Gallery 5: From The Archive: Fat City Friends
Mid-90's Manchester and Fat City was in its' ascendancy. Spawning the record shop, a successful compilation series, a Northern Quarter club-night, a record label. Then another. Very first time I heard Veba's vocal on Spellbound by Rae-&-Christian on the 'Central Heating' LP (Grand Central) in '97 I knew I was listening to both a force of nature & the next big thing to surface in Manchester's murky musical historyFebruary '99 I went to see Rae & Christian Rizla Tour @ Manchester Uni, looking to break away from graffiti & move into music reportage here in Manchester. Happy with the outcome (for the 1st time, previous attempts had wielded disappointing results) that summer I talked myself & camera into Counter Culture @ Planet K to see Scratch Perverts. Still early days, nervous & inexperienced. Eardrum promoter Adam Russ invited me to the same venue again later that month to shoot boisterous LA hip-hop outfit Ozomatli. By the end of the night he had introduced me to the management and I became Planet K resident photographer
After Planet K closed I followed Fat City (around the corner in the Northern Quarter), down the Roadhouse steps into the basement club where riotous Saturday monthly Electric Chair had recently vacated (to Music Box, RIP) & where Friends-&-Family would then reign weekly for another 6 years!
ALL IMAGES ON-LINE ARE AVAILABLE TO BUY HERE IN VARIOUS-SIZED PRINTS
 aim / jon k / christian wood / peter jay / mark torkington / kwasi asante / mikey don |  matt triggs / darren laws / martin brew / christian wood / kwasi asante |  qool dj marv / monk one / christian wood |
 evil ed / excalibah / tommy sparks / baby j / broke'n'english / shameless / tb / willow |  mr thing / mikey DON |  skitz / rodney p / mr tibbs / fallacy / mark torkington / kwasi asante |
 tommy evans / mark b / krispy |  harry love / mystro / jon k |  daddy g / nicci cheeks / mystro |
 madlib / j-rocc / monk-one / kwasi asante |  quantic / kwasi // real dolls |  upwards LPty + dj bizzniss (live) / christian wood |
 est'elle / mr thing / the nudge |  the nextmen / dynamite mc |  quantic soul orchestra ft. alice russell |
 dj woody / christian wood |  funky fresh few |  the en4cers |
 terri walker (live) |  dj skully / martin brew / christian wood / kwasi asante |  ross allen / kwasi asante / christian wood |
 edan (live) insight (live) |  a night on the rocks LP launch j-walk (live) / the nudge |  aim / niko / kate rogers / spikey t / mark rae / veba |
 shortee blitz / martin brew / christian wood |  yoda / darren laws / christian wood |  mark rae / veba / christian wood |
 dynamo productions / christian wood |  spinbad / christian wood / kwasi asante / mark torkington |  fila brazilia (live) |
 dual control / mark rae / christian wood |  aim hinterland LP launch /souls of mischief / mark rae / peter parker / kwasi / spikey t |  run come save me LProots manuva (live) |
 the unabombers / martin brew / kwasi / russ |  martin brew / christian wood / chris jam |  the nextmen / christian wood |
 beatphreak (live) |  awkward LPty + dj bizzniss (live) / krispy / riton / chris jam |  aim / mark rae |
 the main event LPfingathing (live) / riton / spikey t |  heavy loungin' LP / matt triggs /the aboriginals (live) / dj as-if / mark rae / roots manuva |  fingathing (live) / plus one / dj woody / janek schaefer |
 rodney p + skitz / mixologists / nextmen / uk rocksteady crew / only child / matt triggs |  james lavelle / qool dj marv / mark rae / chris jam |  the scratch perverts / first rate / q'n'c (live) / mark rae / aim |
 Rae&Christian -Live |