Firstly, I just want to point out that I made a rather elementary mistake that even the top BBC journalists have made, back up your sources. I went on last issue about how the 'Bowling Green' pub was imminently closing, it isn't but it is under threat.

There is a compulsory purchase order in the air, but as far as the near future is concerned, the pub is staying up. However with this threat in the air, the current owners are unwilling to invest
(understandably) because of the chances of making the money back are limited.

Well that's my little apology done, now let's back track on another issue I raised a few issues ago – 'The Night And Day'.

It's a great venue, it is unique, but wow, it is the worst possible place to spend a summers evening this side of a Cuban based US POW camp.

I spent my Thursday night there, it wasn't too packed, Midland Railway managed to pull in about 20 odd people, the other acts brought there share, so perhaps 80ish people, by no means full but it
was so stuffy and close I was expecting to see a few naked Scandinavians hitting each other with branches in the corner.

That nearly happened, as part of their 'Eyeball Haemorrhage' nights they play 'art' films, which all seem to be random brainwaves of hopeless directors in stop-motion filming that are more a study of disturbed minds than cinematography. One of them featured a fairly explicit S&M vid. Rather uncomfortable viewing in a pub with mates. However these were a vast improvement on the last time I went there were 6 films about babies, the sound of crying babies over a few hundred watts of PA system is one of my least favourite memories ever !

Anyway, it was hot, humid, so head to the bar, a bottle of beer cost £3.40, if it were in London

I'd be disgusted, in Manchester it is near criminal. Even cans, cans that would be 8 for £5 in my

local offy were £3. Given that everybody had to pay for entry it is rather taking the Michael.

Why not drink soft drinks ? Because for a half pint of lemonade (or a half pint glass with three

ice cubes in and a splash of coke) it is £1.20, so multiplying up for what would be a pint worth of

liquid you are paying nearly £3. I can go to my local cash and carry and easily buy a bottle of R

Whites or equivalent lemonade for about 50p for 2 litres, or in old money, almost 4 pints. That

would mean a half should cost me about 6p. I will not ever, ever buy something that is sold at a

2000% mark-up, and I do not see why we should.

And given that the bars like 'Night and Day' would get their soft drinks in syrup form and add

their own water, saving even more because of the reduced packaging and transport costs, it is even

more disgusting. Even considering the glass washing charges and stuff, I cannot work out how a bar

such as this can charge more for soft drinks than neighbouring places can for taxed beer.

Now back into last night and you will recall that it is stiflingly hot, beverages are needed, I

didn't check if water was on tap, but for those on limited cash flow, coming to watch their mates

play, or especially unsigned musicians who are luck sometimes to scrape enough for petrol money and

give their all to the audience only to have to fork out vast amounts of cash to line people's

pockets.

How can this country cut down on drink driving when in many cases it is more expensive to drink

soft drinks? In my humble opinion, and that of people the_jon_m has been talking to, 50p for a pint of

soft drink should become a limit, there is still a large mark-up to cover overheads such as equipment

and ground rent, but it is not as stupidly extortionate. It is a small shame that I've already put my

list in for Post Room 101 'cause I would have liked overpriced soft drinks to join tailgaters in there.

Restaurant chains like 'Nandos' and 'Pizza Hut' offer free refills on soft drinks, why can't pubs ?

Have a pop over to iCan, another DNA community, and pledge support to the campaign I hastily

started the Campaign for Realistic Pricing of Soft Drinks and see if we can change things.

So what was the gig like ?? Pretty good, Midland Railway are a very true reflection of punk

ideals, get up and play your stuff and say your stuff, entertain the audience and really sweated for

the cause. First act was a rather pointless guy with a box that goes bleep, was at the side of the

stage and had so little presence I doubt Darth Vader (or Zaphod) could feel them. I couldn't

understand why he was there cause it would have been as much of a connection if he'd just sent a

CD. Then there was a rather scruffy rock riff band, but since I was taking refuse outside in the

rain, I may of missed their name (sorry, but you really should mention your name a couple of times

incase people miss the beginning / end of your set). I avoided the insult to professional music known

as Bruno, partly because my shoes were melting, partly because there was a Muddy Walters

Documentary on C4, partly because I didn't want to donate 2 limbs in exchange for another

beverage but mostly cause I already now they are dull, talentless, insulting and very unprofessional

and I didn't want to dignify their set with my presence.

Plug time, so switch on people. 2 this time … 22^nd of August, Frank is Dead (www.frankisdead.com), pop-punk at its finest, play with Nick Ainsworth and his Former Bullies

(Manchester's Anti-folk legend) and David Kay and The Defendants (show-stopping country

influenced rock and roll) at 'Grand Central, Oxford Road, Manchester'. Hang on that sounds like a

plot for a R18 vid, (goes and writes it down for future usage).

Other plug is for my alter-ego The Master Bluesman (www.mbluesman.com) playing at the above

mentioned 'Bowling Green' possibly for the last time with other acts including Charlie Blue, Timboon

Brie and Nick Lote of Midland Railway on 24^th August, which is a Tuesday.

Anyway 'till next time


Love, Peace and Blues


tjm

Mancunian Blues Archive

The_Jon_M

19.08.04 Front Page

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