Manchester-May 10th

So I’d never been to Manchester before and I was looking forward to wandering around a bit the next morning but today, it was a case of getting to the hotel, checking in, and then heading out for some food. But not before nearly getting killed…twice! OMG, first it was the cab ride from hell. We hopped in one to get to the venue and the cab driver was really hard to understand and spoke so softly, none of us could figure out what he was saying so we just kept repeating “the Manchester Academy…O2 Academy….on Oxford street…” so he takes us to the college and we looked out as he points to some place that looked like a college bar or something. We’re like “um…I don’t think this is right” and it was more of us trying to figure him out and us trying to explain…”it’s a music place….for concerts…” So he starts to point behind us and say there’s two places and gives us an idea of where so we think “oh forget it, we’ll just walk” but then as we are getting out, he was nice and said he’d take us and erase the original fare so we get back in and he turns around to go to another place. But this place wasn’t right either as it was a place called “The Dancehall”. So by now we’re all thinking “oh good God!” so Paula calls Helen (her, Gary and Gena had taken one cab, we took another) and asked her where they were. She gives some landmarks, we tell the driver and he says “back where we were”. Really?! 😯 Ok, so we turn around right? Yeah….right…except he does a quick, no warning turn so he pulls out in front of another cab coming down the road. Steph jumps and right away turns away covering her face (she was sitting by that side of the cab window) and says “OMG!” Though it wasn’t funny, Paula and I just cracked up at her reaction 😆  She says “ya know how your whole life just flashes in front of you?” and we laugh as Paula says “I love how you didn’t get into the crash position, you just turn away”. So we’re heading back, laughing and then hit a stop light. As we are sitting there, another cab comes up beside us and Steph turns to face him and says “help….help”. 😆 😆  Well, as it turns out, the original stop that he had for us was actually pretty darn close to being right after all (oops! :oops:) so we get out, still giggling, pay the guy, then start looking around to find where we truly need to go.  A few steps down the road and we see some people outside a cool looking castle like building across the street (which, as it turned out, wasn’t the right building…we had to go a door or two down…bummer as it was really cool!) so we figure that’s it. But there was no way to cross so we head down a bit and as we are nearing the end of the block, I see a place I think we can cross at so since there are some cars parked up against the curb only about 30-40 feet away, I think it’s a parking lane and step down off the curb so that once the traffic opens, I have less road to cross (hence was my thinking). Unfortunately, I didn’t know where we had stopped and were wanting to cross was a bus stop….until I see a bus pulling over to the spot I’m standing in. 😯 Just as my brain is registering that a bus is coming, I hear Steph all “LOOORRI!” I step back on the curb and couldn’t help but laugh as I embarrassingly tell the girls what I was thinking. Paula’s laughing and says “no, it’s not a Lorry, it’s a bus….get it? See what I did there?” and it hits me what she’s going at (for American readers who may not know what I’m talking about because I didn’t know til this trip, what we in the states call a “semi” or just another “truck” they call a Lorry.) Well, Paula and I just go into stiches and apologize to poor Steph who’s a bit stressed (though she was laughing pretty quickly after). I guess you’d have to be there but it was hilarious! 😆

So anyways…we eventually made it to the venue which was a good thing because if last night was the best gig so far….Manchester beat it! 😀  We all end up front row on Mr. H.s side. Aiden was with us too, as were a few others: Andy and his brother Mike (first OMD gig for Mike) Darren and his wife plus just before going in, someone came up and covered my eyes, I turned and saw Jenny! 😯 She and Tim had talked about maybe coming as we were saying goodbye in Sheffield and as it turned out, they did, yay! 😀 Also got to see Bren for a bit and MarkC which was nice…will get to see them a bit more in Liverpool.

Another night of dancing to JF since we were standing (Paula joining in at times on her own! 😯 She was very proud, as was I LOL) and he seemed to be enjoying watching us move and mimic to the songs. 😀

I promised Aiden I’d get Metroland and it was met by a really loud cheer….that got louder at the start of Messages. When they finished, all the guys kind of stood there like “wow” and Mr. M. said “well, we can tell this is going to be a great night. But we won’t take advantage, we’ll still earn it.”  A lot of “no no no”s for Tesla Girls and Dresden found everyone around me dancing around. I didn’t look to see who was with me (aside from the girls) in bouncing for HoM but when it was over, the crowd loved it! (oh, and Helen tossed a knicker at Mr. M. who again caught it. The guys are getting good at catching now LOL)

When Mr. H. came out to do FLaD, everyone cheered yet some more and I heard singing along but it wasn’t until JoA that I REALLY noticed it. Being in the front, you can’t always get the full effect so though I’m sure there was a lot of singing along to other songs too (Mark told me later “OMG, the sound and the crowd were SO loud. I’ve never heard singing like that before!”) this was the first I really heard and I thought “wow I’ve never heard a huge sing-a-long to THIS one before! :shock:”  Mr. M. pointed to Mr. H. like “can you hear THAT?” and Mr. H. smiled and nodded happily.  Needless to say MoO went down well…how could it not?  When the lights went up, I glanced over and just a sea of hands up in the air.  With this and Leeds being the best thus far, I’d venture to say standing venues can bring some extra magic..and this venue was almost double the size of Leeds (or at least it seemed to be).

Our System was beautiful as ever but then as Mr. M. was sitting down for TLaC, he decided to get back up and ask us all to sway back and forth.  “to the right after the first snare drum…” and we did it for the entire entrance…and kept going during the verse as Mr. M. joked “let’s see if you can do that for the next 40 minutes”.  No, we stopped about mid song but still….

SiL was back to beautiful dancing and SMS had a special surprise for the guys from the gals….nun habits that said “sister sex” on them.  I could see Mr. H. trying to read what it said (not sure if he did or not as I started bouncing quickly after) but they had a great time and it was all for laughs.   Tonight’s “Jesus” was also the guard who was to our right. Mr. M. watched for his reaction (a mix of surprise and humor…though as Mr. M. continued to sing and stand near him looking at him to see if he’d break down and laugh, the guard tried to keep all professional and expressionless…eventually failing and letting out a grin :D)

There’s footage of SotSS and it’s amazing sing-a-long and you can guess how great EG was too.  When the gig was over, the guys again stood there for a bit to soak it all up as the lights went back on us and I could see all the hands.  They said their goodbyes and the “more…more…more” started until they returned.   Mr. H.#2 came on first as always but I saw his happily proud face as he climbed back on the stairs and Mr. H. thanked us again as Mr. M. backed him up saying we were just fantastic.  It was pretty much a given but Mr. M. asked for his usual audience participation for WotMW anyways and then he introduced Electricity (he had hinted about it earlier when he said something about 1978 but then quickly said “no, we’re not doing that one YET” so now he said they were) and it was a final crazy moment for the crowd before one final huge cheer and the guys waving one final goodbye.  Just like the night before in Leeds, I thought “wow, what a great way for them to walk off , hearing that.” When they had left, we all gathered but had to move along as the guards were ushering us out but after a few goodbyes to Mark and Bren, the rest of us headed to an 80s bar for a dance, then us girls made it back to the hotel.

So highlight of the night…well, aside from the near death experiences we had earlier (which truly were funny! :lol:) it’d have to be FLaD. I didn’t mention that we had another idea to pull off for the night. Paula had bought inflatable saxaphones and suggested we fake play the horns section during the middle of the song. We had blown them up prior to JF and when the song started, we all had them in our hands ready, then up they went over the rail to be “played”. Steph and I both saw Mr. M. notice first and try to get Mr. H.s attention (can’t say if he did though as I was up and down with my head and eyes depending on how we ‘played’) When the song was done, Mr. M. said “the girls who throw the knickers have added something to their repertoire. Go on girls, show them what you’ve got” so we grabbed the saxes and held them up. He then said “great, now you can play them with Martin on this one” and we did. 😆 We also pulled them out for SiL. 😉 It was funny. 😀