Mike Pickering interview
Undoubtedly one of the most important figures in the history of British dance music, Mike Pickering talks about resurrecting Deconstruction, the glory days at the Hacienda, 80s New York, life as a pop star and Forest away in the mid 70s. Asking the big questions was Will Nicol, typing it all up as Polly Metson, nice one guys.
What was the first music you got into?
The first music that got me really excited was I suppose aged 15, 16 was Motown and Stax soul, Invictus, all those American R&B labels.
Were you aware of these records being part of a scene?
Yeah, cos a really really close friend and neigbour Jean Sacks married Phil Sacks, who later on managed the Mondays and succeeded me at Factory. He was a DJ at the Twisted Wheel, so I couldn't go, but I was very aware of the Northern Soul scene. He introduced me to the snobbery of Northern Soul, right? Covering your records up with tape so no-one could see what they were and the secrecy of it all.
When did you start going out?
For me it was the Highland Room at Blackpool Mecca
When would that have been? Were you wearing terrible clothes?!
It'd be about early 70's, we were skinhead/suedeheads, so we wore Crombies and Ben Shermans and the two tone pants and royals, and red socks. I still wear it now, yeah!
And then Punk happened...
Just before Punk, David Bowie and then through Bowie, Lou Reed and Iggy and The Stooges, I kind of discovered all that through Bowie. And that really was the first white music I got into, I was almost racist about music, you know. And that was the first white music that I ever listened to, but then in 1977 or late 76, when punk happened, that completely changed me.
Did you go to the legendary Lesser Free Trade Hall gig?
No I went to see the Pistols at the Electric Circus though, straight away after, but to be honest I liked the Pistols, but they weren't the epicenter of my punk scene, Spiral Scratch by Buzzcocks was what did it for me, just like 2 and half, 3 minute songs with great melodies which was I suppose was akin to northern soul. It was that really that I loved.
