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In the last 30 days the archive has grown by 83 new artefacts, 20 new members, 13 new people and places.
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30 Apr 2025

Artefact of the day

Audio File
2016
Added 22nd September 2017
by Abigail
LGBT+ activist Luchia Fitzgerald speaks about the importance of the Union Hotel in Manchester in the 1960s and more. Taken from MDMArchive's Queer Noise exhibition at the People's History Museum. Interview by Sarah Feinstein

This week's video

Woman: Breaking the Rules. Part 3: Kate Mountain

Woman: Breaking The Rules is a project celebrating women in Greater Manchester music. The project, which comprises 5 films, a pop-up exhibition and several events, is part of Manchester Digital Music Archive's HLF-funded Rebel Music programme and is led by MDMA co-founder Alison Surtees.

Kate Mountain won the management category for her 18 years as owner/manager of The Roadhouse, one of Manchester's most loved live music and club venues in recent history.

Projects

Latest Artefacts

Latest Discussion

“That poster was created by John Barratt of Seven Miles Out. He sells them online. It is not original to the period. Bowie’s short tenure with The Riot Squad was casual and unofficial. He didn’t play every show with them during that period. The assumption that he did is just that: an assumption based on wobbly logic. There is no primary evidence to support it. Secondary sources are not evidence, no matter how credible they may seem. Information gets repeated on the Internet without being fact-checked. A good friend of mine, and one of the world’s leading Bowie collectors, knew The Riot Squad’s late drummer, Derek “Del” Roll. Del kept the band’s booking diary and he made detailed notes of which band members played which shows, so they could divvy up the money fairly. Bowie is not listed against the Stockport or Liverpool shows in April 1967. That is primary, contemporary, written evidence.”
30 Apr
“David with The Riot Squad did indeed play The Tabernacle Club, on the 9th April 1967. It is documented via a number of highly credible sources. David was never an actual member of the Riot Squad, he did however 'join' them onstage, the reason being by this time David had signed with Deram (Decca) records and was recording ('The Laughing Gnome' single and his debut album 'David Bowie' which were released shortly thereafter. As to the poster, this one displayed here https://www.manchesterbeat.com/venues/venues-stockport/the-tabernacle-later-sgt-peppers-hillgate-stockport with a comment from someone who actually attended the Riot Squad gig of 9th April 1967”
30 Apr
“This is a later fantasy poster produced by a Stockport resident and shared on social media a couple of years ago. It is not an original advert from 1967. An original advert wouldn't advertise upcoming shows over a six month period. Also, there is primary evidence, in the form of the Riot Squad's contemporary booking diary, that Bowie did not accompany the band to either the Stockport or the Liverpool shows that April.”
30 Apr
“Sad to say, I'm informed Steve died in a care home, late 2024 or early 2025. RIP Steve.”
28 Apr
“I know Brian Cokayne. He lives in Heaton Mersey, Stockport. Think he used to live in the B52’s Love Shack!”
27 Apr
“Pictures up at http://www.camera1.free-online.co.uk/sounds-sal-2.htm”
23 Apr
“Gaslight Club. I met my partner here in 1973. I can clearly remember knocking on the door of the club in Stamford Street Ashton-u-Lyne, a young man opened the door and asking me if I knew this club was for homosexuals and said I do and walked into my adult life. Back then I was Albert and my future partner Richard. I was 22. We have lived in Melbourne since 1978 and our 50th anniversary is coming up. The Gaslight was not exclusively women, with a mixed clientele. A wonderful place that shaped for the better many lives, ours included”
22 Apr
“That was a great night. The Mondays were a shambles - but a compelling shambles. And I'm sure at this point Bez still had a full percussion rig! ACR the highlight.”
15 Apr
“I've got a ticket stub from the Lesser Free Trade Hall from 20 July 1976 (Buzzcocks first gig supporting Sex Pistols and Slaughter and the Dogs). Saw them previously as "Jets of Air" at a school in Bolton.”
12 Apr
“City Slicker legend.”
07 Apr

Latest People & Places

Awesome 3 - Band / Artist Mcrscenestories 30 Apr
Will And Rick - Band / Artist SFTOC Ged 26 Apr
Yana Veldt - Band / Artist SFTOC Ged 26 Apr
Sophie Willan - Person SFTOC Ged 24 Apr
Tony Ross - DJ Mcrscenestories 23 Apr
Shut Your Eyes And You Will Burst Into Flames - Band / Artist SFTOC Ged 21 Apr
Kings Arms (salford) - Place SFTOC Ged 19 Apr
Red Deer Club - Record Label SFTOC Ged 18 Apr
Danny Henry - Person Mcrscenestories 16 Apr
Hit Man And Her - Band / Artist Mcrscenestories 16 Apr
T - Band / Artist curbsfan 07 Apr
Lathums - Band / Artist curbsfan 07 Apr
S - DJ Mondobizarrojams 04 Apr
Simon Wolsterncroft - Band / Artist Mcrscenestories 05 Mar
Jeff The Chef - Person Mcrscenestories 05 Mar

News

Manchester Histories Festival 11 May 22
Help Shape Our Future-Complete our Survey 05 Jan 21
MDMArchive in city-wide 50 Windows of Creativity exhibition 26 Oct 20
Abigail Ward steps down 10 Sep 20
CP Lee 1950-2020 26 Jul 20
Suffragette City raised £5300 for local women's charities 17 Mar 20
30 Apr 2025

On this day in history