The Ranch, Dale Street, 1977. (c) Kevin Cummins / Getty Images [1].
The Ranch on Dale Street is often mentioned as the true home of Manchester punk (Buzzcock Pete Shelley is being carried out of The Ranch in the above snap!) [1]. It was beneath Foo Foo's Palace and was connected to the Foo Foo's by a door behind the bar [2]. As well as playing the staples of Bowie and Roxy Music, The Ranch also was host to bands like Buzzcocks, The Fall and The Distractions.
The Ranch, Dale Street, Distractions flyer, 1977. (c) FranDaman at MDMArchive [1].
Manchester photographer and one-time young punk, Aidan O'Rourke remembers "non-stop cutting edge punk records played at a deafening volume until 2am every night. The toilets were absolutely disgusting. There were 'punkettes' in their fish net stockings, big hair, heavy make-up a la Siouxsie Sioux and ripped shirts [3]." Fellow Manc photographer, Kevin Cummins, also took many photos in The Ranch, some of which can be seen here at the Getty Images site [1].
The Ranch, Dale Street, Distractions flyer, 1977. (c) FranDaman at MDMArchive [1].
Manchester photographer and one-time young punk, Aidan O'Rourke remembers "non-stop cutting edge punk records played at a deafening volume until 2am every night. The toilets were absolutely disgusting. There were 'punkettes' in their fish net stockings, big hair, heavy make-up a la Siouxsie Sioux and ripped shirts [3]." Fellow Manc photographer, Kevin Cummins, also took many photos in The Ranch, some of which can be seen here at the Getty Images site [1].
Formerly The Ranch, Dale Street. (c) googlemaps.
1. www.gettyimages.co.uk.2. www.mdmarchive.co.uk/archive/showartefact.php?vid=240.
3. http://www.aidan.co.uk/forums/archive/index.php?t-328.html.
