PROMOTER, FACTORY HAND, BOHEMIAN

Promoter, catalyst and confidant Alan Wise found literary renown in 1993 as quixotic impresario Dr Demetrius in his friend James Young’s brilliant memoir of touring with Nico in the ’80s, Songs They Never Play On The Radio. But as the author noted, Demetrius was a less outrageous aspect of Wise, who, while never as feted as his peers Tony Wilson, Rob Gretton or Alan Erasmus, played a crucial role in Manchester’s ferment of punk and after. The son of a chemist, Wise had studied theology and admitted he had “no head for business, only romance”: his works included staging gigs at the Russell Club, later The Factory, managing Nico and promoting the 1991 Manchester Cities In The Park festival. Latterly, with his company Wise Moves, he organised tours for Jerry Lee Lewis, Chuck Berry and Donovan, as well as working with hometown friends including John Cooper Clarke, The Fall and Happy Mondays; he also introduced New Order’s live shows with comedic panache. Recently he’d begun work on a book called 50 Years On Valium with James Young, and suffered tragedy when his daughter Natasha took her own life in March, after which he spoke out against cuts to mental health funding. Regarding his world-view, his partner Beverley Gallier said, “He wanted everything to be an event, and nowhere was he happier than chatting to the artists in the dressing room.” Ian Harrison and livewire, playing jigs and reels at a million miles an hour at the heart of Fairport Convention. Yet such characterisations obscure that he was first a stupendous musician, playing not only with vitality but with grace, style and sensitivity. His Swarbrick and Swarbrick 2 albums in 1976 and 1977 remain landmarks of beauteous fiddle playing. Previously he’d played in folk groups with pianist Beryl Marriott and the Ian Campbell Folk Club, before forming a duo with Martin Carthy, spontaneously creating innovative arrangements of traditional classics like Byker Hill, Sovay and Bonny Black Hare. Adept at different styles, he had numerous collaborators from A.L. Lloyd to Jason Wilson, but will always be best loved for practically inventing electric folk rock fiddle with Fairport, joining them for 1969’s Unhalfbricking and staying for 12 years, becoming their artistic force following the departures of Sandy Denny, Ashley Hutchings and Richard Thompson. He even assumed the role of lead singer, conceiving and writing perhaps their most ambitious LP, 1971’s folk rock opera “Babbacombe” Lee. Colin Irwin