Chris Hewitt

Chris Hewitt is a sound engineer, manager and entrepreneur best known for his contributions to the North West,Manchester and Rochdale music industry, and in particular his close association with the cult John Peel favoured rock band Tractor.

Early life
Hewitt mostly lived in Rochdale between the ages of 12 and 36; he attended Hulme Grammar School in Oldham. In 1971 he went to Rochdale College to study 'A' levels and became the Social Secretary of the Students Union. He first got involved in music festivals during this period, helping out at and selling tickets for the 1972 Bickershaw Festival, which was organised by Jeremy Beadle who congratulated Hewitt on his 2007 retrospective DVD documentary about the Bickershaw event writing "It's the job of historians like yourself to put things in context and explain their worth from a contemporary and present viewpoint. You have succeeded brilliantly". Hewitt also helped Rochdale Council stage manage its 1972 Music Festival, an event he would convince the council to repeat in the 1980s. Whilst at college Hewitt also founded Rochdale Community Benefit Concerts and then North West Community Music promoting bands such as Mr Fox, Medium Theatre, Easy Street, Bridget St John, Quintessence, Brinsley Schwarz, Skin Alley and the Pink Fairies. He also co-promoted concerts with Liverpool and Manchester rock promoter Roger Eagle.

Tractor
During 1972 Chris took a job with Tractor, who were just about to release their second album on John Peel's Dandelion Records label, as their production manager, a role he still fulfils.
The following year, with other members of Tractor, he built the first of four recording studios he has been involved with in Heywood, partly funded by Peel. During 1975 Hewitt had a year away from Tractor working for a PA company in London. He mixed sound for East of Eden, Sheer Elegance, Carol Grimes Band and Ian Dury (and Kilburn and the High Roads). In 1976 Hewitt and Tractor helped to found the Deeply Vale Festivals, the audience growing from 300 in 1976 to 3000 in 1977 and 20,000 in 1978 and 1979.During 1977 Hewitt was asked to provide PA equipment for a couple of North West dates for Motorhead. Hewitt also built the stage and festival site for the Leigh Rock Festival 1979 which was a legendary outdoor festival for Joy Division and many other bands. In 1984 Hewitt bought the former Cargo Recording Studios, Rochdale with New Order bass player Peter Hook and renamed the studios Suite Sixteen.

Hewitt still releases music on CD by North West and International musicians and is heavily involved in the Ozit Morpheus Records label, maintaining strong links with John Peel until his death. Peel often played tracks by Tractor and from the label on his BBC Radio 1 show.

Recent History
Hewitt has had a two page feature in Cheshire Life and another Cheshire magazine Limited Edition and appeared on BBC 1 and Channel M television in 2007 extolling the vitues of preserving the North West's musical heritage. A CD album "It Started in Rochdale: The history of the 70's and onwards arts and music scene in Rochdale, Heywood and Whitworth" featuring tracks by various bands including a rare Rochdale Joy Division recording was released in March 2008.

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