Press
Biting Tongues, John Cooper Clarke, Nico
Library Theatre
16th June 1983

“Stella Grundy, ex-Intastella, has written and stars in a new drama piece "Nico Icon" to be premiered at Studio Salford, Kings Arms in September 2007. Ive seen an extract at the excellent Embryo night and it looks great. The very funny extract was based on an interview which Nico gave to Piccadilly radio in the 70s/80s and ended with a great rendition of All Tomorrow's Parties.

Checkout www.studiosalford.com”

“I used to live at Graveyard Studios in Prestwich in the early 1980s.

We had a New year's Eve party - Nico turned up, as did Mark E.Smith and Steve Garvey from The Buzzcocks.

Nico was passed out on the floor all night, if I remember correctly.

Colin, Big Block 454”

“That reminds me, we were at a party at a recording/rehearsal studios in a mill in Denton on Christmas night in the Madchester heyday. The word on the streets was that the Stone Roses were rehearsing there (was this true?)and would be attending. It was a desperately sad, empty, freezing affair with the nearest thing to a cultural icon being a signed photo on the wall of Hi-de-Hi's Su Pollard!”

“Tony......was that the studio that was on Wilton Street near the hat factory by any chance?.If it was I think it was run by a couple of guys that were in Kraken,a local metal band of the early 80's.”

“Yeah - that's the one. Its demolished now for that retail park along with the old Barcliffe bingo hall - probably an old cinema/theatre.”

“Colin, was Graveyard Studios a rehearsal space or an actual studio? Those two late recordings of Joy Division doing Ceremony and In A Lonely Place are credited as being recorded there, would they be rehearsals?”

“Graveyard Studios was an actual studio, not a rehearsal space at all, on Church Lane near to the Church pub in Prestwich.

A Certain Ratio recorded the studio half of "The Graveyard and the Ballroom" there.

Martin Hannett used the studios on a fairly regular basis, I believe.

Graveyard was owned and run by Stuart Pickering, who moved to Revolution Studios in 1980.

Night Visitors bought Graveyard from Stuart, and we intended to run it as a commercial studio as well as recording ourselves. However, we soon got bored with listening to other bands, so just used for ourselves.

I moved out in 1984, when the band broke up. The studio (which was in the cellar of the house) went mouldy due to lack of use and ended up being ripped out.”

“Crispy Ambulance recorded their 1st single "From the Cradle to The Grave" at Graveyard which was for their own Aural Assualt
label. also their later 10 inch single Deaf/Not What I Expected was recorded @ Graveyard both with the help of Stuart Pickering.”

“It is said that Joy Division's last recording "In a Lonely Place" was recorded at Graveyard a few weeks (or even days) before Ian Curtis's death.

Or maybe it was recorded somewhere else.”

“I know I'm late to this party, but I'm pulling together some info on Graveyard Studios, can anyone confirm which property on Church lane it was. Am I right in thinking that it was 34, the one that currently has double garages?”

“@Big Block 454 - are you Colin Robinson from Night Visitors? can I use your cutting from the gig at the Wilton for a webpage? Please email me at Prestwichsloopy@gmail.com if you're still on here.”