Career
He is a former lecturer at Salford University. 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, and discovered the reasons for the secrecy surrounding the family history of New Order frontman Bernard Sumner.
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 ex singer with The Smiths refused to appear in the programme.
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. 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 National Health Service for the cancer drug Sutent. The book was written with the co-operation of Wilson"s partner.
After writing books on Editor Sheeran and Emeli Sandé, his biography of Nottingham singer Jake Bugg was published in 2014.
lieutenant 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."
The book was serialised in the Daily Mail and was the basis for the British Broadcasting Corporation Radio Four documentary "The Abuse Trial" broadcast in 2016. Books
I Swear I Was There: The Gig That Changed the World (Milo Books 2001/Independent Music Press 2006)
Bernard Sumner: Confusion – Joy Division, Electronic and New Order Versus The World (Interface Message Processor 2007)
Damon Albarn – Blur, Gorillaz and other Fables (Interface Message Processor 2007)
You"re Entitled To An Opinion – The High Times and Many Lives of Tony Wilson, Factory Records and the Haçienda (John Blake Publishing 2009)
Simon Cowell – The Manitoba Who Changed the World (John Blake Publishing 2010)
Emma Watson – The Biography (John Blake Publishing 2011)
Editor Sheeran – A+ (John Blake Publishing 2012)
Emeli Sandé - The Biography (John Blake Publishing 2013)
Jake Bugg - The Biography (John Blake Publishing 2014)
Tell The Truth and Shame the Devil (John Blake Publishing 2015)
Television music documentaries
Wall of Fame (1998) (The Beatles/Oasis/Joy Division)
I Swear I Was There (2001) (Sex Pistols)
These Things Take Time: The Story of the Smiths (2002)
Meet the Bunnymen (Echo & the Bunnymen – 2001)
Truly, Madly, Deeply Vale (free rock festival movement of the 1970s – 2004).
