Various - Prog Rock Jukebox Playlist
Various - Jukebox Shuffleplay
Up at 7 and feeling not too bad all things considered...
With bags packed, Meg the Black cat was suspicious something was happening...
She was right - we were off to Manchester to see The Blue Nile...
We took the bus to Waverley Station where I purchased Classic Rock's Prog Rock Special for train journey reading (despite having "The God Delusion" in my bag). Surely the free Yes DVD attached justified the £7.99 price tag - it remains to be seen...
We left Edinburgh just before 10 and enjoyed the trip to Manchester arriving around 1:15, to not too bad skies...
We found the hotel, dumped the bags and set off around town - making a beeline for the Northern Quarter, where there must be around a dozen or so 2nd hand music stores...
I purchased discs by Soft Machine, KTU, The Dylan Howe Quartet, Porcupine Tree and Roedelius...
We continued our walk around town, now enjoying the sunshine...
A bottle of chilled white wine at a pavement cafe added to the ambience. We texted chum Craig Harding re a possible meet before tonight's Blue Nile gig and received a "yes" in response...
But first to Manchester's Chinatown for dinner and, with the masses of restaurants vying for our custom, we chose the International Buffet and enjoyed some excellent fayre...
Then to the Temple of Convenience where we met up with Craig and his brother Pete, whom Craig had drafted in as a last minute replacement for his girlfriend who'd been taken ill...
The Temple of Convenience is so named because it is a converted public toilet...
Certainly one of the more "interesting" bars I've visited over the years...
Then to the famously acoustically perfect Bridgewater Hall around 7:30 for the Blue Nile (supported ably by Hayley Hutchinson whom Anne & I saw supporting Paul Buchanan in Glasgow a year or so ago...)
Unfortunately, the tallest man in Christendom sat in front of me while another chap who insisted on explaining everything mid-song to his partner was to my right...
Sensing my unease and building frustration at these distractions, Anne very kindly swopped seats with me...
The concert featured the same six man line up as the Paul Buchanan gig last November - so perhaps he has now obtained the rights to call his 2/3rds of the original trio The Blue Nile...
Although a little under-rehearsed (this was to be their only show this year), the performance was nonetheless superb - the highlight for me being the sublime "Family Life" from the album "Peace at Last"..
Post gig we met up again with Craig and Pete and made our way, on their recommendation, to the Gay Village - the famous area around Canal Street...
We enjoyed drinks and transvestite spotting at Eden before moving on to Via Fossa where the music was thumping on the dance floor but where we could still find a spot to sit and chat...
A good time was had by all, including several laps around the nooks and crannies of this strange bar...
Anne and I eventually headed for the hotel around 1:30 taking one last look at Canal St in all its glory (including one bikini clad girl who'd collapsed in the street - not unconcious, just unable to walk any more)...
No pic of the swimwear incident I'm afraid...
Highlight of the Day : The Blue Nile - though Canal St ran it a close second...
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