very sad about John McGeoch. Reviews and things about Bridgewater Hall gig(including one from HD!) here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/manchester/​arts/2004/03/08/words_and_music_​review.shtml Neike, I was sitting in stalls- row H, right by the stair aisle. I was sitting on my own wearing a yellow V neck pringle jumper, jeans, boots... Sorry I didn't see you. I was hanging around the bar on my own beforehand too.

SG I was very very near the front, the second row to be exact, we had 3 seats to ourselves you see, we were told that we had to buy three tickets, not just for my husband and I but for the boy as well. And yes, he started getting edgey at first, then he went to sleep... Someone wrote something about a 'newborn baby' at the show, I beg to differ, my son is nearly three, and for the most part was unaudable where it counted.

Following email from friend in Liverpool (hence, Magazine's Eric's gig ref) on hearing sad news of John McGeoch's death: 'Thats wierd. I had an impulse to pick out the Real Life album yesterday for no good reason and was thinking what a great guitarist he was whilst looing at his picture. And also about the time he let me sit next to him on stage at Eric's to stop me from getting crushed at the front, and stopped the bouncers from chucking me off the stage.'

Kafkas.. I saw you when we were in our seats and I read that report on manchesteronline.com. Very rude of someone to write that but they were probably one of those angry hecklers. Also saw your thoughts (very apt) & put mine in too. Maus..yep I saw the site http://www.bbc.co.uk/manchester/​arts/2004/03/08/words_and_music_​review.shtml and the comment. Am wondering when there'll be a write up in the Independent or Guardian who were recommending the gig before last the weekend.

Sorry Kafkas I meant. http://www.manchesteronline.co.u​k/entertainment/music/livereview​s/comments/view.html?story_id=83​418

Maus..were you right behind me then? We were row G centre right sandwiched between the hecklers (he who kept yelling 'get a move on' & the one who called out 'you arrogant git'. Also right next to three people who stayed til the very end.

I wonder if there's any chance of some kind of John McGeoch tribute gig/ album or documentary happening? He's obviously touched a LOT of people either directly or indirectly and I would think HD, the Banshees, Lydon, possibly Jobson as well as admirers such as Radiohead, Johnny Marr, John Fruscante, U2, Mansun etc wouldn't be adverse to doing something. I guess from a wider general public perspective, because he was 'only' a guitarist it might be difficult to get off the ground. I've been quite amazed and heartened to read tyeh various obituries and tributes to him. Very disappointed in the NME (on line version)- half a dozen lines, if that.

@Maus: I was the one who protested the Beast Box line. :) Happily, mind. And I did like the alternative take on it, but I respect your views. | ALSO, reminder for people: Contact me for some, erm, digitalized, uh, 'memories' of the show. :) Not that I made any illegal recordings, noo... ._. (That being said, I didn't do much, just some snippets, but maybe someone here's interested)

If there was to be a documentary it may not be for ages. Correct me if I'm wrong but I'm sure that when Joe Strummmer died (RIP Joe) there wasn't a documentary on TV for a while after the event..(altho' there was loads of stuff in the press). I haven't yet found an obit' for J.McGeogh in the Guardian. NEIKE..I liked the rendition of 'dirty beating heart'. For me it sounded better than on the album (sorry).I think that HD has a really good voice for spoken word. Have you seen the Top 10 of Punk TV prog' where he talks about seeing the Sex Pistols wearing 'a pair of gentle flared cords'. Sorry I am rambling on again.

Phil-the NME are probably not interested. You have to be part of the Thrills, Kills, Stills, Libertines, Hives,Datsuns, etc to get a decent obit'. Last weeks pic of Ryan Adam's gammy arm made me puke. LOL.

'I think that HD has a really good voice for spoken word.' < absolutely (IMO)! My favorite Magazine track is 'The Book'. =D (p.s. sorry for lack of eloquence - knuckle hurts x_x;)

I'm in total agreement with you Neike, Howard's voice is EXCELLENT on that track, and I think that his distinct singing voice is also beautiful. Why is it nowdays most singers can't sing, but rather just act, and entrap us into the illusion that they actually look 'good', when they clones who just have no features in their voices or their minds that set them appart from a certain crowd? Just a thought... I'll try and get over to your sites beside the Bridgewater one..Ok?? been very 'uptagen' a very excellent swedish word.

I think a John McGeoch tribute album/gig is a great idea. Yeah Howard does have a marvellous voice! The way it refuses to cooperate with the tunes in any conventional way, but forces its way over and through them must be almost unique. It's not so much that he can't sing in tune, it's more that the tune bores him - and it's an acquired taste, I suspect. He never did seem so into the music as the words...I guess that's why we still end up categorising this as 'kinda punk'. Well I do, anyway, when pushed.

j mcg. don't forget his sax. xx

also magazine were never a punk band. sorry, has to be said. (by hd too) look at the musicians involved.

and also howard can't sing. but he has a fantastic voice.

LISTEN TO THIN AIR. 2nd hand daylight. weep. think 1.mcg guitar 2.mcg sax 3.mcg composition 4.b adamson helped write it 5. morrisey nicked it (last night i dreamt).6 getting my guitar back from the bloke i swopped it for a jag xjs 5.3.

What can I say...great musician.fabulous guitarist...I hope he's still playing great riffs wherever he is,don't rest in peace...Rock the house,love ya.....

i had a piss up with john at sterling uni after a shit gig with the b's (only did 20 mins). 1980 ish? 45p a pint then. sou sulked all day (and nite).

if anyone wants to know. john used compressor, flanger, and sustain. also used great skill and flair, and restraint (not available on dvd)

and another thing. John T, Frank, is an obvious rip off of song f u the f.

ps. dont forget john doyles birthday, may 6th. happy b'day jd. remember the empire? custard pies are so childish.

Obituary from yesterdays Guardian (12.3.04). http://www.guardian.co.uk/obitua​ries/story/0,3604,1167615,00.htm​l

Openmind..You're making me laugh talking about beer prices. I remember 15p a half pint. What's the significance of custard pies? Please enlighten. Re 'The Book'...I hate to say this but have never heard it. Have read the words in HD's book. Only got the four albums (Real Life, 2nd Hand, Correct Use & Magic Murder).

custard pie was in john doyles face at his kit as mag finished an encore at liverpool empire may 6th 1979, 2nd hand tour, supported by simple minds and wah heat (later the mighty wah i think).

So HD is well used to hecklers. Was it someone from the crowd who came along with a pie? How bizzare. Am laughing out loud as I type. I missed that tour as it was at B'ham Odeon & being young I didn't want to go to a seated venue (unlike now where seated is good for me at 42). Saw Magazine at Barbarellas 1978 & also Digbeth Civic Hall 1980 with Bauhaus. Do you think Simple Minds were influenced by Magazine? I 'accidentally' saw them live in a club Summer '79 & Jim Kerr seemed to be influenced by HD's stage presence/movements (ie standing with his back to the crowd). Sorry more waffle..must get back to my work which isn't getting done. But first...how come you were drunk with a member of the band??

Sorry I'm baffled by this. Who would take a custard pie to a gig? I must have lead a sheltered life in the MIdlands.

open mind: i agree, howard can't sing, but the songs mostly still work, and i was just trying to work out how that can be so. And I end up classifying Magazine as sort-of punk because of their era, their contemporaries, the Buzzcocks/Banshees etc connections, but I'm not happy about it. Mostly, I think they're about as punk as the Smiths.

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sorry, custard pies. i think it was dave formula who produced it from behind his stack of keyboards, but as doyle abandoned his kit trying to escape the crew blocked him and he got the full frontal. very punk!! yeh, bauhaus supported at liv uni too. why drunk with john mcgeogh? was one of few members of the fan club (anyone else) got a bit of info, the odd badge, and a sad letter of mag splitting (wish i'd kept them all) actually my mum chucked them when i as in oz 1990. so anyway went to sterling and was pissed off at s and banch o nly doing 20mins, but was rewarded by the rest of nite in bar with them. the ticket to their table was the early fan club info which made john piss himself - compressor, flanger etc. and the odd fact like favorite colour. all in my book. (joke) or maybe....

sorry, just remembered another stupid anectdote. at the correct use tour at liverpool, dave f and hd were hanging around before bauhaus were to come on. eventually i decided to go and expose them, and my mate with me came out with 'got any badges'

This is more entertaining than my work. Ah..now I understand about the pie! How very interesting. So, what did DF & HD say when you asked about badges? Just remebered a great Mag' badge someone sent me...blue & white with the band name on it. Not got it now. Met HD once at book signing..probably said this already here. I was the only one there apart from a man interviewing him (I think he posted here years ago). Timidly asked for it to be signed & then quickly scarpered. I was never in any fan clubs didn't know there was one.

Aah Banshees gigs. I'll bore you more. Saw them 1978 with Human Leaugue (who were great at the time)then 1979 with the Cure (Robert Smith stood in on guitar) & 1980 with Altered Images.

dave formula said 'try at the stage' and we walked off.......i smacked my mate 'stupid twat' i think i said. later i thought of better things to ask. but i was home by then.

Two comments: A.) Howard CAN sing, and just stop right there, as he is not tone deaf, and can carry a tune and sounds good doing so. B.) The 'offical' clasification for Magazine and quite a few other bands of that time is called 'Post-Punk', kind of like the idea of 'Post-Post Modern' LOL. Just thought you'd all like to know that 'official thing' I think even Joy Division and Killing Joke fall into that area 'offically' as well as PIL, and even early U2..but I had nothing to do with that.

a.all subjective b.who classifies music? c.naff off

Sad to hear about John McGeoch. Magazine - my favourite band since 1979. He has left some great moments on vinyl.

Gotta agree with kafkasa on Devoto's singing. As for who defines music - that thing called 'society'. Why does it do that? For that thing called communication. ;) Sure, genres don't have proper borders, and f' the people that only listen to genre XYZ and nothing else because of the genre labels, but I'm quite happy there are genre names. *shrug*