SF0222 The Return of the Durutti Column

Tucked away behind the ancient staircases of my college at university were some 1960s nuclear fallout bunkers that the tourists didn’t get to see. To one of these concrete monstrosities I was allocated on arrival; indeed, my room was “Staircase XVIII – 7”, the very last room on the very last staircase (not that it was a staircase).

Listening to The Durutti Column now is intertwined with memories of my summer term in that bunker. Waking up, the first record onto which I would drop the needle of my Sanyo stereo system (also featuring a tape deck, room for 3 cassettes and a radio) was, more often than not, ‘LC’ by The Durutti Column. I didn’t know a great deal about them then. I’d bought the album because it was on Factory, I liked the cover and, in the label’s grand tradition, it exuded an enigmatic aura. Back then you couldn’t try before you buy, unless you heard it on Peel, your friend had a copy, or it was in the record lending library. None of that applied in the case of DC. However the punt turned out to be a wise investment.

Not everyone, even listeners to the show, will be familiar with the band. Here’s a quick primer of the main cast in the story.

Vini Reilly. Is essentially The Durutti Column. Born Vincent Gerard “Vini” Reilly, 4 August 1953. Known for his distinctively clean, frequently arpeggiated, fluid guitar style, having more in common with jazz, folk and classical than classic post-punk. Has also worked with Morrissey, who he liked.

According to Vini, “…I had a lot of classical training when I was young, guitar and formal training, the scales I write with and the techniques I use are classical techniques and scales – a lot of minor melodic and minor harmonic scales, which generally aren’t used in pop music. Usually it’s pentatonic”.

Father was an engineer who did not allow his five children to watch television, and died when Vini was 16. He later lamented he didn’t get to know him well. Once offered a trial for Manchester City. First band was Ed Banger and the Nosebleeds. First signing to Factory. Appears at the end of the Factory film ’24 Hour Party People’ sitting on a cloud. In September 2010, had a “minor” stroke which made him lose “some feeling in his left hand”, hence the long gap between then and this current release, ‘Renascent’.

Bruce Mitchell and Keir Stewart. More often than not the other two members of the band, as drummer and bass player respectively. Mitchell also co-managed the band.

Tony Wilson. Legendary Factory Records impresario, who always believed in Vini. So much so that on his death Vini wrote an entire album entitled ‘Paean to Wilson’. Hated his singing though, in which he was wrong. It’s plaintive and often fits the mood of the music perfectly.

Joy Division. Factory co-workers. Stuck the sandpaper on to the covers of the first DC album as part of Wilson’s Situationist joke. Vini hated the idea. When I saw DC at Clapham Grand, Peter Hook played bass. Vini wrote a beautiful eulogy to Ian Curtis, called ‘The Missing Boy’.

Martin Hannett. Factory’s legendary producer who got Vini out of bed to record the first album. Vini revealed Hannett got the sound he wanted early on and it sounded nothing like other contemporary music. A happy collision.

Brian Eno Cited the DC album ‘LC’ as his all-time favourite.

John Frusciante of Red Hot Chili Peppers’ once stated Vini was “the best guitarist in the world” (but don’t let that put you off).

Anyway, please enjoy the music.