I’ve played for 60 years. That’s long enough

July 25, 2023 3:07 AM

Vini Reilly on PTSD, life on the streets and the little girl who saved him. "Reilly is incredibly softly spoken. Despite my efforts to catch every word, sometimes the gentle gusts of wind whisk them away. At times he speaks so quietly, it’s as if he has swallowed his words before he can let them out. The twittering birds are louder than our conversation but it creates a moment of blissful synchronicity, recalling one of Reilly’s most beloved, enduring and songbird-punctuated pieces of music: Sketch for Summer. In his first interview in a decade, the Durutti Column’s hermit-like leader, once described as ‘the best guitarist in the world’, relives his extraordinary life from Manchester gangs to Factory Records."

Previously: The Missing Boy

An extraordinarily raw interview with Vini Reilly, guitarist with the Durutti Column. Recorded at the Manchester Town Hall on Sunday, March 3rd 2013, he discusses his violent upbringing, his lifelong struggle with depression, his friendship with Ian Curtis, and his determination to continue playing music despite suffering a series of debilitating strokes. The recording culminates with his first public performance in two years.

Previously: Love in a time of recession

Vini Reilly, of English post-punks The Durutti Column had been through a rough couple of years. His friend and mentor (and Factory Records boss) Tony Wilson died, and then the already fragile guitarist suffered a series of strokes. Unable to play, and frustrated in his attempts to secure government assistance, he found himself having to sell his studio gear in order to make rent and pay off debts. Then his nephew decided to rally the fans.

Live on April 25 1985 at Gotanda Kan'i Hoken Hall, Shinagawa, Tokyo.

posted by Thella (9 comments total)

As problematic as Morrissey has insisted on making himself, I am loathe to even slightly credit him with anything these days...

But Vini's work on Viva Hate was incredible.
posted by kuanes at 3:15 AM on July 25, 2023 [2 favorites]

In addition to some of the better-known albums, Short Stories for Pauline is fantastic.
posted by snofoam at 4:09 AM on July 25, 2023

One of my fave tracks: Bordeaux (Live Version)
posted by ovvl at 8:58 AM on July 25, 2023 [1 favorite]

Not sure how to describe the Durutti Column discography, only could say it's about twenty albums wide and infinitely deep. I'm a devoted fan, but after diving into the personal lives of their labelmates New Order and wishing I had (cough) never known, I've been content to let Durutti Column's music speak for itself all these years, and to just not know more about the man than I happened to find out.

So it was pretty shocking to find out from this interview what kind of childhood Reilly had... his music has always had a calmness that now has a beseeching aspect rising up from those infinite depths. And he wouldn't want it, of course, but my admiration and respect have deepened like a shadow in the late afternoon. He's earned some peace, and if he wants to put his guitar down once and for all, what fan could begrudge him? Not me.

You really need to hear song in sequence with "Street Fight" played before it, but is there anything more heartbreakingly beautiful than Royal Infirmary from 1986's Circuses and Bread? Nothing. Well, perhaps a snippet of the same song performed live on the BBC's Review Show in 2010.
posted by lefty lucky cat at 9:11 AM on July 25, 2023 [5 favorites]

Not sure how to describe the Durutti Column discography,

for me, it starts with Without Mercy (the entirety of side one). It's instrumental, peaceful, heartfelt, beautiful. Echoes of Erik Satie but it goes to its own unique and mysterious and timeless places ...

Highly recommended.
posted by philip-random at 9:19 AM on July 25, 2023

Don't hear any references to anarchy in the music but Durutti Column was named after an anarchist brigade active in the Spanish Civil War.
posted by Narrative_Historian at 1:42 PM on July 25, 2023 [3 favorites]

Otis pulls my heartstrings every time. Masterfully deployed as the opening song of this incredible mix by Jamie XX.
posted by erebora at 1:53 PM on July 25, 2023 [1 favorite]

(Missed the edit) Apologies, not the opening song, appears around 11:00 (timestamp link).
posted by erebora at 2:00 PM on July 25, 2023

I feel very lucky to have seen Vini live in 2010 in London. The opening was just him standing in front of a microphone with his guitar and playing and singing Gun. Then he was joined by Bruce Mitchell and Poppy Morgan. It was a memorable concert that we still talk about to this day.

Mefi user MiguelCardoso, btw, was a collaborator on the Durutti Column's album Amigos Em Portugal. Mainly this stems from the fact that Miguel was studying in Manchester during the whole Factory era and brought back music to Portugal where Durutti column still has a huge following.
posted by vacapinta at 2:11 AM on July 26, 2023 [1 favorite]