November 22nd, 2009

Live4ever was excited to spend some quality time with the member’s of Manchester’s finest “The Answering Machine” during their recent lengthy stay in the big Apple. The Brit Pop foursome was here for the 2009 CMJ music marathon and a 3 week residency at one of Brooklyn’s popular indie music venues Coco66. I was already hooked before seeing them live thanks to NME radio’s DJ Chris Martin who had added the band’s catchy single ‘Cliffer‘ to his always entertaining play list. The station, luckily available online, is a great music source of all things British over here in the States. To see “The Answering Machine” on the lengthy list of over 1000 participating bands at CMJ this year was a  treat I was looking forward to and a welcome surprise.

The video EMI did not want you to see !

On this day in 1992, Factory Records was finally declared bankrupt, ending one of the most fascinating stories in British music. Here we take a run through the rise and fall of the legendary label and the people behind it.

In 1973 Tony Wilson, a Manchester born Cambridge graduate, returned to his home city to persue a career in journalism. He took a job as a reporter with Manchester’s independent station Granada Television, and became known for his ‘Kamikaze Corner’, in which he would undertake various stunts including a stab at Hang-gliding which was later recreated in the 2002 film ‘24 Hour Party People‘. In July 1976, Wilson was given the chance to combine his burning passion for music with his television career when he landed the presenters job for a new Granada music and culture programme called ‘So It Goes‘. Brought in to rival the BBC’s established music shows ‘Top Of The Pops‘ and ‘The Old Grey Whistle Test‘, the programme gave Wilson the platform to premiere a clutch of new bands who were emerging from the burgeoning punk scene, a scene which Wilson had fallen in love with.

2008 X Factor winner Leona Lewis tops the album chart this week with her second record ‘Echo’, ending pop group JLS’ short stay at the summit. A new greatest hits compilation from rock group Queen entitled ‘Absolute Greatest’ has entered at #3, while Robbie Williams‘ new album ‘Reality Killed The Video Star’ has dropped a couple of places to #4. Hit TV show The X Factor has also scored this week’s number one single, with this year’s finalists hitting the top spot with a cover of Michael Jackson‘s ‘You Are Not Alone’.