Based in
Manchester, Nolan is known for investigating and proving/disproving myths in popular music. He tracked down the audience for the famous 1976 gig by the
Sex Pistols at Manchester's Lesser
Free Trade Hall,[2] and discovered the reasons for the secrecy surrounding the family history of
New Order frontman
Bernard Sumner.[3] He also incurred the wrath of
Morrissey by turning him into a cartoon character for the
Granada Television documentary These Things Take Time in 2002, after the former
The Smiths singer refused to appear in the programme.[4]
In 2008, he produced the Salford Music Map for
Salford City Council, showing many of the city's music landmarks and artists, including
Bernard Sumner,
Ewan MacColl and
Tim Burgess of
the Charlatans.[1][5]
His biography of
Tony Wilson was published in 2009. In it he revealed details of the late music entrepreneur's early years, his careers in music and television, his personal relationships as well his battle with the NHS for the cancer drug
Sutent.[6] The book was written with the co-operation of Wilson's partner.
After writing books on
Ed Sheeran and
Emeli Sandé, his biography of
Nottingham singer
Jake Bugg was published in 2014. It was reviewed by Bugg's father for the
Nottingham Post, who said it contained, "Information I didn't know... Reading it was quite emotional for me at times."[7]
Nolan's first non-entertainment book to date was Tell The Truth And Shame The Devil in 2015, his account of the trial and imprisonment of Alan Morris - a teacher at his former school
St Ambrose College - for historic abuse crimes. The book was the basis for the
BBC Radio Four documentary 'The Abuse Trial' broadcast in 2016.[8] The programme won Gold at the
New York International Festival,[9] and also won a Rose d'Or.[10]
In 2018 his first novel Black Moss was published, a crime fiction story set during the
Strangeways prison riot in
Manchester in 1990.[11] It was followed in 2020 by The Mermaid's Pool and in 2022 by The Ballad of Hanging Lees - all three books are classed as ‘Manc Noir’ and named after bodies of water in and around Manchester.[12]
Books
I Swear I Was There: The Gig That Changed the World (Milo Books 2001/Independent Music Press 2006)[2]