Not only was it overcast but it was also way too hot and stuffy to do anything except watch Netflix and eat Scotch Eggs. I now feel worse than last week. Perhaps a couple of these will cheer me up..?
Fairfield Cider Fete
Friday 27th – Saturday 28th July
After a couple of years smashing the fizzy commercial lagers I’m now fully back onto cider, primarily because beer was starting to give me a massive gut like the ones your dad’s mate used to have that contained the biggest, deepest and darkest belly button known to man. Back to Strongbow. Back to Black Dragon and back to a big pint of Weston’s Old Rosie with at least 6 ice cubes. For other like-minded lovers of the fermented apple-nectar, GRUB are hosting a Cider Fete on Friday and Saturday over at the Fairfield Social Club which will include over 100 ciders from over 20 different producers. That enough apples for you punk?
Horse Meat Disco
Friday 27th July
Not only have Horse Meat Disco attained one of the biggest accolades in the city (being included in a ‘Things to do’ roundup) but they will also be graced with my presence on Friday as I descend upon Gorilla wearing clothes that used to fit me, too much fake tan and with breath that stinks of a cocktail of Buckfast and cheese. Friday sees their Summer Sizzler hit Gorilla and it looks like tickets are selling out fast – so get a bloody move on. If you see me there tonight and you think, “Oh he looks like a nice chap” – I’m not. I’m a dick head. As if you need any more convincing to get involved – listen to this:
Viva la Murica at Sandinista
Friday 27th July
It’s getting to the end of Sandinista’s American Tap Takeover and so they are having one final ‘hurrah’ before moving on to something else. This month has seen a variety of events, as well as a rotating selection of proper American beers and ales on their pumps. This final party sees them offer a load of FREE American tapas – sliders, hotdogs etc. as well as a very impressive Donald Trump Piñata that you can kick the shit out of in order to win a bar tab for the evening. You know that I don’t like getting into politics in this stuff so I’m just going to leave it there. Some people like Trump. Some people hate the slug. I’m not going to judge, comment or indeed offer any form of opinion on the matter. But if you think he’s a tanned knob head – get involved in giving him a bloody good kicking.
Rob Kemp: The Elvis Dead
Friday 27th July
Combining two of the greatest, but also unlikeliest, things imaginable, this geezer Rob Kemp has merged Elvis with the Evil Dead 2 for a musical night of comedy, horror and judging by his picture, strong jaw lines. I’m not sure what possessed (haahaaaaa – geddit!?) him to want to combine these two rather random pieces of entertainment, but nevertheless – he’s done it and apparently, it’s brilliant. The act is part of the Refract festival of arts that’s being held at the Waterside in Sale until Saturday so even if you don’t like Elvis or even Evil Dead 2 there might still be something that takes your fancy.
Summer in the City at The Refuge
Saturday 28th July
They’ve got a big banging party over at The Refuge this Saturday which includes a lot of things that begin with the letter ‘B’. Like a shit game of Blockbusters, I’m now going to try to attempt to relay this information to you by only using B words. Here goes… Behold brilliant beats, blistering BBQ bites below… ah this is too hard. Big failure there, I’ll just stick to actual proper words instead. Burger legends Big Grillie Style are heading down to the courtyard with a big jock-off BBQ and a special menu to serve up some grub alongside a load of DJs and plenty of merriment. It’s free to get involved too so there’s not much of an excuse not to pop your head in the door.
2-4-1 Aperol Spritz at The Bay Horse Tavern
Saturday 28th July
Regardless of your thoughts on Aperol and the fact that it’s nowhere near as good as Campari and never will be, you can’t deny that the offer of 2-4-1 Aperol Spritz at the Bay Horse Tavern this Saturday is something that you shouldn’t really miss out on. In case you don’t know, Aperol is an Italian ‘aperitif’ made from a load of plants, rhubarb and the odd unicorn tear. It’s not as bitter as Campari which makes it perfect for mixing with prosecco for one of the most refreshing and delicious summer drinks available. The Bay Horse will be knocking up a proper Aperol Bar in their outside bit on Saturday and offering 2-4-1 vibes all day. Cheers for that.
The Bay Horse Tavern, 35-37 Thomas St, Manchester M4 1NA
thebayhorsetavern.co.uk/
Manchester Comic-Con
Saturday 28th – Sunday 29th July
Grab your Mjolnir, lube up your lightsaber and get ironing your red gruds because this week sees Manchester host its very own Comic-Con for about the 15th year running and it’s looking like it’s going to be the biggest one yet. As you’d expect, you won’t be able to move for the amount of people dressed up as the Joker but give them a karate chop and head to the ample stands and stalls flogging a wide range of weird stuff that I’d never hope to understand. Like Yu-Gi-Oh!? Then you’ll be able to get your sweaty digits around some spang-danglers and those really rare whoop-whizzers that you’ve seen online. Fan of Stargate? Well you can go meet that guy – you know the one, as well as that other one, you know – the one from the thingy. Actually, I really fucking love Stargate – only the movie mind, and only because it has Kurt Russell in it.
Festwich 2018
Saturday 28th – Sunday 29th July
The UK’s biggest free tribute act festival, no other festival in the world will let you sit on a bit of grass while watching Queen, followed by The Smiths and Pulp. The acts are all actually really good, as I discovered last year when I went down for approximately 17 minutes before leaving to sulk on my own in my house. The weekend is split up into 2 days, as is always the case, but what I mean is that Saturday is for the ‘Rock & Roll’ gang while the Sunday is more for the ‘Indie’ crew. So, Saturday is Guns N Roses and Slayer and Black Sabbath and that sorta shit, while Sunday is Pulp and Joy Division and Fleetwood Mac. The website says that it is sold out but that makes no sense, seeing as it’s free. If you head down I’m sure someone will sort you out.
Bee in the City Weekender
Saturday 28th – Sunday 29th July
Unless you’re an idiot, on holiday or severely blind, you will have noticed 100 massive bees that magically popped up around the city on Monday, each one painted a different way by someone with a beret, paintbrush and a big stick on moustache. It’s the Bee in the City art thingy and they will be knocking about the city until the end of September. Loads of people have decided that they want to get a picture of (or with) every single one and good luck to them, and I’ve even designed a Beer Crawl that ticks around half of them off your list as well. They are also having a big bash this weekend with a load of bee-related events and activities for all the family. It’s taking place around Exchange Square and the Cathedral and outside Harvey Nichols – that general vicinity. There’s loads going on and instead of me just regurgitating information like a wasp building a disgusting nest, just check out the article below.
Camden Town Shout with Strawberry Hells Forever
Thursday 2nd August
I’ve always been an advocate of free things, even those old AOL CDs that were everywhere in the 90’s – I’d happily accept them and then repurpose them into something much more useful. Usually they would end up being flung at my mate’s face when playing out but as I got older they turned into drinks coasters, mirrors and most impressively – a fancy dress outfit, being used as that round shiny thing that cartoon doctors wear on their head. If you also like free stuff then head on down to the Woodstock Arms on Thursday because Camden Town brewery are doing one of their famous ‘Camden Shout’ events, where someone shouts ‘Go!’ and the beers are free until the keg runs dry. Which usually doesn’t take too long but you can swift a couple of pints in their if you’re fast. They’re celebrating the launch of a new Summer lager called Strawberry Hells Forever and I’m therefore assuming that it’s got some sort of Strawberry somewhere in the recipe.
Innis & Gunn Tap Takeover at Cane & Grain
Thursday 2nd August
As their ‘Brewer of the Month’ for August, Cane & Grain are inviting the gang from Innis & Gunn to come and do a tap takeover on Thursday and so naturally you can expect loads of fizzy beer to be sloshing about, as well as plenty of FREE samples being handed around. There will also be some live music on, which I’m sure will be lovely for anyone who enjoys that sort of thing. Despite having approximately 14 cans of the stuff in the office at this exact moment, I’ve never even tried Innis & Gunn so I’m just blindly recommending this night without anything to back it up. The stuff could taste like Fairy liquid for all I know, although I doubt it – they’re Scottish and if the Scottish people know how to do one thing – it’s drink. I trust ’em.
Cane & Grain, 49 -51 Thomas Street, Manchester M4 1NA
www.caneandgrain.co.uk/
