Mick Middles – författare

This is the first ever 'authorised' biography of this most inscrutable of bands - now updated. This new edition incorporates a new epilogue in which Mick Middles considers recent upheavels in the Fall camp, the "Heads Roll" album, Mark E. Smith's appearance at its launch and his ongoing tirades at anything and everything. Together music writer Mick Middles and Fall leader Mark E Smith have written an exhausting biography of the Fall. Spanning their years on the fringe of the Manchester punk scene, three dozen albums, numerous tours, two successful stage playes and numerous 'spoken word' events, this book is strangely compelling as the band itself.

Factory Records' fame and fortune were based on two bands - Joy Division and New Order - and one personality - that of its director, Tony Wilson. At the height of the label's success in the late 1980s, it ran its own club, the legendary Haçienda, had a string of international hit records, and was admired and emulated around the world. But by the 1990s the story had changed. The back catalogue was sold off, top bands New Order and Happy Mondays were in disarray, and the Haçienda was shut down by the police. Critically acclaimed on its original publication in 1996, this book tells the complete story of Factory Records' spectacular history, from the label's birth in 1970s Manchester, through its '80s heyday and '90s demise. Now updated to include new material on the re-emergence of Joy Division, the death of Tony Wilson and the legacy of Factory Records, it draws on exclusive interviews with the major players to give a fascinating insight into the unique personalities and chaotic reality behind one of the UK's most influential and successful independent record labels.

Factory Records' fame and fortune were based on two bands - Joy Division and New Order - and one personality - that of its director, Tony Wilson. At the height of the label's success in the late 1980s, it ran its own club, the legendary Haçienda, had a string of international hit records, and was admired and emulated around the world. But by the 1990s the story had changed. The back catalogue was sold off, top bands New Order and Happy Mondays were in disarray, and the Haçienda was shut down by the police. Critically acclaimed on its original publication in 1996, this book tells the complete story of Factory Records' spectacular history, from the label's birth in 1970s Manchester, through its '80s heyday and '90s demise. Now updated to include new material on the re-emergence of Joy Division, the death of Tony Wilson and the legacy of Factory Records, it draws on exclusive interviews with the major players to give a fascinating insight into the unique personalities and chaotic reality behind one of the UK's most influential and successful independent record labels.

When Elbow won the Mercury Prize in 2008 for their fourth studio album - The Seldom Seen Kid - the accolade followed an organic 17 year long career marked by four classic albums and a cult following that cast them in the role of Manchester''s best kept music secret. Elbow started out at a time when great songs and evocative lyrics were not generally recognised. Their music transcended genre, age and image, eventually finding its own distinctive global audience as Guy Garvey evolved into one of the most brilliant and intriguing lyricists of recent times. Reluctant Heroes charts Elbow''s long journey from humble roots through modest success to international recognition. It features interviews with the band and those close to them to form the most complete band history to date.

The story of a world-beating multi-instrumental band with a unique creative dynamic.Their story is compelling – a complex musical collaboration in an eight-piece band that has coalesced around Win Butler and Régine Chassagne. They have triumphed worldwide at festivals and stadiums whilst racking up three award-winning albums: Funeral, Neon Bible and The Suburbs.This is the story of a truly fascinating band whose music has always triumphed over the trappings of success.

In 1989, The Stone Roses exploded onto the music scene at the forefront of a new wave of music from Manchester. The Roses’ music – an exhilarating mixture of sixties’ pop, rock and dance – made them the UK’s most talked-about group, while their first album, The Stone Roses, is now revered as one of the finest débuts of all time.The band’s flared trousers, baggy t-shirts and floppy fringes were copied by a generation, and their 1990 gig at Spike Island in front of 30,000 people became legendary. Then, with the world at their feet, and a multi-million-dollar record contract signed, the Stone Roses disappeared only to come back 15 years later even bigger and better.Their story truly is one of resurrection.

Formed around the future husband and wife team of Win Butler and Regine Chassagne in 1993, this powerful seven-piece band seemed to define onstage dynamism before they discovered an audience. Once beyond the obligatory low-budget debut EP, they fused their complex instrumentation - piano, viola, French horn, accordion, harp and hurdy gurdy etc - to produce Funeral, one of the greatest debut albums in decades. This 1994 release, bolstered by hearty support from the likes of David Bowie, David Byrne and U2, catapulted Arcade Fire to worldwide success. Triumphant sets at the Coachella, Reading and Latitude festivals only served to continue the momentum. This book looks beyond the triumphs that gather in their story, to discover a band who are determine to retain the pure yet complex personal dynamic that always set them apart.