Brixton Academy or Manchester Apollo?
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Which was the best gig?
Closed-
Brixton 17 (68%)
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Manchester 8 (32%)
25 votes · voting closed
Brixton.
I like 'surprises' and, basically, we got none in Manchester.
The Academy's a better venue as well.
Thought Manc was a better day out, mind, just cos I made a 'holiday' of it, so to speak.
I preferred Brixton, but that's probably due to the fact that some shitbag trashed our car window during the Apollo gig. 3 hour drive back down South after............... FUCKING FREEZING!!! considering I had on a sweat soaked T shirt.
Both great gigs, but Apollo would have been good if the set had been changed a little more.
Brixton by a long chalk. Enjoyed Joshua Brookes before the Manc gig, but didn't enjoy the gig itself. First sober one for 20 years may have had something to do with it!
I voted Manchester, I thought the smaller venue made for a more intimate band/crowd atmosphere, the sound quality was better too. Brixton was good for the suprises though and the crowd really went for it especially the Joy Divison songs.
Murv wrote: I voted Manchester, I thought the smaller venue made for a more intimate band/crowd atmosphere, the sound quality was better too. Brixton was good for the suprises though and the crowd really went for it especially the Joy Divison songs.
Sound quality better in Manchester? Were you listening to the same rendition of 'Crystal' as the rest of us? Sound engineers got that one wrong - the resonance of the bass disturbed everything else so much that it hurt the ears! :\ohwell:
I went for Brixton for similar reasons to Tim - made a short holiday of Manchester, but said to the Mrs before the gig that I hoped they wouldn't be lazy and just play the exact same set. Okay, they added 'Atmosphere'...
manchester had a better crowd (mental at the front!), brixton was the most enjoyable set for the above stated reasons.
hibster wrote: manchester had a better crowd (mental at the front!), brixton was the most enjoyable set for the above stated reasons.
I thought Manchester had an appalling crowd compared to Brixton. Not a single soul moved for the encores. That, at least, garnered 'some' reaction in London. And you could walk in/out of Manchester dead easy cos of that passageway up the right hand side. At Brixton, once you're near the front, that's it, you're stuck.
Spotnick wrote: So Al, which gig was the best in 2005? overall...
Think they've all had their hilites, for different reasons. I couldn't pick one if I tried, but if forced would probably plump for Brixton, QEH or Hyde Park just for the mates-factor. Otherwise, Turin or Barca, or maybe even Oakland, simply for the expectation.
Good question, which was the best of 2005. Obviously I didn't get to them all, and I know how excited I was about Oakland from several thousand miles away (to the extent of getting up in the middle of the night and checking on here to find out what the set was), the first gig of a new series is always something special these days, wanting to know what's in, what's out etc.
I wasn't actually that full of expectation for Brixton, it was lower key to me beforehand, I was more looking forward to Manchester. As it happened though, Brixton was the one I enjoyed most of the whole year, starting with Ceremony was just a fabulous surprise. Manchester was more of a disappointment because of the lack of set variety.
Can't wait for the next ones!
Al Jarvis wrote:
hibster wrote: manchester had a better crowd (mental at the front!), brixton was the most enjoyable set for the above stated reasons.
I thought Manchester had an appalling crowd compared to Brixton. Not a single soul moved for the encores. That, at least, garnered 'some' reaction in London. And you could walk in/out of Manchester dead easy cos of that passageway up the right hand side. At Brixton, once you're near the front, that's it, you're stuck.
I thought it was madder during things like LWTUA at Manchester - was relatively easy to get to the front at both of them, Manc had the aisle, but there was no need for water or people being pulled out the crowd at Brixton....
At brixton Don & I managed to get from the front to the bar & back during BM
hibster wrote: At brixton Don & I managed to get from the front to the bar & back during BM
You could wander through a crowd at any gig during BM, surely? I remember laughing as we were all lined up at Brixton, looking glum as they played said tune.
At Manchester I walked out during Regret to phone Jo! Easy-peasy.
Everyone in Manchester seemed a lot shorter too!
Brixton.
kicked off with Ceremony and played Turn which took us all by surprise,
plus it was only a 10minute walk home 
Al Jarvis wrote: Everyone in Manchester seemed a lot shorter too!
Thats coz we're more 'down to earth' mate 
Brixton was better.
At times the crowd in Manchester was better than London, but that was only for 6 or 7 of the songs. It was nonstop at Brixton.
This has been my most prolific Neworder year since me first gig in 89! Barca, Hyde Park, T in the Park, QEH, Brixton, Manchester & The Hall Of Fame!!!
Barca or Brixton were the best gigs, though the fuck up during Toothache at T was very memorable. Agree with DoN about Ceremony & Turn last week.....fookin ace.
Barney Army wrote:
Al Jarvis wrote: Everyone in Manchester seemed a lot shorter too!
Thats coz we're more 'down to earth' mate
Boom Boom 
Brixton is a much much better venue than Apollo i thought, better laid out and much nicer decor, more of an atmosphere inside as well.
still the lights were nice at Apollo.
DoN wrote: Brixton.
kicked off with Ceremony and played Turn which took us all by surprise,
plus it was only a 10minute walk home
Walk? you got in a taxi with me, greg and ness!
Uncle Liam wrote:
DoN wrote: Brixton.
kicked off with Ceremony and played Turn which took us all by surprise,
plus it was only a 10minute walk home
Walk? you got in a taxi with me, greg and ness!
Aiii!!
got me home 8minutes quicker!! 
I enjoyed Manchester More, hard to explain why.
Could be because we were in a slightly better position,
The Atmosphere just seemed really tense before hand due to the expectant home crowd.
Or could be that gigs are more fun when you fly to get there
as has been said.............Brixton coz of the surprises. Hearing ceremony to start with was like my footie team scoring a last minute winner, hearing it at manchester was like them scoring when they were already 2-0 up (still something to shout about). I had to stand back from the rowdiness coz I had my wife with me, but the brixton crowd seemed to appreciate the ,how should i say it,less played tracks more than the usual suspects.
