A Manchester Situational

There is an extensive interview with Vini Reilly (with occasional contributions by Bruce Mitchell) by Wilson Neate at Blurt Online.

In this brief extract, Vini and Bruce talk about Tony Wilson:

BLURT: Most of us knew Tony Wilson only via his media persona; how did the Tony Wilson you knew differ from that?

REILLY: He differed enormously. He was the same only in the sense that he was very confident, but people mistook that confidence for arrogance. He was always being described as an arrogant person, but, in truth, he was one of the most humble people I've ever met. He would never consider any task too trivial. For example, I remember that on rainy, muddy nights he'd be there helping carry equipment for our rehearsals, and on another occasion he was sweeping the floor after everyone had gone home. He was different [from that public image] in many ways. He was also very, very sensitive -- extremely sensitive -- even though he had a smoke screen of a persona, which was the only possible way he could function in the face of some of the hard-core, hard-nosed businessmen that he had to deal with. And also, some of the musicians were very awkward to deal with, so he developed this persona, which enabled things to just bounce off him. You know, people would say the most disparaging things about him, and it would be like water off a duck's back. He developed that persona over the years to a point where people thought that really was him, but he was actually a very generous-natured, warm, lovely human being. People didn't really perceive him in that way -- and I don't think he wanted people to perceive him in that way.

MITCHELL: Yes, that persona was a separate thing, as Vini says. It was a stitch-on piece of work that he enjoyed -- the laddishness of it. Nice and abrasive, we thought. But it's the way he had to be, don't you think? With some of the musicians he had! But he was always stimulating and interesting. He was ever so curious and shockingly clever. All the time. You know the Kurosawa film, Rashomon? It's like the Rashomon effect. I'm one of the "viewers" that liked him a lot: uncompromisingly. Even though he could be really badly behaved, I would always support anything that Tony did. I learnt an enormous amount off him. I'm ten years older than Tony, but I would very often defer to his judgment rather than mine. So I was a solid fan, without reservations.

Read the full article at Blurt Online.

The Review Show and other stories

It was a busy weekend for The Durutti Column as it began with Vini and Poppy playing live on The Review Show direct from the BBC's studio in Glasgow. Closing out a show on the theme of personal loss, they played a beautiful Duet With Piano from A Paean To Wilson.

The performance is on the BBC iPlayer until the end of the week and also on YouTube for those locked out of iPlayer delights by geographical restrictions.

Two days later in London Vin and Poppy hooked up with the rest of the band to play a sold-out concert at the Leicester Square Theatre in the heart of London's West End. The core of the performance was yet another reworked version of Paean but this time we were also treated to The Beggar, Sketch For Summer and Jacqueline as an interlude in the middle of the show.

With thanks to Bryn for photography.

A Paean To Wilson Buy It Now with Paypal

A Paean To Wilson live at the Lowry; soundcheck

The new album by The Durutti Column 'A Paean To Wilson' is officially released 24 January 2010 and is available now for 15.00 GBP (including Worldwide P+P) via the Kooky Buy it Now button.

The album is also be on sale via iTunes [UK] and the next opportunity to buy it in person will be at the Leicester Square Theatre in London this Sunday 31 January 2010. Tickets are still available via Ticketline and by calling the Box Office on 0844 847 2475.

Last Sunday's "Movement of the 24th January" gig at the Lowry in Salford was a great success. Stephen Dalton, in The Times, said:

"The late Anthony Wilson, Factory Records founder and notorious Mancunian motormouth, would have turned 60 next month. The virtuoso guitarist Vini Reilly paid understated homage to his old friend, manager and label boss in Salford with a rare live show to launch his latest album, A Paean to Wilson.

A gaunt and sinewy 56-year-old with an unruly orange-tinted mullet hairdo, Reilly could pass for a consumptive cousin of Ronnie Wood. Although portrayed as a fragile and depressive character, he is ironically one of the last original Factory insiders still standing after three decades of untimely deaths and career burn-outs."

Read the full review.

A Paean To Wilson Gig T-Shirts

Tickets are still available for the band's latest gigs at which they will be performing the magnificent work A Paean To Wilson which is released the same day.

The Movement of the 24th January, as it were, takes place at The Lowry in Salford on Sunday 24 January and the following weekend we are back in London at the Leicester Square Theatre on 31 January.

Tickets are still available for both gigs but get in there quick as they are selling fast - see links below.

Brand new "A Paean To Wilson live" t-shirts will be on sale at the gigs courtesy those Kooky Boys. Check out a sample of the imagery to the right - it's based on a painting by Bruce Mitchell's wife Jacqueline and features Tony Wilson and Bruce in silhouette.

Jesca Hoop is now confirmed as support for both gigs.

24 January 2010 - The Lowry, Salford Quays (Box Office: 0870 787 5790) [via Ticketline]

31 January 2010, The Leicester Square Theatre, 6 Leicester Place, London, WC2H 7B (Box Office: 0844 847 2475) [via Ticketline]

[NB the price in London will be £2 more on the door. Both venues sell tickets at their own box offices with no booking fee if paying in person in cash.]

A Paean To Wilson live competition

There was an overwhelming response to the recent competition to win tickets to see The Durutti Column live on Sunday 24 January and at the Leicester Square Theatre the following week on 31 January (with the added bonus of John Cooper Clarke and Frank Sidebottom on Saturday 30 January). Many thanks to everyone who entered. The lucky winners have been notified.

Meanwhile, Jesca Hoop has been confirmed as the support act for The Lowry.

Tickets for both gigs are still available online from Ticketline or by calling their 0161 832 1111 (24hr credit card hotline).

NB the price in London will be £2 more on the door. Both venues sell tickets at their own box offices with no booking fee if paying in person in cash.

24 January 2010 - The Lowry, Salford Quays (Box Office: 0870 787 5790) [via Ticketline]

31 January 2010, The Leicester Square Theatre, 6 Leicester Place, London, WC2H 7B (Box Office: 0844 847 2475) [via Ticketline]

Reviews for A Paean To Wilson

Reviews for A Paean To Wilson, which is out on Sunday 24 January 2010, are starting to appear in the major music monthlies. Here's what UNCUT and Q have to say:

Wordless homage to late Factory Records chief

Vini Reilly's Durutti Column were the first band Tony Wilson ever signed to Factory Records, back in early 1978. Their bond was such that, when Wilson was ill in hospital, Reilly sent him new instrumentals to listen to and was at his bedside when he died. This rich and contemplative record is the fruition of that, forsaking traditional song structure for nagging loops, ambient flurries of guitar notes (spilling over into Spanish flamenco on "Quatro"), highly rhythmic percussion and strobing feedback. John Metcalfe's viola, particularly, is mood-perfect. It all ends with Wilson's damning verdict on New Labour. Ever the last word.

****, Rob Hughes, UNCUT 153, Feb 2010

Instrumental tribute to late Factory Records boss

"Championed by Tony Wilson for almost 30 years and present in hospital when the former Factory boss died in 2007, this is Vini Reilly of The Durutti Column's double-CD tribute to his friend and mentor. A sprawling, instrumental affair, it's also boldly eclectic, mixing the delicate acoustic pickings of Catos Revisited with the brooding guitar noise of Requiem and the Marvin Gaye-sampling Brother and The Truth, via new age, ambient textures and beautiful piano piece Anthony [actually on the bonus CD, 2005's Heaven Sent (It Was Called Digital. It Was Heaven Sent), Ed.]. Clocking in at 100 minutes, it might have benefited from some pruning, but this still makes for a fine tribute."

***, Phil Mongredien, Q

Vini Reilly on Marc Riley

The Durutti Column were live in the BBC Manchester studio of Marc Riley tonight and in amongst some lively banter they played three tunes, all from A Paean To Wilson, which is released 24 January:

Or Are You Just A Technician / Chant
Brother
Duet With Piano

The whole programme is available for replay at your leisure over the next week via BBC iPlayer.

Win tickets to see The Durutti Column live

A very Happy New Year to followers of The Durutti Column worldwide!

We kick off 2010 with a pair of competitions to win tickets for the upcoming Paean To Wilson gigs at The Lowry in Salford on 24 January and the Leicester Square Theatre in London's West End on Sunday 31 January.

As an added bonus in London we are also throwing in a pair of tickets to see John Cooper Clarke and Frank Sidebottom, at the Bloomsbury Theatre, on Saturday 30 January (i.e. the night before Durutti play - NOTE this is not at the Leicester Square Theatre as previously announced here).

Tickets for both gigs are available online from Ticketline or by calling their 0161 832 1111 (24hr credit card hotline)

NB the price in London will be £2 more on the door. both venues sell tickets at their own box offices with no booking fee if paying in person in cash.

24 January 2010 - The Lowry, Salford Quays (Box Office: 0870 787 5790) [via Ticketline on sale Monday 16 November 2009]

31 January 2010, The Leicester Square Theatre, 6 Leicester Place, London, WC2H 7B (Box Office: 0844 847 2475) [via Ticketline on sale Monday 16 November 2009]

All you need to do in order to enter is to send an email to me, John here at thedurutticolumn.com.

Please state in your email whether you wish to be entered into the draw for The Lowry in Salford on 24 January or The Leicester Square Theatre (John Cooper Clarke/Frank Sidebottom on 30 January and The Durutti Column on 31 January). Only one entry per person please. Competition closes at 22:00 GMT on Sunday 17 January 2010. The lucky winners will be chosen at random soon after and announced on Monday 18 January.

Good luck!

A Paean To Wilson presale ends Friday

From kookydisc.co.uk:

The internet presale for the new album by The Durutti Column, A Paean To Wilson, ends this Friday 27 November 2009 at 23:59 GMT. Get in there in quick if you want one for Christmas because otherwise you will have to wait until the full release on 24 January 2010.

--

The Durutti Column
A Paean To Wilson
Kookydisc 29/1 & 29/2

The Movement of 24th January

New Paean To Wilson gigs in Salford and London in January 2010.

Phil Jones and The Movement of 24th January presents
The Durutti Column

24 January 2010 - The Lowry, Salford Quays (Box Office: 0870 787 5790) [via Ticketline on sale Monday 16 November 2009]

31 January 2010, The Leicester Square Theatre, 6 Leicester Place, London, WC2H 7B (Box Office: 0844 847 2475) [via Ticketline on sale Monday 16 November 2009]

Tickets for both gigs available online from Ticketline or by calling their 0161 832 1111 (24hr credit card hotline)

NB the price in London will be £2 more on the door. both venues sell tickets at their own box offices with no booking fee if paying in person in cash.

Mail Order Latest News

A mail order update from Kooky Records:

Four Factory Records

The initial run has been sold. Unfortunately we have a few less than anticipated.

More copies will be available in the next ten days and we will start posting these the end of week commencing 19/10/09.

If you are one of the handful that has not been posted you will receive and email from me directly.

These will be identical in every way to the first run, i.e. six discs, art and inserts etc, but the envelope will not be hand numbered. I trust this is acceptable but should you have any queries relating to this or any other matter please contact me by email at philcleaver@btinternet.com

A Paean To Wilson

Many many thanks to all those people who bought a copy of this release on pre-sale at the Durutti show in London 09/10/09. Special thanks from Vini to those who travelled some considerable distance - Melbourne, Dunedin, Cape Town, Detroit, France, Spain, Leyton, Chiswick and Cheslyn Hay amongst others to be there!

We will be releasing this album at the end of January or early February 2010 through all good online and traditional stores. In the meantime I will be selling these on the Kooky site only early November. Please watch the website for more information as it is available.