A Tale of Two Cities: Music in Liverpool and Manchester

Having produced some of the world's most influential independent artists, Liverpool and Manchester rightly have a reputation for great music. Five figures on the scene tell us what, in their experience, makes the Northwest so exciting

Feature by Simon Jay Catling | 17 Sep 2015

Although Liverpool and Manchester’s musical landscapes have undeniably been shaped by oft-mentioned names, from The Beatles to Factory Records, the makeup of the region is different now. Thriving pockets of activity are everywhere, but, as a newcomer, how do you know where to get stuck in? 

Handily enough, we’ve enlisted the help of five people who know the area inside out. Meet: MC Fox, member of the 1Xtra-touted collective Levelz and one of Manchester clubland’s most respected MCs; Emily Lansley, one part of Liverpool's Bella Union-signed dream-pop group Stealing Sheep; Mark Carlin, co-founder of the ultimate Manchester music community gathering, Sounds from the Other City festival; Jon Wickstead, who as one half of promoters Now Wave has taken local artists like Everything Everything and Money to four-figure audiences; and Jason Stoll of Mugstar, one of the stalwart psych rock bands of Liverpool. Together, they paint a picture of the scene you’re about to encounter.

MC Fox (MC and member, Levelz) 

The Skinny: When did you first get involved in music in Manchester?

MC Fox: When I moved back from Jamaica to Manchester in the 90s my brother was a massive hip-hop fan and used to have mad cyphers in his yard with his bredrins. At that time, the dancehall sound system culture was the thing in Manchester. It was a great time for music, but unfortunately it was also quite a violent time in the city.

Who were some of the first people you got involved with as an MC?

I met Mega Dread from Megatone Sound System and got involved with that and his pirate radio station Ital FM. Hip-hop wise, one of the first people to put me on was Sefton Madface, but I also played on Love Energy pirate radio with Semtex and was in a local hip-hop crew called Subliminal Darkness. Those early shows were scary, I’d never grown up with any overt intention to follow a music career.

Tell us about your involvement with Levelz.

There’s only a few degrees of separation between all of us, we've either been brought up together, collaborated together or just know each other from the scene. The collaborative fire sparked by the label Estate Recordings created a buzz around Manchester, which a lot of people have been able to capitalise on. It was Rich Reason, who runs Hit & Run, who saw the potential of a collaborative effort; but the collaborative spirit in Manchester isn't about any one genre, everywhere people are working together and moving things forward.

What ethos do nights you’re involved with, such as Swing Ting, Hoya:Hoya and Hit & Run, share? 

All of these nights have a different vibe, but the common denominator is a commitment to good music. They each allow me to express and hone different parts of my skill – as well as keeping the boredom at bay! 

Who would you recommend to newcomers to the city?

The list is long, but a few would be Room 2, Mad Again, EY3 Media, Mouse Outfit and 8 Gold Rings among others. But mooch about the city and try a bit of everything, it will always lead you to more.

soundcloud.com/mc-fox-mcr
@theOGMrFox

Emily Lansley (musician, Stealing Sheep)

The Skinny: What are your memories of the music scene in Liverpool when you first started out?

Emily: My early memories are around The Kif on Parr Street, which was a creative community space and birthed a very alternative, psychedelic, krauty scene and acts like Esa Shields and Zucanican. People like Pop Levi and Misty's Big Adventure also played here on occasion. It was similar to The Kazimier, which has also provided a great space for exciting, weird endeavours.        

What were some of the first places to start putting you on and how do you remember those early shows?

My early band Bexy Sitch had a month-long residency at Korova; there’d also be grassroots shows at places like MelloMello and Don't Drop the Dumbells, which was always moving spaces. The Kazimier supported [bandmate] Lucy’s old band Sing for Your Supper so much so that they’ve released some of their music! We played a great line-up at a Fiesta Bombarda event in The Kazimier Garden once joined by about 30 people on stage. A logistical nightmare! Then events like Mellostock and Schismatica would allow different musicians to jam with people they wouldn't normally play with. It was a very lively time.

Have there been any key shifts that you feel have shaped the Liverpool music community into what it is today?

Places like Korova, The Kazimier and The Kif were forward-thinking and would start placing different genres together live, whereas previously here things could feel dominated by 'laddish' guitars. The programmers at The Kazimier in particular pushed a more theatrical element to production around live events. They definitely influenced Stealing Sheep and helped us to express some of our ideas that we couldn’t have done otherwise.        

Do you feel part of a particularly collaborative environment?

Liverpool has so much going on all of the time, from events like LightNight, Sound City and Liverpool Music Week to the Biennial, Fiesta Bombarda and more. These things all create spaces to work in and ways for people to be creative. There’s a great community spirit here which inspires us to collaborate with people and creates a real togetherness and inclusiveness.

Who and what would you recommend to newcomers to the city?

Esa Shields, a.P.A.t.T, James Canty, Outfit, Barberos... but the list is endless!                    

What excites you about the next 12 months?

There’s going to be a lot of change. The Kazimier’s closing, but I’m looking forward to seeing what comes after it! It’ll certainly be the end of an era. Stealing Sheep have loads lined up and we’re also very interested to hear All We Are's future pop smashes. Keep your eye out for The Wind Factory too…    

stealingsheep.co.uk
@stealingsheep

Mark Carlin (co-programmer, Sounds from the Other City and FutureEverything festivals) 

The Skinny: When did you first get involved in the music scene here?

Mark: Way back at the turn of the century. While also flyering for different breaks and trance nights, I used to make music with my brother and we played the circuit at the time, of which only the Night and Day and the Star and Garter still really exist. It was also at the end of the Oasis/Britpop boom so there were still a lot of those kind of bands around.

Tell us about Sounds from the Other City. What could newcomers to the festival expect from it?

It’s very different from most other urban festivals in the UK. On the surface it’s a similar format, but each stage is programmed and managed by a different independent promoter, which means that the overall feel is very eclectic. The venues themselves are also really different; a lot were never really intended for live performance. The event has a really inclusive atmosphere – it’s made by everyone who takes part, and having an open-minded audience leaves you free to experiment. Which mostly works out!

How do you feel the other festival you co-programme, FutureEverything, has impacted artists locally over its 20 year history?  

We’ve put a lot of effort into working with artists over a sustained period – projects with people like local visual artist Emmanuel Biard and Koreless, allowing them to achieve things that they couldn’t individually. We also have a big international network of artists and partners that hopefully gives the local scene a route out into a wider world of ideas and opportunities.

Who and what would you recommend to newcomers to the city?

Islington Mill, Sways Records' new venture The White House, Soup Kitchen, The King's Arms, Albert Hall.

soundsfromtheothercity.com@sftoc
futureeverything.org | @FuturEverything

Jon Wickstead (promoter, Now Wave) 

The Skinny: How did Now Wave begin?

Jon: Myself and [co-founder] Wesley had already been running club nights and were gradually progressing towards hosting live bands. We did early shows for Friendly Fires and Crystal Castles and really enjoyed the feel of unearthing these new acts. When The Deaf Institute opened, they gave us free rein every Wednesday, so we created the Now Wave club night, featuring two or three live bands. One of the first bands we put on was a then very new The xx, who we still work with to this day.

How do you think your audiences and their expectations have changed over the years?

I’d say there’s been a shift from people being happy with bog standard venues, to wanting a more interesting experience for their money. That's something we've really tried to provide – Savages at the Sways Bunker is a great example. It was so intense with the band playing inside a cage surrounded by the audience. I'm not sure they knew what they were letting themselves in for; the sight of their massive tour bus pulling in to what was essentially a disused factory in deepest darkest Salford was something to behold.

What have been some of your favourite spaces to use in the city?

The show we did with Alt-J and Money in an abandoned (now demolished) office block in the city centre will live long in the memory. It feels like Manchester is in a bit of an evolutionary period, some older venues are giving way to newer ones, but we’re looking forward to finding more of these spaces and utilising them!     

nowwave.co.uk
@nowwave 

Jason Stoll (musician, Mugstar) 

The Skinny: When did Mugstar get involved in the Liverpool music scene?

Jason: In its current form, around 2002. We played some great shows early on as we knew promoters through old bands; we did end up on some terribly mismatched bills too as I don't think people ever knew how to define us. We were lucky in that John Peel played us a lot back then, so we had enough of a following to play around the country too.

What were some of the first places to start putting you on?

There were a lot of great, unique venues around at the time. One that springs to mind is the Jump Ship Rat, while a great early show was with Melt Banana in The Magnet to something like 400 people. I can't really remember too much of it to be honest, although I do recall our guitarist Pete's uncanny balance, being able to play while standing on a chair.

Have there been any key shifts that you feel have shaped the Liverpool music community into what it is today?

When we started out, the whole 'Cosmic Scouse' thing was going on with bands like The Coral and The Bandits, but then Liverpool has a long history of psychedelia, from Echo and the Bunnymen to Clinic and, of course, The Beatles. I read somewhere once about Liverpool having ridiculous sales of Pink Floyd records in the 1970s compared with other cities. All of that has helped to develop the city musically, culturally and 'cosmically.'

How do you think the success of Liverpool Psych Fest has impacted the city?

It’s helped in regenerating Liverpool and made the city more significant to people outside it. Many of the bands who’ve played the festival probably haven’t played here before, and may not have done without the festival. It’s helped the city feel vital again after many years of Manchester being the place to go regionally for many touring bands.

Who and what would you recommend to newcomers to the city?

Personally I’d recommend Ex-Easter Island Head, Mind Mountain, Cavalier Song and Bad Meds.

mugstar.com
@Mugstar


For more on the local music scene, interviews with artists, playlists and your monthly gig highlights: theskinny.co.uk/music