The Free Trade Hall in Manchester, England, was for many years a focal point for public debate and cultural activity in the city. Built near the site of the notorious 1819 Peterloo Massacre, on what is today St. Peters Street (formerly St. Peters Fields), it has historically been seen as a symbol of free trade and the wealth that it helped to generate for Manchester during the Industrial Revolution. It was also used as a concert hall. The Hallé Orchestra first performed there in 1858, and continued to do so until their move in 1996 to the Bridgewater Hall. Manchester is a city in the North West of England. ... 1819 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... Print of the Peterloo Massacre published by Richard Carlile The Peterloo Massacre of August 16, 1819 was the result of a cavalry charge into the crowd at a public meeting at St. ... Free trade is an economic concept referring to the selling of products between countries without tariffs or other trade barriers. ... The Industrial Revolution was the major technological, socioeconomic and cultural change in the late 18th and early 19th century resulting from the replacement of an economy based on manual labor to one dominated by industry and machine manufacture. ... The Hallé Orchestra is one of Britains longest established orchestras, and is based in Manchester. ... 1858 is a common year starting on Friday. ... 1996 (MCMXCVI) is a leap year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty. ... The Bridgewater Hall is an international concert venue in Manchester, England. ...

There have, in fact, been three buildings known as the Free Trade Hall on the same site. The first two were built to host meetings of the Anti-Corn Law League, during the Corn Law debates of the 1830s and 1840s — a wooden structure, then a more solid stone construction. The third building, the facia of which still stands today, was built in 1856 as a permanent monument to commemorate the repeal of the Corn Laws ten years previously. The Corn Laws, in force between 1815 and 1846, were import tariffs ostensibly designed to protect British farmers and landowners, against competition from cheap foreign grain imports. ... // Events and Trends Electromagnetic induction discovered by Michael Faraday Dutch-speaking farmers known as Voortrekkers emigrate northwards from the Cape Colony Croquet invented in Ireland Railroad construction begins in earnest in the United States Egba refugees fleeing the Yoruba civil wars found the city of Abeokuta in south-west Nigeria... // Events and Trends Technology First use of anaesthesia in an operation, by Crawford Long War, peace and politics First signing of the Treaty of Waitangi (Te Tiriti o Waitangi) on February 6, 1840 at Waitangi New Zealand. ... 1856 was a leap year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ...

After heavy bombing in World War II the building was reconstructed, eventually re-opening as a concert hall in 1951. As well as housing the Hallé Orchestra for many years, it was in the late twentieth century also widely-used by pop and rock acts. World War II was a truly global conflict with many facets: immense human suffering, fierce indoctrinations, and the use of new, extremely devastating weapons such as the atom bomb. ... 1951 (MCMLI) was a common year starting on Monday; see its calendar. ... (19th century - 20th century - 21st century - more centuries) Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s The 20th century lasted from 1901 to 2000 in the Gregorian calendar (often from (1900 to 1999 in common usage). ... Pop music, in popular and contemporary parlance, is a subgenre of popular music. ... Rock and roll (also spelled Rock n Roll, especially in its first decade), also called rock, is a form of popular music, usually featuring vocals (often with vocal harmony), electric guitars and a strong back beat; other instruments, such as the saxophone, are common in some styles. ...

In 1997 the building was sold by Manchester city council to private developers — despite resistance from local groups such as the Manchester Civic Society, who viewed the idea as inappropriate given the historical resonance of the building. After the initial planning application being refused by the Secretary of State, a second and drastically modified planning application was submitted and approved. The reconstructed building retained the original facia but has been otherwise completely rebuilt as the Radisson Edwardian Hotel. 1997 (MCMXCVII) is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Famous Events

Bob Dylan played the Free Trade Hall on May 17, 1966, shortly after he went electric and at the height of the controversy over his perceived betrayal of his folk roots. It was there that he was famously branded a Judas by John Cordwell, a disaffected audience-member. A bootleg recording of this concert - mistakenly labelled as The Royal Albert Hall concert - was much sought after by fans of Bob Dylan and was officially released in 1998. Portrait photograph by Daniel Kramer Bob Dylan (born Robert Allen Zimmerman 24 May 1941) is an American singer-songwriter, musician, and poet. ... 1966 was a common year starting on Saturday (link goes to calendar) // Events January January 1 - In a coup, Colonel Jean-Bédel Bokassa ousts president David Dacko and takes over the Central African Republic. ... Folk music, in the original sense of the term, is music by and of the people. ... John Cordwell (born 1944) is responsible for arguably the most famous heckle in rocknroll history. ...

On June 4, 1976, the Lesser Free Trade Hall, which is a smaller room upstairs from the main hall, was the venue for a concert by the Sex Pistols which has become legendary as a catalyst to the punk rock movement and New Wave. Around 40 people attended the gig although many more have since claimed to have been there. Some of the people who are believed to have attended include: June 4 is the 155th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (156th in leap years), with 210 days remaining. ... 1976 (MCMLXXVI) is a leap year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar). ... The Sex Pistols in 1977. ... Punk rock is an anti-establishment music movement beginning around 1976 (although precursors can be found several years earlier), exemplified and popularised by The Ramones, the Sex Pistols, The Clash and The Damned. ... New Wave is a term that has been used to describe many developments in music, but is most commonly associated with a movement in American, Australian, British, Canadian and European popular music, in the late 1970s and early 1980s, growing out of the New York City punk rock scene, itself...

• Tony Wilson (one of the founders of Factory Records, home to Joy Division, New Order and Happy Mondays, among others. Also was - with New Order and Factory - a founder of the seminal Manchester nightclub, The Haçienda.)
• Howard Devoto (The Buzzcocks, Magazine and Luxuria)
• Pete Shelley (The Buzzcocks)
• Morrissey (The Smiths)
• Ian Curtis (Joy Division)
• Bernard Sumner (Joy Division, New Order and Electronic)
• Peter Hook (Joy Division, New Order, Revenge and Monaco)
• Mick Hucknall (Simply Red)
• Martin Hannett (legendary record produce for Factory)

Following the success of this gig, the Sex Pistols were invited to return. This second concert on July 20th, 1976, saw the live debut of The Buzzcocks and was attended by many more people. Anthony (Tony) Wilson (born February 20, 1950) is a British record label and nightclub manager and journalist for Granada Television, who made him anchor of the rock programme So It Goes. ... FAC 115: Factory Records Stationery (1984) Factory Records was a Manchester, England based independent record label, started in 1978 which featured several prominent musical acts, such as Joy Division, New Order, The Durutti Column, Happy Mondays, and (briefly) James and Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark. ... Joy Division (band) was the rock band, originally named Warsaw, whose members later reformed as New Order after the death of the lead singer Joy Division (World War II) was a reference to groups of Jewish women in the concentration camps during WWII who were kept for the Nazi guards... New Order are an English rock group formed in 1980 by the surviving members of Joy Division following the suicide of singer Ian Curtis. ... Happy Mondays are a band formed in Manchester, England in 1985. ... A nightclub (often shortened to club in both the UK and US) is an entertainment venue which does its primary business after dark. ... Fac 51 Haçienda (also known as simply The Haçienda) was one of the most well known nightclubs in Manchester during the Madchester years of the late 1980s and early 1990s. ... Howard Devoto (Born Howard Trafford, 1955, Manchester) was the singer in the UK post-punk band Magazine, which he formed, with guitarist John McGeoch, after leaving the Buzzcocks. ... Buzzcocks were a punk rock band, formed in Manchester, England in 1976. ... A collection of magazines A magazine is a periodical publication containing a variety of articles. ... Howard Devotos most significant musical contribution since the break-up of Magazine in 1981, Luxuria saw him pairing his sharp wit and tuneless vocals with Liverpudlian multi-instrumentalist Noko. ... Pete Shelley was born as Peter McNeish on April 17, 1955 in Leigh. ... Buzzcocks were a punk rock band, formed in Manchester, England in 1976. ... Steven Patrick Morrissey, (born May 22, 1959 in Manchester, England), better known simply as Morrissey, the former lead singer of the highly influential English pop band The Smiths. ... The Smiths were a British rock group, active from 1982 to 1987. ... Ian Curtis performing Ian Kevin Curtis (July 15, 1956 – May 18, 1980) was a singer-songwriter born in Manchester, England. ... Joy Division (band) was the rock band, originally named Warsaw, whose members later reformed as New Order after the death of the lead singer Joy Division (World War II) was a reference to groups of Jewish women in the concentration camps during WWII who were kept for the Nazi guards... Bernard in 2005 Bernard Sumner (born January 4, 1956 in Manchester, England) was the guitarist and keyboardist for Joy Division. ... Joy Division (band) was the rock band, originally named Warsaw, whose members later reformed as New Order after the death of the lead singer Joy Division (World War II) was a reference to groups of Jewish women in the concentration camps during WWII who were kept for the Nazi guards... New Order are an English rock group formed in 1980 by the surviving members of Joy Division following the suicide of singer Ian Curtis. ... Electronic was a band consisting of New Order frontman Bernard Sumner on vocals, guitars and keyboards, and ex-The Smiths guitar player Johnny Marr on guitars, bass and keyboards. ... Peter Hook (born February 13, 1956 in Salford, Greater Manchester, England) was the bass player for the influential British post-punk/goth band Joy Division and later New Order. ... Joy Division (band) was the rock band, originally named Warsaw, whose members later reformed as New Order after the death of the lead singer Joy Division (World War II) was a reference to groups of Jewish women in the concentration camps during WWII who were kept for the Nazi guards... New Order are an English rock group formed in 1980 by the surviving members of Joy Division following the suicide of singer Ian Curtis. ... Revenge was a side project of New Order bassist Peter Hook (bass, vocals). ... See also Hucknall Categories: People stubs | 1960 births ... Brussels December 22nd 2003 Simply Red is a British band currently composed of Mick Hucknall (lead singer) and various backing musicians. ... Martin Hannett (May 31, 1948 - April 18, 1991, sometimes credited as Martin Zero) was an innovative record producer who helped discover Joy Division and co-founded Factory Records with Tony Wilson. ... This article needs copyediting (checking for proper English spelling, grammar, usage, etc. ... 1976 (MCMLXXVI) is a leap year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar). ... Buzzcocks were a punk rock band, formed in Manchester, England in 1976. ...

There is a film record of part of the gig that makes it possible to confirm some of the audience. This footage is used alongside a re-creation of the gig in the film 24 Hour Party People. 24 Hour Party People is a 2002 film about Manchesters popular music community from 1977 to 1997, and specifically about Factory Records. ...

External links

• Free Trade, Chartism and the Anti-Corn Law League in Manchester
• Manchester People Free the Free Trade Hall
• Radisson Edwardian Hotel Manchester
• /books page see Like The Night - Bob Dylan and the Road to the Free Trade Hall