There has never been an artist quite like Chris Sievey or his 'fantastic' comedic alter ego, Frank Sidebottom. Whether pushing for chart action while fronting his former band The Freshies or allowing the bombastic Sidebottom to wreak anarchy and chaos on television, radio or with the Oh Blimey Big Band, Sievey's mischievous muse seemed to obey no boundaries. Yet it was only after Chris's untimely demise in 2010 that the extent of his influence became fully apparent. The emergence of Jon Ronson's film, Frank, Steve Sullivan's exhaustive documentary Being Frank: The Chris Sievey Story and the bizarre erection of the Frank Sidebottom statue in his native Timperley last October -- before 2,000 devotees -- all combined to make this the most extraordinary stories of recent decades. In this unorthodox biography, legendary journalist Mick Middles draws on his thirty year friendship with Sievey to gain further insight this most charismatic of artists. Family members, fellow musicians, fans and acquaintances help trace Chris's career from Timperley to Hollywood.

Formed around the future husband and wife team of Win Butler and Regine Chassagne in 1993, this powerful seven-piece band seemed to define onstage dynamism before they discovered an audience. Once beyond the obligatory low-budget debut EP, they fused their complex instrumentation - piano, viola, French horn, accordion, harp and hurdy gurdy etc - to produce Funeral, one of the greatest debut albums in decades. This 1994 release, bolstered by hearty support from the likes of David Bowie, David Byrne and U2, catapulted Arcade Fire to worldwide success. Triumphant sets at the Coachella, Reading and Latitude festivals only served to continue the momentum. This book looks beyond the triumphs that gather in their story, to discover a band who are determine to retain the pure yet complex personal dynamic that always set them apart.

When Elbow won the Mercury Prize in 2008 for their fourth studio album - "The Seldom Seen Kid" - the accolade followed a 17 year long career marked by four classic albums and a cult following that cast them in the role of Manchester's best kept music secret. Elbow started out at a time when great songs and evocative lyrics were not generally recognised. Their music transcended genre, age and image, eventually finding it's own distinctive global audience as Guy Garvey evolved into one of the most brilliant and intriguing lyricists of recent times. This book charts Elbow's long journey from humble roots through modest success to international recognition. It features interviews with the band and those close to them to form the most complete band history to date.

This is the first ever 'authorised' biography of this most inscrutable of bands - now updated. This new edition incorporates a new epilogue in which Mick Middles considers recent upheavels in the Fall camp, the "Heads Roll" album, Mark E. Smith's appearance at its launch and his ongoing tirades at anything and everything. Together music writer Mick Middles and Fall leader Mark E Smith have written an exhausting biography of the Fall. Spanning their years on the fringe of the Manchester punk scene, three dozen albums, numerous tours, two successful stage playes and numerous 'spoken word' events, this book is strangely compelling as the band itself.

Factory Records' fame and fortune were based on two bands - Joy Division and New Order - and one personality - that of its director, Tony Wilson. At the height of the label's success in the late 1980s, it ran its own club, the legendary Hacienda, had a string of international hit records, and was admired and emulated around the world. But by the 1990s the story had changed. The back catalogue was sold off, top bands New Order and Happy Mondays were in disarray, and the Hacienda was shut down by the police. Critically acclaimed on its original publication in 1996, this book tells the complete story of Factory Records' spectacular history, from the label's birth in 1970s Manchester, through its '80s heyday and '90s demise. Now updated to include new material on the re-emergence of Joy Division, the death of Tony Wilson and the legacy of Factory Records, it draws on exclusive interviews with the major players to give a fascinating insight into the unique personalities and chaotic reality behind one of the UK's most influential and successful independent record labels.