Mancunian Blues
Created | Updated Jul 22, 2004
Mancunian Blues
By the time you read this, 'Bruins' in Fallowfield which I mentioned a few issues earlier will have
closed its doors, another victim of the ever-changing shop front. Or is it that I have a curse on this
column, after all, two of Biggs' nights have vanished almost as soon as I mentioned them. If this is the
case, may I just mention the band 'THE FIRST HALF SECOND' !!
There can't be many better sights for a performer than seeing a sold out MEN area in
Manchester staring intently at their every move, cheering each little wave and nod at the audience. A
couple of thousand on seats in the front, and with stands 40 rows high stretching around the Arena,
it is an awe inspiring sight as more than ten thousand people were all at one with the music.
When, however, the lighting rig is lower than you, the stage is far enough away for a large
percentage of the US athletics team to consider stimulants just to walk that far, and you have to
hire an oxygen bottle and ice axes just to reach your seat, you realise that smaller, more intimate
venues are just as good !!
I was there to watch 'Simon and Garfunkel's' Old Friends tour. A pretty near amazing night was
had. Art Garfunkel has lost little of his vocal ability and the ability they both have to harmonise is
truly impressive. Many of the arrangements have been changed from recorded versions of the songs,
but this was in effect a greatest hits concert, with one Paul Simon solo song thrown in for good
measure.
The contrast between Art's polished and planned banner and Paul's self deprecating jokes was
entertaining and it did seem that there was little tension between the two, though Art sucked up
rather a lot about his partner's songs.
A special moment for me was when they played their first hit, 'Hey Schoolgirl on the Second
Row' released by them as 'Tom and Jerry'. They have an uncanny ability to sound like the
'Everly Brothers', and lo and behold, enter Don and Phil for 4 songs of their own. Personally I
thought this was too short a set for rock and roll legends, but then again I can listen to them for
hours with ease !
As I say, a great night with 2 of music's great duos.
I had an odd experience last week, I wanted a ticket to see 'The Bloodhound
Gang'1 at Manchester University's Academy
22. I walked into the union and paid face value to the woman at the reception/box
office and walked out. No booking fee, no handling charge, nothing more than face value.
Then I look at the ticket prices on the web, some ticket price, £12.50, but with another £2.70 in
handling and booking fees. Handling fees are always per ticket, so even though it consists of taking
two or three printed tickets that are attached to each other and folding them (since they are
separable they fold easily). And looking up on the net for a £30 ticket elsewhere, booking and
handling fees reach £6.
For a place like Manchester University Union, where the overall control is in the hands of
students, or the buying public, then selling tickets straight through the box office is an easy way to
go, and since none of the venues are generally seated, it's a quick and easy process.
However less venues are bothering with their own box office except for ticket collections. Now
it's booking agents all the way, and if they are taking in 20% on top of the ticket price, its easy to
see that it's not the lottery, Chris Tarrant or selling bizarre sex stories involving disgraced MP's
wives that will net you easy money. No, the real cash is in selling tickets!
Till next time
Love, Peace and Blues
tjm
feel
