Steve 
Smith very kindly volunteered to ask a couple of questions for NOOL when he attended the Manchester press call for the opening of the new Factory 251 Club.
Firstly, here are the questions and answers, asked both for Steve’s site, neworderinfoweb and also for NOOL.
What was the reason for starting the Freebass project?
Mani - It started off as a bit of a laugh really, Hooky phoned me up and said we’re doing bugger all with New Order again so me, Hooky and Rourkey decided to hang out. We just started kicking ideas in to the computer and things just grew and grew. It has been a long time in coming really because New Order were out doing stuff and I was sat on my arse at home and when they (New Order) were sat on their arses I was out doing stuff with the Scream. We have got some really good stuff and ideas there. We’ve just got to polish them a bit more and it should be another week or so before they are finished. Then were going to draw a line under it and get the Freebass stuff out there.
Fans have been waiting for the Freebass stuff for years now. Can you explain why the releases have been delayed for such a long time?
Mani - well, we’ve all got day jobs aint we. Hooky would have been game for getting the (Freebass) stuff out earlier, but I know that some people would have tried to pick holes in it so I wanted to make sure that the tracks were right. If it goes alright then so be it, if it bombs at least we’ve had a go. That’s the way I look at things anyway.
Internet forum sites and fans of all the three bands have been talking about the Freebass project for quite a while now and have tagged Freebass with the super group tag. How do you feel about that?
Mani - well between us all, The Smiths, New Order and the Roses have sold millions of records, so to be tagged as a super group is very flattering.
Why another club?
PH - Rob (Gretton) and Tony (Wilson) always told me to give something back and to propagate and keep going what I do love which is music, so it was a forgone conclusion really, the music lover in me couldn’t say no. The thing that made me decide to do it was that I know Aaron is a very successful businessman and I’m hoping to bring all his other businesses down ,its quite a daunting proces. I’ve got 15 clubs to ruin!
How important was it for Ben Kelly to be involved in the project?
PH- It was quite interesting really because when I resurrected the Hacienda brand we started working together again. As there aren’t much of the old factory family left ,it was quite important for me to strike up a relationship again with Ben (Kelly) and Pete (Saville) and I’m extremely proud and excited of what Ben and Peter Saville did and even though I moan about it ,about how much it cost and stuff like that, the thing is, there is no escaping the fact that it is very unique and that Ben has a very unique eye. It was very gracious of Aaron really to let Ben back into the fold.
Any plans to buy back Dry Bar?
PH - No, the thing with Dry is that it is a bar. My interest is in music as Aaron knows and that is the thing I find most exciting about this place.
Why choose the former factory offices for the site of the new club?
Aaron - The current recession has, in effect, enabled us to create a club on this site. The building had been sold to a developer and was to be re-developed, basically flattened and started again. Because of the recession the developer was unable to develop the site as he would have wanted, so the site came back onto the market. There is a lot of nostalgia and history in this building which is the reason we picked it.
Once the Freebass tracks are released ,do you have any plans to do a tour?
PH -I cant see why not. We have had a lot of interest even before people have heard anything. Fuji rock have even expressed an interest which is quite surprising and extremely flattering considering they haven’t heard anything yet. Mani - once the tracks are finished we’re gonna get out and play em.
Aaron, How does the business relationship work between you and Hooky work and will the club fall under the Tokyo industries banner?
Aaron - The club is part of the group in terms of buying power and operational strategy but it is a separate limited company with both myself and Hooky as directors of the business.
Mani tells me the LP will be ready the first week in February. Do you have a title for the album? And can you tell me the title for the E.P?
PH- The thing is we’re still waiting for the bloody website (hacienda records.com). I was told it would be October, then November, December and so on and we’re still bloody waiting! Its taken far too long to be honest. There is so much content to put on it and I wanted to make sure that it was right before it went live on the net. It is a very technical operation doing a website very complicated and to be honest it drives you bloody mad! The site should be up and running very soon. At the moment we don’t have a title for the album but the e.p is called two worlds collide.
Hooky one to one interview
Who would you say was your idol?
PH- well I suppose it has to be Johhny Rotten (John lydon/sex pistols) He is a very interesting bloke, he can be incredibly infuriating, but he’s a proper character and you have to admire what he does. When I went to see the Sex Pistols last time, the only one who looked like he was having a good time was him and the other three really looked like they were wishing they were somewhere else.
Does the fabled “Hooky’s Closet” actually exist? Constant rumour is that you have a closet / cupboard that is packed to the rafters with rare items. Can you dispel this rumour?
PH - It IS true! I have got a storage space that has got tons and tons of shit in it! It’s quite odd, as it sits there attracting mould and dust and I keep saying right when I’ve had enough and when I retire I’m going to sell it all it all off, all the fucking lot of it! My mate said no, no you shouldn’t do that and I keep saying why not? All it does is sit in my fucking cellar getting mouldier. I’d rather someone enjoyed it, so I am going to do it and get rid of it all!
Do you have a copy of the Transmission acetate in your closet?
PH - Yes I do have a copy of that one, I have about 200 acetates and test pressings.
What’s this about you forging Ian Curtis’ signature, is this truth or rumour?
It is true. This guy came to us ,I think it was at a gig somewhere in 1985,with a copy of An Ideal for Living and asked us to sign it ,so all three of us (me, Barney and Steve) signed it ,this cocky little kid asked where the singers (Ian Curtis) signature was, so I took it backstage and forged Ian’s signature.
I was in a record shop in the Northern Quarter and saw the very same record I had signed years earlier. I spoke to the guy who owned the shop and told him that I had signed Ian’s signature and he went fucking mental calling me all the names under the sun as he had just paid £150 for it.
When the factory offices were first opened, Steve and Gillian recorded the FAC251 CD and it was given away to people that attended the office opening party. Do you have anything like a cd giveaway or something like that planned for the re-opening of the FACTORY FAC251 club?
PH- Aaron wants to do that yeah. I’ve done a track for it with Phil Murphy who I did Manray with, I really like it, its called Tokyo Joe. So it is a possibility.
Your book “how not to run a club” was extremely candid, how did your friends and family react when they first read it?
PH - The thing is with the book I wanted to tell my story exactly how it was and there was no point in bullshitting. I couldn’t deny it ,this is me son (Jack appears behind his dad then walks off) and it even shocked him! That book is the last book I will be writing about the Hacienda and the last time I will be telling that story and I had to tell it warts and all and that’s it.
Following on from the book and its content, what is the possibility of you doing a few shifts on the doors of FAC251?
PH - (laughs) no chance mate. We’ve got a couple of very big Polish lads for the doors, they’re really big lads and are good at what they do. Questions asked for NeworderonlineDo you think Andy Rourke will make it over for the opening?
I hope so, New York isn’t that far ,so hopefully
Will Gary and Leadfoot (Paul) be performing the Freebass tracks with you?
Yes
How many Freebass tracks are you intending to play on the opening night?
PH - We’re definitely doing two and if Pete Wylie would answer my phone calls it would be three. I don’t think anyone could do justice to that song unless Pete sings it to be honest.
Your team advertised for bands to send in their myspace addresses so you could hear the bands with a view to them playing them at the Factory - what was the response to that and did any of the bands really stand out?
PH- We are doing a weekly Hacienda night and I’m going to make sure we showcase new acts. We need to get some new blood in, the thing is getting some new blood in it makes us old bloods get a move on. The things is I have heard that much music in my life when you try to start and analyze it, it tends the listener to refer the music to something, so what I’m looking for is something I haven’t heard before and it is just a matter of finding it. Every time I deejay and someone gives me something I always endeavor to listen to it and try and incorporate it into my deejay set. Ultimately, I think that if someone goes out of their way to give you something then you should listen to it.
Details for the opening night are as follows: Tickets will be offered at a price of £22.50 to subscribers to http://www.factorymanchester.com and Facebook group on a first-come-first-served basis.
The band performing will be "Peter Hook's The Light" which will consist of various well known musicians from the Manchester "scene".
Already confirmed are: Peter Hook, Mani, Rowetta, Gary Briggs, Old Leadfoot, Howard Marks.
Possible appearances, depending on availability will be Andy Rourke and Pete Wylie.
There will be at least two Freebass tracks played, alongside some of the rarer Joy Division, New Order and Monaco tracks.
The Freebass EP - "Two Worlds Collide" is pencilled in for release at the end of February/beginning of March, to be followed by the as yet untitled album.
Both will be available on the Hacienda Records label.
The band have been approached to play some of this year's festivals and may also be playing some one-off gigs.
Thanks alot to for his help and time.
EDIT: Jack's playing too 
