The Musical Legacy of Manchester

Manchester has long been heralded for its musical heritage – diverse, vital and always ahead of its time. From Freddie and the Dreamers of the 60s and The Bee Gees of the 70s, to Simply Red and Take That from the 80s and 90s respectively, Manchester has always been at the forefront of music production of some of the best-selling and genre-defining acts, worldwide.

One particular movement that especially defined the city was the Factory Records era. Founded by stalwart Mancunian, “Mr Manchester” himself, Anthony Wilson and Alan Erasmus in January 1978, Factory Records went on to become one of the defining movements in music, not only of a decade, nor a generation, but of a century.

Tony Wilson, then a Granada Television presenter and radio broadcaster, and Alan Erasmus, an out-of-work actor and band promoter, joined forces with graphic designer Peter Saville and producer Martin Hannett to form the undeniably strong creative force behind Factory’s look and sound.

Factory’s earliest foray into live music and what would eventually form the majority of their roster was a showcase in January 1978, at which local acts The Durutti Column, Joy Division and Cabaret Voltaire were set to perform. Wilson and Erasmus, with graphics by Saville, sought to release A Factory Sample of the night’s performances, which also featured a performance by stand-up John Dowie. The EP was eventually released in December 1978. Producer Hannett was later purloined from Manchester punk label Rabid, consolidating Factory’s founding fathers.

Perhaps the most recognisable of Factory’s output was Joy Division’s two albums - their critically acclaimed debut Unknown Pleasures, in 1979, and follow up Closer, released posthumously following the death of frontman Ian Curtis.

Joy Division’s initial success lead to BBC slots with John Peel, as well as front cover press from the NME, however, Curtis’s untimely suicide in 1980 lead the way for another of Factory’s seminal bands to form – New Order.

In the midst of musical releases for the label’s roster of artists, which also included The Happy Mondays and A Certain Ratio, New Order and Factory combined to establish a club night, set within Manchester. It was to become the infamous Hacienda nightclub – birthplace of the "Madchester" era in the late 80s and early 90s and home to acid house and rave in the mid 90s.

Albeit the hub of Britain’s glory days for music, Factory Records and their various offshoot enterprises, which included a bar and shop, were running aground, with the party grinding to an end.

Despite its popularity, the Hacienda never turned a profit and, ultimately, contributed to the downfall of Factory Records. Disastrously low rates on the club’s door and bar, combined with the increasing likelihood that club kids would be spending their money fuelling the burgeoning ecstasy culture of 1990s Britain, meant that New Order and Factory were losing alarming amounts of money keeping the club open every month.

Around the same time, another of Factory’s acts was costing the label unsustainable amounts of money. The Happy Mondays, busy recording their fourth album in Barbados only added to the financial woes of the ailing business. When New Order racked up close to £400,000 recording their comeback album, the label looked to be on their knees. London Records were lined up to rescue the ailing business, but when it appeared that Factory held no rights to any of its act’s back catalogues, largely due to their relaxed principals for contracts, London backed away.

Factory Communications Ltd declared bankruptcy in 1992, with many on their roster moving on to London Records regardless. Much like the culture they epitomised, Factory lived hard and died young. Martin Hannett died in 1991, followed by Tony Wilson in 2007.

Manchester continues to offer up genre-defining musical acts. The Stone Roses, Simply Red, Morrissey, The Fall and Oasis have all forged careers that have been both critically and commercially successful. With flights to Manchester from national and international destinations, the music scene and history of the Northern Quarter in Manchester is now more accessible than ever.