New Order, Hot Chip and Working Men's Club at Heaton Park

I wouldn't normally venture as far as Manchester for a gig, but I happened to like not only the headline act but also the supports., all of whom I had seen at least twice before, and I had the offer of accommodation from my friends in Cheshire which made it all feasible. 

The organisers did their best to make it as hard as possible by not publishing any information, or at least useful information, like when it finished or where in this large park it was being held, and especially where entrances and exits were. So on the day I arrived really early to plan out how to meet my mate in a Tesco superstore car park a good way from the venue. Walking from the superstore to the park I found no signs to an entrance, but only loads of barriers around it. Following these round I spotted an entrance and indeed a queue, even though I was a couple of hours early. I duly got through Covid checks and security and was in this winding queue. But I detected something was wrong from the demographic of the queue - most of the folk around me were young and black, just not what I would expect for New Order. And yes, I was in the queue for the bar staff! And how did I get so far? Well I was wearing the bar staff uniform - a black t-shirt.

Anyway, I got directions to the right entrance and eventually gained admission, but not before a slight scare when I found my Covid certificate had expired. Fortunately the lady at the gate helped me download a new one. (Although clearly the crowd were getting more covid scrutiny than the bar staff!)

And even when I got in at 4pm, the bars were still not ready, so I settled for a bottle of water and took my place at the barrier dead in front of the stage, awaiting the forecast rain and the rest of the expected c35,000 crowd.

I can't say I was impressed by security. Most were, as the photo shows, little old ladies, scrawny youngsters or obese blokes. Only a small number ever seemed to do anything. The rest were just observers.

So, to the acts. First up Working Men's Club, whom I doubt meant much to most of the audience. I really like them, and they did one great service - actually brought out their debut album during lockdown so I had something new to listen to! I think they are categorized as electro-punk. They have a very charismatic/disturbing lead singer in Sydney Minsky Sargeant, making up for the rest of the four piece who do nothing but stare out at the audience. Would definitely recommend. And they did play a decently long set for an hour.

Said Sydney Minsky-Sargeant, started in hoodie, then t-shirt and slightly menacing scowl...

And then the top comes off. I have to say he looks like he has put on a few pounds over lockdown. Might want to think about that if he wants to continue the shirtless routine!😀

Eventually, as is his wont, he came down to the front to be closer to the crowd.

Now at this point I should mention something about my photographs of this event. You may detect a change in style from the first act to the last, more close ups on young Sydney for example. This is is not due to him being the best looking chap on the stage (although clearly he was), but rather more due to light. Working Men's Club were on in full daylight, so my camera can happily cope with close ups. At night it can't cope as well with the low light levels. But lighting is important in another way too. New Order are all about the light show - they invested big in videos and light affects for this show. Working Mens Club had nothing much at all. Hence Working Mens Club are all close ups and New Order mostly shots of the whole stage.

And Hot Chip were somewhere in between, coming on in twilight. I would describe them as a group of middle-aged men in varying states of preservation having fun with a lot of instruments. It is all very danceable stuff with keyboards to spare, but if I have a criticism of them it is that all their tracks have a good idea, but they tend to be extended beyond their natural length. However, they did finish on a very good cover of Springsteen's Dancing in the Dark.

Now you have to have a bit of front to wear a coat like this...

By now the 30,000 crowd was in and enjoying themselves behind me.

Then there was a bit of a wait for New Order. The crowd got friskier. Lad behind me said afterwards that he was expecting it to be "lively" down the front, but not that lively. New Order play to a very wide demographic. Very much a 16-60 group, befitting their status as knocking around the 60 mark. Lead vocalist Bernard Sumner has hit 65.

They are very much a band that has evolved from quite punkish beginnings to strong dance music, and you can trace the gradual development through their albums. The latest, Music Complete, is the most dance oriented of all.

Before they came on the lights were starting up...

This was DJ TinTin who had been filling up the gaps between acts. Frankly we would have been happier with just some old classic music.

And then the boys themselves...

Gillian Gilbert on keyboards

Bernard Sumner having a go on keyboards, watched anxiously by Gillian looking as if she was his carer!😃

And the encore as always consisted of three Joy Division numbers (New Order having formed after the demise of Joy Division's lead singer Ian Curtis) starting with Decade (not their strongest to be honest) and finishing with Love Will Tear Us Apart. Basically that is always what the crowd will want them to go out on. A classic.

 

Passenger at Brixton Academy

Passenger is actually a bloke not a band. (It used to be a band, but he kept the name after it broke up even though he just plays solo. His real name is Michael Rosenberg, less rock and roll, or indeed less folk, as he is essentially a folk singer.)

Now folk music is not really my thing, but I was invited along by a friend who had a spare ticket, and I don't play hard to get.

By curious coincidence I found the support act was Gabrielle Aplin, a name which was vaguely familiar to me. And after the gig I found out why - she is promoted by the girlfriend of one of my mates and I remember her being discussed at a dinner party I hosted! So small world. Anyway, she has a great voice, and plays both guitar and keyboard. But ultimately it is folk music and riven with, to my ear, rather dreary love songs. No doubt very talented at what she does, but ultimately not for me. 

Passenger, although also very much in the folk singing genre, is a rather different kettle of fish. Songs are about much wider subjects, they are more varied, he plays guitar only but can do so in a more aggressive, powerful, manner. And of all the acts I have seen over the decades, he has the best patter. He spent a while busking and you can see that, both from the simple guitar style and the way to attract an audience. He was funny and modest and engaging. And while he is not all that well known (with one song that was a worldwide hit) he has a clearly quite devoted following and had sold out Brixton Academy: no mean feat. In short, you just had to like Passenger even if folk isn't your bag. I did.

Prior Park

Prior Park is a national trust property, and not a typical park. It is formed out of the grounds of a posh catholic school. The school is still there, but the NT has the task of looking after the park, which is a on a steeply sloping site carved out of a wooded hillside.

A board outside promised much for the keen twitcher.

Top sighting for us was that a kingfisher flashed across. No of course I didn't capture it on film. Fleeting as ever.

This is the school at the top of the hill overlooking its park.

Serious views

At the bottom is an ornamental Palladian bridge

View down into Bath

This is the "Gothic Temple". I think it is fair to say it has seen better days!

You may gather that I like Palladian Bridges....

But this is what lies behind the bridge. The Trust are currently renovating the dams which have been seriously damaged by an invasive species of crayfish which bore into the stonework. An expensive bit of restoration caused by the thoughtless addition of alien species, which it seems are basically incapable of eradication.