<p>Back in 1988 a programme for schools by the UK’s Granada TV focused an episode on the making of Bummed by Happy Mondays. It reappeared on Caught By The River the nature and music blog run by Heavenly Records whose head honcho Jeff Barrett was publicist for Happy Mondays at the time. “A big thing to point out here is that what you are gonna watch is PRE ‘Madchester’. This is very important,” explained Barrett in the blurb to accompany the video. “A year later, as we now know, things went mental. The city was re-branded. A culture was sold and innocence got lost.” But this fascinating and often funny (Tony Wilson ‘apologising’ to a promoter for the Mondays’ non appearance on a radio show) film followed the Mondays, as they became the Sex Pistols for the Acid House generation. “Those in the know were already aware that the Mondays had ‘it’,” explained Barrett. Looking back I was one of those in the know, following the group around small pubs and clubs of London, getting lifts home in their infamous tour van and hearing stories not for publication here. “What struck me while watching it is how innocent things were at that time and it brought back to me just how fucking great a band the Mondays were,” says Barrett of the incredible live footage from Dingwalls, London. When I watched the footage for the first time there I was at the side of the stage nodding my head and chain-smoking vigorously. </p> <ul> <li>Andy Thomas</li> </ul>