Just ten short years ago, Manchester hosted the most exciting British music movement since the Two-Tone explosion of the'80s. The home of legendary acts such as New Order and The Smiths, the early'90s saw Manchester give birth to great groups like The Happy Mondays, James and The Stone Roses.Blending the attitudes of The Fall and The Buzzcocks with cutting edge sampling techniques and the occasional chemical, these bands created the superb'Madchester' sound. Of course, no sooner had the apple cart been upset than the scene began to suffocate under the weight of impostors. You need look no further than Primal Scream and Oasis to see that not all that was great about baggy died along with regional institutions like Factory Records and The Hacienda.The Pocket Essential Madchester profiles all the major bands of the time, together with the groups that influenced them and the swines that ripped them off. The book also pays tribute to important local figures like impresario Tony Wilson and DJ Mark Radcliffe and doffs its cap to Michael Winterbottom's ambitious attempt to transfer the story to the big screen, 24 Hour Party People.

By Richard Luck