Cool Manchester

Billy Grant tonight shocked his audience by quitting live on air. We managed to have a quick chat with him shortly after quitting, and we thought you might like to see it.

Initially Billy contacted us with a little message regarding Bluejovanka's last post about Gaydio

I read your comment about Gaydio / Gaydar ..
I am one many jocks at Gaydio who have quit because of it ..
We/I miss the old Gaydio

We sent him back a message asking if he would like to have a chat about why he left. We didn't think he would go straight in to it.

I will tell u right now ..I loved Gaydio, A station for the LGBT community for all..
Not this Gaydar shite ...Gaydar was Gaydar and Gaydio was Gaydio.
It hurts I don't listen to my friends and their shows on Gaydio..
Its sad end to something I was passionate about has ended this way ..

I agree with you. I haven't listen to Antony [Murphy] in a while because of the crap music. I'm not a great music lover to be honest, but Antony's show used to be different as he had more freedom over what he played. How come you left it so long to leave, and what made you decide to do it today and on air?

I didn't listen to the shows and my show wasn't on the Dab, but FM only .. But like I said - its the music that Gaydio pumps out the Gaydar music now . Before it was a I feel it was a normal station and now alienates the age range that aren't 15 - 25 I only do one show, so the delay was coming and I thought long and hard. Finally my decision was made and announcement was to be made, management didn't get back to me, so I went solo and announced it on air tonight.. enough is enough.

Thanks for this Billy, sorry that it came to this for you.

I was the last of the original line up...I was upsetting letting go ...

I remember listening to you when it first started. The shows were fantastic.

It was fun.. I still have them and they are priceless I have worked at other radio stations key 103 Imagine FM & Smooth FM .. Gaydio was the best - such a scream... if I could set up a page and get people to listen or download those classic shows, it would be brilliant. I always said - the day the fun ended - I would get up and walk away hence I played out with Cast " walkaway".

So, there we have it. It's a shame Billy decided it was time to leave. He was the last of the old guard of Gaydio and we here will certainly miss him. We'll leave you now with Billy's choice of signoff songs

I feel I have to say something about the style of music being played on what was once my favourite radio station.

A couple of months back there was a variety of music from Rock, Pop, Indie and Dance music. Now everything seems to be a continuous and monotonous dance megamix.

The variety has gone and Gaydio is now a Dance only radio station which has completely lost its identity... Are they new schedulers who are assuming that all gay people want to hear is club music?

Yes, club music is part of gay culture, but at the same time it is not only part of gay culture and I feel like listeners now are being pigeon holed and alienated.

How has something so good changed so much and so badly over just a few weeks?

I was a massive fan of Gaydio, but sadly I feel there is little on there to interest me How do other's feel?

Is it just me that has noticed the changes? Let me know what you think.

FAC 51 The Hacienda’s first Manchester event of 2013 sees the club return to Sankeys this Easter with a selection of the club’s finest ever residents performing at Hacienda Good Friday 29^th March in an night that mixes the music, atmosphere and the DJ’s that defined the original venue.

Together again, at the top of the bill, Graeme Park and Mike Pickering resume their legendary partnership, together in Manchester for FAC51 for the first time in five years, playing both individual sets and then a very special and unique back to back session.

Joining Mike and Graeme, tastemaker DJ Greg Wilson also comes back to the Hac for a three hour set in Spektrum upstairs. Greg became a resident at The Haçienda in 1983, having previously cut his teeth at The Wigan Pier and shaped the musical policy of The Haç with his individualistic take on early US electro and disco, a style showcased in his acclaimed “Credit To The Edit” series of albums and his newly announce

Rounding up the returning residents, Jon Dasilva also brings back his musical skills on Good Friday which have been well known to The Hac ever since Jon became a regular at the club with Hot in 1988. Jon’s musical tastes remain adventurous and he retains the anything goes spirit of Acid House, recently enjoying a huge international hit with “Love Somebody Else”, a reworking of his classic remix with  Maceo Plex which has been nominated as The International Dance Music Awards “Best House Track” of 2012.

Jon has opted to play a "classic warm up set" prior to Park and Pickering’s double header. Jon was infamous back during the Hot nights for his eccentric and eclectic sets replete with his much copied use of sound effects and "drops" and has often been cited as an influence upon Balearic masters such as Richard Moonboots Bithell

Graeme Park DJ

Finishing up the extensive bill, Manchester Underground’s Russ brings his boxes to Spektrum for a vinyl only set, Black Grape’s Kermit performs a PA while Herbie Saccani, James Noon and friends take charge of Sankey’s bar.

One more surprise for Hacienda Good Friday sees a live performance by Davos, who shot to prominence with his Youtube Piano House clip in December which has received some 200,000 views. Davos merges classic piano breaks from anthemic tunes into his set from the likes of Rythm Is Rythm, Jinny, Soft House Company, Sterling Void and more, and he is increasingly in demand from the best festivals and clubs for his live set.

Haçienda Good Friday @ Sankeys

Friday 29^th March 2013 / 10pm to 5am

Sankeys, Radium St Manchester, M4 6JG
Tickets £15 Advance
Line Up – Graeme Park & Mike Pickering,

Greg Wilson, Jon Dasilva, Russ, Herbie Saccani

With Chris Cruiks (Percussion) &

Davos – Live Show / Kermit (Black Grape) PA

www.sankeys.info / www.fac51theHaçienda.com

Ticket Links – Fatsoma - Skiddle – Ticketline - Facebook Event

To read more about this event and the DJs involved, please visit the fac51 Hacienda Site at

http://www.fac51thehacienda.com/

According to the BBC News website many residents of Harpurhey are unhappy about its new BBC Three reailty TV show 'People Like Us'

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-21506291

"People Like Us: New BBC Three series upsets locals

Residents of the Manchester suburb of Harpurhey have complained that a BBC fly-on-the-wall documentary gives a distorted impression of their area.

The Manchester Evening News reported that 200 people turned out for a "fiery meeting" on Monday to protest about BBC Three's People Like Us.

It gives a "biased and distorted" view of the area, Graham Stringer MP said.

The BBC said the show gave a "warm and at times unflinching look" at life and did not focus on negative stereotypes.

The six-part series follows a string of young people in the area, which was named the most deprived neighbourhood in England in a survey in 2004"

What do people think? Is this a true reflection on life in Harpurhey, or has it been manipulated so people can laugh at the "funny poor Northerners?"

Share your opinion here!

Gabrielles Wish : EPs Reviewed : By Graham Halsey

Gabrielle’s Wish burst onto the scene with a high octane, Grungy sound that wouldn’t have been out of place in Seattle, save for the vocals that will evidently will draw comparisons to Shaun Ryder at his peak. Signed by Rob Gretton, the man responsible for finding and signing Joy Division, there were high hopes that GW would follow on their success. And it’s quite clear to see why from this EP. From the raw energy of ‘Real Horror Show’, through to the evident psychedelic tones of ‘Mary Bobbins’ via the synth-laced heavy riffs of ‘Warmonger’ it’s evident that GW were going to be staying around.

One year later sees the return of GW with ‘Golded Up’ (1997), and the synths have been toned down in place of a more rounded, more confident sound. The band were evidently growing more confident playing together and as a result no hunger or passion have been sacrificed to make this more rounded sound. With the same raw energy of the first EP through out it makes not only the stand out tracks of ‘Let me in’ and ‘Simple’ a joy to listen to, but also the epically drawn out ‘Hood’ seem like time has flown for the 14:15 it runs for.

Following the death of the band’s Manager, mentor and friend, change was inevitable. But this time, gone are the heavy bass laden riffs, and the powerful vocals to be replaced by pure electronica. With a light mellow sound that would just as easily fit into the ambient tents at Global Gathering as it would a live set on stage.

‘Manchester Suite’ was released in 2001 and named after Peter Hook’s studio where it was recorded, This was to earmark a turn in the road for the band.

‘Manchester Suite’ shows the growth in maturity from the band, heading to places that are a vast distance away from the inevitable Happy Mondays Comparisons of the 90s.

After the mellow sounds of ‘Manchester Suite’ we have 2002’s darker offering of ‘Cost One.’ Cost one re-introduces everything that we loved from the first 2 EPs and fuses them nicely with the sounds of their previous EP.

‘Orange Light’ combines the heavy riffs with the beautiful synths once again to give us a great feeling of longing across a very powerful vocal performance which could have been echoed by more recent bands such as the Editors. ‘Hoist’ could have been released along with the ‘Manchester suite’ EP, with great mellow vibes to offer a great contrast.

‘Get up’ is a slower affair, with a very different vocal performance, carried forwards by amazing riffs and crashing drums that brings the EP into the outro track ‘Mood pill’, which brings the EP to an end.

‘Here from the neck down’ (2005) takes the sound of cost one and builds upon it . Member is a pure rock-pop classic that combines the vocals of the previous EP with amazing guitar riffs that should have received more attention nationwide. Member is a powerful song with an almost industrial drum beat to it that is both relentless and furious; ‘Sherman’s’ instant pace and scratchy guitars let you know well before the muffled vocals kick in that this is 2 ½ minutes of your life well spent. And then for the finale of the EP, ‘Had an accident’ is a beautifully haunting piece of work, that nicely lowers the tone for the end of the EP,  letting it end in a beautiful acoustic place, with powerful vocals layered nicely on top.

And finally we have the ‘Martyrs come hang your signs EP (2006). ‘The heretics rise’ is a high energy track that could have come from their earlier EPs had it not been for the more polished vocals. ‘Again alone’ is a much softer affair, the beautiful harmonics and softly hushed vocals working in simpatico to create one of their most beautiful tracks. With the piano taking centre stage on the end of the EP, both ‘Down to my love’ and ‘Cut here’ show a maturity beyond anything we have seen in their previous EP, The wistful longing of  down to my love is complimented nicely by the 2 ½ minutes of  beautiful harmonics layered with lovely bass synths to create an epic end to an awesome EP.