Guillemots and a Danish fish platter

After recovering from a spot of flu, I took the good lady to see Guillemots at Manchester Academy on Friday (9th feb for any chance of a google). And after navigating our way to Oxford Road in good time, found our selves a handy parking slot round the back of jabez, we were ready to go. First, a stroll down to Kro 2 for a bite to eat - Danish fish platter with Home made Rye bread. Not sur a bout the rye bread, but the platter was good enough for me. and you cant beat fat chips with cracked pepper.

Missed the special guest. we caught the back end of her finale which left me in no doubt that we hadnt missed much. i thought she might have been the sound check, but she cant have been, because...
...She was followed by the worlds longest sound check. fair enough, there was an enormous array of equipment, props and unlikley sources of musical accompniament on stage but i'm not sure of the need to test each and every article at least 3 times. it last approximatley 20 minutes and add to that a never ending backing track of 20's mississippi blues and youve got a proper warm up act.

Guillemots were very good. all very soundscaped and a little quirky with a hint of am-dram. The guitarist gave good theatrics with his combined use of guitar, bits and bobs (i think isaw a typewriter at one point) and a theramim. He almost made Johnny Greenwood look like a conservative guitar player with no interest in mucking about with his ax. but not quite. very energetic though.
not sure why the singer placed his keyboard so he had his back to the bass player all night, i assume she dismissed his advances earlier in the dressing room.
Good job all in all, quality up lifting tunes with more than a whiff of art-house whackery.
no encore, which i dont mind - theyd played there four best tunes by the end so you knew it wasnt coming, unless they had a secret bobby dazzler hidden up their dressing gown sleeves. they didnt, so we went home.