Ste McCabe writes:

"This poster campaign was accompanied by a graffiti spree remembered by many saying "FREE STEPHEN NANCY". The graffiti could be found on Canal Street, Market Street, in the Northern Quarter, and all over Manchester. Many people wondered if Stephen Nancy was a refugee. He was the singer in a local queercore band who was playing on gay history and making a campaign to get into the conciousness of Manchester at the same time. Some people apparently phoned the venue to warn them that the singer had been arrested for homosexuality, not realising it had been legal in the UK for some decades! Singer Ste was ironically arrested during the campaign at around 5am one Sunday morning, spray-painting the slogan somewhere near Oldham Street after being spotted on CCTV. Ironically, about 6 people showed up to the actual gig (only the 3rd ever Stephen Nancy gig), yet the whole City was talking about who the hell Stephen Nancy was."

Anti-Section 28 benefit gig organised by Stephen Nancy and Desolation Angels.

Section 28 was repealed on 21 June 2000 in Scotland as one of the first pieces of legislation enacted by the new Scottish Parliament, and on 18 November 2003 in the rest of the United Kingdom by section 122 of the Local Government Act 2003.

A piece about HomoElectric from (I think) the Metro, February 3rd 2000. The club night had been going for almost two years at this point. Ryan Minchin, the self-proclaimed 'sloganeer-in-chief' of HomoElectric says in the piece, 'When we began the Village was ripe for a good kicking. People were becoming so alienated by that trashy, camp and dull scene. We wanted to create the feel of an underground New York gay disco'.

There is also a profile of DJ Tim Lennox on this page. Tim was the godfather of the 90s LGBT house scene in Manchester and inspired Kath McDermott (pictured) to start DJing.

A late-period profile of DJ Tim Lennox, the most influential and celebrated DJ on the LGBT house scene in Manchester.

A short time after this Tim retired from DJing and became a funeral director.

He started doing occasional nights again in 2010, following a Flesh reunion at Paradise Factory.

The Divine David and Chloe Poems - two Club Brenda stalwarts - play Brenda at the short lived 'Village Edge'.

This is a flyer from when Manchester queer night Homo Electric travelled over to Cork in Ireland for a one-off extravaganza at The Other Place on Augustine Street.

DJ Kath McDermott is miscredited as 'Kate' on the flyer. On the rear of the flyer is a message to Kath from a clubber:

"Kath - I hope you don't mind. My rubber shirt was killing me in the heat and I had no change. I have put on your denim jacket - Noel."

A fantastic night at The Roadhouse with some of Manchester's finest queer talent. The flyer for this Smash Clause 28 gig was produced in the style of a fanzine with a bit about each band playing.

Debut record from local queer/riot grrrl band Valerie - a cult classic to many! A band who really had to be experienced live to be appreciated. "Can't play, won't play" was a term associated with them.

Anti-Section 28 gig organised by local queercore acts Stephen Nancy and Desolation Angels. A sold out, thoroughly bolshy and energetic night which raised 1000 pounds for Stonewall's campaign against Section 28. The article is from City Life magazine, which is now no more.

Preview night, complete chaos if I remember rightly.

TIME OF THE MONTH

DJs - Philippa Jarman (Homoelectric)
Francis Wooff (That Amazing Thing)

Visuals - Kev Beard.

This was the flyer for the last ever TOTM; Philippa Jarman's short lived but brilliant club night at Zumbar (now Odder) which started when Homoelectric stopped due to Follies closing down.

Homoelectric came back within a year.

Alternative Pride at The Roadhouse - preview article from the Big Issue in the North. Chloe Poems pulled out at the last minute as she'd locked her wig and outfit in a cupboard in the gay village the night before.

Blame the Parents/Helpyourself Manchester put on CAT ON FORM many times again after this. This was the Brighton band that preceeded BLOOD RED SHOES. Two prolific Manchester riot grrl bands of the 2000s opened for them.

Culture Sucks alternative Pride night at the Roadhouse, August 2002. Article from City Life magazine.

Vintage Bank Holiday Special Homo Electric. This time the regular crew were joined by Mr. Scruff plus Ryan and Tony from Club Suicide. Suicide was a great night, originally held at the John Willie Lees pub above what used to be the Arndale bus station. Moco, Beachbuggy and Kings Have Long Arms played memorable gigs there. Ryan and Tony brought a rockier/electroclash vibe to Homo Electric.


Thanks to Owain Richards.

Ste McCabe writes:

Fantastic flyer for San Francisco's ERASE ERRATA playing the Retro Bar, a venue which they'd outgrow soon afterwards. I dragged one of my friends from university - like her first DIY gig sort of thing - and she enjoyed the touring band but was horrified to run into them naked mid-getting changed in the ladies afterwards. Also on the bill were the fantastic SELAH - whose members went on to be in Birds of Delay - Manchester's own VALERIE and Leeds 6 legends BILGE PUMP.

Kev Beard writes:

"City Life 'Europride Special' edition (Girls Aloud were on the front cover.)

Full page article on us with the photoshoot taken inside a derelict hospital at the back of Rusholme that we broke into for the shoot.

Nathan took the photos."

THE GOSSIP! From around the time Movement LP came out (their mainstream sucess was around 3 years later).

Gig at the Mumbo Arts Centre (formerly the Cyprus Tavern). Filed under VALERIE, a Manchester band who also played.

Excellent (collectable, even?) flyer by Jo, 1 of 4.

FLAMINGO 50 headlined one evening of Ladyfest Manchester 2003 a couple of weeks later, held at the Zion Arts Centre in Hulme. Amongst other bands who played that year were McWatt, Gertrude and the unforgettable Sissy Boyz.

Press article giving the skinny on Homoelectric from City Life, May 2004 .

An advert for Manchester's biggest gay club, then called Essential. Kylie Minogue opened the club in 2000. In 2010 the club changed its names to Mancunia.

Deb Jump writes:

Veba and I use to play TriBeCa in the village on Sunday's. It was always a comedown crowd, slinging back the wine deal, but it was good fun. We'd play on vinyl for 7 years, mixing in everything from Fleetwood Mac to Grand Central releases that Veba featured on. It was a really happy time, before the homogeneity of the village took over.