Martin Bramah has a helluva history. He swapped places, singer to guitarist in the Fall when Mark E failed to master rudimentary chords. He played on their debut album, the never bettered'Live At The Witch Trials' helping to define their sound. He formed the cult bands cult band , Blue Orchids with Una Baines. They backed Nico on a couple of tours in the 80's and sporadically released low-key masterpieces throughout the decades. He even rejoined the Fall and played on Extricate. And now he's formed a new band and chosen to start afresh as Factory Star.

The name is perfect its Manchester, its Warhol, it's the contrast, the options; working in a factory or become'a Star' or both. Factory Star sound pretty much the same as Blue Orchids to be frank, but they seem to have more of a loose, who-gives-a-fuck attitude and approach. It's a scrappy, tuneful, wayward post-punk sound yet indebted to the Velvets, the Doors, Seeds and so on; as backward-looking as it is forward-thinking. Lyrically though Bramah is at some kind of precarious peak; baring his soul, telling tales, creating mini-portraits in song of life in Manchester. He moved away and came back it seems.

Factory Star play their first Bristol gig at The Thunderbolt on Thursday July 19th.

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