The best song from Manchester, according to Steve Coogan
British comedian and actor Steve Coogan gained prominence in the 1990s, embodying the perpetually awkward and hapless broadcaster Alan Partridge. In stark contrast to his character’s unsuccessful and progressively isolated nature, Coogan experienced a significant surge to stardom, becoming a regular presence on UK screens and making inroads into the American entertainment scene by the turn of the century.
Despite earning widespread acclaim for his achievements as a comedian and actor on the global stage, the media started to focus on his inner partying side. Rumours about Coogan embracing a rock star lifestyle date back to the mid-1990s. As Liam Gallagher once recalled: “I partied with him once, there was a wedding going on, me and him are sat at the bar, having a couple of drinks. Loads of people come in and they’re going, Liam, are you going to sing ‘Wonderwall’?”
Coogan’s connection to the music industry has endured over the years, stemming from a brief association with Courtney Love in the early 2000s and immersing himself in the rock ‘n’ roll lifestyle alongside some of the industry’s prominent figures. Deepening his affection for music, he shared a selection of his favourite tunes on an episode of BBC’s Desert Island Discs, encompassing tracks from The Smiths and Talking Heads to Joni Mitchell and Siouxsie and the Banshees.
Discussing The Smiths’ iconic hit ‘Panic’, Coogan recalled a moment when he met Morrissey back in the 1980s, and he bought him a drink, which he’ll “remember forever”. He added: “What I love about it is their inspiration. They didn’t have to look outside of their own hometown to find their inspiration so they sing about things in their immediate surroundings. They found beauty in poetry and the ordinary, and that was inspirational to me.”
While he holds a special fondness for the iconic Manchester rock group, Coogan considers the best song to emerge from the city to be a different one by another band. During an interview on Radio X, he explained: “For me, there’s so many excellent Manchester choices, but probably Hallelujah from Happy Mondays. There’s a scene in 24 Hour Party People, it’s an aerial shot of Manchester and it has that song as the underscore. It always gave me goosebumps when I saw that, I used to think, ‘wow, this is really special.'”
A significant artefact of cultural history, 24 Hour Party People provided a vivid and strangely melancholic glimpse into a more carefree era that now seems somewhat obscured by time. Released in 2002, the film is a semi-biographical account of the Manchester music scene from the late 1970s to the early 1990s, with a particular focus on Factory Records and the influential bands associated with the label.
The film has since become a nostalgic representation of the musical landscape during that time, as it delves into the creation of iconic bands like Joy Division, New Order, and Happy Mondays, showcasing their impact on the music industry. It also explores the cultural and social changes that accompanied this musical movement, highlighting the Hacienda nightclub, another brainchild of Tony Wilson.
