King Tuts Wah Wah Hut

 I always enjoy visiting King Tuts Wah Wah Hut and as I approach my 34th birthday I have realised that I've been visiting Tuts for half my life; 17-years!

I've watched some outstanding gigs and had some amazing nights out during that time. Without wanting to sound like James Murphy in 'Losing My Edge'; I was there for Beck in 1994 when 'Loser' was breaking and I've got ticket number 4. Other highlights would be Arthur Lee and Love in his comeback gig after being released from prison using instruments borrowed from Belle and Sebastian - you could hear a pin drop during 'You Set The Scene', the White Stripes breaking through with Jack Whites guitar playing literally leaving the Glasgow indie crowd open-mouthed and a version of 'Jolene' that left my spine tingling, Brit-poppers Menswear romping through a short set and somehow living up to the incredible hype created by Melody Maker and NME, Teenage Fanclub on their Mellow Doubt tour with the crowd joining Norman Blake on the whistling section, Money Mark walking through the crowd to the stage while beatboxing, an extremely drunk and funny Arab Strap, a double-header of Supergrass and The Bluetones…the list goes on.

One night I will always remember is April 8th 1994. I'd only attended Tuts a handful of times beforehand and I had the week off work for Glasgow's Sound City Week. It was quite a week and I caught a youthful Oasis supporting the Boo Radleys at the Tramway in Glasgow prior to the release of their debut single 'Supersonic', also going to see The Charlatans at the same venue with support from Pulp just before their big breakthrough. Pulp were late replacements for Courtney Love's Hole, who pulled out after Kurt Cobain's overdose in Italy.

However on April 8th at Tuts, local indie legends The Pastels were playing with support from a Glasgow Riott Grtrl band called Lungleg. Being a slightly innocent 18-year old I still remember going up to the singer of Lungleg after their set and saying 'that was great I really enjoyed your set' causing the singer and Courtney Love wannabe to smile, before I ruined it by asking 'was that your first gig?' It was lovingly shambolic punk pop! The singer was slightly taken aback!

It was probably just after that conversation when my friend Grant and I first heard the rumours circulating around King Tuts - Kurt Cobain was dead, he had committed suicide. Now you have to remember that back in 1994 only the very rich had mobile phones and the internet was in its infancy. Rumours at gigs and festivals happened regularly - so and so is going to make a guest appearance, so and so hasn't turned up, blah blah blah.

I was a huge Nirvana fan at the time and the band were really pushing forward with their sound. The Unplugged album and performance was truly outstanding. The energy coming out of their latest album In Utero was fearsome. To say I was looking forward to seeing the band at the SECC later that month (admittedly not a very Nirvana like venue) was an understatement.

I'd queued for 2-hours at the old Virgin Records in Union Street to get my ticket for the gig, a ticket I still own. So the rumours going round were more than a little worrying. Yet nothing could be confirmed. My friend Grant and I tried to dismiss it as yet another gig rumour, but with Cobain's recent health and mental state strongly publicised and the general atmosphere upstairs in King Tuts, I think we both knew that something horrible had happened.

The lights went down and The Pastels took to the stage. My memory fails me slightly but I think Stephen Pastel said something like 'tonights for Kurt Cobain' and played their set with little or no between song chatter. 'Thank You For Being You' my favourite Pastels song was a jangly guitar highlight that might have momentarily caused me to forget about the rumour circulating.

After the gig Grant and I went straight to my car - well my Mum's car that I had borrowed. A terrible red Fiat Panda that had an engine size of 950cc! We turned the radio on to John Peel's show, hoping to hear John, a real champion of Nirvana, talking as normal. However we just heard 3 Nirvana Peel session tracks in a row with no introduction between each track. And then there was the announcement that tonights show was dedicated to Kurt Cobain.

Our reaction was one of shock and horror. We were/are both Nirvana fans and when a group like that comes along at that time in your life (Nevermind was released in 1991 when we were both 15) they tend to stay with you through your life. So although I've had so many memorable nights at King Tuts and there will be many more to come, it is that night back in April 1994 that I'll always remember, sadly for all the wrong reasons.

Seventeenth Century & Second Hand Marching Band at King Tuts Wah Wah Hut

My last gig of 2009 was a trip to my all-time my favourite venue to see two of my current favourite young bands in Scotland - Seventeenth Century and the Second Hand Marching Band.

The Second Hand Marching Band are a glorious experiment in quantity and quality, with numbers and members ranging from gig to gig. To list all the members and instruments played would be a blog in itself, so I'll march on (pardon the terrible pun).

Last night there was 18 members of the Second Hand Marching Band on stage. Their dress style ranges from classic geeky indie - red tshirt, waistcoat and jeans, through to glamorous Sophie Conaghan-Sexon on flute and vocals with others wearing Ramones t-shirts, Christmas jumpers and cardigans.

As someone who manages a couple of bands I can only marvel at the thought of trying to get up to 20 people to a practice session or checking who is available for certain gigs. The band managers mobile phone bill must be huge!

The ambition of the Second Hand Marching Band has to be applauded. In a world where bands and artists are selling their souls (if they even have one) for 15-second of fame (never mind 15-minutes), SHMB are warm-hearted, homegrown, lovingly ramshackle and very independently minded.

One by one they take to the stage and then they start, slowly and quietly, gradually building up a cauldron of noise. For those in the crowd watching the band for the first time and being unaware of their numbers, it must have been quite a sight.

I wasn't noting the order they played the songs in, but from memory songs that they did play included;

'A Dance To Half Death' - Every member of SHMB joins in with the beautiful chorus, madolins intertwine with flutes to create a moment of beauty.

'Don't' - My personal favourite. In another universe someone would have started a facebook campaign to get this to number one at Christmas. The melody and beat are infectious and the refrain 'there is something you should know, don't go outside in the rain and the snow'.

The band have released a new EP and the title track 'Grit and Determination' showcases the bands talent and ambition. There is a definite Sufjan Stevens feel to the song. It starts slowly with the line 'I will melt the snow from your heart'. And the song has a warmth that could have melted the snow lying around Glasgow last night.

The Seventeenth Century are an incredible band that I have been following for 18-months now since discovering them busking in Sauchiehall Street. In their early 20's they display musicianship beyond their years. And as the name might suggest, this is not a band that use synths or computers.

Mark Farmer is the singer and violinist and his funky floppy fringe haircut and stage manner immediately attract attention. The band open with a stunning instrumental that builds and builds, reaching climax after climax, ensuring that the audience are fully focused.

The bass player is playing a McCartney-esque style bass, easily the coolest bass that I have seen in a long time. The trumpet player links with Farmer's violin to produce epic soundscapes that echo the likes of Beruit and Arcade Fire.

Farmer sings with all of his heart and seems lost in the moment at times. The band are tight and not afraid to experiment. Single 'Roses In The Park' is played early in the set and is a shining example of what Seventeenth Century are all about. Other songs played include a song called 'Countryside', full of vivid imagery of hills and mountains and a song called 'Francis'.

The band are only on for half an hour and resist calls for an encore. Sadly there is no place in their current set for old song 'Traffic', yet I am sure they will revisit it at a later date.

Seventeenth Century play Oran Mor on January 28th and I would strongly recommend going to see them. It is part of The Mill weekly series of gigs and it's free! Visit http://www.themill-live.com/ for ticket details

Pearl & The Puppets at King Tuts Wah Wah Hut

Pearl and the Puppets, Brother Louis Collective and Kitty The Lion at King Tuts Wah Wah Hut, Glasgow, 21.12.09

I made it upstairs in Tuts just in time to catch the last 4 or 5 songs from Kitty The Lion, AKA singer-songwriter Anna Meldrum and her backing band. I immediately recognised Anna from the Connect Festival back in 2008 when I liked her solo acoustic set. Unfortunately I didn't like her first song about 'Bird Seed that was trying a little too hard to be quirky, funny and clever. Things didn't really improve through the next couple of songs with the band seeming a little one-dimensional. Debut single 'Lion In The Bed' lifted things slightly and the closing'Catalytic Converter' ended the set on a pelasing note, a more upbeat song with the band and Anna gaining confidence and warming up.

The next support act was Brother Louis Collective. With a flutist and clarinet player taking to the stage, along with a double bass player (who was also in Kitty The Lion) I was immediately interested to see what sounds they could produce. The band impressed - they were tight and the second song in allowed the flutist to create some lovely melodies and the clarinet player came in at the end with a brilliant solo, with the resulting jam taking the band into a kind of 70's rock direction. Although I quite enjoyed the bands set, I couldn't help but think that the vocals didn't match the music at times. The flutist and clarinet player were creative and inventive with their melodies, with singer struggling to create any to match his lyrics.

And so on to the headline act; Pearl and the Puppets. I caught Pearl and the Puppets for the first time at King Tuts back in January and then at the Wickerman Festival in July when Katy Sutherland (Pearl) excelled, first by headlining the Solus Tent with a full band, and then playing acoustically on the main stage. I was keen to see how the band had developed over the last twelve months.

The band started nervously, perhaps due to the three photographers in the press pit at the front of the stage. Two of Pearl's MySpace hits 'Mango Tree' and 'Because I Do' were tossed into the set early on and quite a lot of the crowd seemed to lose interest after those songs. 'Because I Do' is surely going to be a hit single in 2010 - simple pop that will have kids humming along on first listen.

Judging by the amount of chatting going on through Pearl and the Puppets set, many had been driven to Tuts out of curiosity and were either not impressed enough or too drunk to listen to her songs, which is a shame as the band were clearly annoyed and disturbed by the chatting. It was a short set, with nothing really of note to get excited about with the highlight being the encore - a solo cover of 'Use Somebody' followed by a full band version of 'Make Me Smile'. It was interesting that Pearl (Katie) seemed most comfortable while playing solo and the beautiful cover of the Kings Of Leon smash hit was easily the song that saw her seem most confident.

It's still early days for Pearl and the Puppets and with a crack management team and major label backing 2010 promises to be a big year. Tonights show wasn't their best gig, but the band are still relatively new, they are certainly very young, and a couple of tours will see them feel more at home on stage together.

Pet Shop Boys, SECC, December 17th 2009

Pet Shop Boys, Bad Lieutenant and Unicorn Kid at the SECC

Thursday 17th December 2009

It was a cold, cold night in Glasgow, but a display of warm electro tinged pop by the Pet Shop Boys warmed the hearts of thousands of music fans and got them into the festive spirit.

I arrived at the venue early, keen to see a bit of Unicorn Kid, the Edinburgh teenager who is causing a stir in all the right places just now. I had seen Unicorn Kid at Cabaret Voltaire in Edinburgh back in August and had been impressed and slightly jealous of the way he whipped an enthusiastic crowd of teenagers into a frenzy with his beep, bleeps and melodies. The cavernous SECC (albeit one of the smaller all-standing venues) was a different matter though - especially considering the fact that the vast majority of the audience were not really who he is aiming his music at. Yet it must have been a great experience for him, although the huge stage highlighted that he doesn't really do much other than push a few buttons and wear a lion hat - his presence is certainly limited although the tunes have enough melodies and ideas going on to mark him as 'one to watch'. He is still incredibly young and has literally came out of his bedroom to remix Pet Shop Boys, tour the UK and America. It will be interesting to see how, and if, he develops and starts to right lyrics, if he sings, or gets a singer.

Unicorn Kid was told to halt his set at 7.30pm promptly to allow the roadies to set up the stage for Bad Lieutenant - Bernard Sumner from New Order's new band. The band took to the stage and Barney said 'hello we're New…Bad Lieutenant.' They kicked off with a song off their debut album called 'This Is Home', although the soundman seemed to have forgotten to turn the mics on and it was only halfway through that the sound of the vocals came on. There was another track of the LP before Barney's co-singer Jake Robins said 'heres one you might know' before the instrumental build up to the New Order classic 'Bizarre Love Triangle'. This classic track quickly wakened and thawed the crowd with some pogo-ing and punching of the air near the front of the stage. Barney did a little bit of his 'dad-dancing' and whistled and whooped… 'you say the words that I can't say.'

Bad Lieutenant came back to the fore with their single 'Sink Or Swim', before 'Summer Days' melted into another familiar intro, 'Crystal', New Order's comeback single from 2001. As it finished the synths started for 'Out Of Control', Sumner's collaboration with Bobby Gillespe and Primal Scream. This is an amazing song of the Scream's XTRMNTR album and well worth tracking down if you haven't heard it. You may have noticed a hint of surprise in my review that Sumner was choosing to play New Order songs, this is due to his profile split with long-term friend and legendary New Order/Joy Division bassist Peter Hook. As a New Order fan my heart leapt at the end of 'Out Of Control' when it segued into my all-time favourite song 'Temptation' - a New Order classic from 1982 that still sounds fresh and vital in 2009. The guitar riff, the lyrics, the hooks and that glorious refrain 'oh you've got green eyes, of you've got blue eyes, oh you've got grey eyes….and I've never met anyone quite like you before'. Absolutely brilliant. And if that wasn't enough Sumner ended the gig with the Joy Division classic 'Love Will Tear Us Apart'.

The curtain dropped, the lights went down, a huge white wall was standing on the stage - a mic in middle and a bank of computers and keyboards to the right (stage left). The music started, a display of graphics came on the wall - were Pink Floyd about to play? The wall opened in two places and out walked Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe with coloured boxes on their heads to launch into 1988 single 'Heart'. 'Heart' contains the simple yet beautiful and meaningful lyric 'I'm in love with you, I mean what I say, I'm in love with you' and I guess that is one of the reasons Pet Shop Boys music has stood the test of time - it is simple yet extremely clever pop music.

'Did You See Me Coming' was next as the crowd found their dancing feet, 'Go West' was dropped in early and the crowd found their voice, expertly conducted by the ringmaster Tennant. 'New York City Boy' proved a hit with the crowd. Full marks have to go to whoever devised the groups stage set - the boxes were knocked to the ground, used to make mini-stages, steps and buildings. Every song had images, graphics or videos displayed in the background, their were costume changes - with Tennant playing the city gent, the futuristic pop star and just a good old Pet Shop Boy.

The hits kept coming for almost 2-hours straight, some I remembered and some I had forgotten. 'Love Etc', 'Suburbia', 'Being Boring' (what an ironic title - could the Pet Shop Boys ever be boring?). 'Always On My Mind' promoted a hands-in-the-air moment with Tennant grinning widely at the crowds response. He was having just as good a time as the crowd.

With so many songs coming thick and fast it was impossible for me to remember the order they were played in. There was a 3-song section where things were slowed down to reflect the fantastic stage show and the 4 dancers that ensured the crowd always had something to watch.

There was a point during the fantastic 'What Have I Done To Deserve This?' when I wondered if those were the precise thoughts going through Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe's minds as they looked out at their adoring masses. The answer was in the music - inventive and original pop with a highly artistic edge, songs and melodies that became engrained in peoples mind on first listen, pop songs that stand the test of time, pop songs to soundtrack nights out - songs to make people dance and sing.

There were many highlights during the two-hour set of stunning pop, but the bit in 'What Have I….?' when Dusty Springfiel's voice kicked in with her image projected on to the white wall was simply stunning - euphoric. It was pop, house, dance and soul all merged together to create something truly special. 'Since you went away, I've been hanging around, wondering why I'm feeling down..'

Two of the biggest highlights were yet to come 'It's A Sin' and the groups debut single 'West End Girls'. Glitter cannons showered the crowd in glitter as everyone danced and sang along. Pet Shop Boys ended with their Christmas song 'It Doesn't Often Snow At Christmas' with snow falling from the roof of the venue.

This was a stunning example of how pop music can bring people together, there were teenagers to people in their 50's (possibly 60's) dancing and singing as one, smiling and laughing. I hope Unicorn Kid stuck around to watch the show…

Second Hand Marching Band, Julia & The Doogans, Esperi and Noiserv

Monday 2nd November 2009

This was a night that reminded me why I love Glasgow so much. 4 bands in 2 different venues.

Julia & The Doogans @ King Tuts Wah Wah Hut

Julia and her band were 4th on the bill. So they were on at 8.45pm. The doors opened at 8.30pm, so by the time they wandered on stage it was still pretty quiet other than a few of the bands mates standing closer to the bar round the corner than the stage.

It was clear from the first song that Julia has a lovely voice, but Julia and the band all looked like rabbits in the headlights, awkward and nervous. The 5-piece line up consisted of Julia on vocals and occassional acoustic guitar and zylophone, a guitarist, part-time flutist, part-time keyboard player and drummer, yet it felt like something was missing.

It didn't help that the flutist and keyboard player were redundant for a lot of the 30 minute set and sat/stood looking bored and out of place. They should probably have gone off and on, as and when they were needed.

The bands songs are actually quite good and as it is early days for the band they need to be allowed to develop, gain on-stage confidence and flush the songs out a little. For example, it would be interesting to hear them with some bass and perhaps and electric guitar could be used on some.

'Collide' was a real highlight in the set. It can't have been easy playing to a pretty empty King Tuts. It's always meant to be a highlight of a local up and coming bands career, that first appearance at the legendary venue. It was a shame that the band were ushered from the stage before they could play their final song 'Glasgow'.

I wouldn't be surprised if they return to Tuts in 2010 with more confidence and a larger crowd. Nice songs, lovely voice, just something missing for now.

After Julia & The Doogans it was time to hotfoot it across town to Captain's Rest to catch The Second Hand Marching Band.

Noiserv @ Captain's Rest

My mate and I arrived to catch the very end of Noiserv's set and we immediately wished we had been there from the start. Noiserv is a one man band from Portugal. We caught him playing a gentle riff on acoustic guitar, he then looped it and added on all sorts of melodies and ideas by using various different instruments.

This built up into a beautiful tune and prompted me to buy his album.

Esperi

Esperi is currently on tour with Noiserv. Again, it's a one man band with a difference. Chris Lee-Mar took to the stage barefoot and then announced he had forgotten something from his van; so it was back on with the converse and up the stairs. He was soon back though, laying down yet another instrument on stage. He started with a song called 'Home' on acoustic guitar, playing slightly jazzy chords but not in a jazzy way.

His voice was calming, never rising too high. He was barefoot again and augmented his guitar by occassionally tapping on bells with his toes. He looped a guitar riff and then started adding on layer after layer of riffs and melodies. Little toy keyboards, wind up toys, water pipes, things he twirled in the air…all helping to create a glorious tune and also being great to watch.

The song lasted around 15-minutes, possibly longer. So there was only time for one more song; another 10-15 minute song called 'Wolf' or something like that. Recommended.

The Second Hand Marching Band @ Captain's Rest

The Second Hand Marching Band can count up to 25 members. So I was slightly curious with regards to how many they could fit on stage at Captain's Rest. As it was they had around 16, with some members being otherwise engaged.

They started with a song on accordian, the choir coming in and engulfing the room. Everyone sings from the heart, everyone sings with soul. Highlight of the night for me was the glorious 'Don't' with its refrain 'there is something you should know, don't go outside in the rain or the snow.'

There is something wonderfully homegrown yet ambitous about Second Hand Marching Band. It is lazy to compare them to Polyphonic Spree, yet I find myself keep going back to that very comparison. It can be hard enough trying to organise and motivate 4 people, so to create something so joyous and soulful with 25 deserves to be applauded.

The band end with the mantra of 'Love Is A Fragile Thing' and that it is, so if you find it, take care.

The Second Hand Marching Band march on.

www.myspace.com/thesecondhandmarchingband

Echo & The Bunnymen, Glasgow Barrowlands, Oct 14th 2009

There is something about the Barrowlands that makes me all nostalgic.

I still get goose bumps walking to the venue and seeing the famous neon sign. I still walk straight to the merchandise stall to check out the t-shirts, although these days it is very unlikely that I'll buy one. I still smell the burgers and wonder how on earth I used to eat one every time I started coming to the Barrowlands, and I still think back to my first gig there as a 17-year old in 1993 to see Teenage Fanclub with support from The Posies and the Juliana Hatfield 3. How I managed to get in with the most ridiculous fake id, I'll never know.

I'm probably not the only one reminiscing about days gone by tonight. Echo and the Bunnymen released their debut single in 1979, 30-years ago. I would imagine that quite a few of the crowd have been following them since around that time. It was when they made their 'comeback' with the glorious 'Nothing Ever Lasts Forever' that I got into them.

The atmosphere builds towards the Bunnymen's entrance with the dj pumping out tunes by The Doors, Velvet Underground and Martha Reeves & The Vandellas. The dry ice is blasted on stage, I spot James and Rab from Glasvegas heading from the back to the side of the stage and before you know it the band are on, silhouettes shrouded in dry ice.

It’s a slow start with two songs I don’t recognise, but 3-songs in Sergeant lets rip with the opening riff of traditional set-opener ‘Rescue’ setting off some pogo-ing and dancing in the crowd. McCulloch gestures for the band to slow down towards the end of the songs before starting the ‘is this the blues I’m singing?’ refrain, then ad-libbing The Doors ‘Roadhouse Blues’ in for good measure.

The crowd is noticeably lifted from this Bunnymen classic and the band then toss in old favourite ‘Villiers Terrace’ for good measure.

Seven songs in and we get ‘Seven Seas’ with it’s beautiful opening guitar and McCulloch crooning his heart out. The Barrowlands crowd are now in full voice and the temperature is rising, yet McCulloch remains icy cool in a long warm jacket.

McCulloch warms to the crowd response and retreats to the drum-riser to light a cigarette. Taking several deep draws as the band start up ‘Bring On The Dancing Horses’

The closing six-songs before the first encore start with two for the real hardcore fans; ‘All That Jazz’ and ‘Zimbo’, before the band play an astonishing run of songs consisting of; ‘Silver’, ‘The Back of Love’, ‘The Killing Moon’ and ‘The Cutter’.

The guitar break in ‘The Cutter’ lifts the song to a level that few bands can reach. Will Sergeant is the master of glorious riffs and melodies, before taking them to a higher place. If Nirvana mastered the art of quiet-loud-quiet-loud, then Sergeant is the king of lifting songs while remaining subtle about it.

The first encore consists of new single ‘I Think I Need It To’, showing that The Bunnymen can still produce brilliant guitar pop 30-years into their career, albeit with the assistance of Scottish pop-guru John McLaughlin on songwriting.

‘Nothing Ever Lasts Forever’ is the song that introduced me to Echo and the Bunnymen and it is a song that clearly means a lot to Ian McCulloch as he pours his heart into it; crooning and swooning through the closing section before leading the crowd into a sing-song of Lou Reed’s ‘Walk On The Wild Side’ segueing into a glorious slowed down version of The Beatles ‘Don’t Let Me Down’ and then Wilson Pickett’s ‘In The Midnight Hour’ before launching back into ‘Nothing Ever Lasts Forever’. It’s a great moment, showing McCulloch’s ear for a tune and his impeccable taste.

The band come on for a second encore with McCulloch introducing his new friend James Allan from Glasvegas on guest lead vocals. Somewhat surprisingly Allan is booed by sections of the crowd, but that only inspires him to turn in a great version of ‘The Puppet’. Allan looks very much like a junior McCulloch with swept back hair, shades and a long overcoat.

The band tear into ‘Lips Like Sugar’ for their true finale. Leaving the audience wanting more. This was a fantastic gig, my only regret was that they didn’t play the stunning ‘Ocean Rain’ in the encore.

Even with only two of the original members left, Echo and the Bunnymen are a band you can believe in.

Peter Hook book launch - The Arches

Peter Hook interview and signing - Glasgow Arches

I went along to The Arches last night to watch Peter Hook being interviewed by The Herald's Teddy Jamieson to promote his new book -The Hacienda: How Not to Run a Club.

Hook was immediately at ease, floating effortlessly into stories and anecdotes about his association with the legendary Hacienda. The highs set the controls for the heart of the sun - the introduction of ecstasy, acid house, Madonna playing, The Smiths, Jesus and Marychain on their feedback tour, Stone Roses in spring 89 just as they were breaking, Primal Scream on their Screamadelica tour, a movement, the discovery of music, drugs and friends, a time that people will always remember.

The lows were the dark side of the moon - gangs, drug warfare, muggings, stabbings, shootings, friends lost to drugs and the general move from The Hacienda being a happy place to one of paranoia and fear.

There was virtually no need for Jamieson to be there as Hook was only to happy to reminisce, although all credit to The Herald journalist for prompting Hook at the right times and steering him from start to finish on quite a crazy journey. You certainly got the impression that Hooky could have easily and happily talked all night.

Through Hook’s stories and banter, it quickly became evident that he fully appreciates how lucky he has been to have played in two legendary bands, to have witnessed first hand the impact of; punk, acid house and madchester, to have been part of Factory and the Hacienda, and to have shared his life with the likes of Tony Wilson, Ian Curtis, Bernard Sumner, Peter Seville and the Happy Mondays.

One great story concerned Hook being outside the Hacienda looking for an aftershow when through his drug and alcohol induced haze he heard an announcement on a radio/walkie talkie 'Mick Hucknall coming through, Mick Hucknall coming through....’ This continued until Mick Hucknall from Simply Red was coming through, actually saying ‘Mick Hucknall coming through’ complete with security guards only for one of Hooky's Salford mates to break through and deck him.

The excess, naivety, art, music and history relating to the Hacienda ensures that there are thousands of stories out there. Hook was at the heart of it. His stories range from funny and moving, to frightening and sad.

Having skimmed through the book and having prior knowledge of the vast quantities of money that were ploughed into the design and upkeep of the club, it is best summed up on page 304 when Hook says he was wandering through an empty club before it was stripped for closure and wandered back stage to find an old room with some barrels on a platform. The platform was propped up by something to keep it level. Hook investigated to see what it was and there, stained in sweat and beer was a quarter inch tape. An original master of Joy Division’s debut album ‘Unknown Pleasures’.

Hook smiled at the metaphor. ‘Joy Division held the whole fucking thing up.’

After the interview Hook took questions from the floor for 30 minutes before signing books and records. He was thoroughly engaged with his audience and only too happy to pose for pictures and sign all items of memorabilia. I was there with my mate Tel, an avid collector of all things relating to Joy Division. We waited until the end and Hook spent a good 15 minutes with us - signing my New Order records and quizzing Tel on where he found a certain bootleg, how he got the orange vinyl of Joy Division's first record and joking 'oh not you again'.

It was an entertaining evening and I ended in bed reading my newly signed copy of the book, I'm already hooked - excuse the pun.