Scene Report: Manchester December 2006
By: Gareth Roberts
Well, its that time of year again, a time for family, a time for reflection, a time when every has-been band in the world deem it necessary to unleash their dubiously titled 'very best of' albums on the general public. But more importantly, the festive season is of course an excuse to go out and enjoy yourself without having to restrain those inner feelings of guilt and worries that you may have a drink problem. Here's how we did it....
Good Shoes (pictured) played the Night n Day at the end of November, and suffice to say they were as terrific as usual, everyone else seeming to enjoy it as much as myself judging by the pogoing swathes at the front (which, for anyone who has been to the N&D, is fairly unusual).
Brakes too provided another excellent night out at the Roadhouse with a tight performance that had the whole place erupting after each quick-fire song. The indie supergroup really are a band that deserve to go places, and here's hoping next year's tour supporting the comparatively limp Killers opens a few more doors for them.
The Horrors were the next band on my 'to see list', and again it was an ace gig. Playing at Satan's Hollow (the weirdest venue in the city) on a circular stage smack bang in the centre of the room, they delivered a ramshackle and somewhat loose performance, which nevertheless was brilliant to watch.
Of course, gigs aren't the only form of entertainment in this here town, as there are also the obligatory club nights to enjoy. 'Smile' is held very Saturday night at the Star & Garter on Fairfield Street, and despite the charmingly decrepit surroundings it's a consistently brilliant night out. Last week was a particularly eventful one which saw certain members of Manchester's creative scene providing excellent entertainment with their drunken antics. Here's a cryptic clue (to keep our lawyers happy)... what happens when you put together a journalist, a singer songwriter and an author? Well, lets just say that two is company and threes a crowd! It was funny, let me tell you.
As office Christmas party season gets into full swing, and the bars become increasingly rammed full of (largely) idiotic loan managers, it becomes even more of a relief that there are some places that you can visit to avoid the groups of morons. One such place that you'd struggle to bump into an 'undesirable' is the 'Up the Racket' club night. They held their masquerade Christmas ball on Friday, and a fine night it was too, despite my mask making me look like an amateur gay wrestler.
As good as it was, I had to leave early, the previous nights exploits at the High Voltage Christmas shindig having taken their toll, something that I feel I'm going to have to get used to over the coming weeks. Anyways, it's another Christmas meal tonight, so I'd better go and dust off my Rudolph antlers (joke). Have a rocking Christmas, one and all.