Rob Gretton
Encyclopedia
Rob Gretton was the manager of Joy Division
and New Order
. He was also a partner in Factory Records
, proprietor of the Rob's Records
label and a co-founder along with Tony Wilson
of The Haçienda
nightclub in Manchester
, England. In 1977, Gretton became a leading figure in the Manchester punk scene with his involvement with Slaughter and the Dogs. He was DJ in Rafters club
and manager of The Panik.
Gretton's involvement with the Manchester scene
began when he contributed £200 to co-finance Slaughter and the Dogs' first single, the punk
classic "Cranked Up Really High". Between 1996 and 1999, he managed his last Manchester fledglings Gabrielles Wish, signing them to his own label, Rob's Records. He was a loyal supporter of Manchester City F.C.
. He died in May 1999 at the age of 46 as the result of a heart attack.
Gretton was portrayed by Paddy Considine
in the 2002 film 24 Hour Party People
, which documented the rise and fall of Factory Records, and by Toby Kebbell
(who coincidentally plays Considine's brother in Dead Man's Shoes) in the 2007 film Control, a biopic of Joy Division singer Ian Curtis
.
Joy Division
Joy Division were an English rock band formed in 1976 in Salford, Greater Manchester. Originally named Warsaw, the band primarily consisted of Ian Curtis , Bernard Sumner , Peter Hook and Stephen Morris .Joy Division rapidly evolved from their initial punk rock influences...
and New Order
New Order
New Order are an English rock band formed in 1980 by Bernard Sumner , Peter Hook and Stephen Morris...
. He was also a partner in Factory Records
Factory Records
Factory Records was a Manchester based British independent record label, started in 1978 by Tony Wilson and Alan Erasmus, which featured several prominent musical acts on its roster such as Joy Division, New Order, A Certain Ratio, The Durutti Column, Happy Mondays, Northside and James and...
, proprietor of the Rob's Records
Rob's Records
Rob's Records is a Manchester record label belonging to Rob Gretton, former manager of Joy Division and New Order. Their first release was the single "Security" by the Miami-based band The Beat Club, with a remix by Bernard Sumner of New Order. Part owner of the nightclubs The Haçienda and Dry Bar,...
label and a co-founder along with Tony Wilson
Tony Wilson
Anthony Howard Wilson, commonly known as Tony Wilson , was an English record label owner, radio presenter, TV show host, nightclub manager, impresario and journalist for Granada Television and the BBC....
of The Haçienda
The Haçienda
Fac 51 Haçienda was a nightclub and music venue in Manchester, England. It became most famous during the "Madchester" years of the late 1980s and early 1990s, during the 1990s it was labelled the most famous club in the world by Newsweek magazine...
nightclub in Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
, England. In 1977, Gretton became a leading figure in the Manchester punk scene with his involvement with Slaughter and the Dogs. He was DJ in Rafters club
Rafters (nightclub)
Rafters was a nightclub located in the St James Building in the centre of Manchester, UK. A number of bands played concerts at Rafters in the 1970s and 1980sRob Gretton who went on to become the manager of Joy Division worked at Rafters...
and manager of The Panik.
Gretton's involvement with the Manchester scene
Music of Manchester
-The pop groups of the 1960s and early 1970s:Manchester had an impressive music scene before 1976, with groups like The Hollies, The Bee Gees, Herman's Hermits, Wayne Fontana and The Mindbenders, Freddie and the Dreamers in the 1960s and Barclay James Harvest and 10cc in the early 1970s. Top of the...
began when he contributed £200 to co-finance Slaughter and the Dogs' first single, the punk
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
classic "Cranked Up Really High". Between 1996 and 1999, he managed his last Manchester fledglings Gabrielles Wish, signing them to his own label, Rob's Records. He was a loyal supporter of Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
. He died in May 1999 at the age of 46 as the result of a heart attack.
Gretton was portrayed by Paddy Considine
Paddy Considine
Patrick George "Paddy" Considine is an English actor, filmmaker, screenwriter, musician and frequent collaborator with Shane Meadows. Best known to audiences for his portrayals of dark, troubled, morally or mentally ambiguous characters...
in the 2002 film 24 Hour Party People
24 Hour Party People
24 Hour Party People is a 2002 British film about Manchester's popular music community from 1976 to 1992, and specifically about Factory Records. It was written by Frank Cottrell Boyce and directed by Michael Winterbottom...
, which documented the rise and fall of Factory Records, and by Toby Kebbell
Toby Kebbell
Tobias Alistair P. "Toby" Kebbell is a British actor.-Life and career:Kebbell, the fourth of five children, was born in South Elmsall, on the A638 between Doncaster and Wakefield, Yorkshire, but grew up in Nottinghamshire...
(who coincidentally plays Considine's brother in Dead Man's Shoes) in the 2007 film Control, a biopic of Joy Division singer Ian Curtis
Ian Curtis
Ian Kevin Curtis was an English singer and lyricist, famous for leading the post-punk band Joy Division. Joy Division released their debut album, Unknown Pleasures, in 1979 and recorded their follow-up, Closer, in 1980...
.