The Tony Wilson Experience website has some wonderful images but no forum: neither does it facilitate ’social networking’ by making content re-usable for bloggers (the fanzine producers of today, and writers of tomorrow?). Rather, the cut and paste aesthetic of punk, house music and the appropriation which so inspired Factory (the name itself appropriated from Warhol) seems to be absent.

Cameras and mobile phones were banned from the event “The entire conversation is being recorded in HD. It will not be permitted to take any cameras, mobile phones or other recording/communication” – Participant Handbook e-mailed to participants.

To the ‘talent’ I spoke to over the course of the event, the following objective taken from the website did not seem to ring true:

“The Talent will gain unprecedented access to the ‘Experienced’ over the 24 hours as well as having an opportunity to meet other talented creatives based in Manchester in a unique setting. ”

It became apparent that the ‘Experienced’ hung out in the Green Room, guarded by a security guard, while the ‘talent’ either made up a studio audience watching the ‘expereinced’ or sat about talking between themselves.

Given that situationism was given such an airing as a core value of the event, the reduction of the event to a spectacle resembling a TV show sometimes seemed to be either ill considered or at others a subtle ironic gesture designed to anger ‘talent’ to overthrow the ‘experienced’ – now part of the establishment. Either way of looking at it has merit in my opinion.

Perhaps it is a case of what seemed to be television professionals organising an event the way that they know best. The event was it was highly efficiently scheduled and at times interesting entertainment as well as inspiring and thought provoking. Paul Morley and Irvine Welsh were so spot on when they were talking about anything edgy being co-opted by the advertising industry. The pictures of the event seem to have been a particularly good viral marketing campaign for Adidas thanks to the Adidas lanyard.

It would have been nice to offer up the pictures for ‘talent’ to use to write their own experiences up, and to talk about the event. I would have loved to read what some of Simon Armatige’s fans, eager on Sunday morning to meet the hero, whose poem they studied for GCSE.

It would have been nice to put the video on YouTube like the famous TED talks: young talent has taken to remixing footage and applying the cut an paste aesthetic. These are skills and passions which should be encouraged, and I think that the organisers have missed an opportunity to allow talent to flourish from this event.

At the end of the event I stood in URBIS looking at the space between the door and the Green Room. What would happen there I wondered.

A flag was rolled out on the floor. It was the cross of St George. In the left corner was Stone Roses / Pollock pattern. Tony Wilson’s son signed it, so did Bonehead and John Robb. Tim Burgess did as well. I thought about signing it, but didn’t. Unfortunately Paul Morley was not around to observe the situation for critical analysis. I would have loved to hear what he thought.

Sean