Books > Manchester: Looking for the Light through the Pouring Rain by Kevin Cummins > Competition

Manchester: Looking for the Light through the Pouring Rain by Kevin Cummins; front cover detail
Manchester: Looking for the Light through the Pouring Rain by Kevin Cummins; front cover detail

Pages: 400
Format: Hardcover
Published: 17 September 2009
Publisher: Faber and Faber
ISBN-10: 0571233759, ISBN-13: 978-0571233755
30.00 GBP (RRP)

Synopsis (from Amazon.co.uk)

Manchester, its bands, its fashions, its attitude, has defined pop culture for the best part of four decades. Joy Division, The Fall, Buzzcocks, New Order, The Smiths, Happy Mondays, Stone Roses, Oasis.

These were the bands that shaped two generations of teenagers and changed the course of pop music. "Manchester: Looking for the Light through the Pouring Rain" is a portrait of these individuals, the city, and their times. Whether it be on a rain-soaked stage in Brazil, a rented room in Whalley Range, or on the dance floor of the legendary Hacienda, Kevin Cummins' exquisite photographs capture the anarchic energy of the Manchester pop moment.

This stunning visual record of the city and its pop history is complemented by four textual contributions from Paul Morley, Stuart Maconie, Gavin Martin and John Harris. What is it about that city that makes it the Memphis of the UK?

Cummins' photographic record of the past 30 years captures the highs, the lows and the transcendent pop moments of Manchester's most famous sons.

Contains over 250 photographs.

Reviews

To follow

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More details at Faber and Faber.

The will be an accompanying exhibition which opens on 4 September 2009 at the Richard Goodall Gallery in Manchester. The book will be available from 3 Sept at the gallery. It is hoped there will be an event at the gallery during the run of the show.

Other associated events include a signing at the Buy Art Fair at Urbis in conjunction with The Paul Stolper Gallery on 25 September 2009. There will also be signing events at selected Waterstones book stores in the UK.

Polite cards are producing a boxed set of cards to accompany the book and the show. These will be available on their website and from the Richard Goodall Gallery, Paul Stolper Gallery, Saatchi Gallery and hopefully Urbis and various gallery stores nationwide.

The Richard Goodall Gallery in Manchester are kindly lending Salts Mill the exhibition to go with the publication of the book so that the white and red roses can be united and Yorkshire folk can gaze in awe at Manc musicians in the beautiful roof space at Salts Mill. We will have iPods with specially created play lists for people to listen to as they walk round the exhibition and the austerity of the photos will sit beautifully against the cavernous, poetically delicate space. Admission is free and the gallery is open daily from 11am to 4.30pm from Wednesday 30 September to Friday 16 October.

On Sunday 11 October 2009 there will be special event where Kevin Cummins will be in conversation with Kevin Sampson (Stars are Stars / Awaydays / Powder) about photography, music and the North. This is a ticketed event (£5/£3) and begins with a film about Kevin's work with a specially commissioned soundtrack by Graham Massey (Biting Tongues / 808 State) and ends with a book signing. Tickets are available by calling 01274 587377.

In The City 2009

DJ Dave Haslam and Live Images by Kevin Cummins
ITC Official Fringe Event

Sunday 18 October 2009
10.15-11pm Kings Arms, Bloom Street, Salford, M3 6AN
FREE entry

Presented By FMS Promotions

Part of Shouting from the Sidelines
3 nights of Independent Music
18-20 October 2009
Free Entry

This aftershow event - which follows an evening of local Manchester bands (5.30-10pm) combines iconic music from DJ Dave Haslam with an AV live mix of the iconic images of Kevin Cummins. Two great legends of the Manchester music scene join together for one of the must see after show parties of this years ITC music festival.

More info on Facebook.

Crossing The Border

Finally, Kevin will be appearing at Crossing the Border in both Den Haag and Antwerp on the weekend of 21 November 2009.

 
Kevin Cummins, Richard Boon, Paul Morley and Pete Shelley draw the winner of the Cerysmatic Factory Kevin Cummins competition for Manchester: Looking For The Light Through The Pouring Rain by Kevin Cummins
Kevin Cummins, Richard Boon, Paul Morley and Pete Shelley draw the winner of the Cerysmatic Factory Kevin Cummins competition for Manchester: Looking For The Light Through The Pouring Rain by Kevin Cummins
Manchester: Looking For The Light Through The Pouring Rain by Kevin Cummins; poster 1 - New Order
Manchester: Looking For The Light Through The Pouring Rain by Kevin Cummins; poster 1 - New Order
Manchester: Looking For The Light Through The Pouring Rain by Kevin Cummins; poster 2 - New Order
Manchester: Looking For The Light Through The Pouring Rain by Kevin Cummins; poster 2 - New Order
Manchester: Looking For The Light Through The Pouring Rain by Kevin Cummins; poster 3 - New Order
Manchester: Looking For The Light Through The Pouring Rain by Kevin Cummins; poster 3 - New Order
Manchester: Looking For The Light Through The Pouring Rain by Kevin Cummins; poster 4 - Oasis
Manchester: Looking For The Light Through The Pouring Rain by Kevin Cummins; poster 4 - Oasis

Competition

Cerysmatic Factory in association with Faber book publishers is offered you a chance to win a copy of Manchester: Looking for the Light Through the Pouring Rain together with a set of limited edition posters featuring Morrissey, Ian Curtis, New Order and Oasis (see images right). The competition closed on 30 September 2009.

The posters are 500 x 700mm, printed with black and silver ink, and designed by Wallzo who also designed the book.

We are obliged to Kevin Cummins who kindly set the competition questions:

1. One of the following was the manager of The Drones for a short while. Who?

a. Richard Boon
b. Paul Morley
c. Kevin Cummins

2. Why is the predominant colour in Manchester: Looking for the Light Through the Pouring Rain, light blue?

3. Kevin Cummins shot almost 200 NME covers. Who did he photograph for his first one?

Competition result

The answers are:

1. b. Paul Morley
2. The author is of course a fan of Manchester City FC
3. Buzzcocks (Nov 77)

Kevin Cummins (aided and abetted by Richard Boon, Paul Morley and Pete Shelley) picked the winner literally out of the Cerysmatic hat on Thursday 1 October at the London book launch. And the winner is... Richard Shepherd. Congratulations Richard!