MUSIC IN MANCHESTER

Delta 5……Altered Images, Chameleons in the Hebrides, Fall.  Conversations punctuated with oblique reference points from several miss-spent pasts, spewed out in the Crown & Cushion prior to the gig Alex has put together for his birthday.

Hedz Jellmo start the fun, with a dub drenched, echo laden 20 minute trip to more tropical climes.  Franscois on the mixing desk starts the evening as she continues, producing a spot on sound for each of bands

Next up is Gary, AKA Badly Broken Finger, AKA Mentalist, bravely following the maxim that the show must go on despite his handicap.  Backing tapes help out, Gary's powerful vocals even turning to a rendition of `Happy Birthday to You' dedicated to Alex

With a crowd more substantial to the 8 or so that turned up at the Witchwood last year, Ark turn in a bass driven display, even reprising their Madonna cover of `Beautiful Stranger' that was served up @ the Girly Show

Approximately 10 years since the last time they did, Dub Sex take to the stage and deliver a blistering, brutal set.  Playing around the coruscating vocals of Mark Hoyle, they sound vibrant and intense, making one wonder what they must have been like all those years ago.  Of course the audience did contain a -limited edition- number of oldies who eagerly chanted the mantra `Yes I've got the LP and 3 EP's'.  Yes, I'm envious

Time for a change of style, and welcome to Gerd & The Volkswagons, a super group that you will probably never have heard of and probably never will.  For one night only, Alex (birthday boy, vocals) Gary (Mentalist, vocals) Barry (manager of Ark, bass), Paul (Ark, normally on drums but playing guitar) & Calvin (Delta 5, drums) take to the stage. Certainly the good intentions were there as they speed into `Shot by Both Sides' a grossly underrated track.  With only a small amount of eyes flickering across to the other players to see who was driving this all star vehicle, it was carried off extremely well

Wonky Alice take proceedings into a different, more melodic fun loving, direction. Even the sight of Yves Altana being heckled/complimented by Marie Luce Giordano merely added to the intimacy of the occasion

One thing about the tonight's line up was that the only way you could pigeon hole it would be by saying that there was a bit of everything for everyone.  Thus Drift, whose set of new electronica is a more laid back affair, played continually for 20 minutes, the sound mutating seamlessly from one form to another.

Getting on for two o'clock, Superstring, reverentially waiting until DJ `Max Axe Murder' Bob on the decks has finished playing Ceremony, kick off their blend of samples, keyboards, bouncing bass and anything else that can produce a sound to round off a sparkling evenings entertainment.

At times, it seemed like out party, not Alex's

Same time next year?

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