Whilst Manchester has many musical claims to fame, when we think about the city’s fabled songwriting history we rarely reflect on how its gangsters served as an inspiration.
But according to local lore, a group of particularly well-heeled crime bosses kicking about from the 60s to the 80s had quite the impact on rock band Thin Lizzy, most particularly on its singer, songwriter and bassist Philip Parris Lynott.
As a kid Lynott lived in Ireland with his grandparents, but spent his summers visiting his mum Philomena in Manchester. It was here that he would end up writing a songs about the people he came across at her after-hours club Showbiz, aka the Clifton Grange Hotel in Whalley Range.
Said to have rarely opened before 2am, Showbiz, or ‘The Biz’, was a popular haunt of famous faces including Man United player George Best, singer Helen Shapiro and TV presenters Michael Parkinson and Bob Greaves.
Still, faced with all this material, it was the members of Manchester’s notorious Quality Street Gang that inspired Lynott to write the Thin Lizzy anthem The Boys Are Back In Town.
At the time, Thin Lizzy were in debt and at risk of being dropped by their label, Phonogram, if they didn’t pull through with a big hit on Jailbreak. Before long, they would end up breaking America with a song inspired by a group of spruce Mancunian mobsters
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Friday night they’ll be dressed to kill Down at Dino’s Bar’n’Grill The drink will flow and blood will spill And if the boys wanna fight, you better let ’em
– The boys are back in town, Thin Lizzy
One summer at his mother’s club, watching the well-dressed mob reappear following a trip to Italy, Lynott reportedly uttered the famous words as they made their entrance, and an anthem was born.
But who were the Quality Street Gang?
A close-knit group of ex-fighters and safe blowers, fraudsters and car dealers, scrap merchants, conmen and armed robbers, they were, by all accounts, part of the furniture of Manchester’s clubland.
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Most of the men came from Ancoats and whilst it’s not clear that all of them were involved in crime, many were known for having brutal fights.
They also had money to burn and lived the high life, buying suits from the finest tailors and frequenting trendy venues like The Cabaret Club and Deno’s.
Deno’s, referenced in the lyric ‘down at Dino’s Bar and Grill’, was notorious for its strict dress code, with its namesake Mr Denos Kitromilides famously banning Mick Jagger from the club for being too scruffy.
Evidently a penchant for the dapper side of life in clubland was key, and in time it earned the Quality Street group their brilliant nickname.
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So the story goes, it was inspired by a popular TV advert that showed a group of suited and booted bank robbers pulling off a heist in fedoras, a box of chocolates in hand.
Jimmy the Weed for greed was taken aback Johnny the Fox you old sly cat Cleverly the Fox concealed his stash Crisp dollar bills leave no tracks
– Johnny the fox meets immy the weed, Thin Lizzy
There are numerous reports of people calling out “It’s the Quality Street Gang” as they walked into various bars and nightclubs. The name simply stuck.
One member, Jimmy ‘The Weed’ Donnelly, was a fierce fighter and had a reputation for ruthlessly beating up doormen, hard men and boxers, in spite of his diminutive 5 foot 4 stature.
Jimmy ‘The Weed’ Donnelly holding the gold disc he was presented in 1977 for the Thin Lizzy album Johnny The Fox / Image: Quality Street Gang Manchester Facebook
Jimmy ‘The Weed’ Donnelly at Eric Mason. / Image: Quality Street Gang Manchester Facebook
So named because he had a habit of growing on you, his name also features on Thin Lizzy’s next album Johnny The Fox, appearing on its ninth track Johnny The Fox meets Jimmy The Weed.
Manc music icons James on headlining Neighbourhood Weekender, staying power and more
Danny Jones
There aren’t many bands that can say they’ve made 18 studio albums and been playing live music for over 40 years – certainly not from Manchester, anyway – so when we got offered the chance to speak to Manc royalty, James, about headlining Neighbourhood Weekender, it was a no-brainer.
We were supposed to get just 10-15 minutes with long-serving bassist Jim Glennie from Moss Side, who has been part of the furniture of the band since he was a teenager.
What actually happened was we ended up nerding out music and chatting about James for over 40 minutes. It was a joy.
Here’s how it went.
Chatting with Jim Glennie from James
James’ Jim Glennie chatting all things Neighbourhood Weekender and more. (Credit: The Manc Group)
So we’ve obviously seen James on the big stage at Neighbourhood [Weekender] before, back in 2021. What are your memories of it?
Yeah, I mean it was ‘the big gig’ for us. It’s kind of just down the road from Manchester, obviously, so kind of our home support and yeah, it was just a wonderful thing to do. I kind of like festivals where you’re in a town or city and you just kind of take over the place for a couple of days – I love that.
I think that gives them a real character of their own, and yeah, I really, really enjoyed it; amazed and loving the fact that they’ve had us back again as well!”
That’s the wonderful thing about when you play a show like this: it’s not just you’re there to do your bit, you kind of have a day out as well, so you get to go and see loads of other bands, which is brilliant. Looking forward to spending time back in Manchester too; my family is still there and my granddaughter’s coming with four of my mates.
Brilliant. Well, since you brought it up, who on the lineup are you looking forward to seeing there?
I mean, on our day, I know there’s The Wombats, The Snuts— I love the Snuts. I was reviewing their first single in the early days before they had any success and I just absolutely loved it. I remember just kind of praying they’d they’d do alright, and they did.
The Slow Readers Club – we’ve played with those a lot, too. I think they’re so underrated, and I think they should be absolutely huge. So again, we’ve got loads of mates playing, which is quite nice.
A lot of Northern names in there as well. What is it you think about artists from those regions and our crowds that sets us apart?
I think it kind of goes without saying that there’s an independence of thought and character, and I don’t think that those are bad qualities in music. Also, the fact that to some degree you can be left to your own devices; you’re not in London where there’s the spotlight directly on you, you know?
You can kind of keep yourself to yourself a little bit, perhaps and also just focus on what’s important: the music. I think it was probably more prevalent when we were starting off because unless you were in A&R (artists and repertoire) who could be bothered coming all the way to Manchester, you were left alone.
I think it’s a little bit different now with socials because I there’s more of a window into people’s worlds, but I still think it’s true that you’re physically away from it slightly that you can just get your head down and develop your talent, your skill, write songs properly without the pressures of either being reviewed or people trying to sign you or all the gubbins and nonsense and distractions that comes with it.
When you start inevitably dealing with the business, initially, you need to focus on being an artist, writing songs, and becoming strong – becoming strong as a unit. If you’re a band, the relationships need strengthening before you take it out into the big wide world. Otherwise, you’ve had it.
Absolutely. And what about Manchester, specifically?
Well, that’s another positive thing that’s supported by all the amazing music that’s come from Manchester. I mean, it always has, you know. We always seem to have this rich vein there. I think it’s also kind of second city syndrome.
Birmingham would probably debate whether they’re the second city, but there’s definitely a chip on the shoulder that adds character and the desire to not just do something but prove something.
I think it’s very different in Manchester now, but certainly when we started out, a fair chunk of what drove people to be in bands was poverty and unemployment. You wanted some way out, potentially, or at least just in the moment to do something that was positive and enjoyable.
Manchester’s an incredible place. Whenever we go back there, we’re bowled over by this feeling of positivity, the change and sheer transformation that’s happened there over the last couple of decades. Very different place.
Yeah, I think we definitely take it for granted at times. Touching on it there, what was it like coming into this whole thing? Can you remember what it felt like when it all started kicking off?
I mean, we struggled with the industry to start with. The industry kind of couldn’t really find a place for James, I think, because we’ve always been a little bit difficult as people to some degree, but also musically, we don’t really easily fit into a category.
As soon as you’ve got your head around what we’re doing, we tend to change; as soon as you’ve got your head around what we’re doing, we tend to change, so I don’t think the industry particularly likes that – I think it’s more of a struggle for them.
You know, it’s probably what’s kept us here: I think that wanting to move on and change and shift even if it doesn’t help the industry label and package you. What supported us was playing live, and predominantly playing live in the North.
— ᴍᴀɴᴄʜᴇꜱᴛᴇʀ ᴍᴜꜱɪᴄ ꜰᴏʀᴇᴠᴇʀ™️ (@MANCHESTERMUS10) January 11, 2024
It’s where we lived, it’s where we were from and building the fan base in and around Manchester. We got huge here before the rest of Britain knew who we were. You know we’ve sometimes been considered ‘Manchester’s best kept secret’, and it often felt like we were.
We had a massive Manc following, and that’s what fueled us and gave us our self-belief. You go from 500 to 800, then it’s 1,200, and it really does drive you.
It’s hard sometimes when you’re in a band or you’re an artist because you feel like you’re banging your head against a brick wall. It feels very easy just to pack it in and think nothing will happen, but the people of Manchester kept us going.
Yeah, I mean even around the area or at other gigs and festivals, you see that logo everywhere – did you ever realise it was going to become such a big thing?
It was by happenstance. I mean, our merchandise empire just went bonkers and our t-shirts just went silly. I think a lot of people used to wear James shirts not even knowing it was a bloody band – absolutely fine, no problem with that, by the way.
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I think it was a mixture of two people: I think it was like Justin, our head honcho when it came to merch and then our actual band manager, Martin. I don’t think we realised at the time it was anything.
Well, similar to that point on the shirts is the music: I know part of it is a product of having been around for so long, but what is your relationship like with having so many songs that people know and love even if they don’t realise it’s James? That’s something I noticed growing up.
I think that’s very true – you hit the nail on the head there. I think a lot of people do know more of our songs than they probably realise, and that’s fun at festivals in particular. You know, we do a James [headline] gig and it’s a very different kind of journey.
They can two and a half hours or something of us taking our time through the back catalogue, but in a festival you can’t get away with a lot of that. You’ve got to deliver, you’ve got to pull people in – you’ve got to get their attention and batter them around the head before that final uplift end curve of hits.
Musicality-wise, we cover such a broad spectrum of things, but we do want to send people away tired, sweaty, hot, knackered, and losing their voice from shouting and singing. That’s what we’re aiming for: big grins on their faces and the challenge of pulling people in. It’s the best job in the world.
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I mean Tim [Booth, frontman], he’s always been famed for his dancing; we batter him with great tunes, so we make him dance. He’s not as young as he used to be, none of us are, but it’s what he does and he loves it – we’re still amazed by his energy to this day.
No matter the ups and downs we’ve had in the past, we’re really enjoying ourselves up there, and things are going well for us right now.
There have been times in the past where we’ve been successful, but we’ve felt bloody struggles, and it’s easy to ball this up. If you’re not careful, you can make a real mess of it. It’s easy to have one of the best jobs on the planet, and it takes you a while to fully appreciate it.
It might not quite be the size of Glasto, but here’s a taster of what James at NBHD Weekender 2025 will look like.
Words of wisdom. What about sound? If you had to describe the current James vibe, what would it be?
Wow, I mean that’s really difficult because I have absolutely no objectivity on this at all. None, that’s all right. We don’t consciously decide where we’re going to go with the songwriting; we always react to what we’ve just done; we kind of want to build on it but not do the same, so that’s why we kind of zigzag.
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I mean, I suppose we’re most known for, you know, anthemic, uplifting tunes and I’ll take that as a description any day of the week. But we’re kind of more than that. We’ve got a cello and a violin in the band, we love using technology, and there is just the traditional bunch of guys with guitars bashing around some chords and having a sing-along stuff. We’ve got a f*** of a lot of songs we have!
Fair enough, haha. What about an underrated song that you don’t feel gets enough love?
I mean there’s things like ‘Curse Curse‘, which I think the band love but we’ve ended up calling it ‘Rehearse Rehearse’ because we always used to do it in soundchecks and then in the gig we’re doing the soundcheck. It sounded amazing and then we’d never do it in the gig for some reason.
Another song called ‘Oh My Heart’, which again I think the band absolutely adore but for some reason we don’t put in the gigs; ‘Play Dead’ off Whiplash, and I think that’s coming [into the setlists]. We’re going into rehearsals at the end of April to start doing the shows for the summer, and we’re going to work on some new old songs to put in the set, so yeah, some of them might be in there.
The songs I enjoy the most change as the months and years go by because it’s all so different and I’m sure that will be the same case for the festivals because we’re reframing it now and that’s absolutely fine.
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You mentioned Whiplash there but what about Yummy?! I’m sure waiting around for a number one album all these years must feel like you’re pulling your hair out at times. How did you all react?
We’d had three number threes and four number two albums, so I’m much more practiced at my coming second speech than I was at my coming first! You know, always the taking part that counts, so it was a shock and a surprise that I actually was bothered – I didn’t think I’d be bothered!
It meant a huge amount to me and all of us when we got to number one, it actually did. I think we were all taken aback by how surprised and how kind of pleased we were by that as some kind of mad achievement in all of this. Only 18 tries of getting there – we eventually made it, so don’t give up!
More than anything, I think it was a big deal for the fans, you know? It meant a lot to them as well because they’ve been cheering us on all these years, so yeah, we were really pleased with it.
Hey Folks, Because of you, Yummy is the number one album this week.🩵🩵🩵🥳🥳🥳 Thank you so much. Your passion and love continually drives us on to reach for the stars, whilst staying planted on the Earth. Long may it continue. Nothing but love.
An incredible amount of persistence. Just for those who don’t know, how many albums have you actually made?…
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18 and we’re working on the 19th now. We’re constantly writing in James; we don’t stop and then promote an album and then start again – we’ll quite often start writing the next before an album even comes out. We’ve got sessions coming up and May, and that [next record] will be out in May.
It’s just a continual process for us; we’ve always done it, it’s just finding the time that’s the big problem.
I mean, I can’t think of many more bands that are this level of prolific. How do you still keep things fresh after all these years?
It’s still as fresh as it ever was and we’re still really enjoying it. As I said before, we’re getting on well: that makes a huge difference – it means you can be happy. You’re not just in an amazing job, but you can actually be happy and enjoy it to its full.
I don’t know how long it’s going to last, haven’t the foggiest, but we’re going to keep going as long as it feels we’re relevant, as long as we feel that we’re keeping up to the standards that we’ve set for ourselves in this, regardless of anybody else’s – and I think that’s standard is quite high.
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We’ll keep going and we’ve enjoyed it too much to consider stopping now. You’re right: we’ve done a tonne of work, but we don’t tend to look over our shoulders too much.
The 40th anniversary kind of changed that slightly because we’re always just you tend to get pulled into what you’re doing, do you know what I mean? But you don’t tend to kind of stop and look backward over the journey because it’s still going on.
It’s been all my adult life. When I started in the band that kind of morphed into James, I was in school. I was only 15, and it’s ridiculous that things have got gone this far and that we’re still here and going out there and playing shows and enjoying it. People keep coming year after year.
It kind of feels like the epitome of just working harder at it and having patience. We just kept chugging along, which I don’t think you can say for many bands.
So, if you had advice to give to those younger bands and artists starting out, what would it be?
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I suppose the main thing is for people is doing it because you love it. You know you’re in it to be a musician or to write songs because you love it, because it comes from your heart. It’s not about fame or success, and they shouldn’t get pulled into any of that kind of nonsense.
It’s about creating stuff which you can be proud of. Do something that moves people, that’s important to you, and be solid enough; show some belief, and that is difficult because it’s hard at times, but going through it in a band as opposed to a solo is a little easier. If you’re feeling down, you’ve got three or four other people to pull you along and vice versa. I think you need that.
Work at those relationships. Don’t just presume because you’re a bunch of mates in a band, everything’s going to be cool. Don’t take that for granted. Really work at making sure that the relationships between the people are strong because there’ll be a lot of pressure and they’ll be tested.
At the end of the day, you have to put the hours in: it’s not going to just sit there and wait until you pluck it from a tree. You’ve got to graft; you’ve got to get sore fingers and blisters. Bash it out and know and learn your craft, then go and take on the world f***ing world.
Amen.
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A daft joke that got a big laugh – we’ll explain one day… (Credit: The Manc)
James are one of the headliners for this year’s Neighbourhood Weekender Festival, and we can’t wait for them to tell us to ‘Sit Down’ over and over again as thousands of gig-goers ignore them.
Come on, as far as puns go, that’s an absolute tap-in.
They’ll join the likes of Stereophonics, The Lottery Winners, The K’s and countless others in filling Warrington’s Victoria Park with a full weekend of music.
You can see our chat with fellow headliners The Wombats down below:
Five of the best sunset walks in and around Greater Manchester
Thomas Melia
The clocks have finally gone forward and this signals the arrival of the longer nights for Greater Manchester and the UK at large, which can only mean one thing: some stunning after-work sunset walks are on the cards.
If you’re eager to make the most of the sun while we have it at our fingertips, these walks are on hand to get you on the go and treat your eyes to some unforgettable views.
It’s not every day we get the sun shining down on us here in gloomy Manchester, so we’ve got you covered with some sunset hotspots that are nothing short of a delight.
Take a stroll with us, won’t you?
Five of our favourite sunset walks around Greater Manchester
1. Dovestone Reservoir – Oldham
Just imagine the light bouncing off here.You can see what we mean.Hard to remember this is on our doorstep sometimes. (Credit: Clive Gliddis via Geograph)/Richard Thorpe (via Flickr)
Is there any category this walk doesn’t find itself fitting into? If it’s not already one of the prettiest or ‘Best Boxing Day walks’, now it finds itself claiming its latest title as one of the best sunset walks in Greater Manchester too.
Dovestone Reservoir in Oldham has been a walker’s wonderland for Mancs and trekkers alike thanks to its wide footpaths that offer a much nicer and less cramped experience.
Due to its valley location and neighbouring rolling hills, you can expect to see some gorgeous views of that lovely sun as it reflects onto the already impressive reservoir.
2. Chorlton Water Park – Sale
It’s hard to find a picture of Chorlton Water Park that doesn’t have a four-legged friend in it (not that we’re complaining).We managed to source one of an equally stunning creature.Credit: The Manc Group/Monica’s Photographs (via Instagram)
A relatively flat and accessible walk, Chorlton Water Park is an easy route with some beautiful views, even more glorious when the lake and greenery catch the golden and pink hues of the sunset.
This is a dog walking hot spot, so not only are you getting outside and admiring this stunning green space, you’re also getting a chance to see some of Greater Manchester’s cutest little pups.
Being an open space with shrubs and, most importantly, a large lake, come sunset you’ll be able to capture the silhouette of Canadian geese, which makes for the perfect Instagram photo dump.
Aside from being one of the highest points in Bolton, this prime sunset spot has lovely architecture and terraced gardens for you to roam through before you admire the golden hilltop views.
With summer houses, archways, waterfalls, Rivington Pike has every box ticked and maybe even a few more you didn’t even know you had.
Be warned, when people talk about getting their steps in, this place doubles down on that statement. Luckily, not only will you lose yourself in the surroundings, but there are also a lot of stone staircases you’ll encounter along the way.
4. Peel Tower – Bury
The sunset is almost as impressive as Peel Tower itself over in Bury.A stunning postcard spot and one of the best sunset walks you’ll find close to Manchester. (Credit: @fell_n_mountain via IG)
Situated in Ramsbottom, an idyllic town in Bury, Peel Tower finds itself overlooking a vast and clear landscape, perfect for anyone trying to witness a distraction-free sunset.
As you wander up to meet the mighty stone structure perfectly placed among a flurry of tall grass, you’ll encounter lots of shrubs and a few well-trodden unofficial walkways.
This route is circular and the views are one-in-a-million, encompassing everything from Manchester to North Wales and Derbyshire (weather-dependent, of course).
This next sunset walk is one that people flock to, and it’s fair to say this setting is probably one of the most famous, with people who have visited describing it as‘the best sunset spot’ in Manchester.
Werneth Low, which borders Stockport and Tameside, has seen itself become a viral star much like the popular Mam Tor; walkers and photographers alike are out in their masses waiting to capture the perfect picture.
You’ll feel like you’re on top of the world once you ramble your way up this Greater Manchester point of interest, and you might even see a plane contrail or two, as the airport is less than half an hour away.
Honourable mention: Blackstone Edge – Rochdale
A glorious sunset over Blackstone Edge, just outside of Rochdale.Credit: (@to_lay_myhead_uk via IG)
Here at The Manc, we know there are lots of fabulous walks in and around Rochdale, but when it comes to admiring the sunset, this one takes the biscuit.
There’s a reservoir, a rocky incline, plenty of moorland and views across the whole of Rochdale, including a distant Hollingworth Lake, all covered in a honeydew sky.
After a trek upon the Pennines, you can stop off at The White House: an acclaimed pub which welcomes dog-walkers, cyclists and everyone in between, promising a hearty meal and proper good pint after a meander around the moors.
Georgina Pellant -
17th August 2022 
