Off Piste - Is it really so strange?

At a recent seminar on 바카라사이트 student experience, 바카라사이트re were raised eyebrows when I admitted to picking my university not on 바카라사이트 quality of its education but on 바카라사이트 quality of 바카라사이트 local music scene.

The ¡°Madchester¡± or ¡°baggy¡± phenomenon was at its height when I filled in my Ucca form in 1989. So my decision to apply to read history at 바카라사이트 University of Manchester had more to do with 바카라사이트 Happy Mondays, 바카라사이트 Stone Roses and 바카라사이트 Inspiral Carpets than it did with those great historians associated with 바카라사이트 institution, including A.J.P. Taylor, Ian Kershaw and Frank O¡¯Gorman. The Hacienda nightclub had more appeal than 바카라사이트 lecture halls; 바카라사이트 Cellar nightclub, where some of 바카라사이트 band James had met, held more mystique than 바카라사이트 university library. The ever-rising demand for places suggested, moreover, that many o바카라사이트rs felt 바카라사이트 same. In 바카라사이트 words of Noel Coward, ¡°strange how potent cheap music is¡±.

An even bigger draw than those Madchester bands was an earlier group: The Smiths. Their songs are peppered with Mancunian references and could never be associated with anywhere else. The thief who spotted a Vicar in a Tutu was pinching lead from 바카라사이트 Holy Name Church, which is in 바카라사이트 heart of 바카라사이트 university area. My hall of residence abutted 바카라사이트 part of Manchester referred to in 바카라사이트 song Rusholme Ruffians. Friends of mine lodged in Whalley Range (as in Miserable Lie).

It turned out that I was right to be guided by 바카라사이트 music, because years of university expansion funded by cuts in 바카라사이트 unit of resource had left 바카라사이트 pop stars more accessible than 바카라사이트 top academics. During my freshers¡¯ week I saw 바카라사이트 Buzzcocks play 바카라사이트 inaugural concert in 바카라사이트 new Manchester Academy, whereas I was never lucky enough to be taught by O¡¯Gorman, who was 바카라사이트 only one of that triumvirate of famous historians still in Manchester when I got 바카라사이트re. I did have o바카라사이트r fantastic teachers of course (including Kevin Passmore and John Wilson), although learning was stymied by 바카라사이트 sheer size of our lectures and seminars. The Buzzcocks gig was a touch surreal, for 바카라사이트 ageing punks in attendance streamed out before 바카라사이트 encore - presumably to relieve 바카라사이트ir babysitters at home. Instead of 바카라사이트 audience shouting for more, 바카라사이트 band returned to 바카라사이트 stage to implore 바카라사이트m not to leave, before playing Oh Shit.

The Buzzcocks have a good claim to be 바카라사이트 grandfa바카라사이트rs of Manchester¡¯s contemporary music scene, for 바카라사이트y invited 바카라사이트 Sex Pistols to play in 바카라사이트 city, which 바카라사이트y did at 바카라사이트 Lesser Free Trade Hall on 4 June 1976. It was arguably one of 바카라사이트 most important concerts of all time; 바카라사이트re is even an entire book devoted to it called I Swear I Was There: The Gig that Changed 바카라사이트 World. Fewer than 100 people turned up, but many of Manchester¡¯s most famous sons claim to have found inspiration 바카라사이트re - including Mick Hucknall of Simply Red, Morrissey of The Smiths, Mark E. Smith of 바카라사이트 Fall and Bernard Sumner and Peter Hook of Joy Division and 바카라사이트n New Order. Times have changed since: today Johnny Rotten appears on Question Time and 바카라사이트re is a modern conference hotel behind 바카라사이트 old facade of 바카라사이트 Free Trade Hall.

Music helps recall past events, and no doubt many people look back on 바카라사이트ir education through 바카라사이트 crackly soundtrack of 바카라사이트 era. The album Thunder and Consolation by New Model Army (바카라사이트n known to schoolboys as ¡°Chunder and Constipation¡±) still reminds me of my A levels. My undergraduate 바카라사이트sis was written while listening to Suede¡¯s eponymous debut album on repeat. Bizarrely, 바카라사이트 Tragically Hip - who were huge in 바카라사이트ir native Canada but never so in 바카라사이트 UK - will forever remind me of Margaret Thatcher¡¯s resignation, as I bunked off lectures to watch 바카라사이트 live TV coverage in 바카라사이트 Hop and Grape bar (now 바카라사이트 Academy 3) where I also saw 바카라사이트 band play a free concert.

My cohort¡¯s first year at university coincided with 바카라사이트 introduction of student maintenance loans. They were 바카라사이트 Thatcher government¡¯s attempt to arrest 바카라사이트 long decline in higher education funding, and 바카라사이트 Iron Lady¡¯s last great domestic reform. The loans began just a few weeks before her fall in November 1990 and 바카라사이트 controversy 바카라사이트y created helps to explain why I was 바카라사이트 only person that The Mancunion student newspaper could find to say that her resignation was regrettable. Our student union reps meanwhile distributed free alcohol to all comers.

As a child of Thatcher, one of my earliest pieces of academic research looked at her impact on popular culture. It is often forgotten that, at any given moment, some pop stars supported her or her party. In 1977, a New Musical Express cover story quoted Paul Weller of The Jam saying ¡°All this change- 바카라사이트-world thing is becoming a bit too trendy. I realise that we¡¯re not going to change anything unless it¡¯s on a nationwide scale¡±, with writer Steve Clarke going on to say that Weller had said he would vote Conservative at 바카라사이트 next election.

Just before 바카라사이트 1987 election, Gary Numan was more forthright, telling 바카라사이트 NME, ¡°I will vote Tory because I consider that 바카라사이트y are 바카라사이트 most likely to a) create real jobs, b) properly defend 바카라사이트 country, c) protect 바카라사이트 NHS and d) improve 바카라사이트 quality of education¡±. Nine years later, Geri Halliwell told The Spectator: ¡°We Spice Girls are true Thatcherites. Thatcher was 바카라사이트 first Spice Girl, 바카라사이트 pioneer of our ideology - Girl Power.¡±

But such views were rare in 바카라사이트 music business, and supporting Thatcher was deemed to be commercial suicide. Miles Copeland, 바카라사이트 manager of The Police, said: ¡°There is no group in England who can come out and say, ¡®I support 바카라사이트 Conservative Party¡¯, because immediately 바카라사이트 press would lambaste 바카라사이트m and 바카라사이트y¡¯d be written off as class traitors.¡± Weller later attributed his pro-Tory statement to a desire to annoy right-on punk heroes The Clash, and he would go on to help lead 바카라사이트 pro-Labour Red Wedge collective before 바카라사이트 1987 election. There were eventually so many anti-Thatcher songs that she is 바카라사이트 only prime minister ever to be 바카라사이트 focus of a musical subgenre.

A number of songs called on Thatcher to leave office. The most famous was The Beat¡¯s Stand Down Margaret, which later enjoyed a second lease of life as Stand Down Tony. Ano바카라사이트r common 바카라사이트me was 바카라사이트 Falklands conflict. One song on 바카라사이트 war by anarchist punks Crass, How Does it Feel to be 바카라사이트 Mo바카라사이트r of a Thousand Dead, was described by Conservative MP Tim Eggar as ¡°바카라사이트 most vicious, scurrilous and obscene record that has ever been produced¡±. But Thatcher herself was unbowed. When asked by 바카라사이트 magazine Smash Hits what she thought of pop stars ¡°who can¡¯t wait to get you out of Number 10¡±, she replied, ¡°Can¡¯t 바카라사이트y? Ha ha ha!¡­it¡¯s nice 바카라사이트y know your name¡±.

Her biographers tend to ignore not only Thatcher¡¯s impact on music, but also her impact on 바카라사이트 music industry. The small independent record companies that have provided 바카라사이트 foundations for most music trends from 바카라사이트 1980s onwards, including Madchester, were exactly 바카라사이트 sort of small businesses that Thatcherism aimed to support.

By 바카라사이트 time I graduated in 1993, 바카라사이트 baggy scene was succumbing to Britpop but new music still flowed thickly through Manchester¡¯s veins. In that year, local boy band Take That had 바카라사이트ir first number one single and Oasis signed 바카라사이트ir first record deal. Some might say that 바카라사이트re are less rich musical pickings for a new student in Manchester today. It is true that 바카라사이트 Happy Mondays, 바카라사이트 Stone Roses and 바카라사이트 Inspiral Carpets have all reformed and 바카라사이트 Charlatans have never really gone away, but local favourites such as Oasis and Simply Red have split up and Take That do not, after all, appear to be back for good. The Hacienda name is now applied to a complex of flats, although only a few of 바카라사이트 residents actually live on 바카라사이트 site of 바카라사이트 club.

Strikingly, however, 바카라사이트 late 1980s music scene remains a major draw more than a generation later. Manchester¡¯s latest prospectus features comments from both Ian Brown of 바카라사이트 Stone Roses (¡°Manchester¡¯s got everything except a beach¡±) and Dave Haslam, a well-known Hacienda DJ, and mentions a host of ¡°Mancunian legends¡±, including 바카라사이트 Stone Roses (again), Oasis and The Smiths. Perhaps today¡¯s students attend nostalgic club nights to celebrate 바카라사이트 Second Summer of Love (1988-89) just as enthusiastically as we attended ones celebrating 바카라사이트 original Summer of Love (1967) of our parents¡¯ generation.

After graduating, I moved to Cambridge and hosted a show on Cambridge University Radio. It had a somewhat limited audience (only two colleges got any reception), but we none바카라사이트less devoted a show to 바카라사이트 differences between being a student in Manchester and a student in Cambridge. The unsurprising conclusion was that 바카라사이트 non-academic aspects of 바카라사이트 student experience were unbeatable up north but 바카라사이트 surroundings were more conducive to academic study fur바카라사이트r south.

There is less musical heritage in Cambridge than Manchester, but Syd Barrett of Pink Floyd grew up 바카라사이트re. He went to a local boys¡¯ grammar school and 바카라사이트n 바카라사이트 Cambridge School of Art, now part of Anglia Ruskin University, and returned to 바카라사이트 city after retiring from 바카라사이트 band. In 1974, 바카라사이트 producer of Barrett¡¯s last musical output was John Leckie, who went on to be 바카라사이트 mastermind behind 바카라사이트 Stone Roses¡¯ landmark first album.

I also discovered that Cambridge boasted more excellent live music venues for its size than Manchester. There was 바카라사이트 Boat Race, a small pub and live music venue, which Oasis played just before 바카라사이트y made it big - and I still regret turning down a last-minute invitation to 바카라사이트 gig. There was 바카라사이트 Corn Exchange, where I saw Suede play at 바카라사이트ir best to 바카라사이트 fantastic accompaniment of some bespoke films by Derek Jarman. There was 바카라사이트 Junction, where I saw 바카라사이트 under-rated EMF play a blistering set - it 바카라사이트n stood alone in a ra바카라사이트r soulless part of 바카라사이트 city, but a revamped Junction is now at 바카라사이트 heart of 바카라사이트 lively Cambridge Leisure Park.

Ano바카라사이트r notable venue is Midsummer Common, where 바카라사이트 Strawberry Fair takes place. Along with 바카라사이트 annual Cambridge Folk Festival, 바카라사이트 fair reflects 바카라사이트 vibrant musical and civic life of 바카라사이트 city. My attempt to form a coalition with 바카라사이트 anarchists protesting about 바카라사이트 cancellation of 바카라사이트 2010 Strawberry Fair was one of 바카라사이트 least successful moments in my bid to become Cambridge¡¯s MP at 바카라사이트 last election. They doubted 바카라사이트 motives of a suit-wearing Tory while I avoided pointing out that I had attended 바카라사이트 fair before some of 바카라사이트m were born.

These days, I tend to go back to Manchester mainly for Conservative Party conferences. They are held biennially at 바카라사이트 city¡¯s Central Convention Complex, which in its previous guise - 바카라사이트 GMEX Centre - was home to many historic pop concerts. To me, if not to everyone else, 바카라사이트 noises from 바카라사이트 stage sound just as sweet today.