Joy Division played at
a Factory arranged New Year's Eve Party above a
shop in Manchester's Piccadilly Gardens.
About 100 invited guests attended and the band
played for about half an hour. Section 25 and A
Certain Ratio also performed.
At one stage we thought this was above a
Woolworths, but the one in Oldham Street burned
down 8th May 1979. In 2017 Martin Moscrop from A
Certain Ratio told us it was above what would
later be opened as Dry Bar.
Martin remembers there was free beer, Special
Brew, piled high at the entrance. He had four cans
before passing out and spending the rest of
the evening in a stupor.
Someone who was there tells us: "It was a great
night. I can't remember much, except it was the
Factory New Year Eve Party, and several Manc bands
played including Joy Division. I think they just
played a couple of numbers. My main recollection
is when a fight broke out, and Ian and Terry got
hit, and had to be rescued by me and a few others.
I think some meatheads were booing one of the
bands and Ian said something to them and got
hit.".
Others recall Ian Curtis having a pop at someone
from the NME.
If you have any more info please Email us |
Bedge was there and nicked the poster
above. He tell us: "It's basically a large
Return of the Durritti Column poster. From
what I can recall, there were loads of them
stuck up on the walls, and they'd been
sprayed with "1980". I managed to nick one
at the end of the night, and it's been with
me ever since, although it's now in a right
sorry state"
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