Less Than 24 Hours in Macclesfield and Manchester – a photo essay from July 11, 2025
[Ed. Note- rex’s great pals and hosts MIKE and LISA SIMKINS of Goth Dance legends B.F. G. toured him around Macclesfield and Manchester Friday. It was his first time ever in the area that is home to the largest concentration of his favourite artists. It was epic for rex to finally see some of the touchstones in the area where many of his favourite artists such as JOY DIVISION, NEW ORDER (and other indie legends) called home. It was splendid, exhilarating and a touch melancholic for rex.
Here is a brief photo essay of the day.]
77 Barton Street, Macclesfield Residence of Ian, Debra and Natalie Curtis In 1980IAN CURTIS mural – Macclesfield MACCLESFIELD CEMETERY Approaching IAN CURTIS gravesite“Love Will Tear Us Apart” (Factory Records- 1980)Trying to make sense of it all, including what persons have left at the gravesite.MIKE, LISA and STEVE O’DONNELL (former roadie for NEW ORDER) at Piccadilly Square, City Centre, Manchester A Joy Division single? No. The very confusing placement of a BUCKS FIZZ 7” record “Piece Of The Action” at the gravesite.Entering Piccadilly Records on the search for vinyl orphansSteve takes rex to another great storerex, Mike, Steve and Peter Kehoe, (B.F.G. Bass player) waiting to enter “Definitely Maybe” (aka OASIS BAR) on the first of 5 nights of the OASIS 2025 money grab/ er, Reunion tour). It is ironic that rex would be there on a day when the place was crawling with OASIS fans given his general dislike of the band.Cheeky and fantastico sign out front of OASIS BAR. (Point of reference, Noel Gallagher was a roadie for the Madchester Band INSPIRAL CARPETS before the brothers formed OASIS.)FACTORY RECORDS mosaic on the wall of the OASIS Bar From top MARTIN HANNETT, producer, TONY WILSON, TV personality, and founder of FACTORY RECORDS, ALAN ERASMUS, (actor and co-founder of FACTORY RECORDS and THE HAÇIENDA CLUB, PETER SAVILLE (graphic artist and designer of FACTORY RECORDS jackets, ROB GRETTON, (JOY DIVISION Business Manager and unofficial 5th member.)rex at Unknown Pleasures mural. Top right is LEROY RICHARDSON, Manager of the Haçienda@ the famous Kebab house- The Rusholme ChippyReviewing purchases from Piccadilly Records with pals whilst @ Gulliver’s Bar.Clockwise from top- Mike, rex, Steve, Carol having kabobs. Carol dated BUZZCOCKS frontman PETE SHELLEY in the nascent post- punk days.
[Ed. Note- On this historic day there can only be one song. You have seen the title in a photo above. STEVE O’DONELL recounting for me his numerous experiences in this very room where this video was shot. (It was one of the first music videos ever filmed.)
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