MUSIC IN MANCHESTER
	(Manchester Bands Section)
	Caroline's Party Droyslden,  17/3/01

  Had a long day? Tired? Want to go and see a gig but it's snowing and you haven't' got a lift? Well then, let the music come to you, or in Caroline's case, the front room, with an appearance by Tom Hingley

So it's welcome to down town Droyslden. For tonight's event, support band Dresden North End, minus a couple of players due to suspension, injuries, and the fact that you cannot get a drum kit in Caroline's front room, are down to a two man team, and they're none the worse for that.

As a homage to the location, they've (temporarily) re-named themselves Droyslden North End (or DNE to friends).  Having recently supported the likes of Sigue Sigue Sputnik (is that a plus or negative?) they're not going to be overawed by the crowd of 20 or so, that have even formed their own back stage area (next to the beer fridge) and they set an enjoyable standard for the evening

Fresh from his warm up gig at the Night & Day last night, and fortified by the meal that Caroline prepared a few hours earlier, Tom is in relaxed mood and good heart. Caroline's worries about windows being broken by his deep, rich, voice prove groundless as the balance between delivery and power is reached, seemingly effortlessly.

Any nervousness in the air dissipates as the wine & lager take effect, the smiles on peoples faces of genuine enjoyment, acknowledging that something special is taking place

The convivial, intimate, atmosphere, provides an ideal backdrop for Tom's songs about relationships, dreams and all things personal, which are greeted with the reverential silence of an enthralled throng that hangs onto every word.

The captivated audience fall quiet, noting the biting lyrics such as "Your love is as cold as the snow" (sic), examining them to see if they could be the target, then break into enthusiastic, and deserved, applause after each slice of life.

Between songs, Tom reveals that in the course of over the 200 venues or so he has played over the last 2 years, there are probably more people in the living room than at a lot of those gigs, but that doesn't stop him from delivering a performance as good, if not better than last night.  The intimacy lending itself to the feeling generated that 20 performances are underway, one for each person there

And to get a live feel for the occasion, he breaks a string, mid song, continues on, determined not to take the easy way out just because he's in someone house rather than a paying arena

Then its on to the sing-along-a-crowd section as the 'Carpets numbers "Joe" "This is How…. " are dusted down and a roomful of people who have the original vinyl (and I forgot to get it signed) or are far too young to remember, take the opportunity to revel in the fact that one of Manchester's cult figures is playing for them

By the time that DNE re-group, one half is pissed, but so are we and we don't want the evening to stop. So perennial favourites such as "London Calling" " Walk On By" (Stranglers bass driven version) " Ever Fallen in Love…" are rattled off as chord changes ("it's C-A-D-G") are whispered amongst the DNE

Then everyone has gone, and like all good occasions, you wonder where the time went

And not one person commented on the curtains

Next event…. Well, that's another well kept secret for a cold night

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