The fragrance is a tribute to Madchester: a cultural and musical movement that defined an entire era.
Johan Bergelin: "Post-industrial Manchester in the 1980s: dilapidated warehouses and railway bridges – and the urge to experiment. Suddenly, everything came together: the beats, the dance, the substances.
The focal point around which everything revolved was probably Factory Records with its groundbreaking club, The Haçienda. The legendary record label brought together talent from the worlds of music, art and film, creating one of the most significant and last youth movements of the 20th century.
You may even own one of those faded black T-shirts with the famous cover of Unknown Pleasures, Joy Division's first album, or the best-selling 12‘ single of all time, Blue Monday by New Order. Iconic bands such as Happy Mondays and Stone Roses also rose to fame, and Manchester became “Madchester”, the centre of the universe.’
Yes Please! Fragrance Journey – creative freedom
In the local pub, Factory Records boss Tony Wilson and the band members smoke, drink lager and play pool. Music plays in the background and old postcards and pictures are stuck to the bar.
- Hey, how's it going? Everything okay?
- Hi, I'm here. Everything okay, Tone?
Tony clinks two beer bottles together to get everyone's attention.
- The big guys are the status quo and we're not, we're the anarchists. It'll be like a cooperative, we'll all share the profits. We'll pay for the costs and everything and the rest is 50/50. 50 Factory, 50 per cent of the profits go to the artist. Alan will take care of the business side of things.
Someone shows a small reddish-brown piece of hashish for everyone to smell, and a hand-rolled joint is passed around.
‘That's Red Leb. Did you smell it? Smell it. Smell it.’
"I'll give you total creative freedom. Right? It's fucking simple. If you don't like us, then fuck off. I don't like you: I'm fucking off. I'll write you a contract in which I write with my blood that there is no contract. I'll do it if you want.
- Not with his own blood!
- I'll do it!
- You write it... with your own blood.
- No, don't give him that dirty knife.
- With the words of the great prophet: ‘I dare to do something.’
With a large folding knife with a wooden handle and gold decorations, Tony takes blood from his left thumb and begins to write the contract.
- Oh, that's not legal. Oh, come on.
- Oh, he's done it! He's done it!
- There you go. Real blood.
- I... Tony...
- How can you read that? I'm not sure that would hold up in court!
- What more do you want? He wrote the contract with his own blood!
The fragrance journey of Yes Please! Eau de Parfum is based on a scene from the film 24 Hour Party People (2002), written by Frank Cottrell Boyce and directed by Michael Winterbottom.
