Once upon a time there was a company called Factory Records. They carved out a pretty spectacular scene in Manchester and they ruled the roost in terms of what was popular and what the masses listened to in Manchester. Around this time they had a couple of bands that they managed, you might have heard of them, they were called the Happy Mondays and New Order!

They made a guy famous for dancing on a stage with maracas, and they also made a building famous for letting people dance in it. The guy was Bez and the nightclub was the legendary Hacienda. Bez is still with us but unfortunately the Hacienda has had its day and is now a block of flats (like everything in Manchester).

Now Factory Records who heavily financed and heavily lost out with the Hacienda are back on the block. The Hacienda was known as FAC 51 as this was the catalogue number for the original factory that stood in its place. The club saw legendary status thrown upon it in the late 80’s and early 90’s. The rave scene had just kicked off and it was a new era for music that was here to stay.

The Hacienda was forced to close its doors in 1997. Fast forward 13 years and the original creators of Madchester are back were everything was created to do it all again, (all be it slightly different this time!)

FAC 251 was were everything was created. It was the offices and hub for Factory Records. As you can imagine it was FAC 251 as this was the buildings catalogue number. However they are starting it all again. The building will be re opening at the end of January and once more the people behind the Hacienda will be running a club again. This time round it will be different in a lot of ways.

The place will start out busy because of the history behind it all and so it should be. The scene, clubbing and music have evolved beyond recognition over the last 13 years. 13 years ago Rave music was immerging, now you cant go out and listen to ‘Rave’ like it used to be. The scene is very well established in terms of dance music as well. As the Hacienda was in mid flow there were some smaller nights popping up around the country. London had a club called Ministry of Sound, Liverpool  had Cream, Birmingham created GodsKitchen and a little known warehouse in Sheffield played host to a night called Gatecrasher. Very few people will think that these clubs were open around the time of Hacienda but they were. With the correct management these clubs became the names of clubbing on a global scale and even though today, the clubs may not be open on a regular basis they are still the biggest names in the industry the Hacienda was once the most famous club in the world for.

This time round though the owners don’t want a repeat of the Hacienda. They have been around the block and learnt from the past. People of old are still there as well as the mind behind Digital in Newcastle (which is in a museum) i will leave you with what to expect. The club opens on the 29th January.

where the records were once stored, will now become a space for live gigs.The middle floor, originally for PR and A&R, will now house the more eclectic end of electronica.Upstairs – the boardroom with the infamous “hanging table” immortalised in 24 Hour Party People – will play host to rock star DJs – the likes of Mani from The Stone Roses and the lads from The Inspiral Carpets – the instigators of the original MADchester revolution.

I think her outfits are brilliant, and her performances on stage this year at music events like the MTV awards were truly outrageous. I’m not a massive pop fan either but her songs really are classic, and I don’t mind admitting it. They are great pop songs that will stay around for years, they’re so catchy and I find myself singing along when they come on the radio.

Lady Gaga is the star of popular music for 2009 in my eyes. Have you bought Tickets for Lady Gaga recently or seen any of Lady Gaga’s recent shows? If so let me know, because I might just try and snap up a pair of tickets for 18^th February 2010 at the MEN Arena.

Lady Gaga is touring Manchester in Feb 2010 at the MEN Arena.

For me though there’s something about the darkly lit Apollo. Something about the place’s two tier structure (I’ve only sat up there once however) and it’s anything goes stalls or standing area for most gigs. I personally think the venue was even better for gigs when smoking was aloud – it simply added to the atmosphere. And many of the bands I’ve seen live continue to light up on stage without anyone batting an eye lid.

I’ve seen Oasis, The Charlatans, Kings of Leon, Paul Weller, The Bootleg Beatles, Cast and many many other bands perform there over the years. The place rocks and will always be one of my all time favourites for intimate gigs where the sound sounds much better that at outdoor.

Manchester's Apollo Theatre is just the ticket for live shows and gigs

I’ve been lucky enough to see them play in numerous venues, as close as the Manchester Apollo, and as far as Summercase music festival in Barcelona last year. They’re my favourite band of the moment for their raw approach to music, and they’re awesome stage presence.

Their style and fashionable look also makes them a big hit for guys and girls. They really have put a foot into the life long music hall of fame now and will go down in history as a truly great band.

I think Liam Gallagher has one of the most recognisable voices in world music and the split of the two brothers from Burnage, Manchester is a loss to rock n roll.

I think one of the best gigs they ever did were the Wembley Stadium gigs back in the late 1990s. As well as Finsbury Park in London, and Old Trafford Cricket Ground, plus the now infamous Knebworth gig which broke records for attendance. They love the fans, and the fans love them – that’s what truly great bands are all about.

Oasis Will Live Forever

They openly admit to having dreamed of following bands like Oasis who were their childhood heroes (and have supported them on tour). With Tom and Serge as the forefront of the band, I think they’ll go from strength to strength over the next decade.

Leicester lads Tom, Serge and clan will dominate with Kasabian over the next decade!