I've just got back from my day trip to Manchester so here's one boy's opinion of the gig for those who couldn't be there. If you're too busy to read the fascinating scene-setting stuff scroll down till you see ******THE GIG*****. Got the train to Manchester from London first thing in the morning. It was still dark when I left home and the sky was like a gigantic Scottish flag: Bluey/Purple with a perfect white saltire of intersecting vapour trails. A good omen I thought (or another bloody ad. for the Halifax Building Society). I'll spare the details of the rail travel and say that I arrived outside Manchester town hall in good time and joined the queue. It's an amazing building and as I waited to get in I was able to learn that it was built in 1877 in the Victorian Gothic style (It must have been hell to be a chisel in them days).Another plaque told me that Manchester was the world's first nuclear free zone. So an entertaining and informative day it was. Once on the inside, people were handing out Ice Cream which wasn't exactly what I most wanted but it was given with love so only a churl would refuse.(Was it you Katrina handing it out I didn't realise it might have been you till later or i'd have said hello) Anyhow the ground floor reminded me of the video to Wannabe - got the picture? Upstairs the band were going to be playing in the big hall. This was an amazing lofty room with coats of arms painted on the ceiling and murals on the wall depicting great scenes from Manchester's history: the Baptism of St. Edwin, the expulsion of the Danes (shame they forgot Schmeichal) etc. What with the massic pipe organ at the back (I wonder if Chris had a go) it was just like a Cathedral. ***************************************THE GIG**************************************** This would may have accounted for the most amazing thing about this afternoon; the sound quality. I've never been to a gig where the music was so beautifully crisp. The strings, the guitars, the keyboards, the drums, the Stylophone and assorted other instruments were all so clear and sounded absolutely beautifull. And atop this all was Stuart's voice which was faint or fanfare-like as needs required. Every song was the best I've ever heard it done I thought (although perhaps they could have upped the keyboards in Tigermilk - just to make it swing even more. If you've not heard it then it's one to look out for). At times I felt it was more like a recital than a gig, the music just shone out there. This was especially true on slower songs like Beautiful. Stuart started gently on his own and then the moment when the rest joined in was quite lovely because everything was so clear. Given the atmosphere I was sorry not to hear the State I am In which I reckon would have been sublime. But they made up for that in my books by playing Expectations which I hadn't heard live before. The atmosphere was very relaxed so the usual gaps between songs didn't matter, and there were a few line fluffs but Stevie did his best as prompt to Mr. Murdoch . The stage was U shaped with some of the crowd inside the U and the rest above and below if you see what I mean. The band were on the two vertical arms as it were. Being in the middle was a bit like being at Wimbledon to start with, heads twisting left and right to catch all the action. The bottom bit of the U was a handy gangway between the two stages so that people could change sides to get at the required instruments. However I thought it was a chance missed to have somebody up there doing interpretive dances - I'm volunteering. Other highlights included Stevie carefully explaing the chords to Track and Field to Stuart before starting, all the trumpet bits, Sarah's Stylophone break on Mayfly which was really clear this time, Isobel's sparkly dress (ooh bloomin 'eck), momentary disaster when Stuart knocked over his music stand and lost the words/chords he had carefully arranged, grooving to Tigermilk and many more. Above it was the sound though, so so beautiful. All in all it was a great success I thought. So as Harry Hill would say "Afternoon pop concerts by Belle and Sebastian - more please". And as a non-smoking non-drinker it was quite wonderful to see my favourite band in a non-smoking venue. Oh joy. Sorry not to meet more Listees. I met David when I got a T-shirt and hello to Jim, Paul, Stuart and Julia. I'm no longer a ferris wheel virgin. Right - I'm off to make some tea in my new Belle and Sebastian mug! :) Have a very Happy New Year, everyone. xxx john ----------------------------------------------------------------------- . This message was brought to you by the Sinister mailing list. . To send to the list please mail "sinister@majordomo.net". . For subscribing, unsubscribing and other list information please see . http://www.majordomo.net/sinister . For questions about how the list works mail owner-sinister@majordomo.net . We're all happy bunnies humming happy bunny tunes. Aren't we? -----------------------------------------------------------------------