Deeply Vale

We've featured The Distractions at the Deeply Vale Festival in 1979 before in Mick Middles' Manchester Punk Diaries.  It's also featured in City Fun, courtesy of The Hidden History of Manchester's Post-Punk Fanzines at the Manchester District Music Archive.

(c) deeplyvale.com.

DEEPLY VALE

The site was on top of a moor.  A road ran along one side of it.  At one end was the stage, behind it come quarry workings and behind them the 'Village'.  The 'Village' is a collection of caravans, tents and stalls selling all kinds.  You can buy weird and wonderful items to wear, eat, drink, and smoke... lying on the grass in front of the stage... falling asleep in the sun... wandering about looking at things... drinking Bacardi and coke... talking to odd people... smoking odd joints... Standing in front of the stage watching The Distractions on the top of a moor, on a pointed roofed stage, a full moon rising up at one side ("It was great, seeing a really polished club band playing in the middle of a field")... 

Watching The Fall in the same circumstances doing the best gig of theirs I've seen for over a year.  The words, "And the North will rise again, no in 10,000 years..." taking on an almost tribal significance... After The Distractions were The Fall, after The Fall were Glass and after Glass were Vibrant Thigh... 

(c) City Fun.