UK Tour Day 4. Our Time in Manchester or For Your Own Good Don’t Call It Soccer

Our apologies for these blogs coming late.  We have had trouble getting a decent wifi signal, and have also been extremely tired due to a couple of, ahem, late nights.  But on to the good stuff.

Manchester was one of the best cities we’ve seen so far and this was clear to us from the minute we got there.  The industrial architecture is beautiful and the particular part of the city we were in when we got to our venue was covered in amazing graffiti.  We had time thanks to a relatively smooth drive so we were able to walk around and take photos/eat a really great meal.  It’s true what they say - when in England you have to try Indian.

The gig itself was our best one yet.  Sound Control is definitely in the top 5 best venues we have played so far.  They gave us the entire basement to use as our dressing room so we ran around like idiots and made a mess of the place.  The sound was perfect, and the lighting was even better.  What’s more, the crowd was bigger than the previous two shows and we were well received.  

Maybe the best part of the whole experience was that this was the first city we got to go out in.  We made a few new friends who had been to the gig and they brought us around to a few choice locations.  The coolest of these was what everyone kept referring to as a “New York Style” speakeasy called Blackdog Ballroom.  I don’t really know what that means but it had a bar and music so we were happy.  We closed the place out at 6am and met lots of cool people who taught us what it means to have a night out in Manchester.  Done and Done.  

Er, but we also learned that you don’t call the game soccer.  Not even as a joke.  They sort of don’t take too kindly to that here.  It would be an insult akin to calling their mothers a dirty word.  In fact, they might be kinder to you if you did that.

P.S.  In Manchester they leave teddy bears on your hotel room bed to to greet you.  How nice.

Pictures below.

Keith