People think that banging on about Tony Wilson or Peter Saville or the Hacienda will sell stories, culture, buildings, tours, exhibitions, websites and music. But they are wrong. Well, it might temporarily, but banging on about the past gives no room for the new generation. The people who are actively doing the sort of thing that Tony didn’t do, because they are doing it now. In a different climate, where the digital format makes doing what Tony did and having the cultural impact he had a whole lot harder.

Switchflicker discovered and released the Ting Tings debut single – now one of the UKs biggest bands, Switchflicker remain relatively unknown and unmentioned. Humble Soul Records released Liz Green’s debut single and EP, Liz Green has received critical acclaim from the broadsheets and played SXSW, Glastonbury plus many more this year. Humble who? I hear you mumble. Fat Northerner have had bands playing at SXSW for two consecutive years and have put out more niche releases than you can shake a stick at. Red Deer Club invest in alternative folk bands discovered at the Red Deer club night. What about Blowout one of the greatest club nights for discovering new bands in the UK?

But who writes about these things.

Would Tony have wanted this? I doubt it. Tony tried to reinvent Factory four times – he wanted to carry on, discover and nurture NEW talent. Giving recognition, encouragement and space to what is happening now is crucial to the development of Manchester culturally in the future.

At music industry events it seems easier to wheel out the old Hacienda crew to speak, than speak to the people who are now actually doing it. Who would rather hear a DJ talk about what they saw at a club in 1994 than hear about the challenges facing people actually running small labels in 2008 and addressing issues like digital, live, money, piracy, exposure, online.

Step aside and let the new creatives show you what they can do.

In the words of Mark E Smith, ‘don’t believe all the crap you read about Manchester, it’s all fantasy’.

By Ruth Daniel, Fat Northerner Records