Manchester and music have always gone hand in hand with each other. The city's popular music roots in the jazz cafes and 'blues' parties of the 1950s and 60s spawned the cult 'Northern Soul' scene, putting Manchester on the musical map even before the dawn of 'Punk'.
It was with the 'do-it-yourself' ethic of Punk that Tony Wilson began his infamous Factory empire, borrowing a few hundred pounds to record Joy Division's first album. Later, as New Order, they returned the favour, investing money into an old yacht warehouse... the Hacienda was built. Along with the Boardwalk, the Hacienda provided a stage for up-and-coming bands such as The Smiths and James, before the Happy Mondays and Stone Roses hit the headlines, and plain old Manchester became 'Madchester', the most talked about city on earth... until of course it became 'Badchester'. The legendary Konspiracy Club was lost, and even the Hacienda's doors closed. For a time it seemed that it was all over...
By the late 90s a new Manchester had emerged. Fresh clubs; new independent record shops; well over one hundred city centre bars; the stunning Bridgewater Hall; a massive BBC relocation; and a thriving underground music scene sum up the city today. With this rich musical heritage it is no wonder that Manchester is such a focus of productivity in music.
“...it’s not just a question of unique talents or Mercury prize winners. Manchester has the unique position in the UK - outside of the capital - of having a fully developed music business infrastructure; for lawyers, accountants, promo men, even the annual UK music conference, you don’t have to get the train to London.” (Tony Wilson)
Manchester Midi Schools DJ training Manager Jonny Miller, moved to Manchester in November 1994...
There is no better city to be in than Manchester if you want to live 'the music life'. The city is large enough to accommodate all tastes and musical styles, with the finest club and live gig circuit in the North. But the beauty of the city is that it is also small enough for these scenes to overlap and blend. In Manchester, in a positive way, everybody knows everybody. The House people socialise with the Drum & Bass crowd, the Indie bands are down with the DJ's in the Hip Hop scene.
With local record label staff and key industry taste makers out and about in the clubs and bars, promoting yourself and your music on a street level in Manchester is a lot easier than it is in London. With a little research, a bit of networking and some good ideas you really can build a name for yourself here.
When you look at the real success stories from Manchester over the past ten years, Mr Scruff, Elbow, The Electric Chair, Twisted Nerve, Skam Records, Fat City and Grand Central, Badly Drawn Boy and Twisted Nerve, Paper Recordings, Un-Cut, Chase & Status... the list goes on and on, most of these artists and DJ's built their name by running small events and gigs for themselves and their friends in bars and clubs of Manchester's 'Northern Quarter' - known as the cultural quarter of the city centre and definately the place to hang out - its just up to you which of the eighteen or so record shops you choose to do this in...
Coming from West London, on my own, to study the city in the mid-nineties was daunting, but within a few weeks of starting my college course and frequenting the right bars and clubs (including the legendary Hacienda) i became friends with a lot of DJ's and music heads that in years to come I'd end up working with.
My Jus'Listen clubnights established my name as a DJ on the scene which in turn helped push my studio productions. Since then I've produced and remixed for various labels had releases on singles and compilation albums all over the world and am now signed as solo artist to Zed Bias' Phuture Lounge label - right here in Manchester.
On the home front, South Manchester or the fringes of the city centre are the most affordable and safe. Fallowfield and Withington are the main student areas of the city and with a bus from there to town literally every minute and a weekly pass costing as little as three pounds you quickly become used to 'nipping into town' - even just for a coffee.
While you train you may want to earn some extra cash in your spare time. Many M.M.S students take on part time work such as shifts in one of the hundreds of bars the city centre has to offer or P.R / flyering jobs for clubnights - a great way to get in free on your nights out and meet people in the music scene.
When i look back over the last ten years i can honestly say that moving to Manchester made me what i am today in the music industry - things would have been very different had i stayed in London and now i cant help but feel like an honorary citizen of this fine city. As they say round here... 'you can take the man out of Manchester, but you cant take Manchester out of the man'
For more info on Jonny Miller check here -
http://www.myspace.com/jonnymiller
http://www.phuturelounge.com
http://www.jigsawdjs.com/
