Manchester, April 1990. The ‘Madchester’ movement is in full bloom.
Throbbing speakers pump high decibels through thick plumes of cannabis smoke. Crowds dressed in baggy t-shirts congregate to sip cans of lager.
Gangs of men strip off their clothes and throw shapes in their birthday suits to the tune of uproarious laughter.
And this was just at Strangeways Prison.
Madchester – the cultural scene that had put Mancunia on the world map – had consumed the city at the turn of the nineties. But it had also found a way inside the region’s maximum security facility.
When the spring of 1990 rolled around, inmates had grown sick of the Victorian conditions at Strangeways. On 1 April they launched a revolt; fighting off the guards and climbing onto the roof to stage a protest.
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Not for the first (or last) time, every eye in Britain was on Manchester.
And one man watching the city vibe permeating prison walls was David Nolan – a young journalist covering the story for Piccadilly Radio.
“Madchester was the perfect backdrop for the riots; if you were to get the footage of the guys on the roof, you could cut it to a Happy Mondays song,” David tells The Manc.
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“The whole thing had this psychedelic, surreal weirdness. It was quite rock and roll – and very much of its time.”
“It was weird how quickly you got used to the surrealness of it all; this carnival atmosphere.
“There were people selling weed, beer, even Strangeways t-shirts. Helicopters used to fly over and cast shining lights. Fire engines would be hosing down the rooftops.
“When the prisoners would shout messages they wanted to get to the outside world, the home office would try and stop them by playing music at a deafening level, and their favourite song of choice – this is the British government – was Mr Blue Sky by ELO.
“The prisoners were forever taking their clothes off and getting naked on the roof, too – you never saw on that on the tele, of course.
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“Can you imagine that as a mix: The drugs, the beer, the water jets, the light and the music?”
Image: Youtube
Image: Youtube
David was stationed at Strangeways morning, afternoon and night, but he and his fellow journalists were never alone.
This was the biggest show in town – and every man, woman and child seized each opportunity to come and take a peek.
“You’d have waves of people just coming down to watch,” David explains.
“Some would come before work, then bring their sandwiches and watch the rioters at lunchtime. At half past three kids would visit after school, then you’d have people visiting when the pubs kicked out at eleven o’clock.”
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Whilst the public came and went, journalists were compelled to stay put as long as the prisoners roamed freely on the rooftops – scrambling to make notes whenever movement occurred above.
“It was a bit like lockdown in a weird way,” David recalls.
“Occasionally we’d go to a press conference, but for the most part journalists were stuck there.
“We saw a lot. Some it quite funny. There were so many bizarre things happening in and out of that jail.
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“Sometimes they’d unfurl these daft banners – like one that said ‘Ken Dodd is innocent’.”
Image: Youtube
Image: Youtube
Dozens of prisoners set up camp atop of Strangeways throughout the month – but two quickly became the faces of the riot.
“Out of all the men on the roof, there were a couple that were most visually distinctive and easy to spot,” David tells us.
“Paul Taylor was seen as the ‘ringleader’, although he didn’t like that term. He was an extraordinary guy in some ways; very articulate with this flowery way of communicating.
“I remember him shouting from the roof: ‘This is my decision and I am steadfast in my decision.’ What a peculiar way of putting it.
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“He would scrawl out all these long messages and some were quite lyrical. He was almost Shakespearean sometimes.
“When I interviewed him years later he told me the riot happened because he’d ‘decided it was going to happen’. So this must have been in his mind for some time.”
Taylor has since repeated this claim when interviewed by the BBC, but admitted he was “regretful” the protest had turned into a full-scale riot.
“As well as Taylor, there was also Alan Lord,” David explains.
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“He was this big, muscular, good-looking guy who was serving a long sentence at the time.”
Lord was often caught on the cameras due to his sheer physique, and became well-known among the press after taking responsibility for carrying messages between the inmates and the Home Office.
The protest ran out of steam when Lord was captured en route to a negotiation on 23 April.
Two days later, the remaining protestors called it quits and descended the roof via cherry picker – bringing the curtain down on the 25-day “carnival.”
But of course, it wasn’t just three weeks of fun and games. The prisoners hadn’t battled their way to the summit of Strangeways just to put on a party for those below.
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“We use the word ‘rioters’, but we could reframe it and change it to ‘protestors’,” says David.
“Conditions were bad in there. The jail was horrifically overcrowded and they were still ‘slopping out’ (defecating in a bucket).”
There were several explosions of violence during the riots that resulted in almost 200 injuries and even one death. But despite the prospect of larger sentences the longer they protested, many inmates couldn’t face returning to the squalor that waited for them down below.
The prisoners were up on that roof because they had something to say – although the authorities were reluctant to let them articulate it to the press; proceeding to crank the music up to eleven whenever Taylor began to reel off one of his infamous speeches.
At times, David said the scene was extremely sinister.
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“One evening it was very loud. All these horrible noises were erupting in the middle of the night and as it started snowing I got quite upset.
“I was thinking: ‘‘What on earth is going on inside that jail?’ It doesn’t even bear thinking about.
“At times it was incredibly frightening.”
“Maybe it was coming. Twenty-four hours before Strangeways were the poll tax riots in London – which saw wooden polls being shoved through police car windows.
“Did that possibly tip it over the edge? I just think it’s a really interesting coincidence that it happened the day before.”
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Whilst David has retold his experience of Strangeways on multiple occasions during a long writing career, he also used the setting as inspiration for the backdrop of his Manc Noir novel ‘Black Moss’.
“I cannot remember doing any other story of any description during Strangeways. Everyone was looking at that one place,” he tell us.
“That was partly behind the idea for my book. A child murder happens during a riot, and with the media, police, public all over in one spot, something horrible happens elsewhere.
“I also heard a story about a murder taking place during 9/11. Someone saw an opportunity to do something when everyone was looking the other way.
“It’s about distraction. But all the Strangeways stuff in the book is all absolutely accurate.”
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On April 25, the Strangeways Riots ended. In the months and years that followed, Madchester, as a movement, fell into decline. Factory Records went bankrupt, and the scene gradually blurred into the ‘baggy’ vibe of the nineties, before the emergence of Britpop at the backend of the decade.
Manchester is a strikingly different place today, and whilst Strangeways has been home to more rooftop protests since, the sight of a lone figure scaling the prison wall in jogging bottoms in 2017 did not conjure up the same kind of circus atmosphere.
As David attests, the madness of the 1990 riots can be attributed to how it represented an uncanny little time capsule of a chaotic era in history.
“If the riot had happened in Gloucester or something, I just don’t think it would have had the same vibe or attention,” he says.
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That infamous pandemonium at Strangeways was Madchester in the sky.
Featured image – Youtube
Feature
Five Manchester artists we’ve been listening to this month | April 2025
Danny Jones
Fashionably late to the party this month, but we’re sure you’ll forgive us because we’re back with yet another stellar lineup of Manchester bands and artists for you to get your teeth into – some new, others criminally unsung, and all equally brilliant.
Your playlists are about to get a good old refresh.
In case you’re new around here, we here at The Manc and Audio North set aside some time every month to look back on the local musicians we’ve been listening to over the last few weeks.
Whether they are Greater Mancunians born and bred or they’re adoptees who have made Manchester their musical home, anything goes and there’s always something for everyone. Let’s get stuck in.
New Manchester bands and artists we’ve been listening to lately
1. Strawberry Lemonade
First up is the delightfully dubbed Strawberry Lemonade, who sound even sweeter than their name, not in a sugary pop music way, but in the sense that sliding guitar riffs as well as plenty of fast-paced strumming and drumming feel like you’ve just necked a glass of, well…
There’s a classic rock and roll swagger to their music, and while many might argue that a lot of new Manchester bands are trying to nail this kind of sound – already a challenge in a city so oversaturated within this genre – they’ve managed to catch our eye.
Having recently headlined a sold-out show at the iconic Deaf Institute, one thing we know for sure is that they’ll be moving on to even bigger venues sooner rather than later. In terms of standout tracks, we rate ‘Nightime’ and ‘Control’; plus, you’d be a fool not to give their latest single ‘Bother At All’ a go.
Next up is the alliterative Danny Darlington, who seems to have emerged out of nowhere to pique our curiosity with some of the most sprawling and varied songs in less than 12 months. He quietly released his first song back in March 2021 but we’re definitely paying attention to his most recent work.
To call it indie would be a major oversimplification; alt-pop doesn’t quite fit either – all we can tell you is that the solo artist from Bury seems to be more than happy pushing in different directions and experimenting with different sonics, with more effects, pedals and electronics being thrown into the mix.
‘Freya’ is a fantastically chill tune, ‘How To Feel’ ends with a really pleasant and punchy surprise, and we’re big fans and one of his older tunes, ‘Parma Violets’, which has a recognisable contemporary indie vibe with some great production for someone who was still just starting out.
3. Nightbus
Fittingly for number three, we’ve got a trio and a band that feels like one of the Manchester music scene’s best-kept secrets somehow. Seriously, we’re genuinely kind of annoyed that more people don’t know about Nightbus because they’re absolutely brilliant.
The xx, New Order and Cocteau Twins are some of the names that come to mind when making our way through their still limited discography, though there is a very fun collection of remixes of their work so far, which genuinely rival some of the original versions.
Also, it might only be a little thing, but we really like the very uniform aesthetic and visual style too; the album artwork typeface almost hints at limited gig poster prints with that self-contained theme per album cycle, a la The 1975. ‘Way Past Three’, ‘Average Boy’, and the E24 mix of ‘Mirrors’ are our three.
Such a jam.
4. Conor & The GreensKeepers
The penultimate name on our list is a collective that has actually been around for a while now and is steadily starting to earn some of the profile they’ve been long overdue in our opinion, but we’ll never tooting our horns about these lot. They’re also utterly incredible live.
Fronted by lead singer and charismatic performer Conor Michael, The GreensKeepers are some of the most underappreciated artists anywhere in Greater Manchester right now, and no matter how many new bands come along, we firmly believe these 13 unbelievable musicians deserve your attention.
As for picks, recent release ‘Roundabouts’ has that UKG and rap flavour they enjoy; ‘U + I’ is now a go-to lo-fi work soundtrack, and ‘Sip from a Rose’ is their spin on jazz and neo-soul in a nutshell. Put simply, it’s music that makes you feel something from the first note and almost never fails to inject a bit of joy.
Arriving by way of Birmingham, the Manchester-based group will be returning for MJF 2025 as well as Green Island Festival.
5. Slap Rash
Last but not least, we’re finishing the loudest, most raw, raucous and in-your-face artists we’ve probably ever put on one of these lists, and it comes in the form of the ferocious duo known as Slap Rash. Great name, even better ragers.
This absolutely riotous project is the brainchild of locally-based brother-and-sister partnership, Amelia and Huw Lloyd, who might just have knocked the likes of Royal Blood off the top spot for making the most noise that is physically possible for two humans to make.
We honestly love this pair. It’s the epitome of thrashy hardcore with an unhealthy dose of distortion, boasting hints of Drenge, early IDLES, Demob Happy and more. We genuinely don’t know where to best to start, but ‘Holy Smoke’ puts hairs on your chest, ‘Griefcase’ is class, and so is ‘Histrionic’.
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Swordplay and rock ‘n’ roll: A Knight’s Tale comes to Manchester Opera House
Danny Jones
From the moment the curtain rises at Manchester Opera House, A Knight’s Tale bursts into life with exhilarating energy. This stage adaptation of the beloved 2001 film expertly blends medieval spectacle with a bold, modern twist.
Full of jousting tournaments, noble quests, and underdog triumphs, the production delivers both heart and high drama – all with a heady dose of rock ‘n’ roll.
At the centre of it all is William Thatcher, a young squire who dares to defy his lowly birth and enter the world of high-born knights. Played with charm and confidence by Andrew Coshan, William’s journey from peasant to jousting champion is rousing, if occasionally veering into heroic cliché.
Still, Coshan’s likability and natural charisma keep the audience cheering for him through every lance charge and dramatic monologue. The supporting cast also shines.
A standout is Eva Scott, whose comic timing and delivery consistently land laughs, often stealing scenes with her sharp one-liners.
Meanwhile, Meesha Turner brings elegance and spark to the role of Princess Jocelyn. Her powerful vocals during the show’s pop-classic ballads transform the character into a fiery, modern princess you can’t help but root for.
The production’s standout sequences are undoubtedly the jousts, theatrical set pieces that are an absolute masterclass in stagecraft. Using a clever combination of rigging, physical choreography, and dynamic sound design, the creative team conjures a truly immersive atmosphere.
Dramatic lighting and resonant sound effects make you feel the thud of hooves and the crash of lances. The cleverly designed set, featuring an arena-style jousting field, draws the audience into the action in a way that feels fresh and cinematic.
However, the show stumbles slightly in its quieter, more emotional scenes. The dialogue, while laced with humour, sometimes dips into melodrama. The villain, Count Adhemar, feels a touch underwritten, with motivations that don’t quite match the emotional weight the story strives for, but is still well-acted.
Don’t just take it from us: the A Knight’s Tale reviews from Manchester crowds are already very strong.
The stakes between him and William never fully build to the payoff they could – leaving certain dramatic beats a little flat. Musically, the show makes a bold departure from traditional scores. Instead, it leans into a soundtrack of classic rock anthems; think Queen, AC/DC, The Who and more.
At first, it seems like an odd match for a medieval tale, just as it did with the movie, but it works brilliantly. The music injects the show with rebellious energy and gives it a timeless quality. It’s loud, bold, and exactly what this high-octane tale of ambition and identity calls for.
A special mention must go to the ensemble and choreography. The jousting scenes are beautifully choreographed, blending acrobatics, dance, and swordplay with seamless precision. Even in quieter moments, the movement on stage supports the storytelling with subtle grace.
But the unexpected stars of the show? The horses. Designed with clever costume and movement illusions, they create the convincing effect of riders in full gallop – and at times, they very nearly steal the spotlight altogether.
Credit: Supplied
Though clearly aimed at adult audiences, with its cheeky humour and classic rock soundtrack, the show flirts with the spirit of panto, oversized characters, regional accents, and exaggerated physical comedy. And it works.
The regional dialects add warmth and levity, grounding the fantasy in a cheeky, very British sensibility. In the end, A Knight’s Tale is a triumphant and entertaining spectacle, an electrifying mix of medieval mythology and modern musical theatre.
Whether you’re a die-hard fan of the original film or seeing the story for the first time, this production offers a fun, fast-paced, and surprisingly heartfelt night out. It’s not perfect, but it’s hard not to be swept up in the clashing swords, galloping hooves, and power chords.
Put simply, this is a knight to remember – with a soundtrack that slays.