Tony Wilson had already presented What’s On on Granada TV, and it was clear that something was beginning to bubble right under our noses. Unknown to me, Ian placed an advertisement in the music press in the hope of getting a band together. He signed himself ‘Rusty’ and had only one reply. This came from a guitarist called Iain Gray. He was a gentle figure, who enjoyed cracking jokes and for most of the time managed to cover up the fact that he was still grieving for his mother who had recently died. Ian began to see him on a regular basis, initially to exchange ideas about song writing. The two of them began searching Manchester night-spots and pubs for others to join the band, and met Peter Hook, Bernard Sumner and Terry Mason in the process. As if being summoned to a religious gathering, we all assembled at the Lesser Free Trade Hall, Manchester, on 20 July 1976 to see the Sex Pistols. Ian had missed them the first time, much to his dismay. This was their second gig at this venue.
