I went to England’s second city to see the Weakerthans this weekend (I’ll post a short review soon.) Not having been there before I took my camera with me. Here’s the gothic-style town hall and Christmas Market.
Canal Street, where Queer as Folk was set and filmed:
I sought out the Haçienda but it had been turned into a block of flats. Boo. It looked so boring that I tried to do something a bit arty with the photo.
I didn’t think to find Salford Lads Club. Maybe next time.
Why is Manchester Englands second city exactly? I thought it was Birmingham, or Liverpool or Newcastle. I suppose it depends on your perspective
I do hope its not because it gave the world Oasis and the “Madchester scene, I rather look at that as a negative contribution! And no, Im not from any of those towns!
Well, as the BBC article says it came top in a poll of people in the UK to find the second city. It does indeed depend on your perspective, but I think Manchester is a good choice. I’m not into the whole madchester thing but you can’t deny the influence of bands like the Smiths, Joy Division and New Order. I don’t think any of the other cities you mentioned saw that sort of talent emerge in the late 20th century (and I live in Liverpool btw!)
I think you’re right on perspective, it depends on the music you like. Birmingham in the mid to late 20th century produced such diverse acts as Moody Blues, The Move, ELO, UB40, Jaki Graham, Judas Priest, Black Sabbath,Led Zeppelin and Duran Duran. Still, a Liverpudlian bigging up Manchester…next thing we know there’ll be peace in the Middle East!
Yeah, but the thing is that most of the bands you mention emerged in the sixties, seventies and early eighties. Manchester’s musical renaissance began in the mid-eighties and continued through into the nineties. That’s why the city appears to have more of a cultural influence from todays perspective, particularly if you weren’t alive when Led Zep etc ruled the world.
You gotta give Birmingham credit for being the birthplace of metal though. Love Sabbath and Priest!
It’s funny, isnt it, metal really did grow up out of industrial cities such as Birmingham and Sheffield. There’s a thesis in that somewhere!
And sadly, I was not only alive when Zep ruled the world, I went to the gigs!
It’s funny that you say that, because I actually did consider writing my thesis on why metal is so popular in northern industrial-type places, but I ended up just writing a shorter paper on the topic instead.
There’s a bit in the BBC’s Seven Ages of Rock documentary where the drummer from Black Sabbath, who worked in a sheet metal factory, talks about how he would incorporate the sounds and rhythms the machines made into his drumming.
That said it can’t just be due to industrial influences because post-industrial areas such as the South Wales valleys are still producing new generations of metal bands. It’s interesting.
Do not let any Brummie hear you call Manchester that!