The night the Hacienda opened.
Everyone wanted to play.'
..Bowie, Queen, the Stones.
l chose A Certain Ratio because they were my band.
And that was the point ofthe Hacienda.
lt was a place for people we knew, people we could trust.
l can't believe this. They have totally betrayed us here.
What a fucking joke!
Oh, l dunno, Rob. You know,... it might work.
Has there ever been a Wythenshawe jazz band?
- No, there hasn't, thank fucking God. - No, let me tell you, right.
Jazz is the last refuge of the untalented.
Jazz musicians enjoy themselves far more than anyone listening to 'em.
lt's like theatre.
lt's what you do when you can't get a gig.
lt's one down from Celebrity Squares.
Excellent, well done. Very good, very good.
- So where... So where is everyone? - There you go.
- Erm... - We had 100 on the guest list.
You were at the Sex Pistols gig. How many people were in the audience?
- There was about 40. - Right. And it was history.
Yeah, but there's only 30 here tonight.
Exactly, exactly.
The smaller the attendance, the bigger the history.
There were 1 2 people at the Last Supper,...
..half a dozen at Kitty Hawk.
Archimedes was on his own in the bath.
(trumpets)
(# Tchaikovsky: Dance Of The Sugarplum Fairy)
Pick on someone your own size/ Or maybe not.
We're here at Chester Zoo...
..to see a bath-time version of David and Goliath.
(trumpets)
lt's, er, a bit of a mammoth task...
..for, erm,... a young chap like yourself.
- Yeah. - ls, erm...
ls this, er... Now, this isn't your normal job, is it?
No, l'm an entertainer.
Right, OK. And, er,... l saw there's a little baby elephant.
Watch yourself there.
There's a... There's a baby elephant. Hello. How do you do?
(chuckles) There's people like that l work with at Granada.
Er,... except that... he's a little bit more attractive.
This morning, l was doing a feature on an elephant being washed by a midget.
He was... He was a dwarf.
- lt doesn't matter. - Well, it matters to him.
lt's... l... Look, l'm a serious journalist, l've got a degree,...
..get me a proper gig or let's forget we ever met.
Tony, listen.
# Shy, shy Hush, hush, eye to eye #
- What d'you reckon? - Very good, very good.
l'll make you a big star.
- Catch you later! - Right. (softly) Don't call me...
You know your problem? You take yourself too seriously.
Yeah. Yes, l do. l take myself veryfucking seriously.
All right, what about a feature on Northwest's tallest man?
Fuck off!
(# Blue Monday)
# How does it feel To treat me like you do?
# When you've laid your hands upon me
# Told me who you are
# l thought l was mistaken
No band ever survives the death oftheir lead singer.
So when Joy Division became New Order,...
..no-one expected them to succeed.
As you've no visual imagination, l've done you a mock-up.
- lt's like a floppy disk. - Floppy disk.
lt's fucking brilliant.
- lt's pure, workmanlike, poetic. - lt's expensive.
Four-colour printing,... cut-out gatefold.
Well, it's fucking beautiful.
l never count the cost of beauty. You should know that.
# To say what l need to say
- Talk to you about these sleeves? - Yeah, sure.
Have you costed it? Cos l have.
We lose five pence on every single one of these records that we sell.
We're gonna sell fuck-all so... it doesn't matter.
# And l thought l told you to leave me
# While l walked out to the beach
# Tell me, how does it feel
# When your heart grows... #
Blue Monday became the biggest-selling 12-inch single ever,...
..which made loads ofmoney for New Order.
Not that they saw any ofit.
Because every penny they earned...
..was swallowed up by the debts ofthe Hacienda.
(# Durutti Column: Jacqueline)
Thank you.
Bravo.
(whistles)
Vini...
- (exhales) - What do you want?
Erm,... l'll... l'll have a Coke, please. Thank you.
Coke, and a... gin and tonic.
- How was that? - lt was great. lt was wonderful.
lt's great, it's just...
l love it, l love it.
- Tuesday night. - Yeah.
We need to have a rethink of our strategy.
You know, what... whatever... Whatever we achieve,...
..the important thing to remember is that you...
..you know, you make... wonderful music.
Great.
(sighs)
Spare 20 pence, mate, please? Cup of tea.
There you go. Keep that.
Ta, mate.
l'm Boethius, author of The Consolation ofPhilosophy.
lt's my belief that history is a wheel.
''lnconstancy is my very essence'' says the wheel.
''Rise up on my spokes if you like...
..but don't complain when you're cast back down into the depths.''
''Good times pass away but then so do the bad.''
''Mutability is our tragedy but it's also our hope.''
''The worst of times, like the best, are always passin' away.''
l know.
And finally, there were sightings last night...
of an unidentified flying object...
..over the Little Hulton district of Manchester.
Apparently the aliens flew low over the district and then disappeared,...
..which is... kind of understandable.
lf you're listening, spacemen, next time you might wanna try Marple.
Just don't land on my house. Good night.
Fuckin' hell!
(# Handel's Messiah.' Hallelujah Chorus)
# Hallelujah
# Hallelujah, hallelujah
- # Hallelujah - (laughs)
# Hallelujah
# Hallelujah, hallelujah Hallelujah #
Every great band needs its own special chemistry...
..and Bez was a great chemist.
Could l offer anybody, like, the best drug experience they've ever had?
His favourite chemical was ecstasy.
# 24 hour party people
# Plastic face, can't smile The whiteout
# With the 24 hour party people
# Plastic face, can't smile The whiteout
# You cannot beat 'em #
Whoa! Stop! Stop!
Shut the fuck...
l first saw them at the Battle ofthe Bands at the Hacienda.
They came last but l signed them anyway.
- All right, lads. - l'm gettin' in the front.
No, you're not.
Here y'are, get the... get the gear in the back first.
lt's dance music and it's rock music. lt's got that kind of, er...
lt's got that indie sound, that indie guitar sound,...
..and it's got the kind of ''whacka-whacka'' wah-wah thing.
- Yeah. - lt's soulful and it's rocky.
lt's got the rawness of rock and it's got this soulful feel to it.
Give him an example of your lyrics. Listen to this. Go on. Just anything.
Good, good, good.
Good, good, double good.
That is fucking horrible.
Shaun's lyrics on a good day...
..are on... par with... WB Yeats on... on an average day.
l've got some sweet and sour over there you can have.
Shall we do a song, then?
- Let's do it, man. Come on, Horse. - What, now?
We've gotta go. Come on, Bez. Comin' in?
- No, stay here. What's the point? - He adds to the fuckin' vibe.
He's not in the fucking band.
- (# Freaky Dancin') - # You don't want that face
# Because the bones stick out
lt's... l think it's top.
Someone's out of tune.
# My freaky dancing's just coolin' us in #
- Can you stop? - What you fuckin' stoppin' for?!
- Somebody's outta tune. - Who's outta tune?
- Fuckin' not me. - Barney's outta tune.
- Mark, can you give me an E? - Yeah, yeah, Bez is your man, mate.
He'll sort you out! (cackles)
He wants an E.
- Yeah, that'll tune you in, Barney. - That'll take you right in, mate.
- (# Tart Tart) - The stage, Bez!
Come on, Bez!
What you fuckin' doin'?
That is dance music. To me, that is dance music.
Well, no-one's dancing.
- Bez, come on, man. - (softly) Twat.
What the fuck you doin', man?
Shut up, fucking Horse. Play your banjo, man.
- This is Bez. - (crowd roars)
# When he came out of the lock-up
# Said ''l'm looking for something better''
# And he made his shock announcement
4,000 years ago, the Egyptians built the very first canal.
# ..backed down, backed off
The first canal in Britain was built by the Romans:
..the Fosse Dyke in Lincoln.
# He said ''l'm wealthy enough not to do this no more''
# And he made it all known
This is the Rochdale Canal, built in 1804,...
..when Manchester was the greatest industrial city in the world.
# ..palm out
# And she said ''Don't know if l should''
And their neglect mirrors the decline of post-war industrial Britain.
# ..at first it was a yes
# And then a no, then yes #
Suddenly, everything came together.'
..the music, the dancing,...
..the drugs, the venue, the city.
l was proved right.' Manchester was like Renaissance Florence.
Mike Pickering was right.' you don't need bands in a club.
Shaun Ryder was right. New Order were right.
We all came together.
Everyone came to the Hacienda.
lt was our cathedral.
# He wears a sleeping bag as his vest
# And he's getting too bothered
# About the spots on his chest
# Chest, chest... #
Manchester.' birthplace to the railways,...
..computer,...
..the bouncing bomb.
And tonight something equally as epoch-making is taking place.
- See? - (crowd roars)
(# A Guy Called Gerald: Voodoo Ray)
They're applauding... the DJ.
Not the music, not the musician, not the creator,...
..but... the medium.
This is it.
The birth of rave culture.
The beatification of the beat.
The dance age.
This is the moment when even the white man starts dancing.
Welcome to Madchester.
A Guy Called Gerald: Voodoo Ray
l have with me a very special new friend of mine,...
..Mr Peter Duff,...
..who worked on the canals not just in this century...
..but, can you believe it, in the last one.
- Peter... - Mm-hm?
The canals. How many years ago is that...
What... What year was it that you started working on the canals?
1900.
- 1900, right. - Yeah.
On the cusp... the cusp of a new... a new age.
Mm-hm.
What do you remember about, er, the canals in those days?
Very little.
- Very little? - Yeah.
Peaceful.
- Peaceful? - Yes.
l don't think... l don't think we're gonna be able to use much of that.
D'you want... l mean...
The chap's... barely standing. D'you...
(# Brian and Michael: Matchstalk Men And Matchstalk Cats And Dogs)
# But Lowry didn't care much anyway
- All right, Tony? - OK?
# They said hejust paints cats and dogs
# And matchstalk men in boots and clogs
# And Lowry said that'sjust the way they'll stay
# And he painted matchstalk men...
- You all right, Tony? How's it going? - Great. Wonderful.
Thought we'd get the kids in...
This is in the Mondays' video?
- Yeah, yeah, this is gonna be it. - But that's Brian and Michael.
Yeah, l know, but they've not actually finished the single yet.
The single was supposed to be done two weeks ago.
Yeah, but you know what he's like, he's always a bit slow, the producer.
Why, who... who's producing this?
Martin Hannett.
Oh, for fuck's sake!
Did you not know?
No, l didn't know.
Well, anyway, must crack on, get these rehearsals done.
These are great, the kids are great.
- Hello. - # So come on down
# And wear the old flat cap
# They said ''Tell us all about your ways''
# ''And all about... '' #
The last time l'd seen Martin was five years earlier.
The Hacienda was costing New Order 10,000 pounds a month.
None ofus had a clue what to do.
You know broccoli?
Broccoli, the vegetable?
Yeah.
That was, er...
That was invented by Cubby Broccoli, producer of the James Bond films.
- (laughs) - Little-known fact. lt's true.
(coughs)
lt's a crossbred vegetable.
- lt's half... cauliflower,... - (knock at door)
- ..half... - What?
Half, er,... something... a green...
Half... gr... a... a green thing.
Half a green thing that l don't know, half a cauliflower.
And the Broccoli... Cubby Broccoli's family...
Was inventing... vegetables before they started making movies(?)
That's... That was... That bankrolled the Bond films.
- l don't believe you, Tony. - lt's a... That is a fact.
l don't believe you.
lt's a fact. Look it up, er,... Encyclopaedia Britannica.
- Where am l gonna look that up? - lt's absolute fact, that.
Jesus!
(laughs wheezily)
Thanks, Martin.
(microphone) l'm still waiting.
- So are we. - Hi, guys.
- All right, Tone? - Where is the mad professor?
- Try a bit? - Fuckin' crying in there.
- Fucking hell. - We can't get fuck-all done.
- (microphone) l'm still waiting... - He's fucking enormous.
(microphone) ..and it's very fucking boring.
- He's a mess. He's a fuck... - He's been like this all day.
(microphone) l'm gonna stick Bez's maracas up me fucking jacksie.
He's back in his closet.
Hello, Hannett, you wanker.
- Awesome... - Hello, Wilson, wanker!
l'm trying to get these shower of cunts that masquerade as a band...
..to play some fuckin' music,...
..which seems to be the greatest, most difficult thing...
..l've ever had to do in my fucking life.
Take it down, Mart, sorry, come on.
He's calmed down a lot since l last worked with him(!)
- Martin... - Fuck off!
Kickin' off, man. Fuck off...
You can't threaten me any more, Martin.
You're a big man but you're out of shape.
Although you could sit on me.
l've got something for you.
(laughter)
- (# Wrote For Luck) - # And you were wet
# But you're getting dryer
# You used to speak the truth but now you're liar
# You used to speak the truth but now you're clever
# Ah-ah-ah
# Ah-ah
# Ah-ah-ah
# Ah-ah
# Ah-ah-ah
# Ah-ah
# And l wrote for luck
# And they sent me you
# And l sent forjuice
# You give me poison
# l ordered a line
# You formed a queue
# You try anything hard There's nothing else you can do
# And you were wet
Turn that porn off. We've got a lady on the bus.
No, leave it on.
- l think l'm in this one. - (laughter)
Go on, Roe!
# You used to speak the truth but now you're clever
# And when it's hot
# You start to melt
# Cos you're not made ofcheese You're made ofchocolate
Hey! Pull those curtains to!
# You tend to crack
# You keep on piling out not putting back #
What's up with you? What are you lookin' at me like that for?
- l'm not lookin' at you. - Yes, you are, you're lookin' at me.
l was lookin' at Bez.
You are lookin' at me. What's up with you, are you jealous?
Jealous of what? l'm not jealous.
lf l wanted you, l could have you right now.
- (laughter) - l'm not jealous of nothin'.
Tony! Sir Anthony, sir!
Can l interest you in some charleston, sir?
No, l think cocaine's a suit's drug, it's a destroyer of talent.
No, thank you.
We haven't got any fuckin' talent. Roe, chop one out.
- That's why it's fine for you. - Come on, Tony!
- You're a very giving person, sir. - Come on, Tone.
One of us!
Never judge a book by its cover. You've got a nice cover, by the way.
First edition, very collectable.
- (laughs) Thank you. - Hi, Tony!
- Hello, love. All right? - Yeah.
This is Yvette. She's actually Miss United Kingdom,...
..but that's not what attracted me to her.
..where they do Stars ln Their Eyes, erm, interiors of Coronation Street.
- Hello, love. You all right? - Hi, Tony.
- Nice to see you. - And you, as ever.
- And what do you do? - How do you mean?
Well... You know, your job,... here.
Well, l'm... l'm Tony Wilson.
- lt's a bit chilly. - Pop this... Have this.
- Put that on. - Oh, thank you.
You can keep it. lt's cashmere.
- Are you sure? - Course. Least l can do for Miss UK.
l haven't got a tiara so you'll have to make do with that, sweetheart.
So, l mean, Granada really is just sort of my hobby.
Erm, my proper job... Have you heard of the Happy Mondays?
- Yeah, l love 'em. - l look after them. Factory Records.
- Really? - Yeah. Yeah, that's my... my label.
- Er,... New Order? Heard of them? - Yeah.
Sometimes see them at the Hacienda. Do you know the Hacienda?
lt's fantastic, yeah.
- l own that nightclub. - Really?!
Part-owner. lf you ever want reduced admission, come and see me.
Better still, you get in free if you escort me.
- (laughs) OK. - l'm flirting, by the way.
You are, yes.
- lt's that obvious? - (laughs)
Don't judge. Piety is a very unattractive quality.
Flirting is a very natural process,...
..she's aware of it, l'm being postmodern,...
..before it was fashionable.
- 'Ey up, Tony. - Hi.
Hi.
(# Marshall Jefferson: Move Your Body)
(crowd roars)
(whistles)
Being at the Hacienda was like being at the French Revolution.
Bliss it was that dawn to be alive.
But to be young was very heaven.
OK, so l was nearly 40, which isn't really young,...
..but these days it isn't that old either...
..and Yvette said the age difference didn't bother her.
# Gotta have house music
# All night long #
(cork pops)
- (champagne splashes) - Oh, story of my life.
And, by the way, we're still together.
So, whatever you're thinking, you're wrong.
D'you know, l think that Shaun Ryder is...
..on par with WB Yeats... as a... as a poet.
- Really? - Ab... Absolutely. Totally.
Everyone else thinks he's an idiot.
Shaun! Where the fuck are ya?
We can't do anythin' without the fuckin' singer!
Listen, one of you fuckers is gonna have to do it. Get busy, man.
- l'll sing. - Horse, man, step in, mate.
- Come on, you're gonna have to do it. - All right, l'll do it.
- (# Loose Fit) - # Won't be no misfit
# ln my household today
# Pick him all up and send him on his way
# Do what you're doin'
# Say what you're sayin'
# Go where you're goin'
# Think what you think
# Sounds good to me #
Factory believes in artistic freedom.
And Shaun is an artist but he's also an addict.
l knew then that choosing Nathan as the new manager ofthe Mondays...
..was not necessarily a good idea.
Nathan's gonna be our new manager.
- l'm gonna look after them. - And he does it very well.
But l wanted Shaun to be happy so l indulged him.
- What you doing? What you doing? - (laughter)
Oh, God, you're not that out of it, are you?
- l am not a lump of hash. - (chuckles)
l'm in charge of Factory Records... l think.
They're living legends. Here we go!
(# KinkyAfro)
# None ofit
# Got a little bit
# Are you full ofshit?
# Son, l am 30
# l only went with your mother cos she's dirty
# And l don't have a decent bone in me
# What you get isjust what you see, yeah
lt's an adventure. lt's the Magical Mystery Tour, the Merry Pranksters.
lt's like Scooby Doo, innit? Cos they had a bus, didn't they?
lt is a little bit like Scooby Doo.
Manchester became the centre ofthe universe.'
..the best drugs, the best clothes,...
..the best women, the best music,...
..the best bands, the best club.
Suddenly everyone wanted to be from Manchester...
..and ifyou were a Manc, everyone wanted a part ofyou.
Tone? Tone? Come in the back for a wabosh, mate? Come on.
lt's all right, l've eaten, thanks.
- You're looking very beautiful. - He owns the Hacienda.
- l'm the big guy. - He's the big boss.
- Oh, yeah? - Well, metaphorically speaking.
lt was like being on a fantastic fairground ride,...
..centrifugal forces throwing us wider and wider,...
..and it's all right because there's a brilliant machine at the centre...
..to bring us back to earth.
That was Manchester. That was the Hacienda.
Now, imagine the machine breaks.
For a while it's even better because you're really flying...
..but then... you're fucked...
..because nobody beats gravity.
# You take ten feet back and then stab it
l'm back!
What you doin' here? l thought you were in... glamorous fuckin' London.
# So sack all the needy
l went to interview Sir Keith Joseph.
lt's very important. He likes to be called Sir Keith.
His knighthood's important to him.
They call him the Mad Monk. That's important at the end of the story.
# l had to crucify somebody today
l was supposed to get the train, right?
But l didn't, l drove. OK?
So l'm driving along, driving really well,...
..er, and l end up on this fucking Pennine.
There you go: a mobile phone. Do you know how to work one?
Yeah. l've used 'em before.
And l... l make a phone call on this mobile-phone thing.
lt's like listening to a fucking headache.
And then... l was walking along a railway line...
..and a train goes roaring past.
And l climbed... onto the train.
Whoa, whoa! You can't come in here, son. No, no, whoa.
(tyres screech)
Er... l... Er... Sorry, do you know who l am?
Ernie, we've got one here don't know who he is!
Only kiddin' you. Go on, Tony. Sorry. Go on.
# Yippee yippee iy-iy ay-ay-ay #
Anyway, it was meant to be. Comes the hour, comes the man.
God, fate, events conspired...
..to transport me to London cos l was gonna bring down the Government.
OK, l was late, but it didn't matter cos l had dynamite in my pockets.
l knew what l was gonna do.
l was gonna be nice as pie to him, call him Sir Keith,...
..ask him about the latest Government policy initiative...
..and he was gonna fall apart.
- (car horn) - (screams)
Hi. Sir Keith Joseph, my humble apologies.
l'm Anthony, by the way.
(chuckles) Anth-ony.
Er, medieval rather than classical.
Yes, Anthony of Pa... Padua. That's who l'm named after.
- Saint... Saint Anthony. - Mm-hm.
Er, Saint Anthony. Yes, er...
He was a monk, funnily enough.
Funny?
ln what way, funny?
Well, you know,...
..''Brother Keith.''
You must know.
- (pants) - Brother? (chuckles)
l'm not a trade unionist, Mr Wilson.
No, no... No, but, you know, the whole monk thing...
(pants)
The Mad Monk. That's... That's what they call you, isn't it?
Well, you are a mad bastard.
Did l say that out loud?
You know your trouble,... Tony?
You don't know what you are.
l fucking know what you are but you don't know what you are.
My curiosity's got the better of me, Rob,...
..tell me, what am l?
You're a cunt.
(chuckles)
Well, l... l knew that, you see. That was something l did know.
(helicopter blades)
Timing is everything.
When we built the Hacienda, it was too soon.
When we built the Factory office, it was too late.
lt did, however, have a zinc roof, which was very, very cool.
Even though you could only see it ifyou were in a helicopter.
At last, Factory has... a proper office.
lt's MDF.
(laughs) lt's made of MDF.
What are all these about?
How much was it?
- lt's not the materials, Hooky,... - That's brilliant.
..you're paying for design.
Er, l didn't ask about the material, l asked how much it was.
lt was 30 grand... but, er...
- Did you pick the shape? - lt was what?
No, the shape... the shape is something that...
- 30 grand? - 30 grand?
The point is,... if you go to any London...
- For a fucking table? - ...any London record company...
For a fucking table?
- 30 grand for a fucking table?! - Rob! Rob!
Are you outta your mind, you dozy...
Shall we let go of him and shall we not fuckin' do that?!
- 30 grand for a fuckin' table! - All right, sweetheart?
- Are you OK? - Yeah, no, no, l'm absolutely fine.
Rob, sit down.
- Rob, Rob, Rob... - No, l'm all right.
Come on! Rob!
30 grand for a fucking table, you... cunt!
(shouts) Will you stop?! For God's sake!
There was a problem with the Hacienda. lt never made any money.
There were huge crowds and a great atmosphere...
..but it was all fuelled by ecstasy, not alcohol.
And we didn't sell E at the bar.
Although we did talk about it.
We were spending money on the building,...
..the staff, the DJs, the sound system...
..but most ofthe money went to the drug dealers.
And guess what? They didn't give the money to us.
They spent it on clothes, or cars, or restaurants, or houses,...
..or girls, or guns.
Especially guns.
(helicopter blades)
All right, man?
(gunshots)
Drug dealers are like any other businessmen.
They like to increase their market share.
Oi, you little fuckin' pricks, tell your mum l give you this!
(gunshots)
Only suppliers don't tend to undercut each other on prices,...
..theyjust try and get rid ofthe competition.
(police radio)
- (groans) - (laughter)
Soon the violence spread to the Hacienda.
All right, big fella.
- Everybody pays, even gang members. - Give him a slap.
- (gunshot) - He shot him, he shot him!
Now, this is bad in itself but it's also bad for business.
When you know someone's carrying a gun it's hard to turn them away,...
..so soon there's shootings in the club...
..as well as on the door.
(# Mantronix: King Of The Beats)
(gunshot)
lfyou've got a lot ofdrugs and guns in your club...
..you're gonna get shut down, so you had to try and control it.
l took advice from Plutarch's Life OfCaesar,...
..where it says ''Keep your friends close but your enemies closer. ''
The problem is often the solution in a different set ofclothes.
- Tony. - Hiya. Hi.
(# Orbital: Belfast)
ln this case we gave the drug dealers the doorman's uniform...
..so now we didn't control the door or the drugs.
- And you as well, love. Come on. - Oh, come on... No, come on, mate.
- lt's not your scene. Come on. - l pay your fuckin' wages, mate.
- You're on a wind-up, aren't you? - Just fuckin' do one.
According to William Blake,...
.. ''The road ofexcess leads to the Palace of Wisdom. ''
l was on my way there... in a Jag.
Hello.
- Hiya. - Hi.
- Hello. All right, lad? - Hiya.
Kiss.
There's some very unspectacular flowers...
..and, er,... grapes.
- Thanks. - Er...
Nice views.
Yeah.
Beautiful.
Trolls!
l used to have Trolls when l was little.
- Do they still call them Trolls? - Yeah.
- l've got you... a mobile phone. - Thanks.
Mum... Mummy's got a phone and l've got one too, see,...
..so it's like a...
lt's like tin cans with string.
Remem... Remember when we made tin cans with string?
- Yeah. - Yeah?
Talk down the end of it.
Got to go to Martin Hannett's...
- ..funeral. - Who?
Martin Hannett.
Had a heart attack.
OK.
(sighs) l should have found time to tell you earlier,...
..l did have children with my second wife, Hilary,...
..and there was a time when l was with Lindsay when that was all l wanted...
..and, no, l've not been the best father in the world,...
..yes, l could have been there more than l have,...
..and obviously l've got regrets.
But this is not a film about me.
l am not Prince Hamlet, nor was meant to be.
l'm a minor character in my own story.
This... is a film about the music.
And the people who made the music.
lan Curtis,...
..Shaun Ryder,...
..and Martin Hannett.
(# organ)
Take your time, gentlemen, it's very heavy.
This coffin's not going to go down so we're going to leave it on top.
- Yes, we'd better leave it on top. - OK? Leave it on top.
OK. Gentlemen, leave the straps, please.
Thank you... very much.
Death puts things in perspective.
We're all equal in the grave.
Except Martin, obviously, who was a huge character.
So huge, his coffin wouldn't fit in his grave.
l remember thinking ''Martin Hannett.' too big for death. ''
..strengthen the hope of resurrection...
..in those whose bodies are subject to decay.
We'd been running on empty for months.
We survived by shuffling cash from the club to the record company...
..and back again.
Tony.
- How are you doing? - Good, good.
- What can l get you? - No, l'm right, thanks.
You know, we do have to... to restock the bar occasionally.
- Mm. - You might wanna pass that to your...
- Mm. - ..to the guys.
Mm, yeah, yeah, yeah.
We're actually thinking of having a temperance night.
That's lovely.
And l'll see you next week, then.
We had to make some money, so we had to release records.
- New Order want to record an album. - Thank Christ for that.
ln lbiza.
Why... Why lbiza?
Why not lbiza?
lt's gonna be monsoon season by the time we get there.
Well, it... it's sunny, actually.
New Order went offto lbiza and took two fucking years to make the album.
The Mondays wanna make another album.
That's fantastic news.
And the great thing is, we can do it in Manchester.
- Enjoy. - You know Shaun's had some trouble...
- ..with, er,... - Yeah.
- ..like, heroin recently. - Yeah.
l've tried to get him off smack onto methadone but now he's doing both.
Both barrels.
So l've been readin' about this place where there isn't any. lt's an island.
Wouldn't be the lsle of Man, would it(?)
No, Tony. Barbados.
(chuckles)
(# DSK: What Would We Do)
Look, they're all mine, they're all in my name.
lt's my bag, it's my methadone. l need it, l'm a sick man.
Nathan had supplied enough methadone...
..to keep Shaun going for four weeks.
That's how long they were supposed to stay in Barbados.
- (shouting) - Oh, you fuckin' wankers!
Sorry, man.
lt's fuckin' coming out of your wages, you fuckin'... wankers!
lt wasjust bad luck...
..that the methadone didn't even make it onto the plane.
X, just snort it, man.
Nathan!
- Nathan! - Here y'are, get it off your fingers.
There was no heroin on the island. But there was plenty ofcrack.
Every week, we sent over all the cash we had to pay for the studio...
..and Nathan used it for drugs instead.
When the cash ran out, the stole the recording gear,...
..then they stole the furniture,...
..and then they sold their clothes.
(# City Of Prague Orchestra: Robinson Crusoe)
(Shaun) l was stranded on a desert island...
..with no shelter nor companionship.
Every day l kept watch for rescue...
..but no-one came.
My only distraction was to write lyrics for my forthcoming album.
But then l thought...
..why the fuck should l?/
Very good. Very good.
So, Nathan,... the tape, the music, where is it?
Shaun's kidnapped it.
Come again?
Shaun's kidnapped the tape.
(chuckles)
(grunts)
Rob, Rob, what you doing?
- lt's nothing to do with me. - We spent £200,000 on that recording.
- Yeah, yeah. - At least. That's before we mixed it.
And now Shaun wants you to buy it off us.
- You cheeky... - Wait, wait... No, wait...
Don't! Rob... Rob!
He's a fucking kid!
Calm down. How do we buy it off him?
He wants you to meet him tomorrow.
Dry Bar, ten o'clock.
This is your fuckin' fault for letting 'em go out there in the first place.
Why is it my fault? Well, don't,... you know...
But what if he... what if he asks for, like,... 100 grand?
lf he says 100 grand, he won't back down.
lf we mention a figure, we'll... we'll be all right.
- He just wants a gesture. - All right, Tone, how are ya?
- All right, mate. How you doing? - Jesus Christ!
- What the fuck are you doin'?! - What are you doing?! Fuck's sake!
Shit!
Fuck! Really ought to be careful with that, Shaun.
You could... You could take someone's eye out.
- Have you got a new toy, mate? - l have, yeah.
Are you man enough for that?
- lt's great to see you. - You, too, yeah.
lt's great to see you, despite... that incident.
Erm... Right, l've got...
l'm gonna make you an offer. Glad you came.
ln my wallet... The sum total of my wallet,...
..is, if l'm not mistaken,...
..40...
That's 50 quid, that's all l've got.
- Nice, Tone. There you go. - Yeah.
- Master tapes and DATs. - Pleasure doing business with you.
Put that away.
- Seven years' bad luck, that. - l know.
- Fuck off. - Come on, fucking get out of here.
- Don't talk to any strange men. - (cackles)
- What you laughing at? - Twats.
Fucking Tony Wilson... Martin Hannett revisited!
50 pounds. That's, er...
You wouldn't get that in the January sales.
l have in my hand... a DAT.
Which my beautiful assistant Yvette is gonna put on.
- The Mondays. lt's here, it's here. - Hope it was fuckin' worth it.
A total fuckin' nightmare.
A total nightmare.
Thank you, Barney.
(# Sunshine And Love)
At least there's something on the fuckin' thing, anyway.
So far, so-so.
lt's good. lt's got a good groove.
When are the vocals gonna kick in on it?
Next break.
- (music stops) - (exhales)
(music starts)
There's no fuckin' vocals on it, is there?
- Apparently not. - Ohh...
So does that mean you'll have to go back into the studio?
No, it fucking doesn't mean we're going back in the studio.
- All right. - No, we've got no money.
And we can't get any credit...
..and we are shelling out... bucketloads,...
..thousands... on this stupid... this stupid office.
We have to...
..release a record. We have to release a record.
New Order, with respect, have done fuck-all...
..so we'll have to finish the Mondays.
We just... need someone to... ..dist... to pay for the studio,...
- ..distribute the record... - Who?
- ..and we'll share in the profits. - Who's gonna do that? Who? Who?
- lt's the Mondays. Lots of people. - Who?
- Who's gonna pay for that? - A number of people.
- Who? - Princ... Principally London Records.
- Fucking... - What's wrong with London Records?
The name, for a start.
Oh... lt's just a fucking name, Rob.
- You've dropped a bollock, ain't you? - Yeah, l've dropped a bollock.
- Yeah, l don't mind, l've... - You've dropped one massive bollock.
Yes, l've dropped a big, fucking, massive, hairy bollock.
(sighs)
Wheel OfFortune/
(audience cheers)
With... Anthony Wilson...
and... Teri Seymour/
Welcome to the Wheel ofFortune.
There it is, the wheel,...
..that throughout the centuries has been used as a symbol...
..for the vicissitudes of life.
Boethius himself, in his great work The Consolation OfPhilosophy,...
..compares history to a great wheel,...
..hoisting us up, then dropping us down again.
''lnconsistency is my very essence'' says the wheel.
''Raise yourself up on my spokes if you wish...
..but don't complain when you're plunged back down.''
Let's spin the wheel.
What a load of bullshit. We'll remove that in the editing.
Just go straight from ''Wheel of Fortune'', cut to ''spin the wheel.''
The guy over there playing the director,...
..that's the real Tony Wilson, OK? The real me.
There's plenty of other real people in the film. There's Paul Ryder...
Tony.
- How you doing? - Good.
- Mark E Smith from the Fall. - Are you opening this club or what?
- Mani from the Stone Roses. - Where's Shaun?
lnspiral Carpets: what's his name? Clint Boon.
That's one with a table.
Mike Pickering.
Dave Haslam.
And, er, Vini Reilly.
Although this scene didn't actually make it to the final cut.
l'm sure it'll be on the DVD.
l'm in security now, Tone. And repossession.
That's where the money is.
Are you still keeping the pub going?
Oh, yeah. You got to.
(claps) Boys!
Hi, Tony? Have a listen to this.
# You know that love
# Love will tear us apart
- # Again - Yeah?
# You know that love
lt's an old Joy Division song with a soul slant.
- Yeah. - l know what it is.
l've got a big repossession number next week. Next Tuesday.
Massive.
Whitworth Street. Hacienda.
l'm saying fuck all.
# You know that love
- Yeah. - # Love will tear us apart
Can you tell them l've had enough?
Yeah. Whoa!
Great. Well done, lads. Fantastic. l'll... l'll call you.
What's the crack with this spread, Tony?
This is sophisticated food for... Londoners.
- lt's fuckin' leaves! - For Londoners?!
lt's stuffed vine leaves, they're very nice.
- ls this what they eat down there? - Broaden your horizons.
Fuckin' southern food for southern cunts!
Roger. ls it Roger? Very pleased to meet you.
Tony, this is Terry.
Nice to meet you.
- Can l just... see the band? - These are the guys.
Roger Ames, London Records.
- How you doing? OK? - No, that's Roger.
What you've done, l think it's brilliant, and, erm...
..if you don't mind me saying, what a table!
And there's food on it, too, if you'd like to help yourselves.
l wouldn't fuckin' eat it if l were you, it's rabbit food.
We like shaggin' like 'em but we don't wanna eat like 'em.
lf music be the food of deals, why don't we, erm, eat that?
Absolutely. Yvette, do you wanna do the honours?
Terry, have you met Tony?
- Yeah, we said hello. - OK, fine.
- (# Sunshine And Love) - What's the tune called?
Nice to meet you.
We're gonna do a cover of Silence is Golden.
Terry, Terry.
- Turn it up! - This is brilliant.
- Turn it up! - Turn it up!
l like that!
- This is... That... - (music stops)
- l was really into that. - Play some more!
Let's hear some lyrics.
You'll hear the vocals, Roger, when we hear the offer.
That's the way we do things at Factory.
Shaun, where you going?
l'm not eating fuckin' bunny rabbit food, l'm going for a Kentucky.
- Are you coming? - See you later.
- We'll get you a Kentucky. - See you later, Tone.
All right, mate, see you later.
Yvette? Just keep an eye on them.
So, Tony, why don't we listen to the tune while they're out?
Erm...
Hey, Tony, come on.
l do understand that Shaun can be.... a bit of a handful.
Mm, yeah. He's a genius, though.
Yeah, you're right, he is a genius.
And l've got to say, if l owned a record label,...
..and l had signed Shaun to it,...
..then l would not be selling him on for a fee.
(makes chicken noises)
l'm going to make you an offer. Can l lean on this?
Erm, yes. You've got to be a bit... lt's fine.
l'm gonna make you an offer for the whole company.
OK.
Five million.
What do you want for that?
- What do l want? - Yeah.
l want everything.
l want everything: the back catalogue, this table, this food, these windows.
- OK. - You want Factory?
Quite right.
(clears throat) OK. We're very, very flattered, Roger,...
..terribly flattered that you think we're worth such a princely sum,...
..however, what you're... what l have to explain to you is...
..Factory Records are not actually a company.
We are an experiment in human nature.
You're labouring under the misapprehension...
..that we actually have... a deal...
..with, er,... with our bands,...
..that we have any kind of a contract at all.
And l'm afraid we... we don't.
Because that's the sum total of the paperwork...
..to do with Factory Records' deal with their various bands.
''The artists own all their own work, the label owns nothing.''
''Our bands have the freedom.''
''To fuck off.''
Oh, yeah. Quite right.
''..the freedom to fuck off.''
(chuckles) l don't have to deal with you at all.
Correct. But my epitaph will be...
..that l... never literally nor metaphorically...
..sold out.
l protected myself from ever having to have the...
..dilemma of having to sell out...
..by having nothing to sell out.
(clears throat)
Tony, you're fucking mad.
That's a point of view.
- (# Happy Mondays: Hallelujah) - # Hallelujah
# Hallelujah
Most ofall, l love Manchester.'
..the crumbling warehouses, the railway arches,...
..the cheap, abundant drugs.
That's what did it in the end.'
..not the money, not the music, not even the guns.
That is my heroic flaw.' my excess ofcivic pride.
(Tony) Ryan!
Tony Wilson, is it true the Hacienda is closing down?
Yes, it is.
How does it feel now it's fucked up in your face?
Glorious. The Hacienda is dead, it will never grow old.
Unlike your good self, Tony.
l feel like a big dandelion cock...
- What? - Clock.
Cock or clock, it doesn't matter, whose seed is catching the wind,...
..it's gonna fly off, land, take root and spawn...
..dozens, thousands of little baby dandelions,...
..like the biggest ever fuck.
And now she wants one so l've gotta go.
Come on. l've got the horn, Ryan.
- (horn toots) - l've got the horn.
- Tony! - All right, love?
- Tony! - Hello, mate. How you doing?
Thanks for coming.
Vini! All right, mate. Go on in.
- OK, love. - Vini... Let him in.
(# Happy Mondays: Hallelujah)
# Hallelujah
# Hal-le-lu-jah
# Hallelujah, hallelujah
# We're here to pull ya
# Back in to do it all the same
# Hallelujah, hallelujah
# Not sent to save ya
# Just here to spank ya, play some games
# Do it long, long Doin' it long
# Do fine, fine Doin' it fine
# Go in, out Goin' in, not out
# Hallelujah, hallelujah
# Not here to praise ya
# Just here to raise ya Fill you full ofmaize
# Hallelujah
# Hal-le-lu-jah
# Hallelujah, hallelujah
# We're Mr Bitter
# We'll take a bit ofthis and that
# Hallelujah, hallelujah
# When Shaun William Ryder
# Will lie down beside ya Fill you full ofjunk
# Hallelujah
You couldn't just give us ten minutes, could you?
- Fuckin' hell! l'm full of flu! - Just ten.
(# Hallelujah continues)
- (music stops) - (whistling, cheering)
Ladies and gentlemen, the hour is upon us.
l'd like now to ask you to leave in a disorderly fashion.
(whistling, cheering)
Before you do...
Before you do,...
..l want you to invade the offices, which are over there in the corner,...
..through that door, and as far as you can, loot them.
(whistling, applause)
Office equipment, computers, musical equipment,...
..take it all, use it wisely,...
..let a thousand Mancunians bloom.
Good night, God bless.
(cheering)
(music resumes)
(sighs)
Morning.
All right, Tone, how you doing, mate?
- Good, very good. - Great, T.
l'm really sorry about what happened, d'you know what l mean?
- lt just fuckin'... - Don't worry about it, mate.
lt's just... you know...
This is fuckin' great, this is. This is brilliant stuff.
Yeah, Shaun brought it back from Barbados.
- Well done, Shaun. - Don't mention it.
So it wasn't a complete waste of time?
No, l had a great time, what l can remember. Know what l mean?
(whooshing)
(Tony's voice) Tony, you did a good job.
Basically, you were right:
..Shaun is the greatest poet since Yeats.
This is amazing. Can l have it in writing?
lt is already written in the sinews of history and the hearts of men.
lt's a pity you didn't sign the Smiths...
..but you were right about Mick Hucknall.
His music's rubbish and he's a ginger.
Vini Reilly, by the way,...
..is way overdue a revival.
You might think about a greatest hits.
lt's a good idea.
lt's good music to chill out to.
Yeah, you're right.
l usually am.
(whooshing)
Are you all right, there, Tony?
Yeah, l've just seen God.
- You did what? - l've just seen God.
- Did you? - Yeah.
What did he look like?
He looked like me.
How d'you mean?
He was the double of me.
lt's written in the Bible, isn't it?
God made man in his own image.
Yeah, but not a specific man.
No, but...
..if you'd have spoken to him, he woulda looked like you.
But you didn't. l did.
And he looked like me.
lt's fucking top gear, man.
(# Joy Division: Love Will Tear Us Apart)
# When routine bites hard
# And ambitions are low
# And resentment rides high
# But emotions won't grow
# And we're changing our ways
# Taking different roads
# Love
# Love will tear us apart again
# Love
# Love will tear us apart again #
(# New Order: Here to Stay)
# Who is this man
# That follows me?
# This blue-eyed boy
# Who wants to be
# This worthy cause
# Of human kind
# This all set up by time
# Like a bright light on the horizon
# Shining so bright He'll get you flying
# He'll drive you away He'll drive you insane
# But down on your move Honour your pain
# Like a bright light on the horizon
# Shining so bright He'll get you flying
# He'll get you flying
# Flying, flying
# This open book
# Yet to be read
# This second look
# This leap ahead
# The hope l held inside
# With you was kept alive
# Like a bright light on the horizon
# Shining so bright He'll get you flying
# He'll drive you away He'll drive you insane
# But down on your move Honour your pain
# Like a bright light on the horizon
# Shining so bright He'll get you flying
# He'll get you flying
# Flying, flying
# We're here to stay
# Like a bright light on the horizon
# Shining so bright He'll get you flying
# He'll get you flying
# Flying, flying #
Subtitles by Will Mann lntelfax Media Access