So this year’s Manchester In The City has been and gone – how was it for you? A fixture pile-up in the days before ITC even started (on Friday last week), meant that I went to gigs five out six nights in the row… and have been paying for it all this week. I took photos at most of the shows I went to, but only on my smaller digital camera – I didn’t trust myself getting pissed whilst trying to look after expensive equipment!

In the days leading up to ITC I saw:-

Tuesday 24th Oct
In between catching bits of West Ham’s humilation at the hands of Chesterfield in the Carling Cup (and to make matters worse, the uni bar wasn’t showing the game so it meant nipping to a deserted Jabez Clegg between bands — I wish I hadn’t bothered lol), and Rusholme’s Eid celebrations holding up traffic for miles (meaning I had to walk to the venue), I saw The Young Knives at the Manchester Academy 3. In truth the only reason I bought a ticket was to see the excellent support band The Grates.

Apparently The Grates got all their stuff knicked (laptops etc) from their dressing room before the show, so you’d have forgiven them if they turned out a half-hearted show… but what we got was a real party atmosphere and a bouncing bundle of fun, in the form of frontwoman Patience Hodgson. I absolutely loved their set, and it left The Young Knives with an impossible act to follow.

Wednesday 25th Oct
After way too many Krombachers in Big Hands the night before I had to force myself to leave the house the next evening to see Phoenix play the Manchester Academy 2. When the Swedish support band (who’s name fails me at the minute) took to the stage, there was barely 10 people in the room, but by the end of their set the room had begun to fill. Phoenix played the Academy 3 only a few months back, and that was a spectacular show (probably one of my favourites of 2006). They definitely managed to handle the upgrade to the larger capacity Academy 2 last Wednesday. Take a listen to Phoenix’s album ‘Live! Thirty Days Ago‘ if you want to experience the magic of a Phoenix show

Friday 27th Oct
After spending my Thursday night at home, In The City finally kicked off on Friday night… well officially I think it started on the Sunday night (and ran thru to Tuesday), but most of the Manchester club nights were making a weekend of it, with triple-headers running Friday to Sunday for Friends Of Mine and Akoustik Anarkhy. I took the easy option and just stuck mainly with these two nights over the weekend.

I spent Friday at Friends Of Mine – although, as with much of the ITC weekend, my memories are very vague… I seem to recall seeing The VCs play (the flyer reads that Cohesion, Captain Kidd and The Detour also played, so maybe I saw them too… oh and Liam Frost and Johnny+Oli from Keith DJ-ed). I need to check my camera as I probably have photos of most of them

Saturday 28th Oct
Forcing myself out once again proved a challenge, and I think I stumbled into Friends Of Mine again on Saturday night. Whereas Friday night at FOM had been a more chilled affair, on Saturday the place (Joshua Brooks) was packed to the rafters. I managed to miss Sam Pridell (from Sam & Me) and Tim Hill’s (ex-The Exports) sets, but caught The S-Tones, Pierre Hall & the Lead Balloons and Liam Fray’s new band The Courteeners. It was a rowdy old affair and once again memories fail me — I only took a few photos of the Lead Balloons, so no help in piecing together the night from my camera (usually comes in handy for this – lol!)

Sunday 29th Oct
By now I’d become accustomed to waking up hungover, but a must-win West Ham match vs. Blackburn on Sunday afternoon gave me the perfect excuse to kick some ‘hair of the dog’ action into play. I didn’t realise Akoustik Anarkhy kicked off at 3pm on Sunday, so once again I missed Sam Pridell’s set (doh!), but by the time I arrived around 7/8pm?-ish It’s A Buffalo were just starting their set and I was well and truly hammered. I think I must have played the Buffalo’s tune ‘Divorce Song’ about 5 times before leaving the house — it’s such an ace little number (check it out on their MySpace). Following It’s A Buffalo were aA house band Loose Canon. During their 6-month absence from the circuit, the Canon have written some cracking new tunes. The guitar-work by Raymond Ray on ‘Hail Mary’ is ethereal and just magical (and they’ve just put it up on their MySpace). Final act of the night were St. Helens superstars The Loungs, who know how get a party bouncing.

Following on from aA, I somehow ended up at Big Hands, and Lee Gorton’s Up At The Red Bricks night – which saw a debut (?) gig from The Beep Seals. A truly wonderful end to a very messy evening.

I have photos and videos from most of the past week, although I’m not sure I’ll be able to get round to sticking it all up. I’ll do my best but it’ll take a while to find any fit for public consumption… lol :)

Despite In The City going on til Tuesday night, I’m afraid to say I’d had enough partying by Sunday night. I took Monday and Tuesday off.

Related links:
MySpace – Akoustik Anarkhy
MySpace – Friends Of Mine

MySpace – The Courteeners
MySpace – The Loungs
MySpace – Loose Canon
MySpace – It’s A Buffalo
MySpace – Raymond Ray
MySpace – Lee Gorton
MySpace – The Red Thread
MySpace – Pierre Hall & the Lead Balloons
MySpace – Sam and Me
MySpace – The Beep Seals