Louder Than Words Festival in partnership with Omnibus Press
13 14 15
NOVEMBER
The genre-based literary Festival celebrating words – oral, written and published - associated with the music industry. Authors, artists, poets, performers, lyrics and lyricists, journalists, DJs, bloggers and publishers of music and popular culture
2 0 1 5
www.louderthanwordsfest.com
THE PALACE HOTEL, MANCHESTER
13
FRI
PROGRAMME:
FESTIVAL OPENS: 6.30pm The Keith Levene Suite All Weekend Pass, Friday Pass and Friday ticket holders are invited to join us for the formal opening of Louder Than Words Festival 2015 7.00-8.15pm
8.30-9.30pm
MIKE GARRY: POETRY, PERFORMANCE & In Conversation with CP Lee
PAOLO HEWITT: OASIS: GETTING HIGH. In Conversation with Mick Middles
Mike Garry’s poetry has been described as passionate, powerful, precise and personal (composer Philip Glass); words which can be applied to his work, writing and approach more generally.
Between 1994 and 1996, music writer Paolo Hewitt spent the greater part of his life on the road with Oasis, in the U.K., Europe and America. He came back with tales that would cement the legend of the brawling, effing, hedonistic, charismatic, confessional and extraordinarily talented Gallagher brothers, Noel and Liam, and their group.
His connections and reputation across the worlds of music, poetry, writing and Manchester make Mike the perfect guest for our first session of Louder Than Words 2015. He joins us in conversation, with performance and poetry and an opportunity for Q/A and book signings. A privilege and a pleasure all round.
Getting High is an illuminating, funny, sometimes shocking reminder of how big a band can get, and how quickly the insanity sets in. Oasis have today sold in excess of 70 million records worldwide. Hewitt’s intimate account of this explosive and beloved band, in their prime, is a rock classic and a riveting narrative. “Paolo is the only person to speak about what it was like on the road with us because he’s been there. He’s been there, he’s seen it, he’s done it.” Noel Gallagher
* All sessions will be accompanied by the opportunity to purchase relevant books, meet the authors and signings in the Post Room - see inside back cover for details
9.45-10.45pm CHRIS SALEWICZ: DEAD GODS – THE 27 CLUB. In Conversation with Chris Madden
Robert Johnson Brian Jones Jimi Hendrix Janis Joplin Jim Morrison Kurt Cobain Amy Winehouse.
They were inspirational, controversial, talismanic and innovative. They lead lives full of myth, scandal, sex, drugs and some of the most glorious music that has ever heard. Though each of their lives were cut tragically short at the age of 27, they would all leave the world having changed it irrevocably. Chris Salewicz joins us in conversation, discussing in detail, the stories behind these compelling figures. From Robert Johnson and his legendary deal with the devil, to Jimi Hendrix appearing like a psychedelic comet on the London scene, through to Amy Winehouse’s blazing talent and her savage appetite for selfdestruction.
* All sessions will be accompanied by the opportunity to purchase relevant books, meet the authors and signings in the Post Room - see inside back cover for details
THE KEITH LEVENE SUITE
PALACE SUITE 6
10.30-12.00am
10.30-12.00am
RIOT GRRRL: FEMINIST PUNK CULTURE, MUSIC, ZINES and LEGACY
NORMAN JOPLING: SHAKE IT UP BABY. In conversation with MICK MIDDLES
Karren Ablaze! and Julia Downes will be discussing Riot Grrrl, the feminist punk rock movement that began in the early nineties and had a massive impact on the lives of women in music, as musicians and as fans.
Norman Jopling began writing for Record Mirror in 1961 at the age of 17, interviewing and profiling the era’s pop stars, and instigating a pioneering coverage of the hithertoneglected area of American rhythm & blues. As the Sixties progressed, he also became the flag-waver for the UK R&B boom, the first music reporter to write – and rave – about the Rolling Stones, and the first London writer to profile the Beatles.
Karren was the instigator of the Leeds-Bradford Riot Grrrl gang in 1992 and Julia co-founded the Manifesta collective in Leeds in 2002. Both groups resulted in the formation of new bands and zines, and transformed the lives of those who participated. During this session they will discuss the continuing impact of the movement and whether its philosophy is still relevant today
In 1968 he went freelance, regularly contributing pieces to NME, Cream, Billboard,Record Retailer, Let It Rock, Music Now and many more. In 1973 he quit music journalism and joined CBS Records. He subsequently spent several years in New York in the late Seventies working as a songwriter and music publisher, and in the Eighties co-authored a number of books including The Beatles Conquer America, Cliff Richard & The Shadows and John Lennon with Dezo Hoffmann, andHarrap’s Book Of 1000 Plays with Steve Fletcher. In 1988 he rejoined the music industry and has since originated a large number of reissue albums for many record companies. His book Shake It Up Baby! Is about his early career as a music reporter was published by RockHistory in March 2015.
THE PALACE HOTEL, MANCHESTER PALACE SUITE 5
PALACE SUITE 2
10.15-11.45am
10.15-11.45am
14
SAT
PROGRAMME:
WATCH THE SMALL PRINT: LIBEL, COPYRIGHT AND LEGALITIES. A workshop with Carol Isherwood and Chris Charlesworth Associate Carol Isherwood, of national law firm Shoosmiths, and Chris Charlesworth, senior editor at Omnibus Press for 32 years, discuss legal matters relating to music, rock books and publishing in general. Carol specialises in intellectual property law including copyright and contract issues, representing artists in both contentious and non-contentious matters including infringement cases, while Chris – whose legal training extends no further than a two-day course at the Publishing Training Centre in Clapham – has spent half a lifetime fending off complaints great and small. A light-hearted, anecdote-fuelled session with a serious underpinning.
* All sessions will be accompanied by the opportunity to purchase relevant books, meet the authors and signings in the Post Room - see inside back cover for details
THE KEITH LEVENE SUITE
PALACE SUITE 6
12.15-1.45pm
12.15-1.45pm
PROG: A FOUR LETTER WORD A feisty debate on the place and position of this much contested music genre
PAUL ‘SMILER’ ANDERSON: Mods: The New Religion. In conversation with Simon Wells
If there was no ‘Elvis, Beatles or Stones’ in 1977, then surely there was no room at all for the progressive sounds of Floyd, Yes and Genesis either. And yet, in 2015, the Progressive Music Awards are covered on the BBC news and the Official Chart Company have begun running a Prog album chart. The magazine, Prog, is one of the most reliable-sellers of all the monthlies. Progressive Rock seems everywhere, and, suddenly, inexplicably, cool. What happened? Were the punk wars fought in vain? When did ‘I HATE PINK FLOYD’ turn into (as critic Simon Price noted) ‘I RATE PINK FLOYD.’ Joining your host DARYL EASLEA (author of Without Frontiers, The Life And Music Of Peter Gabriel) will be PAOLO HEWITT (author of The Soul Stylists: Six Decades Of Modernism) and JEMIMA DURY (curator and editor of Hello Sausages: The Lyrics of Ian Dury). Expect conflicting views, and at least one photograph and/or moving image of a man in his early 20s wearing a flower mask.
In this special event, Smiler takes us through the first-hand accounts from the original Mod generation who were there at the time. With reminiscences from Top Faces, scooterboys, DJs, promoters and musicians, Smiler’s research, insights and anecdotes create a vivid snapshot of what is was really like to be in with the in-crowd. A must for all Mod fans and a must for those intrigued to learn more…
THE PALACE HOTEL, MANCHESTER
14
PALACE SUITE 5
PALACE SUITE 2
12.00-1.30pm
12.00-1.30pm
BAD LANGUAGE: Curated Chaos of New Poetry and Fiction.
DJ WORKSHOP Interactive DJ workshop with Thomas Watts
BAD LANGUAGE promotes live literature in Manchester and their monthly night in the Northern Quarter won this year’s UK Best Spoken Word Night at the Saboteur Awards. Past headliners include: Stuart Maconie Emma Jane Unsworth John Doran from The Quietus Join Bad Language hosts JP DALY and FATS ROLAND as they present an hour of new poetry and fiction in the only way they know how: Creative Tourist call it “curated chaos”.
SAT
PROGRAMME:
In this interactive workshop session, Thomas Watts will focus on the history of djing and how technology has changed and propelled the industry. Thomas will talk through and demonstrate basic DJ techniques incorporating hardware interfaces, sound effects, equalisation, mixing and looping. There will be visual guidance towards DJ software programs and a chance to have a mix your self!
* All sessions will be accompanied by the opportunity to purchase relevant books, meet the authors and signings in the Post Room - see inside back cover for details
THE KEITH LEVENE SUITE
PALACE SUITE 6
2.00-3.30pm
2.00-3.30pm
RICK BUCKLER: THAT’S ENTERTAINMENT! In conversation with Tony Fletcher
PULP! FREAK OUT THE SQUARES: RUSSELL SENIOR. In conversation with John Robb
Rick Buckler’s autobiography is the first from a member of The Jam, who some considered were the ultimate Mod band.
Russell Senior is a man too smart to have ever been a pop star. And Pulp were too odd a band ever to have become so big. But we can only be grateful that he was, and they did –and that Freak Out the Squares tells the story in Russell’s inimitable, entertaining and fascinating way.
Rick tells The Jam story from growing up in Woking and meeting fellow members Paul Weller and Bruce Foxton at school, through their formation in 1972 and tells of the band’s early years before signing to Polydor records. He provides a year by year account of The Jam’s progress whilst describing what it was like being a part of the music industry during the 70s and 80s and some of the characters who he met along the way including the Ramones, John Enwhistle, Sid Vicious, Blondie, Boy George and Paul McCartney
In the first account of life inside Pulp, Russell recounts the band’s origins in Sheffield to their glory days at the height of Britpop, revealing the story behind the anthem of a generation, “Common People”. The book gives a glimpse into the world of Britpop luminaries such as Blur, Elastica and Suede and charts Pulp’s 2011 reunion tour, which culminated in a triumphant Glastonbury performance. Freak Out the Squares is Russell’s exceptionally witty, unusual and enlightening account of the heady times being a key member of Britpop’s best-loved and most enduringly relevant band. Russell Senior was the lead guitarist and violinist of the Britpop band Pulp. Since his departure from Pulp he has worked as an antique dealer but now concentrates on writing full-time.
THE PALACE HOTEL, MANCHESTER
14
SAT
PROGRAMME: PALACE SUITE 5
PALACE SUITE 2
1.45-3.15pm
1.45-3.15pm
‘CONVERSATIONS WITH McCARTNEY’ A special In Conversation with PAUL Du NOYER hosted by Spencer Leigh.
PRS FOR MUSIC: MONETISING YOUR MUSIC CAREER
In 1989, a young music journalist was contacted by Paul McCartney’s office in London and invited to interview the star. They had met before and enjoyed a good rapport. In the years that followed, Paul Du Noyer continued to meet, interview and work closely with McCartney, their conversations moving between music – life as one of the Beatles and later with Wings – and his most private feelings on John Lennon and his beloved Linda, among others. Over the last 35 years Du Noyer has interviewed McCartney more often than any other magazine writer. Written with the permission and blessing of Paul McCartney, Conversations With McCartney is the culmination of this long association. Drawing from their interview sessions and coupling McCartney’s own candid thoughts with Du Noyer’s observations, the result is an intimate portrait spanning McCartney’s entire musical career.
With CD sales in terminal decline and streaming cannibalising downloads, gone are the days when songwriters could rely solely on music sales to make a decent living. However with the growth of live performances, direct to fan interaction, merchandise and royalties, the opportunities to monetise your music career are wider than you might think. PRS for Music invite 3 industry guests to discuss ways to monetise your music career in the digital age.
* All sessions will be accompanied by the opportunity to purchase relevant books, meet the authors and signings in the Post Room - see inside back cover for details
THE KEITH LEVENE SUITE
PALACE SUITE 6
3.45-5.15pm
3.45-5.15pm
STEVE IGNORANT and SLICE of LIFE: An intimate session of songs and spoken word that will draw you in and stay with you long after the final note has been played.
MODS: FASHION, MUSIC and POPULAR CULTURE An interactive panel discussion
Steve Ignorant co-founded the anarcho-punk band Crass with Penny Rimbaud in 1977. After Crass he performed with various bands as well as occasional solo performances. Steve has written his autobiography –All The Rest Is Propaganda- and has worked as a traditional Punch and Judy performer using the name Professor Ignorant. Steve joins us with his new band SLICE OF LIFE. A far cry from the aggression of Crass, nevertheless compelling with powerful songs delivered in an acoustic style. Impossible to categorise, Slice Of Life’s music is up-front and soulbaringly personal.
Join our Mod Subculture panel for conversation, stories, insights and anecdotes from one of the most enduring and high impact subcultures of the last century. Be in with the in crowd and join PAUL ‘SMILER’ ANDERSON RICK BUCKLER DANIEL RACHEL SIMON WELLS as they take us on a journey that embraces fashion, music, scooters, identity and all that came with the spread of ‘Swinging London’
THE PALACE HOTEL, MANCHESTER
14
SAT
PROGRAMME: PALACE SUITE 5
PALACE SUITE 2
3.30-5.00pm
3.30-5.00pm
LEE BRILLEAUX: ROCK AND ROLL GENTLEMAN. ZOË HOWE In Conversation with Daryl Easlea
THE WHO AT 50: A special in conversation, Mark Blake, Chris Charlesworth, Tony Fletcher and Ian ‘Snowy’ Snowball.
It’s the 40th anniversary of seminal Dr Feelgood albums Down By The Jetty and Malpractice, so you’ll be pleased to note that the hotlyanticipated biography of muchmissed Dr Feelgood singer (and guitarist Wilko Johnson’s sometime sparring partner) LEE BRILLEAUX is finally out!
‘The 1960s was an era of reinvention that saw a concerted attempt to right the wrongs of previous decades. The music The Who made in the 1960s aspired to this brave new world, while still being haunted by the smoking battles of the old one. It was a music that grew out of bomb sites, ration books and unspoken childhood secrets, but also the great social and artistic changes sweeping through the new decade.’…
Lee Brilleaux - Rock ’n’ Roll Gentleman (Polygon) is as much a compendium of mad adventures and hilarious anecdotes as it is a veritable handbook for a whole new generation of would-be rock ’n’ roll gents, and there are plenty of unexpected twists and turns in this long-overdue celebration of the man in the dirty white suit. Join author and Louder Luminary Zoë Howe for insights, anecdotes and an affectionate consideration of the life of a true Rock-N-Roll Gentleman.
In this special in conversation, our panellists consider The Who, the 60s and their continuing impact on popular culture.
* All sessions will be accompanied by the opportunity to purchase relevant books, meet the authors and signings in the Post Room - see inside back cover for details
THE KEITH LEVENE SUITE
PALACE SUITE 6
5.30-7.00pm
5.30-7.00pm
YOU’LL SEE GLIMPSES...
INDEPENDENT PUBLISHING
What a privilege to announce JEMIMA DURY and ZOE HOWE in discussion with Q&A.
Louder Than Words is one of only a handful of Festivals to offer a dedicated panel focused on Independent Publishing. Take advantage of this distinctive opportunity to hear and engage in conversation with a range of Independent Publishers, to hear firsthand the drivers behind their work, the motivations and ambitions that underpin their approach and how their business activities fit into the literary landscape more generally. Participants will have opportunities to explore a range of benefits and limitations to working with such organisations as well as some of the challenges and opportunities involved in running a small/er operation in a fast changing and increasingly competitive market.
In this very special session, Jemima and Zoë will talk about Ian Dury’s early life and what led him into artmusic-writing, incorporating a focus on and reading of stories behind the lyrics penned by this infamous talent. Engaging the audience with an anecdote fuelled exploration of what it’s like growing up with famous dad, the conversation will span Ian’s career including Pub Rock, the Feelgoods, the Blockheads and Punk. Audience Q&A a must...!
Panel members: Karren Ablaze! (Mittens On Publishers) Ian Daley (Route Online) Steve Pottinger (Ignite Books)
THE PALACE HOTEL, MANCHESTER
14
PALACE SUITE 5
PALACE SUITE 2
5.15-6.45pm
5.15-6.45pm
ACCIDENTS ON THE EAST LANCS Tales From Two Cities Manchester Liverpool - Liverpool Manchester - the two Northern Hoods twinned with Music!
Music Journalism: Adapting to the Digital Age
How alike and how apart are they in a Bizarro world where they overshadow each other? RICHARD BOON oversees eminent musicultural observer DAVE HASLAM at this event where myths are deconstructed and tales will be told, along with legendary Liverpudlian champion JAYNE CASEY and Manchester’s CP LEE - who played in the original Cavern.
SAT
PROGRAMME:
Music journalism has been turned upside down by the online revolution. Print sales appear to be in terminal decline and writers’ rates have plummeted. Yet online publications continue to multiply and music journalists are branching out into new mediums. So has the digital era democratised or diluted contemporary music journalism? The panel is chaired by FIONA STURGES, columnist and interviewer at The Independent and Lecturer in Music Media at Southampton Solent University. She will be joined by SIMON MORRISON, Programme Leader for Music Journalism at Chester University; biographer and journalist Mark Blake; author and journalist RICHARD BALLS; radio presenter and Silent Radio editor SIMON POOLE; and journalist, critic and broadcaster ANITA SETHI.
* All sessions will be accompanied by the opportunity to purchase relevant books, meet the authors and signings in the Post Room - see inside back cover for details
THE KEITH LEVENE SUITE
PALACE SUITE 6
7.15-8.45pm
7.15-8.45pm
RICHARD BOON’S JUKE BOX FURY
TOO HIGH, TOO FAR, TOO SOON: SIMON MASON performs and in conversation.
The World’s Coolest Librarian, Richard Boon, invites four music writers: Paolo Hewitt, Chris Charlesworth, Daniel Rachel and Karren Ablaze! to play and discuss the tunes they allege inspired their careers. Then to vote ‘Hit’ or ‘Miss’ and to discuss the place of music writing and, indeed, music, in the digital environment. In collaboration with the Stoke Newington Literary Festival.
TOO HIGH, TOO FAR, TOO SOON is a rock ‘n’ roll memoir with a difference, written by a man who lived the life and attained the drug habits of the most extreme rock stars, yet whose attempts to break through to the big time always eluded him. Too High, Too Far, Too Soon is the humorous, tragic and searingly honest memoir of a man who survived childhood tragedy, Catholic boarding school and chronic drug addiction. In this intimate and special event for Louder Than Words, Simon Mason will be in conversation with Martin Johnston, discussing themes and experiences as well as performing from the one-man play adaptation of his book with a few additional treats to boot.
THE PALACE HOTEL, MANCHESTER
14
PALACE SUITE 5
PALACE SUITE 2
7.00-8.30pm
7.00-8.30pm
I ALWAYS KEPT A UNICORN – THE BIOGRAPHY OF SANDY DENNY: MICK HOUGHTON In Conversation with Barney Hoskyns
CLUB CULTURE: THE DISCOTEXT
In this special In Conversation, Mick and Barney will explore the life of one of the greatest British singers of her time and the first female British singer-songwriter to produce a substantial and enduring body of original songs. Sandy emerged from the passionate, hard-drinking folk scene of the sixties, was driven by a restless search for the perfect framework for her songs during the seventies and died a tragic and untimely death in 1978, aged 31, in circumstances still shrouded in hearsay and speculation. An intimate insight to her life and her enduring legacy is guaranteed. Based on original and candid interviews with more than 50 of her friends, fellow musicians and contemporaries, plus access to previously unseen documents, photographs and Sandy’s own notebooks – this In Conversation will focus on Sandy’s story – that of a life never sung out of tune.
SAT
PROGRAMME:
The art of DJing is one that involves the judicious selection, and mixing, of the sonic; something that always resists containment by language. So how do you write about a beat? How can you use words to describe the transformative effect of the dancefloor… the life-affirming power of just one night out? Someone once said that writing about music is like dancing about architecture, but on the Saturday night (where else!) of Louder Than Words, expect to see some twostepping building designers stumbling feverously over just that very thing. This year - as well as looking at club culture writing - the panel will ask if this subcultural scene is something that can, or should, be taught, where we now find Doctors of Disco stalking the lectures theatres as they once did the dancefloor. The panel is convened by Simon A. Morrison, excolumnist of DJmagazine, ex-editor of Ministry in Ibiza, now Programme Leader for Music Journalism at the University of Chester. Joining him will be Martin James, author, founding section editor of Muzik and now Professor at Southampton Solent as well as Hillegonda Rietveld, ex Factory Records, now Professor at South Bank University. On the writing side we have original Club Culture writers including Duncan Dick, editor of key club culture music magazine Mixmag.
* All sessions will be accompanied by the opportunity to purchase relevant books, meet the authors and signings in the Post Room - see inside back cover for details
THE KEITH LEVENE SUITE 9.00-10.30pm KEITH LEVENE In Conversation with John Robb, plus special live performance Following his sponsorship support of last year’s Festival, Louder Than Words are delighted that founding member of The Clash and Public Image Ltd, KEITH LEVENE will be joining us in person. Keith Levene is an artist, composer, musician, producer, and writer. He has also contributed to film scores, and is a founding member of The Clash and Public Image, Ltd. Keith is a self-taught, multiinstrumentalist. He is perhaps best known for his legendary guitar work. Keith’s latest project is London 1976 which celebrates the 40th anniversary of British punk with a view to the future through his London 1976 Institute, an idea-sharing cooperative to help musicians, artists, authors and designers maintain their independence and autonomy in an increasingly corporate environment.
PALACE SUITE 6
THE PALACE HOTEL, MANCHESTER PALACE SUITE 5 8.45-10.15pm JOHN McCULLAGH. In Conversation with Daryl Easlea plus a treat of an acoustic set. Influenced by the likes of Donovan, Marc Bolan, Paul Weller and Johnny Cash, John McCullagh has been playing guitar and writing songs since he was twelve, and his latent talent for his beloved six-string was soon followed by mastery of the harmonica. John was signed aged 15 by Alan McGee after McGee spotted him playing Bob Dylan covers in a pub in Rotherham. He became one of the first signings to McGee’s label, 359 Music. McGee told John to go away write some songs and see what happens... This intimate in conversation with the ‘Don of Doncaster’ will reveal what did happen next complemented by an acoustic set to exemplify why this great young talent is one of the best in the country and one to watch in the next chapter. A must for aspiring and inspiring talents alike…
PALACE SUITE 2
14
SAT
PROGRAMME:
* All sessions will be accompanied by the opportunity to purchase relevant books, meet the authors and signings in the Post Room - see inside back cover for details
THE KEITH LEVENE SUITE
PALACE SUITE 6
10.30am-12.00pm
10.30am-12.00pm
THE STIFF RECORDS STORY RICHARD BALLS In Conversation with Mick Middles
ISLE OF NOISES: CONVERSATIONS WITH GREAT BRITISH SONGWRITERS: Author DANIEL RACHEL In Conversation
With a roster that included: Nick Lowe Elvis Costello The Damned Ian Dury Shane MacGowan Lene Lovich Jona Lewie Wreckless Eric Graham Parker Stiff Records tore up the rulebook, packaging and marketing the artists in ways that made the major labels look like dinosaurs Come and hear more - stories, insights and anecdotes!
In this special In Conversation, Daniel Rachel will share and stories and insights from his exclusive, in-depth conversations with 27 of the UKs greatest living musicians. Within the pages of Isle of Noises, each artist discusses their individual approach to writing, the inspiration behind their most successful songs, and the techniques and methods they have independently developed. The combination of individual personal insights and the breadth and depth of knowledge in their collected experience makes Isle of Noises the essential word on classic British songwriting – as told by the songwriters themselves.
THE PALACE HOTEL, MANCHESTER
15
SUN
PROGRAMME: PALACE SUITE 5
PALACE SUITE 2
10.30am-12.30pm
10.30am-12.00pm
SLAM POETRY
FACT to FICTION WORKSHOP: A step-by-step guide to pinning down an era with OLIVIA PIEKARSKI
MUSIC, MEDIA and ME – a Slam Poetry Competition based on Words and Music; competed by some of the best talent around Festival partners WORDSMITH bring eight of Manchester’s most dynamic poet gladiators for a rhythmic riot like no other. Treat your ears and join us for a competition like no other. Breath-taking contemporary bards from Burnage Academy for Boys, Chorlton High, Xaverian 6th form College and Young Identity slam sonic sonnets all based on the theme of Music, Media and Me over two rounds to gain the right to don the crown. The victor will win a range of themed prizes and most importantly become Louder Than Words’ Poet in Residence for 2016; a unique opportunity to explore, express & energise every echelon of development and its characters today and in the build up next years festival. Expect some linguistic gymnastics from co-hosts Shirley May, Reece Williams and Chris Jam too.
Olivia Piekarski is a Manchesterbased contemporary novelist who co-authored the highly-acclaimed The Big Midweek with iconic Fall bass player, Steve Hanley. Olivia is now working on her second book, a fiction novel entitled The Guest List. Olivia believes music writing, however factual or fictional, should be an accessible, entertaining, gripping, thought-provoking read which, above all else, places the reader where they yearn to go in real life. This workshop examines the extent to which factual settings, both geographical and cultural, can colour and inform a fictional piece of work. Where do we draw the line for this equation to be the most effective? How do we keep the reader engaged? How do we keep them turning the page? And with a wealth of music history in the city of Manchester alone, when and where are the best places to begin? This workshop will provide music writers who want to work on longer pieces of writing with a checklist of ingredients and the inspiration for a practical starting point.
* All sessions will be accompanied by the opportunity to purchase relevant books, meet the authors and signings in the Post Room - see inside back cover for details
THE KEITH LEVENE SUITE
PALACE SUITE 6
12.15-1.45pm
12.15-1.45pm
PAULINE BLACK In Conversation with John Robb
Metal! Metal! Metal! and Dysfunctional Family Portraits. PAUL HARRIES joins us with some of his iconic SLIPKNOT images, for an In Conversation with Joel McIver.
Pauline Black is lead singer of legendary platinum selling 2-Tone band ‘The Selecter’- debut album ‘Too Much Pressure - chart singles ‘On MyRadio’, ‘Missing Words’, Three Minute Hero’, ‘The Whisper’. Her career spans acting (Time Out Award for Billie Holiday portrayal @ Tricycle Theatre, London) TV presenter- (Black On Black, Channel 4) radio broadcasting (Black to The Future, BBC Radio 5 Live, Radio 4 Pick Of The Week, With Great Pleasure, BBC6musicDJ) & author - her best-selling memoir “Black By Design” was published by Serpent’s Tail on July 14th 2011 & in USA on June 4th 2012. Born in 1953 to Anglo-Jewish/ Nigerian parents, Black was adopted by a white, working-class family in Romford. Never quite at home there, she escaped her small-town background and discovered a different way of life. She continues to tour internationally with The Selecter - most recently in support of their new official chart album ‘Subculture’ released on June 15th 2015.
Armed with a valid passport, a working camera and a keen eye for detail, Paul Harries has amassed a portfolio that amounts to nothing less than a rock fan’s dream. From an apprenticeship served in the photo pit at London’s legendary Marquee Club, Paul has risen to occupy the position of leading lensman for Kerrang! magazine, the world’s best-selling music weekly. Paul has closed his shutter on such groups as Nirvana, Muse, Green Day, Metallica, AC/DC, Biffy Clyro, Ozzy Osbourne, Red Hot Chili Peppers and, of course, the mighty Slipknot. Paul’s recently published book “Slipknot: Dysfunctional Family Portraits” is a thrilling journey over more than decade of working with the marvellous masked men of metal.
THE PALACE HOTEL, MANCHESTER PALACE SUITE 5
PALACE SUITE 2
2.00-3.30pm
12.15-1.45pm
15
SUN
PROGRAMME:
UNCONVENTION An interactive and pertinent panel discussion hosted by our Festival partners UnConvention: ‘Is The Enemy Really Free?’ In music, TV, journalism and many other content based industries digital disruption has given rise to the ubiquity of ‘free’. Free to access, free to produce, free to distribute, free to publish and free to consume - and in turn a whole range of related models and ideas. From freemium and ad funded to the blurred lines between ‘exposure’ and ‘exploitation’, musicians, writers, film makers, record labels, magazines and broadcasters are having to navigate the shift from scarcity to saturation. Indeed, ‘free’ is a very complicated price point - YouTube, the NME, and that £600 phone in your pocket are all ‘free’ in the modern world. In this panel we examine what free really means for those trying to build a career in the content based creative industries.
* All sessions will be accompanied by the opportunity to purchase relevant books, meet the authors and signings in the Post Room - see inside back cover for details
THE KEITH LEVENE SUITE
PALACE SUITE 6
2.00-3.30pm
2.00-3.30pm
JON SAVAGE: 1966 The Year The Decade Exploded A special In Conversation event with one of the giants of music writing.
A FIRM of POETS: A distinctive, fast-paced, high-powered event engaging the audience in the People’s Republic of Poetry.
It was the year that marked a sea change in global pop cultural history. In 1966: The Year The Decade Exploded, Jon Savage has written the definitive exploration of the highs, lows and revolutionary moments of this unique and resonant time.
A music themed treat in store for sure!
Throughout America, London, Amsterdam and Paris, revolutionary ideas slow-cooking since the late ’50s reached boiling point. In the worlds of pop, pop art, fashion and radical politics — often fuelled by perception-enhancing substances and literature — the ‘Sixties’ as we have come to know them, hit their Modernist peak. A unique chemistry of ideas, drugs, freedom of expression and dialogue across pop cultural continents created a landscape of immense and eventually shattering creativity. After 1966 nothing in the pop world would ever be the same. It was the year in which the everlasting and transient pop moment would burst forth in its most articulate, instinctive and radical way.
A quartet of poets faces the audience; in turn they step up to the mic to perform their poems. A cross between a poetic super-group and ‘Whose Line Is It Anyway?’ the show fast-paced and never the same twice. With humour, pathos, quizzes and audience participation, this is a fun event that will both move and entertain. “They are f*****g brilliant!” Dr John Cooper Clark
THE PALACE HOTEL, MANCHESTER
15
SUN
PROGRAMME: PALACE SUITE 5
PALACE SUITE 2
2.00-3.30pm
2.00-3.30pm
Funny how a melody sounds like a memory A Panel Discussion hosted by our Festival Partners Manchester District Music Archive
Metal! Metal! Metal! A high powered panel discussion exploring the changing face of metal writing
Ideas and memories live in a kind of virtual space of the mind - a repository of the imaginary. In virtual reality we at the Archive have created a repository of the memories of Manchester music fans, a dreamscape of the Real that can be accessed by all from around the planet. This panel will tell stories, offer pathways for others interested in setting up virtual campfires around which to tell tales of the then and look at the now. Panellists: Jez Collins: Birmingham Music Archive CP Lee: Manchester Music Historian and Chair of the panel Graham Massey: 808 State, Toolshed Anita Sethi: Alison Surtees: Manchester District Music Archive
Joel McIver is joined by: Paul Harries (Kerrang!) Louise Brown (IronFist) Terry Bezer (That’s Not Metal) for our Metal Panel, considering the changing face of metal writing (1970s to present day). Insights, anecdotes, opinions and experience blend to ensure a treat is in store
* All sessions will be accompanied by the opportunity to purchase relevant books, meet the authors and signings in the Post Room - see inside back cover for details
THE KEITH LEVENE SUITE
PALACE SUITE 6
3.45-5.15pm
3.45pm
MIKE HARDING: The Adventures of the Crumpsall Kid. In Conversation with John Robb
WILKO AWARD
The Adventures of the Crumpsall Kid is the fascinating and insightful childhood memoir of Mike Harding: folk singer, musician, songwriter and broadcaster. His first memoir looks at his workingclass upbringing, the highlights of his school days and the beginnings of his musical career. Warm, nostalgic and very funny, Mike Harding’s new book of his early life in post-war Manchester is as idiosyncratic and engaging as the man himself
6.30-6.30pm FESTIVAL CLOSING WORDS
Join us to celebrate with the winners of our 2015 Wilko Johnson Young Writers Award. Supported by Bloomsbury Press and Rock’s Backpages, our finalists and winners join Louder Than Words Festival to receive their prizes. A celebration of the best in aspiring and inspiring music writing from entrants all aged under 25. This year’s title: ‘The Best Things in Life Are Free’: Downloads, Streaming, You Tube and Mags – We all like a ‘freebie’ but what does this really mean for the music industry?
THE PALACE HOTEL, MANCHESTER
15
SUN
PROGRAMME:
AUTHOR BOOK SIGNING SESSIONS Friday Evening: All in The Keith Levene Suite including 6pm David Barraclough offering one of his publishing surgeries Saturday – Post Room 12.00 Norman Jopling & Karren Ablaze! Plus David Barraclough offering one of his publishing surgeries 2pm FREE poetry/spoken word session with Steve Pottinger 2pm Daryl Easlea & Paul ‘Smiler’ Anderson 2.30pm David Barraclough offering one of his publishing surgeries 3.30pm Russell Senior & Paul Du Noyer & Spencer Leigh 5pm FREE poetry/spoken word session with Steve Pottinger 5pm Ian Snowball (Zoë Howe and Mark Blake signed books will be on sale) 5.30pm Rick Buckler & Tony Fletcher & Steve Ignorant 7pm Jemima Dury & Zoë Howe & Dave Haslam 7.15pm David Barraclough offering one of his publishing surgeries 8.30pm Mick Houghton & Barney Hoskyns & the Club Culture authors including Simon Morrison 8.45pm Simon Mason will sign in Palace 6 after his event 10.30pm Keith Levene will do signings and continue conversations in The Keith Levene Suite Sunday – Post Room 12.00 Olivia Piekarski & Daniel Rachel & Richard Balls & Mick Middles 2pm FREE poetry/spoken word session with Steve Pottinger 2pm Pauline Black 3.30pm Jon Savage & Joel McIver & Paul Harries 5.15pm Mike Harding in The Keith Levene Suite
Simon A. Morrison describes his journalism thus: “I climb into the story and start drinking until things go wrong.� And you know what? They tend to. Discombobulated tentatively started as a hands-on study of global youth cultures, but fell into disarray somewhere on page three. It stands now as the chronicle of a trip into the nightlife of many international cities. In other words, the Wrong Side. Discombobulated: Dispatches from the Wrong Side (ISBN 9781900486736) by Simon A. Morrison published by Headpress, available from the usual outlets. Better yet, get it direct from the publisher. WWW . HEADPRESS . COM
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