This week I went to visit two of my oldest and dearest friends from the Hamburg days, Steph (Stevie) and Giddy (Gitty), who now live in Manchester, England.
Of course, Manchester is not just a town where special friends of mine live, but also the city of Joy Division, The Smiths, Stone Roses, Oasis and many more.
Manchester, England – In A Berlin Minute (Week 137) [HD] from Luci Westphal on Vimeo.
While there we explored the city mostly on bus and by foot, with a special focus on all things Joy Division. We took a special bus trip to Stockport (location of Strawberry Studios, where Joy Division recorded Unknown Pleasures and other bands like Stone Roses and The Smiths made history) and a train trip to Macclesfield, where Joy Division singer Ian Curtis is buried.
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| Grave of Ian Curtis (singer of Joy Division) Macclesfield, England — |
Other special sites are the Manchester Cathedral (Joy Division photo shoot), the new location of the club Factory (watch the movie 24-Hour Party People), China Town, the John Rylands Library, and New Order’s Dry Bar where we spotted the greatest of the multitude of Christmas sweaters very popular among the Manchester men: a lit-up 3D reindeer sweater!
I’d love to visit again and not only explore and experience the city further, but also go on similar pilgrimages for The Smiths and even Oasis. I’m a music nerd like that.
In choosing music for this piece I searched through the Free Music Archives website until I found something that came closest of reminding me of “Love Will Tear Us Apart” – one of my favorite songs, that always reminds me of dancing with Steph – and the words inscribed on Ian Curtis’ grave stone. The song (which really isn’t all that similar) is called “This Love’s Got to Change” by Black Math. License: CC BY 3.0
Unfortunately, my two friends are not big fans of being on camera (neither am I, so I can’t blame them). Therefore I didn’t push my lens on them. Although when I was editing I thought it was a shame I didn’t have them in the video.
And after you’ve watched my video, why not get lost in “Love Will Tear Us Apart”?
Joy Division – Love Will Tear Us Apart from Hadez Valenzuela on Vimeo.