Category: Manchester

Manchester Venue 3 – International 2

Running as a sister venue and located nearby International 1 was the slighter larger International 2 (also closed I believe early 90’s). There were rumours of ongoing drug incidents that precipitated its demise. It was a grander venue than International 1 as it had a upper balcony overlooking the stage where I recall supping Newcastle Brown prior to the gigs.

Photograph of the venue which became the International 2 on Plymouth Grove, Longsight. The photo was taken in 1975 as its previous incarnation as the Carousel Club, a venue favoured by the local Irish community. Image Credit mdmarchive.co.uk

I visited there twice and my first visit  on a very cold Monday night in December 1986 is still up there as one of my favourite all time gigs. The Pogues were in town and at that point they were at their absolute peak. I have never witnessed a more interactive audience as I would estimate around 80% of the crowd were dancing and an old fashioned sprung dance floor assisted in this regard. In the middle of the gig we had a loo break which were situated out the back of the venue and walking back up we encountered the largest drunkest moshpit I have ever witnessed. The band had a euphoric stage presence and Shane McGowan had a plethora of different forms of alcohol by his feet including what looked suspiciously like a bottle of Crème de Menthe.

Stand out tracks were ‘Sick Bed of Cuchulainn’ and ‘A Pair of Brown Eyes’ and they finished their second encore with ‘The Wild Rover’.

Even the DJ was inspired, spinning the Buzzcocks ‘Ever Fallen in Love’ as the first track post gig.  

Flyer displaying Pogues gig. Image Credit mdm.archive.co.uk

The night took a surreal turn afterwards as we piled into a restaurant next to Yang Sing for some tucker and in the middle of our meal a considerable ruckus ensued. Two Chinese lads proceeded to turn on another highly unfortunate Chinese lad with chairs and tables upturned. After a summary lesson had been taught (reason unknown) the assailants calmly landed a substantial amount of cash on the counter for damages on their way out followed shortly after by the battered and bruised victim.  We exchanged bemused glances, made sure he was ok and then returned to our supper.  

The other gig at the venue was Jesus and Mary Chain supported by Motorcycle Boy (led by Alex who was previously in the Shop Assistants). Mary Chain were decent that night finishing their set with ‘Kill Surf City’ and ‘Never Understand’. My records show I bought a band T-shirt for a bargain £4 which lasted for an exceedingly long time before disintegrating!

The venue was owned by Gareth Evans who also doubled up as the Stone Roses manager. The venue is sighted in the first few seconds of the promotional video for ‘Sally Cinnamon’.

Manchester Venue 2 – International 1

Aah, let me count the ways I loved this venue: –

  • Low strung roof which assisted greatly with the acoustics and created a fabulously sweaty communal venue when busy
  • Bars either side serving Colt 45 or Schlitz
  • Responsive DJ playing fab tunes when requested and memory tells me or tricks me that they played Long Ryders ‘Looking for Lewis and Clarke’ every visit
  • Loos at the side of the stage to allow you to swiftly rejoin the moshpit
  • Like minded brethren in the audience
  • Main bands rarely came on before 11 and of consistently high calibre
  • Cheeky little food hatch with un nutritious snacks to soak up the ale
  • All in all, what’s not to like?

I visited 20 times between 1985 and 1989, the venue closed around 1992. In my new Manchester pad I live a couple of miles away from the old site. It is now a Turkish deli/supermarket. I always had pretensions if winning the lottery to reopen the venue, but my odd £25 prizes are clearly not enough to achieve that aim.

The hallowed venue now! – Image Credit Jimmy Crossthwaite

My first visit was to see Hüsker Dü with the prior knowledge we wouldn’t get home and involved train and a fair bus ride as it was on the outskirts of town in Longsight. Whilst queueing up lead singer Bob Mould clattered out the doors past us to buy some cigs in the small newsagent next door which was exciting for us avid fans. They were mighty fine in front of a sparsely attended venue. The remainder of the night was trekking back into town to  Victoria and crashing in the waiting room while they loaded the paper trains before catching the first train back at 6am. Being a durable 17 year old I recall a couple of hours kip, on to Preston North End to sell programmes, watch the match and then inevitably out again that night. A few years after I became friends with another chap who was there and also napped on the station prior to a trip back to Blackpool (Spig, if you are reading this).

There was always an obliging driver in the crew to ferry us there before trains became the regular route to Manchester gigs. There was always a couple of aperitifs as we always travelling in via Holts and Boddingtons pubs in Prestwich, I believe the Friendship Inn is still standing and the afore mentioned Holts was 64p a pint (cheapest beer in Britain!).

Some of my favourite early gigs were here, notably astonishing performances from Lone Justice (what a set of pipes Marie McKee has and a fantastic cover of Velvets ‘Sweet Jane’), 10,000 Maniacs (stunning vocal also from Natalie Merchant) , Hüsker Dü again and the first ever gig in England for Meat Puppets in 1987 supported by the Inca Babies.

Picture shows the infamous Lone Justice gig on 20/02/1987. Image Credit radiox.co.uk

There was a dream joint headlining tour from Throwing Muses and Pixies. I read somewhere that it was something like the Pixies 26th ever gig and Black Francis cut a very menacing presence howling like a Banshee with me joyously bouncing round the moshpit despite having at that age an ever present nose bleed!

Other bands seen were Shop Assistants, a polished Robert Cray, That Petrol Emotion, Proclaimers and Rhythm Sisters, joyous Bhundu Boys (twice and once with a compelling hangover after a quiet night at the infamous Strawberry Duck at Entwistle!), Screaming Blue Messiahs and Wild Flowers, Wonderstuff and Darling Buds, Triffids (laconic Aussies) and Waltones, Amayenga and finally a thunderous Loop.

Flyer from 1986 – see Wonderstuff and Voice of The Beehive dates. Image Credit mdm.archive.co.uk

One notable exception was Green on Red and Steve Earle where it was just one of those nights where the gig didn’t work, the set was dull and to top it off the transport home had been vandalised and was bereft of a coat and a back seat window so was bloody freezing all the way home especially for Dave Keane in the back seat!

Two remaining standouts were Voice of the Beehive which was the first gig I attended with my then girlfriend, now wife Gill. The other was a carload of us attending the Stiff Little Fingers comeback tour on 18/12/87 which despite being sub-tropical outside remains one of the hottest gigs I have ever attended with a maximum of two songs in the moshpit before an obligatory rest station on the DJ’s steps.

Despite not attending a gig there in 30 years, and over 900 gigs since it still sits proudly as my 5th most attended venue.