Rochdale's Cargo Studios: Post-Punk History Comes Alive

0:00On April 19th, Rochdale's gearing up for a massive outdoor concert this summer, celebrating the legendary cargo studios where post-punk history was, made, the event headlines, electronic pop trailblazers, orchestral maneuvers in the dark, with support from Peter Hook of Joy Division fame and a certain ratio. It's set for August 7th in a new pedestrian square right by the old studio site, just 300 yards from town hall. These studios opened in 1978 in a converted warehouse and became a hub for up-and-coming bands in the 70s and 80s. OMD cut their debut single, Electricity There in 1979, Joy Division laid down atmosphere and acts like the Fall Happy Mondays and Stone Rose is all passed through. The affordable rates helped launch dozens of indie careers. Organizers from the Rochdale development agency are pinching themselves that big name said yes to play where it all started. Karen Bourman, the music development manager, calls cargo seminal to the UK's post-punk scene

1:03and she's thrilled to spotlight the town's music. Legacy through this Rochdale music stories campaign. Fast forward, the derelict building got a blue plaque in 2009 honoring Joy Division's Ian Curtis, then reopened in 2013 as Volta Lab Sound Studios. Now it's drawing rock bands, grime rappers, folk acts, and even string quartets from around the world, with top-notch gear and engineers keeping the vibe alive locally. This gags breathing fresh life into Rochdale's sound, proving you don't need London to make world-class music. It's happening right there on Kenyon Street.