Title
Gainwest Ltd Management Records
Reference
YA1999.16/2/1
Production date
01-01-1985 - 31-12-1985
Creator
- Gainwest LtdBiographyBiography
Incorporated as a private company on the 24th January 1985 in order to carry on as a operator and proprietor of clubs. It was also New Orders service company, all the band members were also Directors Peter Hook, Stephen Morris, Bernard Sumner, Gillian Gilbert along with Rob Gretton.
Gainwest entered into two joint ventures and were responsible for 50 per cent of the funding, with the other 50 per cent coming from TGP 225 Ltd, for the financing of the Hacienda and the same financial arrangements for the funding of the Dry Bar, were Fact 201 Ltd also contributed 50 per cent. Gainwest provided the funds as unsecured and interest free loans with no fixed repayment terms.
Rob Gretton with Gainwest later took over the running of the Hacienda until it closed.
- Gretton, Robert LeoBiographyBiography
Manager of Joy Division and later New Order, he was also involved with Tony Wilson and others in the running of Factory Records. Rob Gretton became involved in the Manchester music scene and especially the Punk music scene. Previously a DJ at Rafters, a local night club he eventually got a newly configured and named band Joy Division to appear there in 1978 in a battle of the bands competition.
Shortly after this he took over the management of Joy Division and having met Tony Wilson who was managing the Durutti Column at the time. Tony Wilson also organised a
club night, at the Russell Club in Hulme, called the Factory. Joy Division played there in 1978 and a little later featured on an EP released by Factory in 1979.
Rob Gretton suggested to Tony Wilson that Factory should produce the first album for Joy Division, rather than one of the larger London based labels. This fitted in with Tony Wilsons vision of breaking up the monopoly which the larger record labels had and give the artists a greater say during the production of their music. Eventually Joy Division left Factory Records, their success had financed various projects at Factory.
As well as managing Joy Division he also one of the Directors of the newly formed Factory (Communications) Ltd and was a driving force behind the Hacienda nightclub when it was opened by them in 1982. He had visited New York where he had seen the impact of the newly emerging dance and rave scene which were held in warehouse size dance clubs. It was these clubs which influenced how he wanted to see the Hacienda develop.
By 1992 Joy Division had left the Factory label and had joined the London label, shortly after this Factory (Communications) Ltd went into receivership. The Hacienda continued until 1997 under the management of Rob Gretton until it too closed in 1997.
Scope and Content
Records relating to the management of Gain West Ltd.
Extent
1 Item
Physical description
The condition of the material is good.
Language
English
Level of description
SUB-SERIES
Repository name
Science and Industry Museum
Subject
Conditions governing access
Open access.
Conditions governing Reproduction
Copies may be supplied in accordance with current copyright legislation and Science Museum Group terms and conditions.
System of arrangement
artificialAs far as possible the arrangement relects the style of management within Factory Communications. The Company did not keep many records [in the traditional sense] and some series of records are seriously depleted, if not missing altogether. This is due
in part to the personal ownership of records by individuals within the Company.