Dymetrie
10-12-2007, 17:54
As can be seen here (http://www.boat-drinks.co.uk/showthread.php?t=6540), this weekend I was abducted (some say by aliens, some say by northerners). It was actually by my two friends Jill and Keith (used to work with Jill until she retired earlier this year) who are actually from the north (well... Enfield).
I was collected at 10am Sunday morning having only been told that I would need an overnight bag. Suitably equiped I began the magical mystery tour.
We first headed over to the M1 (mmmm... roadworks) which we pootled up for a while before heading over to Castle Ashby for Sunday lunch here (http://www.falconhotel-castleashby.com/#) (it was quite impressively posh).
We then returned to the M1 and had a jaunt on the M6 before following, or attempting to follow, the signs to the NEC.
By this time I had some kind of inkling about what was going on. Well, something was going to occur at the NEC. We checked into the 'Express by Holiday Inn' (great name, no, really...) and Keith went for a lie down while me and Jill had some drinks in the hotel bar (£6.50 for a pint and a glass of wine!!??).
Whilst supping on beverages myself and Jill played 20 questions. Well... Jill said of whatever we were doing there 'The doors open at 6.30. We could have gone to Wembley'.
Straight away I guessed Kylie.
I was wrong.
I was also wrong with Jason Donovon, Dannii Minogue and Lion King on Ice.
Eventually my mind twigged that it was definitely a concert, but not only that, a concert that Jill and Keith would want to go to.
Marilyn ****ing Manson (http://www.necgroup.co.uk/visitor/whatson/DisplayWhatsOn.asp?i=5718&m=12&p=1) :D
Hadn't seen him since 2001 at the Guns, God, Government tour (which rocked) and Reading (kinda) and I knew that Jill and Keith hadn't seen him despite loving his music (which is interesting for a couple in their 50s neh?).
I did done gone bounce for a bit.
At half six we left for the NEC arena.
Now comes the important bit.
The 'Exress by Holiday Inn' is superbly placed on roundabout of the ONLY ROAD INTO THE NEC. So a perfect place to stay you might think? Wrong. There is no pedestrian access from this location. So we had fun trudging along the grass verge to the complex only to find that the arena was on the other damn side. So we trudged through the complex and arrived...
Manson was supported by Turbonegro. An interesting 'rock' band fronted by a guy who was a cross between Jack Black and Toecutter from Mad Max. We weren't overly impressed but appreciated the comedy value.
Then came the proper concert.
It was ****ing BRILLIANT!!!
Manson is an awesome showman and got involved with the crowd a helluvalot (even though he did start saying derogatory things about London... But, meh. the local crowd liked it even though we know he probably said nasty things about other cities at the London gig), much changes of costumes, much pyrotechnics, much awesome music :D
Further entertainment was gleaned from the group of three 15 year old girls two rows (yes, we were in the seated section... we're old OK!) in front of us who got up and danced to everything (with no co-ordination or rhythm) as well as running around the venue a bit... They were funny :p
Was better than when I saw him before and this time I knew more of the songs (lots from Golden Age of Grotesque and Eat Me, Drink Me as well as some classics). I'm not counting when he played Reading because even though I could hear him I was back at the camp rather than in the Arena :p
After the concert we trudged back along the anti-pedestrian route to our hotel where I was unable to even try and get to sleep until about half one... So I read my book (so rock and roll :p).
Got up this morning after another mostly sleepless night (not due to the hotel room, just still not sleeping properly :/) and took advantage of the included breakfast.
DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT have any OJ from an 'Express by Holiday Inn' hotel... It's rank... Worse than rank... The cappuccino was pretty good though :p
We then bimbled back towards London via some very attractive countryside (bimbling around countryside in a Land Rover is fun :) especially when there are fords to traverse :D) and had some (late) lunch at The Navigation (http://www.harvester.co.uk/harvester_results.php?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.viamich elin.com%2Fb2b2c%2Fgbr%2Fdyn%2Fcontroller%2FDLAmbi guous%3Bjsessionid%3D%3Fwnoss%3Dtrue%26productId%3 D84601%26strAddress%3D%26strLocation%3Denfield%26s trCP%3D%26strCountry%3D1138%26c1%3D1). The bacon burger was most impressive, none of your usual rasher of bacon, this thing had a lump of gammon in it!
I finally got dropped back home at about half three thoroughly impressed with my surprise Magical Mystery Tour :)
Work tomorrow :(
I was collected at 10am Sunday morning having only been told that I would need an overnight bag. Suitably equiped I began the magical mystery tour.
We first headed over to the M1 (mmmm... roadworks) which we pootled up for a while before heading over to Castle Ashby for Sunday lunch here (http://www.falconhotel-castleashby.com/#) (it was quite impressively posh).
We then returned to the M1 and had a jaunt on the M6 before following, or attempting to follow, the signs to the NEC.
By this time I had some kind of inkling about what was going on. Well, something was going to occur at the NEC. We checked into the 'Express by Holiday Inn' (great name, no, really...) and Keith went for a lie down while me and Jill had some drinks in the hotel bar (£6.50 for a pint and a glass of wine!!??).
Whilst supping on beverages myself and Jill played 20 questions. Well... Jill said of whatever we were doing there 'The doors open at 6.30. We could have gone to Wembley'.
Straight away I guessed Kylie.
I was wrong.
I was also wrong with Jason Donovon, Dannii Minogue and Lion King on Ice.
Eventually my mind twigged that it was definitely a concert, but not only that, a concert that Jill and Keith would want to go to.
Marilyn ****ing Manson (http://www.necgroup.co.uk/visitor/whatson/DisplayWhatsOn.asp?i=5718&m=12&p=1) :D
Hadn't seen him since 2001 at the Guns, God, Government tour (which rocked) and Reading (kinda) and I knew that Jill and Keith hadn't seen him despite loving his music (which is interesting for a couple in their 50s neh?).
I did done gone bounce for a bit.
At half six we left for the NEC arena.
Now comes the important bit.
The 'Exress by Holiday Inn' is superbly placed on roundabout of the ONLY ROAD INTO THE NEC. So a perfect place to stay you might think? Wrong. There is no pedestrian access from this location. So we had fun trudging along the grass verge to the complex only to find that the arena was on the other damn side. So we trudged through the complex and arrived...
Manson was supported by Turbonegro. An interesting 'rock' band fronted by a guy who was a cross between Jack Black and Toecutter from Mad Max. We weren't overly impressed but appreciated the comedy value.
Then came the proper concert.
It was ****ing BRILLIANT!!!
Manson is an awesome showman and got involved with the crowd a helluvalot (even though he did start saying derogatory things about London... But, meh. the local crowd liked it even though we know he probably said nasty things about other cities at the London gig), much changes of costumes, much pyrotechnics, much awesome music :D
Further entertainment was gleaned from the group of three 15 year old girls two rows (yes, we were in the seated section... we're old OK!) in front of us who got up and danced to everything (with no co-ordination or rhythm) as well as running around the venue a bit... They were funny :p
Was better than when I saw him before and this time I knew more of the songs (lots from Golden Age of Grotesque and Eat Me, Drink Me as well as some classics). I'm not counting when he played Reading because even though I could hear him I was back at the camp rather than in the Arena :p
After the concert we trudged back along the anti-pedestrian route to our hotel where I was unable to even try and get to sleep until about half one... So I read my book (so rock and roll :p).
Got up this morning after another mostly sleepless night (not due to the hotel room, just still not sleeping properly :/) and took advantage of the included breakfast.
DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT have any OJ from an 'Express by Holiday Inn' hotel... It's rank... Worse than rank... The cappuccino was pretty good though :p
We then bimbled back towards London via some very attractive countryside (bimbling around countryside in a Land Rover is fun :) especially when there are fords to traverse :D) and had some (late) lunch at The Navigation (http://www.harvester.co.uk/harvester_results.php?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.viamich elin.com%2Fb2b2c%2Fgbr%2Fdyn%2Fcontroller%2FDLAmbi guous%3Bjsessionid%3D%3Fwnoss%3Dtrue%26productId%3 D84601%26strAddress%3D%26strLocation%3Denfield%26s trCP%3D%26strCountry%3D1138%26c1%3D1). The bacon burger was most impressive, none of your usual rasher of bacon, this thing had a lump of gammon in it!
I finally got dropped back home at about half three thoroughly impressed with my surprise Magical Mystery Tour :)
Work tomorrow :(