G-MEX MANCHESTER....END OF AN ERA..23rd DECEMBER 2006

Last night I went to the Morrisey gig at G-Mex and will be getting myself down there again 2day for his last tour date.

What's the significance?

It is the last ever gig at G-Mex before the old Main Railway terminus gets another new lease of life and is converted into a Conference Centre.

No more gigs at the G-Mex!!

This brings to an end another chapter in Manc music history, maybe not on a par with when The Boardwalk, The International 1 and 2 or more famously The Hacienda shut but still the memories......

My favourite by a f****n mile is The Festival Of The Tenth Summer when New Order and The Smiths played 20 years ago. I got bladdered on 4 pints of cider like teenagers do and the rest is a big blurr. Imagine a gig like that now in Manchester?

The next would have to be the New Order, A Certain Ration, Mondays gig........I have never seen the place so wired! Was there any people there who were not Mancs? Please correct me if I am wrong! After that, mooching to all the clubs and everywhere was hammered. Legendary. Who went to work on Monday?

In third place is the Stop Sellafield gig when U2, Public Enemy and Kraftwerk played. Strange line up!! I went to see Kraftwerk who were their usual clean cut, no fuss performance. They didn't bother with the 'keyboard to the fans play your bit' stuff that night coz it was full of Bongo adorers but it was still quality with great graphics behind. We left half way through U2 when Bongo was letting his fans feel his legs on a catwalk sticking out of the stage. sickly.

Anybody got any fond memories of G-Mex at the end of another era in Manchester? Even you people abroad who haven't been, what do you know? what have you heard? what recordings do you have?....bring it on!

At least a local lad is playing the last gig there,fair play.

Give it ya best Mozza!

They're converting into a conference centre? I thought it could be and is used for conferences anyway. So what's the point?

aren't these the first gigs in 10 years!

I don't think we'll miss it really.

streetfly wrote:

The next would have to be the New Order, A Certain Ration, Mondays gig........I have never seen the place so wired! Was there any people there who were not Mancs? Please correct me if I am wrong! After that, mooching to all the clubs and everywhere was hammered. Legendary. Who went to work on Monday?

Stand corrected, plenty there weren't fucking mancs.

That's a shame. I was there too last night, it's the first gig I've ever been to at the G-mex and, it seems, the last.

Thought it was a great venue.

December 1988 was most definitely an end of an era at G-Mex. It was the last time AOC was aired in Blighty.

No MANCS-hell we came from PLANET ROCKET!

i was there last night for mozzer and tenth summer.always liked the place and its in a very handy location.i keep expecting a train to come belting through though.havent noticed any gigs being on there over recent years anyway so it doesnt really matter.

Fantastic gig last night.It did bring back some good memories,it is a great venue,much preferable to MEN arena,because I'd rather have a wide open standing area,than seats towering over that are so steep,you're not allowed to stand up,e.g. PLACEBO the other week.

My memories of the place? Highlights FESTIVAL OF THE TENTH SUMMER with a line-up to kill for.Also 808 STATE's TURBO RAVE back in 1991/2,featuring special guest BJORK who sung 2 tracks on EX-EL. And BRYAN FERRY on his BETE NOIRE tour,sadly no JOHNNY MARR on stage,despite playing on the album.MIssed NEW ORDER the week after that because I couldn't get me mates to decide if they were going or not :tossers: Oh DEPECHE MODE's Devotion Tour,amazing gig.DEVOTIONAL DVD documents this gig,and I still say it was their best gig. And of course the MOZZFATHER on Friday night,best of his gigs this year.

Are they definitely not going to hold any future gigs there then? What a waste of a building.

streetfly wrote:

The next would have to be the New Order, A Certain Ration, Mondays gig........I have never seen the place so wired! Was there any people there who were not Mancs? Please correct me if I am wrong!

Well, this Londoner was there. With four guys from Leeds. :p

Its not the last gig. They are just re naming it.

I know of at least two bands who are rumoured to be playing it in the spring.

Me and a mate came down on the train from Glasgow on the day of the New Order/ACR/Happy Mondays gig ticketless. Got bladdered on the way down, met 4 guys from Bolton going to the gig on the train, then spent ages trying to get tickets. Eventually got 2 at £20 each but nobody would accept Scottish tenners. Eventually got them changed for English money in some boozer next to the GMex that sold an excellent pint of Boddies. Missed the Mondays, saw ACR and Barney totally bolloxing Fine Time at the encore. Then spent a great Sunday in the Trafford bar and the evening in the City Club down Moss-side. Great weekend!!!!!!

i remember the festival. great gig. didnt have tickets for the front pen so swapped with someone the otherside of the barrier to get into the inner sanctum. security heh?

streetfly wrote: Was there any people there who were not Mancs? Please correct me if I am wrong!

At least 30 that I could name from Dewsbury in 86, at least 20 of which went in '88. At a guess more from the right side of the pennines than hometown boys, factor in Order fans from elswhere I 'd say that as usual the mancs were in the minority. Probably more mancunians onstage than in the crowd!!

My 'was there anyone not Mancs there?' statement was rather tongue in cheek!

Didn't really expect anybody to take it seriously:)

I just thought it might drag a few of you out to tell your tales of gettin there, gettin in and what happened, ya know, the memories ...everybody has one or two to tell, always good to hear about.

I stand corrected regardless! Not everybody there was fucking Mancs

G-Mex? Shitehole. Knock it down and build a yacht showroom instead ;)

Only gig I've ever been to at the G-Mex - 16th March 1991 - quality gig!

I'll miss the 5 a side footy - Cmon CITY!!

darran clarke wrote: I'll miss the 5 a side footy - Cmon CITY!!

Aye - last thing they ever won!

Nick King wrote:

Only gig I've ever been to at the G-Mex - 16th March 1991 - quality gig!

WHEY!! You loveable cnut!