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The Haçienda DJ Booth

by on 10. Feb, 2012 in Black Culture, DJ / Club Culture, DJ Appearances, Manchester, The Eighties

Not the iconic one up on the balcony, but the initial side of stage location. This bit of history comes courtesy of Hewan Clarke, the original Haçienda DJ, who had to put up with what was one of the worst thought out DJ booths I’d ever come across, located in a separate room down some stairs to the side of the stage, with a narrow slit window enabling you to view little more than the feet of those outside in the club.

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Redesigned Revitalized Electrofunkroots Revamped

by on 27. Jan, 2012 in Black Culture, DJ / Club Culture, Manchester, Mixes, The Eighties, The Seventies

I’m absolutely delighted to be finally able to announce that the revitalized Electrofunkroots website is now live and kicking, having undergone a complete overhaul, with loads of new content added. Originally launched back in August 2003, Electrofunkroots is absolutely central to my work, providing the foundation from which my DJ career was rejuvenated, and the catalyst for all my subsequent documentation of UK dance culture, and popular culture in general (without Electrofunkroots it’s doubtful that I’d have set up this blog, 7 years later down the line).

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Living To Music – The Stone Roses ‘The Stone Roses’

by on 21. Dec, 2011 in Art & Design, CD’s / Digital, DJ / Club Culture, DJ Appearances, Hear, Living To Music, Manchester, Merseyside, Photography, Psychedelia, Records, The Beatles, The Eighties, The Nineties

As we enter 2012 I thought this would be the ideal Living To Music choice to kick off the year, especially given that the first Sunday in January is also the first day of a new year. This highly acclaimed and much-loved 1989 LP, which perfectly caught the mood of the times, provides us with the opportunity to re-visit the past, whilst looking ahead to the summer. When an announcement was made earlier this year, that The Stone Roses are to re-form for 2 shows at Manchester’s Heaton Park in June 2012 (with a 3rd later added), there was genuine intrigue and anticipation. This wasn’t a case of another comeback cash-in, but something more symbolic. If ever there was a band with unfinished business to accomplish, it’s The Stone Roses.

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Sir Jimmy Savile

by on 29. Oct, 2011 in Manchester, Radio, RIP, The Eighties, The Fifties, The Forties, The Nineties, The Seventies, The Sixties, TV

Seminal British Disc-Jockey Sir Jimmy Savile died today, two days before his 85th birthday.

Leeds born Savile claimed to be the first DJ to use two turntables, in the late 40’s. Although this remains disputed, there’s no doubt that Savile was a pioneer when it came to playing records in dance halls, most notably in his home city and across the Pennines in Manchester.

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Manchester Vibes In The Area

by on 11. Oct, 2011 in Black Culture, DJ / Club Culture, DJ Appearances, Interviews, Manchester, Remixes / Edits

Last April the city was once again where I went to try out a new idea - Reels Of Steel, where a further visual element is introduced whilst I DJ , the chosen venue being the recently refurbished Band On The Wall. I’ve since presented Reels Of Steel at Glastonbury and Bestival, and I’m back at Band On The Wall for a second instalment this Friday. This quartet of appearances are the prelude to the full launch of Reels Of Steel next year, giving me the opportunity to further develop the idea and iron out any rough spots in the process. Here’s some footage from last time that’s just been uploaded onto YouTube:

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Music Is Better Re-Edited Highlights

by on 27. Sep, 2011 in CD’s / Digital, DJ / Club Culture, DJ Appearances, Hear, Manchester, Mixes, Remixes / Edits

Just dug out a copy of the Music Is Better CD, a limited edition of 500 that followed my DJ comeback on December 20th 2003 at the Music Is Better night in The Attic, Manchester. It’s now been made available on my SoundCloud as exclusive content (which means you can’t see the waveform to stream/download unless you’re signed in).

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Legend – Manchester’s Other Club

by on 23. Aug, 2011 in Black Culture, DJ / Club Culture, DJ Appearances, Hear, Manchester, Records, The Eighties, Video

For my 100th blog post thought I’d flag up another personal anniversary this month.

Everyone has heard of The Haçienda, but not many people know about Legend, which could well be described as Manchester’s other club of the 80’s – I was fortunate enough to be associated with both.

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Living To Music – Primal Scream ‘Screamadelica’

by on 28. Mar, 2011 in CD’s / Digital, DJ / Club Culture, Film, Hear, Living To Music, Manchester, Read, Records, The Eighties, The Nineties

This Sunday (April 3rd), at 9pm, you’re invited to share a listening session with some likeminded souls, wherever you might be. This can be experienced either alone or communally, and you don’t need to leave the comfort of your own home to participate. Full lowdown here:
http://www.gregwilson.co.uk/2010/06/living-to-music/

‘Screamadelica’, the third album by Scottish indie-rockers Primal Scream, was a departure from their previous recordings. Taking up the baton from Madchester’s Indie-Dance exponents, the Happy Mondays and the Stone Roses, Primal Scream put their finger firmly on the pulse of cultural change, triggered by the Acid House movement of the late 80’s, and instinctively set about soundtracking it, capturing the essence of the era more than any other album – it was a zeitgeist bullseye.

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Turntable Edits

by on 11. Feb, 2011 in DJ / Club Culture, Hear, Manchester, Radio, Records, Remixes / Edits, Tape, The Eighties

I’ve just uploaded three previously unavailable ‘turntable edits’ (as I called them at the time), which can now be streamed at my MixCloud page. Back when I did them in 1984, their original purpose was to help me in my forlorn quest to make a breakthrough into remixing, but they were also played on Manchester’s Piccadilly Radio during Timmy Mallett’s award winning ‘Timmy On The Tranny’ shows, which hit the bullseye with the teenage audience they were aimed at.

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Hooky’s Book

by on 18. Jan, 2011 in Black Culture, Books, DJ / Club Culture, Interviews, Manchester, Read, The Nineties

I was recently asked about Peter Hook’s book by Joe Rose on the Big Chill forum. He commented “just been reading about you in Hooky's 'Haçienda - How Not To Run A Club'... sounds like those early days at the Hac were bizarre!” To which I replied:

“I'm particularly happy there's finally a book about The Haçienda out there that gives props to the black scene and its key influence on the club. Generally this is missed out completely when people are writing about its part in dance culture...

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