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.
Gig review | DMA’s have Manc in their DNA, whether they know it or not
Danny Jones
Yes, we saw the crowds in Brixton, Leeds and so on, and they were also box office, no doubt – and we’re sure there’s plenty of bias coming in here – but DMA’s final night in Manchester was just magnificent on every level.
Still managing to bring a real Friday feeling even though it was a Sunday night following the protracted Valentine’s celebrations, when most were already dreading the inevitable Monday blues (morning, all), it felt like the perfect way to close out a weekend with everyone’s first love: music.
During a period when we’re all encouraged to be a little bit more sincere and spread pure positivity, seeing the sea of happy, smiling faces watching DMA’s on night two at the O2 Victoria Warehouse was just the injection we needed.
For starters, you can’t ask for much more than getting to hear not only Hills End from start to finish but ‘Lay Down’ live twice in one night. The limbs were just as mad the second time around, if not even more.
To quote a fan speaking in the comments under this video, for some, it was beyond good: “The best gig I’ve been to in my 45 years on this planet”, apparently.
Quite the bold statement, and while we’re not sure we’re quite ready to be so superlative just yet, hearing them play their debut album from cover to cover on its 10th anniversary did make for a perfect set and an “unreal night” as we’ve heard and seen so many remark in the hours since the gig.
One person wrote, “If the next album is good, these will be absolutely huge”, while another declared that they’re “the greatest on Earth” already.
Whatever point on the scale you land on, pretty much everyone almost universally agrees that their first record is still their best, even with all the bangers they’ve put out since.
One of the best moments of the entire nostalgia trip was when they bookended the show with ‘Timeless’ and played their usual extended outro with multiple repetitions of the chorus and a proper breakout, letting their instruments do the talking in a fast, frenetic flurry as the crowd thrashed around.
DMAs never let you down when it comes to a performance, and neither do Manc crowds.
One of those where you saw way more arms in the air than phones. (Credit: Audio North)
And maybe that’s just it, as far as bands that come to this region and do well, the Sydney trio are one of the VERY best, vouched for by pretty much every mate and regular gig-goer whose opinion you trust implicitly; you can certainly add us onto that list.
Maybe it’s somehow to do with some of those Melbourne roots, too, as we’ve often heard the parallels drawn between the two cities, and they even asked if there was anyone in from ‘Melbs’ between songs – there was a notable cheer – or maybe it’s just some kind of uncalculable magic we can’t understand.
Either way, besides the ongoing rise of Aussie rock and Anzac bands doing very well around the UK in general, there is something very special about this particular indie outfit’s connection with the North West and Manchester, specifically.
Johnny, Tommy and Matt have all themselves cited it as a ‘second home’ throughout their career, having hit the ground running and finding a cult following here right from the off.
In fact, they admitted that the full touring band still regularly flies into Manchester first whenever they’re heading to the UK. Love that.
‘Olympia’ and ‘Silver’ were also big standouts beyond the Hills End part of the setlist. (Credit: The Manc)
Perhaps labelling them part of the ‘Britpop revival’ is a bit reductive, but it certainly hasn’t done them any harm thus far, and conversely, it’s definitely done them plenty of favours here in Greater Manchester.
They’re not just adopted Brits who understand our history as a nation of audiophiles; they get our crowds and this city’s culture down to a tee.
Put simply, either through blind luck or divine intervention from the music gods, DMA’s are Mancs by proxy, and whether or not that means anything to them, it sure as sh*t means a whole lot to us.
Here’s to HE10, and we can’t wait for the next celebration in whatever form it comes.
The countryside Airbnb where you can have a sleepover with a Shetland pony
Daisy Jackson
Do you like your animals pint-sized and ideally sporting an excellent, tousled hairstyle? Then allow us to introduce you to Basil.
This adorable little Shetland pony lives inside an Airbnb rental, which means he’s ready and waiting for you to join him for a sleepover.
At the cosy accommodation, the bedroom is directly attached to wee Basil’s stable, so you could roll over in bed and give him a little fuss.
Then just outside your door, you’ll find paddocks that are home to Highland cows, Hebridean sheep, horses, pigs, chickens and Norwegian Forrest cats.
Honestly, this place might be paradise for animal lovers.
Known as ‘Basils Barn’, the Airbnb is located in the grounds of a 17th century manor, surrounded by a 60 acre estate.
The owners have mostly rescued the animals, who are strictly kept as pets – so it’s safe to form an emotional attachment to Basil and his farmyard pals knowing they’re in safe hands.
So back to your overnight accommodation. This cosy barn still has gorgeous original features like a flagstone floor, covered in colourful rugs, and traditional stone walls.
Basils Barn also includes a cosy living area. Credit: AirbnbThe outside space at Basils Barn has a firepit and seating area. Credit: AirbnbBasil the Shetland Pony shares an entrance to the Airbnb. Basils Barn also includes a cosy living area. Credit: Airbnb
There’s enough space for four people to sleep between the double bed and a bunk bed, as well as a separate living room/kitchen/diner.
Outside, you can have access to an open outdoor log fire with barbecue grill, and an outdoor tiki hut seating area.
Other amenities include toiletries, toys, books and board games for families, a well-equipped kitchen and free parking.
Some things to bear in mind? There is a literal horse next door, so you might experience some sights, sounds and smells.
And your alarm clock may not be needed, with a cockerel on the estate who will soon let you know when dawn arrives with his crowing.
Basil the pony is usually in his stable – adorable head poking over the low wall that separates him from the Airbnb – from the time you arrive, and he stays there overnight, before he heads back to his field in the morning.
You also have to turn his light out for him when it’s time for bed. Aww.
Georgina Pellant -
17th August 2022 
