. Manchester, since then, has been famed for its great clubbing scene.
It started in the 60s when bands such as the Bee Gees, the Hollies and Wayne Fontana put Manchester on the map. Top of the Pops, the BBC weekly musical low down, was also recorded in the city at this time. The early 1970s saw names such as Barclay James Harvest and 10cc populate the charts too. However, it was in the latter part of the 1970s that Manchester really became integrated into the history of the UKs music scene.
On the 4th June 1976, at the Lesser Free Trade Hall in the area of Manchester called Castlefield, there was a gig that would go down in history. Less than 42 people stood to watch The Sex Pistols, and though it was a small crowd, in it were names such as Tony Wilson (creator of Factory Records), Bernard Summer of Joy division and New Order, Morrissey of The Smiths, and Paul Morely who subsequently became an influential musical journalist.
Along with the release of the first independent label punk record 'Spiral Scratch EP' by the Buzzcocks, this show was Manchester's claim to fame as a key city in the birth of the 70s punk movement. The late night Granada Television show called So It Goes featured the Sex Pistols before London Weekend Television, and was hosted by Tony Wilson who went on to put on the Factory night at the Old Russell Club in Hulme, Manchester. This grew into a record label of the same name, which put albums out by the likes of Joy Division.
In the 1980s the Smiths were Manchester's greatest offering to music, and they included their place of origin in many of their songs, such as 'Rusholme Ruffians' and 'Suffer Little Children'. The opening of the Hacienda night club and the introduction of the drug Ecstacy brought a big change to the music scene at the end of the 80s. The Happy Mondays and the Stone Roses rose to fame on the back of this scene which was the subject matter for Michael Winterbottom's comedy '24 Hour Party People'. Manchester, since then, has been famed for its great clubbing scene.
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