Meadies Musical Marconi

  Manchester would not be the same City if it wasn’t for Factory Records and Tony Wilson. Spawning bands such as Joy Division, Happy Mondays and The Wendys, Colin Gibbins has been trying to get an exhibition space in Manchester to show the full Factory Discography in 2019 for the 40th anniversary of the birth of Factory Records, but has had the door slammed in his face at every venue. Here Matt Mead tells the story of Colin’s journey and current frustrations. In January 1979 a new record label launched their first ever record in the vinyl medium. It was called the fac sampler discography code fac 2, which featured two 7″ singles with the band Joy Division among others adorning it. Colin Gibbins was 12 years old at the time and little did he know he would go on to be the first person in the world to collect every item number in the factory records music medium. Colin grew up in Blackley in the Manchester postcode of M9 and he loved his music. By 1980 Colin had started to list...

Another lenghty interview, this time with the constantly criminally underrated Scottish groove wonders The Wendys originally published on Louder Than War 4.11.16 Jimmy Miller. Simple Minds. Seb Coe. Three people that unite but not exclusively define iconic early 90’s band The Wendys. The Wendys signed to Tony Wilson’s Factory Records in amongst the Madchester wave of bands such as Flowered Up, The Charlatans and The High. The Wendys were, just like Flowered Up, The Charlatans, and The High, not just your major label hit making, manufactured indie band. They were real and their own musical history starting years before their signing to Factory, which has a similar legacy to Factory label mates The Happy Mondays and other Manchester starlets The Stone Roses. But before we get into the band as a band The Wendys are 4 individuals. Arthur, Ian, Jonathan and Johnny. The band members were born and raised in humble surroundings in towns and villages in and around central Scotland. Bass p...