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#2
Manchester 2002. Murray Street tour. This time I went to the concert alone. My family decided to visit our relatives in nearby Chester to coincide with the SY gig so that they could give me a lift to Manchester, which is approximately 5 hours drive. We got slightly lost on the way down but managed to get there eventually and find Manchester Academy, a medium sized venue, a lot smaller thatn Shepards Bush. My parents dropped me off outside, and I could already see a huge queue of teenagers milling around outside. Timidly I went and joined the queue, sporting my NYC G+F t-shirt. Once I got inside I headed for the merchandise stall and saw no other than Coco Hayley Gordon Moore chilling out looking at fans of her parent's band with coy curiousity. I purchased a black Sonic Youth tee which had a sort of psychedelic pattern. Then I headed to the bar to buy a pint.
I stood and watched Liars and thought they were OK but nothing brilliant. A girl in front of me was writing Sonic Youth on her arm w/ lipstick. She asked me if I wanted my arm done. I bashfully declined. She seemed intrigued when she heard my Scottish accent. I went and got another pint. I sipped it slowly. I must've had a relatively empty stomach because at this point I began feeling slightly tipsy. I struck up a conversation with a nervous looking woman standing beside me who turned out to be the girlfriend of the Liar's bassist. She was from New York and cited the Whitey Album and Sister as her fav Sonic records. I told her I was more of an a Thousand Leaves man. We kissed and engaged in some heavy petting. Just kidding. I finished my beer and the Sonics hit the stage and I remember the instant they appeared. I was close to the front, much closer than the last gig, and it felt so surreal and ethereal. They went straight into a rocking version of Bull in the Heather followed by, if memory serves, Kotton Krown.
They proceeded to play the best concert I have ever witnessed and in all likliehood am ever likely to witness. They played Making the Nature Scene for fuck's sake! I went insane at that point, moshing, slam dancing, falling over other startled audience members. The Murray Street material sounded awesome live as well, particularly Karenology and Sympathy for the Strawberry. I remember fancying that I made eye contact w. Kim during the latter but I probably just imagined it.
They played 2 encores, Thurston declaring that Mancunians really are 24 hour party people.
A note on the Mancunian people: of all the gigs I've been to, the audience at this one seemed the most friendly and talkative. I had conversations with quite a few fanatics who were devoid of the typical concert attendee aloofness. I remember midway thru shadow of a doubt turning to a guy i had spoken to earlier and we were both just grinning gleefully and he screamed "this is fucking amazing!" it certainly was.
After the gig I went outside soaked to my skin in sweat and bought a Murray Street poster from some random dude. I went back to the travel inn in a euphoric daze. This gig, and London 2000 were two of the best experiences of my life, no shit.
Setlist:
Bull in the Heather
Cotton Crown
The Empty Page
Rain on Tin
Plastic Sun
Kissability
Karenology
Eric's Trip
Shadow of a Doubt
Radical Adults Lick Godhead Style
Sympathy for the Strawberry
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Disconnection Notice
Skip Tracer
Drunken Butterfly
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Making the Nature Scene
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