G-Mex - Smiths related trivia......

[The Goat]

Thought I would give the following information as I'm not ready for bed but frankly bored!

1. The Smiths played at the venue in 1986 as part of The Festival of the Tenth Summer (I was there!) along with The Fall, New Order, OMD, various members of the Buzzcocks in solo capacities, Sandie Shaw, Wayne Fontana and others.

2. The inside sleeve of The Smiths live album 'Rank' - where fans are all tearing at a shirt thrown in to the crowd via Morrissey - was taken at G-Mex, check out the clock at the back of the hall and the arched shape of the building.

3. The Smiths did a photo shoot around the derelict Central Station (as it was then) in the summer of 1983. One of these pictures (taken by Paul Slattery) featured on the front cover of the excellent book 'Morrissey's Manchester' (shameless plug I know!! )

The Moors Murders
4. The last murdered child (Edward Evans) met Brady at Central Station before being taken to Brady and Hindley's home were he was killed.

5. The major breakthrough for the police in the case was finding a ticket in Hindley's prayer book which lead them to a locker at Manchester Central Station where they found two suitcases packed with incriminating evidence.
Apart from the photographs and tape recording of Lesley Ann Downey's torture, there was also a notebook in which John Kilbride's name was found as well as a photograph of Hindley with her dog, Puppet, staring down at what appeared to be a grave on a site on Saddleworth Moor.

The Goat

 

[Grim O'Grady]

you should write a book!

love

Grim

 

[thaxter tewksbury]

Wow Goat, interesting stuff indeed!

 

[mozmal]

Thanks Goat - very interesting! I knew about the moors murders info, but didn't but didn't know central station became the Gmex. I too was at the Smiths gig in 1986 and actually met Morrissey after the Smiths set at the rear of the building, he autographed a James Dean postcard for me. What a day!

 

[The Goat]

Can you remember who else played?
Caberet Voltaire? Certain Ratio??
My memory is beginning to become a bit like Ronnie Regan's

The Goat

 

[mozmal]

I know the feeling very well! I'm really not that clear on who else actually played, but I remember Frank Sidebottom appearing briefly and Ken Livingstone giving some anti Thatcher/Reagan speech. There must be a complete list of acts that appeared somewhere. Cheers

 

[mozmal]

Just Googled this

The Ten Events: To Celebrate Manchester

10. G-Mex: The Tenth Event
July 19th at the Greater Manchester Exhibition Centre:
A Certain Ratio, The Smiths, New Order, The Fall, Wayne Fontana & The Mindbenders, Pete Shelley, The Worst.
Special Guests: John Cale, John Cooper Clarke, Steve Diggle, Margi Clarke, Steve Naive, Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark, Sandie Shaw.
Tickets £13.00, £14 on day.
Comperes: Bill Grundy, Paul Morley. DJ: Jerry Dammers.

Cheers

 

[The Goat]

Nice one - not sure if the Worst actually played though.
You mentioned Ken Livingstone, it was Derek Hatton (Deputy leader of Liverpool council) - who whilst on stage ranting about thatcher (and thanking New Order, The Smiths and The Fall for performing a benefit gig in Liverpool), he got leathered by a Manc after taking the piss out of Ron Atkinson, the then United manager. The poor Scouser couldn't fight back as he was stood on stage with the aide of crutches!!

The Goat

 

[Shipwrecked Escapologist]

I was there that day as well.

I also have a large part of the gig ( and New Orders set as well ) on cassette as it was broadcast later on the ( then ) Piccadilly radio.

If I could work out how to transfer cassette to CD it would be useful !!

Any ideas ?

 

[Grim O'Grady]

I was there that day as well.

I also have a large part of the gig ( and New Orders set as well ) on cassette as it was broadcast later on the ( then ) Piccadilly radio.

If I could work out how to transfer cassette to CD it would be useful !!

Any ideas ?

plug yer cassette player into the 'in' on your soundcard & record it to your hard drive. Or send us a copy of your tape to me?

love

Grim

 

[Shipwrecked Escapologist]

plug yer cassette player into the 'in' on your soundcard & record it to your hard drive. Or send us a copy of your tape to me?

love

Grim

I will give it a whirl and if i fail miserably I will catch you in the S & G at some point.

 

[Bluebirds]

Are the acoustics really bad in there??? I'm assuming with new technology and the like it shouldn't be that bad!

I have the New Order bootleg from the G-mex gig and it sounds excellent but thats probably cos it was a radio broadcast. So now I know. (On cassette too I'm afraid)

 

[endoman]

Can you remember who else played?
Caberet Voltaire? Certain Ratio??
My memory is beginning to become a bit like Ronnie Regan's

The Goat

Virgin Prunes played as well.

 

[Brel]

I was there too. I don't think anyones mentioned Howard Devoto & The Adultory who were added at the very last minute. So last minute in fact that they didn't bring any instruments, so they used those of The Smiths.

The Worst never played, although they were listed. Caberet Voltaire (I think?) were on an early list, but removed about a week before. The Smiths were never on the original bill, they were unhappy about the cost of tickets (£13), but agreed after a deal was hit upon to allow ticket holders for the "Final Event", to get a 50p discount on the other 10th Summer gigs that were held earlier in the week.

Bill Grundy turned up with a shopping trolley, and walked down the aisle looking at the stage and shaking his head. He hardly compared, he just said a very few words (I assume about his Sex Pistols moment- but my memory fails me?). Frank Sidebottom just walked on stage, got a big cheer and walked right off. Fantastic!!

 

[The Goat]

Brel
You said no one mentioned Howard Devoto....
How very dare you.......!!
I did say various members of the Buzzcocks!
Shelley performed solo, Diggle and the other one (cant remember his name) as Flag of Convenience and Devoto!

Consider yourself severly told off

The Goat

 

[Brel]

Brel
You said no one mentioned Howard Devoto....
How very dare you.......!!
I did say various members of the Buzzcocks!
Shelley performed solo, Diggle and the other one (cant remember his name) as Flag of Convenience and Devoto!

Consider yourself severly told off

The Goat

Oh yes, so you did. My tail is firmly between my legs.

Steve & Phil Diggle? Wasn't it?

 

[The Goat]

Brel

Always I do forgive you....

I thought Flag Of Convenience was Diggle and the other Buzzcock who was not John Maher the drummer?
Happy to be corrected.

The Goat

 

[Brel]

Brel

Always I do forgive you....

I thought Flag Of Convenience was Diggle and the other Buzzcock who was not John Maher the drummer?
Happy to be corrected.

The Goat

Can't remember, I never realy got into FOC. On the subject of John Maher, I used to see quite a bit of him in the mid 80's. My uncle (who is only a few years older than me) used to have a VW Beetle, and Maher used to frequently work on it (they callled him "Mr Beetle", probably still do?). The work would always take longer than it should because he would get out his photo albums and talk forever about VW's. We never discussed The Buzzcocks strangely enough.

 

[The Goat]

Yes Brel
He did indeed sack the life of a drummer for that of a mechanic restoring Beetles!
The first time I saw the Buzzcocks was at the Apollo in '89 for their first ever reunion tour with all four original (well post Devoto) band members.
After that Maher was replaced by a certain Mike Joyce as he prefered cars to drums!

The Goat