Cuttings

We left Bradford and spent some time in Liverpool before making our way to Birchwood for the Spectrum Arena. Continuing on an earlier theme, it appears this has also now disappeared . This time we did arrive in time to see Life , whose set included " Tell Me ", " Better " and " Optimism ". New Order were far superior to the previous night, even though they kicked off with State of the Nation again. Then it was The Village , featuring some really nice guitar work. Broken Promise included some bizarre lyrics, and was followed by As It Is When It Was . Lyrics were a little erratic on Your Silent Face , and Confusion had an awful lot of whoops. Age of Consent also had some good guitar additions, and the start of Temptation in particular was great. Sunrise preceded Blue Monday that also included some lovely extra guitar and added cowbell at the close. Finally, Shellshock (its live debut) was introduced as being an instrumental version, but then in...

LIFE: Tell Me ( Factory ) Like FAC 107 above, FAC 106 is further proof that there is no such thing as a typical Factory record anymore. Light and airy with strong and distinctive female vocals, this strangely addictive single belies the indifferent live form that Life showed when they recently supported New Order. But now it is official: the gloom boom is over.

TELL ME, SAYS JAMES SHELLEY TO THIS 'DELICATE, TENACIOUS' MANCHESTER GROUP, TELL ME YOUR LIFE TIMES Something we should all know. Life. These days in life's dull daze, the finest freedom is to live life knowing it is not necessary to be liked. And hidden behind the delicate charge, fleeting touches and tenacious, vague lure that Manchester's Life are perfecting, lies a quiet strangeness, a new discovery of ways with beauty and a singular surety. Much like James, Ludus, Berntholer, Sudden Sway, Life do not care to be liked. But they will be loved. A secret of Life. Facts of Life: Graham Ellis - guitar, music, adept, 24, straightforward, gentle, Gemini, Chess and Robert Fripp. Rita Griffiths - voice, singing, perfect, 24, prim giggles, stuffy niggles, Gemini, studying and "I'm not telling you".  Andy Robinson - machines, words, wilfully inept, 24, sincere, smug, Gemini, pinball and Can. Fresh from the Albert Hall Miners Benefit (their London de...