The city's music makers and shakers explain Manchester's magic: Part 5

Interviews by John Robb and Lois Wilson.
Photos by Retna, Kevin Cummins/Idols

GRAHAM MASSEY
808 Statesman

How are you and what are you up to?

Pretending to make uplifting, transcendent epics to avoid going out and doing the shopping.

A defining Manchester moment?

Sitting outside George Best's futuristic house in the Ford Anglia eating salmon-paste butties, then sitting outside Jodrell Bank radio telescope eating salmon-paste butties feeling part of the space race. And minding Kevin Godley's sports car while he went in the library.

Favourite record from Manchester?

Neanderthal Man by Hotlegs [an early incarnation of 10cc].

Is it true that Johnny Marr saved your life?

Well, sort of. He once rugby-tackled a guy who was playing football with ny head on the dancefloor of the Wiggley Worm back in 1992. It appeared the next day in the Daily Star as "808 Hero Saves Girl From Sex Pest". Not sure how they got that.

Do you still live in Manchester?

Yes, because I need the neutering magnetic Pennine Basin with Winterhill transmitter to the north and the largest manoeuvring radio telescope to the south triangulating with my new skyscraper aerial, and then my work will be complete. Not long now.

Is there fierce rivalry between Manchester bands?

No, we are unrivalled and fairly civilised. We just had internal fights over hi-hat patterns and levels of sub-bass.

United or City?

I'm a lapsed Red.