Evening mate ...

... Basically, I used to go (usually against my will) to an indie night at the Star & Garter - an absolute dive up by Manc Piccadilly station. Lee Gorton would turn up all the time and try to pull my mate's girlfriend, which obviously didn't go down too well.

Wasn't saying it for a rise, really - just a) Thought it was quite funny and b) Quite like telling that story. Can't say I'm a big Alfie fan either ...

Guy Garvey from Elbow would knock around quite a bit - some friends and I used to run a little indie label in Manchester and he'd come to some of our nights. Otherwise I don't think we met too many of the minor celebs (although we knew quite a few people from Twisted Nerve, and Tony Wilson was often one or two steps away from things we were doing), but a band we were associated with, Performance, are probably going to go on to big things next year.

As for enjoying Manchester ... well, there were ups and downs really. I'm a Southerner at heart, and if you meet me I'm very, *very* Southern, which didn't always go down well up there. Found the locals were more friendly than down South, but also more aggressive if they didn't like something and certainly quicker to pick a fight!

The city is *full* of mentalists, too, and there was a real edge to the place I didn't really like, especially when it got dark. On the other hand, there was tons of stuff to do in quite a small space, it was cheap, the city has lots of really interesting architecture and history, and the university really wasn't bad - on the whole it was a good time.

Has to be said that I like Brighton a *lot* more, though!

Posted By: Ottosson Foxtrot, Nov 6, 01:20:09