Shaun Ryder's memories of the best Manchester gig venues

ManchesterWorld

Salford legend Shaun Ryder talks about his favourite Manchester venues ahead of Black Grape and the Happy Mondays playing in the city.

Transcript

00:00 You know, the Free Trade Hall, we had a great gig at the Free Trade Hall back in the 80s.

00:04 You know, it's the first time we'd ever played the Free Trade Hall.

00:07 I mean, I'd gone to the Free Trade Hall and I'd have watched the Ramones and I think I'd

00:12 seen a couple of punk bands there and rock bands in the 70s.

00:20 But then we got to play it in like 1988 or 89.

00:24 I mean, and again, it was out of control.

00:27 The doors got kicked in and the place got invaded by all the solfered heads and loads

00:35 of nutty mounts who just came in, crashed the gates and filled the venue up even more.

00:41 So that was a good one.

00:42 I mean, you know, the boardwalk at the time for us back in the day was great.

00:47 We used to rehearse there.

00:48 I mean, we actually got...

00:50 Whose room did we get?

00:52 We got Simply Red's room.

00:54 When we first moved there about 1985, four, something like that, four or five, we went

01:04 into the boardwalk to rehearse.

01:08 We took over Simply Red's room.

01:12 They'd gone...

01:13 By that time, they'd had money too tight to mention.

01:16 So they got this new big fancy place.

01:18 And so being at the boardwalk there, rehearsing, playing pool.

01:22 And then when you finished doing your rehearsing, you went straight to the club.

01:27 We played the boardwalk a few times.

01:29 That was a great little venue.

01:31 You know, and then I've also enjoyed playing the Manchester Apollo.

01:36 I enjoyed playing that.

01:38 And then I also enjoyed, you know, when you're getting bigger, the Evening News Arena.

01:45 Again, Gmex.

01:46 I mean, before the Evening News Arena, the Gmex was the biggest place you could play

01:52 in Manchester.

01:53 Before that, it was the Apollo Theatre and that held 3,000.

01:57 Then the Gmex got built and that held, I think, 9,000 or 11,000.

02:03 You could get it for 8,000 and 11,000.

02:08 I think that you could get them to...

02:09 I mean, we played it.

02:10 We filled that, the Gmex.

02:14 You know, that was...

02:17 We got told we wouldn't be able to fill that and we filled it two nights on the run in

02:21 1989.

02:22 So that was just a mega achievement for us as well, you know.

02:25 And it was great.

02:26 We enjoyed the gig there.

02:27 And like I say, you know, I mean, it's the crowd as well in Manchester.

02:32 I mean, our crowd, luckily, our fans for Black Great Mondays and now the new mantra, it seems

02:40 to me, you know, we've got a great bunch following us, you know.

02:46 So a lively bunch, I would say.

02:49 So as always been, f***ing extra madness in Manchester.

02:54 It's just how it is, you know.

02:59 It takes you about a week, still takes you about a week to get over a Manchester gig.

03:04 [BLANK_AUDIO]

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