Talk:Free Trade Hall

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Sex Pistols concert on June 4, 1976
Were Queen at this gig? Surely this is some kind of ruse to dupe gullible journalists into perpetuating the myth? (I have seen the entry reproduced verbatim elsewhere). Queen were a pretty huge band in 1976 - would it not have been widely noted that they were one of the bands there - given that most of the other attendees had yet to achieve fame at the time of this event - which is of course what makes it notable. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 195.99.147.18 (talk) 19:04, 19 May 2009 (UTC)

There is a lot of confusion about people who were actually present at the legendary first concert of the Sex Pistols in Manchester Free Trade Hall, on June 4, 1976. By all accounts, there were only about 40 people present, but it is said that so many people have claimed to have been there, or were claimed by others to have been there, that the gig must have been attended by thousands. There is even a book written about it - "I Swear I Was There" by Dave Nolan.

People who were definitely there include Howard Devoto, Pete Shelley, Steve Diggle, Morrissey, Bernard Sumner, Peter Hook, Paul Morley, Mark E.Smith, and Tony Wilson (even though Nolan questions Wilson's presence, Howard Devoto and Pistols' Glen Matlock have both mentioned that he was there, which confirms it without any doubt). Strangely, the support band was a prog rock band called Solstice.

Ian Curtis, however, definitely was NOT there. If he had been, certainly it would be mentioned in either Deborad Curtis' book "Touching From the Distance" or the new Mick Middles/Lindsay Reade Curtis biography, "Torn Apart". Instead, both books assert that Curtis missed the first Pistols concert, and that he was with his wife Deborah only at the second Pistols' concert, on July 20.

Mick Hucknall also was NOT at the concert on June 4, but he was among the people present on July 20.

The second Pistols' concert (with Buzzcocks and Slaughter & The Dogs as support) was as important for the Manchester scene as the first one, and it was attended by a far larger number of people. Mick Hucknall WAS indeed present at that one.

But many people confuse those two concerts... and the film "24 Hour Party People" greatly contributed to that confusion, with its inaccurate depiction of this event... and many others. Sadly, the broader audience without much knowledge about the matter views that mess of a movie as a good overview of the Manchester scene.

Nightandday 22:53, 21 October 2006 (UTC)


 * What is your source on Hucknall being at the 2nd? I was under the impression he was at neither, but I can't recall where I read that. I assumed in Nolan, but you seem to have read that as well, so I'm not sure. --Tothebarricades (talk) 21:25, 18 April 2008 (UTC)

In fact Hucknall never has claimed to have been at either show- he was actually at the December gigs at the Electric Circus.

Undue Weight
This article contains too much possibly uncited stuff about one concert, it should be moved somewhere else or deleted.--J3Mrs (talk) 14:39, 13 October 2011 (UTC)


 * I absolutely agree. Malleus Fatuorum 14:49, 13 October 2011 (UTC)

So when was it built?
The lead says 1853–5, but the History section says 1853–6. Malleus Fatuorum 19:06, 13 October 2011 (UTC)
 * English Heritage says 56 so I've changed it to that.--J3Mrs (talk) 19:09, 13 October 2011 (UTC)

Ah, finally!
I'm glad to see this article finally getting the make-over it deserves as I have quite a soft spot for the FTH. My Uncle was general manager there from the late 60s to the mid 80s so I was there frequently during my childhood (more often than not running round the underground passageways between the offices and dressing rooms/artist's bar). Then in my adolescent years I worked there at concerts as a follow-spot operator.

I don't know if it's on the shortlist yet, but why no mention of the Hall's Wurlitzer organ? Incidentally I was there, backstage, for the Sex Pistols' gig in the Lesser Hall, and if you knew the Lesser Hall you (the Royal you) would know that most of the people who said they were there most probably weren't. The Lesser Hall seated 150 and it was much less than half full. That reminds me, the seating capacity of the main hall was 2500, but as that is OR you'll have to find something to back it up. --The Pink Oboe (talk) 10:22, 14 October 2011 (UTC)


 * I only thought I'd tidy it a bit. I didn't know about the Wurlitzer but I'm sure I can find something.--J3Mrs (talk) 15:23, 14 October 2011 (UTC)

Lesser Hall
As the previous posts, and one line in the article, mention, the Sex Pistols played at the Lesser Hall. Yet nowhere in the article's text is there actually a description of the venue in terms of its halls - in fact the line about the Sex Pistols is the only mention of a lesser hall in the whole article. There were quite clearly at least two halls in the venue, but actual details about them are completely missing. Grutness...wha?  02:52, 17 May 2016 (UTC)

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