MODERN VAMPIRE

Here comes the feeling you thought you'd forgotten.. the feeling that your space buns are wonky and there's not a damned thing you can do about it. In my defence they were a lot straighter when I left the house: it was my over-zealous dancing (ahem, pogoing) to Vampire Weekend that knocked them askew. These really are bouncing soles, I tell ya.

I'm wearing:

Minkpink jacket & bag

Lazy Oaf Metal Head tee

Topshop leather skirt

Dr Martens Britain boots

BLONDIE IN THE FOREST

Getting (semi) lost in the vastness of Delamere Forest is one of my favourite things to do, but on Saturday night I descended into the trees to watch the almighty Blondie play ForestLive.

The atmosphere was so chilled with people lay around on rugs and sat on deckchairs, eating picnics and drinking cider (I decided the most sensible idea would be to drive, an idea I regretted pretty quickly).. the crowd were older but I loved looking around an imagining what they had been up to thirty years previous as new Blondie fans: the man in the bucket hat, dancing in the Hacienda; the mum embarrassing her son with her whoops and cheers, illicitly bleaching her hair as a teenager to be more like her idol. When I'm fifty I doubt my past will be half as interesting as most of the boring old farts you meet nowadays.

The band were super cool and I was stunned to see how amazing Debbie Harry still is. She might not be pogoing around the stage but her voice remains, and they played all of the old favourites plus some tracks from recent albums, most of which I enjoyed as much as the hits. Overall the gigs in the forest are something I'd wholeheartedly recommend and hope to do again next year!

It was also so good to be outside at night and be able to wear not very much.. it's finally, FINALLY summer. Hooray. So glad I picked up this Minkpink top from the ASOS sale, and I just needed a crochet cardigan to keep the chill off when the sun went down. See totally awkward outfit pictures in front of loads of people.. haha.

I'm wearing:

Wildfox sunglasses

Minkpink Magic Dragon top & bag

ASOS crochet cardigan

Miss Selfridge candy stripe shorts

Topshop Arson boots

YEAH YEAH YEAH

I've seen the Yeah Yeah Yeahs quite a few times before but always at festivals, the last time being Leeds 2008, which is when the band last played in England I believe. They're an amazing outdoor band: the slower songs carry beautifully across open spaces and the faster songs make for the ideal dance party en masse in the mud (Date With The Night is perfect for this). A fond memory of mine is hearing Skeletons at the Leeds main stage with my buddies Todd and Chris and a lukewarm pint of Tuborg. OK, maybe the last bit of the memory isn't so fond, but what I'm saying is that Wednesday's YYYs gig at the Apollo had a lot to live up to.

Initially there appeared to be some sort of sound issue and I'm not sure they could hear themselves properly, but when they were about four songs in they seemed to iron out the kinks and hit their stride. Lucky for me as it was one of my favourite songs, Zero. Karen O was her usual bonkers self, and her yellow shorts suit, tie-dye knee sock and bandy leg look had a ring of Angus Young about it. She really is a bit of a hero of mine: she acts just how she wants, wears what she wants, and gets to be who she wants to be every day. I mean I would love to prance around wearing a tinsel cape and not give two fucks what anyone else thinks because I am a ROCKSTAR.

Maybe I was just being grumpy and old but I found the crowd around us really irritating.. one group stood with their back to the show and somehow had a screeching conversation over the music. The encore was Maps and some guy stood behind me decided to bellow tunelessly into my ear "WAIT THEY DON'T LOVE YOU LIKE I LOVE YOU" meaning I couldn't hear KO's singing at all. Or maybe it was just because I was completely sober (Apollo, u r so annoying to get to without driving) because with a few drinks inside me I'd inevitably be the one tunelessly bellowing to my heart's content.

RECORD STORE DAY

It's not like Manchester really needs a reason to drink on a sunny Saturday afternoon, but Record Store Day was the perfect excuse to get out of the house and hit town. I picked up the new Yeah Yeah Yeahs album from the absolutely packed Piccadilly Records, plus Grimes's Visions - a total bargain at £7. In my teenage years I was addicted to buying CDs, beginning with singles I liked the covers of in Asda, to spending hours flicking through obscure albums in indie record shops. I stopped buying CDs as their price increased and my disposable income decreased but really £7 is just the cost of a cocktail in the Northern Quarter, with much more longevity to the enjoyment from the music. It's a habit I'll return to; one a month maybe, carefully considered, not because of their pretty covers.

The rest of my afternoon was spent in a sunny spot outside Common Bar, listening to live bands and DJs through the walls, hanging with my boyfriend, our buddy Alun and blogging pals Pastime Bliss. My jellies made their debut appearance and I was the ideal temperature in fewer layers than usual: finally the weather is getting almost bearable. This jacket, skirt and jellies are set to be my summer uniform so you are sure to see much more of those.

I caught a couple of minutes of Bernard + Edith and really loved their sound.. I'm so rubbish at describing music but to me they sounded like if Grimes was made of sunshine and rainbows. Which of course is good! I'm hoping to catch these guys around the city sometime soon. There was also a fluffy dog in boots there.. you can imagine just how exciting that was.

I'm wearing:

Waiste Starry Nirvana jacket

Wildfox tee & sunglasses

Chelsea Girl maxi skirt (in black)

Topshop socks

Juju jellies

Minkpink bag

DANCE WITH ME TONIGHT

Do you know what a good daughter I am? Last night I sacrificed a Friday night which could have been spent drinking with my mates (or, more likely, sat on the internet) so I could take my mum to see Olly Murs at the Manchester Arena. It was a tough job, but someone had to do it, and that someone was me - it was only fitting as I got her the tickets for Christmas. No ulterior motive there at all. Nope, totally un-selfish.

Oh, who am I kidding? I love Olly as much as the next red-blooded female. I love that he seems to be the nicest guy in pop music and you could happily go to the pub for a pint with him, and that he's genuinely talented and full of boundless energy.

I haven't actually been to a pop gig since 1998 when I last saw Boyzone, and I'd totally forgotten how much effort is put into the performance. Olly played for two hours, there was a full live band, fantastic light shows and fireworks, a walkway lowered down into the crowd, a ten-minute mod cover session, plenty of snake-hipped action; and naturally it was top pop hit after top pop hit.

Although I do love seeing small bands in dingy venues complete with a flat pint, I won't discount pop gigs anymore. It was well worth it for the awesome performance, plus hearing my mum scream when Olly ripped his shirt open at the very end. Not sure my left ear forgives me for that particular moment, mind..!

NEED YOUR DEVOTION

Today is International Women's Day, so it's quite fitting that this post is about a strong, independent, unique woman I love: Jessie Ware. I went to see her play last night at The Ritz (which I hadn't been to since its makeover. Looks beautiful, still smells awful) and had an awesome time. Despite the gig being totally sold out and the entire crowd squealing with joy whenever the first notes of favourite tracks started up, Jessie was still totally humble and down-to-earth.

On record her sound is pared-back, but live the tracks develop a new groove, with Jessie's voice full of soul. Some songs even took on a grungy distorted guitar sound, and if you're wondering about the samples which feature in Jessie's music - the lady herself was in complete control of a mini sample board.

She's so normal, yet so amazing.. I just want her to be my best friend!




Jessie looked amazing in a shimmery sequinned cape, which the light bounced off to make it look holographic. The crowd were also super stylish; arguably the best dressed crowd I'd ever seen at a gig. No outfit pictures from me as I hastily changed from my work clothes into a jumpsuit that had been crumpled into my bag.. plus I was feeling slightly self-conscious about my new yellow hair - some toner later and it is a much more acceptable colour thankfully. Beer and pizza from new joint Papa John's took my mind off my lackluster look!

FLANNELS CREATES FOR THE CHRISTIE

This year British super-indie Flannels turns 35. Hooray! And what do you do when you have a big birthday? You have a big party, of course. Flannels' party was so big that it actually felt like a festival: with the eclectic sound of The Jessie Rose Trip playing inside the Flannels store; the jangly, Paul Simon-influenced Crookes playing on The Oast House's outside stage; and a DJ playing tunes inside the Oast House's tipi (yeah, a tipi. In the middle of Manchester's financial quarter. Why not?) - missing were the Christmas classics and the Bublé, replaced by Grimes and SBTRKT. Pretty cool.

Undoubtedly the stars of the show though were the mannequins especially created for Flannels' 35th birthday. Fourteen were auctioned last night in aid of The Christie, the largest cancer centre in Europe, which is based in Manchester. Cancer research in Manchester has been officially ranked best in the UK and this work impacts the rest of the world, too. Flannels aim to raise £50,000 for the Christie, and with the help of the evening's very generous attendees all the mannequins sold, ranging from £200 up to £3000 for the Stone Island mannequin. My favourite was the very pink and floral Matthew Williamson bust - signed by the designer himself - which reached £1,400.

Another 26 mannequins are being auctioned online until 9th December, and these include megabrands  Dolce & Gabbana, Gucci and Burberry, plus some quirky up-and-comings such as Emma Cook and Raoul. Snap up an investment whilst also doing good, or you can donate whatever you can directly to The Christie.

What would your mannequin look like? Mine would be a mix of orange and burgundy Indian silks with lots of sequins and fringing, and maybe an elephant knocking about somewhere.

Once again I find myself urging the multi-retailers of the world to be inspired by these actions. If a small business can raise £50,000 for charity - just think what the big boys could achieve.

I'm wearing:

Oasis dress (my work uniform!)

Miista boots

Fashion and junk food. Story of my life