Manchester, 1st September 2012.

We got to Manchester really late. I don’t actually even remember if there was a reason for that or whether we were just really late. I remember being really gutted not to be on the front row, cos it was the first (and for a very long time, the only) time I wasn’t on front row, and I could see very little from where I ended up standing. Unsurprisingly I remember very little of the music part of the actual thing, but I do remember that it wasn’t FVK’s gig, it was an EP/album launch for a band that I no longer remember the name of (Red something? I think it had Red in the name), and FVK were the main support. The reason I remember this is because afterwards, when we were milling around, I went and tapped Beveridge on the shoulder and he said “Meg! I’m talking to my NEW FRIENDS!” 

Oops.

Manchester was also the first time I gave Beveridge a ‘proper hug’, by which I mean I dragged him over to some stairs that were in the middle of the venue, went up about two of them and then hugged him around the neck instead of around the middle. Being 5ft nothing means it’s pretty much a given that hugging people means my head is level with their nipples. It was nice to be tall enough to rest my head on someone’s shoulder for once.

Um… I don’t remember much else about Manchester. Except that I hadn’t eaten all day, I looked like shite and I had a few more drinks that I should have. And I bought all the lads a drink, which I only remember because when I asked Shane what he wanted he said “Surprise me” and I ended up getting him a Cheeky Vimto. Oh and I bought Kemp a pint of lager and put a pink straw in it, which he actually drank the pint through which I recall thinking was pretty hilarious.

 If you’re unfamiliar with the TV show Garth Merenghi’s Darkplace then you’re not going to understand this but I can’t leave it out. I don’t know how I found out that the band were fans of the show (I think they tweeted about it?) but I was very excited to discover that they were. I can’t even begin to describe what it’s about but the two main characters are DR Rick Dagless MD played by Matthew Holness and DR Lucien Sanchez, played by Matt Berry.  Beveridge had once said he felt he looked like Matt Berry and in my head for some reason this made him Lucien Sanchez and Drew Rick Dagless. I found a pair of sunglasses in Poundland that looked like Dag’s and made Drew wear them while he and Beveridge did a classic Sanch and Dag pose.

I’m easily pleased okay leave me alone.

At one point for reasons I don’t recall Shane told me he “cries every day because he wakes up next to Drew". No, I don’t know either. OH and I found a pair of guitar shaped sunglasses lying around and hooked them onto my top and Drew walked outside (Annabel and I were helping load out but then we were refused entry back in…) and went “Those are my glasses!” and I said “Oh. Sorry, they’ve been in my boobs now.” to which he responded with “Your boobs have been everywhere tonight!”
I was unaware that they had but cheers Drew.

Do you know what I'm dumping this picture here just because it's awful. 

Until next time, 

Meg Mercury xoxo

EDIT: I’ve had to come back to this point because since I started writing I’ve found a little book that I used to write stupid shit the lads said to me in and the first thing in it is an amazing line from Manchester. Obviously this was the first time I’d seen the lads since my breakup/baby meltdown in Doncaster, and I felt like I needed to apologise because really no-one needs to see me in that state. So anyway I apologised to each of them, but by far my favourite reaction to my apology came from Drew, who when I said that I hadn’t realised I’d be that upset responded with “I can stand on it (the baby) if you want. Not to kill it, just to maim it a bit. So that it walks with a limp.”