Manchester's Talented Army

[Sir Robert Peel]

Good evening, Maart.  Sir Robert Peel calling you from Manchester.

Manchester is the subject of my question to you, dear chap.

I have always been puzzled as to why so much talent has emerged from
the rainy city.  To name but a few we have have nurtured:
The Bee Gees, the Stone Roses, the Hollies, Mike McGoldrick, Oasis,
Morrissey, James, Mike Harding, Elkie Brooks, uisendscw  the Winners of
the Young Radio 2 Folk Awards, and your good self.

This afternoon, I strolled along Market Street and listened to the most
amazing buskers - the Chethams School of Music were playing Verdi's
Four Seasons and the original Guitar George,  of the 'Sultan's of Swing' fame was playing outside Marks and Spencer. 

Maart, what is about Manchester?

Sir Robert Peel
216 years old       

[peluche (Chris)]

Sir .... please don't overlook The Buzzcocks and Morrisey ... surely worthy of a small mention here 

"I feel close to the rebelliousness and vigour of the youth here. Perhaps time will separate us, but nobody can deny that here, behind the windows of Manchester, there is an insane love of football, of celebration and of music."
copyright Eric Cantona (all round 'bon mec' before the kung fu session)

[Paul]

Just to be pedantic, Vivaldi wrote the four seasons, not Verdi.

Do you think there is a slight similarity between peluche's and Maart's avatars?

Paul

[peluche (Chris)]

Do you think there is a slight similarity between peluche's and Maart's avatars?

Nope ... I'm shaven (well I was when wife took that last year) and .. I could never afford a guitar like that ... 

[Maart]

I am very moved by Eric Cantona's comment about Manchester. I've always loved him, from the day he left Leeds to seeing him in Elisabeth as the French ambassador to whatever he's up to at the minute. As for the "kung fu" incident, at least he has that in common with Camilla - they both got their leg over at the Palace...

I don't know why Manchester has such a wealth of musical history. Maybe it's just the biggest town for miles around so it has a large catchment area. The tap water was always fantastic when I lived there and people seem to have an acceptance of where they're from, a respect for who came before them and an almost immediate need to escape.

Let's not forget 10cc (one of my favourite bands of all time), New Order (Go Johnny Maarr Go Go) and John Mayall, who brought Clappo to fame among others. Then there's the Halle Orchestra, who were in the Premiership when I was a lad, and The Smiths. Now if you're not from Manchester, you won't get The Smiths. It's Manchester humour (Hang The DJ, You're The One For Me Fatty to name but two). I was driving in the WAZ!mobile with Pete Zorn (non-driver) and there was nothing at all on the radio. I told him I had to have some Manchester music, no matter what, and I'm sorry. After the first song he was sighing, but I didn't care. After three songs I think he was losing the will to live, but then he got the joke. He laughed all the way through the rest of the tape and we played it a few times that tour, once at his request!

I think probably the main reason for the celebration of music in Manchester is to do with the relief that it's not Liverpool or Leeds, though almost hemmed in between the two. Maybe that's why most Mancs move south or north...

Another thing was that in my day the music shops in Manchester were really fantastic youth clubs with the odd celebrity. I used to go round all of them every Saturday with my mates from school and we'd say thing like "Please can I have a look at that Gibson SG hanging there? No, the red one" and my mate would say "Can I have a go on the Fender bass there?" and another, "I'd like to try that Gretsch drum kit please". Three hours later we'd say, "No, it's very nice, but it's not quite what I'm looking for. I'll take two plectrums please". They didn't mind at all. They were great apart from Reno's, who would tell us off for even looking at the guitars over £20. Anne at A1 was fantastic and years later when I was in town with Jethro Tull I went in for old times' sake and she said "Hello, stranger! How's it going?", like it was a couple of weeks since I'd been last. She'd followed my career. I often think of her. I think she's retired now. The shop's gone now, sadly.

I'm glad no-one's mentioned Simply Out Of Tune yet.

Maart