The Catchmen are Ian Livingstone and Michael Knowles. In another lifetime, the Catchmen were supported by Oasis, loved by Terry Christian and were courted by Adele’s manager Jonathan Dickens. Despite having Radio One play, broader success did not follow. They wanted to make big orchestral music, but as 16 year olds from Stockport, struggled to find an orchestra.
Fast forward to now and Livingstone is an Ivor Novello winning film and TV composer (Repair Shop…) and Knowles a multi award winning BAFTA nominated producer (Book of Love etc). Finally, after working together on the Sam Claflin feature Book of Love (no. 2 on Amazon in the USA), The Catchmen reformed to make the epic music of their teenage dreams, working with the Blue Planet orchestra in Prague- telling the tale of a Stockport romance from beginning to end.
Ian’s Bio
Ian Livingstone is a British Ivor Novello award winning composer, musician and music producer.
He has composed over 100 scores for multi-million selling titles and franchises including Battlefield, Forza, Lego, Formula 1, Warhammer, Total War, Batman, Star Trek, Harry Potter, Disney Marvel and DC.
Along with his 20+ years experience scoring triple A video games Livingstone has also scored numerous feature films including the forthcoming “97 Minutes” starring Alec Baldwin, romcom “Puppyhood” starring Lucy Hale and Grant Gustin. He’s also composed for television series such as the BAFTA nominated BBC1’s “The Great British Sewing Bee” & “The Repair Shop”, Channel 4’s “Big Fat Gypsy Weddings” together with contributing songs and orchestrations for movies such as “Harry Potter & The Half Blood Prince” and Michael Keaton’s “The Last Time”.
Ian also worked closely with Nokia in the 90s on the arrangements and compositions for its default ringtones including the infamous “Grand Valse” Nokia tune, and the start up tune.
Ian also played with A Certain Ratio in 90/ 91 on the A Certain Ratio MCR album.
Michael’s Bio
Michael Knowles’ 9th feature, Book of Love starring Sam Claflin and Veronica Echugui was released in Feb 2022 and has been sold worldwide by XYZ. The film was No.2 in Amazon US and won an Imagen award for Best Primetime Movie. Michael also wrote songs for the film with Peter EJ Lee.
The Pebble and the Boy starring Patsy Kensit was released in the UK in 2021 in over 100 cinemas. Running Naked starring Mathew McNulty, Andrew Gower, Rahkee Thakrar and Tamzin Merchantwas released in early 2021. The film was directed by Emmy and Oscar nominated Victor Buhler. Victor and Michael co wrote the script with Jennifer Knowles.The drama Away starring Timothy Spall & Juno Temple was released in 2017. It premiered at the Edinburgh Film Festival, was nominated for the Michael Powell Award & was selected for Best of the Fest. Away won a ‘Hitchcock’ Award in October 2016 at the Dinard Film Festival.
The mystery/ horror The Messenger starring Robert Sheehan, Lily Cole and Joely Richardson was released through Metrodome in the UK .Michael’s prior producing projects include Birthday, starring Stephen Mangan, written by Joe Penhall (The Road) & directed by Roger Michell (Notting Hill) that aired on Sky Arts in 2015 and won the FIPA d’Or; Best Laid Plans starring Stephen Graham & Maxine Peake was released through Sony Pictures in 2012 and 2009’s A Boy Called Dad starring Ian Hart was selected for the Rome Film Festival & sold to the BBC. Michael’s project Snodgrass (aka John Lives) starring Ian Hart imagines a 50 year-old John Lennon on the dole having left the Beatles in 1963. Aired as part of Sky’s 2013 Playhouse series,the project was hailed by London’s Time Out as a ‘mini masterpiece’. Michael is developing a feature length version to be shot soon. Michael’s film influences are many & varied.
He is proud to acknowledge his early mentorship from Andrew Eaton through the UK’s Guiding Lights scheme & is grateful to have had the opportunity to work with actor Pete Postlethwaite on one of his last films, Waving at Trains.
Michael was nominated for a BAFTA for ‘Talking with Angels’. Prior to workingin film, Michael set up and ran the Kaleida nightclub in Manchester and café in Withington, setting up one of Manchester’s first ISPs/Michael is also a songwriter & has contributed songs to several films including Once Upon aTime in London and Jeepers Creepers Reborn. He also Exec’d Elbow’s video ‘Lost Worker Bee’ and produced the video for ‘Second’ by Sleaford Mods. Michael has adoctorate from Staffordshire University.
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