01Profile
A Mark Lippman Photo
Mark Lippman
Label Boss — Manchester
03Interview
Name, where are you From?
Mark Lippman, Manchester.
Describe your style in three words?
Mod, Smart & Indie.
What’s the best gig you’ve ever been to?
Larkins at The Albert Hall in Manchester because they are a band we took as babies to a fully-fledged career band on our management roster. The concert was a Scruff of the Neck promotion, the production was our crew, we filmed it through our creative division and it was generally such a family affair! The gig was unbelievable as well, thousands of kids screaming the words! Here’s a video of the night.
If you could sign any two new bands in the world?
Marsicans because we’ve worked with them for a few years and grown with them. I love their manager Rob and the guys in the band are so nice and dedicated! Their music just speaks to teenage me rocking out in 42nd Street Night Club in Manchester,it’s that kind of noughties indie vibe.
Glass Caves from our management roster (a bit incestuous I know!) but they’ve grafted harder than any band I know for so many years and their music is incredible! They’ve never had a label back them strangely so it would be kind of poetic after all these years if we could sign them!
Which subcultures have influenced you?
The Mods were so cool, I remember my brother James and I watching Quadrophenia as teenagers and going straight out to buy Fred Perry tops, braces, skinny jeans and parkers from a vintage shop because we thought the style was so smart. The music associated with the Mods is engrained in me as well, The Jam and The Specials are two of my favourites and of course as a Mancunian Oasis took the style and coined their own subculture in the '90s.
If you could spend an hour with anyone from history?
It may be an obvious answer but I’d really love to spend an hour with Tony Wilson. Factory Records was the anchor of musical culture in Manchester for our most prolific period for producing new bands (so far!) and I would be lying if I didn’t admit that my ambitions for Scruff of the Neck are to be mentioned in the same breath as Factory. When I went to the USA this year and people heard I was from Manchester every time they’d say “Oh Factory Records!” and I can’t wait until people say “Oh Factory Records and Scruff of the Neck!”.
Of all the independent venues you’ve visited, which is your favourite?
The Brudenell Social Club in Leeds for sure. It’s an old social club in a slightly out of the centre area of the city that Nath has converted into some of the best looking and sounding rooms on planet earth! He’s also kept the middle bar area as an authentic old social club with beautiful real ale and pies on sale and little old men talking about bets they have on the horses! It’s absolutely class and a right of passage for my bands.
Your greatest unsung hero or heroine in music?
Matt Helders the drummer in Arctic Monkeys 100%. If I’d never heard Arctic Monkeys debut album as a 17-year old I would never have learnt guitar, played in a band, ran a gig… you get the picture. Matt has shown he has astounding technical ability but still makes sure he plays the right beats for the song, some of his earlier drumming is crazy fast and complicated and drives every track but then the later stuff can be so simplistic (but perfect for the track)! What a guy. (Matt would love to go for a pint if you have time when back up in the North of the UK!)
Scruff of the Neck Records won ‘Best Small Label’ at the AIM Awards 2019, in London. They were the only label outside London to be recognised, which illustrates Manchester’s re-emergence as a force in subcultural music.
02Playlist
04Playlist Notes
The first track you played on repeat?
'Live Forever' by Oasis.
A song that defines the teenage you?
'Mardy Bum' by Arctic Monkeys.
One record you would keep forever?
'Kids' by MGMT.
A song lyric that has inspired you?
“Singing’ don’t worry ’bout a thing,
‘Cause every little thing gonna be alright.”
'Three Little Birds' by Bob Marley! Things can get stressful and although it’s a bit cheesy if this song comes on in a supermarket or something it just reminds you that nothing is too bad that it won’t get better.
A song you wished you had written?
'Bohemian Rhapsody' by Queen obviously! What a nuts track ha! Best ever written for me because it’s absolute madness but everyone loves it!
Best song to turn up loud?
'The Next Episode' by Dr Dre ft Snoop Dogg, Kurupt, Nate Dogg. I used to listen to all this stuff when I was 13 - 16 with my big brother Dan and it still gives me a buzz and makes me feel like a bit of a G.
A song people wouldn’t expect you to like?
'Crown' by Stormzy. My girlfriend keeps playing loads of stuff I would never normally listen to in the car and I’m keeping an open mind as it’s always good to go out of your comfort zone! Some of it really is terrible but Stormzy is class.
The song that would get you straight on the dance floor?
'Don’t Look Back Into The Sun' by The Libertines. I used to play this in bands with my cousin Matthew Boone who has been all along the journey with me at Scruff of the Neck so it feels almost symbolic! Matthew taught me guitar in the early days so it all ties in with how I got where I am!
Best song to end an all-nighter?
'Don’t Look Back in Anger' by Oasis. As all the Mancunians get on the dancefloor and hug like a big northern drunken cliche, it never gets old!
Any new bands you are into at the moment?
I’ve got to go with the artists that are showing signs of going massive that we work with at Scruff of the Neck. In no particular order:
Larkins
Cassia
Glass Caves
The Reytons
Alfie Neale
The Hubbards
Kashmere
03Interview
Name, where are you From?
Mark Lippman, Manchester.
Describe your style in three words?
Mod, Smart & Indie.
What’s the best gig you’ve ever been to?
Larkins at The Albert Hall in Manchester because they are a band we took as babies to a fully-fledged career band on our management roster. The concert was a Scruff of the Neck promotion, the production was our crew, we filmed it through our creative division and it was generally such a family affair! The gig was unbelievable as well, thousands of kids screaming the words! Here’s a video of the night.
If you could sign any two new bands in the world?
Marsicans because we’ve worked with them for a few years and grown with them. I love their manager Rob and the guys in the band are so nice and dedicated! Their music just speaks to teenage me rocking out in 42nd Street Night Club in Manchester,it’s that kind of noughties indie vibe.
Glass Caves from our management roster (a bit incestuous I know!) but they’ve grafted harder than any band I know for so many years and their music is incredible! They’ve never had a label back them strangely so it would be kind of poetic after all these years if we could sign them!
Which subcultures have influenced you?
The Mods were so cool, I remember my brother James and I watching Quadrophenia as teenagers and going straight out to buy Fred Perry tops, braces, skinny jeans and parkers from a vintage shop because we thought the style was so smart. The music associated with the Mods is engrained in me as well, The Jam and The Specials are two of my favourites and of course as a Mancunian Oasis took the style and coined their own subculture in the '90s.
If you could spend an hour with anyone from history?
It may be an obvious answer but I’d really love to spend an hour with Tony Wilson. Factory Records was the anchor of musical culture in Manchester for our most prolific period for producing new bands (so far!) and I would be lying if I didn’t admit that my ambitions for Scruff of the Neck are to be mentioned in the same breath as Factory. When I went to the USA this year and people heard I was from Manchester every time they’d say “Oh Factory Records!” and I can’t wait until people say “Oh Factory Records and Scruff of the Neck!”.
Of all the independent venues you’ve visited, which is your favourite?
The Brudenell Social Club in Leeds for sure. It’s an old social club in a slightly out of the centre area of the city that Nath has converted into some of the best looking and sounding rooms on planet earth! He’s also kept the middle bar area as an authentic old social club with beautiful real ale and pies on sale and little old men talking about bets they have on the horses! It’s absolutely class and a right of passage for my bands.
Your greatest unsung hero or heroine in music?
Matt Helders the drummer in Arctic Monkeys 100%. If I’d never heard Arctic Monkeys debut album as a 17-year old I would never have learnt guitar, played in a band, ran a gig… you get the picture. Matt has shown he has astounding technical ability but still makes sure he plays the right beats for the song, some of his earlier drumming is crazy fast and complicated and drives every track but then the later stuff can be so simplistic (but perfect for the track)! What a guy. (Matt would love to go for a pint if you have time when back up in the North of the UK!)
Scruff of the Neck Records won ‘Best Small Label’ at the AIM Awards 2019, in London. They were the only label outside London to be recognised, which illustrates Manchester’s re-emergence as a force in subcultural music.
04Playlist Notes
The first track you played on repeat?
'Live Forever' by Oasis.
A song that defines the teenage you?
'Mardy Bum' by Arctic Monkeys.
One record you would keep forever?
'Kids' by MGMT.
A song lyric that has inspired you?
“Singing’ don’t worry ’bout a thing,
‘Cause every little thing gonna be alright.”
'Three Little Birds' by Bob Marley! Things can get stressful and although it’s a bit cheesy if this song comes on in a supermarket or something it just reminds you that nothing is too bad that it won’t get better.
A song you wished you had written?
'Bohemian Rhapsody' by Queen obviously! What a nuts track ha! Best ever written for me because it’s absolute madness but everyone loves it!
Best song to turn up loud?
'The Next Episode' by Dr Dre ft Snoop Dogg, Kurupt, Nate Dogg. I used to listen to all this stuff when I was 13 - 16 with my big brother Dan and it still gives me a buzz and makes me feel like a bit of a G.
A song people wouldn’t expect you to like?
'Crown' by Stormzy. My girlfriend keeps playing loads of stuff I would never normally listen to in the car and I’m keeping an open mind as it’s always good to go out of your comfort zone! Some of it really is terrible but Stormzy is class.
The song that would get you straight on the dance floor?
'Don’t Look Back Into The Sun' by The Libertines. I used to play this in bands with my cousin Matthew Boone who has been all along the journey with me at Scruff of the Neck so it feels almost symbolic! Matthew taught me guitar in the early days so it all ties in with how I got where I am!
Best song to end an all-nighter?
'Don’t Look Back in Anger' by Oasis. As all the Mancunians get on the dancefloor and hug like a big northern drunken cliche, it never gets old!
Any new bands you are into at the moment?
I’ve got to go with the artists that are showing signs of going massive that we work with at Scruff of the Neck. In no particular order:
Larkins
Cassia
Glass Caves
The Reytons
Alfie Neale
The Hubbards
Kashmere