EuroTrip Day 15-16: Manchester

May 11
I had purchased my concert ticket for La Roux well ahead of time, and was very very excited for it. I had to take the train up to Manchester to see her, but it was definitely worth it.

I left mid-morning on the 11th from St. Pancras Station. The train ride to Manchester was by far the worst ride I had taken in the duration of my entire trip. I was able to read, play sudoku and look out the window for extended periods of time on all train rides except for this one. I could feel the headache coming on within 30 minutes, so I had to sit still for another 90 minutes after that. Luckily, sleep comes easily on a train - even on bad train rides.

Manchester is a beautiful city with a lovely campus. The church on campus, next to the chaplains centre was a historic building that didn't have the classic glass painted pane and detailed carvings like France, but had a old English feel to it.

The concert was starting at 730 but La Roux wasn't going to be on until 930. However, learning from the LCD Soundsystem concert about how packed it gets, I wasn't leaving it to chance, so I arrived at 715 to get in (the already very long) queue.

There were 2 artists before La Roux - Jamiewoon and I Blame Coco. I didn't like Jamiewoon, and I Blame Coco had an Automatic Loveletter type of emo rocker chick feel to it that I semi-liked. The lead singer also danced like Rob, which is very evident in a short video clip I took of her.

Finally, La Roux came on, and it was a FANTASTIC show. I enjoyed it so much more than LCD Soundsystem, because it wasn't so freaking hot and there weren't as many obnoxious people around me.

It concluded around 1030, and I walked back to where I was staying.

Note to self: don't EVER stay above a bar again.

When I booked the hotel, I knew it was above a bar, but I thought it would be quaint and I wanted the "drink then head upstairs to sleep" experience. Unfortunately for me, I didn't want to drink at that bar, and the sleeping part does not exist in this equation. I happened to get the room directly above the soundstage, which means I don't think I fell asleep until 1 or 2am. The saving grave is that I already stayed at Bordeaux, so this was nothing compared to the atrocity I experienced there. I can now say I have done the typical of staying at a bar, but I don't think I would ever do it again and wouldn't recommend it to anyone else.

May 12
I spent part of the morning perusing the streets of Manchester again, as I walked back to Piccadilly Station. My train would get me back to London at 1pm, where the plan was for Nate to get me to go to Camden Town.

Fun fact: I was rocking out to I Blame Coco at the La Roux concert when Gordon Brown stepped down from Prime Minister in front of No.10. Conservative Party leader David Cameron was asked by the queen to lead the country. I was going to bring the newspaper clipping back, but I somehow managed to lose it. AKA I threw it out because I forgot.