Hang Me Up To Dry

It's nice to have stuff to look forward to but I seem to be a bit spoilt for choice at the moment. Perhaps I deserve it this week though as I managed to get paint in my eye (and everwhere else) while doing some decorating. It's not the most pleasant experience although it did leave me looking like a kind of reverse-but-equally-scary-Clockwork Orange Alex with one very white eye which was quite fun.

To begin with, its the start of the Football Season on Saturday! It seems a bit weird to be kicking off in what seems like only the very beginning of summer but thats Murdoch for you. Despite the unnervingly nice weather, the first day of the season is one of the most exciting for fans of all clubs no matter their level as we all begin as equals, each with our own individual aims and desires. Over the next 9 months some teams will rise while some will fall but at 2:55pm on Saturday the optimism and wonder at what will lie in store over the season will be the same from Carlisle to Plymouth. Unless you're a Leeds fan that is. In that case you'll have to pray.

Anyway, on my way to Edgeley Park on Saturday for what is clearly the glamour tie of the day to watch my beloved Stockport County take on Dagenham & Redbridge in their first ever league match, I'll probably be listening to Malcolm Middleton's 'A Brighter Beat' record. It's overall bleakness dotted with moments of absolute elation always put me in the right mood before a match. On the train home after if we've won I can smile to myself at the wry lyrics (also probably at a fat and angry away fan realising they're in Stockport and have a massive journey ahead of them) and if we've lost I can wallow in another Malcolm's despair.

Malcolm Middleton - We're All Going To Die

I've got a couple of other reasons to be cheerful this week as straight from the match on Saturday I'm going straight up to Edinburgh to see a wee bit at the festival, a proper treat. We've got tickets booked for curly wonder Simon Amstell on Sunday for which I'm very excited having just watched that Buzzcocks where Preston walks off but not much else. I know that Texan guitar man and general legend Seasick Steve is playing on Tuesday night so I might try and get to that. But if I don't then its not too much bother because he's also playing at The Green Man Festival which is next weekend! Every time I look at the line-up I seem to spot something else I want to see. A couple of really annoying clashes too Joanna Newsom vs Tunng, Devandra Banhart vs Herman Dune. Argh!

I think thats enough boasting for now. I'll leave you with a track from Manchester's own The Beep Seals, one band I'll definitely be seeing at Green Man. They got 8/10 for their new single 'Stars' on Planet Sound on Channel 4 which is high praise indeed. It has that kind of 60s group feel to it but its also really soulful. Check it out. Also everyone should also go and buy Headlines new single 'Takeover', out on September 17th, another brilliant Manchester band who I should have seen at D-percussion. Having said that they were ace at the Night and Day on Monday. Phew! longest post so far that one I think! This will be a lot easier when I'm back at uni and not on bloody dial-up!

The Beep Seals - Chariot Song

A Long Process

So yesterday was the annual descent on Castlefield by 8000 Mancunians of all shapes, sizes and in varying states of inhebriation for the last ever D-percussion festival. This state of impending closure seemed to encourage a LOT of extra people to turn up and despite Castlefield being an excellent, atmospheric location for the festival to take place, especially under the railway arches and in the roman gardens, some of the walkways were so narrow it made walking between stages a bit of a pain so trying to grab a spot of green for a sit down rather than fight your way through the crowds seemed a more attractive option a lot of the time. This meant that my festival was experienced in a kind of Waiting For Godot way, trying to make it to different stages chasing different acts but never really catching any of them.

Despite this, I managed to catch and thoroughly enjoy The Answering Machine on the main stage, playing their first gig with new addition Ben on drums. I reckon it was probably their biggest ever audience but their Strokes-y guitar pop sounded just as good in the open air as it has done in little Manchester clubs over the last year or so. The live drums really suited the festival atmosphere, adding a soaring, anthemic element to the songs.

The Answering Machine - Oh Christina

The next couple of hours were spent wandering aimlessly and drinking outrageously priced lager before a large and intruiged crowd gathered at the high voltage stage to see tipped manc duo The Ting Tings, only to be told they had cancelled at the 11th hour. I had been looking forward to seeing them since the piece on them during the BBC Glastonbury coverage so that was a bit annoying really but there you go. Our original aim was then to go and catch Twisted Charm and maybe The Whip but instead we settled in Dukes 92 for a welcome sit down and some even more welcome pints of cider. Rested and refreshed we strode out across the site, deciding to check out the more interesting fare on display at the roman gardens stage, anything but The Courteeners! This turned out to be the best idea of the day with a whole range of weird and wonderful things on display, ranging from burlesque dancers, showgirls and best of all (well, maybe not better, but equally good) Dr Butlers Hatstand Medicine Band, playing some good old fashioned 50s swing complete with Ukelele. It made such a nice change to the macho posturing of the more typically 'Manc' groups on some of the other stages and fit the mood perfectly for a warm summers evening.

Dr Butlers Hatstand Medicine Band - No Good Woman

Some chips and a quick jig to the end headliners' The Sunshine Underground and that was it, the end of D-percussion perhaps for good. Despite my complaints about the overcrowding it was really nice to see so many music-loving Mancunians of all ages having a good time. I've always thought that Manchester has lacked a decent music festival and with this gone you can't help but worry for the state of music in the city. On the other hand this day showed that Manchester certainly does have a great deal to offer. Polytechinic and Cherry Ghost are just two shining examples (despite the fact I missed them both) playing later on in the day, D-percussion allowed them to play to big crowds, convert more people to their music and to mix with fellow mancunian artists. More than this though, D-percussion was just about getting together with your mates and having fun and hopefully it can return in some way or another next year.