Last night...i ventured into the history of 25 years that the Manchester Academy has opened its doors to live music fans whom crush rush pounce throw plastic beer glasses through the air whilsting singing alone to the best bits from days of youth when walking sticks wheel chairs were something unknown..
The opening act was Louise Distras from Wakefield a kinda Billy Bragg..in tight jeans whose voice and ultra modern protest songs could strip wallpaper open a can of baked beans and suck any part of the human skin in one go..what i got from her was the hope that there is still some working class youth with a bag full of energy to throw at the injustice of the World...My first reason for standing at the crash barrier..was the reggee group...The Beat...Born under Tory Rule from the dark days whose music is still a march on today.....still making one stand up to be counted...
Gosh...Gosh..the main reason why i was at the front..was..The Undertones....Teenage Kicks...has to be one of the best songs from that angry period that i have had the pleasure to witness, to see live,to play in the confines of a tin can car...if i ever hear it as canned music in a super market..i think i will sit on the floor and cry...The last band...a retro of...The Jam....coming on late louder than loud played all the hits last one being...Going Underground...the crowd a sea of arms crashing as waves on the sea shore......After the final noteI stood for a few moments as the crowd swam for the exits..thinking wow fab magic and all those wonderful words....My youth in a bucket...poured out in those fleeting seconds of rush...
My old age head kicked in as the lights went up the crowd swarmed out the exits, as cold air of autumn pushed in a toxic mixture of umph catching ones breath in stucco..the floor was covered in Plastic beer cups i wondered whom would clean them all up..i thought the bands are not getting any younger still rocking in there fifties but still looked good...the crowd a mass of oldies glasses waliking sticks bald heads beer bellys women with no front teeth dyed roots jam jar glasses pushed shoved rocked..A tiny lady by my side..whispered to me I luv them..perhaps my generation will be going to no tea dances...and then there was youth..thankfully in amongst the crowd a chance to see something they missed musicaly during an era of hate towards Margret Thatcher...perhaps it was good they missed it the hate towards that women even today still raises the hairs on ones neck for some today. So Goeth.
