There was a legendary gig etched in folklore in the heady red-hot summer of 1976 at the Lesser Free Trade Hall where the Sex Pistols apparently influenced many members of the audience to head out and form their own bands. Bob Dylan also played there twice in the mid 60’s, one of those performances inciting the ‘Judas’ shout on the back of him committing the heinous crime of going ‘electric’. In 2004 the venue stopped all performances and was converted into a hotel.
My one and only foray was there on 21/05/89, just shy of my 21st birthday to see the 10000 Maniacs. George drove over and it was a busy sporting night as we listened to Lancashire CC losing a cup quarter final to Worcestershire on the radio on the way over and Blackburn were playing Crystal Palace in a play-off match before being undone in the second leg by the forward line of Wright and Bright! Additionally, Barry McGuigan was fighting Jim McDonnell at the G-Mex next to the venue, for which touts were trying to foist tickets on us. He lost that night and it subsequently turned out to be his final bout.
We visited the Friendship Inn in Prestwich and parked up near the Boardwalk. The venue was quite a classical site and was all seated and despite my best efforts we could not get anywhere nearer the stage. Maniacs were in great form and the best tracks were off their opus ‘In My Tribe’ especially ‘Hey Jack Kerouac’, ‘Don’t Talk’, What’s the Matter Here’ and a fabulous encore of ‘Verdi Cries’. A very fine gig.
Referencing the G-Mex Conference Centre above leads to recollections of my one gig there. I have visited the G-Mex several times on work events and it used to be the location of Manchester Central station. They also now have a huge annual beer festival there. Contemporary update is that as I write this they are currently converting the venue to an emergency hospital to assist in the fight against the Covid 19 pandemic.
My one visit was in 1993 to see Madness. Gill was undertaking a Paediatric Nursing course at that stage and lodging at Hope Hospital (now Salford Royal). The tram network running past there was only a twinkle in the developer’s eye at that stage. Locally we used to periodically frequent the disreputable Inn of Good Hope (coined locally as Good Grope!) and visit a fabulous Chinese restaurant about 100 yards from the hospital grounds which was utilised around that time for a scene in Coronation Street involving Des Barnes.
Gill had got pally with a lass on her course who had settled in Monton so we headed with Liz and Clive into the metropolis that night for some nutty boy action. The venue was cavernous and rather soulless and was probably at best half full. As you would expect Madness were good fun, but I struggled to connect with it that night, perhaps due to the impersonality of the venue.
On the corner of Princes St and Portland St there is a faux Irish Bar called Scruffy Murphy’s where around 1993 I saw a lad called Seamus perform acoustically.
As referenced previously Chinatown has always been a central hub for us pre and post gigs and we used to periodically visit the Chinese Jazz Restaurant. On one visit there was an inhouse band playing whilst we were devouring our supper and I recall George requesting a tune, but for the life of me I cannot recall what it was!