Manc 105: Mike Pickering - The Manc Who Made Manchester Move On Up

”Our songs were all about how I felt being Mancunian” What does it look like to live a life immersed in the Manchester music scene and to make a city dance? Mike Pickering is the legendary Hacienda DJ, musician and former A&R for Factory Records and now, author. You can’t tell the story of music in Manchester over the past 40 years without Mike in the picture. In this episode, you’ll find out how Mike’s punk attitude has shaped everything he’s done, and how, in his mission to create spaces for the misfits, he’s also allowed thousands of people to express themselves and create memories that last a lifetime. After the recent Launch of Mike’s book; Manchester Must Dance: “A Life of Music, Madness and Moving on Up” he sat down with Lisa to share some of the stories that went into creating the book, like turning a Yacht showroom into the city’s most iconic night club the Hacienda, signing The Happy Mondays and James to Factory Records, and putting a New Order gig on In a water tower in Rotterdam. Hear Mike’s perspective on the incredible highs of being at the centre of the Hacienda and Factory Records boom as well as the lows, violence and fall of the club. -------------------- Your host, Lisa Morton, started PR company Roland Dransfield in 1996, one month after the fateful IRA bomb that tore apart the city centre. From that point, the business and its team members have been involved in helping to support the creation of Modern Manchester – across regeneration, business, charity, leisure and hospitality, sport and culture. To celebrate the 30 years that Roland Dransfield has spent creating these bonds, Lisa is gathering together some of her Greater Mancunian ‘family’ and will be exploring how they have created their own purposeful relationships with the best place in the world. Connect with Mike Via Instagram Buy his book Connect with Lisa and Roland Dransfield: Via our website On Instagram On X Thanks to our partners on this episode of We Built This City, Car Finance 247. You can visit CarFinance247.co.uk or follow Car Finance 247 on LinkedIn to find out more about them.